The Winds of Happiness by Teresa Fiedler-Buss

The Winds of Happiness: Irie’s Adventures by Teresa Fiedler-Buss – Illustrated by Bailey Traxler

Synopsis:

Welcome to this crazy world called life!

Have you ever wanted to go on an adventure? Do you like taking selfies?

How attached are you to your electronics or tablet? Do you like robots and drones more?

Would you rather dance and have fun with bubbles? Or would you rather go out for pizza and a movie?

If you answered yes to one of these questions, then you will LOVE this book!

The Winds of Happiness will engage children in a fun and current way to learn important life lessons.

Your child/student’s values start developing with what is taught and learned in social and personal situations.
If you are a parent, guardian or teacher wanting to assist in making a difference in today’s society, this book is for you.

This book includes children discussions, interactive pages and teacher lesson plans which will help with
Common Core State Standard (CCSS) & Social Emotional Learning (SEL).

Review:

The Winds of Happiness: Irie’s Adventures by Teresa Fiedler-Buss is a cute and colorful narrative about an adventurous and laid back, but lively spirited dog named Irie, and her cheerful and energetic bunch of friends. This is a delightful must-read book for every child in your life.

Irie’s friends are always reminding her to be creative, make her own fun but most importantly always be herself! Irie goes on all sorts of fantastic adventures in The Winds of Happiness! One being an incredible day at a splash pad with a DJ and bubbles! Irie learns she doesn’t need technology to have a good time, she can create her own awesome day with musical inspiration and perseverance to “make it happen!”  Another adventure tells of Irie’s birthday at the movies and pizza with her friends Max and Bubba. Throughout the day, Max has issues with social anxiety and uses his tablet to comfort himself and keep his mind off crowded situations. But what he doesn’t realize is his actions start to affect the people and mechanics around him! Being the empathetic friend Irie is, she helps Max get through this troublesome situation with kindness and apprehension. A wonderful reminder to have patience with others and to try to see through someone else’s eyes. And how true friends always help each other out.

The Winds of Happiness touches on many different common and important themes to help a child with emotional growth and development. Such as; learning about coping with life changes, having goals and dreams, important lessons in manners and following rules correctly and responsibly. It gives clear instruction and details with a helpful outline guide that shows key points to be made while reading and how to integrate this book into a lesson plan. Which makes it the perfect book for all types of unit studies in the classroom and for homeschoolers.

I absolutely adored this lovable and wholesome children’s book that made my kids and I smile nonstop from the beginning to the end! Bailey Traxler’s bright and expressive illustrations went along with the story and told it perfectly. Giving it a vivid pizzazz no other children’s book has ever done with such a cool style.

With its unique cast of characters and an entertaining storyline I would greatly recommend The Winds of Happiness: Irie’s Adventures by Teresa Fiedler-Buss to all parents of kids looking for a feel good story full of positive vibes and undeniable contagious good energy!! This one has a permanent spot in our kid’s lit corner at our home!!
Reviewed by Beatrix Bloom for Chick Lit Cafe.

Buy The Winds of Happiness: Irie's Adventures by Teresa Fielder-Buss Today!

Nite Fire: Flash Point by C. L. Schneider

Nite Fire: Flash Point (Volume 1) by C. L. Schneider

Synopsis:

Slated for execution, shapeshifting assassin, Dahlia Nite, flees her world to hide in the human realm. As payment for the shelter they unknowingly provide, Dahlia dedicates herself to protecting humans from what truly lives in the shadows. Moving from town to town, she hunts the creatures that threaten an unsuspecting human race; burying the truth that could destroy them all. But the shadows are shifting. The lies are adding up. And when Sentinel City is threatened by a series of bizarre brutal murders, light is shed on what should never be seen. The secrets that have kept humanity in the dark for centuries are in danger of being exposed. Wrestling with a lifetime of her own deceptions, Dahlia investigates the killings while simultaneously working to conceal their circumstances. But with each new murder, the little bit of peace she has found in this world begins to crumble. Each new clue leads her to the one place she thought to never go again. Home. Flash Point is the first book in the Nite Fire Series.

Review:

Nite Fire: Flash Point by C.L. Schneider is an incredible paranormal and urban fantasy story that will leave readers craving more. The story follows Dahlia Nite, a hybrid dragon and shapeshifting assassin with a drive for protecting the innocent. She was a committed and dedicated executioner, in her original world of Drimera, until her position was taken from her and she was sentenced to be executed herself. Now, she lives among the humans, protecting them from the creatures and evils of the unseen world, while concealing the truth of her origin and the creatures therein. The city she has come to love, Sentinel City, has come under attack in the form of gruesome murders. As an arson investigator, she is helping to solve the crimes, all the while hiding the truth that these brutal attacks are coming from her own kind and world, a reality that humans should never know about. However, as the serial murders progress, she is beginning to feel the need to take further action and return home, to a place she never wanted or should return to.

Nite Fire: Flash Point is a gripping novel filled with the paranormal, mystery, dragons, shape shifters, danger and all kinds of fascinating and horrendous creatures. The world building is awesome, while the witty dialog and descriptions held me completely intrigued and engaged. The writing style is unique and drew me in from the very first chapter and held my interest onward to the final page. This is one of the best urban fantasy books that I have ever read. I couldn’t put it down and turned the pages quickly in excitement and intensity. It is fast paced and completely engaging.

The characters are wonderful. The heroine, Dahlia, is strong, likable, fierce and compassionate. The secondary characters are as good, or better, than the main ones. I loved everything about this novel and the complex world that C.L. Schneider has created. The storyline and plot are well thought out, intriguing and extremely well written. It is easy to understand and flows nicely, giving readers everything they need for a great read in the urban fantasy genre.

Nite Fire: Flash Point is filled with high intensity action scenes, adventure and suspense. It is riveting and entertaining, leaving the reader filled with fever and anticipation for the next book in the series. Chick Lit Café highly recommends one of the most unbelievably, fantastic urban fantasies we’ve had the pleasure to read in a very long time. – Nite Fire: Flash Point by C.L. Schneider

Get yourself a copy today, and be thrust into a magical world filled with intrigue, otherworldly creatures, a badass heroine and a remarkable story you won’t want to end.

Purchase Nite Fire: Flash Point by C.L. Schneider @Amazon here

Those Who Swallowed God by Dayron Maxwell

Those Who Swallowed God (The Adventures of Narvix) by Dayron Maxwell

Synopsis:

Life is hard when you got red skin, scimitar shaped horns, and twitter labels you as a Section 8 archangel. Life is even harder when your psychotherapist dismisses the choir of angels fluttering outside your gate as a form of psychotic depression.

When divine judgement wears a tailor suit and leads an army of winged humans, Narvix’s mundane life of retro PC gaming and afternoon snoozes during fourth period calculus, erupts into a roller coaster of dodging lightning bolts, facing a flaming woman, and preventing genocide from reaching his street address.

Review:

Narvix, has to come to terms with his true identity as a superhuman alien. He has red skin, and unusual shaped horns. His therapist thinks he is crazy. He is labeled as a, mentally unfit for service, archangel. But, his personal mission is to save his friends from human genocide.

Narvix’s uneventful life suddenly explodes into a crazy mind blowing ordeal of darting lightning bolts, coming head on with a flaming woman, dealing with winged humans and preventing human genocide from attacking his neighborhood.

Those Who Swallowed God by Dayron Maxwell is a captivating, lighthearted, yet intense fantasy read. It is compelling and intelligent. It is creative and beautifully written, with words that flow off the page. The dialog is very clever, meaningful and intriguing. I loved how every word was divinely arranged to portray a fictional tale with magnificent narrative, twists and turns.  It is a very intense book, with a lot going on. I couldn’t put it down and read it through quickly. There are many spins to the storyline that kept me intrigued and turning the pages quickly.

Narvix is an unusual, creative character. He is funny, well developed and multifaceted. All the characters are well fleshed out and have very strong places in the story. This is one of those books that once you start it, you put everything aside to keep reading it, in order to find out what will happen next. It’s that good.

Those Who Swallowed God by Dayron Maxwell has all the components of a great coming of age fantasy read. But with a little extra added humor. Which I especially loved. It is unique in every way. The descriptions are written with extra flair. Everything from the settings, to the characters, are described in a vivid visual way tantalizing the imaginary senses. There is also quite a bit of emotion written into the storyline which keeps readers feeling various reactions of passion and sentiment. It kept me engaged as I felt a strong connection to the various unusual characters.

Narvix is an exceptional tough guy protagonist. He is great. I loved Those Who Swallowed God and highly recommend it to all fantasy lovers and to those who want to read an extraordinarily good read.

Purchase Those who Swallowed God by Dayron Maxwell @Amazon

Severed: A Novel by VL Towler

Severed: A Novel by VL Towler

Synopsis:

Dismembered fingers. Lives cut short. A local investigation will upset the tranquility of a small Louisiana town. Dr. Lula Logan has been asked by her former boyfriend, a detective with whom she had just broken up, to investigate the appearance of severed fingers left at police department headquarters. Then another dismembered finger surfaces at the home of a local producer/writer and his business partner. The writer has been AWOL, and no one knows where he is. As the investigation of the mysterious fingers deepens, we will learn that many people affiliated with the missing writer’s production company, including his wife, have a stake in his disappearance. Notes, emails, and flower deliveries with written threats arrive, received by different individuals who want their involvement in the intrigue to remain undetected.

Set in a contemporary rural pocket of Northwestern Louisiana, [fictional] Nakadee is a university town with a population under 15,000. The citizens of Nakadee, whose ancestors have lived there for several hundred years, while trapped in its relative remoteness, are thankful for its quiet refuge. They purposefully wish to live life in the slow lane. The town is a mix of Creole, Cajun, Black and European inhabitants. Nakadee is a sleepy hollow (near Cane River country), and is likely to grow in leaps and bounds given an anticipated natural gas pipeline construction project which will change its moribund economy.

Forensic Anthropologist Dr. Lula Logan is reluctantly drawn into the forensic investigation concerning a severed finger left at the Nakadee Police Department by her ex-boyfriend, a police detective. She goes through the process of her forensic tasks in her lab:  taking measurements of the amputated fingers, boiling the human tissue [a corpse is found in the woods with a gash in its head], and studying the striae of the bones to identify the type of injuries sustained by the victim. She must also try to identify the weapon or object that might have been used to kill the victim. Dr. Lula works closely with her colleagues, Aggie Sheaf, a Medical Examiner and “Tom-Tom,” a Forensic Entomologist, both of whom become involved in the investigation.

The Entomologist’s information helps uncover the mystery of the warring species of blowfly and black soldier fly maggots that cover the corpse found in the woods. The maggots hold the key to unlocking the mystery of which individual(s) among the small town’s citizenry could be the killer(s). We will learn about the role that flies play in the process of decomposition, their relevance to poultry farm rendering stations used for animal carcass disposal, and which flies are attracted to which type of once-living remains.

Two members of the House of Representatives, Congressmen Matt Killian, who represents a powerful Hollywood constituency, and an up-and-coming Congressman, Ambrose Girabeaux, a black Republican, are trying to negotiate their votes concerning upcoming Markup legislation involving the Intellectual Property Subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee, which Killian chairs. The congressmen are fighting over the entertainment industry which has sought Matt Killian’s assurances that he will protect its interests. At the Markup, the two legislators will debate the practices of the industry.

The investigation will also reveal that power comes in all manifestations, sex being one of the most flagrant in the entertainment industry. Powerful men and women who are straight, gay, and pedophiles figure prominently in the playground of the entertainment gods, and they can also filter into the lives of people in rural outposts like Nakadee, too, as hungry and naïve innocents crave to become a part of Hollywood.

 Review:

Compelling, Intriguing and Intelligent!

 Severed: A Novel is a well written first novel by VL Towler. It is an extraordinary, multi-layered story about crimes perpetrated in a small, rural, Northwestern Louisiana university town named Nakadee. The residents there have an ancestral lineage that goes back for several hundred years. They have a certain passion for their quiet, peaceful, existence and purposely choose to live their quiet lives in the remote rural area. The cultural makeup of the town is a mixture of Cajun, Creole, Black and European inhabitants.

Dismembered fingers, murder, and an invasive investigation will disrupt the small community and set everyone on edge.

Dr. Lula Logan, a highly educated Forensic Anthropologist, is called in to investigate a dismembered finger. She uses all of her resources to investigate and determine not only the victim, but also the murder weapon. She works closely with several colleagues to get to the bottom of the incident. But there is much more going on than just a murder, and there are many individuals and aspects involved in the horrific crimes.

 Severed: A Novel is an extremely intellectual read. Readers are educated on an abundance of things, such as forensic anthropology, the fascinating, intertwined lives of the Cajuns, Creoles, Blacks and European inhabitants, and also the political complexities of the small town.

Author VL Towler has a way with writing dialogue, and I was very impressed. I felt as if I were right there hearing everything that was being said. She also uses various dialects, which I found unusually interesting and very brilliant.

In Severed: A Novel, the plot is comprehensive and deep. It flows effortlessly and is steady and captivating. The mystery narrative continues on, step by step, adding up clues and intensifying awareness of the entire plot. It’s one of the best mysteries that I have read in a long time. All the while, VL Towler weaves within the storyline, like a fine vivid painting, the emotional difficulties that exist within American culture: individual and societal issues, prejudices, conflicts, and complications.

The eccentric and diverse characters are interesting and intriguing. They are exceedingly well developed, and multifaceted. The characters all have their place in the storyline and are cleverly woven throughout. They have a substantial importance in the ending and are tied up in an orderly and tight method, which displays VL Towler’s exceptional and creative writing skills.

The descriptions of the various scenes, people, and more are vivid and alluring. The story is full of intriguing twists and turns, with intricacy and intensity building on every page. It is a compelling page-turner that I couldn’t put down. The ending was a pleasant, satisfying surprise that I wasn’t expecting. Severed is one book that I would read again. I give Severed: A Novel 5 big stars.

Purchase Severed: A Novel by VL Towler @Amazon Today

Unrequited Guilt by Kim Praser

Unrequited Guilt by Kim Praser

Seventeen-year-old Amber Malley’s suicide sparks the depression that has been buried within teacher Kristen Hunter. The single mother of two struggles to cope with the loss of this student while coming to terms with her failed marriage that she denies to acknowledge.

Not only does Kristen work through her depression, Kristen’s father, Paul, deals with the rejection he received from his mother as a child, along with the deaths of his best friend and wife. Amber’s mother, Mary Alice, ignores the truth behind her daughter’s death; instead, she decides to sue Kristen who encourages the composition of Amber’s suicide note. Within weeks of Amber’s death, another student, Brian, commits suicide by walking into a train as a result of rejecting his father’s new marriage.

How will Kristen handle the guilt she feels contributes to these situations? To what degree does she hold herself responsible?

Review:

Kristen Hunter is a single mother of two and a high school teacher. Kristen is in denial when it comes to her failed marriage. When one of her students, seventeen year old Amber Malley, commits suicide, it sends Kristen spiraling into depression. Her failed marriage and the horror of her student’s suicide is too much for her to handle.

Kristen must also deal with her own father’s depression and issues due to his own childhood and the deaths of his best friend and his wife.

To top it all off, young Amber Malley’s mother, Mary Alice, refuses to believe the truth behind her daughter’s suicide, and decides to put the blame on Kristen. Mary Alice decides to sue Kristen for Amber’s death because she believes that Kristen encouraged the composition of Amber’s suicide note.

Then if things aren’t bad enough, another student commits suicide. Kristen is overwhelmed with depression and now she is ridden with guilt. Is Kristen somehow responsible for the suicides and deaths of the two young students? That is the question that bombards her mind continually. Will Kristen be able to overcome the depression and come to terms with the guilt that she feels? Will her life continue to spin out of control? Or will she be victorious in the end?

Unrequited Guilt is a phenomenal story of one woman’s unexpected twists and turns in life that result in tragedy and a life filled with depression, guilt and mental torment. How far should Kristen go in holding herself responsible for the deaths of these children? The guilt she feels is unfounded, but she struggles terribly with that and the other issues in her life.

Author, Kim Praser has composed a poignant, compelling and engaging novel that I was unable to put down. I was drawn in right from the beginning and fully occupied throughout. Unrequited Guilt is a real tearjerker filled with raw emotion, hope and inspiration. The storyline is highly imaginative, unique and creative. It is realistic and relatable. Kim Praser encourages the reader to allow themselves to have deep feelings and compassion as she paints the human condition like a portrait. This is a beautiful story that readers will not soon forget. I was touched deeply.

The characters are very well developed and woven into the storyline with meaning and carefulness. Much thought was put into the characters. They grow and evolve beautifully throughout the story. The plot and storyline is like a beautiful tapestry that captivates the reader and won’t let go. Unrequited Guilt is a novel well worth reading and one that readers will relate to on one level or another. The ending does not disappoint. I loved the satisfying finish. This is one that I could and would read again.

Praise for Kim Praser’s Unrequited Guilt a 5 Star Novel.

Reviewed by Chick Lit Cafe

Purchase Unrequited Guilt by Kim Praser @Amazon Today

Esme’s Wish by Elizabeth Foster

Esme’s Wish by Elizabeth Foster

New to YA! A warm-hearted, whimsical fantasy tale, with lashings of mystery, magic, and mythology, and prose that ‘flows like water.’ Prepare to fall in love with Esperance!

“A fresh new fantasy, of an enchanting world.” – Wendy Orr, author of Nim’s Island and Dragonfly Song

When fifteen-year-old Esme Silver objects at her father’s wedding, her protest is dismissed as the action of a stubborn, selfish teenager. Everyone else has accepted the loss of Esme’s mother, Ariane – so why can’t she?

But Esme is suspicious. She is sure that others are covering up the real reason for her mother’s disappearance – that ‘lost at sea’ is code for something more terrible, something she has a right to know.

After Esme is accidentally swept into the enchanted world of Aeolia, the truth begins to unfold. With her newfound friends, Daniel and Lillian, Esme retraces her mother’s steps in the glittering canal city of Esperance, untangling the threads of Ariane’s double life. But the more Esme discovers about Ariane, the more she questions whether she really knew her at all.

“It’s that kind of book that keeps you furiously carrying on with bated breath while the mystery unfolds, yet ‘wishing’ it would never end.”  – Romi Sharp, Just Write For Kids.

Review:

Fifteen year old Esme Silver’s mother has been missing for several years. Everyone around Esme, including her father, say that her mother, Ariane, was lost at sea. But Esme begs to differ. She knows how careful her mother was and what a strong swimmer she was also. Something doesn’t add up. Esme protests her father’s remarriage and she is perceived as being a spoiled, rebellious teenager. But for Esme, it’s because she can’t accept or believe her mother is dead. She knows that there is more to it.

While her father is on his honeymoon Esme sets out to look for her mother. That is when her grand adventure begins. Esme is transported to a beautiful enchanting city where the blue water sparkles and the orange dragons lurk. Esme makes a couple of good friends along the way and together they are determined to find Esme’s mother. Esme’s love for her mother compels her and keeps her determined to be strong and forge ahead to find her.

Esme’s Wish is a true gem. It is an enchanting fantasy story full of adventure, excitement and danger. Author Elizabeth Foster has constructed a beautiful tale for young readers as well as adults. I was caught up from the very beginning and read continuously to the satisfying and conclusive end.

Esme’s Wish is likened unto J.R.R. Tolkien with a dash of Harry Potter. It is written extremely well and the creativity that went into this story is fabulous. The world that Elizabeth Foster has created is a wondrous, captivating and mysterious place filled with magic, creatures and boundless beauty.

In Esme’s Wish, there are countless descriptions that excite and delight the imaginary senses. The theme of familial love flows throughout the storyline. You won’t find any sappy romance in this story, which was a breath of fresh air to me. Only good friends working, surviving and enjoying an enchanted land in search for Esme’s beloved mother.

I have read many fantasy stories but Esme’s Wish is one of the best. The characters are likable and realistic. They are multi layered and well developed. They evolve and are woven within the storyline with creative care. There is plenty of feeling to keep the reader emotionally engaged and plenty of adventure to keep the reader exhilarated and enthralled.

Esme’s Wish is a tender and mesmerizing fantasy that readers of all ages will love. I couldn’t put the book down. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would read it again. That’s how good it is. Esme’s Wish is Elizabeth Foster’s first novel. I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this series by this excellent writer.

Chick Lit Cafe highly recommends Esme’s Wish

            Purchase Esme’s Wish by Elizabeth Foster @Amazon Today

The Devil's Witches by Madeleine McLaughlin

Synopsis:

Benjamin Coffey would like to retire from homicide. But when the corpses of teenaged girls are found in the forest with black veils covering their faces, he decides to stay just this last time and solve the case.

He finds that the enemy he’s facing is more dangerous, more infallible than any he’s ever met.It threatens to destroy him and the people around him.

Review;

When Detective Benjamin Coffey is just about to retire, the remains of teenaged girls are being discovered in the forest. They are covered with black veils. The detective decides to solve just one more case. But he has no clue as to what he is in for. The murderer and enemy he’s chasing is far more menacing, threatening and meticulous than he has ever faced in his career. It threatens his life, his wife and everything he holds dear. He must find the killer. But he is dealing with a supernatural force that is the enemy of all mankind.

The Devil’s Witches is one chilling wild ride. Supernatural horror fans will revel in this fast paced horrific story. Detective Coffey must fight and deal with a menacing character that threatens his life, his wife and his friends.

This is a rollercoaster filled with fear and trembling. It is so scary that I would compare the fear level to the exorcist. If you love nail biting, can’t sleep at night horror stories, then The Devil’s Witches is the book for you.

Madeleine McLaughlin has composed a chillingly engaging story that will knock the socks off readers. I was scared beyond belief but I couldn’t put it down, it is a real page turner. It has all the components of a great supernatural horror story.

The characters are all well developed and realistic. The main character, detective Coffey is especially well written and multidimensional.

The Devil’s Witches isn’t just another horror story. It is largely creative and well composed. It is realistic, and that’s one of the things that makes it so scary. The storyline is well thought out and developed. It flows with ease and intensity.

Madeleine McLaughlin has a way with words that keeps the reader fully captured and entranced. The descriptions are vivid and I felt like I was right there watching the chilling scenes as they gushed forth. The ending is phenomenal and very satisfying. I was delighted and petrified at the same time.

I fully recommend The Devil’s Witches to all horror fans that love the supernatural.

A big 5 stars from Artisan Book Reviews.

Purchase The Devil’s Witches @Amazon Now