Monday, November 18, 2024
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Uncaged Feature Author – Kristina Rienzi

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your book, Among Us?

Among Us is a new adult science fiction-based government conspiracy thriller set at the Jersey Shore. The main character, Marci Simon, lives a double life. She’s a conservative English professor by day and a controversial alien blogger by night. The story centers on a classified document that collides her opposing worlds in an explosive revelation of deadly secrets. Marci is forced to embark on an unstoppable quest to expose the truth, but is unprepared to battle the secret government agency hunting her down, determined to silence her forever.

Among Us is my debut audiobook. It was featured on Audible’s ACX University 2018 and is an Audible Editors Select pick in the thriller category for 2019.

Uncaged: You also have a series running, The Ensouled Series, can you tell readers more about that series? How many books are planned for this series or is it open-ended?

The Ensouled Series (Choosing Evil and Breaking Evil) follows a Jersey Shore girl, Serafina Murano as she struggles with a paranormal identity crisis. Dark, deadly secrets and gut-wrenching betrayal haunting her since childhood unfolds over the two stories. Serafina is faced with impossible decisions and must ultimately decide who is the worse enemy: evil or humanity. Her choices will change her, and perhaps the world, forever.

The series is technically open-ended. However, I’ve started a third book and I hope to finish and publish it at some point soon.

Uncaged: What are you working on now that you can tell us about?

I’m currently writing a new adult paranormal thriller, Unleash the Wicked, set in a fictional town at the Jersey Shore. It follows Mitzi Everson, a Manhattan socialite who is forced to move back to her mysterious seaside hometown of Tidal Falls. There, she faces her tragic past and unwittingly unleashes a deadly centuries-old curse intent on total destruction.

Read the rest of this interview in the issue below

Kristina Rienzi is a Jersey Shore-based new adult thriller author and certified professional coach. An introvert who dreams beyond big, Kristina encourages others (and herself) to embrace the unknown through her stories. When she’s not writing, Kristina is spoiling her baby girl, wrangling her two fur-babies, watching the Hallmark Channel, singing (and dancing) to Yacht Rock Radio, or rooting for the West Virginia University Mountaineers. She believes in all things paranormal, a closet full of designer bags, the Law of Attraction, aliens, angels, and the value of a graduate degree in psychology. Her debut audiobook, Among Us was featured on Audible’s ACX University and chosen as an Audible Editors Select pick.

KristinaRienzi.com

Among Us
Kristina Rienzi
SciFi Thriller

Danger lurks in the unknown…

Marci Simon lives a double life: conservative English professor by day, and controversial alien blogger by night. But when a classified document lands in her lap, her two worlds collide in an explosive revelation of shocking and deadly secrets.

Despite imminent danger at every twist, Marci embarks on an unstoppable quest to expose the terrifying truth. Only she never anticipated the entangled nebula of dark lies, nor the never-ending wormhole the government would spiral through to silence her forever.

Knowledge can kill.

And Marci knows too much. With global security at risk, no one can be trusted. To debunk the stratosphere of deceit, Marci races at the speed of light to escape the grips of the clandestine Extraterrestrial Security Agency (ESA) hunting her before she vanishes like all the others. But Marci is unique. Despite being the ESA’s prime target, she’s also the skeleton key to the deadliest truth in the history of the universe.

The nightmare is real, and it’s only just begun. Marci must take a nefarious leap of faith before her options, and her breaths, evaporate into a black hole for all eternity.

Chapter 1

1968
Six foot four with a buzz cut and two stars on his shoulder, Major General Lou Rollins hopped into the mud-covered all-terrain vehicle. Strapped with every weapon and tool a military man on an alien hunt might need, he revved the crappy government engine. Easterly wind lifted pinpricks of rain droplets left behind from last night’s rainstorm. They found their home on Lou’s face. No waiting for them to evaporate. Passivity was for civilians. He shook the spit-like water off and hocked a loogie to send a message. Don’t mess with an armed man on a badass far out mission.

Lieutenant General Dowd’s leathery face flashed before Lou’s mind’s eye.

He grunted. An invisible scar where Army-career-suicide had pressed the barrel of an M14 to his temple niggled at him. His credibility was about to bleed out on the side of Highway 35. And it was worth every AB+ pint.

Lou unrolled the coffee stained map from the passenger’s seat. He pulled it taut until the wrinkles disappeared. Sliding the tactical flashlight from his belt, he turned the illumination on. Thin paper appeared translucent against the darkness. He traced his finger along the route from where he was to where he needed to be. His sense of direction was stellar. Lou was a human compass, reading the stars to find his way at night. The map verified his hunch. Due west. He crumbled the sheet and tossed it on the floor. No stinking wood fibers would make a bit of a difference. It was time to trust his gut. And the universe.

He pressed the gas and plodded along the uneven land. If evidence of those bastards existed, he’d damn sure be the one to find it. He didn’t give a rat’s ass if it was those little gray men. Shit. He’d take anything inhuman with or without a heartbeat, whether they had hearts or not. He meant anything. The green kind. The reptile kind. The insect kind. The kind he hadn’t yet imagined. Not because he was crazy. But because they existed. Any quantum physicist worth his PhD would agree. Tonight was Lou’s one shot to prove to those pompous assholes whose butt cheeks were sewn together that they didn’t corner the market on intelligent life in the universe. Not a chance in holy Hell.

White-knuckling the steering handles, Lou slammed his size twelve boot on the gas pedal. His two front tires barely jumped before landing back on the marshy ground with a splash. Mission-popping-a-wheelie-for-kicks had failed. The damn UFO had crashed in the worst possible spot—three miles from the ocean, knee deep in the wetlands after an East Cost deluge bordering on a tsunami.

His pulse quickened. Sure as shit…a futuristic, disc-shaped invader belonging on the other side of the universe could be taking a nap in his backyard. The urge to yell Yee Haw nearly took over. He threw his shoulders back instead. No mountain man here.

Strictly highbrow Army all the way. Although his deviant shadow self disagreed.

Read the rest of the excerpt in the issue below

Uncaged Review: The Dark One: Dark Knight by Kathryn Le Veque

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Dark One: Dark Knight
Kathryn Le Veque
Medieval Romance

1486 A.D. – Fresh from his treacherous turning of the tides against Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth, Sir Gaston de Russe’s reputation is dark and dirty. Those loyal to Richard hate him and those loyal to Henry Tudor fear him. He is, after all, The Dark One.

In order to gain a strong foothold in Yorkshire, Henry sends Gaston to one of the largest fortresses in the north, a massive bastion called Mt. Holyoak Castle. Having formerly belonged to Sir Guy Stoneley, who is now a prisoner in the White Tower after his capture at Bosworth, the castle is still the home to Guy’s wife, Remington, her three sisters, and her son.

Gaston takes possession of Mt. Holyoak, pleased with his acquisition and intrigued with Lady Stoneley. Beautiful, somewhat shy and demure, Gaston soon comes to find out that Mt. Holyoak harbors a horrible secret of rape and abuse. Guy Stoneley abused his wife and sisters, so much so that the women look to Gaston as their savior for taking Mt. Holyoak from Guy. As Gaston struggles to administer the North and form alliances with those still loyal to Richard, something more is taking place that threatens to distract him from his task. The lure, the power, is more than he can resist.

A strong bond is forming between the knight believed to be the ultimate traitor and the lady who has known nothing but sorrow and horror. And with that realization, a delicate love story begins as two lonely people find solace and comfort with each other. Gaston soon realizes he loves Remington more than anything, which sets the stage for the biggest battle of his life: the fight against the Catholic Church in his quest for an annulment so he can marry her.

Join Gaston and Remington as they embark on an epic adventure of discovery, love, anguish and sorrow, defeat and victory. From the hills of Yorkshire to the halls of London, share their story of a lifetime where dreams become reality and true love really does conquer all.

Uncaged Review: Honestly, I’m not sure I can
give this book the justice it deserves from a
review. It’s that epic. Before I get into that, I will
say this made me want to go back and re-read
Dark Moon, which is the book that comes after
this one in the series that I had already read.
That’s one of the best things about this author
and her different series, you can read them in any
order and not be lost. Now, on to this review.
It’s hard to know where to begin, this book has
a lot of information in it. And even though it is
around 700 pages, there is not a lot of fat in the
book. This is truly a masterpiece. The action
sequences, many instances of danger but many
more of laughter and love. There is also talk of
past rapes and abuses – just as a word of warning.
Our main hero in this book is Gaston, the most
feared knight in all the realm and the author does
not hold back with Gaston. He’s earned his reputation
and you get to witness it pretty quickly in
the book. Remington is the beautiful wife of Guy
Stoneley, who is kept in jail by crimes against the
crown. Guy raped and abused Remington and her
younger sisters for 9 years, so they never knew
the tenderness and love of a man, only pain and
hate.

Gaston is given Mt. Holyoake, Stoneley’s castle
and fortress by the King as both a reward and to
keep the peace in the region. Remington, her sisters
and the staff are still living at Mt. Holyoake and
don’t know if they will be able to continue to live in
their home, or be kicked out by the Dark One. Remington
is caught off guard by Gaston, seeing him for
more than his reputation, and when the bond begins
to form between Gaston and Remington – it will be a
hard, hard road to their HEA.

I cried several times reading this, but I also clapped
and squealed. There was even a time I wanted to
jump in the book and slit someone’s throat myself,
well maybe more than once. Kathryn Le Veque pulls
her readers into the story – you never feel like you are
only reading, it’s one of her magical abilities. I can’t
really go into this book, it would take longer and
more room than designated for reviews and I could
never do the book the honor it truly deserves. As long
as Kathryn Le Veque keeps writing…I’ll keep reading.
Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: House of Ash & Brimstone by Megan Starks

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

House of Ash & Brimstone
Megan Starks
Urban Fantasy

Hell has come to collect…

…but Gisele Walker has no plans to pay the debt.

As a half-demon paranormal bounty hunter, Gisele is used to flirting with death, but stealing a curio and opening a portal to Hell’s demon court is more than your average day job.

Now, she’s partnered with an infuriatingly handsome demon, Shade, who has more levels of grey than she can count.

Who can she trust to help save the city as Baltimore burns to the ground and ghouls roam the streets?

With a white-hot attraction burning between them and secrets blocking their path, Gisele must face her past and venture into the twisted heart of the demon royal court.

But with no memory of her past…

…will she be able to save their future?

Uncaged Review: I read a lot of urban fantasy, so I’m always looking for something new to sink my reading chops into and this one was a good start to a new series. It wasn’t perfect, but after it got past the halfway point, I read straight through to the end.

As for the characters, I really liked Shade and Beast, and GiGi is a bit of a wild card for me. I didn’t hate her, but I didn’t agree with a lot of her decisions and rash actions. I think she’ll grow on me in future installments. The plot was action packed, and even though the world building could be a bit better, it was still a very interesting take on the demon/angel world that I haven’t read before. I am definitely onboard for book two. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Feature Author – Jewelz Baxter

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Uncaged welcomes Jewelz Baxter

Uncaged Can you tell us more about your series, Voodoo Troops MC? What inspired this series for you?

The Voodoo Troops MC is an outlaw motorcycle club who, from their origin, have been well known for their female entertainment for hire. One by one the club members meet strong women who change their view on life and club business. When the entire series is finished you will see the transformation from outlaws to family-oriented men.

The storyline and character descriptions for Brick Solid came from a single picture I came across of a couple next to a Harley on the cover of a motorcycle magazine. It caught my interest and immediately questions came to mind. This model is more polished than most biker models. How did she end up with such a rough 1%er? What made this tough guy step into the picture? After the photo, did they still look at each other like that? I took that one scene and ran with it.

It began as a single book, but by the end of the original manuscript two distinctive stories were being told. I decided to split it into Brick Solid and King Loyal. Characters continued to talk to me. I continued to write. The series was born.

Uncaged: How many books are you planning on for this series, or is it open-ended?

Brick Solid has nine club members. I plan on each of them getting their own happy ever after. But at the moment, I only have seven of the stories outlined or written.

Uncaged: What are you working on now that you can tell us about?


I am editing book four of the series. The club’s vice president discovers love has been right in front of him. She’s part of the club family, therefore off limits. Neither of them can deny their feelings which brings chaos to the club.

I’m also working on my first stand-alone contemporary. It’s been in the back of my mind for a while. Recently it has become so often in my thoughts that I have chosen a cover and written the blurb. Hopefully you will see it early 2020.

Read the rest of this interview in the issue of Uncaged Book Reviews below

Jewelz Baxter lives with her husband in Louisiana near their children and grandchildren. She values her family and loves supporting their grandchildren’s sports and hobbies.

Over the years Jewelz filled notebook after notebook with stories in her spare time. With her husband’s encouragement, she shared those stories and received positive responses from others; prompting her to follow her dream and take the plunge of publishing.

When not writing or spending time with family she can be found on a Harley exploring the backroads with her husband. Jewelz has her own bike but confirms there is nothing like being on the back seat wrapped around her man.

Brick Solid
Jewelz Baxter
Contempoary MC Romance

Jethro “Brick” Jackson has made a name for himself as the Voodoo Troops Sergeant at Arms. He is solid and unforgiving. A force. He learned at a young age to trust no one. Especially women. He has no use for them and has no problem using them for a profit. That is until the face that haunts his dreams is brought to the clubhouse to be auctioned.

Nealy Ann Kinman left the city to flee a demanding and unfulfilling life. Strong willed and confident, she likes being in charge of her own life. Only now she has lost control and finds herself in a dangerous situation.

Will Brick break the rules to save her?
If he saves her will he be able to let her go?

Excerpt

Chapter Four

Nealy emerged from the building. She paused and took a deep breath. Closing her eyes, she lifted her face toward the warmth of the sun and allowed the breeze to blow her insecurities away. Her hair and makeup reflected her personality now. She felt more like herself and at ease. The dress she wore was short and clung to her like a second skin emphasizing her larger than average curved hips, tiny waist, and ample top. A beautiful emerald green. Her shapely legs looked longer with the length. And four-inch heels didn’t hurt. Black pumps and bracelets topped off the look.
Brick stood just outside the door scanning the grounds. He turned at the sound of the door. He stared. For the first time he could ever remember, he was stunned: at her beauty, at his reaction, at his thoughts, at his feelings.
She went to him, held her arms out and spun. “Well?”

He nodded only once. His hand found her back and gently guided her around the building to a Harley parked near the building where few gathered.

A Fat Boy sat between a tree and the building. Metal motorcycle and oil advertisement signs covered the wall.

Nealy looked it over and around the space where they stood. To her, this looked very photogenic. She liked his choice.

“Anything I should know? Like what I can or cannot touch or do on the motorcycle?” “All yours. Can’t hurt it.” She nodded.

He stood arms folded. His eyes focused on her.
“Are you okay now? Last I saw you…” Her words trailed off as she looked to his side.

“All good.”

She smiled and opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted.
“There you are.” Sly and his associate skirted the corner of the building.
Brick backed away.

“What do you want?” asked Nealy.

“Just work your magic baby. Love the backdrop. And private,” he winked.

She shuddered. Inhaling deeply, she turned to Brick and relaxed blowing out that breath.

“Let’s do this.”

Her photo shoot began well. Nealy was comfortable and quickly fell into her groove. Brick stood back and watched. Soon a small crowd gathered. Cat calls could be heard occasionally from the spectators but she seemed to ignore them.

So did Brick. As long as nothing insulted Nealy he was good. He was so focused on her he had not noticed his brothers next to him.

“Beautiful. What have you got for me next, baby?” The photographer prompted as he lowered his camera.

She moved to the tree, picked up denim shorts she had placed behind it, and pulled them on under her dress keeping modest.

“Booooo!”

“Show us what ya got!”

“Take it all off.”

Whistles and more calls sounded from around her.

Removing the dress, then her shoes, she dropped them by the tree and stepped back to the bike. She glanced toward Brick when she heard whistles and approval from the crowd.

He nodded.

Nealy didn’t understand the need for his approval. She only knew it calmed her the same time it excited her with a warmth that was unfamiliar. It also encouraged her to continue. With a snug fitting top that was hidden under her dress, short denim cut-offs, and bare feet, she impressed the camera again.

“Know you’re cursed now. There’s a babe on your bike,” King slapped Brick’s shoulder.

“He may never ride it again.”

Read the rest of this excerpt in the issue of Uncaged Book Reviews below:

Uncaged Review: Ward by Kyle Waller

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Ward
Kyle Waller
Dystopian

Up The River? Or Down In The Dirt? 

Summary Execution has become the preferred fate in a place where even angels fear to tread. Those unwise who elected for prison or are deemed unworthy of a quick death are condemned to The Ward, the former capital-city-converted-city-prison of Sacramento, California.

Among the Grim Reapers coming in the forms of smiling rib cages and riding out the eleventh-hour, cannibal-afflicted Vikings, a Roman-inspired death cult, and a paranoid Mafia Syndicate, wage an ever cascading campaign of annihilation against one another. 

It is in this war-ravaged tomb, where the Angel of Death and Tango Primary Five are destined to meet. 

With darker forces at play seeking to destroy any last hope of salvation, Tango Primary Five and the Angel of Death are left with no alternative: 

Unite The Ward…  or choose a side.

Prepare to enter a dystopian world where mental illness waits in the darkness to have a real conversation with you.

Uncaged Review: If you are a dystopian genre fan, you may like this one. What it’s not: a zombie book, or a book like Divergent or Hunger Games. Supernatural monsters like vampires and werewolves aren’t going to rise out of the destruction of the earth and it’s not an “easy” read. This is a hard-hitting, semi-realistic book that is more Escape from New York than it is The Walking Dead. San Francisco has been turned into a full city prison, and it’s here where they have to survive. And it’s definitely not a romance in any shape or form.

If you like a book that makes you think, makes you search for clues and watch for the subtlety of mental illness that is woven into the book, this book would be right up your alley. Since it’s a bit of a rougher read, it does seem to slow the book down a bit. I haven’t heard of a sequel happening for the book, but it left off where it could easily go in either direction.
Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Feature Author – Nesa Miller

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about your Blood of Kaos series? How many books are you planning for the series?

Blood of Kaos revolves around Etain Rhys, who at age fourteen, witnessed the brutal murder of her family. Torn from a world of childish innocence, she runs for her life only to find herself plunged into the realm of the Alamir, human warriors infused with powerful magic. Thinking of them as a fabrication of her father’s imagination, she realizes she must learn to live among them and face her own Alamir legacy. The story follows her struggles and victories as she creates a new life for herself, growing from girl to young woman to experienced warrior.

I originally planned for 7 books, but Book 4 has proven to be more of a challenge so, at this point, it could be 8 or 9. It all depends on my characters.

Uncaged: What are you working on now that you can tell us about?

I am working on Book 4 in the series, which will be out sometime next year. I’m also working with an artist on an audio version of Alamir, the first book in the series, due in April 2020.

Uncaged: You moved from the U.S. to England – has that transition influenced your writing? Do you get back to the U.S. at all?

Living in England has certainly changed my perspective. I’ve learned a lot about English life, which I hope has given the story a bit more credibility since the first part is set in Wales. I’ve actually visited the castle ruin of Laugharne in the south of Wales. In the beginning, it was just a black & white picture on the internet. It was mind blown seeing the actual castle in real life!

We don’t get back to the US as often as we’d like. Although my husband is English, he loves it over there, too! We’re hoping to visit my family later this year.

Read the rest of the interview in Uncaged Book Reviews – Issue linked below.

I’m just a little ole Texan living in the motherland – England – with my English husband. I moved here several years ago, leaving all my family & friends back in Texas – parents, brother, 2 daughters, 1 son, 2 talented grandsons & 2 charismatic granddaughters. I never realized just how different it would be. I’ve learned a lot and seen so many fantastical places. Places I would’ve never seen had I stayed in Texas.
Alamir is the first book in the Blood of Kaos series. It’s a story that developed from an online gaming community I belonged to many years ago – Superdudes. Sounds kind of corny, I know, but it was the most tight knit online community you could ask for. We played games, we argued, we fought, we loved, and we made lifelong friends. We were, and still are, family.

ladyofkaos.com

Flesh and Bone
Nesa Miller
Fantasy Romance

Two swords stand in a pool of blood.
A ring is found amidst a pile of ashes.
Dar is missing after a battle against the Bok.
Etain hasn’t been seen since leaving the Elven city of Nunnehi.
They are the defenders’ strongest warriors.
Without them, how can the Alamir defeat their greatest enemy?

Excerpt

I couldn’t save her. Nothing I did. Nothing I said. None of the gifts I gave her – ring, sword, cloak, my name, even my blood – proved strong enough to overcome her most dangerous enemy. Me.

Midir was right when he said I didn’t deserve her. Her light illuminated the world and warmed the coldest of hearts. Her determination inspired us all. She made me a better man, showed me how to feel again. She saved my life.
Now she is gone. Murdered by my own hand.

I repeatedly ask myself why? Why was she there? How was it possible for her to be right behind me, right…behind…me, and not feel her presence? Was I too caught up in the bloodlust? Did my need to kill the flame-headed demon cloud my senses?

Everything has turned to dust.

My sweet Etain, a chuisle, please forgive me.

All that’s left to do is prepare. Let the demon’s abuses to my flesh purify my soul, cleanse me of the evil that darkens my heart. I didn’t deserve her love, but she loved me all the same. Once I am purged, I know her beautiful soul will find mine and take me home.

Uncaged Review: A Change in Tide by Freya Barker

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

A Change in Tide
Freya Barker
Contemporary Romance

What impact would it have when everything suddenly faded to black?

For Mia, a crowded subway ride changes her entire life. Retreating to the wilderness helps her cope with a world that is suddenly too loud, too turbulent.
Her existence safely contained to the small cottage on the lake, she is unprepared for the neighbor that moves across the bay

A career-ending injury has Jared permanently benched. His reputation as The Enforcer won’t survive the unanticipated responsibilities awaiting him.
Away from the public eye, he adjust to his new reality, under the quiet observation of the intriguing hermit on the other side of the water.

Uncaged Review: Mia is trying to live a quiet life, with obstacles from a form of PTSD that she suffered after the big blackout – that changed her life on a crowded subway. Trying to live quietly in a cottage near a lake, in the rural area, she’s lost everything. Her career, her husband, her freedom, all from not being able to control the panic attacks when in loud, crowded places.

Jared, a famous ex-hockey player moves in across the lake, disrupting her quiet life. Circumstances push the two of them together, and along with Jared’s little sister, Jordy and her baby Ole, Mia life will never be the same. Whether it’s enough – remains to be seen, and read.

This is a great book and the author does a great job bringing the reader into the story. This is a sexy & fun book and you may need a tissue box for this emotional book, and the characters are perfectly human. Don’t miss this one. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Feature Author – Maggie Dallen

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Uncaged: You write in a wide variety of genres, from historical to young adult and romantic comedy. The one common theme that connects them all is romance. Can you tell us a bit more about your latest book, Charming the Runaway Duke?

I do write in several subgenres of romance, but whether they are contemporary rom-coms, high school love stories, or historical regency romps, all of my books tend to be lighthearted and sweet. Charming the Runaway Duke is a perfect example of that style. A regency Christmas novella, it’s a feel-good romp that I hoped would be a quick escape for readers during the hectic chaos that surrounds the holidays.

Uncaged: You recently released a young adult book, Playing the Enemy – which is set as book one in a series. Can you tell us more about that book? How many books are you planning for that series?

Playing the Enemy is the first of a multi-author YA project. The series, The Trouble with Tomboys, is now complete with three books, although the other authors and I are already plotting a spinoff series in that same world. This was such a fun project to work on! Each heroine in the series is a skilled athlete trying to find her place in the world (and in her high school.) I love writing strong, confident female characters and these heroines are as feisty as they come!

Uncaged: What are you working on now that you can tell us about?

So many projects! I’m launching three new series in early 2020. The first is a sweet small-town rom-com series starting with Fake Dating the Unsuspecting Heiress. For YA romance, I’m getting ready to release my first interconnected duet, which has been a whole new challenge for me. The first book, Charming the Cheerleader, goes live at the end of January. For historicals, I’ll be launching a new series called School of Charm in May.

Read the rest of the interview in the issue of Uncaged Book Reviews below

Maggie Dallen is a big city girl living in Montana. She writes adult and young adult romantic comedies in a range of genres. An unapologetic addict of all things romance, she loves to connect with fellow avid readers.

maggiedallen.com

Charming the Cheerleader
Maggie Dallen
Young Adult/Romantic Comedy

Will the new guy in school be the one to win the bet and thaw the ice queen? Maybe. But only if he doesn’t fall for her first.

Conner and his stepsister are new to town, new to Talmore High, and very new to this whole step-sibling situation. As of three weeks ago they were only children…and now? Well, now their parents’ newly wedded bliss is wreaking havoc with both of their lives. 

Not that Conner is worried. He might be the new kid but he’s never had a problem being the big man on campus. Until now. No one at this school seems to have gotten the memo that he’s beloved. The girls aren’t swooning and the guys are looking for any excuse to kick his butt back to California. When his stepsister throws out the challenge, it’s a no brainer. If he can make head cheerleader Rosalie “The Ice Queen” Farlow fall at this feet, he’ll have it all.

But then again, if he wins the bet…he’ll lose her. And what’s the use of having it all if he loses the only thing that matters? 

Excerpt

If I’d thought my day might turn around with some greasy cafeteria food and a whole lot of stares and attention from my peers, I was wrong. True to his word, Lars had fetched me from class and led me to the cafeteria, sitting next to me at a table in the back.

Great, not only was I the new kid, I was now the new kid who was friends with the class loser. That was the only explanation for why Lars found a spot in social Siberia and why no one came over to join us.

But that was fine. I mean, Lars might have been an odd duck—no, scratch that. He was definitely an odd duck, no ‘might have beens’ about it. His big bulging eyes were too interested, too eager, too…excited. Like I was his shiny new toy and he couldn’t wait to dissect me and check out my innards.
He was kind of creepy, to be honest.

What had my life become that I’d gone from the king of my former to school to this?

But whatever, it was just a matter of time, right? I’d never started over at a new school before but my bet was, this was totally normal. To be expected, really.

I was ignoring Lars’ neverending questions and eyeing the cafeteria trying to get a sense for the social hierarchy when I spotted Harley hovering with her tray near the front of the line, eyeing the crowded room like she was about to forge into battle.

I raised a hand and flagged her down. Relief flickered across her features before she clearly remembered that she didn’t like me.

That was fine. Join the club.

Uncaged Review: Unkept Promises by Jude Knight

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Unkept Promises
Jude Knight
Historical Regency

She wants to negotiate a comfortable marriage; he wants her in his bed

Naval captain Jules Redepenning has spent his adult life away from England, and at war. He rarely thinks of the bride he married for her own protection, and if he does, he remembers the child he left after their wedding seven years ago. He doesn’t expect to find her in his Cape Town home, a woman grown and a lovely one, too.

Mia Redepenning sails to Cape Town to nurse her husband’s dying mistress and adopt his children. She hopes to negotiate a comfortable married life with the man while she’s there. Falling in love is not on her to-do list.
Before they can do more than glimpse a possible future together, their duties force them apart. At home in England, Mia must fight for the safety of Jules’s children. Imprisoned in France, Jules must battle for his self-respect and his life.

Only by vanquishing their foes can they start to make their dreams come true.

Uncaged Review: A historical regency that is unlike the regency norms you find today. This is the first book I’ve read by Jude Knight, and I really like her writing style, her attention to the smallest things and her character building. This book held my interest from start to finish, and it had just enough suspense to keep it interesting. I think some of it defies belief of the era, but Mia isn’t concerned about how society sees her and fights for both the children and for her husband. There are a few things that are a little unbelievable for the time period, but the author weaves in enough suspense and a dash of danger to keep the reader turning the pages.

In the end, it comes together well, but it’s a fight to get there. I do look forward to reading more from this author. Reviewed by Cyrene

4.5 Stars

Uncaged Feature Author – Sherry A. Burton

By
Cyrene Olson
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Uncaged: Can you tell readers more about the Orphan Train Saga series? How many books are you planning on for this series?

Between 1855 and 1929, there were over 250k children sent west from New York and Boston to find new homes. Children most people haven’t heard about. My books are historical fiction. The children in my books are fictional, and I use history to tell their tales. I introduce seventeen of the eighteen children in Discovery-book one-which tells Mileta;s story. Each book after that will tell about the life of one of the children. The reader will follow the child from their earliest memory, find out what caused them to be orphaned, living on the streets or in the asylum. They will journey with the children on the train and follow them as they grow. This series is void of swearwords and graphic content; however, it is not YA, the children grow up, and there are real-life situations. With that said, I have received e-mails from children as young as nine, letting me know they are enjoying reading this saga.

Uncaged: Are you planning on any in-person events in 2020?

I have numerous signings and lectures scheduled for next year and adding more all the time. So far, I have signings scheduled in Michigan, Kentucky, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Ohio. Some events are at craft shows, lecture venues, and organized multi author signing events. I go anywhere I can to meet and make new fans. My signing schedule is on my website and updated frequently.

Uncaged: What are you working on now that you can tell us about?

I am currently working on Franky’s story-the fourth novel in The Orphan Train Saga which is expected to be released in June of 2020.

Uncaged: Past or present, which authors would you love to sit and have lunch with and why?

Diana Gabaldon, I’ve met her twice and she is beautiful inside and out. I believe I could learn a great deal from her. Laura Ingalls Wilder, I grew up reading her books and would love to tell her how much those books ment to me. Charles Loring Brace, Mr. Brace was the man behind the Placing Out Program which sent the children out west via the orphan trains. I have so many questions for him.

Read the rest of the interview in the link below for Uncaged Book Reviews

Born October 18th, Sherry was raised in the small town of Fairdale, a suburb of Louisville, Kentucky. Since eloping with her now-retired Navy husband to Tennessee in the wee hours of the morning on December 30, 1980, Sherry has lived in Kentucky, California, South Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Virginia, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Pennsylvania. Living in different areas and meeting new people from vastly different regions has been a unique gift she is grateful for.

Sherry got her start in writing by pledging to write a happy ending to a good friend who was going through some really tough times. The story surprised her by taking over and practically writing itself. What started off as a way to make her friend smile started her on a journey that would forever change her life. Sherry readily admits to hearing voices, and is convinced that being married to her best friend for thirty-nine years goes a long way in helping her write happily-ever-afters.

Sherry and her husband have returned to their adopted state of Michigan, to be closer to their children and grandchildren. She spends most of her time writing from her home office, lecturing, and traveling to book signing events. Sherry greatly enjoys traveling to Libraries, Schools and other venues where she shares her books and love of writing. Check out the lecture page to see the topics offered, including History of The Orphan Trains.

sherryaburton.com

Discovery
Sherry A. Burton
Historical Saga Fiction

While most use their summer breaks for pleasure, third grade teacher Cindy Moore is using her summer vacation to tie up some loose ends concerning her grandmother’s estate. When Cindy enters the storage unit that holds her grandmother’s belongings, she is merely looking for items she can sell to recoup some of the rental fees she’s spent paying for the unit. 

Instead, what she finds are secrets her grandmother has taken to the grave with her. The more Cindy uncovers, the more she wants to know. Why was her grandmother abandoned by her own mother? Why hadn’t she told Cindy she’d lived in an orphanage? And how come her grandmother never mentioned she’d made history as one of the children who rode the Orphan Trains? Join Cindy as she uncovers her grandmother’s hidden past and discovers the life that stole her grandmother’s love.

Excerpt

It was two in the morning. Cindy was freshly showered and had a cup of hot coffee sitting in her trembling hands. She’d resisted opening the notebook after a drop of sweat had fallen onto the cover. Instead, she’d replaced the tissue paper and carried the entire box down the attic stairs and into the living room. She set her coffee aside, unwrapped the notebook, and was greeted with another handwritten note.

Whoever is reading this is about to uncover secrets I’ve taken with me to the grave. At least I hope that is the case, as I’ve worked hard at keeping the shame that is my life under wraps. While I have tried to live a good life, I am afraid that sins from my past have kept me from living a full life. I am not quite sure what sins I committed, but they must have been so great that my dear mother abandoned me when I was but a wee child.

The year was nineteen-twenty-one, it was January, and I had nearly reached my eighth year, when my mother took me to the orphanage. I still remember her face clearly and can still see the dark curls that fell loose around her shoulders. I think she was tall, but maybe that was just a child’s perspective. She was thin; that I do recall. Then again, so was everyone who lived in our tenement. Maybe it was because we were always hungry.

It was raining the last time I saw my mother. I was cold and wet, and my mother told me to go inside where I would be warm. I asked her if she was coming inside and she said no, she didn’t want to spoil the floors with her wet shoes. I didn’t have to worry about that. I wasn’t wearing any shoes. Mother was dripping wet, the rain had stripped her of her curls, and her deep black hair lay plastered against the side of her head like a hat. I asked her why she was crying. She told me it was just the rain on her face, but I could hear her sobs and knew she was lying. Before I could respond, Mother opened the door, pushed me inside, and the door closed behind me. The doors nearly reached the ceiling. A deep rich brown, they were the largest doors I had ever seen. An elephant could have walked through without issue. I have never forgotten the sound it made when it slammed shut. A solid thud that vibrated like rolling thunder. The sound has woke me from my dreams more often than I can count. Maybe that is because my mother never bothered to kiss me goodbye.

Read the rest of the excerpt in the issue below:

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