Welcome to the Smorgasbord Christmas Book Fair with a selection of books from personally recommended authors on my bookshelf I believe will make wonderful gifts for friends, family and for you.
The first book today is Life and Other Dreams: A Dual-time Psychological Thriller by Richard Dee. I have read a number of Richard’s book and can highly recommend.
About the book
It’s only a dream…, isn’t it?
Rick’s life is boring. He escapes it in his dreams. There, he becomes Dan, and that’s much more exciting.
Dan’s an explorer, six hundred years in the future and half a galaxy away. Dan’s life on Ecias beats Rick’s days, on Earth, writing advertising copy for cat food.
It shouldn’t happen, but people and events from Rick’s dream world start to appear in his waking life.
His wife wonders what’s going on. What can he tell her, what would she believe?
Neither of them could be prepared for what follows. Both worlds collide and fall apart.
This leaves the question, can a man exist in two places and times at once?
Find out now.
“Absolutely amazing, from a fresh original voice in fiction”
“a masterpiece of fiction”
“Fast-paced, edge of your seat stuff!”
One of the reviews for the book
This was the first novel by Richard Dee that I’ve read and I must say, I am impressed. What a simply delightful tale. The story has many elements that I enjoy in a novel (mystery, adventure, romance) which I also found so enjoyable because the characters are depicted so well; their lives become fascinating and vested with interest for the reader.
The change in point of view from an everyday bloke on Earth who works a 9 to 5 job, to leaping 600 years into the future and light-years away to another planet where our humdrum Earthman vicariously experiences the life of a futuristic settler/explorer thru the medium of his dreams is perfect.
The experiences of these two men begin to parallel in a fashion that is too similar to be mere coincidence. Are they the same man? Or are they men from different times who are somehow connected by a psychological, temporal thread that impacts the life of the other? For when disaster strikes for Dan on Ecias–an Earthlike world–it also bodes ill for Rick, back in Earth’s past.
With Rick’s wife wondering about his loyalty after he tells her about his dreams of being married to a beautiful woman on an Eden-esque world in an exotic future, and with invaders threatening Dan’s home on far, futuristic Ecias, will either man live happily ever after? It’s an intriguing story that I found quite captivating and well written. Bravo, Mr. Dee.
Head over to read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon UK – And: Amazon US
A small selection of books by Richard Dee
Discover more about Richard Dee and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Website: Richard Dee’s Scifi – Goodreads: Richard Dee at Goodreads – Twitter: @RichardDockett1 – Facebook:Richard Dee Author
The next book is occult horror novel Cusp of Night (A Hode’s Hill Novel Book 1) by Mae Clair the first in her successful series.
![Cusp of Night (A Hode's Hill Novel Book 1) by [Mae Clair]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51VlpKzC2EL.jpg)
About the book
In this supernatural thriller series opener, a librarian moves to a small town following a near-death experience, and a chain of chilling events occur.
Recently settled in Hode’s Hill, Pennsylvania, Maya Sinclair is enthralled by the town’s folklore, especially the legend about a centuries-old monster. A devil-like creature with uncanny abilities responsible for several horrific murders, the Fiend has evolved into the stuff of urban myth. But the past lives again when Maya witnesses an assault during the annual “Fiend Fest.” The victim is developer Leland Hode, patriarch of the town’s most powerful family, and he was attacked by someone dressed like the Fiend.
Compelled to discover who is behind the attack and why, Maya uncovers a shortlist of enemies of the Hode clan. The mystery deepens when she finds the journal of a late nineteenth-century spiritualist who once lived in Maya’s house—a woman whose ghost may still linger. Known as the Blue Lady of Hode’s Hill due to a genetic condition, Lucinda Glass vanished without a trace and was believed to be one of the Fiend’s tragic victims. The disappearance of a young couple, combined with more sightings of the monster, trigger Maya to join forces with Leland’s son Collin. But the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she comes to a hidden world of twisted secrets, insanity, and evil that refuses to die . . .
One of the reviews for the book
After surviving a car accident that nearly killed her, Maya Sinclair moves to Hodes Hill, Pennsylvania. She decides to rent an old brownstone close to where Charlotte Hode was murdered over a century ago.
Maya is still haunted by the time she spent in the Aether, hovering between life and death in a reality where souls with unfinished business lingered. Now, she finds her perceptions altered, opening the doors to her own clairvoyance.
It doesn’t take long for the house to connect with its new occupant. When the clock reaches, 2:22 am known as the cusp of night, terrifying noises explode from the walls of the house. Eventually, Maya recognizes a figure from the Aether… what could it mean?
In a city where the people refuse to let go of the past, the night of the annually celebrated Fiend Festival finally arrives. The townsfolk dress up in costumes to resemble the terrifying creature that murdered Charlotte Hode all those years before. However, this year is different. Something is out there, and it‘s killed again!
It turns out that Hode’s Hill sponsored the spiritualist movement of the Nineteenth century in the form of the Blue Lady, a blue-skinned spiritualist who perpetrated a scam against unsuspecting townsfolk. Now, she uses Maya’s sensitivity to the Aether to carry out her task.
Clair skillfully incorporates the tragic story of Lucy Strick, the Blue Lady, with that of Maya Sinclair bringing the past into the future in a story that was so riveting I couldn’t it put this book down.
The author also displays a rare command over language that’s unique. Her vivid descriptions and settings put me in the story, as if I’d experienced the events myself. I’ll never look at my watch at 2:22 am again!
Maya Sinclair is the type of heroine I like the most. She’s flawed, but in a way that makes her seem multidimensional and very human. This town is full of characters, which makes the story even more realistic. The Hode family contains some despicable figures, but Collin Hode teams up with Maya to help solve the mystery of the blue lady.
If I could give this book a rating over five stars, I would. I rarely say that, but this series is exceptional. I’m already reading the second book (End of Day) in the series and have purchased the third book, (Eventide) as well.
If you love mystery and suspense with a healthy helping of the paranormal, you won’t want to miss this series.
Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK
Find out more about Mae Clair and buy the books: Amazon US – And : Amazon UK – Follow Mae on: Goodreads Website: Mae Clair – Twitter: @MaeClair1
The final book today that would make a wonderful gift, and I can highly recommend is the latest release by D.L. Finn.. a paranormal romantic fantasy – A Voice in the Silence.
About the book
Drea Burr has experienced more than her share of loss when a stray dog, cat, and rat enter her life. Although the animals start to mend her broken heart, there is something very unusual about them. During a snowstorm, Drea discovers a chilling set of footprints leading to her front window. Both the police and a ghostly messenger warn her about a killer stalking widows. Help comes from her late husband’s best friend, Adam Hale. As the two try to discover answers, more questions arise— about a killer, ghosts, and animals experimented on in a lab.
One of the reviews for the book
Drea, a recent widow, lives alone in her home far from town. There’s a serial killer roaming the area and a winter storm on the way. But what initially finds its way into her home isn’t a murderer, but a trio of animals who’ve escaped from a lab—a dog, a cat, and a rat. And before she knows it, they’re doing things that no animals should be able to do. They talk.
Suspension of disbelief was a necessity for this book. In some ways, the fantastical abilities of the animals gave the story a whimsical, childlike innocence. But that quality is countered by the presence of a serial killer outside in the storm, and the suspense intensifies when Drea finds his footprints in the snow. With the help of her animal family, a ghost, and a caring police officer, she just might get through the storm alive.
Three major plot lines thread through the story, and each comes to its own satisfying climax rather than all resolving at the end. The main protagonists are well-rounded characters, and that includes the animals. My favorites were Drea, Adam, and Charlie the dog. The villains range from mentally ill to completely deranged.
The story unfolds primarily from Drea’s perspective though the overall POV is omniscient. The pace is good, and descriptions gave a clear picture of the action and setting. There’s a romantic undercurrent and some violence, including an off-stage suicide. Overall, I’d say this book is suitable for YA and adult audiences, and I recommend it to readers who enjoy paranormal stories and want to try something whimsical, suspenseful, and entirely different.
Read the reviews and buy the book: Amazon US– And: Amazon UK
A small selection of other books by D.L. Finn
Discover more about D.L. Finn and buy the books: Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – Follow D.L. Finn: Goodreads – Connect to D.L. Finn – Website: D.L. Finn Author – Facebook: D.L. Finn Author – Twitter: @dlfinnauthor
Thanks very much for dropping in today and I hope you will be leaving with some books.. thanks Sally
Smorgasbord Blog Magazine 