Book Review – G.S. Bailey

Meanwhile, in another corner of the universe…

Captain Aricka Badu left Taarken Prime twelve years ago for very good reasons, and she seldom goes back. It was supposed to be a short run, but, between the pirates, a brewing civil war and her ex, she may never get to leave.

Caden Carnes hadn’t seen Ari in twelve years, but he’d never stopped thinking about her. Given their past, it wasn’t exactly surprising she stayed away. What was surprising was seeing her back on Taarken…ever, the mining planet she’d abandoned along with her lover and her family.

Her brother’s mining hauler is missing and Caden asks for Ari’s assistance along with her ship to go find it. One discovery leads to another, until all their secrets are out. Caden and Ari don’t have long to discover the most important thing in the universe; You can actually go home again.

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BOOK REVIEW: This sci-fi setting is like real. It’s actually quite brilliantly understated. When imagining the universe being depicted here, it’s as if there’s nothing to prove – as if it’s just a matter of fact that this place exists and we all know it. This is a powerful human drama and romance set elsewhere, not on Earth…. The depth in the story itself is also impressive. We can easily imagine the prequel, which would be potentially even more intense and dramatic. I quite enjoyed joining in at the tail end of a story, with lives already blown apart, and seeing everything come together…. An intelligent and nicely constructed read.

Nuggets of Information Gold

Do you want to work from home and leave the rat race?
Do you dream of earning money online doing the things you love?
Do you want to own your time and work at your own pace?
Are you a freelancer but your gigs are not taking off?

This 2nd book of the Now What? Series is the author’s way of paying it forward, and all the information in its pages are based on her successful freelancing career. It will help you discover which of your skills are marketable, which are in demand, and how to entice and keep clients. She will share with you the mindset of successful freelancers, and what other freelancers are doing to make money.

After reading this book, you will have a clear path to a career that will allow you to work from anywhere you want, stay close to your loved ones and work at your own pace. At best, you might even get to quit your day job.

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Available on Smashwords

BOOK REVIEW: No BS. Straight shooting! Anyone able to match the clarity and concision of this guide in an approach to online freelancing would be well on their way to success. I read this with an open mind, thirsty for an understanding of what opportunities might exist in the field for me in semi-retirement. What I took from the book was a YES, but that there are no shortcuts. This step-by-step instruction manual identifies the pathway to establishing a potentially successful online freelancing business, detailing what you’re going to need in terms of attitude, approach and skill. It gave me the sense that the author has already pioneered the pathway and is shining a light to follow – that whilst there are no shortcuts, there are long, unnecessary and costly detours to be avoided. Every word is entirely believable and starkly logical. There’s a hell of a lot here that makes me want to know and learn more.

Full-on Wit and Intrigue

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Just as retired G-man John Hixon recovers from wounds incurred from a security detail in which he saved the life of billionaire investor Julian F. Thibaut, Thibaut calls him again. This time, his talents, intuition, and experience are put to the test as he attempts to protect seven of Thibaut’s friends while investigating a murder. In this, his second novel, FCEtier brings eight new characters into play along with several from his previous novel, The Tourist Killer.

Hixon and company, along with his loyal K-9 corps, must defend their home turf as they seek the truth behind international conspiracies and encounter the seat of ultimate power — the puppeteers who control the world’s finances. Hixon and company discover that those same powerful forces who control the world’s money also control the destinies of those who oppose them. FCEtier takes readers on a breathless and perilous trek through the jungles of politics and the palaces of power.

Standouts in this novel are the realistic characters and their dialogue, and an intelligent plot. The club of old men at the centre of things seem ordinary and innocuous. You are fascinated by their interactions and their minds, but you wonder where it’s all leading. You are actually pulled quite unsuspectingly into the intrigue – or perhaps it’s a case of the characters being so interesting and well written that you are distracted from the plot and freshly surprised by the way it steadily builds and escalates into a powerful political thriller. Yes, the strength of both the plot and the characters are quite impressive. I’d highly recommend this novel to readers who like an intellectual challenge to go with their serving of wit, humour and suspense.

Frigging Hell

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The Deadly Caress is a fast-paced story set in California. Suspenseful and thrilling, it is holds a mystery that Amanda Blake, a freelance photographer, must unravel.

Amanda tracks down her birth mother, the multi millionaire Jean Campbell. Hours after her arrival, Jean is murdered.

Amanda sets out to discover her mother’s killer. Her quest takes to Australia to find the man she thinks holds the answer to the killer’s identity. While visiting this man, she has to run for her life under a hail of bullets. Someone will stop at nothing until she is dead. If she thought things were bad enough, they are about to get much worse…

BOOK REVIEW: This doesn’t let up. Heart pounding, nail biting… if you’re looking for a relaxing read – this ain’t it! This is masterly suspense and a great thriller. You want to climb into the book and help out the goodies – save them from the relentless bad guys, whoever they are. It’s not clear exactly who to fear until the end. The who-done-it is brilliant. Get comfy because you won’t be putting this book down, although you’re likely going to be pacing the room while you read rather than relaxing in a chair…

Over the Edge

This group sex tale is about a married couple from Boston who shares fantasies in bed one night and carries out those fantasies with a couple from Arkansas they meet on vacation six months later.

Featuring group sex, bisexual/lesbian sex, outdoor & public sex, hand jobs, exhibitionism and voyeurism, blowjobs, cunnilingus, anal sex, double penetration, and more, this story is wicked hot.

Amy and Kevin go to a PTA meeting to stop a strip club from moving into their community. During the meeting, they exchange dirty texts, getting them all horned up for their night at home without the kids. Kevin presses Amy to tell him her fantasy, and she reluctantly admits that she thinks about having sex with a woman. In turn, he tells her that he’d like to watch Amy with another man.

During a summer camping trip, Amy and Kevin meet Tina and Deacon who convince them to act on those wicked hot fantasies with them.

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BOOK REVIEW: This is a super hot slide into sexual fantasy land. A real-life couple with perfectly normal/typical fantasies about doing things they just don’t do. Taboo ideas to imagine while getting off. Ideas we probably all have but aren’t about to confess to… There’s a clever set up here with the contrasting opposition to development of a local strip club. Then we have the rest of the real-life picture with getting the kids off to their vacation. All good build-up for our everyday married couple… The slide into fantasy comes on fast – the wife’s trepidation excellent. This whole story is hot and sexy – the climax with the 4some is just that… a climax!

Authentic historical settings…

BOOK REVIEW: I made it as far as about the second page before I was cheering for Rosa. Or falling for her, to be more precise. But her vulnerability makes for difficult reading. It’s so hard to see how she will ever find happiness under the influence of her sister and the weight of societal tradition. I was really worried for her as I read. I wanted to be her hero and save her from the horrible choices she had. I was so into this story – completely captivated…. In a broader sense, I’d say this is an interesting study of how a calculated marital arrangement might take time to get going, but may well develop into something rich and powerful…. The resolution for sweet Rosa worked very well for me. This is a poignant little regency romance with plenty beneath the surface.

Preview In Want of a Wife on Amazon

BOOK REVIEW: I like the villain…. No, I don’t mean I’m on his side or anything – just that I like the way this kind of character contributes to the angst of the period and makes for interesting reading. He makes it so difficult for the heroine and hero to get together – for romance to flourish (and I agree with other reviewers that this is a good romance). The villainous uncle is portrayed, I think, quite realistically. He has so much power and brings this to bear against what we are hoping for as we read, and just when it looks like he’s being defeated, he goes and does something to rip the heart out of our triumph. What he does is an excellent bet-you-weren’t-expecting-that moment, which sets off an exciting and wonderfully written journey and pursuit that we have to live through before we can have any kind of happily-ever-after…. Yes, this is a terrific love and adventure story. It’s heart wrenching, touching, enlightening and steamy. And it also has a classic Victorian era villain, whose portrayal is particularly powerful and interesting in my opinion.

Preview Devin’s Dilemma on Amazon

BOOK REVIEW: The heroine is a handful. Way too intelligent and strong willed for the conventions of her time. The way she fights, deceives and manipulates to get what she wants out of life makes for a bit of a romp, but the fact that this tale is based on a true story is quite sobering. It’s also very romantic and interesting because of that. For word of this lady to be around 300 years later, she must have made quite an impression at the time… I felt well enough immersed in the early 18th century setting, with minimal detail allowing the plot to move along quickly, making for a fast and exciting read. There’s a cute supernatural twist that offers another dimension to the tale. This quite cleverly heightened the intensity of the climax and ending with a parallel timeline. It also brought our protagonists to the intersection of storytelling and true-to-life… Well done!

Preview The Berkshire Lady on Amazon

Cool Sci Fi

I like the Braxians. From the opening scenes of this story it’s easy to imagine them. An alien race enslaved by humans. It’s easy to get on board with their plight and cheer for them. The conflict here is the kind that immediately pulls you into the fictional universe depicted. What transpires from there is a pretty good thriller and an excellent romance. We are given plenty to satisfy the appetite in this fast paced, action packed episode, and where we end up feels like it’s just the beginning. Classic sci-fi romance with a good serve of intrigue.

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I want to go to the beach house

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Nothing much happens in the small Australian town of Sunset Point, which is just the way the locals like it. So when an outsider with grand plans threatens to demolish an iconic local landmark to build a huge resort the battle lines are drawn. Young journalist Jessica hopes to make it big with her coverage of the court case, but first she must appease her editor and put a human interest spin on the situation.

At first glance the five people she chooses to background have little in common – but it soon becomes clear that staying at The Beach House has changed all of them in some way.

In telling the stories of Kate, Simone, Tom, Clare and Jack, Jessica too learns some important life lessons.

Actually, I’ve been to the beach house, metaphorically. Any place with important personal history is the beach house. It’s horrible when you drive past somewhere you remember fondly from some life event years ago and find it’s been re-developed. It’s gone… This is a wonderfully uplifting read. The many stories, brilliantly intertwined, are so real and inspiring… If you’re an Aussie you will probably like this book. If you’re not an Aussie you will probably like this book.

Authentic feel to this one

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Historical Fiction: In the 17th Century Lord Cromwell arrived in Ireland with one mission, to address the Irish Problem. This story follows children stolen from their families and sold into slavery into the Caribbean and their journey back to their homes.

The setting for this powerful adventure is 17th century on the high seas. Pirates and warring nations. Life and death. The idea of children being stolen and sold into slavery halfway around the world is shocking, and it is aptly portrayed here. The story is confronting in its brutality, in the pain of families torn apart, of innocent people murdered. Beneath an expertly detailed depiction of these atrocities is a sweeping tale of guts, courage and the triumph of human spirit. Set aside a full weekend to be transported to another time by this book.

Expertly revealed

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Janine Waldron arrives home unexpectedly to find a scene so shocking that it causes her to lose all reason. She embarks on a road trip across Australia, from Brisbane to Broome, indulging in uncharacteristic behaviour that becomes more degrading and dangerous the further she travels.

As a strange contradiction, people she has never met begin to tell her about defining events in their lives. Realizing the important messages these stories contain, Janine records each one in writing, intending to publish them in a single volume.

This project is her only hope of staying grounded in reality. Is this enough to save this sensitive and creative woman?

True to life characters and an outback Aussie road trip… this is a touching and shocking human drama, the telling of which begins in turmoil and takes us on two journeys. One is the road trip – onward into discovery and hurt. The other is a series of flashbacks that lead us to our starting point and an expertly crafted reveal. Wonderfully written – mesmerizing… this is a terrific novel.