Jazzy Book Reviews

Literary fiction (with Adventure; Family)

Date Published: 11-28-2022

Publisher: By The Pure Sea Books

“The journey of a 1000 miles begins with a single step.” ~ Lao Tzu

Raiden, an emotionally troubled 40-something guy, is at a major turning point in his life. Rather than choose to face it head on, he undertakes an epic road trip adventure across North America, all with the aim of escaping the single most transformative event of his life – imminent fatherhood.

Searching for solutions in all the wrong places and faces, Raiden is forced to turn the mirror back on himself and shine the harsh light of reality not only on his quest, but into the very depths of his soul, in order to discover what it is he truly seeks.

While he does his best to find the answer, the impactful events he experiences along the way will reveal more about Raiden and his nature than the strange assortment of characters he meets on his overland odyssey.

Ultimately, The Journey is a story that no matter how far you run, your demons always follow.

“Mark T. Rasmussen rewards readers with a fascinating tale of transformation. 5-stars!” – K.C. Finn (Readers’ Favorite)

About the Author

MARK T. RASMUSSEN is an Australian author born by the sea, cultivated in the city, formed via the world. Previously a professional journalist and editor, Mark now writes evocative, thought provoking subject matter for his adult novels and screenplays, and fun, captivating, thoughtful books for children. An avid adventurer, he currently lives in a remote Mexican seaside-jungle village with his beautiful & brilliant, author wife, and youngest son, finding it an idyllic piece of paradise to read, write, and love. For more info visit: MarkTRasmussen.com

Contact Links

Purchase Link

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When the Rainbow Turns Black

by Peter Venison

Summary

This is the epic story of four young men, born in obscurity in South Africa at the height of Apartheid. Two are white; two are black. All four achieve fame in their lifetime. It is also the story of the women in their lives, with mixed race marriage, love and deception, set against a background of huge political and social change.

Expectations are high for the new Rainbow State, but will they be met amongst the corruption and greed that is endemic? Can our four find their way in the new South Africa or will they be derailed and overcome by events beyond their control or even by their own passion? Their journey through the world of international sport, show business and politics is riddled with twists and turns as they battle to prosper in the ever changing place they call home. Can our four young men survive and prosper in the post Apartheid era or will their futures and that of their country turn black?

This is a rollercoaster ride that will keep you strapped to your seats from its humble beginning to its surprising end.

Information about the Book

Title: When The Rainbow Turns Black
Author: Peter J. Venison
Publisher: Clink Street Publishing
Release Date: 24th November 2022
Genre: Fiction

Excerpt
It is January, 1970. Two little boys are starting school for the first time. They both live in Randburg, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. They are both white. One of them, Gerhadus, is quite nervous; the other, Lance, can’t wait. Randburg is a large suburb, covering several square miles and the two boys live in different areas, each with their own primary school. Gerhadus is attending the General Christian De Wet primary in Triomph and Lance, the Laeskool Jim Fourie in Crosby. They will both be taught primarily in the Afrikaans language, since their districts are heavily populated with Afrikaners, but, because English is the other official language in the country, they will also have lessons in English. They will be taught to neither speak nor write any of the other eleven languages in common use in the land of their birth; these are the languages of the native Africans, who make up 80% of the population.

Randburg is a mixed-race suburb. The “mix” is between Afrikaans and English speakers. Black children are not allowed to attend school in Randburg and black citizens are not allowed to live there, unless they are domestic servants with a special permit to do so. Blacks must live in specially designated areas, outside and often far from the white areas and, if they work in white areas, in anything other than domestic positions, they must commute daily to and from their work in overcrowded buses and decrepit and dented taxis. Kaffir taxis! If they do not have the fare, they must walk since bicycles are not commonplace. If a black is caught in a white area at night, without good reason, he will be jailed and most likely beaten up in the police van en route. There is a marked difference between the standard of homes in white and black districts. White homes, generally, are made of bricks, black ones with tin and straw. This is South Africa in 1970.

Not far from Triomph and Crosby, in the neighbouring suburb of Sandton, which is primarily an English-speaking area, a little blonde girl, Angela, is also attending primary school for the first time. She is very pretty. Everybody tells her that, so she knows it. Her mother, Sally, is an English immigrant who is married to a handsome Afrikaner. They have chosen to live in an English-speaking suburb because it was easier for Sally, but Dirk, her husband, has requested that their daughter attend an Afrikaans speaking primary school, lest his language be forgotten in their household. They have no other children. All suburbs are, by law, required to provide education in both official languages, irrespective of the preponderance of any one language in the area. Sally understands Dirk’s position but is not thrilled about the idea, since she feels it will be difficult for her to relate to the other mothers. Sally knows that, for young mothers, their best chance of making friends in a foreign land is by meeting other young mums at the school. Dirk is sympathetic to her plight but has asked her to, at least, try to make it work for the sake of his parents and other Afrikaans relatives.

Both Gerhadus and Lance are strapping lads for their age. They have been brought up in the sunshine of the Witwatersrand, at the centre of the plateau on which Johannesburg has emerged further to the discovery of gold. Their families are middle class Afrikaans folk. The bulk of the poor Afrikaners live in the southern suburbs of the city, so these two boys are privileged. Strom Van de Merwe, Gerhadus’ father, owns and operates a small trucking company; that is to say he owns two large trucks, which he keeps in a siding next to their home in Triomph, much to the chagrin of his neighbours. Strom, unlike his son, is a stick of a man, tall, wiry and thin. He has piercing grey eyes and a neat little moustache. Strom’s wife, Edna, is a housewife and mother. Unlike her husband, she is a large lady with strong solid legs and a spreading bosom. Gerhadus has one little brother, Frikkie, who is three years his junior. Frikkie is also a well-built boy; he absolutely idealises his big brother.

Lance’s folk are less well off than the Van der Merwes, but both his mother and father work. His dad, Rudy Hermanus, works for the post office. Rudy is a large, well-muscled man with a ruddy face and a cheeky smile. A good joke is never far from his lips. Lance’s mother, Becky, is a receptionist at the local doctor’s office. Becky is very popular and gregarious. Everyone who visits the doctor loves her and she casts aside their anxiety. Rudy and Becky also have a daughter, Bibi, who is one year older than Lance. Bibi is a pretty child with jet black hair and an olive skin. Some of the neighbours wondered if the handsome black garden boy, employed by the Hermanuses, had anything to do with her genes.

Author Information

Peter J. Venison was born in Wimbledon and studied at the University of Surrey before embarking upon a successful career in hospitality, which saw him managing hotel chains in South Africa, the USA and Europe. He enjoyed a longstanding partnership with Sol Kerzner, which included launching the Lost City at Sun City, part of the Sun International chain, and becoming Managing Director of Sun International and Royale Resorts in Switzerland. His last professional role was as Senior Vice President of Kersaf Hotels, while he retained directorship of Royale during the development and opening of the Atlantis Hotel, Bahamas, the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, USA, and the One and Only international resort chain. Peter was awarded a CVO by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth in 2017 for services to charity. A father of four, he lives in South London.

Tour Schedule

Book Details:

Book Title: Merry Murder: A Fiona Quinn Mystery #2

Author: C.S. McDonald

Category: YA Fiction, 219 pages

Run Time: 4 hours, 51 minutes

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Publisher: McWriter Books

Release date: Sep 16, 2016

Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

Enjoy an early Christmas gift!
MERRY MURDER
will be FREE on Amazon November 21-23
It will be offered at a reduced price of .99 cents
until January 1st

Book Description:

The cookies are baked. The tree is trimmed. The shopping? Well, it's almost done, and Fiona's parents have finally returned home for a holiday visit - along with some unexpected unruly friends. Yep, Fiona's perfectly planned Christmas is coming together, but how could've she planned for her favorite uncle's murder? Who could possibly kill a sweet old man who's played Santa at the local mall every year without fail? Fiona's boyfriend, Detective Nathan Landry, is determined to find out - before Christmas day arrives. There's only one problem: Nancy Quinn. Fiona's mom is just as determined as the detective to catch the murderer, and she isn't shy about getting the job done - even if it includes breaking a few pesky laws! Will Fiona and her mother find the killer first or will the killer find them?

BUY THE BOOK:
Audible ~ Amazon
B&N ~
Add to Goodreads

Book Details:

Book Title: The Christmas Cameo: A Fiona Quinn Quick Mystery

Author: C.S. McDonald

Category: YA Fiction, 32 pages

Length: 1 hr, 16 minutes

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Publisher: McWriter Books

Release date: November 13, 2019

Content Rating: G (The Fiona Quinn Mysteries are for everyone--adults love the books and they are appropriate for teens and tweens too!)

Book Description:

A lovely cameo brooch is discovered in Fiona’s late Uncle Wilbur’s house two days before Christmas. The pin bears a romantic Christmas message from Wilbur for his new wife with the initials, D.A.S.

How very strange! To the family’s knowledge, Uncle Wilbur had never been married. So, who is this mysterious woman? Now, Fiona is on a holiday mission to locate D.A.S. and deliver the belated gift.

Question is, what happened to the marriage? Is D.A.S. still alive after all these years? And if so, can Fiona find her before Christmas?

Buy the Book:
Amazon ~ Audible

Meet the Author:

For twenty-six years C.S. McDonald’s life whirled around a song and a dance. Classically trained at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater School, The Pittsburgh Dance Alloy, and many others, she became a professional dancer and choreographer. During that time, she choreographed many musicals and an opera for the Pittsburgh Savoyards. In 2011 she retired from her dance career to write. Under her real name, Cindy McDonald, she writes murder-suspense and romantic suspense novels. In 2014 she added the pen name, C.S. McDonald, to write children’s books for her grandchildren. In 2016 she added the Fiona Quinn Mysteries to that expansion. She decided to write the cozy mystery series that everyone, including teens and tweens, can read and enjoy. Presently, the Fiona Quinn Mysteries includes nine books with a tenth slated for 2021. The books are also available on audio, narrated by Maren Swenson Waxenberg.

Cindy’s newest venture is The Owl’s Nest Mysteries. Once again, she has set her cozy mystery in Pittsburgh and the female protagonist, Alexa Owl, is much different from Fiona Quinn. The Owl’s Nest Mysteries has a little grit, a little time travel, a little romance, and a whole lot of cozy!

Ms. McDonald resides on her Thoroughbred farm known as Fly by Night Stables near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with her husband, Bill, and her poorly behaved Cocker Spaniel, Allister.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the MOTHER OF THE RIVER by Emily McPherson Pre-Order Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!

About The Book:

Title: MOTHER OF THE RIVER (Protectors #1)

Author: Emily McPherson

Pub. Date: March 7, 2023

Publisher: Eyebright Books

Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, eBook

Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N, iBooks, Kobo , TBD, Bookshop.org

Inspired by traditional Irish Mythology, Mother of the River tells the story of a 17 year old girl in search of her missing mother when she stumbles upon a forgotten legend.

Ianthe was only six years old when her mother vanished and the strange statue appeared in the river near her home. Now, eleven years later, the statue stands as a memorial and a place where Ianthe often visits to tell her mother about her life. But when an old acquaintance returns to town and suggests the statue isn't just a statue, the presence of a mythical creature comes into question, and Ianthe begins to wonder what really happened all those years ago.

With her best friend Fintan by her side, Ianthe searches for a lost legend and discovers fantastical dangers, family secrets, and the magic of Ireland. But finding the myth may not be enough to mend the past. And finding the truth just may threaten her future.

May you have the hindsight to know where you've been, the foresight to know where you are going, and the insight to know when you have gone too far- Irish proverb

Book Teaser Trailer:

@therealemilymcpherson #booktok #youngadultbooks #fantasybooks #femaleprotagonist #irishmythology #motheroftheriver ♬ Fallen down - Slowed - 「Incørrect」

EXCERPT
They peered over the edge of the cliff, relieved to find that the waterfall wasn’t too high, but it was wide and fast. Ianthe looked to the riverbanks, hoping to find a big wooden sign sticking out of the ground that said, “Bones of a Monster: Hidden Here.”

“There,” she shouted, pointing below.

Although there was no wooden sign, there was a brown patch of forest surrounded by rose bushes and void of the thick moss, which covered nearly every other inch of the riverbank in green. Ianthe lowered herself over the cliff and scaled the rocks, followed by Evander and Fintan. They rushed to the patch of dirt and immediately began stabbing their shovels into the ground, removing bits of earth. To their surprise and great relief, the bones weren’t buried all that deep.

“It’s not even a proper burial,” Ianthe said, flinging more dirt behind her.

“By the looks of things, I’m not sure she was buried at all, darlin’,” Evander said. “Looks like only time covered her.”

“That’s horrible!”

“Don’t tell me you’re feeling sorry for the monster now,” Fintan quipped.

“No. I don’t think so anyway. I just mean…” She stabbed her shovel into the dirt with a frown, feeling a weight on her heart, and gestured to the sorry excuse for a grave plot. “Well, everyone should have a proper burial. Don’t you think?”

Fintan shrugged and continued to dig as Ianthe adjusted her grip around her own shovel. A few quiet minutes passed before any of the white bone was discernible in the dirt.

“I think I found the skull,” Ianthe said.

“No,” Evander scraped some dirt away, revealing a full face. “I’ve definitely got the skull.”

“Then what’s this?”

She dug a little more and uncovered a second skull, much smaller than the first.

“Is that…”

“…a child?” she finished Evander’s thought.

The three of them stared at each other for a moment of disbelief.

“Hurry,” Ianthe said as her eyes narrowed in on the bones, “keep digging.”

They all dropped to their knees and began uncovering the rest of the bones by hand. Ianthe grabbed the bucket they had brought to transport the bones and reached for the larger skull. Her hand had barely touched the brittle surface when a low growl sounded from behind the waterfall. She snapped her hand back to her side and shrank further down.

“Did you hear that?” she whispered.

About Emily McPherson:

Emily McPherson is an author for young adult readers with several fantasy projects in the works. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, she strives to normalize seeing characters of the rainbow on the page without harmful stereotypes. She is an Irish dancer with a slight obsession with mythological creatures. She lives in Connecticut with her husband, son, and - the real mythological creatures - her two rescue pugs.

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon GC, International.

Ends December 10th, midnight EST.

Tour Schedule:

Week One:

11/21/2022	For the Love of Kidlit	Guest Post
11/22/2022	YA Books Central	Guest Post/IG Post
11/23/2022	A Dream Within A Dream	Guest Post
11/24/2022	The Momma Spot	Excerpt
11/25/2022	Jazzy Book Reviews	Excerpt/IG Post
11/26/2022	Books and Kats	Excerpt

Week Two:

11/27/2022	Books a Plenty Book Reviews	Review
11/28/2022	Fire and Ice	Review
11/29/2022	@allyluvsbooksalatte	IG Review/TikTok Post
11/30/2022	A Blue Box Full of Books	IG Review/LFL Drop pic
12/1/2022	100 Pages A Day	Review
12/2/2022	Kim"s Book Reviews and Writing Aha's	Review/IG Post
12/3/2022	beersbooksboos	Review/IG Post

Week Three:

12/4/2022	@froggyreadteach	IG Review
12/5/2022	@enjoyingbooksagain	IG Review

The Cursed Treasure by Desmond G. Palmer

21st - 29th Nov Genre: Adventure, thriller Format: eBook @DGPalmer3 @lovebookstours

Blurb They’re tracking the truth across the world. But with shadowy figures pulling the strings, will calling on the gods of old lead them to their graves?

Natasha Travers lives for adrenaline hits. And after accidentally signing herself up to remain co-owner of a business with her ex-husband, former SAS captain Lucas Redmond, the skilled treasure hunter is looking for any excuse to spend some time abroad. So, when a friend and fellow archaeologist calls from Romania with tales of strange South American coins, she jumps on a plane… and straight into a global conspiracy.

Discovering that the artifacts portray Peruvian deities of creation and death, Natasha is mystified when the tests reveal they’re forged from an unknown metal. But after she learns of her friend’s ties to the local mafia, a spreading epidemic, and an ancient curse, she fears humanity could be battling a genocidal threat.

Will poking into the past launch a catastrophe or save the lives of billions?

The Acquirers archaeological thriller series. If you like conflicted characters, breathtaking adventures, and heart-stopping twists, then you’ll love Desmond G. Palmer’s race against the clock.

Buy Links

https://amzn.to/3VpbJsV

Hi everyone! Just a little note to say Jazzy Book Reviews will be closed today for Thanksgiving. Regular posting will resume on Friday the 25th. I appreciate all of the readers who follow my blog. I appreciate everyone who takes the time out of their day to comment on my posts. I appreciate the book tour hosts I work with for keeping my blog active and busy. And I appreciate the authors who allow me to review their books on my blog. I've been doing this for almost 10 years, and I'm so thankful and grateful for everyone and everything that has helped make Jazzy Book Reviews what it is today.