I saw this meme on It’s All About Booksand thought, I like this!! So, I decided to do it once a month also. Many thanks to Yvonne for initially posting this!!
This post is what it says: Places I travel to in books each month. Books are lovely and take you to places you would never get to. That includes places of fantasy too!!
Bon Voyage!!
Please let me know if you have read these books or traveled to these areas.
Earth 2
Government, Settlement
United States
New York (Crescent Cove), Nevada (Las Vegas)
Maryland (Pikesville)
California (Los Angeles)
Washington (Seattle)
New York (Seneca Springs)
Colorado (Longmont)
Kansas (Liverly)
Indiana (English), California (San Fransisco), Virginia (Perryville), Arizona (Tombstone), New York (New York City)
North Carolina (Neapolis)
New York (Manhattan), California (Newport Beach, Balboa Island, Newport, Menlo Park, Santa Barbara, Montecito, Goleta)
Louisiana (Unknown city), Rhode Island (Emerald Bay)
Unknown State (Unknown City)
New York (New York City, New Rochelle)
Wyoming (Wallace), Iowa (Fort Madison)
West Virginia (Huntington), Ohio (Crown City)
Pennsylvania
California (Mojave Desert, Aspen Flats, Pasatiempo, Santa Cruz, Watsonville, Aptos, Pajaro Dunes)
Tales from the Box, Volume I, is the first solo collection of fantasy and supernatural horror from Amazon best-selling author Weston Kincade.
The stories inside delve into secret niches that skirt reality. Tales from the Box includes witty stories from Hell, music auditions with a flair for magic, one small town’s Halloween Minute Man, an etiquette consultant confronted by an audience of identical teens, and even a man who finds himself permanently drunk, sans alcohol. From surprising mystical finds at your local garage sale to odd games played in a zombie-filled world, this twenty-story collection is written to delight.
If you enjoy Twilight Zone, Stephen King, or M. Night Shyamalan, Tales from the Box has what you need, stories of fantasy and horror hidden in shadow until now.
First Line:
“Has anyone called maintenance? It seems like an eternity since the AC worked in here.” A middle-aged man peers over the walls of his cubicle, asking anyone within earshot.
Tales from the Box (No Complaints) by Weston Kincaide
I was hesitant to review this book because it is an anthology. I have a love/hate relationship with reviewing these types of books. But since I have read and reviewed for the author before, I decided to review Tales from the Box. I am glad I did because this book was great and had some gems in it!!
Since this is an anthology, I will write a mini review on each story. This is the best way to cover each story instead of giving a blanket review of the entire book. So here goes nothing!!
No Complaints—This is the first story in the book, and it sets the tone for the book. I giggled at where the author set the office and how useless it was for John to complain about the heat.
Not My Lucky Charms—I will not lie; I laughed a little while reading this story. As you can guess, this is about a leprechaun. But this leprechaun is evil and does the vilest things to a strip club owner. And his name was what made me laugh. The ending was a little weird, but it fit the story.
Prison Torment— This one was the sadder of the twenty stories. Sam worked at a prison and was well respected. That ended when he told Simon (a colleague?) his secret, and work became unbearable—with the inmates taunting him. It wasn’t until Sam met Kaleb that I realized what Sam’s secret was, and it wasn’t until it happened that I realized what Sam was planning on doing. What shocked me was what Kaleb did when he came back. It didn’t take a lot to shock me, but that did.
Three-Car World—This was an interesting short story. I didn’t get what was happening until almost the story’s end. It made sense when it was explained (about the Great Pitching and what was happening to the train). It also made sense what people were willing to do to save themselves.
H.E.L.L.—This was one of my least favorite stories. But, if this were real life, it would have made sense. Hell would need a lawyer and a PR specialist, and who better than one who was already going to Hell? I liked the twist the author put at the end of this story. But it didn’t resonate with me.
Audition Surprise—I liked this story. I loved the author took American Idol and put a sinister spin on it. That whole audition had me glued to the story. Of course, there was an evil undercurrent to everything. I couldn’t pinpoint who was controlling it until the end of the story. Then the author sprang it on me and why this person did what they did.
The Etiquette Consultant—What a creepy story. There were so many layers here, and I wished the author had time to peel them back. The star of this story was the etiquette consultant and his tutoring of clones. There was a creepy end to the story. I wasn’t sure what to make of the end of the story.
Hunger—This was an interesting story. It is set during a zombie apocalypse. Three survivors ran across a community that had an interesting pastime. I won’t get into it, but it was gruesome. The end surprised me because I didn’t see it coming.
Masks—So, I will never go to a yard sale again. After what Janice went through (and she did deserve some of it), I will never look at other people’s stuff and take it home. Of course, Janice did deserve it (she was nasty), but still. It was a great take on a particular Greek myth.
Out to Lunch—This story confused me a little at the beginning. The author eventually explained what happened, and I felt it was a good twist for this story!! I rooted for the three people (or beings) this story centered around.
Tick-Tock—This was a genuinely creepy story. It took a little bit to get into, but it was fantastic when it did. I loved the lore in this story, the vengeful ghost, and the courageous schoolteacher. What I wasn’t expecting was the massive twist at the end. It took me by surprise because of who was in charge.
PermaDrunk—So, this story made me laugh and cry. I laughed because what a way to become famous. But it was who was behind the guy’s condition and why that made me cry. And that person had an agenda, which included targeting the drunk’s friends. I was surprised at how this story turned out.
Native Calling—I loved this story!! At first, I didn’t understand what was happening, and I figured it would be another zombie story. Well, this isn’t a zombie story. Instead, it goes into Navajo myth and legend. I won’t get much more into it other than to say it was fantastic!!
Sibling Rivalry—I was so sad reading this story. The author took the monster under the bed and ran with it. But the little girl, Melanie, broke my heart. The end of the story doubly broke my heart because she didn’t mean anything.
House Hunting—I was surprised by this story. I thought it would go one way, but it was strangely wholesome. Plus, I like the fact that ghosts can go house hunting. It brought a smile to my face.
Changes—So, this was a different type of werewolf story. I felt for Benjamin because he was chosen to be a weregoat (yes, you read that right), and it didn’t quite go as expected. Of course, this story has a couple of terrifying and cute twists.
Outsiders—I didn’t understand this story and had to read it twice to understand what was happening. I felt a little silly because it made sense once I understood that all three main characters were part of different organizations. Oh, and I loved the comparison the author drew upon. I kept hearing that person’s voice in my head….haha.
Tech Support—Again, this is a story that I wasn’t too sure about. I loved the action and the fact that people got assassinated. Also, the paranormal angle was chef’s kiss. But I got lost in what was going on. And again, I had to read this story a couple of times. Once I figured out what was going on, it made the final reread much better.
Uncertain Futures—This was a great fantasy story, and I could see it being a great novel. I loved that the professor was insane enough to deal with the punishment for cheating. And what he made those students do was awful!!
Off-World Bounties—This is an exciting story in the time of Wyatt Earp. I liked the power play in the bounty and what was revealed.
Knock, Knock!—This was a poem, but it was a scary poem. I had to read it twice before catching up on what was happening. All I have to say is that Tanner was a bad boy.
Otherside—This was a sad story. I didn’t get what was going on until halfway through the middle. Then it hit me. I can’t tell you much more than what I said because it was depressing after that to read.
So, overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a perfect mix of horror, paranormal, suspense, and mystery. It did make me laugh in spots, and I did cry in others.
I recommend Tales from the Box, Volume 1 to anyone over 21. There is violence and language. There are no sexual situations. Also, see my trigger warnings.
Many thanks to Weston Kincaide for allowing me to read and review Tales from the Box, Volume 1. All opinions stated in this review are mine.
If you enjoyed reading this review of Tales from the Box, Volume 1, then you will enjoy reading these books:
The StoryGraph’s Onboarding Reading Challenge (read a book from your StoryGraph recommendations)—Beautiful Demons—Finished 3-10-2023
The StoryGraph Reads the World (Cuba)—Of Women and Salt—Finished 3-12-2023
The StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge (a sapphic romance)—She Who Became the Sun—Finished 3-22-2023
Beat the Backlist 2023 (about dragons or robots)—The Glow of the Dragon’s Heart—Finished 3-22-2023
Scavenger Hunt TBR Book Challenge (what is the most common letter in the title of the last book you read for this challenge. Find a book with a title that starts with that letter)—Even the Moon has Scars—Finished 3-23-2023
Scavenger Hunt (the prettiest book in your TBR)—The Watchmaker’s Daughter—Finished 3-23-2023
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2023 (A book about a vacation)—The Swap—Finished 3-24-2023
2023 TBR Toppler (the first book in a series)—The Last Artifact—Finished 3-26-23
2023 Monthly Themes (March of the Memoirs)—In the Dream House—Finished 3-1-23
2023 Reading Challenge (A book in a series you already started)—Catching Fire—Finished 3-27-23
The future’s a gamble. Few people know what they really want, and those that reach it often find that it isn’t what they expected. Strange Circumstances is an anthology of stories exploring the predictability of fate and destiny… or rather their unpredictability. In the twelve twisted tales and fifteen flash-fiction pieces, Strange Circumstances explores the boundaries of our universe to see what lurks in the unknown, hidden within the mysteries of science, magic, extraterrestrials, religion and the paranormal. Amid celebrities who hit their peak and vanish, a tree that grows up from the floor of a moving train car, unspeakable conspiracy, monstrous espionage, and wicked sorcery, there is something within these pages for anyone who enjoys dark tales and twists of every sort.
My review:
I normally don’t review anthologies. I feel that it isn’t fair to the authors when I can’t do an in-depth review of their stories. So I stopped reviewing them. I didn’t stop reading them because, personally, I love them. I love the different writing styles displayed by different authors. When Weston asked me to review Strange Circumstances, I accepted. I have enjoyed reading this other books and figured that this one would be the same for me. Which it was.
I am going to keep this review short and sweet. This was a great book. The short stories were intriguing and in some cases, scary. The flash fiction at the end of the book was something I have never read before. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like them but they were great. Just a snippet of a story. Enough to get my imagination going. Loved it!!!
I am not going to do a What I Liked/What I Disliked about Strange Circumstances.
I gave Strange Circumstances a 4-star rating. The short stories were well written. The flash fiction was something new and I l enjoyed reading them.
I would give Strange Circumstances an Adult rating. There is no sex. There is some mild language. There is some mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
I would reread Strange Circumstances. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.
I would like to thank Weston Kincaide for allowing me to read and review Strange Circumstances.
All opinions stated in this review of Strange Circumstances are mine.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
Mutations abound in far-reaching worlds and some planes are being devastated by war. The PASTOR agency has an agenda to do so much more… including ruling them all.
It is up to Madelin and her evolved friends to not only stop the black-op agency but free the other victims—including those attempting to kill her. She must discover her own abilities and learn to harness them… or else entire worlds will be overrun.
Even then… it may be too late.
My review:
I couldn’t wait to read To Kill an Assassin. I had read To Kill a Priestand enjoyed it. I assumed that To Kill an Assassin would be the same. And I was not wrong. This book was Ah-Maz-Ing. I could not put it down.
To Kill an Assassin’s plot takes place shortly after the final events of To Kill a Priest.Madelin and her group had found a sanctuary of a sort in a bunker. But that sanctuary is short-lived. Leodenin and his group of vampires tracked them there. After a fight that injured Madelin, the some of the group finds a sanctuary in a snow-covered world. There is a surprise ally in this snow-covered world. But Jedd and Daniel find themselves in a different world. A world where Daniel finds out that his path is different from everyone else’s. They do find their way back to Madelin and carry out a plan to rescue all the children at the PASTOR facility. Can they rescue the children with minimal damage? More importantly, can they defeat Leodenin?
What I enjoyed the most about this book is that the author took already flushed out characters and added extra depth to them. Madelin, Roger, Jedd, Daniel, Juno, and even Leodenin’s characters got more depth to them. I loved it!!! It made for a better read for me.
The suspense angle of the book was fantastic. I was kept on the edge of my seat reading To Kill an Assassin. The author did a great job of keeping up the pace from the earlier books. It was almost like I couldn’t catch my breath. That is what a suspense book is supposed to do to you and I loved it!!!
The paranormal angle of this book was fantastic also. I loved how Roger discovered what he could do with his new vampire skills. I was pretty impressed with how he put them to use. I also like what happened to Daniel. I wasn’t expecting it and I can’t wait to see how it plays out in Part 3. Of course, Madelin and the PASTOR children were fascinating. Again, I can’t wait to see what else Madelin has up her sleeve. I also can’t wait to see what secrets and abilities the children have.
I did like the romance between Madeline and Juno. What I didn’t care for, though, was the hint of a love triangle between Madelin, Juno, and Daniel. I felt that it wasn’t needed. Just my opinion but I felt that it took away from what Daniel was going through because of his feelings for her.
The end of the book was great. Some plots were wrapped up and others were not. I liked that the author left enough unsaid so that I need to read Part 3.
What I liked about To Kill an Assassin:
A) more depth added to characters
B) book kept me on the edge of my seat
C) Roger discovering what he could do with his new vampire skills
What I disliked about To Kill an Assassin:
A) Leodenin. He made my skin crawl in this book
B) the hint of a love triangle between Madelin, Juno, and Daniel
C) That’s it
I would give To Kill an Assassin an Adult rating. There are sexual situations (but no sex). There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
There are no trigger warnings for To Kill an Assassin.
I would reread To Kill an Assassin. I would also recommend it to family and friends.
I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review To Kill an Assassin.
All opinions stated in this review of To Kill an Assassin are mine.
**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**
The universe is much larger than people think—with worlds spanning into infinity and human kind evolving into everything from vampires to the unknown. Are you one of these unlucky few?
Madelin is, and the government black-op agency called PASTOR knows it. To free herself from their clandestine clutches, she will have to trust an unknown godfather… the only family she has left after the agency’s murderous tendencies. As she strives to overcome her medically induced amnesia, she and her newfound friends must test the limits of this world and break them. The government has secret plans for her future if she remains… but will the next world be any better?
My review:
I do not like serial novels. The reason I don’t like them is that I hate waiting for the next book to come out. I am not a patient person. I am kind of like Veruca Salt in Willie Wonka and theChocolate Factory. “I WANT it NOW” when it comes to books. But, if the books are compiled into a single book, then they are alright. To Kill a Priest, while a serial book, has episodes 1-9 under one cover.
To Kill a Priest starts off with an ex-mercenary finding a young woman dressed in a kimono. The girl has come out of nowhere. He makes a decision to help her. Meanwhile, a man has hacked into a government black op agency called PASTOR. This agency is responsible for murdering his best friend and his wife. They also have kidnapped their daughter, his god-daughter. He is determined to rescue her.
I enjoyed the fantasy aspect of this book. The author did a great job in explaining multiverses. He did an even better job of explaining how Madelin, Father Leodenin, and Jedd were able to open the rifts and travel between the dimensions.
I liked Madelin. I felt that she adapted to being able to open rifts pretty well. Considering that her first time was under duress. I liked the mental image that she used, a black rose. I did think that she was too trusting. I mean, she didn’t know Daniel from a hole in the wall and she went with him. But, she did turn out to be a very strong female character towards the end of the book.
The other main characters, Jedd, Roger and Daniel, each had their own tragic backstory. I didn’t see how the three men would figure into the book when they were separated by dimensions. But once they got together, they melded well together. They also melded well with Madelin. There were no awkward pauses in the book when they finally came together in the middle of the book.
I did like that the book was full of action and suspense. I don’t like it when guns or any sort of action are brought into books like this. But in To Kill a Priest, it went perfectly with the book. I also liked not knowing what was going to happen next. When I thought the author was going one way with the book, it went the opposite direction.
The bad guys at PASTOR. I couldn’t get over how evil Father Leodenin was. I do wish more was spent on PASTOR and exactly what tests they were running on the kids there. I am sure more will be explained in the next episode. The glimpse that the author gave was chilling. Seeing that Father Leodenin was once a test subject, I can only imagine what they were doing to the kids.
The last half of the book was a surprise. I did have my suspicions about Lord Alain and wasn’t surprised when Juno revealed the “big secret“. I was surprised at what happened at the end of the book. While I was expecting Madelin to do what she did, I wasn’t expecting who they brought, where they went and who followed them.
What I liked about To Kill a Priest:
A) Interesting mix of fantasy and suspense
B) Great storyline
C) Great main characters (and secondary)
What I disliked about To Kill A Priest:
A) The scene with Alain and Madelin. I wasn’t’ prepared for what he did
B) The scene where Roger was introduced. I winced for him
C) The beginning scenes where Madelin was being held captive by PASTOR
I would give To Kill a Priest an Adult rating. There is violence, language but no sexual situations.
There are trigger warnings for To Kill a Priest. They would be the beating of a woman, kidnapping, and rape (no graphic scene but talked about after the fact). If you are triggered by these, do not read the book.
I would recommend this book to family and friends. I would include a warning about the trigger warnings. This is a book that I would reread.
I would like to thank Weston Kincaide for allowing me to read and review To Kill a Priest.
All opinions stated in this review of To Kill a Priest are mine.
**I received a free copy of this book and volunteered to review it**
Alex’s ghostly visions can save lives. But can they stop a drug czar from disrupting the peace and harmony of Tranquil Heights?
Introduction by Scott Rhine, author of Jezebel’s Ladder For Alex Drummond trouble doesn’t come knocking, it kicks down the door and raids the refrigerator. War is brewing between moonshiners and a murderous drug kingpin. Cremated human remains are appearing everywhere. And now Alex’s family is in the middle of it all. To make matters worse, his son’s powers rival his own… as does his stubborn nature. Choices will be made. Laws will be broken. And morality will be questioned. Will Alex’s family survive the bloodshed?
Psychometric powers combine in this thrilling battle for survival in Weston Kincade’s final book in the A Life of Death trilogy. The future of Alex’s hometown is at stake… but sacrifices must be made.
Fifteen years of ritual sacrifices that began before Alex Drummond joined the force have become an anomaly in Tranquil Heights. For most residents, anger at the unsolved murders has turned to disappointment with the small police force. Now citizens hope this year’s sacrificial lamb won’t be one of their loved ones.
Alex Drummond’s ability to relive victims’ traumatic murders has not been enough. There are misguided links to Egyptian funerary rights, but without evidence and the murderer’s identity, no one outside of Drummond’s tight circle will believe him, let alone make an arrest and stop the vicious killings. After an anonymous tip, Detective Drummond discovers an annual visitor, a local who moved away years before with a similar flair for murder. He follows her to Washington DC after watching the woman burn her husband alive. His high school friend, Jessie Arturo, who settled in the large city after a failed baseball career, assists with the investigation. In such a large place, unsolved murders abound like cobwebs under abandoned guest beds.
September 20, the serial killer’s anointed date, is only days away. How has the murderer proven so elusive, even from Alex’s paranormal abilities? Is he in over his head, or can Detective Alex Drummond save the ghosts calling to him and decipher this network of brutal, ritual sacrifices before someone else is burnt alive?
Alex Drummond is a troubled high school senior with a checkered past, a broken home, and a surprising ability. When he touches items that murder victims held in their final moments, Alex relives the events in gruesome detail, seeing what they saw, thinking their thoughts, and even feeling what they felt. But who will believe a troubled teen, especially when the murders are so close to home and might reveal skeletons hidden for hundreds of years? Join Alex as he struggles to find his destiny, understand love, solve the mysterious murders within his small hometown, and speak for victims who can no longer speak for themselves.
