First Mission Paris

"A standard half-comic secret agent thriller with an overeducated protagonist undertrained in standard James Bond skills or attitudes."

When the news about a stolen list of Europol’s crucial undercover agents hits the global black market, agency’s top man Enrico Moretti is sent to Paris to retrieve the list, minimize the damage and capture the traitor. Cliché? Maybe… But this young Italian isn’t James Bond - he doesn’t know much about fighting, chasing or killing. But he knows something about seducing. And gambling. And drinking. And being a former police negotiator, most of all: storytelling. So when he gets a proper cover story, unlimited amount of money to spend in the City of Lights and teams up with a beautiful but dangerous black-haired girl and tough guys from Balkan’s underground, his mission can begin…

First Mission Paris (Spy)

By Leone R. Giuliani

Independent Publishing Platform

ASIN #B01DCR0R28

Price $2.99

174 Pages

Rating 2-Stars

“Poor Structure, Wordy, and Badly Edited.”

The story begins with an informer entering the Europol office in The Hague, offering information for thirty million euros. Number Four calls in their new agent Enrico Moretti, a rich playboy fond of super-charged automobiles and beautiful women. The only thing redeeming was the Paris backdrop for the story. Unfortunately, for me the story failed as a spy novel, and felt more like a sex romp of a teenage boy’s first trip to the City of Lights. It was poorly written, badly edited, needed work on the structure, and way too many characters to keep straight.

Tom Johnson

Author of ASSIGNMENT: NINA FONTAYNE

Blurred Vision

Six men; a General at Area 51, interviewing a Grey on a potential global threat; a Professor announcing to the world's media the gift of time travel to the past, only to discover a horrifying truth at the crucifixion of Christ; a young man, desperately trying to survive amongst a human resistance group amidst the invasion; a man who will do whatever is necessary to protect the woman he loves, as they watch the horrors unfold on the television; a suicidal man, dejected at life, seeks answers from the archangel Michael, only to find more horror; an everyday normal nobody, rallied into a fate worse than anything anyone could ever imagine...

Blurred Vision (SF/Horror)

By Chris Botragyi

Independent Publishing Platform

ISBN #978-1910565858

Price $0.00 (price not listed yet)

185 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“I Was Unable To Put The Book Down”

Six men mysteriously awaken as prisoners aboard an alien space ship. Locked in a cell together are Tom Valentine, Professor Mark Bennett, Air Force General James F. Hargreaves, James Jones, John Chapman, and Daniel Lambert. Their captors are seven-foot tall Grays with large black eyes and slender bodies. The prisoners remember very little about the past or how they were captured, but hear voices elsewhere on the ship so know they are not alone. They do wonder why they are together. Why them, specifically? General Hargreaves appears to know more than the rest about what is going on, and Professor Bennett remembers that he was at Stanford University and was a theoretical physicist, and from what the general told him he had worked on a time machine. The general also admits he had one of the aliens captive at Area 51, under interrogation, but the creature had lied to him.

Spoiler alert. There is no way I can review this book without giving away some spoilers. So if you don’t wish to hear them, stop reading this review now. First, the author drops a strong hint about the plot simply with the characters’ names: John, James (Jones), Daniel, James (the general). Mark, and Tom (Thomas Valentine). We learn more as each of the six tell their (final) stories. Tom tells us about the invasion. The aliens interrupt television news broadcasts to explain why they are here: (Paraphrased) “We are from Heaven, and we are here for Judgment Day. Everyone will be judged for their sins, and punished accordingly.” Of course, we are all sinners, so we’re all going to be judged – and punished. As each tells their story, we learn a little bit more about the invasion and the aliens, but it is in the professor’s story that the closest truth is revealed. A horrible murder two thousand years ago is now bringing retribution down on us, and it could wipe out the human race. The aliens tell them the writers of the Bible didn’t exactly lie to us, but they didn’t explain everything, either.

Okay, this was an interesting story, and I couldn’t put it down. I had to find out what was happening on the next page, so I read this book in one setting. It had my full attention. I picked up on the names at the very beginning, and thought I had the whole story figured out, but I didn’t. Close, but not quite. The names were mere namesakes of the Biblical writers, but maybe they “represented” the actual writers to the aliens. Or the author was just playing with the reader, maybe. The story has no ending, just the death of these six men. At the story’s conclusion, our planet’s population has dropped from seven billion to 150 million, and the reader is left hanging. Will there be a remnant saved, or will the human race cease to exist? Unique storytelling, and highly recommended.

Tom Johnson

Author of THESE ALIEN SKIES

Scions of Change

As Raena's and Jason's training with the TSS nears completion, the return of the Aesir is imminent. Whether the Aesir are adversaries or allies will be put to the test as the final pieces of the Sietinens' plan to bring down the Priesthood fall into place. Facing an unstable political landscape and with the future of telekinetic abilities among the Taran people on the line, Wil and his family must wage one final war to correct past injustices and usher Tarans into a new era of peace.

Scions of Change is the seventh installment in the Cadicle series. This novel brings together the final pieces for the High Dynasties to attempt an overthrow of the Priesthood and restore equity in the Taran worlds.

Scions of Change (SF)

“Book 7 in the Cadicle Series”

By Amy DuBoff

Independent Publishing Platform

ISBN #978-1548119324

Price $13.99

350 Pages

Rating 5-Stars

“The Long Awaited Conclusion Is Here”

The children of the Cadicle, Raena and Jason are finally put into position to help bring the reign of the Priesthood to an end. Raena has been moved to Sietinens’ High Dynasty to take her place as future heir, while Jason is moved in position to train teams for telekinetic warfare. Ryan, the heir to the Dainetris Dynasty is groomed to ascend to his place. With the other five High Dynasties in the wing, they must be brought on board before an all out attack can be launched against the Priesthood, and even then it may not be possible without help from the Aesir.

The seven Dynasties are brought together for this final volume: Joining the Sietinen and Dainetris Dynasties are Vaenetri, Talsari, Baellas, Makaris, and Monsari Dynasties. Wil discovers that both the Priesthood and Aesir want something on the other side of a rip in the fabric in the Rift, which could be a hole into another dimension. The rip is acting like the mythical Sirens, calling the unwary to approach its sweet call. Will it give them godhood or destruction? Wil intends to keep that from happening, for he’s tasted the call also, and knows its danger.

Although I enjoyed all the volumes in this fantastic world building science fiction yarn, I think this seventh volume is the best in the series. Basically, each story was a similar plot, the Priesthood moving children of the Sietinen Dynasty towards the birth of the Cadicle, Wil Sietinen, who was to destroy the Bakzen, but it doesn’t end there; it must now follow the Cadicle’s children for more plans of the Priesthood and Aesir. However, they had not counted on the fighting spirit of the Sietinen children or their powerful telekinetic abilities. Highly Recommended.

Tom Johnson

Author of THESE ALIEN SKIES

Split Seconds

Twins separated as toddlers, reunited as adults and now switching places in a deadly game to take on organized crime.

Her sister is alive! Excited to discover that her twin didn't die as a toddler, Tijan can’t wait to meet her other half but she struggles to understand why her only sibling hasn’t reached out in almost thirty years. Although the reunion is joyous, not everyone is excited to discover that there are two of them. Using it to her advantage, Tijan is determined to take down the one man, responsible for it all… her father. The secrets and lies that have kept them apart, soon unravel but with deadly consequences.

Split Seconds (Suspense Thriller)

“Caspian Wine Book #3”

By Maggie Thom

Quadessence Solutions

ISBN: 9780991727247

329 pages

Publication date: July 20

Preorder date: June 20

Price: $4.99 but Pre-Order price will be $2.99

Rating 5-Stars

“A Suspenseful Rush!”

Tijan grew up feeling someone was missing from her life. A sister, but was she a figment of her imagination? Her mother says her sister died when she was a child, but there is that feeling, and then she sees a picture in the newspaper of a wedding, and a hand is in view; that hand shows a birthmark, a matching birthmark that is also on Tijan. Is her sister, Tarin, still alive? She decides to go to Toronto and find out, but things happen too quickly and she’s thrown into several dangerous situations. She is kidnapped a couple of times, and people she meets think she’s her twin sister. Then a secret trip to the Caspian winery and she sees Tarin, but is too shocked to speak, and runs off instead. Now she discovers her father, whom she’d always suspected was dead, running a giant hotel chain, and working with a Mafia gangster to obtain Caspian winery. Gangsters and Canadian government officials want Tarin, and mistake Tijan for her twin, and things get even more complicated.

My apologies to the author, it’s been three years since I read the previous book in this fascinating series, and unfortunately my memory isn’t too good any more. I had trouble remembering the characters and what happened in the first two stories, so it took me a bit longer to get back into the swing of the series. However, the new characters not only grabbed my interest but it brought me quickly into the current plot, and names and incidents began coming back. Once I was pulled into the story, I was there for keeps, and I wasn’t disappointed. “Split Seconds” continues the series in a highly suspenseful rush of adrenalin. And did I mention the romantic angle? I hope the next book isn’t long in coming. For lovers of suspense thrillers don’t miss this latest light romantic mystery involving danger and intrigue.

Tom Johnson

Author of THE MAN IN THE BLACK FEDORA