Book Review: The Wanderers by Cheryl Mahoney

This is a delightfully creative and fun read!

The Wanderers
by Cheryl Mahoney

• File Size: 2023 KB
• Print Length: 341 pages
• Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0615912680
• Publisher: Lucky Cat Press; 1 edition (November 13, 2013)
• ASIN: B00GI9A48K

Genre: Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: November 13, 2013
Any wandering adventurer hoping to survive needs rules—and Jasper has many. There’s Rule #2: Never make plans; Rule #20: Never make a Good Fairy angry; and the surprisingly challenging Rule #18: Always travel alone.

The talking cat breaks Rule #18 badly enough. The witch’s daughter, desperate to escape her horrible mother, is even worse. Between them, they up-end Jasper’s previously simple life (when all he had to worry about was an occasional giant or dragon), and prove that sometimes, rules are no help at all.

You might recognize the countryside and you may think you know what to expect. But whether it’s a refined ogre, a youngest son in need of lots of questing help or a very dangerous Good Fairy, things here rarely go quite as the Brothers Grimm would tell it.

You’ve strayed beyond the tales…

Review:
Jasper is a young man who has spent his adult years as a wandering adventurer. He sees it as his job to rescue girls from... well lots of dilemmas and monsters. There are evil wizards, dangerous witches, a lonely and angry sea queen with a sea serpent monster for a pet and more. The trick for Jasper is to arrange for a cash reward and avoid having to marry the girls, many of whom are beautiful but not always kind or intelligent. Jasper has developed rules for success. Rule #18 is to “Always travel alone.”

During the first adventure in the story Jasper is successful in defeating a wizard who has enslaved a talking cat. No, it’s not a human under a spell, it is a cat who fell under a spell that allows him to talk. Tom, the cat, follows Jasper and since it isn’t exactly breaking rule #18, Jasper allows it.

They head off to rescue a girl from a witch. The rescue seems rather easy and, as usual, Jasper has to refuse to marry the girl. This should be okay since the mother, who is a nasty piece of work, is looking for a prince not an adventurer to marry her daughter to. Jasper and Tom make their escape but the girl, Gwendolyn, escapes to follow them. She claims her mother treats her as a slave and her interfering fairy godmother is no help. To escape the godmother Gwendolyn, renamed Julie by Jasper, claims that she is on a quest, the only thing that can keep the godmother from zapping her back home. Jasper doesn’t want a companion but he agrees to take her along to the next town rather than abandon her in the woods.

One day moves to another and towns are passed as too small or too close. Other adventures are selected and surprisingly, even with limited skills, Julie is able to help Jasper. Each chapter has a new adventure with magical beings and places. The challenges take a combination of battle skills and creative trickiness. Along the way Jasper meets other champions who are seeking to rescue the beautiful girls. Some get in the way and some are in for a surprise.

I found this story wonderfully imaginative and very fun. Each story presents a different riddle with a little poking fun at traditional fairy tale scenarios! Along the way it is clear that Jasper and Julie are becoming attached although Tom sees that they may need a little help to realize and acknowledge their feelings. This is suitable for young adults but good for adults who enjoy fairy tale stories filled with adventure, magic, charm and a little gentle romance. I look forward to enjoying more adventures!

I picked this title to read because it was written by a blog friend author.  I'm glad I picked it up and happy to recommend it!

Book Review and Giveaway: White Rogue by David R. Fett M.D., Stephen Langford & Connie Malcolm

This is a fast reading biochemical thriller.
White Rogue
by David R. Fett M.D., Stephen Langford & Connie Malcolm

• Paperback: 254 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (August 28, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1481995510
• ISBN-13: 978-1481995511

Genre: Spy Thriller
My Rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: October 8, 2013
After Boston experiences a seemingly inexplicable bio-terrorist attack, the Center for Disease Control's Dr. Dave Richards and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Paula Mushari once again join forces to uncover who is behind it. An obscure reference to a Dresden project found amid crash site evidence marks them both for execution. Paula and Dave are forced to leave Boston in the middle of the night and head to Washington, D.C., where they soon find that anyone they contact also becomes a target of assassins. When the daughter of the CDC's director is taken hostage, Dave and Paula come face to face with an evil that forces them to question the very nature of duty and service to country. With the help of one man, they learn the true meaning of dark operatives as they desperately try to determine the where and when for the next strike against the United States.

Review:
Dr. Dave Richards, an investigator for the Center for Disease Control (CDC), gained a reputation when his efforts helped take down a terrorist group in the White Sleeper case. During that case he met FBI Special Agent Paula Mushari and their friendship has grown even though they are based in different cities.

Dave is called to a community on the Jersey Shore when a man is diagnosed with illness related to the biochemical MRSA virus. Dave is able to track the source of contact but not how it came to be there which leaves him unsettled. His next assignment sends him to the jungle of Columbia where a remote community is suffering from unexplained stomach cancers. Dave and other doctors sweat in the heat and frustration until he solves the source of that contamination too.

Dave and Paula have planned a romantic getaway to Costa Rico but before he can fly out he gets a call from Paula to fly to Boston instead. There has been another serious MRSA breakout that appears to have been a deliberate act of sabotage. The bad, icy roads give them a break in the case when the man who delivered the virus crashes. They are able to find evidence in his car, including a cell phone with a text that mentions a ‘Dresden Project’.

The tank that carried the virus is sent with Hazmet suited troopers to be delivered to MIT for further handling and testing. It never arrives and the troopers are found shot dead in the police car. Apparently someone is trying to cover their tracks and will take out anyone with knowledge they deem risky. Dave and Paula become targets and are only spared assassination by the intervention of an old friend, CIA operative Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith suspects that the Dresden Project is being implemented by a rogue group of contacts attached to government agencies. Since he is too close to the situation to step in himself he directs Dave and Paula to chase down witnesses. The two keep arriving to find dead bodies until finally clues lead them to a suspected biochemical attack on a Muslim community. It becomes a race against time to stop the attack and uncover the perpetrators.

I liked the idea of a CDC character which I think provides good opportunities for stories as shown by the diversity in the plot events. I enjoyed how the authors wove the personal lives of the characters into the story as the intrigues developed and escalated. There are several secondary and peripheral characters who add interest, like Mr. Smith and a contract agent, Geneva Scott. (Check out the character interview post.) The story is fast paced and interest is maintained by alternating chapters between the main characters and secondary people and events that are being manipulated or impacted.

Although Dave and Paula are introduced in a first book, this reads fine as a stand alone. I found the writing a little simplistic and there were some events that had a pretty thin tie to the main intrigue.  Also it seemed unlikely that the rogue group would fail to pursue Dave and Paula after the first missed attempt. Still, this was a satisfactory read and should be a good fit for those who want an easily read thriller.

I received this book for review as part of Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour.

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for the gently used print copy.

ENTRY FORM HERE

Don't forget to fill in the form for entry! 

I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.  

For 3 Extra Bonus entries comment on the review 

OR on the Character Interview.

* This contest is open to U.S. address Only.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on January 24, 2014.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED after January 24, 2014.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

White Rogue Author Feature and Character Interview!

My review and giveaway post follows but below you can meet the authors and read a fun Character Interview!

About the Book:

Cold War era biological experiments are resurrected and after Boston experiences a seemingly inexplicable bio-terrorist attack, the Center for Disease Control’s Dr. Davie Richards and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Paula Mushari once again join forces to uncover who is behind it. An obscure reference to a Dresden project found amid crash site evidence marks them both for execution. Paula and Dave are forced to leave Boston in the middle of the night and head to Washington, D.C.,where they soon find that anyone they contact also becomes the target of assassins. When the daughter of the CDC’s director is taken hostage, Dave and Paula come face to face with an evil that forces them to question the very nature of duty and service to country. With the help of one man, they learn the true meaning of dark operatives while they desperately try to stop another bio-attack from happening.

Purchase your copy at AMAZON

Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE.

About the Authors:

DR. DAVID FETT, a board certified ophthalmologist, received his BS and Masters from MIT before earning his MD from Dartmouth Medical School. He now runs a private practice in Los Angeles and serves as an assistant clinical professor at UCLA School of Medicine. He lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Randi, and their four children.

STEPHEN LANGFORD is a veteran writer/producer of over 150 hours of primetime television. He has also ventured into screenwriting and fiction. He lives in the Los Angeles area with his wife, Sandy, and their two daughters.

CONNIE MALCOLM is a recovering journalist who worked on The Globe and Mail in Toronto. She has worked previously on ten books of nonfiction authored by her husband, Andrew. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband and the youngest of their three sons.

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The image below is NOT contractor Geneva Scott from White Rogue but I could picture a female 'spy' like this.  [The image is Piper Perabo in Covert Affairs who has played Annie Walker since 2010.]

Character Interview

White Rogue Interview with Geneva Scott

Steve Langford, one of the authors of White Rogue, has agreed to help us interview one of the more unusual characters from the novel, Geneva Scott.

SL: Geneva, why don’t you give us a little background on how you got into the business of working under contract for the CIA?

Geneva: Are you %#$*%* kidding me? I told you there are some questions I can’t answer. Ask me another one like this and you’ll have trouble leaving here.

SL: Okay. Okay. How long have you been a contractor?

Geneva: I’ve been doing this for about 7 years on and off. It’s pretty fulfilling work.

SL: Are you telling me that you get satisfaction from killing people.

Geneva: Are you stupid? Do you think I’m going to tell you that I have killed people? Let’s just say that I like variety in the assignments that I take. I like the power, the rush I get from manipulating my targets and bringing my best assets into play in acquiring the desired result.

SL: Are you telling me that you use sex to trap guys?

Geneva: You figure it out.

SL: How has your work for the government impacted your life?

Geneva: Since there’s no shortage of bad boys in the world, I manage to make a decent living and that’s important to me because I’m married and have two great kids.

SL: Really? How does your husband handle what you do? I mean …

Geneva: Listen, Steve, you may be a good writer but don’t think you can figure out everything there is to know about me. My family, my husband are my business. I think we’re done here. Now you tell everyone to get White Rogue and read about me; after all, I am one of the most intriguing characters.

Audible Review / Print Giveaway: The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery that Holds the Secret to America's Future by Jonathan Cahn

This is a fascinatingly informative book, even though alarming.

The Harbinger: The Ancient Mystery that Holds the Secret to America's Future
by Jonathan Cahn
Narrated by Jonathan Cahn

    LENGTH    7 hrs and 42 mins
    RELEASE DATE    06-13-12
    PUBLISHER    Frontline

Genre: Christian Fiction
My Rating: 5.0 of 5.0

(See Study Guide information below review.)

Publisher's Summary
Is it possible that there exists an ancient mystery that holds the secret of America's future? That this mystery lies behind everything from 9/11 to the collapse of the global economy? That ancient harbingers of judgment are now manifesting in America? That God is sending America a prophetic message of what is yet to come? Before its end as a nation, there appeared in ancient Israel nine specific warnings and omens of national destruction - these same Nine Harbingers are now manifesting in America with profound ramifications for America’s future and end-time prophecy.

Hidden in an ancient biblical prophecy from Isaiah, the mysteries revealed in The Harbinger are so precise that they foretell recent American events down to the exact days: the 3,000-year-old mystery that revealed the exact date of the stock market collapse of 2008… the ancient prophecy that was proclaimed from the floor of the US Senate and then came true…and more. The revelations are so specific that even the most hardened skeptic will find it hard to put down. Though it sounds like the plot of a Hollywood thriller - IT’S REAL.

The prophetic mysteries are factual but revealed through a riveting narrative the reader will find hard to put down. The Harbinger opens with the appearance of a man burdened with a message he has received from a mysterious figure called The Prophet. The Prophet has given him nine seals, each containing a message about America's future. As he tells of his encounters with the Prophet, from a skyscraper in New York City to a rural mountaintop to Capitol Hill to Ground Zero, the mystery behind each seal is revealed. As the story unfolds, each revelation becomes another piece in a larger and larger puzzle, the ramifications of which are, even now, altering the course of America and the world.
©2012 Jonathan Cahn (P)2012 Charisma House

Review:
The entire premise of the book is to show a parallel in the blessings and punishments prophesied in the Bible that effected ancient Israel and can be seen now as effecting America, once considered a Christian nation. The Harbinger notes that Israel was a nation of people chosen by God and blessed for their commitment to Him. Even though they were disobedient many times, God was slow to punish. He sent prophets with warnings but the leaders continued to turn away. Finally God exiled the people from their own land, just as He said He would, to punish them for abandoning His ways.

Mr. Cahn sets forth in The Harbinger that America’s foundation was established on Christian beliefs. The book shares a speech from George Washington giving thanks to God at the founding of our nation. The speech was presented at the first capitol of the nation, New York City... at ground zero. America has been a blessed country, becoming a super power within 200 years. But over the past fifty years we have allowed God to be removed from our society foundations. The Supreme Court declared school-sponsored Bible reading and recitation of the Lord's Prayer unconstitutional in 1963. Over the past decades protests have caused the ten commandments and nativity scenes to be removed from public properties. In 2013 evangelical Christians were listed on terrorist “watch lists” as potential government enemies.

The Harbinger sets forth a reasoned argument showing how the events of September 11, 2001 were a warning to America to turn back to God. The book outlines shocking coincidences where our government leaders reacted in the same way that Israel leaders did saying  "The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild...." (Isaiah 9:10.) Unknowingly several important leaders used the exact Biblical phrase that Cahn argues was not intended as a phrase of comfort but was actually a statement of defiance as the leaders insisted they, not God, would come back stronger. Cahn identifies in this story nine harbingers that are connected to the 9/11 attack and a second warning, as was true for the nation of Israel. Seven years after the terrorist attacks there was a financial crisis in 2008 that signifies another warning and continues the remarkable parallels protrayed by the author.

The nine harbingers or warnings are told in the form of riddles given to Nouriel by a stranger and shared through a narrative story told by Nouriel to a publisher friend. The tale is presented as a fiction but it is documented with facts and details.  Although not all readers will embrace the book from a Christian viewpoint, hopefully it will make readers think hard on the points presented and what some might scoff at as being "mere coincidence." I recommend to every single American who cares about the direction our government is taking our country that they read one or a combination of these books in print, audio, or the companion study guide.

Our ladies book club all agreed that they could not put the book down when they started it. We often read mysteries or romance or light fluff for fun but all agreed that this was one of the best books we have read together. We discussed what we could do to change the course of America in light of the warnings portrayed in the book. We can certainly pray but we agreed that, as noted in the book, we each have a duty to be a 'watchman on the wall’ - to give warning to others. We need to tell others that they should beware and prepare for more difficult times to come. It is ominous as we do not expect our government to change in the current state of affairs. But we have the assurance that our God is in control. He will be with those that call upon Him even though there may be trials ahead. We can be a witness of hope by sharing the message of God’s love and redemption.

Audio Notes: The audiobook is narrated by the author. He did a good, if not great, job of narrating. He clearly knew how to give proper emphasis and tone as he had intended when writing the book. The audio was quicker for me to read but I was glad to have the Study Guide to refer to.

I selected this book to be read and discussed by my local Ladies's Book Club as our first book for 2014.

 
I already had the book in print, on Kindle and on Audible, but I purchased The Harbinger Companion with Study Guide in print to help me lead the book club discussion.

I listened to the book on audio which I really enjoyed. I was also able to get my husband to listen and he read along in the print book. My husband is not a reader but he sat in front of the fireplace listening for two afternoons to finish the book. I followed the audio with the Study Guide which is a wonderful asset with pictures and charts to support the text.

The Harbinger Companion With Study Guide: Decode the Mysteries and Respond to the Call that Can Change America's Future-and Yours by Jonathan Cahn
(The link provided for the Study Guide includes both books for a price that is better than if purchased separately.)

ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for the gently used print copy of The Harbinger (not the study guide which my husband and I are keeping).

ENTRY FORM HERE

Don't forget to fill in the form for entry! 

I have noticed a few commenters who forgot to enter through the Form.  

For 3 Extra Bonus entries  comment on the review 

OR tell me why you think you would like to read this book.

* This contest is open to U.S. address Only.
* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on January 24, 2014.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED after January 24, 2014.
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.

Mailbox Monday January 13, 2014

Welcome to Mailbox Monday.
Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs.  This Meme started with Marcia at A Girl and Her Books (fka The Printed Page) and after a tour of hosts has returned to its permanent home at Mailbox Monday.

Warning: Mailbox Monday can lead to envy, toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.

I selected three titles at Audiobook Jukebox and received one so far.

Are your mailbox and TBR piles blooming?

Reviews

Audiobook Jukebox pick:

Flight of the Bowyer

Title: Flight of the Bowyer

Author: Kenneth R. Lewis

Narrator: Alex Hyde-White

Publisher/Date: AudioGO, 11/01/13

This looks like an interesting futuristic, political novel.

Won

None this week.

Purchased

I purchased at $.99:
arbitrate (daynight) by Megan Thomason

Free

I downloaded 36 Kindle titles this week. Titles found linked through Bookbub, Bookfun, Free Par-tay, Inspired Reads, Pixel of Ink or Kindle ebooks.