Tag / thriller

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: Fire On The Island

I read another book by Timothy Jay Smith and I can happily say that I will keep reading his books. This one was called Fire On The Island by Timothy Jay Smith and is actually being released into the world today!

Fire on the Island - Arcade book cover

Synopsis: FIRE ON THE ISLAND is a playful, romantic thriller set in contemporary Greece, with a gay Greek-American FBI agent, who is undercover on the island to investigate a series of mysterious fires. Set against the very real refugee crisis on the beautiful, sun-drenched Greek islands, this novel paints a loving portrait of a community in crisis. As the island residents grapple with declining tourism, poverty, refugees, family feuds, and a perilously damaged church, an arsonist invades their midst.
 
Nick Damigos, the FBI agent, arrives on the island just in time to witness the latest fire and save a beloved truffle-sniffing dog. Hailed as a hero and embraced by the community, Nick finds himself drawn to Takis, a young bartender who becomes his primary suspect, which is a problem because they’re having an affair. Theirs is not the only complicated romance in the community and Takis isn’t the only suspicious character on the island. The priest is an art forger, a young Albanian waiter harbors a secret, the captain of the coast guard station seems to have his own agenda, and the village itself hides a violent history. Nick has to unravel the truth in time to prevent catastrophe, as he comes to terms with his own past trauma. In saving the village, he will go a long way toward saving himself.

Just like his other book, The Fourth Courier, I really enjoyed this one because it feels like it gives you a lesson on culture while portraying a great romantic thriller at the same time. You learn so much about this little village in Greece and the culture surrounding it which is fascinating to me and really made me feel like I was there while this plot progressed.

The characters were are very real and had their own nature to them. The book is told in a bunch of different perspectives of various people that live in this village and I think it was perfectly blended to facilitate one good storyline. It’s like a puzzle that you are slowly putting together and trying to figure out what that end picture will look like and when you finally do, its not what you expected but you still like it none the less.

I enjoyed the fact that it had LGBTQ+ representation in it because I am bisexual and like to see more of that represented in books. I feel like I relate a lot more with the characters. I will admit that there were some parts of this book that got my heart racing a little bit (in the romantic sense).

Overall, I would check out this book if you want to feel like you travelled to a beautiful country and took part in an investigation while actually not even leaving the comfort of your couch.

Book Rating: 4/5

You can buy this book on Amazon and find it on Goodreads.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author in ebook format to read and give an honest review.


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I am so grateful to everyone on booktube that has supported me and I wanted to say thank you so so much for helping me get to 1500 subscribers!! I did a Q&A where I answer all your questions (book-related or not) and hopefully, this is as entertaining for you as it was for me to make! Check out the video below:

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by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Spotlight: Between Love and Murder

Welcome to the blog tour for Between Love and Murder by Chris Bedell! Read on for an excerpt from the book and a chance to win a digital copy!

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Publication Date: April 21, 2020

Genre: YA Thriller/ LGBTQ+

Publisher: Willow River Press

September 2018. 17-year-old Chad becomes intrigued by the new kid—Archie—when they flirt during their first interaction. But Chad’s best friend, Mallory, asks Archie out first. Pursuing Archie allows Mallory to get revenge against Chad who recently rejected her. Except Chad refuses to lose Archie to Mallory. Not when he might have a real chance at love—Archie identifies as bisexual like Chad. Although if Chad wants Archie, then he must eliminate Mallory as the competition. Even if doing so means proving she was involved in the disappearance of her ex-boyfriend, Tommy.

Three months later—December 2018. Tommy resurfaces, and Mallory accidently kills him while Archie and Chad are witnesses. Mallory, Archie, and Chad can’t go to the police, though. Mallory blackmailed Tommy to leave town last Fourth of July with a sex-tape after discovering Tommy cheating on her. And Archie, Chad, and Mallory must unite if they don’t wanna go down for murder. Except Chad is even more threatened of Mallory now that he and Archie are dating—Chad remains uncertain if Mallory harbors lingering resentment for rejecting her. If Chad wants Mallory gone, then he must continue making difficult choices. Even if destroying Mallory means Chad pretending to be Mallory’s friend while finding a way to implicate Mallory in Tommy’s death without him and Archie getting in trouble.

If you like the nonlinear storytelling of ABC’s HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER and the toxic love triangle of WINK POPPY MIDNIGHT, then BETWEEN LOVE AND MURDER is the book for you.

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Excerpt

BEFORE

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

Expecting complete honesty was pointless.

Like with Santa Claus or the Tooth Fairy, or when a friend got a questionable haircut. Both the kid and friend could discover the truth without anyone playing the villain. Or like right now while I stood next to my locker in the school hallway. My best friend, Mallory, couldn’t have said what she had. Yet I didn’t have an ear wax problem, so the chances of her comment being misheard were slimmer than time travel happening.

I blinked. “Come again?”

She tugged at her backpack strap. “I’m sorry, Chad; I’m not trying to be awkward. I just couldn’t lie anymore.”

“Don’t apologize for your feelings.”

Telling her not to feel bad shouldn’t have been the best response I came up with. Doing so only prolonged the inevitable: deciding about whether honesty or a fib was best. However, there was no right reaction to finding out Mallory had a crush on me. Some events—such as her revelation—couldn’t be anticipated no matter how many A’s I earned in school.

Mallory bit her lip. “We’ve been spending a lot of time together since July.”

I chuckled. “We’ve always been close.”

“Not since I started dating Tommy.”

I scratched the side of my head. “What’d you expect to happen?”

Available on Amazon

Giveaway: For a chance to win a digital copy of the book, click the link below!

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About the Author

Author Pic

My previous publishing credits include Thought Catalog, Entropy Magazine, Chicago Literati, and Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, among others. My debut YA Fantasy novel IN THE NAME OF MAGIC was published by NineStar Press in 2018.

My 2019 novels include NA Thriller BURNING BRIDGES (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Paranormal Romance DEATHLY DESIRES (DEEP HEARTS YA), and YA Thriller COUSIN DEAREST (BLKDOG Publishing). My 2020 novels include my YA Thriller I KNOW WHERE THE BODIES ARE BURIED (BLKDOG Publishing), YA Contemporary I’LL SEE YOU AGAIN (Deep Hearts YA),  YA Thriller BETWEEN LOVE AND MURDER (Between The Lines Publishing), YA Sci-fi DYING BEFORE LIVING (Deep Hearts YA), and YA Thriller LOVE HIM/HATE HIM (Between The Lines Publishing). I also graduated with a BA in Creative Writing from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2016.

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BetweenLoveandMurder

Blog Tour Schedule

June 8th

Didi Oviatt (Spotlight) https://didioviatt.wordpress.com

I’m All About Books (Spotlight) https://imallaboutbooks.com/

Life’s a Novelty (Review) https://lifesanovelty.blogspot.com/

June 9th

Rambling Mads (Spotlight) http://ramblingmads.com

The Faerie Review (Review)  http://www.thefaeriereview.com

Sophril Reads (Spotlight) http://sophrilreads.wordpress.com

June 10th

Tsarina Press (Spotlight) https://www.tsarinapress.com

Inked and Blonde (Review) https://inkedandblonde.blogspot.com/

June 11th

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

Indies Review (Spotlight) http://indieproreview.blogspot.com/

Stine Writing (Review) https://christinebialczak.com/

June 12th

Book Dragons Not Worms (Review) https://bookdragonsnotworms.blogspot.com/?m=1

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/

Dash Fan Book Reviews (Spotlight) https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/

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I did the Breakfast Booktag! Listen to me talk about breakfast foods and pair books with them. Check out the video below:

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: The Only Child

I have been craving a thriller lately so I ended up picking up The Only Child by Mi-ae Seo and it ended up being a pretty good read.

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Synopsis: Criminal psychologist Seonkyeong receives an unexpected call one day. Yi Byeongdo, a serial killer whose gruesome murders shook the world, wants to be interviewed. Yi Byeongdo, who has refused to speak to anyone until now, asks specifically for her. Seonkyeong agrees out of curiosity.

That same day Hayeong, her husband’s eleven-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, shows up at their door after her grandparents, with whom she lived after her mother passed away, die in a sudden fire. Seonkyeong wants her to feel at home, but is gradually unnerved as the young girl says very little and acts strangely.

At work and at home, Seonkyeong starts to unravel the pasts of the two new arrivals in her life and begins to see startling similarities. Hayeong looks at her the same way Yi Byeongdo does when he recounts the abuse he experienced as a child; Hayeong’s serene expression masks a temper that she can’t control. Plus, the story she tells about her grandparents’ death, and her mother’s before that, deeply troubles Seonkyeong. So much so that Yi Byeongdo picks up on it and starts giving her advice.

This book was what I was looking for in a thriller. It was super creepy (anything to do with creepy kids always gets to me) and I was here for it. I really enjoyed how it was told from multiple perspectives because it gave you insight into both sides of the story and helped with the deductions being made as to what you think the ending will entail.

I will say that I found it to be a little bit predictable but that did not take away from the thrilling factor of it. Even still thinking about it now, I bumped it up to a 4 star rating instead of 3 because it creeps me out knowing how it played out.

There were so many aspects of this book that I found I was cringing at (in a good way) because of how obviously creepy they were and I really liked that. I honestly can’t say much more about the book without giving away anything.

I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to feel thrilled and to be trying to piece together the plot as you go.

Book Rating: 4/5

You can buy this book on Amazon and find it on Goodreads.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me in physical ARC format by Harper Collins to read and give an honest review.

Check out Sean Carlson’s brand new novel called Road To Emmaus: The New Deal which is available now on Amazon! Here is a synopsis of the book: In the midst of the Great Depression, newly elected US President, Franklin D. Roosevelt offers a new deal for the American people. An advisory team, coined the ‘brains trust’ build the foundation of his government’s policies which will impact American families for generations to come. But can human intervention and a new alignment of ‘truths’ resurrect a shared hope powerful enough to save a nation from itself?The dusty road of human history cuts through the heart of every soul. Our search for truth is not easy travel as the deadly allures of myth and deceit call us by name, presiding behind altars of ruin. The illusion is set. And lost in the forgotten timelines of a world under seige, an ancient promise remains.All of recorded history is an understanding of the pieces of ourselves that have come before and the road that remains. This journey is both and ’embarking on’ and a ‘leaving of.’The history of yourself precedes you – going back to the beginning. No piece of history in the cosmos or on earth is exclusive of you. From an exiled apostle imprisoned in the heart of the Roman Empire to Cambodia’s killing fields and South America’s secret horrors. You wear the scars. From a litany of underground movements and failed revolutions, to the fabled utopian kingdom of Camelot, the claim for truth has worn many faces.The long cold war between the icy dominion of Kalashnikov and a succession of presiders struggling to raise the chalice to the parched lips of the world continues. The battle remains yours to fight.You were a part of the old deal and are an even bigger part of the new deal. The dead hand of the past is no longer the end of us. Our history is not confined to the past nor is it bound to the laws of earthly dimension. It is as timeless and free as you. The road awaits…

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You can buy the book here: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0995270295/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awdo_t1_ixPHEb9GMG63M


Thank you to our Patreon Supporters:

Get your name/blog added to our blog posts and Youtube videos by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/breakevenbooks

I am all settled into the new house and am getting back into the swing of things. Here is my TBR for the Bookemon Readathon! Check out the video below:

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Spotlight: Harrow Lake

There is a new book on the block that everyone and their grandmother is talking about and you should check it out. It’s called Harrow Lake by Kat Ellis.

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Synopsis: Welcome to Harrow Lake. Someone’s expecting you . . .

Lola Nox is the daughter of a celebrated horror filmmaker – she thinks nothing can scare her.

But when her father is brutally attacked in their New York apartment, she’s swiftly packed off to live with a grandmother she’s never met in Harrow Lake, the eerie town where her father’s most iconic horror movie was shot.

The locals are weirdly obsessed with the film that put their town on the map – and there are strange disappearances, which the police seem determined to explain away.

And there’s someone – or something – stalking her every move.

The more Lola discovers about the town, the more terrifying it becomes. Because Lola’s got secrets of her own. And if she can’t find a way out of Harrow Lake, they might just be the death of her.

I am taking part in a book tour as part of a promotion for this upcoming novel which will be published on July 9th! Keep an eye out for it because, by the sounds of it, it’s going to be fantastic.

About the Author

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Kat Ellis is the author of YA novels PURGE, BLACKFIN SKY, and BREAKER, and the novella THE TWINS OF BLACKFIN in the THREE STRIKES collection. Her next book, HARROW LAKE, will be published in the summer of 2020.

You’ll usually find Kat up to no good on Twitter, trekking through ruins and cemeteries with her camera, or watching scary films with her husband.

Check out her website at http://katelliswrites.com!

Check out Lisa King’s brand new novel called The Vanishing Hour which is available now on Amazon! She is a Canadian author from London, Ontario and I am super excited to share the love on her new book! If you like post-apocalyptic books, then this one is for you!

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You can buy her book here: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B081ZHCPGF/


Thank you to our Patreon Supporters:

 

Get your name/blog added to our blog posts and Youtube videos by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/breakevenbooks

Anyone miss concerts? I know it has been a while since I have been to one and miss the sound of live music. Here is a video of me using concert prompts to talk about some books! Check out the video below:

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Spotlight: Blood of the Assassin

Welcome to blog tour for Blood of the Assassin by Bill Brewer! We’ve got an excerpt to read and a fantastic giveaway — A $25 Amazon Gift Card (Open Internationally), so be sure too read on!

5182L4lLtkLBlood of the Assassin (David Diegert #2)

*Can be read as a standalone

Publication Date: March 10, 2020

Genre: Thriller/ Action-Adventure

David Diegert is ensnared into serving Crepusculous, a secret society that controls the economy. In spite of his reluctance, Diegert is coerced into completing deadly missions in which the stakes keep getting higher.
Set up to take the fall for killing a target of immense importance, his fragile world falls apart. Betrayed by Crepusculous, he becomes a fugitive sought after from all sides.
With fast-paced writing and intense action, this installment of the David Diegert series is ready to blow you away.

Available on Amazon!

Excerpt

“The target’s name is Hans Klemmler. He’s an executive at Zeidler-Roche, a company that contracts with the US Department of Defense to handle communications. He’s selling encryption codes on the black market. Posing as the front person for a Pakistani customer, I’ll be meeting him to pay him in cash. I’ll be dressed in traditional Pakistani attire, covered head to toe in order to facilitate infiltration. The hit will take place in the meeting room, and then I must be extracted.”

“We’ll dupe them. We’ll leave that counterstrike team with no idea how they lost us.”

Handing Diegert a sheet of photos, Fatima continued, “Blevinsky’s mole in the CIA provided us with these photos of operatives who are tasked with being active in Frankfurt tomorrow.”

Reviewing the photos, Diegert noted two women and three men. The women both looked to be in their twenties, one blonde, the other brunette. The guys were a wider range of ages. The oldest looked to be in his fifties, with gray hair and a beard. The other two were in their twenties or thirties. One had dark-black hair and dark features. The last guy had a thick, athletic neck, shoulder-length blond hair, and a very piercing gaze for an ID headshot.

Diegert folded the photos, tucking them away. He felt even more confident now that he could identify the CIA by sight.

About the Author

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Bill Brewer is a member of the Faculty of the College of Health Sciences and Technology at RIT where he serves as the Director of Exercise Science within the Wegmans School of Health and Nutrition. His areas of instruction include Anatomy & Physiology as well as numerous courses in Exercise Science.

Bill is a family man, happily married and the proud father of a son and two daughters. He lives in the South Wedge of Rochester NY. and loves to find outdoor adventure in the Adirondacks and in the Frontenac region of Ontario, Canada.

Bill Brewer Books

Giveaway: For a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card, click the link below!

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Blood of Assassin copy

Blog Tour Schedule

April 27th

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

Didi Oviatt (Spotlight) https://didioviatt.wordpress.com

I Love Books and Stuff (Spotlight) https://ilovebooksandstuffblog.wordpress.com

Tsarina Press (Spotlight) https://www.tsarinapress.com

April 28th

On the Shelf Reviews (Spotlight) https://ontheshelfreviews.wordpress.com

The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/

April 29th

B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

Book Dragons Not Worms (Spotlight) https://bookdragonsnotworms.blogspot.com/?m=1

Entertainingly Nerdy (Spotlight) https://www.entertaininglynerdy.com

April 30th

Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com

The Scary Reviews (Spotlight) https://thescaryreviews.com

Sophril Reads (Spotlight) http://sophrilreads.wordpress.com

May 1st

Cocktails and Fairy Tales (Spotlight) https://www.facebook.com/CocktailsFairytales

Misty’s Book Space (Spotlight) http://mistysbookspace.wordpress.com

The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Spotlight) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com

Blog Tour Organized By:

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R&R Book Tours

Check out Lisa King’s brand new novel called The Vanishing Hour which is available now on Amazon! She is a Canadian author from London, Ontario and I am super excited to share the love on her new book! If you like post-apocalyptic books, then this one is for you!

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You can buy her book here: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B081ZHCPGF/


Thank you to our Patreon Supporters:

Get your name/blog added to our blog posts and Youtube videos by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/breakevenbooks

Anyone miss concerts? I know it has been awhile since I have been to one and miss the sound of live music. Here is a video of me using concert prompts to talk about some books! Check out the video below:

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Spotlight: Highland Cove

Welcome to the blog tour celebrating the spine-tingling new novel by Dylan J. Morgan, Highland Cove! Read on for a chilling excerpt, book details and a chance to win a digital copy!

Cover

Highland Cove

Publication Date: March 23rd, 2020

Genre: Horror/ Paranormal/ Ghost Story

Highland Cove Sanatorium sits abandoned on a desolate island one mile off the Scottish mainland. It’s a dark, foreboding place, filled with nightmares. Even darker are the asylum’s secrets: a history of disease and mental illness, macabre experiments and murder.

The tales of ghostly appearances are said to be more fact than fiction, but no one has ever documented the phenomenon. Codie Jackson aims to change all that. Arriving from London with his small independent film crew, they plan to make a documentary that will forever change their lives.

But when one of the crew disappears, things begin to spiral out of control. A storm closes in to ravage the island, and in the darkness Highland Cove’s true horrors are revealed. Now lost within the institution’s labyrinthine corridors, Codie and his team realize that their nightmare is only just beginning.

Add to Goodreads

Excerpt

She hesitated, and then stepped to the partially opened door. Raising her hand, she brushed fingers over dried paint peeling from the timber. Leaning further forward she stared through the opening at a floor coated with dirt and the remains of a building crumbling on its foundations.

A door slammed shut in the building’s depths.

Wind whistled through the gap with the murmur of a whispered voice.

With a gasp Kristen stepped away, gaze fixed on the door, expecting it to widen at any moment.

A hand pressed into the small of her back and she flinched again, spinning from the touch. Liam stepped onto the porch, pushing his phone into his pants pocket. He looked at her, his smile settling her nerves somewhat.

“Are you okay?”

Clearing her throat and shrugging her rucksack higher on her shoulders, she nodded, gave a nervous chuckle. “I’m fine. I guess this place is kind of spooky.”

“It’s the final resting place of thousands of tortured souls. It’s spooky as hell.”

Liam gave her a subtle wink, but if he was teasing her she didn’t need it right now. The rhythm of her heart had yet to settle, hairs rigid on the back of her neck. Liam stepped to the entryway, his hand almost at the door.

“Be careful, Liam.”

“What is it?”

She hesitated, swallowed hard. “I thought I heard something from inside, that’s all. A bang, like a door closing.”

“Really?” Liam said, and raised his eyebrows. “They know we’re here, then.”

His smile widened, and he pushed through the door into the asylum.

Available on Amazon!

About the Author

Dylan J Morgan

Now living and working in Norway, Dylan J. Morgan was born in New Zealand and raised in the United Kingdom. He writes during those rare quiet moments amid a hectic family life: after dark, with limited sustenance, and when his creative essence is plagued the most by tormented visions.

He is the multi-genre author of ten books, all available exclussively to Amazon. Focusing on Horror, Post-Apocalyptic Dystopia, and sometimes a hint of Science-Fiction, his books cater for those readers who enjoy a dark, terrifying journey into worlds where a happy ending is seldom seen.

When not writing, and when not reading, he can be found roaming the realm of the Witcher 3, or witnessing satisfying deaths on Game of Thrones, or even listening to some of the loudest heavy metal in his iTunes’ library.

If you’re searching for that light at the end of the tunnel then stop looking—you won’t find it here.

Dylan J. Morgan | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

HighlandCove copy (1)

Blog Tour Schedule

April 13th

Reads & Reels (Review) http://readsandreels.com

Life at 17 (Review) https://lifeat17.wordpress.com

I Smell Sheep (Spotlight) http://www.ismellsheep.com/

Didi Oviatt (Spotlight) https://didioviatt.wordpress.com

Jennifer Mitchell, Bibliolater (Spotlight) https://www.jennifermitchellbooks.com

The Faerie Review (Spotlight) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

April 14th

Lecari’s Live Journal (Review) http://www.lecari.co.uk/

Tranquil Dreams (Review) https://klling.wordpress.com/

Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com

The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Spotlight) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com

April 15th

Backshelf Books (Review) https://backshelfbooks.com/

Cup of Books Blog (Review) https://cupofbooksblog.wordpress.com/

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/

Turning the Pages (Review) https://turningthepagesonline.wordpress.com

Cats Luv Coffee Book Reviews (Spotlight) https://catsluvcoffeez.blogspot.com

Dark Whimsical Art (Spotlight) https://www.darkwhimsicalart.com/blogs/news

April 16th

Bookish Heidi (Review) http://www.instagram.com/bookish.heidi

J Bronder Book Reviews (Review) https://jbronderbookreviews.com/

Sophril Reads (Review) http://sophrilreads.wordpress.com

April 17th

Eclectic Review (Review) https://eclecticreview.com/

Entertainingly Nerdy (Review) https://www.entertaininglynerdy.com

Ity Reads Books (Review) http://www.ityreadsbooks.home.blog

Banshee Irish Horror Blog (Review) www.bansheeirishhorrorblog.com

Giveaway: For a chance to win a digital copy of Highland Cove, click the link below!

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Check out this book called Dork by my author friend Will Winkle about a guy trying to get his crush’s attention while navigating his life as part of a fraternity house!

His book can be found on Amazon, Goodreads, and his website: WillWinkle.com.

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Thank you to our Patreon Supporters:

Get your name/blog added to our blog posts and Youtube videos by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/breakevenbooks

What did you read in March? Here are all the books I read and what I thought about them!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: Children of Wrath

Every month, I pick a book from my TBR jar (which consists of books sent to me through my blog) and read it. This past month, I picked out Children Of Wrath by T.A. Ward and let me tell you….it was fantastic!

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Synopsis: Five years after working triage during America’s terrible Day of Destruction, Philadelphian Dr. Ethan King wants nothing more for himself and his wife than a normal life. In the aftermath, however, life is anything but normal. The mysterious nerve gas unleashed during the nationwide terrorist attack has left its disturbing mark among the millions of victims, namely brain abnormalities in unborn children. These children, dubbed Inexorables, live up to their name: they are ruthlessly violent, irrepressibly psychopathic—and incurable. They kill without thought or remorse, and inflict torment on their victims with childish glee.

In his pursuit of a normal, peaceful life, Ethan tries as best he can to put these grim realities to the back of his mind. But one cold night, when he comes face to face with an abandoned Inexorable freezing to death in the snow, he must make a choice that could cost him everything, and unravel a thread of dark woven secrets. As he races to find a cure for whatever is creating a generation of doomed children, Ethan discovers that doing the right thing in an evil world is never as clear and easy as it seems.

I had no idea what to think going into this book and was super surprised. I mean it deals with a chemical warfare attack that pretty much sets off a neurological imbalance in babies born after this attack and it seemed so similar to the whole pandemic that we are going through right now so it was super creepy.

The characters were likable and even though you didn’t get to know an overwhelming amount about them, you were given enough to feel something for them. This was a kind of dystopian that I have not experienced in a book so far and it was scary how similar it was to our own reality but it was written very well and I applaud that.

I have a whole new appreciation for anyone working in the medical field after reading this book and seeing how much they have to endure and keep going through in their day to day life. I would not be able to handle that and feel like I would have a breakdown.

I felt like I was kept on my toes during the entirety of the book and when it ended, I messaged the author right away to let them know that I liked the book and needed to know what happened next.

I would recommend this book to anyone that wants a dystopian thriller with some family struggles thrown in. Honestly, it is a good book and worth the read.

Book Rating: 4/5

You can buy this book on Amazon and find it on Goodreads.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author in physical format to read and give my honest review.

Check out this book called Dork by my author friend Will Winkle about a guy trying to get his crush’s attention while navigating his life as part of a fraternity house!

His book can be found on Amazon, Goodreads, and his website: WillWinkle.com.

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Thank you to our Patreon Supporters:

Get your name/blog added to our blog posts and Youtube videos by supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/breakevenbooks

Anyone feeling nostalgic? Well, I have some good news. I will be a co-host for the Bookemon Readathon and we are going to be kicking it back like the ’90s. Join us in our fight to defeat Team Rocket! Check out this video for all the info!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Spotlight: Constable Outreach 35

Welcome to the blog tour for Constable Outreach 35 by Jay Cadmus! Read on for book details, and a guest post from the author!

Book CoverConstable Outreach 35

Publication Date: April 2018

Genre: Historical Fiction/ Thriller

Insurgency forces build against the Sandinista Government of Nicaragua. Story opens in Tegucigalpa during Contra War in 1985.
A covert airdrop malfunction leaves C-123 Loadmaster in Sandinista territory. Troop supply by air delivery the next phase in this operation. Agency Operations Manager uses all available resources in locating…setting scenes of interaction between unlikely partners. Opposition forces appear as foreign ideologues and members within the U. S. Administration they serve. A little used document is constructed to reset international and regional diplomacy. The downed American flyer – and other human assets – become pawns in a war of ideology. Some characters find themselves imprisoned within the ideology they serve. Personalities fall and rise. Knights surface in seeking to serve the White House. Others fall as a normal course by their purging. Quote: “In honor or disgrace, death of my adversary is with me forever.”

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The Premise for Constable Outreach 35

“…U. S. agency operates an aviation unit from Honduras during the Contra Revolution in 1985. While on an inaugural mission, a flyer – loadmaster designated a “kicker” – is swept from C-123 Provider aircraft.

The incident occurred during an insurgent re-supply mission. Falling from the aircraft left no time for a parachute to open. His fall cushioned by the freight being supplied to the insurgents. His body mangled and mind unconscious. Sandinista citizen-soldiers lead by a battle-hardened guerilla capture the American.

Initially, he is taken to a farm outside the Nicaraguan town of Jalapa. A Cuban military advisor comes on scene through association with Juanita Maria Perez-Velasquez. Reluctantly, she allows the enemy soldier in her home temporarily. Sandinista ranking officers interrogate their prisoner.

Parallel and intersecting stories unfold with all primary characters in this slice of history story presented in a fictional frame. As he is nurtured back into consciousness, clashes occur between diplomatic partners.

Juanita Perez is further drawn into this historical international thriller. Her son is ‘kidnapped’ by unknown forces. As each character arc is provided, a human-asset trade becomes a necessity. The captured-asset trade is arranged through a Diplomatic Memorandum of Understanding. Its agreement also resets the sides in their military-economic quest for control of the region.

War takes on many faces as countries thrust and parry. All parties finding themselves imprisoned in the ideologies they serve.”

– Jay Cadmus

About the Author

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Jay Cadmus is the author of novels “Anger’s Journey” and “Constable Outreach 35.” He has been a trucker, a teacher, a serviceman, and a salesman.

He is a decorated Combat Airborne Infantry Vietnam veteran, and a veteran Desert Storm Flight Engineer with Air Medal for combat sorties. He has worked as a C-141 Loadmaster in the U.S. Air Force and for three different commercial airlines. He has instructed flight engineers in the Air Force Reserve, in classroom and on aircraft. He has conducted classroom and live fire training in a Combat Arms Unit. He has hauled household goods and taught moving techniques for a major moving company. He has sold real estate and new cars and has written for community newspapers. That diverse experience fuels his singular voice.

“I hope that by writing stories based on history and modified incidents, the reader stops in the middle of reading to ponder. Thinking of what they would have done.

“Learning from my own writing experience, I know the story is given to me to tell. As is true in life, a writer gains more from his mistakes. From that, I know that I can start anew tomorrow. That is, until my tomorrows don’t come anymore.”

Written by Steve Miller, News Writer, New York State

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March 23rd

Didi Oviatt (Spotlight) https://didioviatt.wordpress.com

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Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.wordpress.com/

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The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Spotlight) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com

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Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels@gmail.com

March 27th

Kim Knight (Spotlight) http://kimknightauthor.wordpress.com

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Check out this book called Dork by my author friend Will Winkle about a guy trying to get his crush’s attention while navigating his life as part of a fraternity house!

His book can be found on Amazon, Goodreads, and his website: WillWinkle.com.

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If any of you out there like Brandon Sanderson, then you should check out my latest video. It is a reading vlog of his book Skyward and I had quite a time reading this one!

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: Tell Me Why

It’s about time that I got back into thrillers! I recently read Tell Me Why by Ruth O’Neill to satisfy this craving that I have been having for the genre.

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Synopsis: Lauren Adams is just an ordinary single girl, until one split-second decision throws her life into crisis.

When she meets the handsome and intriguing Max Davies during a girls’ weekend away, she can’t believe her luck. But it soon turns out to be her biggest mistake. Max gets accused of murder, a murder that allegedly happened on the same night he and Lauren met.

Is Max really the man she thinks he is? Is he really innocent of murder? And why does Lauren hear him late at night, building something in the basement – a basement he’s made clear is out of bounds?

Tell me why follows a woman who just wants to be loved, but who instead ends up in a tangled web of lies, deceit, and terror. A chilling read you won’t stop talking about.

I have found a love for thriller books and this is now one I can add to the shelf of decent books from that genre.

I liked Lauren as the main character but I found that she didn’t have that much depth to her. It was told in mainly her perspective with little snippets into the mind of Max (the secondary perspective). A lot of the decisions that were made by Lauren were questionable but I can see how she would have come to these conclusions in her decision making considering the position she was put in.

It was also a pretty easy read considering it was not that long. I kind of wish that some of the characters introduced at the beginning had a more present role in the book to add some more diversity to the cast. It would have made it a little bit less predictable.

That being said, there were definitely parts of this book that creeped me out (and I love that)! Some of the things that the characters endured were not pleasant and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. That feeling of desperation and needing an escape are why this genre is so gripping to me.

Overall, I would recommend this as a starter into the thriller genre to get a taste for it.

Book Rating: 3/5

You can buy this book on Amazon and find it on Goodreads.

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author in an e-book format to read and give an honest review.

It’s a new year and a new me! This is the year I will crush my TBR jar….hopefully. Check out what I am reading this month and let me know what you are reading 😋

by Erik McManus | Breakeven Books

Book Review: And Hell Followed With Him

It is about time that I got back to some good old fiction! I recently read And Hell Followed With Him by J.M. Bedard and it was pretty decent.

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Synopsis: Winter is approaching fast in the windswept plains along the Canada/US border; the landscape is bleak, but the prospects of the people living there, even more so.
Dave returns home for the first time since he left as a teenager and finds his family in disarray; the Mathises, once reigning over all criminal aspects of the area, have begun to lose their grip. Palmer, the patriarch, has only gotten more bloodthirsty in his old age, an influence that has begun to rub off on Dave’s brother, Jed. It seems that the more the Mathises try to manage their own affairs, the stronger things spin out of control. Soon nearly everyone in town is drawn into the mess, from morally bankrupt cops to teenagers, to Dave himself.

Loyalties and grudges, left to fester, underpin every decision.
Family binds together, then wrenches apart- and Dave, not quite a local but not a stranger, cannot fully cleave himself from it all.

He will try- and the results will leave no one untouched.

This book started off with such an intense scene and it pulled me in. I found it to be quite an interesting read with all the perspectives you were able to explore as the reader. The mafia-style family that has control over the town is in such a mess with all their drama and it kept me reading to see what happened with them. I haven’t seen many episodes of this show but I would compare it to Bloodline from Netflix.

There is one character called “The Canadian” and they are supposed to be this ominous, powerful, menacing character which I find really funny because I am Canadian and I just picture him being very nice and saying sorry a lot (which is a stereotype but a lot of us do that ;P).

I wasn’t a huge fan of how it ends. I’m not sure if there are going to be more books added to this or if it is just a standalone but it seemed like there would be more. There are a lot of unanswered questions I have which is why I think I feel this way.

I would read more books by this author to see their journey as a writer. I will say that they could pull off some of the personas of their characters really well. All in all, I did like the book and it kept my attention enough to read the whole way through.

Book Rating: 3/5

You can buy this book on Amazon and find it on Goodreads. Check out the author’s Instagram to keep up to date with her!

Disclaimer: This book was sent to me by the author in the ebook format to read and give my honest review.

2019 was a year full of reading and I compiled a list of the top 10 books of the year that I read. Watch the video and let me know if you agree with any of them!