On My Reading Table

I’ve got a stack of books to read and review, some from my fellow authors (Dasef and Russell) at MuseItUp Publishing.

I'm looking forward to spending time on the beach and getting my reading done.

Yeah, like that’s going to happen. But I am going to try to get them done by the end of the year.

Here are the blurbs:

Missing Assumed Dead by Marva Dasef

Prejudice, suicide, murder, insanity. Just the everyday happenings in a remote town in the Oregon desert.

When Kameron McBride receives notice she’s the last living relative of a missing man she’s never even heard of, the last thing she wants to do is head to some half-baked Oregon town to settle his affairs. But since she’s the only one available, she grudgingly agrees.

En route, she and her rental car run afoul of a couple of hillbillies and their pickup in an accident that doesn’t seem . . . accidental. Especially when they keep showing up wherever she goes. Lucky for her, gorgeous Deputy Mitch Caldwell lends her a hand, among other things. Her suspicions increase when she meets the probate judge, and he tries just a little too hard to buy the dead man’s worthless property.

Kam probes deeper into the town’s secrets and finds almost no one she can trust. With Mitch’s help, she peels away the layers of prejudice, suicide, murder, and insanity. Kam must find out what really happened to her dead relative before someone in this backward little town sends her to join him.

And she thought Oregon was going to be boring.

The Tales of Abu Nuwas by Marva Dasef

Abu Nuwas is a teller of tales. He sits in the bazaar, hoping a passer by will give him a coin for a story. A poor spice seller, Najda, trades a packet of herbs for a story to lighten her mood. Her mother is very ill and has promised Najda in marriage to an old man. Abu Nuwas proceeds to tell of the adventures of a girl and her genie. Like Scheherazade before him, he halts the tale in the middle to tempt the girl to return for the rest of the story. Plus, of course, he always starts another to keep her coming back for more. The old story teller blends his tales to fit the spice girl's sadness, to lift her spirits. And in the telling, he gives her hope . . . and away to both heal her mother and avoid marriage to the old man.

Zarena by Rebecca Ryals Russell

When 14-year old Zarena wakes in someone else’s bed and hears voices in her head, she’s understandably terrified. So imagine her reaction when she steps out of the sleeping quarters into a magnificent Great Hall filled with priceless carvings, beautiful frescoes, and translucent-skinned beings in pastel robes. It doesn’t take long for her to find out she has somehow traveled overnight across the Megaverse to the home of a holy order called the Conscientia. Here she is to train to fulfill her destiny. Her mentor tells her about the Prophecy of Solsyl and her role as leader of the Vigorios, children demon slayers. But no one knows that her first taste of evil is only one new friendship away.

Warriors in Crossfire by Nancy Bo Flood

A YA historical novel, Warriors in the Crossfire looks at one boy’s experience of impending war – war fought by two nations, Japan and the U.S. – on the Pacific island of Saipan. The island’s families are caught in the crossfire of invasion. In order to survive, Joseph, the main character, must find a new understanding of being a warrior.

This novel provides a historical perspective on American involvement in the Pacific front during WWII, an aspect of American history seldom represented in children’s literature.

Warriors addresses important themes regarding survival of heart and spirit when family and culture are under attack. The novel is created through narrative but also includes verse and kanji, Japanese elements of writing.

The Elf Queen by Lyndi Alexander

When Jelani tries on a real glass slipper left lying on the sidewalk, it splits in half and out pours dozens of two-inch high creatures who scurry away into the shadows. As if that's not bizarre enough, she is soon approached by two men claiming (of all things) to be elves who need her help to rescue their queen.

If you've come across books for children, middle graders, or young adults that you want readers to know about, let me know.

Wish me luck with my reading and hope to be back next month with reviews!