Book Reviews

The Glass Mask: Monsters Lurk Beneath, by E.L. DuBois

E.L. DuBois’ Description:

A beautiful, naïve young woman with fairy-tale dreams…
And a beast of a man who only finds pleasure in the vicious acts he commits.
When their paths cross, she finds herself caught in his web of cruelty…
A merciless dance for survival begins.

Based on a true story, The Glass Mask: Monsters Lurk Beneath takes readers through the emotional, physical, and psychological parallels of an abuse victim willing to do anything to survive. Beauty is captured by the most horrific of beasts, and each day is a struggle to beat the monster at his own game.

Will Beauty be able to outmaneuver the Beast?
Or will he take the ultimate sadistic prize?
Her Life.

Visit E.L. DuBois’ website at www.eldubois.com

Get The Glass Mask from Amazon!

Travis Borne’s review:

A heart-wrenching story unlike anything I’ve ever read.

I must say I’ve never read a novel quite like this. The author tells her tale of being brutally abused over the course of years, by “Beast,” a growing, worsening, incomprehensible evil. Domestic violence. She refers to herself as Beauty, and creatively names every character in the book: the Red Witch, the Queen, the Vile Sister, King… I read this quickly because I couldn’t put it down, wanting to know when the Beast would get his, and each time he slyly got away with murder—but really, it was worse!

How much can one person endure? Beauty is controlled, forced to do unimaginable things, and manages to keep an ember of hope alive, for her Princess, for a life that cannot continue on like this! And just when you think things are letting up, the blackhole swings back into her universe and flips every planet, moon, and rock—her world is turned upside-down again. Punched, humiliated—tortured. Worse, horribly, and it gets better then it gets really, utterly dreadful. And then, the unimaginable happens, combined with a spell of time that drives Beauty’s reality straight into Hell.

But she overcomes, adapts, and ultimately escapes—only to get pulled back in. Again, no not again! Worse still! And the ordeal twists not only Beauty’s mind, but nearly kills her, and she loses something she can never get back.
And then she meets *him*
Only to go *back* to Hell.

When the rubble clears and she finally crawls free, with a support team solidly behind her, will she survive what has ultimately been done to her, and will she reunite with her soul mate?
Straight from the heart. And that’s what will keep you reading. An original and flowing story that kept me hooked. Yes, I wanted to see that maniac get his, and many times the story was so terrible, so utterly unfathomable, that I felt almost dizzy reading it.
This is a non-sugarcoated, raw, heart-wrenching tale, which has my favorite type of ending, one that’ll bring a tear to your eye and fill your heart with warmth. A story well told in a unique and creative way. One star for not being able to put it down, one BIG star for the writer’s courage and unbreakable spirit against all odds, one for crying with her as she shed new light on what occurs on our planet every day—AWARENESS! One star for the soulmate she found, his love, her love, her families love, and unity in the face of evil, and finally, one for having the courage to tell her story, which I know has and will continue to empower others in the face of domestic violence. Combined, that’s 5 stars solid and strong.

Read Travis Borne’s review of The Glass Mask on Amazon!

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Book review: Crossroads Through Time, by Sheryl M. Frazer

Sheryl’s description:

Her mood changed.

Her choice altered.

Her reality transformed.

Dreams aren’t always what they seem.

After collapsing at her birthday party, Genevieve finds her mind drifting like a dream, yet it feels different, beyond slumber somehow.

Soon, with all her senses acutely aware, she is living the pivotal choices of her lifetime, but with one extraordinary difference. She now finds herself also experiencing “the other choice” as well. But why? Is there a reason for it all? A spiritual guidance trying to tell her something she needs to know?

Helpless to stop the emotional roller-coaster, Genevieve finds both ecstasy and hell in the alternate realities she seems destined to experience.

Then, the phenomenal odyssey ends.

As Genevieve opens her eyes, she notices her loved ones from the party, surrounding her, happy to see she’s awake. But as objects and people come into focus Genevieve realizes things aren’t the same anymore.

Nothing is the same.

In this compelling, fictional tale, that embraces emotions of love, fear, hope and loss, author, Sheryl M. Frazer weaves one choice versus another into a dramatic telling of shifting realities and unexpected twists.

Submerge yourself in Genevieve’s incredible journey and see why her reflections are not what you might assume!

Get Crossroads Through Time on Amazon!

Travis Borne’s review:

Touches the heart, then firmly takes hold! Don’t miss this one!

Crossroads Through Time is a dreamy twist of turns, consequences, and the dynamics thereof, a rippling through the fabric of our universe, because of—choices. And does it deliver! Powerfully descriptive with characters I fell in love with, seemingly over a real, put-me-right-in-there lifetime, and then…well I won’t spoil it. But I will say there’s a payoff that’ll wring your mind. Wait for it, really. Journey deep into the wormhole of consciousness, from the depths of Genevieve’s soul to the bottom of her heart.

Soulmates, her life with Teddy, and a lifetime brimming with lessons and tribulations, love and appreciation, decisions and consequences. A novel I will likely read again in the future. Especially, one very special part, which is so deep I think I absolutely must read it again! 5 stars for a colorful, otherworldly, shower of introspection on a level that touches the heart, then firmly takes hold. An emotional journey of passion and heartache, and realization to the next degree. Mind officially blown! I am looking forward to more from this author.

Read Travis Borne’s review of Sheryl M Frazer’s Crossroads Through Time on Amazon!

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Dream State by K.Z. Howell, Kindle Edition

K.Z. Howell’s description:

Professor August Bench is asked by the National Security Agency to research the abilities of Edgar Cayce and develop a method of duplicating the Sleeping Prophets amazing powers after 9-11.
How could he say no?

But what he finds is so much more.

His discovery of the power that lies in the Dream State is so dangerous that he and his assistant, Will Grant, must hide the truth where no one will ever find it.

The NSA is persistent. They hire a protégé of Professor Bench to keep the Dream State program alive and working towards a world without secrets.

Dr. Kendra Mills, a brilliant computer scientist finds a way to duplicate the Dream State’s power in a machine, but she needs the minds of the original Dreamers to complete the tyrannical device.
She will stop at nothing to achieve her goal.

Even if it costs the young Dreamers their lives!

Get Dream State from Amazon!

Travis Borne’s Review:

What can I say. Dreams, love ’em. That’s where it’s at! And K.Z. Howell does a fantastic job in detailing such an enthralling possibility. It’s obvious he knows what he’s talking about. Begin with four ‘lucid-dreaming’ friends involved in an attempt to recreate experiments long since terminated. Three of the four college students are found to be ‘special.’ They dive headlong into possibility while the fourth, Will, assists the professor. And the results of their experiments achieve wonders. Beyond expectations, the team manages to succeed in something potent, powerful, too powerful! So much so, it’s decided by the professor that this power should not be unleashed. If this landed in the wrong hands, any hands, the ramifications would be disastrous on a global scale. And reluctantly, Will, once excited by the possibilities, finally cedes. The professor is right, for what Will’s three friends can do while within the ‘Dream State,’ should not be sanctioned. So they scrap the program, life goes on, years pass.

And then ‘someone’ decides to resume the project. About halfway into K.Z.’s novel, after clever and colorful character development, an order is given. The four friends, having had remained in touch with one another, yet living in different parts of the country, face encroaching, ominous, you-run-your-butt-off consequences. The pace goes from a highly revved second gear, to pedal to the metal and through every other. By a seemingly sinister desire for power, ‘she’s’ back—and she must have power. THE POWER. But at what cost?

What follows is action scene after another after another. This is where Dream State excels. High octane, down-to-earth people with their extraordinary talents, meet with a clash that’ll send your jaw to the floor. I hadn’t expected what came next! Dream State is like two books in one, and while I can see things are set up well for a fiery, payback, world-altering sequel, this story has a bit of just about everything.
Daring escapes—with special insights no others have the capability to access—and murder, unexpected consequences and hiding out from the big-bad, stop-at-nothing NSA agents. Love made, loves lost, and steamy sexy hell—on mind-warping drugs. Payback unimaginable, torturous, so much so I even sided with her, the maleficent antagonist. It was bad…whoa! A roller coaster speeding up, rocket thrusters pushing it, with an ending that sends—as the author so describes it—a ball of ice straight into the gut!
Five stars because I love sci-fi action, and dreaming. I’ve studied lucid dreaming for over a decade and this story was right up my alley. An original, unexpected nightmare. This one kept me on my tiptoes half of the time, crushing my chair’s armrests for the other half.

Can they escape? Who will make it, who won’t? I won’t say—but you won’t guess! My favorite parts of K.Z. Howell’s Dream State came at about 50% in, and then after about 75% in things really kick in. Lucid-dreaming dynamo. Dream State is one unfortunate turn of events after another, a leg-chopping crash, blood-raining from the sky. An all-out dash for freedom. Will anyone survive this? I didn’t see it coming. And by the look on the new director’s face, he didn’t either!

Head on over to Amazon and check out my review of K.Z. Howell’s, Dream State, Kindle Edition
Also, see K.Z Howell’s other novels. K.Z. Howell’s author page

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Flint of Dreams by Charles Peterson Sheppard. Kindle Edition

Charles’ description:

When a young woman is assaulted and two young men murdered on the shores of Hemlock Lake in upstate New York, everybody knew that Asa ‘Flint’ Spencer did it. He was an angry young Seneca Indian of the Blue Heron Clan with a troubled past. But they were all wrong. And the government researchers seeking remote viewers in the war on terrorism had their eyes on Flint as well. For Flint was born with special powers he did not fully understand. The secrets lay in the hearts and minds of an old Iroquois woman, a sadistic psychic assassin, and the NSA agents seeking to utilize Flint’s unique abilities at all cost. For Flint, the missing pieces of the puzzle swirled in his primordial dreams.

Get Flint of Dreams from Amazon

Travis Borne’s Review:

Swim in the world of dreams and beyond. The end had me crushing my chair’s armrests!

Blown away. And those are my first two words for this review. Sit on them for a meditative moment, and imagine—you, yourself within a dream. And, you’re apprehensive, you want to turn around, it’s dark and scary in here, too real, and then you try—but now something won’t let you. You need to learn this life lesson, your purpose, your dream quest. Go, don’t be afraid. Take a step. You can do it.

Charles Peterson Sheppard’s Flint of Dreams, I can honestly say, is one of my favorite books of 2018. And I read a lot of books. This story has it all. A gritty, tough life, meth heads to billionaires, boostin’ cars and chop shops, fist fights and getting caught with an “O” face, pants down, and almost getting the dog’s— I won’t spoil that. And tweaking friends that aren’t really friends at all. And real friends that see beyond skin color, can see that sometimes a person’s past, as bad as it might have been, does not mean turn your back on them forever. See into the spirit, look into the eyes. Good hearts. Good battles evil. There’s second chances, sometimes just before the end of an old woman’s life, and sometimes, before the end of the world. Can he, will he accept it, and believe? From near-death experiences to awakenings and realizations, and something that can bypass the “natural” way of things. A dangerous drug allowing those who use it to enter the spirit realm, granting access to time itself, past and present, ultimate power, fermenting evil, to the hidden world widely disregarded by the everyday quotidian jumble we call life.

Flint is special, yes, perhaps. But he denies it, he kicks ass on a whim, and “thunderously” I might add with some fierce fists, and he continues to make bad decisions until one day, because of a culmination of metaphysical consequences exploding out of control, blowin’ up the lab and water rupturing from the earth, all coming down harder and faster, and supernatural powers—things change. The time for waiting is over. A tough life on the streets. Possible redemption? The removal of the snake skin that is pride, and the stubborn macho man growing out of it. Can he overcome?

But the time has come. It’s time for Flint to believe, to unleash his true power. A difficult life, the struggles he’s endured, his friends too. Will all this and mysteriously more make him the man he is finally ready and willing to be? Maybe not. He’s too stubborn. Tread through difficulties with Flint and his friends, his girlfriend Denise, Chance and the beautiful Sabrina and the exquisite Crystine, goodhearted Nash, Jill and Elby, each with their own tribulations, all the good and bad that brought them together. And into the world of dreams—into battle.
Battle like you’ve never experienced it!
Five solid stars. Way up. Swim in the world of dreams and beyond. This one blew my mind and the end had me crushing my chair’s armrests, fingers cramped. Right up my alley and I’m glad I found it because I’ve studied lucid dreaming and sleep for over a decade. I’ve read a hundred books on the subject, as well experienced many a wonderful, or chilling, ghostly experience, within the unrestricted dream world. And this novel took me right there. It put me right inside with every smell, color, myriad possibilities and more, infinite wonder. I must admit, Charles Peterson Sheppard is extraordinarily gifted in his method of storytelling. He puts you smack in the action, running at light speed—I can, I CAN DO IT!—there! One of my newest favorite authors. Looking forward to more from Charles. Do not pass on this title!

Head on over to Amazon and check out my review of Charles Peterson Sheppard’s, Flint of Dreams, Kindle Edition
Also, see Charles Peterson Sheppard’s other novels. Charles Peterson Sheppard’s author page

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Arcadia Falls by Ken Stark. Kindle Edition

Ken’s description:

Something is wrong in Arcadia Falls.

The first boy vanished without a trace and with just as little fanfare. Even the second disappearance amounted to little more than a few passing remarks and another name skipped over in the classroom roll call. As far as Riverside High and the rest of Arcadia Falls were concerned, it seemed, it was as if nothing had happened at all.

Tyler John was no different. He had barely given the matter a second thought, but then a wrong turn sent him on a path straight into the dark heart of the mystery, and the deeper he peered into the shadows, the more he realized that something was looking back.

Now, the hunter has become the hunted and time is running out. With nowhere else to turn, it’s up to Tyler and his handful of friends to stop the evil thing that’s been preying on Arcadia Falls, and if they fail, they might just be the next ones to vanish.

Yes, something is desperately wrong in Arcadia Falls, and it’s like nothing anyone has ever seen before.
Get Ken’s novel from Amazon!

Travis Borne’s Review:

Arcadia falls gets a double-barrel blast: 2 times 2 plus a star. 5 stars for all-out fun & teamwork!

Back in school, naked in class, sittin’ red-faced at your desk, hands over your… But nope, this isn’t a dream. Ken takes you there, puts you smack dab. If you’re a nudist you might not be utterly terrified about being naked in class but there’s something else, something eerily petrifying with this high-school, small-town nightmare. Ken’s story cements you in like a spider’s cocooning web. But at least you’re not alone. In the company of good friends, the best, an albeit incongruent bunch of misfits, you all decide to go for it.
Brainiacs sitting at the lunchroom table together, a new clan built upon a crescendoing happenstance of something otherworldly. Yet how can it be and why? Even with technology, the INTERNET and Google Earth, how in the world… But it’s there. Right smack in the middle of what we thought was our complete town. And I found myself there, chased in by perhaps the unreasonable fear of the teenage mind, and perhaps a scary black van. And then my curiosity took over. Looking at it all, paint peeling, a curtain moving here and there, crumbling road and wood turning to ash, a forgotten town that’d fallen into a desuetude understatement. It shouldn’t be possible, but then there it is. And it took something from them. They know that know.
Ken’s storytelling is masterful. His dialog is a *blast!* to read. And his method of setting the reader into the story is a whole new dimension in itself. When I read Arcadia Falls, I am there. I’m Tyler and I just received a kiss from the most beautiful girl in school and she really, really likes me. And there’s something else about her. She knows things. Then our crew knows things thanks to our erudite exchanges. Our team, which becomes even more incongruent later on, jives. It’s a cuckoo clock with freshly oiled gears, each clicking away beautifully at its particular purpose. Each person in our crew, be it seventy years old, or eighteen going for the doctorate of thinkology, has their own special talent. And each’ll take it in with them when they discover the truth…or so think they had.
This adventure is akin to riding a 1000-foot waterslide filled with hot bullets and hairy red-eyed spiders. Want to hold a makeshift flamethrower and blast the buggers to bits? From the newest, oldest member of the crew, want some history lessons that’ll send a cold metallic hand into your heart and jostle it, then squeeze the air from your lungs? Want to uncover the real, veritable piece of the pie, the plague, the unthinkable and the unremembered? Then tiptoe yourself right into Ken’s novel, if you dare. Creep into Old Town but carry a big stick. Then run for your life—or stay and fight! Be sure, though, to bring one thing. Bring your nerve, yes, weapons will come in handy too, but DO NOT forget the most important thing. Bring your friends. Bring your crew of lionhearted misfits. And if you survive you might just discover what you only WISH you could forget.
Arcadia falls gets a double-barrel blast: two times two plus a star. Five stars for all-out fun, twists and turns both figuratively, plus winding into spider-stuffed tunnels, and high-school days and jocks and nerds and hot-girl brainiacs, and creepy crawly fuzzy things with red eyes, and ultimately, teamwork leading to “blood-is-thicker-than-water” friends for life.

Head on over to Amazon and check out my review of Arcadia Falls, by Ken Stark Also, see Ken’s other novels. Ken Stark’s author page

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