The Japanese Dancer

The Japanese Dancer by Kevin Chapman

Adult Reading Material.

Interspersed with a few Spanish words, but a glossary at the end will help any who are not familiar with the words.

How could your life start out so good and turn around so bad so quickly?  That’s what happened to Marisa.

Her first 19 years weren’t perfect, but they were good overall.  Then she married at the age of 19, being innocent and a virgin, to Jose, a policeman, whose demeanor changed once they were married.  Their first night was a disaster that never happened.  After a few days of trying, Marisa sought the help of her childhhood doctor, only to find him unavailable, so sought the help of his son, also a doctor in the same practice.  While her marriage finally consummated, she also began a relationship with her doctor.  Thus begins her downfall.

Discovering she was pregnant with the doctor’s baby, she reconciled with her husband, only to have her secret admirer, Raul, discreetly inform Jose the true story about his wife.  One of her friends, Marisol, moves to Japan and marries, inviting Marisa to Japan to attend.  Once there, Marisa is trapped in a sex slave operation and unable to return to her home.  Working in the club one night, she met Travis, a man unlike the others who wanted to help her return to her home, her baby and her life.

The working girls in the story will tear your heart apart to feel what they are going through, with no hope for escape.  The others in the story will also have your emotions tugging at you.  The story flows nicely, easy to follow Marisa’s downward spiral and the decisions she made, whether right or wrong, good or bad.  This is an adult story, some situations do have graphic details.  Sex trafficking exists today and most of us are completely unaware, and even fewer are willing to help.  While this is a gripping subject, it is worthy of your time to read.

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Magick in the City

Magick in the City by Zakariyya Ishaw

Magick, not the kind you normally think of, magic from a magician playing tricks with rabbits or cards, etc.  This type of magick, the practice of controlling natural phenomena,  is a secret known only to a select few worldwide, good vs. evil, the black magick and the white magick, going back through time.  An elite group of highly intelligent, motivated and dedicated people, working to protect the Earth to keep the balance and structure, the elite of the elite, as it has been for years is now under fire, but never for violence to take place among themselves, only those below them.

A wealthy, highly renown New Yorker is brutally murdered.  Then another.  And another.  A serial killer on the lose?  Call in the FBI to help the local area police.  Absolutely no clues or DNA left at the scenes, only a single out of place footprint.  Who did this and why?  Add in a man looking for clues to his father’s disappearance 25 years ago requesting the help from a local private investigation firm.

Major cities, major people, deep and dark secrets, occult, murder, mystery, good vs. evil, the struggle for power within the ranks, influence and control.

There are so many characters in this story it was difficult to know who the main character was in the beginning, or what the theme of the story was.  Short chapters and a very interesting and unique point of view will keep you turning the pages.  It does remain a bit confusing with so many characters, and more keep getting introduced as the story goes on.  Friends, enemies, who is who and who do you believe?  The more you read, the more you want to read.  Eventually all is revealed.

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Bleed to Love Her

Bleed to Love Her by David Andrew McGlone

Patrick Nichols is a writer.  He had worked for a newspaper, but became an author and wanted to write about Arthur LaSalle, his wife Catherine Tremayne and their life at Manor House.  He rented the Manor House to study and learn what he could about their lives using the family history.

The family of Arthur LaSalle did not want his seedier side to be written about, only his good side.  Arthur may have loved his son, but he was not always faithful to his wife.  His wife Catherine had kept a secret journal that Patrick found, with a little help, and read.  Maybe his wife was not as crazy as they were lead to believe.  The “Black Lace Lady” that visits him in the night, in his dreams, catches his attention with her beauty and intrigue.  She wishes for Patrick to write “The Truth”.

Patrick begins to learn about Arthur and his wife Catherine’s deaths.  Murder, suicide?  Which one is which?  Who killed who?

Although not considered a short story, it is still a quick read, and with a minimal amount of characters the story flows nicely, from an author seeking to write the truth but finding so much more along the way, to the husband and wife with issues of their own, to the current family who helps to take care of Manor House but wants to keep the image of Arthur in good graces, even keeping you in suspense as to who the “Black Lace Lady” is and what her hold is over men.  Well written and easy to follow while you live with Patrick and the history he finds, keeping you turning pages to find out what really happened all those years ago.

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Greedy for Life: A Memoir on Aging with Gratitude

Greedy for Life:  A Memoir on Aging with Gratitude by Lori Stevic-Rust

Dr. Lori Stevic-Rust is 50 years old and her Nana, Emily Bernice Sitosky Serian, is 100.  What a wonderful way to pay tribute to someone.

Lori writes using her memories of good times and bad, always keeping her Nana and her influence.  While this is a book on aging, it does show a true family full of love, friendship, trust, understanding and growth.

Not only is there a 100 year old woman, it also includes 4 more generations!  The story goes into different aspects of Lori’s past, including holidays and family traditions, learning what a caregiver really is, true friendship, sports and the realities of life and death.

While Nana had a difficult first 50 years, including physical, emotional and financial struggles, her second 50 years seemed to have made up for it.  Always willing to learn new things and never forgetting to have a sense of humor and laugh.

With minimal characters, you will get the true sense of family.  If only all families could experience this type of closeness.  While the plot is merely a series of chapters highlighting a specific feeling or experience, it will keep you smiling, laughing and feeling for the family during their heartbreaks.  The family closeness throughout the years, and the wonderful celebration of a woman turning 100 is worthy of your time.

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The Prelude

The Prelude by KaSonndra Leigh

A totally different avenue for author KaSonndra Leigh, not your young adult read, but none less worthy of your read.

Erin Angelo lost her father and sister at an early age.  Something she has held to her heart and vowed to kept within her.  Alek Dostov (otherwise known as Aleksandr Dostovsky) is a world famous Maestro.  While Erin finished high school and went on to study fashion design, becoming very good and catching people’s attention, she moved to Milan and began working at Blue Butterfly, a company that was hired to create designs for a new show of Alek’s.  Not only does Erin come up with some riveting designs, she also captures Alek’s heart, not something easily done, and not something he has ever experienced before, especially when he is very used to having women fawn over him.  But Erin is different.

But as in all good stories, the evil lurks.  Alek has a very demanding and protective mother, who still controls a great deal of his adult life.  Add in a secretive past that neither Erin or Alek will discuss with each other.  Both are so consumed with their past they have a difficult time trusting anyone with any details.

In what starts as a relationship “agreement” based on sex, it develops over time.  Their need for each other, in more ways that one, and those who are willing to stand by them and protect them against those who are not.  The twists and turns along the way discovering the reasons behind their fears and guarded nature will keep you turning pages.  Written from both Erin and Alek’s point of view, the story grabs your attention and keeps it.

Definitely an adult romance with a some intimate and graphic details, this is a story of passion, but not just about sex.  Passion to hold onto your deepest fears, secrets and truths and what passion it takes to learn to open up.  Set in Italy, a sexy male with a Russian accent, the small town girl from the US, the controlling mother, the mysteries surrounding both main characters, what’s not to make you want to read more?  Learning to love and trust someone can be difficult.

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The Bones of Others (A Skye Cree Novel)

The Bones of Others (A Skye Cree Novel) by Vickie McKeehan

The subject of child abduction is never one anyone wants to hear, but when you add the twist of murder, prostitution or sex trade, it becomes even worse.

Skye Cree was 12 when she was abducted and raped.  She was lucky to escape, but the loss of her parents a year later was devastating.  Her aunt and uncle forbid her to testify against the man who used her, and he was free to do it over and over again.

Skye made it her lifelong ambition and obsession to bring him to justice one day.  Every night she would walk the streets knowing he would find another innocent victim.  She trained to use her body, as well as weapons, in order to defend herself or others like her in her pursuit.

An odd twist of fate brought her to an alley one night where she rescued Josh Ander from would-be thieves.  He was so amazed by her ability and beauty he made it a point to learn more about her and meet her again.  Although Skye never opened up to anyone about her special ability and gift of a spirit guide, she eventually felt comfortable to open up to Josh, and they became a team in search of helpless victims held against their will.

Josh was able to use his expertise in the internet to locate info on Skye’s abductor.  While they plotted to find him and end his reign for good, what they found tugs at your heart.

A must-read, once you start you won’t want to stop.  Great mix of characters, from the determined Skye to the lowlife who prey on young girls.  Flows nicely and easy to follow, with some Native American legends and beliefs woven in.

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Naebody's Hero

Naebody's Hero by Mark Wilson

Three different areas of the world, and three completely different individuals.

Robert, a child who was abandoned by his parents, was raised by a foster family, separate from his twin sister, Cara.  As he grew, he discovered he had unique abilities and wanted to use them for the good of others.

Arif, a child born to Pakistani parents, but lived in England and was considered a foreigner and bullied as a child.

Kim, a woman who lost her husband and infant child way too soon, had a lifelong desire to see those who murdered her family punished and killed for what they had done.

In a strange twist of fate, Kim saves Robert from a group of terrorists.  Arif is recruited to become a terrorist.

As the story progresses, Kim and Robert join forces to thwart evil all over the world, and Arif is trained to be a terrorist.  Even though he had met Robert and seen the good he can do, Arif was determined to kill those who had murdered his family.

Great mix of characters to have the story seen from very different angles and viewpoints, those working for the good of mankind, and those who are not.  Nice flow, chapters are written to focus on one of the three main characters at a time.  Keeps you turning pages to see what evil plot has been created and if it will come to fruition.

On Amazon.com