Charles W Jones, Author - Blog

You know those books that you really want to like, but as the story progresses, you just don't? Sadly, Strawberry Moon was that book for me. Joy is a great author, but for some reason, I just couldn't connect with this story. It started out interesting, but then it became a series of unfortunate events, and featured odd love interests for a teenage girl. As I read, I came upon several passages where I thought, oh, here we go, this is where it's gonna hit hard, but nope. I'm still unsure who the murderer was. I can't like them all. I gave Strawberry Moon 3 out of 5 Stars. About Strawberry Moon The Patterson family leaves the U.K. to begin a new life in France. St Severin, in the Dordogne, provides the backdrop for the family's new home and all of the life-changing obstacles they are about to encounter. Maisie, who is almost seventeen, narrates this unpredictable story. Maisie struggles as she experiences the changes of coming of age, the pain of loss, and the rol...

  When I began reading this story, I was immediately drawn into Sandie Donovan's world, and Joyce Yarrow did a fantastic job keeping me interested. I wanted to know how Sandie would turn out in the end, given everything she'd done and what she'd been through.  This is an excellent story about turning your life around even when the deck is stacked against you. I 100% recommend this book. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. About Sandstorm When you trade the straight and narrow for the crooked pathways of crime, it's likely to become a permanent arrangement. Unless, like Sandie Donovan, you're a born grifter, determined to use your knack for deception and crime to restart your life and achieve success as an actor. A pitch-perfect, heartfelt, and enthralling story of survival, coming-of-age and redemption. Sandstorm is a suspenseful, pacy read about a compelling character whose adventures and misadventures are dramatic and exciting.

This unexpected story showed me a different side of Yvette's talents. It tells how choices change your life and not always for the better. I recommend that you read it. Do it.  You'll find the link below. I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. About JT pulled the short end of the stick when he was given his life's journey. With a convicted felon as a dad and a drunk as a mom, there weren't many positive influences in his life. When his mom's boyfriend began sharing his marijuana with JT, his father fought for custody and won. Life on his dad's farm was simpler. JT started turning his life around until one tragic event sent him spiraling again. All choices have consequences. For JT, those choices left him staring down the barrel of a gun. Could JT rise above his circumstances, or would karma have its way with him?

Handprints has a strangeness about it that can only be felt if you read it and I loved every aspect of it. In this world, husbands who are tired of their wives can ship them off to a mental institution so they can move on with their lives. That alone is a chilling idea. Then there are the quirky characters who opened their hearts to me and I was happy to have met them for just a brief moment. Handprints is a tale of sadness and joy mixed together nicely, and I recommend you get a copy. I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars. About Handprints After their husbands commit them to a state mental institution in Massachusetts, two women become friends. Were they--and the other women who filled the place--even mentally ill? Anne was eccentric, to be sure, and her Boston fireman husband decided it was more than he could bear. Edna loved to read and write poetry; her husband said she wasn't "a good wife," so he called the constable and had her taken away to the state mental hospital. She crav...

Having read Susanne Leist’s The Dead Game series, I was hoping the first in the Blue Harbor Series, Meet Me In Maine, would have the same feel as her other works. To say I wasn’t disappointed is an understatement. This book has the same clever approach to the worlds she creates, with cute characters that make me laugh and feel for them. The crazy paranormal aspects of this book left me wanting more. At times, I didn’t know what was going on, but that’s part of the fun Susanne injects into every scene. This fast-paced story kept me on my toes and wanting more with every page I immersed myself in. If you are looking for a fun, quirky adventure with a layer of paranormal activity, this is the one for you. I gave Meet Me in Maine 5 out of 5 Stars. About Meet Me in Maine Elizabeth Reading and Scarlett Harding travel to Blue Harbor, Maine, hoping to find a bed-and-breakfast to buy and a peaceful town. What they discover instead is much more sinister… When they visit the local ice cream parlo...

Wow! When I finished reading 1689, that’s what I said. This is not my first time reading Amy Cross’s work, and each time I pick one up, I know I’m in for quite the ride. The story ends the way it started with tragedy and in between was one disturbing and even a little perverse scene after another. The imagery was phenomenal as I walked the halls of Hadlow House with Richard and the other characters, who taunted me with their world and still haunt me to some point today. While I know haunted house stories are a dime a dozen, 1689 took me on an unexpected journey into the macabre.  I gave 1689 4 out of 5 Stars. About 1689 All Richard Hadlow wants is a happy family and a peaceful home. Having built the perfect house deep in the Kent countryside, he now needs a wife. However, he's about to discover that even the most perfectly-laid plans can go horribly and tragically wrong. The year is 1689, and England is in the grip of turmoil. A pretender is trying to take the throne, but Richard h...

 I’ve read other Karen Black stories and found the visualizations amazing. Deadly Repercussions isn’t any different. I was drawn into the world she created, following Juan and his family. However, this one wasn’t perfect. Some of the details, especially the locations, were confusing. I thought certain events happened in Texas, but I later learned they were in Wyoming. (This could’ve been me missing something.) At least, that is all I can say in the negative because the story kept me interested and wanting to know what would happen next. And I was surprised to learn who was behind everything. This is an excellent thriller with exciting twists. I gave Deadly Repercussions 4 out of 5 Stars. About Deadly Repercussions From the streets of Mexico to the mountains of Wyoming, Juan Velasquez does what is needed to survive and prosper. His belief in the rule of law is trumped by his belief in the pursuit of justice, a trait that is passed down to his daughter, Elizabeth, and his granddaught...

The Devil's Pocketbook is a riveting read about the loss of a child. While I empathized with the theme, it got boring after a while. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it. The Siren/mermaid myth brought to life kept me intrigued. While most of the town wants what’s happening to Erik and Lara to continue so they can get on with their lives with prosperous fishing, a small group wants to stop the horror from the sea. The Devil’s Pocketbook the couple finds isn’t what they expect, and their world is turned upside down afterward. If you’re looking for horror that includes grief intermingled with fantasy, this is the book for you. I gave The Devil’s Pocketbook 4 out of 5 Stars. Get your copy at Amazon !

  Janie B. is a haunting tale about a young woman who is abducted by a necrophiliac and saved by a stranger. I enjoyed the nuances of terror turned to love, which left a chill running down my spine. If you’re looking for something short to read with a touch of horror and romance, get a copy today! I gave Janie B. 4 out of 5 Stars. Get your copy at Amazon !

The Dying Game is like many teen horror movies, with a group of friends traveling to have an exciting adventure, and that’s precisely what they got, though it wasn’t what they wanted. Two things bothered me about this book and why I only gave it 3 Stars. The prologue felt like a poorly written synopsis of the story I was about to read, making it worse with the use of first-person, leading me to the next thing. The use of first-person can hinder a story, making it feel clunky, as it did with this book. I’ve read many first-person tales, and they felt natural, but this one wasn’t one of them. I gave The Dying Game 3 out of 5 Stars. Get your copy at Amazon !  

When I started reading The House on Harlan, I had no idea this was a series. It wasn’t until I read The Valley that I noticed the “A Linkville Horror Series” subtitle. Since only location connects them, I wasn’t confused about who was who. The House on Harlan has a strange door in the cellar, and what emerges from it isn’t pleasant. The happy family that moves in soon learns that things aren’t what they seem, and Alex fights to save them from the evil that lurks on the other side. The story is unique and dark. When the author showed me what was happening, I was impressed. I gave The House on Harlan 4 out of 5 Stars. Get your copy at Amazon ! The Valley When a group of friends go to the mountains for a vacation, their hopes for a fun-filled adventure soon turn horrifying. Of the stories I’ve read from Mike Salt, this is my favorite, and I couldn’t get enough of it. From opening to close, I was excited to find out what going to happen next. I gave The Valley 5 Stars. Get your copy at Ama...

I felt like I was missing something when reading The Disembodied and I still do. There was really no explanation (that I remember) of the hows and whys behind the dead reincarnating. At least, the creepiness was great. I gave the Disembodied 4 out of 5 Stars. Get your copy at Amazon !

  Heaven’s Peak is about Kevin Miller, who’s recently moved to a new town with his father and sister after his mom died; they’re hoping for a fresh start. Unfortunately, the freshness doesn’t last long as his father falls back into his old routine of drinking and not remembering he and his sister exist.  The darkness that overlays this story is harsh and not friendly and one of the many reasons I enjoyed this book. The agony the main characters feel is translated very well and I was pleased to have found this book. I gave Heaven’s Peak 5 Stars. Get your copy on Amazon !

  I didn’t pay attention to the fact that this is Book 2 in The Monsters & Mayhem Collection and didn’t notice anything that connects the first book to this one (maybe, I’ll read it to find out). That being said, I don’t think it matters because I didn’t feel like I walked into something pre-existing.  Avernus Island is creepy and dark and unsettling. It kept me interested and I had a hard putting it down. The strangeness of what happens was amazing as was the back story, showing what caused the darkness to come to this island. I gave Avernus Island 5 Stars. Get your copy at Amazon !

Tamed is an interesting take on werewolves, slavery, and how things are run by unscrupulous people and I loved it. Every page kept me engaged, making me wonder what was going to happen next. The book is filled with action and I felt a strong connection to the characters as they worked to bring justice to the WerePets. I gave Tamed 4 out of 5 Stars. Get your copy at Amazon !  

The Garage wasn’t the worst thing I’ve read, but it was predictable and on the boring side. Nothing really happened except Zoe’s prophetic dream coming true. Based on the description, I expected a lot more, but it was anti-climactic. I gave the Garage 3 out of 5 Stars. Get your copy at Amazon!

  The Killing Complex is a lot to take. Its ultraviolence left me unsettled at times, but there was so much of it after a while it was just oh hum. I honestly didn’t understand the point of it at times or where it was going. Since it’s a series, I probably will never know, since I didn’t really care for it. I gave The Killing Complex 3 out of 5 Stars. Get your copy at Amazon !

  Shatterbones is an apocalyptic novel where children are changed into different beings, and let me tell you, I was quite impressed with the imagery. Each chapter kept me interested and on the edge of my seat. The different settings and action scenes were well-crafted by the author. There’s so much more I want to tell you about this book, but I can’t because I hate spoilers. I gave Shatterbones 5 Stars. Get your copy on Amazon!

Halfborn is about Coral, who is a vampire. She dreams about a man and not the one she changed. Most of the time, I couldn’t figure out where this story was going. Which, sometimes, is a good thing, but where it ended up left me empty. The overdone sex scenes were uncomfortable to watch, and that’s saying a lot. Since I have the habit of not putting a book down until it’s done, and I reached the end. I’m still unsure how I feel about Halfborn, so I’ll give it 3 out of 5 Stars. Get a copy at Amazon .

  Some of the questions I had from Linda’s Neon Houses were answered in this prequel. Traveling with Ethni and seeing what she’s capable of was great to learn. While this is only a short, there’s so much in it to keep me entertained and waiting for the next installment. I gave the Legend of Ethni LeDoux 5 Stars. Get your copy at Amazon !