Smorgasbord Cafe and Bookstore Updates – #Reviews #Historical Ailish Sinclair, #Romance #Paranormal Jan Sikes, #Timetravel Rob Shackleford

Posted on November 3, 2021 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

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

The first review is for the historical novel Fireflies and Chocolate by Ailish Sinclair.

About the book

Elizabeth craves adventure… excitement… love…

For now though, she has to settle for a trip from her family’s castle, to the port in Aberdeen, where her father has promised she’ll be permitted to buy a horse… all of her own.

Little does she suspect this simple journey will change her life, forever. And as she dreams of riding her new mount through the forests and glens of the Manteith estate, she can have no idea that she might never see them again.

For what lies ahead is danger, unimagined… and the fearful realities of kidnap and slavery.

But even when everything seems lost, most especially the chance of ever getting home again, Elizabeth finds friendship, comfort… and that much prized love, just where she least expected it.

Set in the mid eighteenth century, Fireflies and Chocolate is a story of strength, courage and tolerance, in a time filled with far too many prejudices.

A recent review for the book

MacTrish Beautifully written tale with a captivating character at its heart

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 October 2021

Fireflies and Chocolate is a wonderful book that tells the story of Elizabeth Manteith, a titled sixteen-year-old, who is abducted off the streets of Aberdeen in 1743 and taken off to Pennsylvania to work there. These abductions really happened, facilitated by the merchants of the city who were paid for their help.

Elizabeth is gutsy, vulnerable, rash and caring, and her quick wittedness and bravery had me cheering her on from the sidelines. Like her, we are confronted by the harsh realities of life as a slave or indentured labourer and she experiences danger and brutality as she wades in to protect her new-found friends. There’s also fun and humour in the mix and a romance that grows and develops with the tale. I loved the author’s depiction of the confusion Elizabeth faced regarding her true feelings for Peter, who helped her during the voyage, and for Michael who gave her a job as his cook. I’ll leave you to find out for yourself how that pans out!

Also by Ailish Sinclair

Read the other reviews and buy the books:Amazon UK – And: Amazon US – Other reviews :Goodreads – Website:Ailish Sinclair – Twitter: @AilishSinclair – Facebook: Ailish Sinclair Author – LinkedIn: Ailish Sinclair

The next review is for Ghostly Interference (The White Rune Series) by Jan Sikes

About the book

Jag Peters has one goal in his quiet comfortable life—to keep his karma slate wiped clean. A near-miss crash with a candy apple red Harley threatens to upend his safe world. He tracks down the rider to apologize properly. Slipping into a seedy biker bar, he discovers the rider isn’t a “he”, it’s a “she”, a dark-haired beauty.

Rena Jett is a troubled soul, who lives in a rough world. She wants no part of Jag’s apology, but even while she pushes him away, she is attracted to him. When he claims to see a ghost—her brother—can she trust him? And could her brother’s final gift, a magical rune stone with the symbol for “happily ever after” have the power to heal her wounds and allow opposites to find common ground—perhaps even love?

A recent review for the book

John One wild ride

I don’t read love stories and took a chance on Ghostly Interference because the story included bikers and a ghost. The story flowed smoothly and I was hooked before reaching the end of the first chapter.

It begins when Jag, an IT nerd, nearly hits a biker with his car. He is a strict believer of Karma and wants to keep things on the straight and narrow. Jag chases after the rider and finally locates the Harley parked outside of a biker bar; the rider, Rena Jett, turned out to be a ‘drop dead, gorgeous, biker babe’ with an attitude. It was clear right from the start that they were from different worlds, yet, something attracted them to one another.

Shortly after this encounter, Jag sees a ghost – he’s seen others in the past. Turns out this ghost is Rena’s deceased brother who was recently killed in Afghanistan. It soon becomes clear that “Sam” wants Jag to help Rena get through her nightmares and trust issues of her abused and tormented upbringing while raised in the Foster Care system. But there was something else Sam needed to say to her…

As readers meet other characters, the love between Jag and Rena grows. There are several ‘hot’ sex scenes in the story but the author doesn’t turn it into a pornographic exhibition, and it is nicely done.

There are many surprises uncovered in the story as well as some ‘sit on the edge of your seat’ suspense. In Ghostly Interference, everyone gets their wish – except for Rena’s boss – and lives happily ever after. Well worth a chance and highly recommended for those who want to see what real love is like.

Head over to buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK

A small selection of books by Jan Sikes

Read the reviews and buy the books: Amazon US – And : Amazon UK – Website: Jan Sikes – Goodreads: Jan on Goodreads – Twitter: @rijanjks

The final review today is for Rob Shackleford and Traveller Probo: Traveller Book 2 (Traveller Series)

About the book

Traveller Probo is the second book in the Traveller Series.

Would you survive if sent one-thousand years into the past?

Development of the Transporter saw highly trained researchers, called Travellers, successfully sent one-thousand years back in time to early medieval Saxon England.
Traveller Missions now mean enormous national prestige and the recovery of priceless lost artefacts and knowledge, so nations vie for the use of the Transporter and more daring Traveller missions are planned. Politics and power soon come into play.

To study lost peoples and civilisations, Special Forces researchers have to be even better trained, equipped and prepared to put their lives on the line.

While Michael Hunter continues to build a life in Saxon England, the tragically injured Tony Osborne finds his resurgence in a mission to ancient Byzantine Turkey, a mission Professor Adrian Taylor joins to better outmanoeuvre his calculating academic colleagues.

From the misty shores of New Zealand to the shining splendour of the ancient Byzantine Empire, it is proved how sending modern researchers into the past carries enormous rewards and tragedies.

One of the recent reviews for the book

A tour de force in time travel fiction. Incredibly detailed, the author has a keen eye for creating imagery. If an avid fan of time travel, then this book is for you as it will transport you to the past.

If you are a new reader, you will be captivated by New Zealand. The complications that happen in New Zealand take this story into a fresh new turn. The scenes are gripping, realistic and simply draw the reader in.

The portrayal of special forces members shows the author has a good appreciation of this special group. The training illustrated for the would-be travellers rings true with accuracy. The continued use of the media’s view helps keep the book grounded. You get a real-world feel for this series with tv and radio personalities involved.

A brilliantly written book that easily draws in a reader. It wasn’t long before I was dreaming about scenes from this book as I read it. The powerful writing simply imbues a reader’s soul.

The book brings to the forefront an important ethical question that is valid today. When is it okay for people of ‘superior’ ways to help those who have ‘less’? In this book, it is the context of the present and past. In our world, it has been the question generally of western civilization and local populations. How does one objectively rate the impact of ‘oh we can help them’ in terms of today? Each reader can grapple with these ethics in their own way. This book does a lovely job of highlighting this contentious theme.

One can’t help but admire the moral and ethical nature of Hunter. The international intrigue and suspense in the 21st century keep this book also with a foot in the present. Recommended to fans of the original book. Recommended to all lovers of the time travel genre. This book will have wide appeal and should be a bestseller.

Also by Rob Shackleford