Lottie's Adventure: Facing The Monster, is an action-packed children's book written especially for ages 8 through 14. Children will enjoy this exciting read while also improving their reading skills. Twenty-nine chapters filled with twists and turns keep kids reading to discover the outcome.
Lottie, a lively ten-year old Hispanic girl, longs for something new and different in her life. Her summers up to this point have all been, more or less, the same. Then the arrival of a magical letter and a TV newscast transforms her vacation time in a high adventure.
​Her great adventure includes trying to relate to a cold, estranged, and rich grandmother, freeing a kidnapped ten-year-old African American boy from a locked room, hiding him in a safe place, and then fleeing with him from a kidnapper who is always just a step or two behind.

​Lottie's Adventure is a vibrant chapter book mystery for preteens that emphasizes the importance of intergenerational communication and love as well as the immense value of thinking beyond cultural stereotypes. To develop a new moral code or vision, both these elements are crucial. Perhaps the most striking quality of "Lottie's Adventure: Facing The Monster" is its powerful positive energy. Featuring a spunky 10-year-old Hispanic heroine, "Lottie's Adventure" keeps interest high and pages turning with exciting plot twists and turns and believable cliffhangers that just keep evolving. The author allows her characters to develop very naturally, with total authenticity. There are many excellent ideas embedded in the story, not the least of which is that people, even wise adults, can learn to admit they are wrong. "Lottie's Adventure" goes a long way towards building a viable alternative to prejudice, and for that and many other reasons, it is highly recommended juvenile reading for kids age 10 and up.
(Review from The Midwest Book Review)

​While reading Barbara Frances’ chapter book Lottie’s Adventure: Facing the Monster, I was swept back to the books of my childhood. A place where tweens helped each other and became heroes without the use of make-believe or magic brooms. Just plain old smarts, ingenuity, and integrity.
I was engrossed in the story of Lottie, a Hispanic girl, as she helped Charles Ray a black boy, who had been kidnapped escape and confront the bad guy, outsmarting him, while facing their own fears. The friendship that grew between the two was a lesson in how people all want the same things out of life regardless of their upbringing, race, or nationality.
It is a compelling and wonderful tale that I’d recommend to both adults and the tween alike.

​Soulless and exiled from Heaven the Dark Knights have not abandoned their duty. For millennia they’ve battled demons, protecting humankind from Lucifer’s servants. Less than a year ago hundreds of demons escaped Hell world-wide, stretching the Knights resources to their limits. Now they face the greatest challenge of all—discovering love.
Breanna Thorn spent the last ten years fighting demons with her twin brother Sam, and she’s damn good at it. But at twenty-three all she really wants is a normal life with dating, college and quiet. To balance the life, she wants and the life she has, Bree studies demons and other supernatural creatures in hopes of better understanding the enemy. When she meets fallen angel Bass, Bree encounters a complication she never saw coming love.
Bass’ persona of hedonism begins to crumble when he meets Breanna. She’s beautiful, intelligent, a kick ass fighter and the vessel for his immortal soul. He knows he’s no good for her but no matter how hard he tries to make Bree hate him; she keeps finding a way into his heart. He’ll do anything to keep her safe even if it means giving up everything he is.
After their parents are killed by monsters, demons, Sam Thorn focuses his life on protecting his sister and hunting the creatures that changed their lives. Now he finds himself swept up in a world where he’s surrounded by monsters and at risk of losing his sister—something he cannot, will not allow. When the rage burning inside him breaks free Sam finds he is a greater danger than the monsters he fears.
Hogart once walked the halls of Heaven, now he battles with voices in his head driving him further and further into madness. Being taken in by his fellow fallen angels, The Dark Knights, is both a blessing and a curse. Their energy quiets the demon within him but now he is permanently housed with the twins Sam and Breanna. The voices insist he kill them; his heart says otherwise. 

​I am an avid reader of paranormal and I would certainly recommend this book. The story is an intriguing spin on fallen angels and demons. I can’t wait to see where the author takes these fallen angels and their soul-keepers. Along with Bass' soul-keeper Bree we are introduced to Bree's brother Sam and a new fallen angel, Hogart. The character development is handled well and a little more complicated in this book as the characters are faced with self-doubt, PTSD and questions about their own future. More secrets and complications are revealed creating more questions and another mystery.

​Leah was a rebel. She chose to live her life outside the constraints of 19th century English society. She rebuked any parental control and chose to decide her own fate. From England to the Caribbean and then frontier America, she was loved by family and friends yet still had enemies. Sailing the seas with pirates lurking about helped chisel her character as she created a life of her own near the sea.
Explore the scenic countries with Leah and learn of the native cultures and taste their delicacies. As a mixed-race female, she placed prejudices under her feet and learned to recognize and accept love even if it was against the law.

​Wow, what an adventure! Admittedly, I’m usually not a big fan of these kinds of books (I tend to stick to the sci-fi and romance genres) but I decided to give “Cross-Ties” a chance and go into the read with an open mind, and I must say that it turned out to be a great decision. I could see early on, within the first few chapters, that the author is truly talented when it comes to weaving words into stories. The prose flows in a very smooth manner while conveying everything in very vivid way – I personally found it easy to visualize many of the scenes and also empathize and understand the feelings of Leah, the protagonist. I highly recommend ‘Cross-Ties’ to readers looking for a genuinely immersive and adventurous read. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future releases by Carolyn M. Bowen.

​"Our kids, my, my, Gracie, where did we go wrong? One marries God, another a Jew, and the last one, the devil!"

Texas, 1951. The Wolanskys—Grace, Bud and their three grown children—are a close-knit clan, deeply rooted in their rural community and traditional faith. On their orderly farm, life seems good and tomorrow always holds promise.

But under the surface, it’s a different story. Grace is beset by dark memories and nameless fears that she keeps secret even from Bud. Their son Andy has said no to becoming a farmer like his dad and, worse, fallen in love with a big-city Jewish girl. Youngest child Regina is trapped in a loveless marriage to an abusive, alcoholic husband. Even “perfect” daughter Angela’s decision to become a nun takes an unforeseen turn.

And then Ceil Dollard breezes into town.

Ceil—wealthy, sophisticated, irrepressible—is like a visitor from Mars. She’s a modern woman. She drives a car and wears pants. She blows away tradition and certainty, forcing Grace to face her fears and brave a changing world. Through Ceil, Grace learns about courage and freedom—but at the risk of losing Bud.

Barbara Frances’ sparkling, richly human novel takes you back to a time when Ike was president and life was slower, but people were the same as now. You’ll encounter a cast of characters storm-tossed by change, held together by love. Written with compassion, humor and suspense, Like I Used to Dance will charm you, warm you and even squeeze a few tears, from it opening number to the last waltz.

Vanna Karenina
5.0 out of 5 stars You'll Be Hooked on This Book
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After only a few pages I was hooked by Like I Used to Dance and Barbara Frances' gifts as a storyteller. She creates multidimensional characters who are so real that I found myself thinking about them in between sessions with the book, and she weaves a plot that is by turns suspenseful, funny, touching and gripping. Set in a rural Texas community more than sixty years ago, the book explores social, racial and family themes -- many of which continue to resonate today. But above all, it's a great read! It will take you places where you've never been, from a KKK meeting that is both sinister and pathetic, to a heartbroken man's encounter with a mystical fox. Barbara Frances writes with insight, compassion, full knowledge of the human heart, and lots of twists, turns and surprises. Highly recommended.

​When I decided to write this book on relationship, my wife Barbara was surprised and cautioned me by saying that she would not dare write such a book because it was such a varied topic with so many nuances. That scared me because she is certainly more qualified to write about relationship than I am. I hesitated for a while.
Most of my writing had been on housing, business, woodworking, even publishing, but nothing on relationship. It's an expansive topic and I wasn't sure if my information would be of real value. I considered that all my books are based on first hand experience and realized that even though I'm not an expert, I have a life time of experience in relationship. Based on that I felt able to contribute something helpful to some readers and I feel good about this book.

​Jackie Paulson

5.0 out of 5 stars Relationships that last a lifetime
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Relationships are not about competition between partners. It should be about giving and taking.
By A Benitez
Relationship: Notes On Love, Mutual Respect, Boundaries, Marriage, and Divorce by A William Benitez explores the subject of intimate relationship and probes how one can be in a wonderful relationship. This book contains ten insightful chapters:
-What Is Love
-What is a Good Relationship
-Fostering and Nourishing Relationships
-Harming Relationships
-Mutual Respect
-Boundaries
-Marriage
-Breakups and Divorce
-Helpful Tips
-Final Thoughts

The author did a fantastic job writing this book. In the first chapter he defines love, "a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person." If you have ever been in one then you know that it is a give and take in order to survive. Compromising is so important. It all depends on which stage of the game you are in. I am in my 40's so my experiences are different than those who are teenagers, whom could benefit from reading this book. They say that those that experienced it can give advice and tips of what they have learned to help you avoid tender mistakes. I especially liked the harmful relationships, mutual respect and boundaries chapters as I need to learn all of them once again. As a codependent it helps to keep me on track in my current relationships even if they are not love related, which includes friend, family and coworkers. Anyone could benefit from the helpful book with tips and thoughts of a personal experienced writer.

M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet
5.0 out of 5 stars IT MADE ME THINK AND TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT MY OWN ACTIONS
Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2020Mr. Benitez’s book RELATIONSHIP helped me take a long hard look at what I could do better in all my relationships and in particular those with my husband.
What part do I play in the issues that arise in our marriage on a daily basis?
I found this book extremely helpful and insightful too.

​Five Stars by Handyman
Get started in the right direction. I researched a lot of books on this subject before I chose this one, and I'm
glad I did.

A family member bought me some books on starting a business and they didn't really cover any of the information I was looking for. This business is a business however you sell yourself and your abilities, not a product made somewhere else by someone else in a rented space.
This book was informative and gave practical knowledge and experience that was easy to understand. I would recommend this book to those who are thinking about going out on your own, and those who already have...

A Down And Dirty Look At Big OilGwynn Reznick's life is shattered when her best friend and co-worker at Wilton Oil & Gas Company dies in a car crash. She doubts it was an accident. Her suspicion is confirmed when a private investigator, Ruben Dordi, shows up at her door. His team has discovered a trail of unusual deaths and disappearances among Wilton employees.
˃˃˃ Going To Work Becomes Very DangerousTo make matters worse, Gwynn is under constant surveillance by those responsible for her friend's death. But that doesn't deter her from getting involved in the investigation. Danger lurks in every corner of the Wilton Tower. One false move could turn a risky situation into a death trap.
˃˃˃ A Hard To Put Down ThrillerAs the investigation team digs deeper, they begin to unravel a sinister plot that threatens a catastrophic pipeline disaster. The story follows Gwynn as she delves deeper into the macabre machinations of people who are willing to kill for dollars, and in the process she learns things about herself that she’d never known.
Will they solve the crime before it is too late?

​Uvi Poznansky

5.0 out of 5 stars Even when I was scared, I didn’t want it to end
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Gwynn Reznick is shocked by the auto accident that took the life of her best friend and co-worker at Wilton Oil and Gas. Ruben Dordi, a PI, is hired by the girl’s grandmother to investigate her death. The suspicious circumstances lead Gwen and Ruben to examine other deaths as well as disappearances of Wilton employees. The closer Gwen comes to reveal the truth, the more she feels her own life is threatened, in a corporate world where the chase for money overrides human considerations and people have no qualms to kill for dollars.

In addition to the high-tech contemporary feel and the twists and turns of this gripping thriller, it also reveals an undeniable attraction forming between Ruben and Gwen, and their struggle not to yield to it, so as to keep a cool head. “He pretended to be engrossed in the document, waiting for Gwenn to fall asleep. Tonight, he’d sleep on the sofa since he felt vulnerable and didn’t want to take a chance on being tempted by her again.”

When all is said and done, Gwen says, “Being involved in this investigation has spurred something in me that I didn’t know existed. Even when I was scared, I didn’t want it to end.” Reading the book, that was how I felt, too.

M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet
5.0 out of 5 stars COULDN'T PUT THIS ONE DOWN - AND CAN'T WAIT TO DELVE INTO BOOK 2

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THE COST OF CRUDE – A GWENN RESNICK MYSTERY – BOOK 1 BY INGE-LISE GOSS, did something most books don’t do, it kept me reading till my eyes could not keep open, till my mind begged for sleep, but oh how I wanted to read on.
Right from the first pages, you are caught! As I read on, I became more and more enthralled with the characters and story. Mind you, I am not usually interested in the Oil and Gas industry, but even the descriptions included of pipelines, etc., managed to hold my interest, as they were important in the discovery of who were the bad guys.
I fell completely in love with the beautifully written, and well-defined characters as they entered stage left or just fell into your lap as the saying goes.
It is no wonder that Ms. Goss has been on both the USA Today and Amazon bestselling author list, she deserves every award and accolade if all her books are as great.
I can hardly wait to open book 2, The Cisco Bandits.

​Matt

5.0 out of 5 stars Packs a powerful punch~
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I decided to read this work as I, like many I know, harbor an interest in Tarot and Regression Therapy (Past Life experiences). The story has a few main characters, aside from `Brenda' whom is telling the story of Sand. I personally found that I enjoyed the spanned time-frame with historic events and Sand's view on them.
It opens in the present in the year of 2007 to set up the events that begin in 1958, beginning the story of Sand (Sandy) when she is four years old. Entries go back to the current time with Brenda, then back in time to Sand. They also touch back even further in time with Sand's dreams, and those identities that the characters embrace. It was very interesting to see how the paths crossed and the past caught up to the present and the effects.
While reading, it was interesting for me to see how I felt a bond with Sand on her view of the world. She seems to follow her own heart and mind and refuses to allow those in her life influence her. She is open with her thoughts and ideas with a few select friends, but only to a degree.
While it is summarized as `a story of betrayal and forgiveness', I felt there was so much more. The symbolism is quite apparent throughout the tale, and not just with what each Major Arana of the Tarot represents (for each chapter). There are awareness lessons that can be learned and applied by the reader in daily life if they so choose to see them. I found that I was very involved in this story as I was searching to connect the dots of the past and to see if peace within could be attained for the characters. A very great story that sweeps you along the way.

M. M. Bishop Award-winning author and poet
5.0 out of 5 stars THOUGHT PROVOKING LOOK INTO LIFE, DEATH, AND HUMAN NATURE
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Franki deMerle, wrote one of the most thought provoking books I have read in a long time. Deception Past made you think about society, history, and the tendency we as humans have of deceiving ourselves throughout our life. It covers birth, death, and reincarnation, leaving one wondering about life, death, and our purpose here on this earth. I highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in human nature or just interesting thoughts. Kudos to Ms. deMerle for her courage in taking on such a interesting subject.

​To walk with another person can be as mundane as putting on one's socks and shoes, or it can be a twisting, turning, life-changing journey into unknown territory. It can also be everything in between. My walk with Virginia was life changing. It was unexpected. It was challenging. It was frustrating and confusing. We had highs, and we had lows. Thankfully, it was also awe-inspiring and extraordinary.

Have you ever been a caregiver for a family member or a friend? Is it, perhaps, on the horizon of your life? Or maybe you cannot yet see the horizon. Make no mistake, it is not a question of love, whether to provide much needed and potentially long-term care. It is a question of necessity. Love, and devotion born out of love, are the firmly rooted footings on which you stand when providing this necessary care. Humor is the grab bar you grip tightly when the ground below you begins to shake or shift. Patience is paramount. I survived it, and you can, too. I believe I am a better person having had the experience.

My story is a true account of my caregiving experience with my mother-in-law. It lasted only a few short years and, in that time, carved such deep and permanent remembrances too good not to share. Some would ask, "why share something so personal?", and my reply would be, "why not?". Life is so much sweeter when shared with others. I hope you find comfort, a little guidance perhaps, enjoy a few laughs, and chew on some 'food for thought' as you journey with Virginia and I through the blessings and blunders of Caregiving!

​The Great Grocery Store Adventure
“She was full throttle and produce was flying in all directions.  It was like a bumper car nightmare.  And, of course, she was laughing.  I, however, broke out in a full sweat, trying to catch oranges, apples, onions, and tomatoes, knowing full-well someone, somewhere was watching all this chaos on security cameras.  I was sure we would be escorted out the door within minutes.  I guess security personnel were off that day because no one seemed to raise an eyebrow at our antics, not even other nearby shoppers.  Or maybe they did, but how would I have noticed?  I was too busy bobbing for apples!”

"Marta Moran Bishop’s The Between Times is a terrific allegory, until the sucker punch. You think you’re reading a dystopian story set in some future time. Then you suddenly realize Bishop is writing about right now. The Between Times is a period in which we still have a chance to save all we hold dear. Fail to marshal our collective powers, and we fail as a society, a culture, as a nation-state, and the beacon to the world that America has always been is snuffed, never to be reignited. 
Penned with all the visceral indictments of Sinclair’s The Jungle, we admire and pity Ben, fear for Jewell, grieve Roxanne, and loathe Mr. Horton and his kind. There is a cliffhanger ending that made me need to know more. Will the uprising in The Between Times save us? This series would make fascinating movies." (Robert Blake Whitehill, author/screenwriter, The Ben Blackshaw Series)

Cyrus Webb
TOP 500 REVIEWER
5.0 out of 5 stars In Book Two of THE BETWEEN TIMES author Marta Moran Bishop shows the power of standing together Verified Purchase
Author Marta Moran Bishop is someone I have followed for quite some time, her books have a way of not just tugging at your heart but getting you to think as well. In Book Two of THE BETWEEN TIMES we see the results of people being divided, pitted against one another by greed and personal agendas----and we see individuals like Jewell willing to risk it all to make a difference.

The book takes us into the darkness of the world for sure, showing us how things could take an even worse turn, but we are reminded that each of us have the ability to stand up for what we know to be right---and we are not alone. Jewell realized that herself, and though it can be scary the alternative is even worse.

Full of messages that do the reader well to consider when it comes to the choices we make and the impact we're having on the place we call home, THE BETWEEN TIMES: The Divide is our call to unite before it's too late.