Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore Author Updates – #Reviews #Family James J. Cudney, #WWII Robbie Cheadle and Elsie Haney Eaton, #Fantasy D. Wallace Peach

Welcome to the Friday edition of the Cafe and Bookstore with recent reviews for authors on the shelves.

The first author today is James J. Cudney – with a recent review for the sequel to Watching Glass Shatter  – Hiding Cracked Glass (Perceptions Of Glass Book 2)

About the book

A blackmail letter arrives at an inopportune moment, and the recipient’s name is blurred out. Who is the ruthless missive meant for?

In the powerful sequel to Watching Glass Shatter, Olivia is the first to read the nasty threat. When the mysterious letter falls into the wrong hands, her sons try to figure out who’s seeking revenge on them.

Across the span of eight hours, members of the Glass family contemplate whether to confess their hidden secrets, or find a way to bury them forever. Some didn’t learn an important lesson last time, and as each hour ticks by, the family has to come to terms with what happened in the previous months.

Their lives are about to shatter into pieces once again, and this time the stakes are even higher.

One of the recent reviews for the book on Goodreads

Oct 08, 2020 Malia rated it Five Stars

I read the first book in the series Watching Glass Shatter a while ago and would recommend reading these books in order, because a secret that is revealed in book one plays a role in book two. This is more complex than your average crime novel, and I am a big fan of family dramas with an element of mystery. Hiding Cracked Glass is very much about each member of the Glass family trying to hide the cracks in their lives and relationships. The characters, as in Cudney’s previous book, seemed very real, each distinctive, and the dialogue as clever as the plotting. There is something about this book that reminded me almost of a Golden Age mystery, with the way the plot unfolded and each character has something to hide, which built an atmosphere of tension throughout the book. Hiding Cracked Glass is both an intelligent mystery and an examination of how people act under enormous strain, how secrets can eat away at you and how even powerful families have vulnerabilities. If this becomes a trilogy, you’ll get no complaints from me! Recommended!

Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK

Also by James J. Cudney

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – and:  Amazon UK  – Website/Blog: This is my truth now – Goodreads: James J. Cudney – Twitter: @Jamescudney4

The next book today is While the Bombs Fell which is written by Robbie Cheadle and her mother Elsie Hancy Eaton.

About While the Bombs Fell

What was it like for children growing up in rural Suffolk during World War 2?

Elsie and her family live in a small double-storey cottage in Bungay, Suffolk. Every night she lies awake listening anxiously for the sound of the German bomber planes. Often they come and the air raid siren sounds signalling that the family must leave their beds and venture out to the air raid shelter in the garden.

Despite the war raging across the English channel, daily life continues with its highlights, such as Christmas and the traditional Boxing Day fox hunt, and its wary moments when Elsie learns the stories of Jack Frost and the ghostly and terrifying Black Shuck that haunts the coastline and countryside of East Anglia.

Includes some authentic World War 2 recipes

One of the recent reviews for the book

Bette A. Stevens 4.0 out of 5 stars Through the Eyes of a Child—A WWII Memoir  Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2020

While the Bombs Fell is a family and community story told through the eyes of a very young girl (Elsie Hancy Eaton) in Suffolk, England during WWII. I found this family’s story both informative and unique. Author Robbie Cheadle collaborated with her mother (Elsie) to bring us this unique perspective of war to life. From a simple family living life through food rations and falling bombs, it was a fascinating look into war-torn England told from a child’s perspective. The book includes recipes and definitely left this reader with the flavor of what families and children often endure during times of war.

Read the reviews and  buy the book: Amazon US And : Amazon UK

A selection of other books by Robbie and Michael Cheadle and as Roberta Eaton Cheadle.

Read the reviews and Buy :Amazon US – And:Amazon UK – Robbie on : Goodreads – blog: Robbie’s Inspiration- Twitter: @bakeandwrite

Finally a recent review for the latest release from Diana Wallace Peach and the first book in a new series. Liars and Thieves (Unraveling the Veil Book 1)

About the book

Behind the Veil, the hordes of Chaos gather, eager to savage the world. But Kalann il Drakk, First of Chaos, is untroubled by the shimmering wall that holds his beasts at bay. For if he cannot cleanse the land of life, the races will do it for him. All he needs is a spark to light the fire.

Three unlikely allies stand in his way.

A misfit elf plagued by failure—When Elanalue Windthorn abandons her soldiers to hunt a goblin, she strays into forbidden territory.

A changeling who betrays his home—Talin Raska is a talented liar, thief, and spy. He makes a fatal mistake—he falls for his mark.

A halfbreed goblin with deadly secrets—Naj’ar is a loner with a talent he doesn’t understand and cannot control, one that threatens all he holds dear.

When the spark of Chaos ignites, miners go missing. But they won’t be the last to vanish. As the cycles of blame whirl through the Borderland, old animosities flare, accusations break bonds, and war looms.

Three outcasts, thrust into an alliance by fate, by oaths, and the churning gears of calamity, must learn the truth. For they hold the future of their world in their hands.

A recent review for the book

K. Brown 4.0 out of 5 stars Great High Fantasy Read!  Reviewed in the United States on October 5, 2020

First, can we talk about the world-building? Because I need to talk about the world-building. It is sometimes hard for me to read epic fantasy because world-building can be laborious. Even the great Tolkien had me snoozing if I’m being honest.

However, D. Wallace Peach does an excellent job of presenting a politically complex world with an engrossing story. I never felt bored with superfluous detail. She has created a world that is both fitting for fantasy and incredibly unique. Her characters might be called “goblins” and “elves,” but they’re simply not the same creatures we know from Tolkien and I love that.

Along with this well-planned world we have some truly deep characters here. Alue, Talin, and Naj are all flawed (each being just a little bit racist) but they are also so realistic that I was rooting for them the entire time. Alue was especially my favorite. She’s brazen, she acts without thinking and often lets her anger get the best of her, but she also has a moral conscience that seems unique to her people. I really want to give examples, but I’m not sure I can without spoilers.

My only complaint about this novel is the ending–and by that I mean that I hate that it ended at all. I need the sequel ASAP!

Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – And : Amazon UK

A selection of other books by D.Wallace Peach

D. Wallace Peach, Buy:  Amazon US – And : Amazon UK – Follow Diana: Goodreads – blog: Myths of the Mirror – Twitter: @Dwallacepeach

 

Thanks for dropping in today and I hope that you will be leaving with some books.. thanks Sally