Book Reviews, Thoughts, and Random Interesting Ideas

The Griffin Cryer

It is amazing how an ordinary act can have extraordinary consequences. This is what happened to Frankie Shaunessy when she tries to call her dog home. Instead, she summons a griffin from another world, complete with his Rider – wearing fancy dress! That is how The Griffin Cryer by Julia Hughes starts!

Frankie is determined to help Balkind, the griffin, and his rider return to their own world. Her efforts, set against the backdrop of a young woman trying to balance school, friends, teenage angst, and a tragic family situation, make for a compelling and entertaining story.

I loved the character development in this novel. Balkind is not your usual griffin. He is sweet and loves attention. His rider is rude and demanding. Frankie’s parents are solid parental types, but have their own issues.  Frankie, as with most young people, is complex and finds that friends aren’t always friends and enemies aren’t always enemies. Romance isn’t always like the movies, and relationships within the family can be difficult. But, in the end, love and friendship always win!

The story itself grabbed me from the start (who doesn’t love supernatural things happening in a graveyard) and kept its hold on me until the end. It follows Frankie’s life from finding Balkind and his rider, through a romance with her dream guy, and back to helping Balkind and the rider get back home. I did get a little confused toward the end when Frankie has to help her brother, but the story sorted itself out.

I think this book is suitable for all ages and all genres. It has some romance, teen issues, paranormal elements, suspense, and fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed and recommend this book to be added to your to-be-read pile!

My rating 4.5 Stars!!

Lisa Day

It’s another author spotlight day here at the home of The Gemstone Chronicles. Today the beacon shines on Lisa Day and her Native American/Western romance novel Wolfkeeper’s Woman.

Synopsis (from the author):

A furiously proud Indian warrior Wolfkeeper killed her husband and stole her infant son. Hate for the white people filled him. He had need of the child. His goal; the child must live.

He needed the mother to accomplish that goal. When lust grew he wanted more than just her body. He wanted her heart and soul. Not anyone or anything would stop him from his goal. When she refused, Wolfkeeper decided to take them one small piece at a time.

Book Link:

Connect with Lisa Day:

• Good Reads:
• Facebook Author Page:
• Twitter:
• Pinterest:

If you are in the mood for some Native America/Western romance action, check out Lisa’s book. She has a couple of other books out as well!

Other titles by Lisa Day:

The Stepbrothers

Check out all of Lisa’s books, buy them, write a review! it doesn’t have to be long. Just a few words about your thoughts provides great feedback to the author. I know she will appreciate it!

Connect with me:

Have we connected on social media? If not, maybe we should! I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. If you frequent any of those, find me and say hi! I enjoy meeting new friends. Let’s talk about books, reviews, gemstones, elves, magic, and just about anything else that interests you.

I shine the author spotlight on Donna Erickson this week. I highlighted Donna and her book: No -Hassle Publishing: An Author’s Guide to Today’s Changing Industry a few months ago. If  I had known about Donna’s book prior to beginning my own self-publishing journey, I could have saved hours of research! Learn how Donna’s book might help you! Read on!

A must-have guide for the novice writer, the book contains a wealth of information. Authors learn everything about publishing. Topics include choosing a publisher, signing contracts, and purchasing an ISBN. Lastly, it gives insider advice on what to avoid. This booklet saves money in the long run by eliminating hours of research. Want to avoid costly mistakes? Read the book!

Book Links:

• Amazon link
• You Tube Video Trailer:

Donna Erickson Bio:

Donna J. Erickson has owned A Flair For Writing, a professional writing/editing service, for more than 25 years. She is listed in the Marquis Who’s Who of American Woman, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in the World. Donna received an Award for Excellence from Riverside Publishing, and an Over the Top Blog Award from Creative Chronicles. Articles about her company have been featured in The Patriot Ledger, The Enterprise, and Mariner Newspapers. She has been a radio guest on the nationally syndicated program, Dresser After Dark with Mike Dresser, blogtalkradio’s Conversations Live! and on WMSX-AM and WATD-FM.

Donna edited thirteen published books. Erickson is the author of No-Hassle Publishing: An Author’s Guide to Today’s Changing Industry. She launched a subsidiary, A Flair For Writing – Publishing Services. This business helps self-publishing authors worldwide who want an alternative to vanity presses. The publishing division offers exceptional support and customer service. It includes free promotion to authors; quality in-house services, rather than outsourced to foreign countries; a full array of adjunct services; and value pricing.

Connect with Donna Erickson:

• Good Reads:
• Facebook Author Page:
• Linkedin:
• Author website:
• Blog The Author’s Corner:

Visit Donna’s links, buy her book, and begin on your own writing journey! Since you’re visiting, consider leaving a review or a comment. Despite my research, I grabbed one! Never too old to learn!

Connect with me:

Let’s connect! I’m on Twitter, Facebook, and Goodreads. I look forward to meeting you! I love to hear book recommendations or whatever else you want to discuss. Want to talk submarines? Nuclear Power? Books? I have a ton of interests. Don’t be shy! Leave a comment! I appreciate shares and likes, too!

The In Between!

The In Between

By Catherine Converse

My Review

I had the opportunity to do an author spotlight on Catherine Converse and her YA paranormal novels The In Between and Fade To Silver, a few months ago on my blog. As I read the material for my spotlight, the concept of the book intrigued me and I put her book in my TBR pile. I got the book in January and read it in a couple of weeks. Here are my thoughts about it!

The Review:

The In Between introduces us to Adie, a high school senior with a promising future in soccer. Adie just happens to have the extraordinary gift of dreaming about murders before they happen. She is recruited by an organization – the IPA – to become a Visionary and have her dreams interpreted and acted upon to prevent the murders.

As Adie settles into her new life – deep underground in IPA’s headquarters – she is paired with another Visionary named Dannika. Together, the two slowly forge a bond and work together to help prevent more killings. A shadowy figure who seems to anticipate their intervention in his plans and who threatens their lives, becomes the focus of their work. That is as far as I will go describing the story so I won’t spoil it!

I found the story to be new and refreshing. The characters grew throughout the book and I liked the way Catherine gave them more personality as the story progressed. The introduction of romantic interests adds a dimension, but there were some awkward moments with them such as the first meeting between Jeff (the IPA recruiter) and Adie. Nonetheless, the relationships evolve and become an integral part of the story.

I thoroughly enjoyed The In Between and I bought the second book in the series, Fade To Silver (which I am reading now). Bravo to Catherine Converse!

My rating:

4.5 Stars!!!