Smorgasbord Posts from Your Archives – Summer 2020- Pot Luck- Book Reviews by Vashti Quiroz-Vega

To finish off this current series of posts from your archives, author Vashti Quiroz-Vega share two posts that I am sure you will enjoy.

For this first post I have chosen one from March of this year which has several reviews for books that look very interesting.

New Book Reviews: The One Discovered by Yvette Calleiro, Journey to the Rainbow’s End by Forrest Stepnowski, and The Ex Chronicles by Maura Beth Brennan

Hello, everyone! I hope you are all safe and healthy.

“There is no place like home.”

~L. Frank Baum

The best thing we could do right now to slow the spread of the coronavirus is to stay home. Of course, that’s not possible for everyone, but if you can work from home you should. Self isolation has worked well for other countries and in past pandemics. Practice social distancing even if you’re young and healthy because although your chances of dying from COVID– 19 is low you could still spread the disease to people that are vulnerable and could die from it.

I’d like to thank all the people in the medical field, including my brother Ralph, who’s at the front lines every day, and my cousins Lissette, Ray, Miguel, Leo, and Sonya. You’re putting yourselves at risk on a daily basis to help those in need. Thank you.

Changing the subject, I’ve been doing a lot of reading since I sent my manuscript to my editor. Today, I’d like to share three of the books I’ve read so far and my reviews. I posted the reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, and although they are already showing on Goodreads, Amazon has yet to make all three reviews available.

Book Reviews: Click on the images to purchase on Amazon

The One Discovered by Yvette Calleiro

I don’t read a lot of young-adult fantasy novels, but this one came highly recommended, and the book cover enticed me. This is the first book in the Chronicles Of The Diasodz series.

Sofia is a seventeen-year-old girl in her last year of high school. Up until this point, she’s lived an ordinary life as the daughter of Liana, a single mom and girlfriend to lifelong friend Rafe. One night, she has an extraordinary dream in which she meets a handsome boy named Ar’ch. Her life takes a bizarre turn when she goes to work and comes across Ar’ch in real life.

Sofia learns that she is far more than she ever thought she could be, and that an entire world’s existence depends on her. She has a decision to make, but how can she leave her home and everyone she loves behind?

How does a teenage girl choose between her boyfriend, who’s been her best friend since childhood, and a handsome boy who makes her feel things she’s never felt before?

The story was slow-paced at first, but soon picked up. Overall, it had a good flow and kept me engaged. The characters were well developed and relatable, especially Sofia, Angel, and Rafe. The final chapters are captivating and full of action until the end.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy a young-adult fantasy with a love triangle, excellent characters, world building, action, and drama. I look forward to reading the second book in the series, The One Enlightened.

***
The Ex Chronicles by Maura Beth Brennan

“The Ex Chronicles” is a humorous short story about a couple named Angie and Bryce.

When Angie met Bryce, she thought she had found Mr. Right. She fell madly in love with him, only to find out he was cheating on her.

Believing their relationship was worth fighting for, Angie designs a plan to confront her boyfriend and the other woman. All the while, old black-and-white movies played in her head, and she imagined herself as one of the heroines starring in the movies, so she figured everything would turn out as she planned.

Unfortunately, things did not play out as Angie had hoped, and her antics will have you rolling with laughter.

I enjoyed author Maura Beth Brennan’s sense of humor and writing style. I recommend this quick and fun read to anyone who’s been in a bad relationship and only has a moment to spare.

***
Journey to the Rainbow’s End by Forrest Stepnowski

Journey to the Rainbow’s End begins with a varied collection of freestyle poems, which are both beautiful and heartfelt. About halfway through the book, author Forrest Stepnowski gives us a short, insightful account (fictionalized memoir) of his journey from self-loathing to self-acceptance.

Robert grew up in a religious home where being gay was not an option. He was taught that homosexuality was a sin and punishable by God. From an early age, he struggled with whom he was and hungered for love, acceptance, and compassion—mostly from himself.

In his early teens, Robert felt an attraction to other boys, but he was conflicted and confused due to his homophobic religious teachings. He suffered many terrible experiences in his developmental years, including a suicide attempt and the death of a close friend.

Robert experienced sex, and like a bird released from its cage, he began a reckless way of life with multiple lovers. When he learned that a good friend was diagnosed with AIDS and committed suicide, Robert was forced to change his ways.

I enjoyed how the author combined his poetry with the narrating of his story because it gave me a better perspective. In the end, despite the difficulties endured by Robert, he managed to find his way to self-acceptance.

Overall, this book is about learning to accept who you are and adds another dimension to the LGBT story, which is a human story. I was touched by this book because the author bravely bared his soul to inspire others who may be walking the same path.

The story and poems were fabulous, but there were a few poems that stood out for me and moved me in some way.

“I Am Not The One” – I loved this line: “I am worth more than my weight in diamonds and gold.”

“Freeze” – I got goose bumps reading this one, and I loved the ending.

“That’s Gay” – Powerful and relatable, even to straight people.

“The Touch of Your Skin” – HOT

“The Song of Ever Changing Fairytales” – Who wouldn’t relate?

If you enjoy beautiful poetry from the heart and riveting short stories, this book is for you.

“The ultimate luxury is being able to relax and enjoy your home.”

~Jeff Lincoln

Thanks to Vashti for letting me share…I hope you enjoyed the post. Thanks for the visit, and feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions in the comment section below.  

About Vashti Quiroz -Vega

Vashti Quiroz-Vega is a writer of Fantasy, Horror, and Thriller. Since she was a kid she’s always had a passion for writing and telling stories. It has always been easier for her to express her thoughts on paper.

She enjoys reading almost as much as she loves to write. Some of her favorite authors are Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Anne Rice, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling and George R. R. Martin.

She enjoys making people feel an array of emotions with her writing. She likes her audience to laugh one moment, cry the next and clench their jaws after that.

When she isn’t building extraordinary worlds and fleshing out fascinating characters, she enjoys spending time with her husband JC and her Pomeranian Scribbles who is also her writing buddy.

Books by Vashti Quiroz Vega

 

One of the recent reviews for Fall of Lilith

Amazon Reader 4.0 out of 5 stars An immersive fantasy with a new take on an old story  Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2020

I really enjoyed this immersive fantasy read. It’s based on the fall of the angels from the Old Testament, but it brings an all-new spin to the story with the role of Lilith. I was engaged by all the details of this version of Heaven, and the progression of Lilith from a relatively harmless girl to a tragic anti-hero is interesting to watch. I do wish she had a little bit more goodness in her because that would’ve made her more sympathetic as a main character. Yet I also understand the restraints of telling a story like this, in which there is clear good and evil. After the fall of the angels, the story takes us to earth, where the angels are banished. Once again, I was pleased at the combination of both familiar and unexpected elements. Overall, well written and imaginative!

Vashti Quiroz- Vega, Buy:Amazon US – and : Amazon UK –  Follow Vashti : Goodreads – website:Vashti – WordPress – Twitter: @VashtiQV

 

Thanks for dropping by and Vashti would love your feedback.. thanks  Sally.