This back country road was good for my soul. When I come home from work, I usually take US-202, a four-lane highway. It's not an ugly route exactly, but it's not beautiful -- too many billboards and gas stations and car dealerships -- and I hate the stop-and-go of all the traffic lights. Recently, I … Continue reading A New Jersey Driver on Back Country Roads
Author: Melissa J. Troutman
Book Review: Something I Am Not by Cher Gatto
A father who never loved him … A woman who stole his worth … And a brother he couldn't protect. Where does someone run in the face of his deepest shame?Billy McQueen works hard to keep his life together ... and concealed. At seventeen, he dreams of an escape from the barroom, his father's manipulation, and the advances of his father's … Continue reading Book Review: Something I Am Not by Cher Gatto
Book Review: The Student and the Slave (Krillonian Chronicles #3)
Follow the links to refresh on Book 1: The Collar and the Cavvarach and Book 2: The Gladiator and the Guard. Is this what freedom is supposed to be like? Desperate to provide for himself and his sister Ellie, Bensin searches fruitlessly for work like all the other former slaves in Tarnestra. He needs the … Continue reading Book Review: The Student and the Slave (Krillonian Chronicles #3)
Book Review: The Gladiator and the Guard (Krillonian Chronicles #2)
And I thought book one (The Collar and the Cavvarach) was good! Book two (The Gladiator and the Guard) blew my socks off. Ripped my heart out. Gave me the wildest ride I’ve been on in a long time. And I loved it. Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away … Continue reading Book Review: The Gladiator and the Guard (Krillonian Chronicles #2)
Book Review: The Collar and the Cavvarach (Krillonian Chronicles #1)
Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly … Continue reading Book Review: The Collar and the Cavvarach (Krillonian Chronicles #1)
Book Review: Orphan’s Song (Songkeeper Chronicles #1)
Her solo is a death sentence. Deep within the world of Leira flows a melody that was sung at the beginning of time by Emhran, the Master Singer. Now it is broken, buried, forgotten. But in each generation, a Songkeeper arises to uphold the memory of the Song against those who want it silenced forever. … Continue reading Book Review: Orphan’s Song (Songkeeper Chronicles #1)
Book Review: The Tethered World (Tethered World Chronicles #1)
“Normal” means different things to different people. For sixteen-year-old Sadie Larcen, family dynamics look a little different than most. Parents with oddball occupations? Normal. Five homeschooled siblings—one with autism? Normal. Police knocking on the door and parents gone missing? Definitely not normal! When Sadie uncovers the reasons behind her parents’ disappearance and the truth about … Continue reading Book Review: The Tethered World (Tethered World Chronicles #1)
5 Advantages of Co-Writing a Novel
The Friendship We started emailing in 2011. It was her aunt, my Jedi Master and writing mentor, who suggested that we connect. Elizabeth and I were the same age, both loved writing, and, as we found very quickly, shared a lot of interests. (It took only two emails for us to start fangirling over Christopher … Continue reading 5 Advantages of Co-Writing a Novel
Book Review: The Queen’s Thief Series
Gripping adventure. Political intrigue. Twist endings. Unexpected romance. Loyal friends. Cunning enemies. Realistic characters. Deep worldbuilding. Mindblowing revelations. Endless wit. My friends, meet the Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner. The Series Book 1: The Thief Gen is in prison because he stole the king’s signet ring—a task only an expert thief could accomplish. … Continue reading Book Review: The Queen’s Thief Series
Book Review: Methuselah Project S.O.S.
Now a captain in the Air Force, Roger Greene loves spending his days in the cockpit while helping with a top-secret military project. So when the CIA asks him to leave this perfect life for a temporary government mission against the Heritage Organization, he turns the offer down—until he hears a name from his past. … Continue reading Book Review: Methuselah Project S.O.S.
Melissa J. Troutman 