christophffischer

"The Wall Between Us" by Matthew Small is a wonderful travel journey with deep and thoughtful, personal impressions by the author. It is neither political nor judgemental but approaches the subject from a human and very personal perspective.
It is a good attempt at making people understand the complexity of the situation by describing the lives of people affected by the conflict. An eye opener and an important contribution without a lecture or a claim to have a solution, this was a refreshing read.
"Talk (tell) the world" and that he does, hopefully contributing to end the conflict from within through understanding.
A worthy read.

"Finding Fisher" by Dakota Madison caught my eye because of the name. The story sounded intriguing, too. A priviliged law student with mild OCD discovers her fiance is dead. When speaking to his family she finds out he has a child and that her family were not keen on this new relationship. When visiting Old Town for his funeral she meets his twin brother, Fisher, and slowly falls in love with him.
Although the pace of her falling for the brother of her deceased fiance is done slowly and thoughtfully, for me it just didn't sit right. The chemistry was believable in many ways, but something in me didn't buy it.
The writing credentials are fine and the story should find many happy romance readers.

"Breaking Free (Military Romantic Suspense) (SEAL Team Heartbreakers Book 1)" by Teresa Reasor is a great military romance story.
Zoe's brother Brett gets injured during a military operation and she wants to find out what exactly has happened to her. Answers are not forthcoming as some of the information is classified. Key to her finding out more information is Hawk, a handsome man who tries to find ou the same thing himself.
The dynamics between the two main characters are great - people who are attracted to someone they would rather not be attracted to. The chemistry is well written and very believable, the book has a good mystery story at its core and delivers good insights into military and SEAL life.
This has all the right ingredients to do very well amongst fans of the genre. A great read.

"Children's Book: The Night of the Magical Flight: Exciting, Rhyming Bedtime Story / Picture Book for Beginner Readers (Ages 3-7) (Top of the Wardrobe Gang Picture Books 2)" by Melinda Kinsman is yet another cute and charming picture book that had me more entertained than it should (for my age group).
The story of the flying magic carpets and their adventure that requires some rescue later is funny and instilles a wonderful sense of magic. The Top of the Wardrobe Gang, a group of cuddly toys, are once again at their best.
the stories rhyme, there are puzzles at the end of the book and a lamp is hidden in each of the superbly designed pictures.
Kinsman is a very gifted writer and artist and your kids will absolutely adore her books and characters. Makes me wish I had kids to read them, to.
Just brilliant.

“ I rule World!: Nature and Dress up Fiction (Preschool) Early Learning (Values book) - Children's Books for Early & Beginner Readers (Balu Baldauf series Book 1)” by Ruthz SB is another short book about 4 year old Balu Baldauf, or BeBe. In this story we learn about the famous rulers of the world. With beautifully drawn illustrations and wonderful charm this is a lovely treat for children and parents alike.

“Who are you? (Preschool) Self identity - picture book for Early & Beginner Readers (Balu Baldauf series 5)” by Ruthz SB has 4 year old Balu Baldauf, or BeBe receive a blue ball from Santa. Named the World, it is an interesting companion. Illustrated beautifull and written with charm and wit, this is a lovely book that is enjoyable for children and parents alike. It is never too soon to learn about the world.

“Sentience” by Dean C. Moore is a well written and highly intelligent science fiction thriller set in the world of Artificial Intelligence and cloning. Cleverly combining medical science, psychic energy and technology, the author has come up with a truly original and fascinating concept and premise for this story and his creatures.
Digital lifeforms escape the labs and try to take over the world. Enter corporate and governmental interests, politics, suspense and some fascinating characters and you have a very solid story. Philosophical musings, reflections and character development are however just as important to the author and were what made this truly a remarkable reading experience for me. I very much enjoyed the intelligent dialogues and the character of Morbius. The ending has several epilogues that tie things up and leave things open for hopefully more to come. Excellent.

“Eleven Miles” by Lance Greenfield is an engaging and often powerful story whose strength lies in the simplicity of the story telling. Boi, a young girl from Botswana overcomes obstacles in her way and grows as she tried to achieve her dreams of academic and sporting excellence.
It is a great reminder of the many things we take for granted: public transport, money for transport and education, available food and resources etc etc.
Inspiring and eye opening this is a true gem.

"Murder in Cottage #6" by Dianne Harman is the first in a new series and, like the authors' previous cozy mystery series, it is a real treat.
The discovery of a body in Cottage #6 of Liz Lucas's spa kicks off the novel and it leads to 52 year old widow Liz to have a stab at finding the murderer herself. With plenty of suspects, great characters, adorable dogs and mouth watering recipes, Harman is once again at her best. She keeps you on your toes and joyfully entertained throughout. A very good read.

“Round Robin” by Lesley Hayes is a wonderful read about a ten year old boy, somewhat anxious and fearful when we meet him first and a boy whom you can’t help feel for from page one.
Secrets are revealed, truths need to be confronted, changes are being made and values are being challenged. It’s a tough world sometimes but not everything that changes needs to be bad.
Skilfully plotted and written with great literary quality this is an amazing story that grabs you from the beginning. The characters and their stories stayed with me for a long time and I found a lot of fantastic quotes at the end of the book that I want to remember.
A thoughtful and entertaining read with some beautiful messages and values and such great feel to it - even when the going gets tough. Excellent.

"Cupcake Cutie: (Plus Size Romance Series) " by Lynn Cooper is a breath of fresh air for many reasons. The obvious being that we deal with a romantic lead in a Plus Size, not another body fascist anorexic 'perfect' heroine. Discriminated against and used to it, even though her plus size is 'legitimate' due to an illness, our heroine Ella doesn't have to explain those reasons to handsome Decker when he rescues her and asks her out. The knight in shining armor (although with some complications) is a true gent whose appeal lies not just in his sexiness but also in the fact that he stands up for her.

Now all that 'politically correct' aspect aside: The story reads smoothly, is very entertaining for the characters and the dialogue and is damn romantic, full stop. Absolutely lovely and enjoyable this should do very well with romance readers in all shapes and sizes. At times the story is sexually explicit but it is definitely a romance, and a very good one. Get it!

"Orbs III: Redemption: A Science Fiction Thriller" by Nicholas Sansbury Smith takes us back into a post-apocalyptic world that battles with receding Oceans and increasing temperatures. The 'Organics' are growing stronger and human kind is struggling to survive. Mission Redemption will decide if the human species can make it against the Alien threat and survive on the planet.
With solid foundations in science and great military action this science fiction thriller is a worthy equal to the excellent first two books in the series. Highly otiginal and thoughtful in its premise the storyline keeps going strong, not letting up until the very finishing line. I love it when a book can stand on its own within a series and all Orbs books so far have accomplished this.
Great suspense, a bunch of well chosen characters and a damn good story make this book very enjoyable and gripping. A great read.

"At Hell's Gates 2: Origins of Evil" is one hell of a rollercoaster ride. Not a solid fan of horror I purchased the anthology because of some very talented writers who contributed to the second edition and because the proceeds go to The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Knowing that there was a humanitarian cuase behind the book made it certainly easier to connect with the terror within.
23 stories, all different yet powerful and showcasing diverse talent: The sujects range from a mousetrap to a starship, from personal to universal terrors, with heroes that include scientists, truck drivers, actresses, junkies and drug dealers. Some stories are more supernatural, others sci-fi, thriller and some plain horror.
If horror is your thing, or you want to support a good cause, this anthology is for you. Highly recommended.

"Triptychs (Mind's Eye Series Book 3)" is a wonderful and fascinating anthology. This one is based on a series of photographs that were randomly given to the authors as inspiration for their stories. One of the most rewarding parts of this experiment is for the reader to view the picture and have their own ideas what the stories might be, only to see how different we all view the world.
The stories range wide in scope and show great talent. Some of the authors I knew and appreciated already from their individual work, such as Eden Baylee and Maria Savva, while others look likely to become new favourites, such as Jason McIntyre and J Michael Radcliff.
I enjoyed all of the stories and will keep an eye out for the rest of the series. High quality reading.

"Occult Assassin; Ice Shadows" by William Massa admittedly had me at "Ice. A fan of Nordic settings I was eager to get my teeth into this novella and see how it fit into the series. The gripping opening scene in wintery Norway was a strong pull that was followed with an equally interesting section on a strange heavy metal singer with a cult around him.
Mark Talon, our hero, came to Norway to see him and soon gets drawn in action packed thriller to save the day (and the girl). Fast moving. well written and with good characters this is highly entertaining.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

“Darkly Wood” by Max Power is an amazing find if you like dark and sinister stories. Everyone who ever walked or got lost in a forest at night will appreciate the eeriness and spookiness of Darkly Wood. There’s history to the place, as our heroine Daisy finds out.
The opening description of the woods and the powerful Lord Terrence Darkly sets the tone perfectly for a dark, gripping and compelling read. A well-constructed ‘book within a book’ plot shows how skilled a storyteller Power is.
This is a very enjoyable and intense read, clever and entertaining. Highly recommended.