Review: Gwendolyn Greene and the Moondog Coronation Ball of 1957 by Kevin P. Keating

30 March 2024 by Melissa

About the Book, Gwendolyn Greene and the Moondog Coronation Ball of 1957

Publication date: ‎ April 25, 2023
Pages Count: 56 pages

An extraordinary dog. A nation watching. A secret plea for help.

Time to Read: about 1 hour

When a Gwendolyn Greene’s Australian shepherd McKenna is selected to be the first animal in space, they are on a path to Cold War glory and worldwide stardom. So why did she beg her childhood friend to come rescue her from it all?

Lost Colony is a quarterly magazine of masterfully crafted mid-length (10,000 to 25,000 words) science fiction and fantasy in all of their varieties. This ebook edition includes an Editor’s Note in which the editor explains why this story was chosen for publication.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Apple Books | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

About the author, Kevin P. Keating

After working as a boilermaker in the steel mills in Ohio, Kevin P. Keating became a professor of English and began teaching at Baldwin Wallace University, Cleveland State University, Lorain County Community College, and John Carroll University.

His essays, stories and reviews have appeared in over fifty literary journals, including Salon, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, The Blue Lake Review, The Fifth Street Review, The Mad Hatter’s Review, The Avatar Review, The North Coast Review, The Licking River Review, The Red Rock Review, Whiskey Island, Juked, Inertia, Identity Theory, Exquisite Corpse, Wordriver, and many others.

“The Natural Order of Things,” his first full-length book, was a finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prizes/First Fiction Award. The novel has garnered starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Booklist and praise from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Olen Butler. His second novel “The Captive Condition” releases as a Pantheon hardcover on July 7 and will be featured at the 2015 San Diego Comic Con International.

He currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.

Connect with Kevin:

Website | Amazon Author Page | X (Twitter)

My Thoughts

I’m woefully late with this review since the book was released a year ago, but I finally had a chance to sit down and read it, and let me tell you, Gwendolyn Greene and the Moondog Coronation Ball of 1957 is a fantastic little book (novella, really) that blends heartwarming hometown interaction with elements of science fiction.

As a dog-lover (I have two right now, but used to work in rescue) I appreciated the bond Gwendolyn had with her pooch, and the relationship between them, as depicted by Gwendolyn’s nameless childhood friend, felt so honest and real.

And let’s take a moment to applaud the author’s bravery in giving us a narrator who isn’t named. It’s an interesting choice that lends a compelling sense of ‘otherness’ to what is ultimately a small-town tale.

With a page count of only 56, this novella is a fast read, but overall, a very fulfilling one.

Goes well with: a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and chocolate milk.

Cover Reveal: A Scottish Highland Hideaway by Julie Shackman

28 March 2024 by Melissa

I’m so excited to be part of the cover reveal for Julie Shackman’s next book, coming in August. I’ve read other books in this series, and they never fail to disappoint.

About the Book: A Scottish Highland Hideaway

Publisher: ‎ One More Chapter (August 23, 2024)
Publication date: ‎ August 23, 2024 (ebook), August 29, 2004 (paperback)
Pages: 384

A brand new autumnal story of love, believing in yourself and starting over set in the Scottish Highlands

For Bailey McArthur, her family and job mean everything. She runs her own floristry shop and loves spending time in nature in the pretty town of Heather Moore, whilst desperately trying to forget about being jilted on her wedding day.

When journalist Zach Stern arrives in town asking questions about a famous actor, Bailey decides to throw him off the trail of the superstar hiding out in the Scottish Highlands.

But despite Bailey’s efforts to thwart Zach’s investigation, she finds herself falling for him. It’s just a shame she can’t be honest with him. But then, Bailey might not be the only one with a secret to hide…

Pre-order this book:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK)

About the Author, Julie Shackman

Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland, who has always wanted to write feel-good romance.

As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies. Julie admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags.

She is married, has two sons and adopted a Romanian rescue puppy, Cooper.

A Scottish Highland Hideaway is Julie’s eleventh novel.

Connect with Julie:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)

And now, the cover!

Review & Giveaway: The Desk from Hoboken, by ML Condike

28 March 2024 by Melissa

About the book, The Desk from Hoboken

A Genealogy Mystery #1
Genre: Mystery / Women Sleuths / Forensic Genealogy
Publisher: Harbor Lane Books, LLC
Date of Publication: March 5, 2024
Number of Pages: 446 pages
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After a personal loss, forensic genealogist RaeJean Hunter accepts what she believes is a straightforward case to ease back into the game: a student at Connecticut College has found human remains on the school campus. The College hires RaeJean to confirm their tentative identification that it’s a woman named Mary Rogers, whose cause of death has never been determined.

Unfortunately, it becomes downright dangerous. Someone thwarts her investigation of the same case that inspired Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Mystery of Marie Rogêt.” Still, she meets relatives, some helpful and others not, amid escalating threats. Using her skills, including DNA analysis, historical records research, genealogy mapping, and guidance from a mystical antique desk, she follows every clue.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads

About the author, ML Condike

ML Condike’s novel, The Desk from Hoboken, is the first in a genealogy mystery three-book series.

She also has short stories published in five anthologies. ML Condike completed Southern Methodist University’s Writer’s Path in Dallas in 2019 and is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime North Dallas, Granbury Writers’ Bloc, and Key West Writers Guild.

Connect with ML:

My Thoughts

The Desk from Hoboken is fiction, but it has a similar feel to the James Burke show Connections, the one where he connects dots through history from conch shells to the creation of the Internet. The mystery in this first entry into ML Condike’s new series also connects dots – from exhumed remains to a Poe short story to backroom abortions in the early 20^th century, and, yes, to an antique desk, using forensic genealogy as its main method.

RaeJean Hunter, said genealogist, and her husband Sam, an antiquities appraiser, are the sleuthing team at the heart of the story, and they’re a delightful couple. RaeJean is just getting back to work after a miscarriage that triggered severe depression, and she takes the case of identifying said remains thinking it will be easy – strawberries, as she puts it.

What unfolds is a compelling tale of intrigue – family secrets, cover-ups, a mysterious client, and a race to piece together all the clues before an obsessed relative of the deceased has them seized or destroyed. To keep things topical there’s also a subplot about human trafficking.

I am not exaggerating when I say I devoured this novel. I loved RaeJean’s sensibility and no-nonsense attitude. I shared her love of simple food – a well-cooked burger and a cold beer. I really appreciated the little details author Condike included in the story – RaeJean’s original desk is a hollow-core door – I know sooooo many writers and academics who used the same sorts of things for years. (My own desk is a vintage library table – not much fancier.) I also enjoyed following the process of investigation and the need to find three primary sources.

The supporting cast – especially RaeJean’s sister Caitlin, her colleague Claire, and her friend Grace who works for the FBI – are all well drawn, and I’m hoping at least two of them show up in future books in this series. Worth mentioning is Sophie the corgi, who lit up the pages she was on.

The character of Lillian Baker, who looks a lot like Betty White, but has a conniving soul, made a brilliant foil and turned the “nice old lady” stereotype on its head.

Overall, I felt that the story was well-paced and the blend of the mystery with RaeJean’s emotional state was in balance. Her personal story added to the total experience of the novel, and lent color to the mystery, without ever overpowering it.

If you love a good mystery with undercurrents of real history and strong female characters, The Desk from Hoboken is the book for you.

Goes well with Chinese spareribs and won ton soup.

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03/19/24	Rainy Days with Amanda	Review
03/19/24	Hall Ways Blog	BONUS Stop
03/20/24	It’s Not All Gravy	Review
03/20/24	LSBBT Blog	BONUS Stop
03/21/24	StoreyBook Reviews	Review
03/21/24	Boys’ Mom Reads	Review
03/22/24	JennCaffeinated	Review
03/22/24	Chapter Break Book Blog	BONUS Stop
03/23/24	The Real World According to Sam	Review
03/24/24	The Page Unbound	Review
03/25/24	Rox Burkey Blog	Review
03/26/24	Book Fidelity	Review
03/26/24	The Book’s Delight	Review
03/27/24	The Clueless Gent	Review
03/27/24	The Plain-Spoken Pen	Review
03/28/24	Jennie Reads	Review
03/28/24	Bibliotica	Review

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Kookaburras, Cuppas and Kangaroos Full Tour Banner

Review: Kookaburras, Cuppas, and Kangaroos

28 March 2024 by Melissa

About the Book, Kookaburras, Cuppas, & Kangaroos: Adventures of a Yorkshire Lass Down Under in the ’60s

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Independently published (December 12, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 260 pages

Fueled by her spirit for adventure and with her £10.00 ticket in hand, Elizabeth Isle leaves 1960s England, determined to see it all, not just Australia and New Zealand, but as much as she can on the way, too. She surrenders her passport to the Australian government and must find work to support herself on the other side of the world from her family and friends.

There can be no going back for two years. Join this intrepid young woman on the adventure of her lifetime. Share her amazing experiences, discover what exotic animals await, get travel tips and meet her new friends through her letters home and over plenty of cups of tea.

Beware – the travel bug might prove infectious!

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads

About the Author, S. Bavey

Sue Bavey (writing as S. Bavey) a British mother of two teenagers, now living in Franklin, Massachusetts, having moved to the US in 2003. Writing as S. Bavey, she won a gold award from Readers’ Favorite for her grandfather’s biography: Lucky Jack (1894 – 2000), which she wrote during COVID lockdown. She also has a number of non-fiction stories published in various anthologies.

Kookaburras, Cuppas & Kangaroos is the story of her late mother’s emigration from Yorkshire to Australia in 1960 for three years, told via airmail letters and travel diary entries.

A free prequel to Kookaburras, Cuppas & Kangaroos”, called “A Yorkshire Lass: The Early Years” is available for free download from www.suebavey.com.

Connect with Sue:

Website | Facebook | Instagram | X (Twitter)

My Thoughts

This memoir-once-removed tells the story of the author’s mother, Elizabeth Isle who participated in the Assisted Passenger Program which encouraged emigration to Australia in the 1960s.

Told mainly in epistolary format, the writing of which were sustained by endless cups of tea, it’s a delightful tale of a wide-eyed young woman on her first travel adventures, from innocence to awareness personally and culturally.

I enjoyed reading about the universal experiences that Elizabeth had – driving her (affectionate) uncle’s car, searching for a job that would be fulfilling but also allow time and money for explorations, and making new friends.

I also appreciated the glimpses of what life was like in the Australia of the 1960s. As someone from a similarly “young” country, the parallels and differences between the United States and Australia have always fascinated me, and seeing the latter through Elizabeth’s eyes was particularly rewarding.

Author Sue Bavey (writing as S. Bavey) has done an admirable job capturing both the excitement and the challenges of moving half a world away from home. I liked that she kept the language period appropriate. It’s slightly more sophisticated than the way young women speak and write today, and the difference really added to the feeling of immersion in Elizabeth’s adventures.

If you, like me, love memoirs in general, and travel memoirs specifically, you will love this book.

Goes well with hot tea and ribbon sandwiches.

Review: Perestroika by João Cerqueira

27 March 2024 by Melissa

About the Book, Perestroika

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Arkbound (November 26, 2023)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages

Eye for an eye; tooth for a tooth

Perestroika is a historical fiction novel that provides thrilling insights into the late Communist era. The book opens in 1978 and introduces citizens of Slavia like artist Ludwig Kirchner, struggling to survive in concentration camps, whilst the terrifying elites of the regime live in luxury and moral depravity. It all changes in 1989, with Perestroika. In the revolutionary turmoil, former crime boss Ivan Fiorov leads the newly formed ‘Freedom Party’, heralding a wave of insecurity that resembles the previous dictatorship.

Revenge, redemption and catharsis collide head on with recent European history. With Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, alongside a resurgence of populist leaders and neo-Nazi movements across the world, Perestroika is as much a lens into the present as an exciting epitome for the past.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

About the Author, João Cerqueira

João Cerqueira was born and lives in Viana do Castelo, Portugal. He holds a PhD in Art History from the University of Porto, he is a professor at ESE and a columnist for the newspaper Sun.

He is the author of nine books and is published in eight countries. His novels use satire and humor to address human nature and contemporary problems. He tries to continue the literary tradition that goes from “Cantigas de Escárnio and Maldizer” to Eça de Queiroz and Camilo, without forgetting Gil Vicente, Camões and Bocage.

Connect with João:

Website | Facebook | LinkedIn | X (Twitter)

My Thoughts

I’m late in reviewing Perestroika because it’s a novel that requires careful attention. It’s historical fiction, based in the invented nation of Slavia which is a stand-in for several (too many) former Soviet Bloc countries. It’s a portrait of a small country caught up in the changes that happened in Europe during the Gorbachev era, and the echoes of what is still changing.

The use of a fictional country allows author Cerqueira to blend real history with created history. Events feel plausible because they’re inspired by truth, though the names have been changed and serial numbers filed off.

Subtitled “Eye for an eye; tooth for a tooth” the core of the story is about dynamic characters who are each facing their own challenges. Those which I was particularly interested in are former President Ionescu, a man who longer has the power or control he once did; Helena, who is responsible for education and is the ray of goodness and hope in an otherwise bleak landscape, and Olin, a dedicated father trying to give his disabled son a decent life.

Author Cerqueira has given us a story set in somewhat heightened-reality versions of the two time periods where it takes place: 1978, where we first learn of Slavia and the communist regime in power, and 1989, when Glasnost has become common. What makes it really compelling is the vivid, almost cinematic, description the author has provided. You don’t just read this novel, you experience it.

If you’re a fan of hardcore, sometimes brutal, historical fiction, or are interested in the politics of equality and human rights, this book is perfect for you. It’s the perfect combination of tragedy and hope, politics and art, truth and imagination.

Goes well with: potato-leek soup and hard cider.

Review & Giveaway: Amethyst, The Shallows, by Kellye Abernathy

26 March 2024 by Melissa

About the book, Amethyst, The Shallows

Genre: YA / Magical Realism / Coming of Age
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Page Count: 296 pages
Publication Date: February 6, 2024
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“This is a night for being brave.”

In the aftermath of a devastating sickness that shatters their close-knit beach town, six lonely kids are drawn together during the unpredictable autumn equinox. Among them are fourteen-year-old Lorelei, who yearns to be an oceanographer, and her peculiar younger brother, Tad, who possesses an otherworldly curiosity.

When Lorelei has a strange and almost deadly encounter in a sea cave, her loyal boyfriend, Casey, cannot reconcile her fantastical experience with the rational world. Condi, Lorelei’s best friend, understands ocean magic but isn’t free to share what she knows. Kait, a girl from Ireland, regrets her impulsive move to America–all because of an odd occurrence involving her deceased boyfriend’s lost surfboard. When tides turn and the moon shifts, Isaac, the new kid in town who despises the ocean, is forced to face the truth–a profound and powerful magic lives in the deep.

Guided by a wise surf master, mystical old women known as the Beachlings, and an open-hearted grandmother, six kids embark on transformative adventures that challenge their beliefs about possibilities and the intense nature of love.

Amethyst, the Shallows is the companion novel to The Aquamarine Surfboard.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop.org | Goodreads

About the author, Kellye Abernathy

Kellye Abernathy’s passions are writing and serving trauma survivors as a yoga teacher and practical life skills advocate. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary English Education from the University of Kansas. Her home is in land-locked Plano, Texas—where she’s dreaming of her next trip to the sea!

Connect with Kellye:

My Thoughts

This second book in the Yellow Cottage series opens with the coastal community of Dipitous Beach still reeling in the aftermath of the Sickness, which felt very much like an analog for Covid, though it’s presented as something with mysterious origins.

Returning and new characters reflect what was like for young people during a statewide lockdown, maintaining friendships through digital communications, and suffering through the closure of beaches. It’s appropriate then, that the story begins on the day the beaches reopen.

This story continues from The Aquamarine Surfboard, but the focus shifts somewhat. Condi, from the first book, is still present, but this story focuses on Lorelai, and also brings in her younger brother Tad, who is neurodivergent. His presence is just part of the way author Kellye Abernathy has addressed mental health issues, including anxiety and depression in this story – weaving them into the narrative as the very normal parts of life that they are, and doing so with grace and understanding.

Of course, surfing and the sea are still prominent in the story, and we not only get to spend more time with the Beachlings, a group of elderly women who live near (or on) the beach (I want to be one of them when I’m older), and an octopus who embodies wisdom.

As with the previous installment of this series, Abernathy blends fantasy, science fiction, and magical realism into a cohesive whole, leaving you with the scent of salt air and the feeling of having spent time in the water.

While this book is best appreciated if you’ve read the previous one, it also stands alone quite well. Overall, it’s an enchanting tale of friendship and community with other humans and the sea.

Goes well with: mahi tacos and pineapple-mango salsa.

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Blitz Review: The Sunshine Sisters: Aurora, by Rosie Green

24 March 2024 by Melissa

About the book, The Sunshine Sisters: Aurora

Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 16, 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Pages: 212

This is the first book in an exciting new trilogy (‘The Sunshine Sisters’, part of the Little Duck Pond Café series) about three sisters, who are all – in their different ways – searching for something missing in their lives. They haven’t been close since a shocking incident years ago sent them spinning off in different directions. Will the village of Sunnybrook work its magic and finally reunite the family?

In this first story, Rori has escaped a desperate situation by fleeing to the village. But can she really leave her past behind, or will it come back to haunt her, as she fears it will? Can she find the peace and happiness she craves in Sunnybrook?

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon (US) | Amazon (UK) | Goodreads

About the author, Rosie Green

Rosie’s series of Little Duck Pond Café novellas is centred around life in a country village cafe. ‘A Winter Wonderland’ is out now. Look out for Skye’s story and Blossom’s story, completing ‘The Sunshine Sisters’ trilogy – out in April and June!

Connect with Rosie:

X (Twitter) | Goodreads

My Thoughts

The Sunshine Sisters: Aurora is the first in a spin-off trilogy from Rosie Green’s ever-popular series featuring The Little Duck-Pond Café. It was a joy to re-enter this world and meet Aurora (Rori) and the other new characters featured in this book.

While Rosie’s upbeat, contemporary writing style is very much evident in this novel, she’s shown off her range a bit more here, going darker in tone, with an abusive ex (Nash), as well as stalking. These elements are added organically, and worked to make the story a richer one.

I liked Rori and the other new characters. I especially appreciated that she is a middle sister, with the mix of emotions, habits, and reactions that entails. I have to admit that I’m a bit jealous that she gets to live above the café. In my twenties and thirties, that would have been my dream.

With a page count of 212, this is a fast read, but it never feels like anything is missing. I’m a proponent of the concept that books are always exactly as long as they need to be to tell a complete story, and while this book, in particular is part of a trilogy, it didn’t feel incomplete at all.

I’m looking forward to the next two installments in The Sunshine Sisters, and heartily recommend Aurora for anyone who loves Green’s other work.

Goes well with: a cappuccino and a chocolate croissant.

Review and Giveaway: Frowns and Gowns by Amanda M. Thrasher

22 March 2024 by Melissa

About the Book, Frowns and Gowns

Series: The Mischief Series, Book 5
Genre: Children’s Chapter Book / Fantasy / Fairies
Publisher: Progressive Rising Phoenix Press
Page Count: 236
Publication Date: September 12, 2023
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Embark on a Magical Adventure with Lilly, Boris, and Jack!

Get ready to join Lilly, Boris, and Jack on an unforgettable journey filled with excitement, laughter, and a touch of mayhem. Brace yourself for a whirlwind of mishaps as these three fairies plan a magnificent magical ball, only to encounter an unforeseen disaster! Experience the magic of friendship with Lilly, the quick-witted and resourceful fairy, Boris, the mischievous fairy with a heart of gold, and Jack, the troublemaker with a curious, adventurous spirit on their latest adventure.

Throughout, Lilly, Boris, and Jack teach the true meaning of friendship and teamwork. Together with their friends, they’ll overcome challenges, learn valuable lessons, and create memories that will last a lifetime. Don’t miss out on this enchanting tale!

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Progressive Rising Phoenix Press | Amazon │ Apple iBooks │ B&N | GoodReads

Watch the Trailer for This Book

About the author, Amanda M. Thrasher

Award-winning author Amanda M. Thrasher was born in England and moved to Texas, where she lives with her family. She writes YA, general fiction, middle grade, early reader chapter, and picture books. She is the founder and CEO of Progressive Rising Phoenix Press.

Connect with Amanda:

My Thoughts

I don’t read a lot of children’s literature anymore, but as my role as Book Aunt (every family has one) has evolved into Book Great-Aunt, there’s a whole new generation of kids for me to gift with books.

Frowns and Gowns by Amanda Thrasher will definitely be one of those books.

It’s a whimsical tale of young fairies (fairlings) who are tasked with putting on their prom. Lilly, Boris, and Jack are the principal players, but their circle is rounded out by Rosie, Ivy, and Pearle, the latter of whom uses a wheelchair – er – chariot when she must move around on the ground.

While the preparations depicted in the book move between silliness – stinky moss bomb fights included – the whimsical happenings also include choosing the right gowns and picking the perfect foods.

What I loved about this story was that it was all about inclusion, but organically so, woven through the entire book as a core tenet, never an afterthought. I also appreciated the mischief made by the girl and boy fairlings alike, and I laughed out loud several times. (I aww-ed out loud at least twice, though.)

Overall, this was a madcap romp through the lives of young fairies, with great characters, lovely explorations into friendship, and fantastic worldbuilding.

Goes well with popcorn and cotton candy… obviously.

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Review and Giveaway: Reap the Wind, by Joel Burcat

9 March 2024 by Melissa

About the book, Reap the Wind

Genre: Action-Adventure / Suspense / Climate Change / EcoThriller
Publisher: Milford House Press, an imprint of Sunbury Books, Inc.
Date of Publication: February 6, 2024
Number of Pages: 215 pages
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THE PERFECT STORM meets THE FIRM.

Reap the Wind is a thrilling action/adventure novel that follows three lawyers as they embark on a treacherous journey from Houston to Cincinnati during a catastrophic hurricane. Josh Goldberg is on a mission to be with his girlfriend for the birth of their child. Along the way, they’ll face terrifying obstacles like tornadoes, hailstorms, and driving rain. But the real danger may come from within as they struggle to survive each other’s company. His two travel companions—his best friend, a drug-addicted lawyer, and his conniving boss who has her own agenda.

Don’t miss out on this unforgettable odyssey that might just be a suicide trip.

Praise for this book:

“Reap the Wind is a bold, bracing and blisteringly original take on the legal thriller form. Joel Burcat has fashioned a seminal tale focusing on the nightmare of all road trips in which a storm raging outside the car is matched only by the storm raging within. Burcat dares to tread on the hallowed ground of John Grisham and Scott Turow and ends up blazing a fresh, daring literary tale of his own. Not to be missed!” —Jon Land, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Amazon │Sunbury Books | >Midtown Scholar Bookstore (signed copies) | Goodreads

About the author, Joel Burcat

Joel Burcat is an award-winning author of three environmental legal thrillers: Drink to Every Beast (illegal dumping of toxic waste), Amid Rage (a coal mine permit battle), and Strange Fire (a fracking dispute). His most recent book, Reap the Wind, is about three lawyers trying to drive from Houston to Cincinnati in a climate change-induced hurricane.

He has received a number of awards, including the Gold Medal for environmental fiction from Readers’ Favorite for Strange Fire, and as a Finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards for Amid Rage. He has written numerous short stories. Burcat imbues his novels with facts to educate his readers about critical environmental issues while they are being entertained by the story.

Burcat’s books are infused with realism developed over a forty plus year career as an environmental lawyer.

Connect with Joel:

My Thoughts

Joel Burcat’s new novel Reap the Wind is described as “The Perfect Storm meets The Firm,” and that’s accurate to a point, but I feel like it’s more a mixture of those two stories with a soupçon of No Exit. At only 215 pages, it’s a fast read, but a meaty one with thrills, spills, and chills of various intensities.

Told from the perspective of two main characters, Josh and Keisha, and engaged couple who are about to have a baby, this story quickly splits into parallel plots when Josh is delayed in Houston after a business trip, and Keisha has a medical emergency on her flight to Philadelphia.

Keisha’s story then becomes a medical tale – she’s injured, about to have a baby, and stuck in a hospital in Cincinnati (she had a layover there) where she has to confront her past and make choices about her future. Meanwhile, Josh conscripts his friend Greg to join him on a mad dash from Houston to Cincinnati so he can be there for Keisha. When their colleague Diane insinuates herself into their trip, which they make in a second-hand limousine – it becomes the worst road trio ever. And did I mention that there’s a major hurricane disrupting weather in the entire eastern third of the United States?

Josh and Keisha are both written as sympathetic, if flawed, characters, and I found myself rooting for a romantic comedy ending, even though this novel is more of a thriller with a lot of emotional undertones.

Greg, Diane, and Abdul (the limo driver) are all interesting, though clearly created to serve the narrative. I wasn’t terribly invested in either of their stories and felt like their purpose was more to be obstacles in Josh’s path than fully realized human beings. Despite this, the novel is richer for their presence. Without them, you’d just have a lonely guy driving through a storm.

The storm, Hurricane Epsilon, is a character in its own right, and author Burcat did a fantastic job of making it the villain and the catalyst without ever actually personifying it. Yes, it felt at times like the weather was taunting all of these characters, but it was just the well-crafted perception the author created. Climate change and the government and corporate responses to it is also part of the connective tissue of this novel. Perhaps, then, Climate Change is the villain, and the hurricane is its henchman.

Overall, I felt this was an interesting novel. It starts off slow but ends up careening through plot points like a car fishtailing on a storm-drenched highway. It kept my attention, and I would definitely read more of Burcat’s work.

I was slightly disappointed that the scenes with the Weather Service hurricane hunter that bookended the novel were there only to demonstrate the capriciousness of weather and the danger of not heeding warnings – I would love to read an entire book about that crew.

Goes well with: Hot roast beef sandwiches and steak fries.

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Signed copy of REAP THE WIND

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03/05/24	Hall Ways Blog	First Line
03/05/24	Librariel Book Adventures	Review
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03/06/24	LSBBT Blog	BONUS Stop
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03/11/24	The Page Unbound	Excerpt
03/12/24	Chapter Break Book Blog	Notable Quotables
03/13/24	The Real World According to Sam	Review
03/13/24	Rebecca R. Cahill, Author	Author Interview
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Review & Giveaway: To Rescue a Witch by Lisa A Traugott

8 March 2024 by Melissa

About the book, To Rescue a Witch

Genre: Historical Fiction / Action & Adventure / Witch Trials
Page Count: 398 pages
Publication Date: March 1, 2024
Scroll down for Giveaway

It’s 1739. An abused girl accused of witchcraft must be defended by a man married to an actual witch.

William MacLeod, a fierce Scottish lawyer with a kind heart, takes on a daunting task—rescue young Annaliese from the clutches of her tormentors in the untamed wilds of Virginia colony and deliver her safely to her aristocratic father in London. But lurking in the shadows are enemies eager to expose MacLeod’s own wife, Fiona, as a witch with a dark secret.

Their perilous journey takes an unexpected turn when their ship wrecks, and Annaliese’s haunting nightmares and unexplained Devil Marks trigger suspicion among the crew. Tension peaks when MacLeod must become Annaliese’s unwavering protector in a witch trial, where Fiona’s clairvoyance and a murder are unveiled.

To Rescue a Witch navigates themes of betrayal and redemption, in a spellbinding narrative that blends history, magic, and the unyielding resilience of the human spirit.

Buy, read, and discuss this book:

Purchase Link | Goodreads

About the Author, Lisa A. Traugott

Lisa A. Traugott is an award-winning author and World Championship public speaker semifinalist — who also spoke five lines on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. She lives in Austin with her husband, two kids and English bulldog, Bruno.

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My Thoughts

Lisa A. Traugott’s new novel To Rescue a Witch is brilliant and powerful, telling the story of three different women (one is really a little girl) and one Scotsman in alternating points of view. It’s very much a portrait of the social strictures of the period – it’s set in 1739 – but it’s also, by turns, an action-adventure, a vigilante tale, a romance, a courtroom saga, and a redemption story. Add witchcraft, a shipwreck, and intense family drama to the mix, and this book has something for everyone.

At the center is William McLeod, a kindhearted lawyer who needs significant nudging from his wife, Fiona, in order to heed the better angels of his nature. Author Traugott has done a masterful job depicting him has a flawed human being who is sometimes too quick to act but is trying to curb his baser instincts.

Surrounding McLeod are three women, whose stories are told in alternating chapters. Fiona, McLeod’s wife is a devoted mother, a loving spouse, and an actual witch who makes protective charms and has portentous dreams. Lady Margaret is the epitome of a fairytale villainous queen translated to the real world of eighteenth century Scotland. And then there’s Annaliese. If McLeod is the central male figure of this novel, Fiery, feisty, nine-and-a-half-year-old Annaliese is the central female figure. Raised in filth and brutality by her stepfather, it’s really amazing that she’s alive at all, let alone serving as a protector to her younger half-brother. Like Fiona, she also has portentous dreams, but as a child doesn’t know how to filter what she shares.

While the novel has moments of lightness and humor, the opening chapters, especially, are brutal and visceral, with mentions of sexual abuse of children and violence toward children, women, and men.

Overall, To Rescue a Witch is a compelling story, with equal measures of explicit physical situations, poignant emotional scenes, and high-seas adventure, blended with a healthy dose of witch trials and the politics of the period. The characters are dimensional, each with their own failings and graces, and the dialogue is a rich blend of early American English, Scots English, and British English.

It’s a worthy read, and one that is not soon forgotten.

Goes well with: baked salmon and mashed potatoes, followed by a healthy shot of whisky.