This story certainly lives up to its title – magical indeed.

From the outset we are plunged into the enchanting tale were Paradine learns of her true nature, her roots that bring her to the breathtakingly beautiful village, where magic rules in proper fairytale fashion .

I loved it all, from the reading of minds to the transforming into animals, from fabulous descriptions to the believable characters, all with wonderful mystical names.

Reality is grounded in the everyday movements and lifestyles of its inhabitants yet mystery and magic abound in the ‘list of lessons’ Paradine must learn to become a true witch. And the scenes to choose a broom or a wand and even a pet dragon are delightful.

The adventure, as in any good story, is found with its ‘baddies’ who must be vanquished by the ‘heroes’ in order to keep the tranquillity of the village and its people.

Lines such as, ‘…when darkness began to edge out the daylight…’ give a true sense of the author’s talent and I would firmly recommend all of Jean Carver’s books to anyone who loves a fairytale of such quality.

Only the first story of Paradine and I’m off to read the next.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Little Poems for Children by Grace Andreacchi

With illustrations that make you smile, these simple and delightful poems should engage children enough to want to read more.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Guardian (UK version) by Matt Walker

I was drawn into the story in an instant with its powerful and direct style, where the characters offer an intriguing and somewhat ‘scary’ beginning. By chapter one, we’re captivated and want Ella to stand up to her father and overcome the nightmare that has begun.

Matt Walker certainly has a talent for writing.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books on Kindle!

The Cone Stories by Stuart Real

A clever and funny idea which made me smile from the onset. Absolutely loved how the ‘characters’ were portrayed and so believable! Great line, “…they (the cones) are naughty, in fact they are very naughty…”

A fun and delightful read.

________________________________________________________________________________________

Certainly very knowledgeable about Role Playing Games, Nick Smith engages the reader at once with this fast paced particular genre. The graphics are excellent and the switch between narrator and character pick up the pace even more.

Clever – and I would say a delight for ‘gamers’ everywhere.

_____________________________________________________________________________

A Sprinkling of Thought Dust by Steven and Margaret Larson

Nobody could ever be disappointed with the Larson books.

This one is full of wonderful descriptions, fabulous characters and packed with action. Its charm oozes fantasy and magic with lines such as, ‘Spilling thought dust on the wind’, and Electrum inhaled the Tween World night air as he flew behind Silverthorn’.

Thoroughly enjoyable and highly recommended.

_____________________________________________________________________

Awkward Places by SR Dupree

I could see at once that this account was a very personal and heartfelt journey. It is written in an easy to read style and embraces questions we all, at one time or another, ask: ‘Why am I here?’ and ‘What is the meaning of life?’

SR Dupree sets out the explanation for these beliefs in an honest and direct way.

Thought provoking at the very least.

___________________________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books Here!

Why Fenella is Awesome by Edward McAndrew

Supportive. A unusual and funny way of dealing with such problems. Great to have such a loving brother.

________________________________________________________________________

The Inspire Place by Dory Maguire

A simple string of words that make a beautiful necklace for the heart.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Legendary Sidekick – in 4D by John M Haley

Great stuff.  What a fantastic sense of humour threaded through it.  Fab name, Zeek Mcgeek!  And although there is a mass of info at the start it’s written in such a way to be fun and interesting, interspersed with enough ‘action’ to keep an easy flow.

Brilliant!

______________________________________________________________________

I Should Write This Stuff Down by Bruce Behymer

What a great title – definitely a way to create interest.  Insightful, deep and meaningful.  I could relate to the philosophy of change and how we must embrace it.  For yes, how else would our lives flow into the rivers of our future and the ‘just maybe’ seas?

______________________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books Here!

This is another wonderful collection of delightful stories from Maria Savva, all with twists and turns and surprising endings.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book with its wealth of ‘easy to know’ characters, which bring to life these simple yet clever ideas.

It’s amazing how a story can evolve from the tiniest spark, and Maria shows her genius again and again.  I particularly liked The Legacy and The Time Machine, where hopes and wishes are successfully explored.

Highly recommended.

_________________________________________________________________________

Triple Seven Khameleon #1 by  Troy Johnson

A story with impact told with excellent graphics.

Also available in black & white.

______________________________________________________________________________

I Learned my ABCs at the Grocery Store by Ms Sara

Just one of the books laid out for children to learn whereby they can search and draw the answers.

A great interactive learning tool.

__________________________________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books Here!

This seems an honest and clear book, where the author makes no promises, however, I have to agree that we do need to be aware of ‘our money’ and its uses so that we do not ‘become poor quick’.

It would be a useful tool and not a promise of miracles.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Fermented Memories by George Kuc

A great title, which matches the writing style – bringing us straight into Jack’s mind.

Fermented Memories shows not only how we ignore what’s best for us but also the lies we tell ourselves in order to survive (or at the very least to enable us to continue on our road to destruction) and Jack’s bittersweet humour of ‘don’t care /depressive state’ shows just how it’s done.

A simple idea which, I feel sure could help us understand the limitations of the human condition and the battles that take place.

________________________________________________________________________________

Randoms Of Life by Butterfli

I could tell from the first poem, Dynamic Duo, that this writer understood what words can achieve – a very clever beginning to reel in the reader on a poem on love yet give a surprising end (yes, love has no barriers).

Randoms Of Life – emotions laid bare with a mighty pen.

________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books Here!

It’s been a while since we’ve had anyone review their own book, so thanks to our own reviewer Julie Elizabeth Powell for giving it a go!  If you’d like to participate, email us direct with a brief 10 sentence review of your own book.  It should not be a pitch, but an honest “outside yourself” review of the book. Include a book cover pic and author photo.  More details can be found here.

Gone by Julie Elizabeth Powell

I am the author of this book and I can honestly say that I learned more than I ever could have imagined from both its creation and during the many times of re-reading. Not least that my writing skills have certainly improved from that terrible first draft when all that was important was to ‘set down the story’ while the idea was still fresh.

Several drafts later, I found www.lulu.com and realised a dream…that at last I could put into ‘real print’ this important story that was in answer to the terrible life suffered by my daughter, Samantha, after she was severely brain-damaged at the age of two, surviving for a further seventeen years.

During those years, I often wondered ‘where she’d gone?’…my novel seemingly spiralling into being, as if from nowhere, yet the seed was there all the time, growing into a fully formed world, as if merely waiting to be discovered.

Gone is a fantasy which tackles the themes of loss and grief but it is also about following an identity, which has been stripped from its owner. It’s about life and what makes us who we are and how the bonds of love can never be broken. And, if I have learned nothing else…it is about hope.

It is not quite like any other story, as it is not about death in the true sense though shifts from supposed reality to other plains of existence. It also takes surprising and humorous twists and turns, dealing with ‘loss’ in a unique way.

Gone has been described as ‘a journey of wonder, perfect, beautiful, magnificent, captivating, moving and sprinkled with fantastic humour’ and ‘…for those of us with our own demons to vanquish…’ but if nothing else, it will most definitely make you think differently.

This book is available at Lulu.com.

What a fantastically funny piece of writing, I absolutely loved it.

Great style which lets us into the mind of the character at once.

All I can say is brilliant, excellent and highly recommended.

_________________________________________________________________________

In The Name Of Allah by Brian W Fisher

Wow – an incredible insight into the ways of modern warfare.

Jack Kirkham takes the reader into the fight to vanquish, it could be argued, the unseen enemy, though leaving no doubt he is doing the ‘right’ thing.

Yes, there are violent scenes from which many would turn their eyes, however, like today’s news, we must face its reality.

A fantastic, if disturbing story, which, I believe, everyone should read so that, together, we may work towards a safer world. Highly recommended.

___________________________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books!

Visit Julie on the web!

Well written and researched.

A clever way to develop such a heartfelt poem of unrequited love and bringing to light a very different culture.

Excellent.

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Zombies Ate The Neighbors by Samuel Deitz

A very good piece of writing, which pulls in the reader from the first. A great build-up of characters and easy ‘drop-in’ descriptions.

I was suprised at the sophistated style, considering the age of the author who, I believe, has a promising career as a writer. I liked being inside Zeke’s mind, where it allowed insight into thoughts and feelings of the character – always good in stories of any kind.

Writers are inspired by every experience and Samuel’s use of a computer game is only one example – extremely well done.

I would recommened this book to anyone who enjoys horror stories of this kind.

________________________________________________________________________________________________

Not For Someone Like You by Philip Anthony

I absolutely loved the prologue where the reader is given great insight into the lead character, Rex Kramer, in how he thinks about being overweight.

A easy to read style yet sophisticated with a wealth of characters that bring the story to life.

________________________________________________________________________________

Buy Julie’s Books!

Visit Julie on the web!