Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age by John Joseph Teressi combines adventure, fantasy, and time travel to offer readers a great reading experience, a story with powerful psychological implications. From the start, the reader is introduced to the Eye of Time Exploration Team composed of ten volunteers from Grippland — four women and six men —who are entrusted with a delicate yet important mission: they are to travel through time and rediscover the secret of un-old-age in order to save their dying civilization. Follow this group on an adventure that takes them to a place beyond time, a place of beauty and perpetual youthfulness called Acronos. They will encounter beings with rare wisdom, be offered choices that could affect their destiny and the life of their world, and discover new life forms. Will they be able to remember why they set out on this mission in the first place or will their mission blur as they immerse themselves in a new consciousness. That’s for the reader to find out.

This is a fantastic novel about the notion of time, a story with a cast of compelling characters, explorers from a people known as the Gripps. The quirkiness in their names will immediately grab the reader’s attention. I enjoyed characters like Stare, the engineer, Twist the Politician, and the tall businessman, Scheme. The writing is beautiful and it has a metaphysical and metaphorical feel to it. For instance, describing a moment of Scheme’s experience, the narrator says: “He was immersed in silence, suspended in a pause within the very framework of Time.” Writing a novel about something abstract like time isn’t easy because the author must pull readers into unfamiliar places and make them feel as though they have been there before, and John Joseph Teressi has got that gift. The setting is nothing like I have ever read before, but curiously, it does remind me of something I have known and forgotten, of the sense of being connected to something bigger than myself. Portals in Time: The Quest for Un-Old-Age wakes readers up and provokes in them a reflection on the possibilities of life. It’s inspiring, entertaining, and downright exhilarating.

Reviewed by Kim Anisi for Readers' Favorite

The brain is a very complex part of the human body, and in Tuning In by Richard H Roberts, the brain of Jon Gunnarson plays a very important role. Jon is an empath with a twist; in his therapy sessions, he not only feels what his clients are feeling, but he can take on their emotions and make them feel better, e.g. by taking on all their anger or sadness. When a client makes him take on something quite different, Jon decides he needs to find a way to disconnect from his special talent. He knows that his friend Neema in Bhutan would be able to help him, but visa restrictions for that country and his lack of funds mean that he can't afford to just go there. As luck would have it, he finds an ad in which a company asks for psychics willing to travel to Bhutan to work on a telepathy app. He gets the job, travels to Bhutan and meets the team. A special connection ignites between him and Ella; a connection that will lead to the development of an app that can really let people read other people's minds. Venn, the man behind the app project, is in a rush to put it on the market, to make as much money as possible before the FBI, which wants him for another issue, gets to him. And then he learns that Jon also has a way to plant thoughts into other people's heads. He wants that secret, and he will not stop until he gets his way.

Tuning In by Richard H Roberts is a book that draws you in very quickly. The characters all make sense, apart from Lex, whom I found very weird and not at all like Lara Croft (whom she tries to emulate), but I guess that's the point. I found it interesting to see how little respect people had for others' privacy once they learned how to tune into others' minds. Jon eventually even ended up having to see his own thoughts being shared by a Twitter account that had been created just to let the whole world know what went through his head! In a way, the book is about how precious privacy and your own mind truly are. It does make you think. After all, on one hand, we have all sometimes wished we could read other people's minds. But would we in turn want to give up our own privacy and have our minds invaded by total strangers?

Richard H Roberts managed to find the perfect balance for his book when it comes to the pacing of the plot; it's neither too slow nor too fast. So you don't get overwhelmed by too many things happening at once, but you also don't end up being bored by endless descriptions or endless events that go on and on and on. The author knows when to leave things up to the reader's imagination, and when to add a few more details. For me, it was a very enjoyable, thought-provoking read with a sprinkle of action, a little helping of romance, and a good chunk of suspense. The book has an ending that does not leave you hanging, but also promises that there is more to come.

Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

In The One Apart: A Novel, Justine Avery introduces readers to Tres, an ageless adult who is reborn as a baby to a teenage mother. Here begins the mystery because, young as he is, he has the intelligence and wisdom of an old man. Yet, he has to deal with two serious problems — figure out who he really is and his mission, and bear the pain of not living an ordinary life. And as if his predicament weren’t enough cause for pain, he is a hunted man, hunted by an evil that is about to destroy the world. No one seems to know about it, but he does, and only he can stop it. Can a young mother help him get the protection he needs and the strength required to fight such an evil? It’s for the reader to find out.

First off, I must say that I was taken by the originality of the concept of the story and the plot is like nothing I have read anywhere. I enjoyed the bond between the young mother and her ageless little baby and from the moment I met the characters, I became very keen on discovering what their fate would be. Justine Avery breaks the laws of nature and lifts a veil, revealing a world that readers will become immediately curious to discover, a world of strange possibilities. From the deft treatment of the conflict to the sophisticated plot, to the masterful thematic development, The One Apart: A Novel reveals the work of a conscientious and gifted writer. Great plot, wonderful pacing, and memorable characters! You’ll feel a strange familiarity with the characters and will want to be part of their world.

Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

Cloud Whispers by Sedona Hutton is the powerful story of one woman's fate and the design of second chances. The book starts with Katie Callahan learning of the death of a distant relative named Gwen, with a call from an attorney to notify her that Katie had been charged with the care of a twelve-year-old girl named Savannah. In a swirl of confusion, Katie recalls a period of her teenage life where she herself had a baby and put it up for adoption. Her father quickly confirms the child is, in fact, her own biological daughter. Shocked, Katie's life is tossed into turmoil as the weight of the situation settles in. Liam, her husband, doesn't know about this part of her past. As she readies herself to unveil the truth, an accident pulls what little control she had away and destiny takes over. “Whether it’s your time to transition or whether you return to Earth, we’ll be here to guide you.”

Cloud Whispers by Sedona Hutton is one of those books that come along and very nearly take your breath away. Beautifully written and emotionally stirring, Hutton creates a world that is neither here nor there - not on earth, and not quite the afterlife - and elegantly weaves a story that is both picturesque and enlightening. The supernatural comes to life as Katie waltzes delicately around, and just out of reach, of those around her. As the story peels away in splendid layers, the heart of it is revealed in a spectacular and unexpected way. I'd recommend this book to lovers of literary fiction and anyone else with the desire to escape for a brief moment into the great unknown.

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

Just Love Everybody: Father Time is Running Out On Mother Nature by Greg Ware is a novel set in the far future where the world is almost destroyed, but one man is on a mission to save everyone with a unique and almost eclectic idea. In a story set in 2031, the USA is plagued by ISIS and people are trying to barely survive under their reign of terror. During this chaos, the very much loved obstetrician Jake Love is given a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet with anyone from the past for 24 hours.

Even though this man can choose to meet anyone, he chooses to meet Jesus. But he chooses to meet with Jesus on the day that He was crucified. His plan is to get a blood sample to find out His paternity and be able to clone Jesus. Jake Love had no idea that his meeting with Jesus could have such vital importance in the future of the mankind. It could be the answer to the prayers of many people wanting an end to terrorism, or it could give birth to another nightmare. What is going to happen now? Can Jake take the blood sample? Will it even work?

This is the best kind of sci-fi, something that even readers who don’t enjoy this genre will love to read. Jake is a likable character, he is detailed and developed beautifully. His journeys back in time were very well detailed and constructed, so much so that you cannot find even a single fault with them. I loved the way he reacted; I loved his dry humor and witty responses as much as his charismatic personality. Just Love Everybody is truly a one of a kind novel that should not be missed.

Reviewed by Stephen Fisher for Readers' Favorite

Epiphany – The Silvering by Sonya Deanna Terry picks up where The Golding leaves off with another budding romance. Meanwhile Rosetta Melki is making discoveries about both her early childhood and the secret project one of her friends has been working on, a project that could play a significant role in the world as they know it. Amidst what appears to be chaos, Matthew jumps on board with Rosetta’s Our True Ancient History book-study group. When letters written by the Our True Ancient History author in the 1700s are discovered, Matthew travels to the UK to visit a chapter of their internet society. The owner of the letters allows the letters to be photographed and posted on the web. What Matthew learns from the letters has an epiphanic effect on him, especially because much of it surrounds Rosetta.

Once again, Ms. Terry does an amazing job of working the plots of both the faery world and present day as the characters come to realize they have many past lives that are being connected through the Dream Sphere where the past, present and future exist simultaneously. When a ghost from Matthew’s past pays him a visit, Matthew is down on his luck and solemn, but the blast from the past reveals their true identities. Sonya’s powerful writing style continues to weave a tale that is sure to become a cult favorite. It has everything you could want from fantasy, mixing fiction with the real-life tragedies of today. The author could not have picked a more suitable title for this brilliantly entertaining masterpiece. Epiphany – The Silvering is the grand finale of its predecessor. Captivating, wondrous and uplifting. All I can say is Wow!

Reviewed by Ray Simmons for Readers' Favorite

Let me say right off the bat that I enjoyed Do You Realize? by Kevin A. Kuhn very much. I like the role that the popular music of my generation, the baby boomers, plays in this novel. If you look at the chapter titles and you are a pop music fan, you might notice that a lot of these chapters are named with titles of pop music songs. Most of them are hit songs. I have thought for a long time that music marks and defines times in our lives. The better the song, the more intense the time, the stronger the memory. Do You Realize? is about life. It is about love and, most of all, it is about family. What better way to celebrate those things than through music…or a good book.

Do You Realize? is full of powerful scenes, realistic scenes, life affirming scenes. Kevin A. Kuhn has a special way of looking at life, and he is very good with words. I feel I know these characters. I like George. I like Elena. But I think I liked George’s relationship with his kids, Alex and Amanda. Don’t get me wrong. None of these relationships is perfect. Neither are any of the people. That is part of the reason that they seem so real. I recognize the same flaws in my own family members and friends. This is good writing. A good plot. Some great characters, and plenty of small details from everyday modern family life make Do You Realize? a great novel.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

A book that transported me to exciting places, Bound Souls by N.D. Jones is a delightful fantasy that will have any reader doubt anything they know about love, science, and faith. Is there a limit to how much one soul can love another? Such is the question explored in this book that features a compelling blend of romance and fantasy. Meet Regent Lela of Asiya, the most powerful person on her planet, and a person who can’t save her beloved husband and soulmate, Zion. They have lived together, bound by a strong bond of love for thirty years, but now Zion must leave. Lela refuses to let him go. In some strange way, the bond of their love continues to live on beyond the grave. Read on to see what happens when a third person comes into the equation.

Bound Souls is a gloriously narrated story, a tale with a riveting setting and extraordinary characters. I loved it from the beginning, following Lela and Zion in a boisterous argument. The way N.D. Jones explores the emotional intelligence and the psychological depths of the characters is wonderful. The plot is well-paced and the reader can’t help but go on reading to find out what happens to the characters. The conflict is well-developed and it is mostly psychological. A story that is character-driven, filled with numerous dramatic scenes, Bound Souls will transport readers into realities that will make them dream and long for a love that is both redeeming and lasting. I enjoyed every bit of this story.

Reviewed by Charles Remington for Readers' Favorite

Zoe stands on the parapet of a bridge, preparing to jump. The opening of The Inbetween by H.K. Thompson takes us immediately into the heart of the action. Zoe has lost her beloved husband days after their wedding and, feeling that she can’t go on, is determined to take her own life. Here the narrative skips to Drake and Lexi, who inhabit a fantastic world where they are able to manifest whatever they want or need by the power of their thoughts. Very soon they are joined by Zoe, who awakens in their world in what seems to her to be a strange dream. It becomes clear, however, that the place the three now inhabit is an 'inbetween' world; a place between life and death, a place of revelation, and a place where life issues must finally be resolved.

Through a series of exotic and symbolic adventures with many twists, turns and surprising, frequently shocking revelations, Zoe, Lexi and Drake make their way through a strange, sometimes beautiful, sometimes terrifying landscape. Here they will meet dragons, unicorns, and other inhabitants who are not always who they appear to be. They will discover strange truths and secrets about themselves and the world that they are travelling through, all of which they must resolve, and prepare for the final battle - the battle that will decide their fates, a battle for life or death.

The Inbetween presents us with a strange allegorical landscape, an Alice in Wonderland world where anything is possible and each sentence, scene and setting may have a hidden meaning. H.K. Thompson has created a narrative full of symbolism, a tale of love and loss, of torment and redemption. From the time that Dante first journeyed the paths of Purgatorio, the concept of a world between heaven and hell has inspired and fascinated fertile minds. The Inbetween, a well-written tale by a competent author, is a worthy addition to the discussion. A thought-provoking book and highly recommended.