So Others May Live ~ Audio Book Blog Tour Review & Giveaway!

SO OTHERS MAY LIVE

BY LEE HUTCH

Narrated by Siobhan Dowd

Audio Length: 8 hours 50 minutes

Publisher: Brady L. Hutchison

Released: Dec. 31, 2019

Genre: Historical Fiction

In the space of a single night, four lives collide as Berlin staggers under the weight of British bombs. Mick, a Lancaster pilot, proposed to Grace on his last leave but one more mission stands in between him and the end of his tour. Grace harbors a secret, one which she fears might change the nature of their relationship forever. Unsure of how he will respond, she has decided to tell him upon his return knowing that to do so risks losing him forever.

Seven hundred miles away in Berlin, war-weary firefighter Karl is haunted by the images he's seen both on the home front and in Russia. Now he takes command of a group of teenage auxiliaries who find themselves on the front lines of Germany's defenses against a nightly rain of fire. On a call, he meets Ursula, a young woman who lives near his station. Karl quickly finds himself falling for her, unaware that she is playing a dangerous game, one which might place his own life in danger.

As the raid unfolds, they face choices which will forever change them, and those they love.

HALL WAYS REVIEW: AUDIO BOOK REVIEW: So Others May Live takes readers back in history to World War II and into the lives of two sets of people, who are supposed to be enemies. One set of the main characters is living under the command of Hitler and the Nazis who are sending air raids to London. The other set is in England, whose Royal Air Force is sending air raids to Berlin. Everyone is dealing with the consequences of those air raids, of communism, and the effects of war. Lines of loyalty are blurred as the very real human cost comes to light, and it becomes clear that only extreme measures can change outcomes.   

“The men spoke with the easy familiarity of those who had faced death together and survived. Rank did not matter to them.”

Author Lee Hutch has done his research and his experience as a firefighter brings readers a harrowing story filled with the vivid ugliness of war. Based on the cover blurb, I was expecting the story to be more about relationships between the characters and less about individual struggles, both internal and within their roles in society. Be warned: So Others May Live is realistic historical fiction, and nothing is sugar-coated. It is about survival, but not as much about the relationships that help one survive. Readers do get a glimpse at the camaraderie between the pilots, and the camaraderie between firefighters, and those parts were touching and powerful. However, because the stories are so grim, I really needed more about the relationships and the threads of hope that sustain humans in dark times.

“Faces came and went in the mess. New officers often went down before Michael even learned their names. Most went down within their first five missions.”

While the narration is outstanding (more on that below), I think So Others May Live might have worked better for me had I read it with my eyes, not my ears. Hutch’s descriptions are often richly detailed, pulling readers into the scenes (bomb shelters are “an olfactory nightmare”), but there are several places where the story drags, and readers are being told a litany of historical facts – it’s information overload. And in these scenes, there isn’t enough action to hold interest unless you are a huge history buff.  Another warning that the story is realistic: some of the descriptions of the aftermath of bombings bordered on putrid. This is not to say that the author was unnecessarily graphic – there is nothing gratuitous –rather, descriptions are realistic.  For someone like me (who avoids realistic war films and books), I think reading with my eyes would have helped me step away and handle the scenes better, but honestly, I probably wouldn’t have picked this to read because it’s too painful and true to history and without even a glimmer of hope.

So Others May Live is told in four parts, at times through a limited omniscient point of view and at other times, through each of the four main characters’ perspectives. This strategy ultimately shows that victims of wars, no matter which country they are in, have more in common than not, and that whether civilian or military, they often feel that it’s not their war but the battling governments’ war.  Human casualties are expected; they are relegated to statistics in ledgers.

Part four of the book was the strongest and the action is ramped up to make for some edge-of-your-seat moments. There are few loose ends by the end of the story, but there is nothing neat about the resolutions to each of the characters’ stories. The story is authentic, so expect a realistic conclusion that will weigh heavily on your heart and for sensitive readers, the melancholy is pervasive.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Siobhan Dowd is a master narrator. (or naRATEor, as she would say.) She performed multiple accents: British -- including cockney -- German, Scottish, and even Louisiana-in, and regardless of male or female voices, she gave a unique identity and personality to the characters.  Her pacing is perfect, and I was able to listen at regular speed. Technically, the recording was excellent with no glitches or hiccups, and the sound being even throughout.

Thank you to Audiobookworm Promotions and the author for providing me an audio download in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.

I received this audio book as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions. The tour is being sponsored by Lee Hutch. The gifting of this audio book did not affect my opinion of it.

Award winning author Lee Hutch grew up on the Texas/Louisiana border. As a child, he enjoyed reading history books and hanging around fire stations. As an adult, he entered the fire service and worked as both a firefighter and then an arson investigator before an injury led to his retirement. Along the way, he picked up a BA and an MA in History and an MS in Criminal Justice. He now teaches history for a community college in Southeast Texas. He loves books, cats, boxing, the Red Sox, and the New Orleans Saints.

His historical interests include the history of the fire service, particularly how firefighters have adapted to wartime conditions, the American Civil War, and the World Wars. When he's not in the classroom or in his office, Lee can be found reading or listening to either a Red Sox or a Saints game on the radio with his cat Anastasia. His next novel is set in Civil War era New York.

Website

I record High Quality Voiceover in variations of my native South London accent - I can offer both bright and enthusiastic commercial reads, or a more laid back and enigmatic explainer style. 

I have lots of experience in Explainers, E-Learning, Commercials, Audio Books, and more.

I work in VO full time, and deliver high quality audio from my fully equipped home recording studio in South West London, always including amends or pick ups as needed to ensure complete client satisfaction. 

I use Source Connect or Cleanfeed for remote record-directed sessions and I can travel in and around London and the South East for studio based jobs.

Please have a look (and listen) around my site and get in touch by email, phone, or via social media if you’d like any more information on my services or to book a job.

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Feb. 20th:

Locks, Hooks and Books
The Book Junkie Reads . . .
Audiobook News Blog

Feb. 21st:
4 the Love of Audiobooks
Viviana MacKade
Super Booked!
Reading A Page Turner

Feb. 22nd:
Eileen Troemel
Nesie's Place
The Clipped Nightingale

Feb. 23rd:
Dab of Darkness Book Reviews
Momma Says To Read or Not to Read
2 Girls & A Book

Feb. 24th:
Adventures Thru Wonderland
Jazzy Book Reviews
Hall Ways Blog

Feb. 25th:
I'm Into Books
The World As I See It
Books, Tea, Healthy Me

Feb. 26th:
Bookmark and Fork
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Monsterland Reanimated ~ Blog Tour Audio Book Review & Giveaway!

MONSTERLAND REANIMATED
Monsterland Series, Book 2

BY MICHAEL OKON

Narrated by Luke Hannafin

Genre:  YA Horror / Science Fiction (Ages 13-17)

Length: 250 pages; Audio: 7 hours, 37 minutes

Categories:  Urban Fantasy, Apocalyptic, Horror, Science Fiction

Publisher:  Wordfire Press, LLC

Release date:   June 21, 2019

Content Rating: PG-13 + M: There is violence, blood, and gore.

Book Description

The Dark Fantasy Continues

After Monsterland has imploded, the entire world is thrown into chaos.  World leadership is gone, economies have collapsed, and communications are non-existent. Wyatt must go beyond the boundaries of his small town to reestablish contact with the outside world, and alert the government about a traitor-in-chief. During his journey he discovers a new threat released from the bowels of the defunct theme park.When an army of relentless mummies, a life-sucking ooze called The Glob, and a hybrid re- animated Behemoth rise from the depths of Monsterland, who will survive?

Buy the Book:

Amazon.com ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Apple iBooks

Smashwords ~ Kobo

Add to Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW

Hall Ways Review: Audio Book Review: SPOILER ALERT! Monsterland Reanimated is a spoiler for book one, Monsterland, pretty much from the first sentences. Reanimated begins with a summary of where book one ended and soon after, readers get quite a thorough summary (Cliff’s Notes level) of what happened in book one that leads to where book two begins. This is great if you start with book two and have no intention of reading book one, but my recommendation is to start with Monsterland so you get fully connected to the personalities of the characters. And for those who’ve read book one and tend to get frustrated when too much plot-rehash takes place: stick with it. Once we get up-to-speed, the pace and action of Monsterland Reanimated take off, and you’ll be on the edge of your seat.

Now that those warnings are out of the way...to the goodies! Author Michael Okon again does a fantastic job of world building and uses figurative language to help readers visualize the settings.

“A bright moon painted the landscape pewter.”

“A gate screamed in the silence…”

“…the broken glass, littering the ground like diamonds.”

Okon’s use of similes, metaphors, and some brilliant analogies make the scenes in Monsterland Reanimated come vividly to life and set a very specific tone with some scenes reminiscent of Stephen King’s The Stand. Even when he paints the most serene of pictures, there is still that background vibe that all is definitely not peaceful.  

“Monsters came in all varieties -- more than he ever realized. As long as humanity was stronger, that was all that mattered.”

Through all the chaos and dire circumstances where lives are truly dangling by a thread, it is fun to see that some things will always be the same. Moms are always moms, and Gracie, main character Wyatt’s mom, is clearly trying to find just one thing to control in the madness and chastises her son for drinking soda. Teenage boys are always teenage boys, and Wyatt is driven by his attraction to females, even as he’s being pursued by monsters. These scenes are a refreshing reminder of what it is to be human and motivated by love.

Another place where the author’s writing shines is in his imaginative rendering of a wide variety of monsters. Okon goes beyond the vampires, zombies, and werewolves of book one and delivers some creative variations. At about the three-fourths point in the story, he throws a major curve ball and puts an exciting twist on things that brings a whole new mystical element to the table. Careful readers will catch some subtle hints about things to come, but don’t be too confident you’ll figure out exactly how the plot will unfold. Sure, readers may figure out some pieces of the puzzle, but the shock is in the vastness of the puzzle itself.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Of note: the audio book of Monsterland Reanimated is an hour and eighteen minutes longer; yet, the print version of it is some twenty pages shorter than book one. Now that I have listened to book two, I know why. While narrator Luke Hannafin eventually found his stride, listening at regular speed was a beating. He reads slowly, and the pauses between what I imagine are paragraphs or line breaks are much too long; I actually thought the audio had stopped a few times. Conversations are too slow and seem unnatural. I bumped to 1.25x about 40 minutes in, but that was a little too fast for the next hour until the narrator found his pacing. (Wishing that Audible allowed for adjustments in smaller increments in the speed; 1.15, like I can do on the Authors Direct audio platform, would have been perfect.) Even with the increased listening speed, some of those pauses were long, and there was a bit of background noise. Hannafin’s pacing got better and more natural after a few hours, or it could be that the pace of the story picked up so much I didn’t notice the hiccups.  Though Hannafin had a couple of mispronounced words, and again, I wasn’t a fan of the Egor voice (in both books, it’s a mix of Young Frankenstein’s Igor and the Grinch. UGH.), Hannafin does an excellent job performing the dialogue that was broken by static and communicating over CB radios. Overall, the narration was a step down from book one and seemed less professional. However, the narrator improved dramatically by the end. Given that change, I’d give him another chance if he narrated the next book in the series because I think he has the hang of it now.

Overall, I continue to recommend the Monsterland series for action-packed, monster-filled fabulousness. I trust that book three (which the author assures us is coming! Hooray!) will spend less time bringing new readers current and more time on what we’re returning for: Okon’s masterful weaving of imaginative stories that keep readers holding their breath.

Thank you to the author and iRead Book Tours for providing me an audio code in exchange for my honest opinion – the only kind I give.  

Meet the Author:

Michael Okon is an award-winning and best-selling author of multiple genres including paranormal, thriller, horror, action/adventure and self-help. He graduated from Long Island University with a degree in English, and then later received his MBA in business and finance. 

Coming from a family of writers, he has storytelling in his DNA. Michael has been writing from as far back as he can remember, his inspiration being his love for films and their impact on his life. From the time he saw The Goonies, he was hooked on the idea of entertaining people through unforgettable characters.

Michael is a lifelong movie buff, a music playlist aficionado, and a sucker for self-help books. He lives on the North Shore of Long Island with his wife and children.

Connect with the Author:

website ~ facebook ~ twitter ~ instagram ~ goodreads

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CLICK TO READ HALL WAYS BLOG'S REVIEW OF BOOK ONE!

Welcome to Monsterland, the scariest place on earth.

When world markets are decimated by a crippling plague, philanthropist, and billionaire businessman, Vincent Konrad decides to place monsters in a theme park setting to promote education and tolerance. Copper Valley is chosen as the primary site for the park in the United States.

Wyatt Baldwin, a high school senior is dying to go to the opening and when he lands special passes to the park, he and his friends are expecting the experience of a lifetime.
After all, in a theme park where real zombies, werewolves, and vampires are the main attractions, what could possibly go wrong?

BUY THE BOOK:

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Sublime Karma Promo Tour, Excerpt, & Giveaway!

SUBLIME KARMA

by Peyton Garver

Red Queen (Red Queen #1)

Aveyard, V. (2015). Red Queen (Red Queen, Book 1). New York: Harper Teen.

Young Adult / Fantasy / Suspense

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars


BLURB (Amazon)Seventeen-year-old Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.

To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

-------------------------------- 

HALL WAYS REVIEW: This was a great blending of a lot of elements found in popular YA books, and it was highly entertaining. There were definitely times that I had to suspend my disbelief and just go with it, and I think had I read this in a more concentrated time period (not an option: it was my toothbrush book), I would have figured out most of the twists and turns.  Even so, I liked the premise, I liked/loathed the characters (sign of good writing), and I enjoyed the random steampunk-ish elements thrown in. Naturally, the grammar policewoman in me managed to find an error or two, but overall it was very well-written and easy to read.

I am likely to read the next installment, but there are elements that need to be addressed for this story to remain strong. Author Victoria Aveyard has left lots of opportunity to show growth, reflection, and self-examination in main character, Mare, and readers need to see it so that Mare becomes unique and exceptional instead of stereotypical.  I also hope the next books give more of the backstory on how the human race evolved to produce the Silvers and what exactly happened to the world a hundred years earlier. 

Epic Reads FIRST5 gets credit for setting the hook on this one. I took the bait and bought a hardcover just because I needed to read the rest of the story.  (Way to go, book promotions team! It worked!) So my honest review is given with absolutely no strings attached.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Victoria Aveyard graduated from USC, where she majored in screenwriting. RED QUEEN is her first novel. She splits her time between Massachusetts and Los Angeles. You can visit her online at www.victoriaaveyard.com.

Finding Thor ~ Anniversary Blog Tour, Review, & Giveaway

Happy one year book birth anniversary to YA Romantic Suspense Finding Thor, by Kai Strand! Scroll down for my book review and a GIVEAWAY!
 

International intrigue hits small-town America.

Tragedy has left Cara Cassidy broken and the only thing keeping her from giving in completely is her guilt. Until Nik Rock. 

Nik stirs up feelings in degrees she has never experienced, and causes her to do things that most assuredly give him the wrong impression – like kiss him before their first date. Somehow, he breaks down the walls around her emotions until she has no choice but to forgive herself and feel again. 

But a mysterious, troubled past follows Nik, and Cara may prove to be his weakest link.

When a royal princess shows up looking for Nik, and an international gang arrives looking for missing jewels, Cara lands in mortal danger. Will she be able to save herself? What will happen to her newly repaired psyche if she loses Nik?

Romance, mystery, and high stakes – just another day in high school.

****************************************************************************************** EXCERPT:

The veil dropped over Nik’s expression so fast, it told her exactly what she didn’t want to know. Nik had indeed seen her mom. Cara turned away from him again intending to trudge back into the classroom.

“By the crown, will you stop already?” Nik begged.

The exasperation in his tone and the odd choice of words piqued her curiosity. Cocking her head, she asked, “By the crown?”

The frustration melted away and Nik pursed his lips, which almost distracted Cara enough to forget the thread of conversation, but she tore her eyes away and asked, “Is that what they say in Seattle?”

Nik’s eyes lit with appreciation. “Aren’t you clever?”

“Am I?”

He nodded. His appreciative appraisal and half smile wreaked havoc with her supposed cleverness.

“Nik?” she breathed.

“Yes?” He tilted toward her giving her the impression he hung on her every word. His eyes were glued to her lips, which she realized were parted and ever so slightly panting.

She gulped. “Can we perhaps do this after school?”

When he raised his gaze to meet hers she almost liquefied under the heat of it. “Can I trust you?”

“Trust me to do what?” Cara asked. She was losing the ability to think.

“Show up.” He slid closer and she held her breath hoping he would take her in his arms.

“Show up where?” she asked.

A full-blown grin curved across his face and she thrilled with the knowledge she’d put it there. Then she realized she couldn’t remember how.

“Actually, I was going to ask you that,” Nik said. His eyes roved her face.

“Wait. What?” Cara’s voice was so breathy she wasn’t sure if she spoke or gasped.

“Where should we meet? After school.”

She itched to rise up on tiptoe and kiss that stellar grin off his mouth.

A low chuckle rumbled through him. “Why don’t you tell me in gym class?”

She nodded slowly. Was he a drug? Or maybe the male version of a siren. Did they have those?

He tipped further forward and she caught her breath. Then he sighed.

“See you next period.”

Her mouth fell open as he walked away. He hadn’t even touched her and she was burning with need.

At the end of the hall, he glanced over his shoulder and grinned when he saw her still gaping after him. When he walked out of view she let out the breath she’d been holding. It stuttered and shook, but was relieved to escape her burning lungs. How long had she been holding her breath?

By the crown, Nik Rock was dangerous! 

Finding Thor is available in print or electronic format from the following:

Amazon| Barnes & Noble| Whiskey Creek Press| All Romance| BookStrand|

Add Finding Thor to your to-read shelf on Goodreads

HALL WAYS REVIEW: 

Readers, get ready for a wild ride because Finding Thor has a lot going on in it. Main character, Cara, is dealing with some major grief and guilt issues, managing an emotionally absent mother, struggling with newfound sexual awareness and desires, and falling for a smoking hot guy who may or may not be her boyfriend. As if all those things aren’t enough to keep a girl busy, she’s also fighting to stay alive as kidnappers take her hostage. Twice.

Author Kai Strand takes readers from one crisis to another with a wide cast of characters. At the core, there is Cara and her best friend Kelly, where readers will feel the most heart-warming moments of friendship and loyalty and the glorious security of having someone in your life who takes you at your very best and your very worst.  In Cara, Strand captures the indecisiveness and ever-changing levels of confidence, as well as the complete confusion of budding sexuality, that define the teenage years.

The plot is unique and the pacing is good, but readers need to be prepared to suspend their disbelief – a lot – especially in the scenes involving the kidnappers and various injuries and tortures that occur.  The responses to these situations didn’t ring true, nor did the secrecy this group of teens was able to keep.  The dialogue between the characters was well-balanced and seemed authentic in most situations.  The writing was solid, but the book needs additional editing to clean up some basic errors in word use and punctuation. 

Young adults will enjoy the action, romance, and mystery in Finding Thor, but sensitive readers should be aware that there are some fairly graphic scenes involving torture. The language is very mild, with only an occasional damn or hell thrown in the mix.

Thank you to the author for providing me an eBook in exchange for my honest review – the only kind I give. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books:

Mailing List| Facebook| Twitter| Instagram|Website

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Swag alert! Looking for your Thor? Look no further, Kai’s got you covered. Enter to win a custom tote bag, for all of those books you like to carry with you, and a Thor baseball cap. Easy entry for those in a hurry or many other ways to earn more entries for contest junkies. FT swag pack can only be shipped in the United States. If first winner is International, an Amazon gift card will be substituted and another winner will be chosen.

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