This blog feature amusing and heartwarming stories about our late Leonberger dog Bronco, as well as other Leonbergers. It also has a lot of information about the Leonberger breed, the history, care, training, Leonberger organizations, etc. I also wrote a Leonberger book, which I am featuring in the sidebar.
This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that I love and want to promote. This is another one of those. I bought this book for the children (3 and 5 years old) of friends of ours but first I read it myself to make sure it was right for them, which it was. The book is Neema the Misfit Giraffe (Southern African Safari Adventures) Paperback. I bought the paperback version but there is a kindle version as well.
Paperback – Publisher : South African National Library (November 15, 2023), ISBN-10 : 0796121966, ISBN-13 : 978-0796121967, Reading age 2 – 9 years, 41 pages, Item Weight : 3.21 ounces, dimensions : 6 x 0.1 x 9 inches, it cost $ 10.50 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Robbie and Michael Cheadle (November 15, 2023), ASIN : B0CMCZ7G93, Reading age 2 – 9 years, 41 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of the Neema the Misfit Giraffe by Robbie Cheadle. Click on the image to go to the Amazon page for the paperback.
Amazon’s description of the book
Neema is different from her fellow giraffes. Their lack of understanding make her feel unwelcome. Neema sets off on a journey to find a new friends.
Includes illustrations, photographs, and links to video footage of giraffes, as well as fun giraffe facts.
My Amazon Review of Neema the Misfit Giraffe. Click here to visit the actual Amazon review.
A Giraffe Searching for Happiness
Neema is a giraffe with a dark-colored hide, and she is different from the other giraffes. She can’t find a mate and the other giraffes are being mean to her. Therefore, she leaves her home in search of a place where she can find a sense of belonging, somewhere where she can find love and acceptance. Her mother was the only one who would grieve for her leaving.
This book features a beautiful story that tugs on your heartstrings, and it has an important message about not giving up, and about having the courage to move on from what is a hopeless situation. Some giraffes are kind and accepting while others are not. The book is also a great way to teach kids the importance of accepting those that are different.
The story was beautifully written in verse and with rhymes. The book was filled with beautiful photos of giraffes as well as art. There are also six short fun YouTube videos of giraffes in which you can hear the authors talking. For the paperback version you naturally have to type in the path. Towards the end of the book there are a few pages of giraffe facts. I did not know there were four distinct species of giraffe in Africa. I also did not know that they only sleep five to 30 minutes per day.
I bought this book for the children of friends of ours, but I read it first to make sure it was right for them, which it was. I can highly recommend this fun and informative book for all children below the age of 10. Reading this book to your children is also a fun way for adults to learn about giraffes.
If you would like to watch some of the videos, click on the links below.
Left: Robbie Cheadle the author of Neema the Misfit Giraffe
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fourteen children’s books and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The ten Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews.
This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but are books that I want to promote. This is one of those of those books. I want to promote it because it features a lot of important and often misunderstood information regarding the environment. It is based on extensive peer reviewed research and data collection, and it is not controversial among experts, but some content may be surprising to those not entirely familiar with the topic. I recently read Not the End of the World Hardcopy – by Hannah Ritchie as part of climate change book club.
Not the End of the World is a great book on environmental issues written in the optimistic but realistic Hans Rosling style of Factfulness. Environmental issues are very real, and they are very big problems, especially climate change, but we have solved very big environmental issues before (acid rain, ozone) and we are doing it now. Doomism (we are all gonna die) is an unhelpful and not very accurate perspective. This book is based on hundreds of peer reviewed research articles and statistics collected by respected science institutions. The author is a prominent environmental and data scientist.
Hardback – Publisher : Little, Brown Spark (January 9, 2024), ISBN-10 : 031653675X, ISBN-13 : 978-0316536752, 352 pages, Item Weight : 1.21 pounds, dimensions : 6.4 x 1.19 x 9.65 inches, it cost $26.03 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Paperback – Publisher : Chatto Windus (January 11, 2024), ISBN-10 : 1784745014, ISBN-13 : 978-1784745011, Item Weight : 15 ounces, dimensions : 6.02 x 0.98 x 9.21 inches, it cost $21.13 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – Publisher : Little, Brown Spark (January 9, 2024), ASIN : B0C3ZPN6NT, 311 pages. It is currently $14.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Audio Book – Publisher : Audible.com – Release Date: January 09, 2024, ASIN : B0C5JSZ6H9, Listening Length : 9 hours and 26 minutes. It is free on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet Hardcover. Click here or on the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the hardcopy version of the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
This “eye-opening and essential” book (Bill Gates) will transform how you see our biggest environmental problems—and explains how we can solve them.
It’s become common to tell kids that they’re going to die from climate change. We are constantly bombarded by doomsday headlines that tell us the soil won’t be able to support crops, fish will vanish from our oceans, and that we should reconsider having children.
But in this bold, radically hopeful book, data scientist Hannah Ritchie argues that if we zoom out, a very different picture emerges. In fact, the data shows we’ve made so much progress on these problems that we could be on track to achieve true sustainability for the first time in human history. Did you know that:
Carbon emissions per capita are actually down
Deforestation peaked back in the 1980s
The air we breathe now is vastly improved from centuries ago
And more people died from natural disasters a hundred years ago?
Packed with the latest research, practical guidance, and enlightening graphics, this book will make you rethink almost everything you’ve been told about the environment. Not the End of the World will give you the tools to understand our current crisis and make lifestyle changes that actually have an impact. Hannah cuts through the noise by outlining what works, what doesn’t, and what we urgently need to focus on so we can leave a sustainable planet for future generations.
These problems are big. But they are solvable. We are not doomed. We can build a better future for everyone. Let’s turn that opportunity into reality.
My Amazon Review of Not the End of the World. I expanded my original Amazon review a little bit and added pictures. To see my original Amazon review click here.
A Factful Approach to the Environment
The facts regarding the environment can be confusing. The fossil fuel industry, climate deniers, right-wing pundits and politicians are bombarding us with falsehoods, but poorly informed environmentalists and sensationalist media are misleading us as well. The author takes special issue with doomism, the belief that it’s too late and that we are all going to die. Both denialism and doomism, as well as efforts to minimize the problems lead to inaction. She points out that we need to accept that climate change is happening and secondly that human emissions of greenhouse gases are responsible. We could do better, but we are addressing the problem. What we need is to have the correct information and to be realistic, which will make it possible for us to take the best action.
Climate change is not likely to result in an Armageddon because we are addressing the problem. credit : Marcus Millo, Stock photo ID:1177629542
We have solved big environmental problems before
In the spirit of “Hans Rosling / Factfulness” she tells us about our successes and about our progress by using data. She shows us how things really are and how we can solve our current big problems. She explains that we are reducing malnutrition, eradicating poverty, and extending people’s life span all around the world despite a growing population. She mentions that we successfully tackled pollution in many large cities in the west, as well as the acid rain problem and the ozone layer/hole. Sulphur dioxide, a major cause of acid rain, has fallen by 95% in the US since the 1970’s largely thanks to scrubbers. By 2018 the emissions of ozone-depleting gases had fallen by 99.7%. The list goes on. When we make big environmental problems smaller, we stop talking about them.
Scan of graph on page 44 in the book Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie. Sulphur dioxide (and nitrogen dioxide) pollution causing acid rain has fallen sharply.
Greenhouse gas emissions have fallen in developed countries. It’s a start.
Climate change / global warming is a more difficult problem, but we are having some success here as well. The climate policies we have enacted so far are making a big difference. For example, greenhouse gas emissions in the US have fallen by more than 20% over the last 15 years. From 1990 to 2019 the greenhouse gas emissions fell by 21% despite the economy growing by 55% (in the 1990’s the emissions were still increasing). My native country Sweden is doing even better. Greenhouse gas emissions in Sweden has fallen by 39% over the same period despite the economy also growing by 55%.
Scan of graph on page 83 in the book Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie. Greenhouse gas emissions (mostly CO2) have started to fall in developed countries despite economic growth, and they are starting to flatten out in developing countries. The dashed curve represents the fact that if a consumer buys a product from overseas, he could be said to be responsible for the associated greenhouse gas emissions (trade adjusted).Scan of graph on page 68 in the book Not the End of the World by Hannah Ritchie. Things would be horrible if we didn’t have policies, but we do.
EV Cars Really Are Really Helping to Save us
The origins of the world’s carbon emissions are: 25% Electricity and Heat, 24% Agriculture and Forestry, Industry 16%, Transport 14%, direct from buildings 6%, and other energy 10%. In the US Transportation is 28% and Agriculture 10%. Agriculture includes the effects of deforestation.
The good news is that the price of renewables is dropping, and they are now the cheapest while EV cars have become affordable. In Norway 88% of new car sales in 2022 were electric. In Sweden, my native country, 54% of car sales in 2022 were electric. The author urges people to switch to electric vehicles – they really are more climate friendly, contrary to what many will tell you here in Texas where I live. Even if their electricity comes from a dirty grid, they are cleaner than gasoline cars due to their higher efficiency, and the higher emissions caused by the production of the battery and other components is quickly neutralized by the lower emissions. With respect to minerals, mining, and land use their impact is much smaller than that of the gasoline cars they replace. Contrary to what is often asserted here in Texas where I live, electrical cars are indeed better for the environment and especially for slowing down global warming.
She also suggests that we try to avoid driving big SUV, fly less, try to use or support renewables, eat less red meat, depending on our circumstances (absolutism and judgmentalism is counterproductive). She advocates for carbon prices as an effective means to reduce emissions. Things that don’t matter or are counterproductive are recycling, not using plastic bags when shopping, turning off your laptop when you don’t use it, buying local (often makes emissions worse), buying organic food (often greatly increases land use), etc.
She mentions that landfills in the US and Europe are very well managed and are not a big environmental problem, unlike the developing countries. 1% of the plastic in the Ocean comes from Europe and I read elsewhere that 1% comes from the United States. The plastic in the ocean originates mostly in Asia and Latin America. A fact she mentions that may not sit well with some environmentalists is that nuclear power is a safe and clean source of energy, just like renewables, but without the problem with intermittency.
Landfills in the developed world are well managed largely avoiding the problem with plastic in the ocean. The same is not true for developing nations. Photo by Catherine Sheila on Pexels.com
Death rates from natural disasters have fallen
Another interesting fact is that death rates from natural disasters have fallen since the first half of the 20th century. And not just by a little bit. They have fallen roughly 10-fold. That is even though certain types of natural disasters have become worse and more frequent. The explanation is that science, technology, and economic development has allowed us to better protect ourselves and prevent the famines often associated with natural disasters in the past. The author explains that as nations begin to develop, they pollute more and their populations grow, but as it continues this trend reverses. As desperation subsides the environment and living conditions start to matter more, and the population growth subsides as well. She explains that trying to solve climate change by reducing growth or by trying to control population growth is a bad idea.
Better warning systems, shelters, logistics, modern medicine, prevention of famine, etc., have drastically reduced deaths from natural disasters.. Photo by Ralph W. lambrecht on Pexels.com
The Sixth Extinction is off to a roaring start but is slowing
There is no doubt that we’re destroying biodiversity at record rates. It is often said that extinctions are natural, and that is true, it is part of evolutionary history. In fact, 99% of the estimated 4 billion species that have lived on Earth are now gone. However, the extinction rate matters. Over the last 5-600 million years there’s been five mass extinctions. A mass extinction event is when 75% of all species go extinct in a short period of time, set to 2 million years. During recent human history species have gone extinct at a rate that is thousands of times faster than normal, and many more species are threatened. We are heading towards the sixth extinction very fast. On the other hand, our recent conservation programs have been quite successful, and it looks like we are turning things around. The author also points out that if the panda or the rhino go extinct, we will be OK, but the same cannot be said if certain worms and bacteria go extinct. She admits that is a bit cynical to say, but we also need to consider species that really matter to our survival.
In this review I mentioned a few facts from the book to give a taste of the content. Naturally, there is a whole lot more. All these claims and stats, as well as hundreds of other sometimes surprising claims that she makes she supports by referencing reliable sources and peer reviewed research. The book contains 100+ graphs, 335 references, hundreds if not thousands of interesting facts. I can add that Hannah Ritchie (PhD) is a young Scottish data scientist, senior researcher at the University of Oxford in the Oxford Martin School, deputy editor at Our World in Data, and she is the head of research at Our World in Data. She is quite an impressive young lady. I think this book is one of the most informative books on the topic of the environment that I have ever read. I think most of us will learn something important from this book. If there is a fact from the book that I’ve mentioned in my review that you doubt, why don’t you buy the book and find out the details and where it comes from. Maybe you will see the world with new eyes.
A final note is that the statement in the title “How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet” comes from the fact that using UN’s definition of sustainability we humans have never been sustainable, but with science, technology and good policy we can be sustainable.
Back cover of Not the End of the World. Click here or the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the kindle version of the book.
The focus of this blog is Leonbergers but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers and when I do it is books that I want to promote. This is another one of those. I just read The Good Dog: A Novella Paperback – March 30, 2023, by Laura Stamps. It is a book that I loved and therefore I want to promote it.
Paperback – Publisher : Prolific Pulse Press LLC (March 30, 2023), ASIN : B0BXK1Y9FB, ISBN-13 : 979-8987520024, 62 pages, Item Weight : 3.03 ounces, Dimensions : 5.83 x 0.14 x 8.27 inches, it cost $10.00 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of The Good Dog. Click here or on the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
Ashley is not a dog person. She’s not. Just ask her. Yet for some reason she’s obsessed with Chihuahuas. And she’s not happy about it. No, not at all. Not when she has other issues to deal with. Like chronic anxiety. And panic attacks. And a crazy ex-husband who can’t stop stalking her. Yeah, the last thing Ashley needs is a dog. Or so she thinks. Until a stranger at PetSmart tells her a dog is better than a husband. Could this be true? Ready or not, Ashley is about to find out! Endearing, empowering, entertaining, and laugh-out-loud funny. “The Good Dog” is all of this and more!
If you’ve ever had even the remotest wish to be wild and crazy, take a twirl with Walter and Ashley in this adorable novella. Find out how one little dog can change someone’s life in big ways just by listening and barking a couple of times. THE GOOD DOG will leave you begging for more!
– Nolcha Fox, Author of Memory is That Raccoon
Anyone who takes guilty pleasure in tiny dog sweaters and pup handbags will enjoy this sweet romp into Chihuahua love. Even if you’re a cat person or a bona fide foe of fuzzy, needy critters, you’ll find yourself falling for Walter. Laura Stamps does warm and funny like no one else.
– Lorette C. Luzajic, Author of Winter in June
Like a Chihuahua, THE GOOD DOG may be small, but it is perfectly formed. And like Walter, the good dog himself, this novella has a big heart. Stamps deftly and delicately creates characters to care and root for, as well as handling complex subjects. Written in her trademark short and snappy style, Stamps’ latest novella is a compelling read – one I finished in a single sitting!
– Laura Besley, Author of 100neHundred
My Amazon Review of The Good Dog
Dogs are better than Husbands
Ashley is not interested in getting a dog, but she is obsessed with Chihuahuas, and she goes to PetSmart just to look at them. After a staff member at the store tells her that dogs are better than husbands and that a Chihuahua named Walter did not get a single like on his Facebook page, she buys Walter. How can you reject someone who has been so tragically rejected? Walter turns out to be a very good dog. A second thread in the story is Earl, her emotionally manipulative hypochondriac ex-husband who is stalking her. He doesn’t like dogs. He also thinks that a little red bump on his skin is cancer and that he is going to die soon.
This book is hilarious, and I found myself laughing out loud on many occasions. The book also managed to pull at my heartstrings quite a bit and it had a serious side to it as well. The book is beautifully written and very entertaining. Above all it tells a great story. It is fast paced, and a real page turner, which is why I read it today in one sitting in less than two hours. I highly recommend this book.
Back cover of The Good Dog.
About the Author
Laura Stamps is a poet and novelist who loves to create experimental forms for her poetry and fiction. Author of over 50 novels, novellas, and poetry books. Winner of the Muses Prize. Recipient of a Pulitzer Prize nomination and 7 Pushcart Prize nominations. Published in more than 2000 literary magazines and anthologies worldwide. Lover of Chihuahuas, Yorkies, and cats.
This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers, and in those cases it is books that I really like and that I want to recommend. This is another one of those. I recently read Induced Coma Paperback – by Tanya Taylor Morris.
Paperback – December 11, 2023, ASIN : B0CQ6CY13Q, ISBN-13 : 979-8218304096, 150 pages, Item Weight : 8.8 ounces, dimensions : 5.5 x 0.34 x 8.5 inches, it cost $10.99 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – December 7, 2023, ASIN : B0CPTQMK6L, 146 pages. It is currently $4.99 on Amazon.com or free with Kindle Unlimited. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
INDUCED COMA: How Drugs Destroyed My Family’s Dream Paperback by Tanya Taylor Morris. Click here or on the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the paperback version of the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
The true story of a mother’s desperate attempt to save her family from the deadly grip of drugs and the destruction of her family. Intelligent, handsome, and loving Austin chooses drugs at a young age. After a tragic accident at seventeen and many attempts to overcome his addiction to Heroin and Methamphetamines, he succumbs to the “monkey on his back”.
He is determined to beat his addiction, but he has another addiction affecting his family. Their drug addiction leads to a broken family, a divorced mother, suicide and the loss of their dreams.
A Series of Very Unfortunate Events and One Woman’s Impossible Fight
I briefly met the author at a book signing event. She is a very nice lady. In this intense book she is sharing her personal and very painful story about how drug addiction destroyed her family. The book starts out with her husband of 20 years wanting a divorce. Soon after that unexpected revelation, she finds out that he has a much younger girlfriend, who is a drug addict, a prostitute, and a criminal and she is going to jail. As it turns out, he is also a drug addict, he commits crimes, and he is a drug dealer and a pimp, and he also goes to jail. Gone are all the plans they had for the future.
He lies to her, betrays her, tricks her, steals from her, accumulates debts that are in the hundreds of thousands (they were middle class), destroys the business they built together, and he is cruel to her. One of his prostitutes accosts her publicly and the police must save her. All her former husband seems to care about is getting money for the next fix, no matter whom he hurts in the process. After all that, things got a lot worse. She tries to make things OK again, and she seems to still love him despite it all, and she writes about his positive qualities. Eventually she learns to protect herself. Their son is also a drug addict who committed a couple of horrific crimes that landed him in jail for a very long time. She writes lovingly about him despite his actions, which some may find problematic. However, the way I see it is; that’s the way mothers are, and it’s the way we want them to be.
The author certainly went through hell, and she did her best to turn things around. Despite that fact, some family members were hostile towards her. I am not too surprised. It is very difficult to see things from a different perspective than your own self-serving perspective, which is why victims often are victimized again by judgmental people and it is also why families fight with each other, and blame each other, instead of supporting each other. The author is certainly a very brave and strong woman.
The book was a real eye opener to me. I knew about the devastation drugs are causing in the United States, but this book made it more personal to me and it made it clear to me how devastating it can be. Drug addiction can turn normal people into monsters who are a danger to their families and to society. The author warns parents about the danger of drugs, especially Fentanyl and she states that between 2000 and 2022 one million Americans died from overdose. Drug overdoses increased by 255% between 2000 and 2019. To that I can add that according to Wikipedia 41,034 people have died in the war between the drug cartels and the Mexican government since 2006. I have never taken an illicit drug, which some think is being a killjoy, but considering the devastation drugs are causing in the US we could probably do well without any recreational drug use. I highly recommend this book because it is a great read, a real page turner, but it also has an important message to us all about the drug addiction pandemic ravaging the land.
The Back Cover of Induced Coma: How Drugs Destroyed My Family’s Dream Paperback by Tanya Taylor Morris. Click here or on the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the kindle version of the book.
This is my 200th blog post. What a milestone. I never thought I would make more than 50 posts, but here I am.
The books I review in this blog are normally Leonberger books but sometimes I review other kinds of books that I love and that I want to promote. In this post I will review the seventh and eighth book of a great series of books called the Harbor Point series. To see my reviews for books one and two click here and for books three and four click here and to see my reviews for books five and six click here. Below are the books I am reviewing in this post.
A Death at The Inn by Joan Hall comes in a paperback edition, and a Kindle edition and I read the paperback edition.
Paperback – January 2, 2024, ASIN : B0CKP1N2GS, ISBN-13 : 979-8863429687, 108 pages, Item Weight : 6.1 ounces, dimensions : 5 x 0.25 x 8 inches, it is currently $5.99 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – January 2, 2024, ASIN : B0CCR3HMBD, 104 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com (free with kindle unlimited). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover of A Death at The Inn by Joan Hall. (Picture was a scan of the book).
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
Suicide, accident, or murder?
After an argument with her fiancé, up-and-coming actress Leah Myers booked a room at the Harbor Pointe Inn. Near the end of her stay, someone found her body at the bottom of the nearby cliff. The police ruled her death a suicide.
Five years later, four people from Leah’s past visit the inn on the anniversary of her death. Her fiancé, her brother, her psychologist, and her close friend, Adele, who was a guest at Harbor Pointe the night Leah died.
Deputy Brad Sherman, assistant to the lead detective, has always believed something was amiss with the investigation. When he learns Leah’s former acquaintances are staying at the inn, he decides to look at the old case file.
The four guests soon learn each other’s identity and begin to discuss the events leading up to Leah’s demise. But someone doesn’t want them to know the truth. When Adele confesses she is haunted by the possibility she saw something important that fateful night, it puts her in grave danger.
Now it’s a race against time before she becomes the killer’s next victim.
On the five-year anniversary of Leah Myer’s death at Harbor Pointe, four people, her brother, a close friend of Leah, her former fiancée and her therapist check into Harbor Point Inn in search of answers and to grieve. They don’t know each other, and they all took the trip independently of each other. Leah’s death was ruled a suicide, but the police investigation seemed to have been rushed and some people have questions. There are a lot of indicators that something else happened.
The setting is a lonely lighthouse and an Inn located close to the lighthouse. The lighthouse is located on a dark and spooky seaside cliff on the California coast and there are rumors of hauntings. The story is a suspenseful detective mystery. There are clues, conundrums, secrets, conflicts and unseen danger. The end is very dramatic and intense.
The story is cleverly composed and masterfully told. The character development is great, and the four protagonists are very relatable. Page by page one revelation leads to another mystery, which is one reason this book is a real page turner. This book is gripping as well as a fun read and I highly recommend it.
The back cover of A Death at The Inn by Joan Hall
About the Author
Joan Hall has always enjoyed reading or listening to stories about inexplicable events, so it’s not surprising she writes mystery and romantic suspense. A lover of classic rock music, songs often serve as the inspiration for her books.
When she’s not writing, Joan likes to observe the night skies, explore old cemeteries, and learn about legends and folklore. She and her husband live in Texas with their two cats. Learn more about Joan at her website.
The Room at the End
The eighth book The Room at the End by Harmony Kent also comes in a paperback edition, and a Kindle edition and in this case, I also read the paperback version.
Paperback – January 9, 2024, ASIN : B0CKY93GFF, ISBN-13 : 979-8863429687, 118 pages, Item Weight : 4.3 ounces, dimensions : 5 x 0.27 x 8 inches, it is currently $6.99 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – January 9, 2024 : ASIN : B0CCSFMC8J, 95 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com (free with kindle unlimited). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover of The Room at the End (obtained by a scan)
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
When guilt-ridden Mia checks in to a suicide hotel, but can’t go through with the final act, vengeful ghosts gather to torment her.
Set in the near future, the post-war world is in turmoil.
Mia Hawthorne suffers an emotional breakdown, following the death of her wife, and loses everything to a corrupt government.
In an ironic twist of fate, the government suicide department, The Last Sanctuary, allocates a desperate and destitute Mia to the very hotel and family heirloom which she has so recently lost.
On her first day at the Lighthouse Inn, beset with painful memories, doubts, and questions, Mia finds herself coming face to face with angry ghosts, who gather to goad and torment her.
Lost and alone, can Mia find enough strength and purpose to avoid her final, frightful fate?
This book is a paranormal dystopian science fiction taking place in the year 2072. The government is authoritarian and robots, Artificial Intelligence, and surveillance technology is in service of the government. Mia Hawthorne lost her wife Emmy to suicide, and she has also lost her family’s business, a hotel, the Inn by the lighthouse in Harbor Pointe, a place with a long history of hauntings and other mysteries. She has lost her desire to live, and the government’s suicide department has sent her to the Harbor Pointe Inn to take her own life. Basically, they sent her to end her life at the family business she lost. She is staying by herself in a spooky house a bit away from the Inn itself.
There are a few things in this novella that made it feel familiar to me. I used to live by the north Swedish coast, and I’ve visited many somewhat spooky lighthouses. I should say this lighthouse is by the north California coast. The puppy in the story is named Ollie, just like my wife’s best friend’s dog. When Mia arrives, she orders a local IPA at the bar, just like I would have, but she gets a lager instead, which is typically what happens to me.
The story starts out very dark, everything goes wrong, evil is lurking and attacking. There are ghosts, apparitions and a powerful sinister presence that wants Mia dead. However, things are not exactly like they look to Mia and the other guests and employees at the hotel. There are shocking revelations, incredible discoveries, and there is hope. Mia has the power to set things right in a big way.
This is a very atmospheric story, there are storms, strange events, foreboding circumstances and disturbing hauntings. The forces of darkness are indeed very present and very powerful in this novella. The story features a lot of interesting surprises, it is very suspenseful and well written. In other words, it is a real page turner and an excellent finale to the Harbor Pointe series. I highly recommend this book.
The back cover of The Room at the End by Harmony Kent
About the Author
The Battle for Brisingamen (Fantasy Fiction) AIA approved
Harmony Kent is an award winning multi-genre author. Her publications include:
The Glade (Mystery/Thriller) AIA Approved/BRAG Medallion Honouree/New Apple Literary Awards Official Selection Honours 2015
Polish Your Prose: Essential Editing Tips for Authors (Writing/Editing) New Apple Literary Awards Top Medallist Honours 2015
Finding Katie (Women’s Fiction)
Slices of Soul: Book 1 in the Soul Poetry Series (Contemporary Poetry)
Life & Soul: Book 2 in the Soul Poetry Series (Contemporary Poetry)
Interludes 1 & Interludes 2 (Erotic Short Stories)
As well as being an avid reader and writer, Harmony also offers reviews and supports her fellow authors. Harmony works hard to promote and protect high standards within the publishing arena. She is always on the look out for talent and excellence, and will freely promote any authors or books who she feels have these attributes. Harmony lives in Cornwall, England.
The books I review in this blog are normally Leonberger books but sometimes I review other kinds of books that I love and that I want to promote. In this post I will review the fifth and sixth book of an incredible series of books called the Harbor Point series. To see my reviews for books one and two click here and for books three and four click here. Below are the books I am reviewing in this post.
The Edge of Too Late by Jan Sikes comes in a paperback edition, and a Kindle edition and I read the paperback edition.
Paperback – November 28, 2023, ISBN-10 : 1732973962, ISBN-13 : 978-1732973961, 126 pages, Item Weight : 6.9 ounces, dimensions : 5 x 0.29 x 8 inches, it is currently $5.99 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – November 28, 2023, ASIN : B0CCQ1QB9X, 108 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com (free with kindle unlimited). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover of The Edge of Too Late by Jan Sikes. (Picture was a scan of the book).
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
What’s the point of having it all when you have no one to share it with?
Brandon Miller has his dream job, financial security, and he’s madly in love. Only one thing is missing—a commitment.
Angela Cooper’s ex-husband left her with deep scars, souring her on the concept of marriage. She’s not interested in a do-over. Not with Brandon or anyone. Her heart is locked securely away behind a thick wall.
With a ring in his pocket and hope in his heart, Brandon arranges a romantic getaway to the historic Harbor Pointe Inn, where he plans to pop the question.
Before they reach the inn, Angela’s got her camera in hand and ghosts on her mind. But they arrive to find a much more tangible horror.
Accident or foul play?
Someone is up to no good, and Angela is the next target. When suspects can be worldly or otherworldly, danger and secrets lurk everywhere.
Poised at the perilous edge of too late, Angela and Brandon face the fight of their lives.
This is my five-star Amazon Review of The Edge of Too Late
A Most Eventful Weekend
Brandon Miller is a successful video game creator who wants to propose to his girlfriend Angela Cooper. His plan is to do so during a weekend getaway at the Harbor Pointe Inn, which is located next to a lighthouse. Angela loves Brandon but is reluctant to get married again because of her bad experiences in her first marriage. What they didn’t expect is that Harbor Pointe Inn and the lighthouse is haunted, by ghosts as well as dark souls of the human sort. There are mysterious and paranormal events, and danger is awaiting them.
This story is both romantic and a bit scary but above all else suspenseful and full of intriguing plot twists, both dark and happy ones. The character development is excellent, and you care for the characters. The relationship between Brandon and Angela is described beautifully and the dialogues are believable and interesting. The descriptions of nature, the oceanside, apparitions, the inn and the lighthouse are vivid and atmospheric. I can add that even though this book is part of a series, it can be read standalone. It was a pleasure to read, and it is certainly a page turner. I highly recommend it.
The back cover of The Edge of Too Late by Jan Sikes
About the Author
I’ve been an avid reader all my life. I can still remember the excitement that surged through me the first time I realized I could decipher words. There’s nothing I love more than losing myself in a story.
Oddly enough, I never had any ambition to be a writer. But I wound up in mid-life with a story that begged to be told. Not just any story, but a true story that rivaled any fiction creation. Through fictitious characters, the tale came to life in an intricately woven tale that encompasses four books. Not satisfied to stop with the books, I released music CDs of original music to match the time period of each story segment. In conclusion, to bring the story full circle, I published a book of poetry and art. I was done.
Wrong!
The story ideas keep coming, and I don’t intend to turn off the creative fountain.
I love all things metaphysical and often include those aspects in my stories.
I am a member of the Author’s Marketing Guild, The Writer’s League of Texas, Story Empire, and the Paranormal Writer’s Guild. I am an avid fan of Texas music and grandmother of five beautiful souls. I reside in North Texas.
The sixth book A Fathomless Affair by Staci Troilo also comes in a paperback edition, and a Kindle edition and in this case, I read the kindle version.
Paperback – December 5, 2023, ASIN : B0CKPBBVHH, ISBN-13 : 979-8863386881, 132 pages, Item Weight : 7 ounces, dimensions : 5 x 0.3 x 8 inches, it is currently $5.99 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – December 5, 2023 : ASIN : B0CCQLDX47, 115 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com (free with kindle unlimited). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover of A Fathomless Affair
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
A narcissistic patriarch. A mystical legend. A fathomless affair.
Most people wouldn’t dread a weekend at the historic Harbor Pointe Inn. Lorelei Audley isn’t most people. The fresh sea air, breathtaking vistas, and gourmet meals can’t buoy her spirits. She’s there to coordinate her father’s latest wedding. The bride is a nightmare, yet somehow, the groom is worse. Lorelei steels herself to suffer through a few days of psychological abuse and abject misery.
She’s unprepared for a paranormal encounter, missing persons case, and police investigation.
Not to mention a budding romance.
A lot can happen in a short time, far more if the supernatural is involved. Lorelei has a small window in which to solve some very big problems—problems as numerous as the sands at the foot of the scenic Harbor Pointe cliffs.
This is my five-star Amazon Review of A Fathomless Affaire
Surreal Days at Harbor Pointe Inn
Lorelei Audley is organizing her father’s third wedding, which will take place at the Harbor Pointe Inn, a hotel located next to a lighthouse in northern California. Unfortunately, her father is selfish, ungrateful and rude and appears to be a narcissist and his new bride is equally obnoxious. He is also hiding some things, which leads to unpleasant surprises. Lorelei falls and hurts herself, she does not get enough sleep, and there’s a curse and a ghost ship. All this creates a surreal and stressful situation for Lorelei. Is she going crazy? Will she be able to handle the abuse and the family drama? Luckily, she befriends a clearheaded astronomer who is at the Inn to observe a newly discovered comet that is having a close encounter with earth.
A lot of things happen in this action packed and gripping adventure, but the author takes the time to describe and develop the characters well and you will empathize with and understand the characters, especially Lorelei. The family drama is outrageous and yet it seems familiar and comprehensible. As you read about Lorelei’s troubles and the strange events taking place you feel that you need to find out how things will turn out and you want explanations. In other words, it is a real page turner. If you love mysteries and drama this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.
About the Author
Staci Troilo grew up in Western Pennsylvania writing stories and poetry in her free time, so it was no surprise that she studied writing in college. After receiving creative and professional writing degrees from Carnegie Mellon University, she went on to get her Master’s Degree in Professional Writing, and she worked in corporate communications until she had her children.
When they had grown, she went on to become a writing professor, and now she is a freelance writer and editor.
Staci is a multi-genre author. Her fiction is character-driven, and despite their protests, she loves to put them in all kinds of compromising or dangerous situations.
You can find out more about her on her website (stacitroilo.com).
This is a Leonberger blog but sometimes I post about books that are not about Leonbergers but that are books that I want to promote. This is another one of those. I recently read Voice Of A Story Teller Paperback – by Sara Kjeldsen. It was a book that I loved and therefore I want to promote it.
Paperback – September 29, 2020, ASIN : B08KB137YM, ISBN-13 : 979-8690747237, 91 pages, Item Weight : 4.8 ounces, dimensions : 6 x 0.21 x 9 inches, it cost $4.65 on US Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – September 25, 2020, ASIN : B08K5Q3J7L, 66 pages. It is currently $3.99 on Amazon.com. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Front cover of Voice Of A Story Teller. Click here or the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the paperback version of the book.
Amazon’s description of the book
A troubled war survivor named Barak becomes obsessed with a beloved story teller named Almaz. Though she is beautiful and charming, Barak is convinced that she is a fake and has the power to start wars. He can’t seem to control his violent thoughts toward her and they worsen every time she runs into him. Will Almaz be able to help Barak heal with her words, or will he act on his urges?
My Amazon Review of Voice Of A Story Teller
The Story of a Lonely Mind Darkened by Pain
This story takes place in a somewhat dystopian future. The narrator, Barak, lost his friends in a terrible war, something that deeply traumatized him. He feels forgotten by his society and he becomes obsessed with a charming storyteller Almaz whom he feels is arrogant and is stealing everyone’s attention away from what he thinks is important. His bitterness, self-pity, envy and anger result in him hating Almaz. We are following his dark thoughts, which leads him to commit dark acts, which in turn result in an intriguing tale with interesting consequences.
I hesitate to call Barak a protagonist, which is why I call him “the narrator”. You can understand him and feel sorry for him even though you disagree with his thinking and his ghastly actions. Culpability, being responsible, karma, still apply even when you are hurting, a truth that your self-pity may overshadow. The Abel and Cain story comes to mind, and I was also relating it to the confessions of the demon in Clive Barker’s Mr. B Gone. I guess the author used her expertise in therapy to make Barak’s dark character possible to understand, even relatable, at the same time as the story teaches us readers something.
This book is very well written, compelling and imaginative. It is full of interesting twists and surprises, wow moments, and may even be shocking at times. It is a book you want to think about after you are done reading it. The book also demonstrates the value of storytelling. Stories are powerful and they stay with us long after the storyteller is gone. It is certainly a page turner and I highly recommend it.
Back cover of Voice Of A Story Teller. Click here or the picture to visit the Amazon.com page for the kindle version of the book.
The books I review in this blog are typically Leonberger books but sometimes I review other kinds of books that I love and want to promote. In this post I will review the third and fourth book of an incredible series of books called the Harbor Point series. To see my reviews for book one and two click here.
The Destination comes in a paperback edition, and a Kindle edition and I read the kindle edition.
Paperback – October 31, 2023, ISBN-13 : 979-8865687214, 74 pages, Item Weight : 4.6 ounces, dimensions : 5 x 0.17 x 8 inches, it is currently $5.99 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – October 31, 2023 : B0CCQB7X1S, 64 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com (free with kindle unlimited). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The Destination by D. L. Finn
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
It’s 1967, and best friends Lacey and Sandy are enjoying a beach vacation, completely unaware of the danger that is lying in wait outside their door. Their room is quaint, with an amazing view of the Pacific Ocean and an old lighthouse, but a killer is stalking their next victim. Powerless, Annie the ghost watches, knowing there’s nothing she can do to help—not even her parents, the innkeepers. Who will survive their stay at the Harbor Pointe Inn, where the edge of evil lurks within the shadows?
Two best friends Sandy and Lacey are on vacation, and they are staying at Harbor Pointe Inn, a hotel next to a lighthouse by the California coast. There is a serial killer on the lose and there is also a ghost who is trying to be helpful. The setting is depicted skillfully so that you really feel as if you are present at the ocean side, the beach, the cliffs, the cave, the old hotel and lighthouse, and the old friendly couple at the Inn, etc. The story is entertaining and imaginative but foreboding and it builds tension. It features an ominous presence which is hinted at throughout the story until we find out about it at the end. To me this is a new take on the serial killer genre and seeing the situation develop through the eyes of unsuspecting people as well as through the eyes of an innocent ghost who knows the truth but has limited powers is quite intriguing.
The characters are well developed and believable, the dialogue is engaging, and the story is compelling and unique. You need to keep reading because you want to find out what is going on and what will happen. The ending was unique and emotional. I highly recommend this short story.
About the Author
D.L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to the Sierra foothills in Nevada City, CA. She immersed herself in reading all types of books, but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy.
She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, being surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations vary from children’s books, young adult fantasy, and adult paranormal romance to an autobiography with poetry. She continues on her adventures with an open invitation for her readers to join her.
The fourth book The Seas of Time also comes in a paperback edition, and a Kindle edition and in this case, I read the paperback.
Paperback – November 13, 2023, 2023, ASIN : B0CMLMDC87, ISBN-13 : 979-8865687214, 151 pages, Item Weight : 8 ounces, dimensions : 5 x 0.35 x 8 inches, it is currently $7.50 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – November 14, 2023, 2023 : ASIN : B0CCQGRXH9, 145 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com (free with kindle unlimited). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The front cover of The Seas of Time (scan)
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
In 1858, a ship carrying ice from Alaska wrecked off the coast of California, and little does Taliah Keldan realize how that tragedy will impact her life in 1972.
When Tali decides to quit college and become a civil rights activist, her disappointed parents encourage her to think it over. What better spot for contemplation than at her aunt and uncle’s Harbor Pointe Inn, a charming seaside getaway with its own lighthouse? The place is under renovation and empty of guests. All she’ll have to deal with is the construction crew.
But the inn is far from peaceful.
Tali discovers an old Bible hidden in the lighthouse keeper’s cottage. Strange prayers angle down the margins, all but one ruined by the sea. When she deciphers the crude writing, a dark portal gapes open to a pre-civil war night when an escaped slave in a foundering ship prayed to his voodoo God. A winged creature emerges from the watery void, and her stay transforms into a nightmare.
With the aid of the construction foreman, Tali is determined to send the beast back through time, a choice that will risk their lives, test her convictions, and change her future.
Voodoo, Imagination, Action, a Great Story Originating with Slavery
This is a somewhat scary paranormal fantasy story with some comical passages, but above all, it is a good story. It is part of a series of books centered on a lighthouse at Harbor Point on the northern California coast. The story begins in 1858 on a ship traveling from Alaska to California. Onboard is an African American escaped slave whom the crew is planning to sell back into slavery. To save himself he uses voodoo. Next, we move forward to 1972 where we meet Tali, a young and determined African American woman who comes to Harbor Point for a temporary job as a caretaker. She accidentally summons the supernatural and so begins a wild adventure.
It is a unique story filled with horror, mystery, and fast paced action. The story is very imaginative with lots of fantastic imagery including some wormhole-like time travel, as well as some comedy. The character development is amazing, and you’ll find yourself caring for several of the characters. The characters grow and mature in ways that are both plausible and inspiring. I imagined Tali as being an older version of Abra Stone from Stephen King’s Dr. Sleep. It is a very good story, and I was very entertained the entire time as I read the book. I highly recommend it.
About the Author
A long-time reader, best-selling author D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life when years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books. She was instantly hooked.
In addition to fantasy books, Peach’s publishing career includes participation in various anthologies featuring short stories, flash fiction, and poetry. She’s an avid supporter of the arts in her local community, organizing and publishing annual anthologies of Oregon prose, poetry, and photography.
Peach lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two owls, a horde of bats, and the occasional family of coyotes.
The books I review in this blog are typically Leonberger books but sometimes I review other kinds of books that I love and want to promote. I’ve come across a very good series of 8 books called the Harbor Point Series. There are a couple of them I haven’t read yet, but I am certain they will be great as well. I decided to review two Harbor Point books at a time starting with the first two:
The Price of Atonement comes in one format, Kindle – September 26, 2023, ASIN : B0CCW59D94, 117 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com (free with kindle unlimited). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The Price of Atonement by Mae Clair
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
Some hauntings come from within.
Leviticus Sinclair has been a broken man since the murders of his wife and brother. Burdened by personal failures the night they were killed, he occupies himself by crossing the country, searching out departed spirits unwilling to move from this world to the next. His dead brother’s Bible and a pocket watch—forever frozen at the precise moment of his wife’s death—serve as grim reminders of a past he cannot exorcise.
Accompanied by Wyatt Resnick, a paid employee who fills the role of researcher and hired muscle, Leviticus arrives at the Harbor Pointe Inn amid rumors of a vengeful ghost. A phantom who may be the single spirit he has long sought, one capable of freeing him from his torment.
Set in the remote Pacific Northwest of 1887, The Price of Atonement is a story of jealousy, guilt, and one man’s relentless quest for absolution.
This is my five-star Amazon Review of The Price of Atonement
An Angry Ghost and A Mysterious Ghost Hunter
The Price of Atonement is the first book in the Harbor Point series, a series of eight spooky books centered around the Harbor Point lighthouse and the Harbor Point Inn, the adjacent hotel or Inn. At the beginning of this book, we learn that the Harbor Point lighthouse was constructed in 1870 and was built by Isaac Hawthorne. This story takes place in 1887. The Harbor Point books can be read independently but I recommend that you read this one so that you know the background.
Leviticus Sinclair arrives at Harbor Point Inn with his assistant Wyatt Resnik. Harbor Point is haunted by an angry and powerful ghost, which has not been good for business. The current owner is August Hawthorne, the son of Isaac Hawthorne, and his wife Etta. One source of the haunting is believed to be the sinking of the June Pearl in 1876, in which 2/3 of crew died. Leviticus has powerful paranormal abilities due to his unusual situation, but he is also acting like a detective. Leviticus and his assistant Wyatt has to figure out what is going on, which is not easy since not everyone is willing to share what they know. They reminded me a bit of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. All I will divulge is that we are in for some big surprises and interesting revelations.
This is a scary ghost story that should satisfy any fan of paranormal horror. It is also an intriguing mystery and a detective story. Above all it is a good story that is very spooky and fun and full of surprises. A haunted lighthouse may seem like a typical ghost story, but it is not. It is a very unique story. The characters are well developed and believable and you empathize with them. It is very well written. I highly recommend The Price of Atonement.
About the Author
A member of the International Thriller Writers, Mae Clair is also a founding member and contributor to the award-winning writing blog, Story Empire. She has achieved bestseller status on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with several of her novels chosen as book club selections.
Mae writes primarily in the mystery/suspense genre, flavoring her plots with elements of urban legend and folklore. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail, and cats.
The second book, The Gift also comes in one format, Kindle – October 17, 2023, ASIN : B0CD15LV2Z, 85 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com (free with kindle unlimited). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
The Gift by Gwen M. Plano
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.
In an innocent 1958 American suburb, Shelly doesn’t know the power of a kiss. Or how it will change her entire life.
At sixteen years old, she falls in love with a young man. One night—just one night—they go too far. Months later, pregnant and shamed, Shelly’s parents banish her.
Alone and heavily pregnant, circumstances force Shelly to cross the country in an old pickup.
A mistaken turn leaves her lost in a forest amidst a severe snow storm and in labor.
In the dark of night. Shelly must get help for her new-born baby before they both perish. A light in the distance gives her the slimmest glimmer of hope.
After Shelly wraps the infant in her father’s old jacket, she trudges through the snow to a lighthouse keeper’s cottage. Snow half buries the squat stone building.
Will Shelly find shelter, or is it the beginning of the end?
This is my five-star Amazon Review of The Gift
A Christmas Miracle by the Lighthouse
This book is a little different from the others in the Harbor Point series in the sense that it is not a horror story or a spooky story. It features some mysteries, but it is more of a feel-good love story centered on the Harbor Point Lighthouse and the Harbor Point Inn. At the beginning of the story a 17-year-old pregnant girl named Shelly is sent away by her parents. They want nothing to do with her. Her father gives her his old truck and some money and off she goes. Bad things happen and her future looks grim but then things turn around. You could call it a Christmas miracle by the lighthouse.
It is a beautiful Christmas story, which I admit was not what I expected. It was pure coincidence that I read it on Christmas Day. I am writing this review on Christmas Day as well. Life is full of unexpected events, some of which may seem like miracles, and this story is about a Christmas miracle. A miracle, yes, but it is entirely believable. The author did a great job in making the reader feel good and the story was captivating, and the characters were believable and relatable. If you want to read a good story that makes you feel happier, read this story. I highly recommend it.
About the Author
Gwen M. Plano, aka Gwendolyn M. Plano, grew up in Southern California and spent most of her professional life in higher education. She taught and served as an administrator in colleges in Japan, New York, Connecticut, and California. Gwen’s academic background is in theology and counseling. Recently retired, she now lives in the high desert of Arizona, where she writes, gardens, and travels with her husband.
Gwen’s first book is an acclaimed memoir, Letting Go into Perfect Love. Her second book, The Contract between heaven and earth, is a thriller fiction novel, co-authored by John W. Howell. It has received multiple awards and is an Amazon Best Seller. The Choice, the unexpected heroes is the sequel to The Contract. It is also a thriller, involving the attempt of an unfriendly nation to take over the world. The third book in the series, The Culmination, a new beginning is an action-packed military thriller that spans the globe and involves multiple Heads of State and the threat of World War III. Only love can change the fate of humanity.
When Gwen is not writing, she’s often in the beautiful Red Rocks of Sedona, where she finds inspiration.
This is a Leonberger blog and most books that I review are Leonberger books but sometimes I present and review other kinds of books that I love and that I want to promote. Today I would like to present a great book on Romania called Dreamland: Banat, Crisana, Maramures, Transylvania, 100-WORD STORIES, Folklore and History, written by Patricia Furstenberg. I found this book to be very interesting and fascinating. It comes in a paperback edition, hardcover, and a Kindle edition and I read the paperback edition.
Paperback – June 10, 2022, ISBN-13 : 979-8835263172, 214 pages, Item Weight : 13.6 ounces, dimensions : 6 x 0.51 x 9 inches, it is currently $27.00 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Hardcover – June 25, 2022, ISBN-13 : 979-8838116918, 215 pages, Item Weight : 13.6 ounces, dimensions : 6 x 0.68 x 9 inches, it is currently $15.24 on Amazon. Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
Kindle – June 9, 2022, ASIN : B0B3QXD6GQ, 241 pages. It is currently $2.99 on Amazon.com (free with kindle unlimited). Click here to order it from Amazon.com.
This is my scan of the front cover of the paperback version of the book Dreamland. Click on the photo to go to the Amazon location for the paperback version of the book.
This is a truly fascinating book on four of the of the ten provinces of Romania, Banat, Crisana, Maramures and Transylvania. It features 117 100-word stories drawn from legends, folklore and history. I visited Transylvania in 2008 and this book reminded me of the many magical experiences we had there. Some of the photos in the book reminded me of the places we visited, including a photo of Dracula’s birthplace encompassing a little hotel where we stayed. When I saw the photo, I was reminded that I sat on one of the chairs in the picture and I shared my food with a stray dog. You can read about my travel story here.
This is Amazon’s description of the book.
For her books on Romania and her blog promoting Romania, Patricia Furstenberg was included in Top 100 Romanians from Everywhere Category Art 2023, Top 100 Români de Pretutindeni, by Repatriot, as featured in Newsweek Romania.
Discover the untold tales that shaped history and folklore in DREAMLAND through well-crafted 100-word stories: A Captivating Read, Delightful and Fascinating, A Magical Tour Through Romania’s History and Folklore.
Journey into the aftermath of a giant’s forbidden love, the chilling fate of a maiden turned to stone, the mystery surrounding the lost Dacian treasure, or the true reasons behind the terror inspired by Vlad the Impaler. Uncover hidden truths and well-guarded secrets behind these legendary stories of “happily ever after,” chilling origins, elusive warriors, and the enigmatic figures that have shaped Transylvania for millennia.
Dreamland reveals the epic narratives and whimsical photography behind the legends we thought we knew, inviting you to dive deeper into a world where history meets myth.
My Amazon Five Star Review of Dreamland: Banat, Crisana, Maramures, Transylvania, 100-WORD STORIES, Folklore and History
A Magical Historical Tour of Four Romanian Provinces
This is a truly fascinating and beautifully written book on four of the of the ten provinces of Romania, Banat, Crisana, Maramures and Transylvania. I would say that about half of the book is about Transylvania and half on the other three smaller provinces.
The book features 117 100-word long lyrical stories and poems. The 100-word stories are concise and written in a rich and expressive manner. These stories are based on legends and folklore about dragons, witches, giants, mythical creatures, kings, as well as local culture and historical events. Following each 100-word story were explanations of the historical context as well as nearly 90 gorgeous color photographs. Out of curiosity I counted the words in a few of them because I was curious as to whether they really were exactly 100 words, and the ones I counted were. I don’t think it is important that they are 100 words. However, the fact that the author was able to do it is kind of impressive.
The historical events depicted include the building of fortresses, fortified churches and cities, invasions, Roman and Ottoman invasions, the taking of slaves, kings, warlords and heroes and of course Vlad Tepes III or Vlad Draculea (Dracula). In the back there is a map showing the geographic location of each entry.
In 2008 I visited Transylvania with my son and his water polo team. The coach, Mihai, was from Transylvania and he took us on an incredible Dracula themed guided tour of Transylvania and some other parts of Romania (I was one of two chaperons). Therefore, I recognized many of the places described including Sighisoara, Brasov, Sibiu, Prejmer, Balea Lac, Rasnov, the Fagaras mountains, the Transfagarasan road, Biertan, Bran castle, and the Black Church in Brasov. It was an amazing feeling to read about these places and see the photos, which were much better than mine. It brought back many good memories. Romania is a fascinating country with a very rich history.
This book is very well written, the 100-word stories are interesting and impressive, the accompanying explanations informative, and the book is well organized. It is a true gem and I highly recommend it to anyone planning to visit Romania and to anyone interested in Romania.
This is a photo of the back cover of the book Dreamland. Click on the photo to go to the Amazon location for the kindle version of the book.
About the Author
Amazon Bestseller and Award Winning writer Patricia Furstenberg is the author of JOYFUL TROUBLE, SILENT HEROES: When Love and Values Are Worth Fighting for (chosen One in Five Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime), and new releases DREAMLAND and TRANSYLVANIA’S HISTORY A to Z. With a medical degree behind her, Patricia writes about unconditional love and war, while her keen interest for history and dogs brought her writing, through a perfect loop, to her native Romania, Patricia being the creator of #Im4Ro hashtag, sharing positive stories.
Her latest books, “Dreamland” and “Transylvania’s History A to Z” are “a wonderful combination of stories, photos, history, and legends”, “a novel idea and a captivating read”.
Leonberger Life 