Book Review - The Night Visitors by Carol Goodman

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Three people have their faith interlocked with each other during a winter storm. Alice is a victim of domestic abuse and flees from her current relationship. She is desperate to protect ten years old, Oren. He is an avid Star Wars fan and is seemingly wise beyond his years. He bonds instantly with Mattie, a social worker in her fifties. She lives in a huge run-down house in the middle of nowhere.  Mattie takes in the duo for the night as she has plenty of room. However, she doesn't mention that Oren reminds her of her little brother, who died over thirty years ago at the tender age of ten. As the storm progresses and traps them indoors, Mattie will soon to learn, she isn't the only one keeping secrets. And some secrets can't stay buried forever.

I thought the novel was an interesting read with a few unexpected twists in the end.  I was surprised that the novel had a few supernatural twists. I usually don't mind books that include supernatural elements but, I was expecting a story about abuse and survival, not a ghost story. Overall, it was a good read but, slow in some parts.

 **Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Clod Makes a Friend by David J. Pedersen + Giveaway

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Clod is a magnet for bullies because he is different than his classmates. He is bigger, clumsy and ugly along with having no magic. In a world where magic makes everything possible, Clod has no friends and has trouble getting along with other people.

Clod lives with his mother, Eidy in a small cottage where they barely have enough to survive.  One day after a visit from his teacher, Learned Yugen about an incident at school, Clod is more discouraged than ever. He takes to building a friend out of clay that his mother brings for him every day. One day, the clay girl, Ada comes to life and becomes friends with Clod but her confidence and courage get them both in trouble. Is Ada the friend Clod desperately needs?

The novel was a quick and fun read especially with the dynamics between Ada and Clod. There were portions of the book where I thought the sassy Ada would become another bully for Clod but I was happy when it turns out that they both needed each other. While I did enjoy the book, I wish the author went into a bit more details especially about the dark war and Clod's family. Overall, it was a fun treat to read and I look forward to reading other books by the author.

 **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

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Book Details:

Book Title:  Clod Makes a Friend by David J. Pedersen
Category:  Middle-Grade Fiction, 174 pages
Genre:  Fantasy
Publisher:  Odysia Press
Release date:  March 2018
Content Rating: PG (There is no bad language, but there is one "boss fight" scene.)

Book Description:

Best Friend Ever?

Bullies love to hate Clod. Not just because he’s bigger, clumsier, and uglier than his classmates - he’s also the only student in his school without magic. In a world where all magic is possible and everyone else is born with great gifts to do amazing things, Clod is alone.

Living with his mum in a broken-down cottage on barely enough, the only thing Clod has to play with is the clay she occasionally brings him. Bleak is an understatement. More than anything, Clod wants a friend. The only way that’s going to happen, is to make one himself.

After an angry visit from the worst of the bullies, his teacher Learned Yugen, Clod’s clay sculpture of a little girl comes to life and introduces herself as Ada. For a clay girl barely the size of his hand, she has more confidence and courage than he knows what to do with. Every adventure she leads him on gets Clod into trouble. She may be the friend he wants, but is she the friend he needs?

After many years, and too many pranks, Yugen becomes convinced that Clod is tainted by the evil slowly infiltrating the Kingdom of Pag. Especially when Ada isn’t the only one Clod can bring to life.

Clod Makes A Friend is a bittersweet fairy tale for all ages from David J. Pedersen, author of the Angst series of fantasy novels.

Meet the Author:

David J. Pedersen is a native of Racine, WI who resides in his home town Kansas City, MO. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. He has worked in sales, management, retail, video and film production, and IT. David has run 2 marathons, climbed several 14,000 foot mountains and marched in Thee University of Wisconsin Marching Band and written 4 fantasy novels. He is a geek and a fanboy that enjoys carousing, picking on his wife and kids, playing video games, and slowly muddling through his next novel.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook 

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Book Review - Christmas at Grey Sage by Phyllis Clark Nichols

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Maude and Silas deck out their adobe house with all the holiday trimmings that delight and thrill family and friends alike. Christmas at The Thornhills' Gray Sage Inn is always a day to remember until a tragic accident occurs. Now, Silas and Maude go on vacation during the holiday to escape the painful holiday memories. When Maude's best friend, Lily asks her to open the inn during the holidays for a group of eccentric travelers, she was hesitant to agree.

When the group of travelers arrives, they are surprised that Grey Sage Inn isn't decorated with Christmas decorations. After a snowstorm hits Santa Fe, the guests find themselves stranded and try to make the best out of the holiday as possible. Will Maude and Silas be able to heal and appreciate Christmas again?

The novel started with Maude's appreciation for Christmas; going into detail about her favorite decorations, traditions and moments. Then we get to meet the group of eccentric travelers and from there we find out why Silas and Maude don't celebrate Christmas anymore and the backstory of each traveler. I found the first few characters really boring and halfway towards the book, it finally picked up, but by then I was already over reading this book. It is a nice cozy reading novel for readers who loves Christmas stories, but this wasn't really my cup of tea.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

Book Review - Fatal Trust by Todd M. Johnson

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When Ian Wells took over his late father's law office, he wanted to move away from real estate and trust cases and  start working on criminal defense cases. He also take care of his mother who suffers from Alzheimer's and is struggling to keep the law practice afloat. A client with a trust case requests his services and offers to pay a hefty fee of two hundred thousand dollars for only a week of work.  Ian reluctantly accepts the job because of mounting bills but he soon learns that the case is not as easy as it seems. Why was Ian offered the trust deal? How does the client know Ian's family?

The novel was a quick read with an interesting story line. While, the novel had a few plot twists, the story was very predictable. I felt that the characters were believable and relatable which made me root for them. I also like that the novel moved at a good pace with enough action and suspense in between. A nice read on the subway for fans of legal suspense novels.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest opinion**