High Strung, A Glass Bead Mystery by Janice Peacock published by Booktrope Editions is an entertaining mystery. Jacqueline O'Connell, aka Jax, received a house and savings account from her Great-Aunt Rita Haglund. The only condition was that she live in the house in Seattle, Washington and be creative. The house was divided so one side was a rental unit. I gave it four stars.

 

She had a fluffy gray cat named Gumdrop who she thought had psychic powers. When her boyfriend Jerry came home and started bossing her around, she called the attorney and told him that she would move.

 

Val had moved in opposite where Jax lived in her Great-Aunt's house. She had her bead studio in the back of the house. She hadn't thought it was what she would be doing but she was happy.

 

"Val was forever after me to look nice and act pretty. Or was it look pretty and act nice? I could never remember. I wasn't particularly good at either--at least not at the same time."

 

Jax went to Tessa's Aztec Bead shop and came across Dylan McCartney there. "Dylan never seemed to be in a hurry and was always scruffy around the edges. That comes with being a 22-year-old guy. If he’d been in Southern California, I’d have called him a surfer dude. Here in the Pacific Northwest, his T-shirt, flip-flops, and threadbare jeans looked out of place. He never looked like he was cold, but I couldn’t wear so little without freezing to death when temperatures dipped to the 40s outside."

 

I received a complimentary copy from itunes. This did not change my opinion for this review.

Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/High-Strung-Glass-Bead-Mystery-ebook/dp/B01GIBQTFY

High Fantasy: (Book Three) (Sci-Fi LitRP...

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Jeff returns to continue with the series as narrator. Cool! I've grown to know the voices he's assigned the characters and enjoy the vast cast he can voice in a book with this many characters that speak. Totally mind blowing! It's great to hear. He also has Quantum's personality locked down, along with all the characters we've grown to enjoy. Another amazing job in vocals and audio.

Quantum likes a challenge, like trying to attack and kill with unconventional weapons in the loop. lol. Him and Aiden have a great friendship. I have enjoyed Aiden, aka Morning Assassin from the first book. I'm glad we get to carry on with many of the secondary characters that are created for in games. You wouldn't think they would have personalities, but goodness do they have them. And Quantum's interaction with them brings them to life.

Frances isn't as highly present in this story as previous one. But she still knows how to play Quantum in what needs to be done. In listening to the audio book, we can hear and get the feel of the excitement of Frances on the pain medicines in the hospital. And see her interact with Quantum in the real world. But with her accident and not diving into the loop it opens the opportunity for us to meet and interact with other members of The Dream Team. We do get to spend time with Zedic Woods. Zedic seems rather cool when we meet him. And he's in a band, which we get to "see". I like him thus far.

Oh, the FDA guidelines for foods and drinks. lol. This is terrible. The government regulates types of food and amounts one should eat. Quantum doesn't follow these guidelines and hears about it constantly. It's a continuous battle for him to get what he wants. It would get on my nerves too. I feel Quantum's irritation when he reads these emails as I'm irritated for him.

Other than fighting with the FDA, Quantum seems to be settling into real life. He's not as sassy. He seems to have found the balance in fighting in the Proxima worlds and living. We get to see Quantum interact with more people, and he does well.

I feel we get a closure to one piece of the story with Quantum. With his Proxima world he's lived in for eight years and finding Strata Godsick. This book also leaves open the next mission started here, finding Strata's son. We are left looking forward to the next book with plans of what they are to do.

**** April's Review **** 5 Dreams and Screams
Silicon Valley's rougher than it looks Being a scientist gives Lauren Taylor a purpose in life. At twenty-five, she's the CEO of a billion-dollar biomedical company, Paragon Laboratories. On the brink of a major discovery, Lauren lets nothing interfere with her work. The only thing she's not prepared for? Her overwhelming attraction to Gabriel Betts, the gorgeous and brilliant CEO of another Silicon Valley startup.

Billionaire Gabriel Betts is a successful scientist in his own right. He's made his way in the world by being an early adopter and never losing focus. Captivated by Lauren's brilliance and unselfconscious beauty, he's determined to win the reclusive female CEO over.

But what neither Gabe nor Lauren expect is the white-collar danger that's lurking in Silicon Valley... The danger that threatens not only their companies, but their very existence.

Loved everything about this book. The suspense left me guessing on what was going to happen next. Loved Lauren and Gabe. It like the two of them were meant to be. I really couldn't stand Clive. Can't wait to see what happens next. If you don't like cliffhangers then this book isn't for you? Thanks Netgalley for giving me the opportunity of reading this book.

Great Suspense

Coming from the UK, I don't understand the importance of high school girls wanting to be cheerleaders, but you don't need to know to enjoy this book.
Dakota has started high school and like a lot of girls her age wants to be on the Cheerleading squad. Unbeknown to her there is a sociopath, with their own agenda to get revenge on the school, starting on the cheerleaders.
Sydney has been Dakota's best friend throughout school, but with all the strange incidents going on, their friendship feels the strain.
Amanda is the new kid at the school, living next door to Dakota, they slowly become friends, but with her dysfunctional family and her dating Dakota's ex boyfriend, could she also be the sociopath.
Dakota has to start trusting her new friends and with a new boyfriend tries to find out who is after them.
The main characters are your typical teenagers with their own personal worries, cheerleading, boys, grades but with the added worry of who is going to die. Whilst reading this book, you will not stop yourself trying to guess who the sociopath is. The scenes involving them are written in their POV, which adds more suspense to this book and you know that they are playing with the students like a cat plays with a mouse.
I was surprised at the ending of this book, but is this the ending. No its not, with the author adding another twist, will we know.
This is another great start to the author's new series and the 2nd book is out soon.

Title:  The Life of Payne

Author:  Shelia E.Bell

Publisher:  Bonita and Hodge Publishing Group, Inc.

Series:  Book 2 Fairly High Series

Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean

Rating:  Four

Review:

 

"The Life of Payne" by Shelia E. Bell

 

My Thoughts......

 

"The Life of Payne" was really one read that was indeed not sweet.  Payden [Payne] was one fifteen year old freshman that had had been treated so horrible by his own mother.  With his mother being so mentally messed up with drugs and the way she treated all of her children especially Payne...all I can say is what a story this author gives the reader.  Thank God Payne had two friends Stunna and Marissa who seemed to be their for him if nothing else just to listen.  I must say that Payne's aunt and uncle were also their for Payne's brothers and sisters.  I do have some mixed feeling for this story because I don't think Payne's mom ever learned from this horrible situation.  Now, I don't want to tell

to much more of this story.  I will say that I was glad that in the end it seemed like the children would be truly taken care of.  Hopefully, Payne who really knew pain in his life would be able to listen to the advice of his uncle and not let all of past life affect him.  "Will God answer Payne's prayer and let him have a normal life, or will he always be destined to live a life of pain?" Well. I guess we can only pray that it will happen for these children.  This is one of those reads that will be with you long after the read.  I was definitely left shaking my head and saying wow what a read.