Book Review

Fabyan Place by Peter Angus

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from iRead Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Fabyan Place by Peter Angus was an amazing book.  I knew I would like this book from the start because I love books that have anything to do with WWII.  I loved how the author of this book switched between when Sonny was in the war and when he was home after the war.  It gave me a better idea of who he was and what he went through.  The author did a great job of keeping me interested because I had to know everything that had happened, Sonny.  This author did a great job of making me believe it was back in the 1940s.  He did such a great job writing this book that it is one that I will keep in my personal collection of books that I love.  I loved that the author wasn’t afraid to put things in this book that happened in the 1940s because some people wouldn’t use certain words because people might be offended by them.  I wasn’t offended by it because I know that is how things used to be, and if we don’t recognize that, we can’t ever change. If you love historical fiction books that take place during WWII, then I know you will enjoy this book.

About The Book

Book Title:  Fabyan Place: Two WWII GIs Fight to Survive and Overcome Racial Strife as POWS by Peter Angus
Category:  Adult Fiction 18+, 350 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Publisher:  Dottenfritz Press
Release date:   August 2021
Formats Available for Review: print-softback (internationally), e-book (mobi for Kindle, epub, and pdf)
Tour dates: November 22 to December 3
Content Rating:  PG13 + M: Some use of the “F” word, some swearing, bigoted pejorative vernacular common in the 1940s, treatment attributed to Nazi captors in both a POW and Death Camp and one antagonist suicide.
“Fabyan Place is a book that stays with you. A callow young man goes to war and confronts his prejudice, forming an unlikely friendship in a POW camp with another soldier. They each know a secret about the other that could be a death sentence. Deeply researched with fascinating details and unforgettable characters, moving and thought-provoking, the story rises to a ferocious finish that will take your breath away.” — Kay Williams, co-author, The Matryoshka Murders and Butcher of Dreams

“Enthusiasts of this genre will be impressed by the book’s authenticity. The author has a deep knowledge of the Second World War and offers many historical insights and details that I was not aware of.” — David Aretha, editor, World War II Chronicle and The Holocaust Chronicle

Book Description:
​​
Should racism prevent you fighting for your country?
Does bigotry still live even after a war has ended?
Must standing at the gates of hell in a POW camp forever change a man?

Memories of his internment as a prisoner echo as a young war veteran returns to his family and an enigmatic visitor arrives unannounced on Christmas morning.

The guest brings memories of the war, the horrors of the camps and the life-altering changes in his own psyche as his family prepares for their annual feast.
​
Fabyan Place is an engrossing suspenseful historical fiction novel about two mixed race young men from urban New Jersey and rural Georgia whose experiences clash in a Nazi concentration camp.

About The Author

Pete Angus spent his early years in New York City and environs. From there it was working and living in Vienna, Belgrade, Warsaw, Moscow, and Paris before settling in his current base, London. Fabyan Place, his first novel, is drawn from his own recollections and his extensive study of WWII military history. Pete has caught the writing bug and is currently working on a new mystery series featuring a military CID officer investigating unusual crimes in the 1940s.

Connect with the Author:  Author’s Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Goodreads

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Interview Questions from Peter Angus (peter.angus.author@gmail.com – Nov 2021)

Where do you write? 

To be honest, I can write just about anywhere; inside, outside, in the middle of a park on a bench or on a comfy chair – I just need my laptop!  But it usually works out to be most mornings in my living room, surrounded by darkness except for a lone light.  I have an agreeable leather couch, a small pillow with my laptop sitting on top in front of me – and a good strong cup of coffee with oat milk. 

Do you write every day? 

I endeavor to, however I don’t always get the chance.  But I find that if I do, the speed with which I write improves if I do it daily. 

If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 3 books would you want with you? 

First book:  How to survive and escape a deserted island!  But after that, I would pick at least a couple of Patrick O’Brian novels – he is a wonderful historical fiction writer.  To me, his stories are less important than the way he tells them (though his stories are detailed and gripping), and I find that reading how a pro author does it on a topic I know little about quite fascinating 

What advice would you give budding writers? 

Do everything you can to boost your confidence starting out.  By that I mean developing a bevy of good beta readers (who you trust!) who will be brutally honest in reviewing your prose and your story.  You don’t always have to take their advice, but it will always give you pause to think!  They are your eventual audience, so make sure you have a wide array of them!

What is writing schedule? 

I try to write a little every day, even if it is 200 words, but I am at my best when I’m doing it at 5-5:30 AM when I have very little distraction from emails or phone calls. 

In today’s tech savvy world, most writers use a computer or laptop. Have you ever written parts of your book on paper? 

I use both paper and computer.  I love typing as I can do it quite fast (my mom enrolled me in a summer school classroom course between 8th grade and middle school and I’ve been typing ever since.)  I didn’t appreciate it at the time, but it sure paid off!  But in writing stories, I type as much as I can, and then print it and have at it with a red pencil!  For some reason, I’m much better making corrections having a hard copy in my hand.  And I find it all very relaxing. 

If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be? 

From an author’s perspective, that people will say that I both entertained and informed!

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The Counsel of the Cunning by Steven C. Harms

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Counsel of the Cunning by Steven C. Harms had a very unique plot.  I didn’t think I would enjoy this book, but I was pleasantly surprised.  This is the second book in the “Roger Viceroy Series.”  I didn’t read the first book, and I wasn’t lost at all, so you don’t need to read the first book if you don’t want to.  This book wasn’t super suspenseful, but it had just enough that I didn’t put the book down until I was finished reading it.  This book includes so many genres of books that I think everyone could find something that they enjoy.  There are so many characters in this book that I would sometimes get confused as to who everyone was.  I enjoyed the characters; I just wish that there weren’t so many different characters.  I also wished that the author didn’t jump around because it made it hard to follow.   If you are looking for a mystery book with a very unique plot, I think you will enjoy this book.

About The Book

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Suspense Publishing
Publication Date: November 9th 2021
Number of Pages: 268
ISBN: 978-0-578-93379-5
Series:Roger Viceroy Series, #2

Roger Viceroy faces a return to the FBI and a life he vacated long ago, until a knock on his front door announces the presence of billionaire and former U.S. Senator, Jürgen Sandt.

The past has come back to rear its ugly head. Sandt stands on his threshold for a reason: a decade prior the senator’s only son disappeared into the jungles of Guatemala, and Sandt has come to convince Viceroy that further investigation is now necessary. A package left mysteriously outside the family estate, opens the door to the possibility that his son is still very much alive.

Viceroy and his team agree to take on the hunt. Their search steers them from the back streets of Milwaukee to the stealthy corridors of Washington, D.C.—an eerie trek that will ultimately lead to an ancient site that supposedly doesn’t exist.

As Viceroy closes in on the truth, a parallel plot emerges. Not only could it point to the reason behind the cryptic disappearance of Bertram Sandt, but it could also launch a deadly battle that will put millions of lives at stake. On pure instinct, Viceroy knows nothing is adding up. Somehow, somewhere they missed a clue, and if it’s not discovered soon…it may be too late.

About The Author

Steven C. Harms is a professional sports, sponsorship, broadcast sales, and digital media executive with a career spanning over thirty years across the NBA, NFL, and MLB. He’s dealt with Fortune 500 companies, major consumer brands, professional athletes, and multi-platform integrated sports partnerships and media advertising campaigns. He’s an accomplished playwright having written and produced a wildly successful theatrical production which led him to tackle his debut novel, Give Place to Wrath, released November 9, 2021 from Suspense Publishing. Harms is a native of Wisconsin, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. He now resides in the greater Milwaukee area as a sponsorship executive.

Catch Up With Steven C. Harms:
StevenCHarms.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @StevenCHarms
Instagram – @stevencharms
Twitter – @steven_c_harms
Facebook – @authorstevencharms

 

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Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard was an exciting book.  I loved that things started to happen right from the first chapter.  Some books don’t get going until you are a few chapters in, but this book jumped right out of the gate with drama.  This is the second book in the Rocky Mountain Courage series, but it is a stand-alone book, so you don’t have to worry about reading the first book if that one doesn’t interest you.  I didn’t think that this book had much suspense, but it did have enough that I didn’t want to stop reading until I was finished with the book. The author did a great job of keeping me guessing as I was reading, and I loved that about this book.  I also loved that I got a touch of the romance in this book.  I found that this book had the right mix of everything in the book.  I had just the right amount of things that made me read the entire thing in just a couple of days.  If you are looking for a well rounded book to read this winter i would pick up a copy of this one because I know you will enjoy it.

About The Book

Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Published by: Revell
Publication Date: November 2nd 2021
Number of Pages: 336
ISBN: 0800737997 (ISBN13: 9780800737993)
Series: Rocky Mountain Courage #2 || This is a Stand-Alone Novel

Criminal psychologist Erin Larson’s dreams of a successful career come to a screeching halt when she nearly loses her own life in a boating accident on Puget Sound and then learns that her mother tried to commit suicide. She leaves her job as a criminal psychologist to care for her mother in Montana. At least she is able to produce her podcast, which focuses on solving missing persons cold cases.

Nathan Campbell’s father was investigating such a case when he was shot, and now Nathan needs to enlist Erin’s help to solve the case. She’s good at what she does. The only problem? She’s his ex.

As the two dig deeper, it becomes clear that they, too, are being targeted–and that the answers to their questions are buried deep within the past Erin struggles to explain and longs to forget.

The race is on for the truth in this gripping and complex tale of suspense, intrigue, and murder from USA Today bestselling author Elizabeth Goddard.

About The Author

Elizabeth Goddard is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of more than fifty novels, including Present Danger and the Uncommon Justice series. Her books have sold over one million copies. She is a Carol Award winner and a Daphne du Maurier Award finalist. When she’s not writing, she loves spending time with her family, traveling to find inspiration for her next book, and serving with her husband in ministry.

For more information about Elizabeth Goddard, visit her website at:
http://www.ElizabethGoddard.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @ElizabethGoddard
Instagram – @elizabethgoddardauthor
Twitter – @bethgoddard
Facebook – @ElizabethGoddardAuthor

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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Elizabeth Goddard and Revell. There will be ONE (1) winner for this tour. The winner will receive ONE (1) physical copy of both Present Danger & Deadly Target by Elizabeth Goddard. This giveaway is open only to residents in the US or Canada. The giveaway runs November 1 through December 5, 2021. Void where prohibited.

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New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst by Elizabeth Crowens

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst by Elizabeth Crowens was a super fun book to read.   I loved all of the pictures that the book included, along with the short stories.  This book was a super easy read, and I finished it in just a few days.  This is what they call of coffee table book and I think it would be great to just flip through the book and look at all of the pictures.  I loved that all of the stories were different, so you never knew what the next story was going to be about.  Most of the stories left me smiling, and I think that we all need to do that more often.  I loved that most of the pictures there were in the book were older.  I am a huge lover of black and white photos, and a majority of the photos in this book are black and white.  I also think this book is something you can put out and it doesn’t matter who picks it up because there was nothing in the book that would offend most people (at least in my opinion).  I also think that this book would make a great Christmas present for the book lover in your life.    If you are looking for a fun book to put on your coffee table, I recommend this one.

About The Book

Genre: Coffee Table book of Photography with Short Stories
Published by: Atomic Alchemist Productions, LLC
Publication Date: Oct 25, 2021
Number of Pages: 150
ISBN: 1950384136, 9781950384136

An Anthology and Celebration of the Big Apple

I’m an unabashed, unapologetic lover of New York City, my hometown, and New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst is right up my dark, deserted alley. New York’s at its best when you sneak up on it, glance at its sideways, or let it glance sideways at you. The pros and photos in this collection all show New York’s best, even when they purport to be showing its worst; in NYC, that’s how we roll. A fine addition to your New York bookshelf, a collection to savor.
~ SJ Rozan, best-selling author of The Art of Violence

About The Author’s

Writer and photographer, Elizabeth Crowens is one of 500 New York City-based artists to receive funding through the City Artist Corps Grants program, presented by The New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), with support from the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) as well as Queens Theatre.

She was recognized for New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst, her photo-illustrated anthology, which brought her published book along with ten other authors to Mysterious Bookshop in Lower Manhattan at 58 Warren Street on Monday, October 25, 2021 at 6:30 p.m. for an in-store event and author signing along with a simultaneous Facebook Live presentation and recording for Jim Freund’s WBAI program Hour of the Wolf.

Author contributors include:

  • Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author of over 31 award-winning mystery and thriller novels, including the Jesse Stone series for the estate of Robert B. Parker. Called a hard-boiled poet by NPR’s Maureen Corrigan.
  • Charles Salzberg, former magazine journalist, crime novelist of the Shamus Award-nominated Henry Swann series, founding member of the New York Writers Workshop.
  • Tom Straw, Emmy and WGA-nominated writer-producer, credits include Nurse Jackie, Night Court, Grace Under Fire, Whoopie, and the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. Crime novelist under the pen name of Richard Castle.
  • Randee Dawn, Entertainment journalist for Today.com, Variety, and the Los Angeles Times. Co-editor of Across the Universe: Tales of Alternative Beatles and The Law & Order: SUV Companion, and speculative fiction writer of the upcoming Tune in Tomorrow.
  • Barbara Krasnoff, Reviews Editor at The Verge, over 45 published short stories, Nebula Award finalist, author of the “mosaic” novel The History of Soul 2065.
  • Steven Van Patten, TV stage manager by day, horror writer by night. Co-host of the Beef, Wine and Shenanigans podcast, winner of several African American Literary Awards.
  • Triss Stein writes mysteries that all take place in Brooklyn.
  • Marco Conelli, former NYPD detective, consultant to Mary Higgins Clark, and Silver Falchion award-winner for young adult mysteries and the police procedural Cry For Help, taking place in The Bronx.
  • R.J. Koreto, historical mystery writer focusing on New York during the Gilded Age.
  • Richie Narvaez, award-winning mystery author of Hipster Death Rattle, Holly Hernandez and the Death of Disco, and Noiryorican.
  • Elizabeth Crowens, over 25 years in the entertainment industry, member of the International Cinematographers Guild as a Still Photographer (Imdb.com credited: Sheri Lane), award-winning writer of novels in the Hollywood mystery and alternate history genres. Recipient of the Leo B. Burstein Scholarship by the NY Chapter of Mystery Writers of America. Editor and photographer for New York: Give Me Your Best or Your Worst based on her Facebook Caption Contests. elizabethcrowens.com, @Ecrowens on Twitter, and Elizabeth Crowens on Facebook!

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Dream Stalker by Nancy Gardner

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Dream Stalker by Nancy Gardner was a great story.  I enjoyed everything about this book.  This is something that I would usually listen to/read.  If I am being honest, the reason I picked up this book to read is because of the cover.  I found the cover super pretty, and I am glad that I loved the book because I would have been upset if I didn’t like the book.  I did listen to the audiobook version of this book, and I felt that the narrators voice matched the book. I wasn’t the biggest fan of her voice.  It wasn’t so bad that I had a hard time finishing the book, but her voice wasn’t my favorite.  She did do a great job of making the characters sound different.  This book did have a good amount of suspense in it.  I had enough that I listened to the whole entire story in one day.  I love when I found books that keep me that interested in what is happening.  I am hoping that there will be more books by this author in the future because I loved everything about this story, and I can’t wait to see what will happen next.

About The Book

Genre: Paranormal Mystery
Published by: Bowker
Publication Date: June 1st 2021
Number of Pages: 257
ISBN: 1733919945 (ISBN13: 9781733919944)
Series: Dream Stalker, #1

Lily Scott had vowed never to dream-walk-again….

Lily is a contemporary Salem witch who descends from a long line of witches born with the power to walk into other people’s dreams to fight crime. But her disastrous first dream-walk almost killed her, and she vowed never to repeat the painful experience.

Now her daughter is falsely accused of murder, and the only way to clear her would be for Lily to enter the dreaming mind of the real killer, risking confrontation with the deadly Dream Stalker.

Can Lily summon the courage?

About The Author

Nancy Gardner writes cozy mysteries with a paranormal twist. The first novel in her new series, Dream Stalker, tells the story of Lily Scott, a contemporary Salem witch who walks into people’s dreams to fight crime. One reviewer called it a gripping tale of witchcraft, family loyalties, and the cost of seeking justice. Her most recent short story, “Death’s Door,” was selected to be included in the 2021 anthology, Malice Domestic 16: Mystery Most Diabolical. She lives near Boston with her writer husband, David.

Catch Up With Nancy Gardner:
NancyGardnerAuthor.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @nancygardner5
Instagram – @ngauthor
Twitter – @NGardner_author
Facebook – @NancyGardnerAuthor

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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Nancy Gardner. There will be TWO (2) winners for this tour. Each of the Two (2) winners will receive a $10 Amazon.com gift card (US ONLY). The giveaway runs November 1 through December 5 2021. Void where prohibited.

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Mercy Creek by M.E. Browning

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Partners In Crime Book Tours in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Mercy Creek by M.E. Browning was a great book.  Even though this is the second book in the “Jo Wyatt Mystery,” I loved that you don’t have to read the whole series if they don’t interest you.  You get all the information you need in each book, and the books don’t build on each other as other series do.  I read the first book in this series, and if you want to check out my review of that book, you can click here and read my review of that book.  I enjoy this author’s writing and her stories.  I am sure one of the reasons that I love her mystery books is because she used to be a cop and knows how things are done, which makes this book even more realistic.  I loved that this book didn’t waste time telling us something we didn’t need to know and started right from the first page with the story.    This book had just the right amount of suspense in it, which means that I read it pretty quickly and then was sad when it was over.  The author did a great job of making the story come to life as I was reading.  If you love mystery books, then I would for sure recommend this book to you.

About The Book

Genre: Mystery
Published by: Crooked Lane Books
Publication Date: October 12th 2021
Number of Pages: 288
ISBN: 1643857622 (ISBN13: 9781643857626)
Series: A Jo Wyatt Mystery, Book 2 || Each mystery in the A Jo Wyatt Mystery series is a stand alone novel.

In an idyllic Colorado town, a young girl goes missing—and the trail leads into the heart and mind of a remorseless killer.

The late summer heat in Echo Valley, Colorado turns lush greenery into a tinder dry landscape. When a young girl mysteriously disappears, long buried grudges rekindle. Of the two Flores girls, Marisa was the one people pegged for trouble. Her younger sister, Lena, was the quiet daughter, dutiful and diligent—right until the moment she vanished.

Detective Jo Wyatt is convinced the eleven-year-old girl didn’t run away and that a more sinister reason lurks behind her disappearance. For Jo, the case is personal, reaching far back into her past. But as she mines Lena’s fractured family life, she unearths a cache of secrets and half-lies that paints a darker picture.

As the evidence mounts, so do the suspects, and when a witness steps forward with a shocking new revelation, Jo is forced to confront her doubts, and her worst fears. Now, it’s just a matter of time before the truth is revealed—or the killer makes another deadly move.

About The Author

M.E. Browning writes the Colorado Book Award-winning Jo Wyatt Mysteries and the Agatha-nominated and award-winning Mer Cavallo Mysteries (as Micki Browning). Micki also writes short stories and nonfiction. Her work has appeared in dive magazines, anthologies, mystery magazines, and textbooks. An FBI National Academy graduate, Micki worked in municipal law enforcement for more than two decades and retired as a captain before turning to a life of crime… fiction.

Catch Up With M.E. Browning:
MEBrowning.com
Goodreads
BookBub
Instagram – @mickibrowning
Twitter – @MickiBrowning
Facebook – @MickiBrowningAuthor

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This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for M.E. Browning. There will be TWO winners. ONE winner will receive (1) Amazon.com Gift Card and ONE winner will receive one (1) physical copy of Mercy Creek by M.E. Browning (U.S. addresses only). The giveaway runs October 11 through November 7, 2021. Void where prohibited.

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