Charles W Jones, Author - Blog

In my email this morning, I found a link to a review from Readers’ Favorite for The Road to Saratin . I always get a little anxious when I get these and I put off opening them for a little while. I shouldn’t have waited, because it’s a 5 Star review. The Review Reviewed by Michelle Mollohan for Readers’ Favorite Charles W Jones’s The Road To Saratin is a gripping dystopian saga. There is a mysterious chemical attack that causes mutations in humans. Carl is a 28-year-old man who was taken to the Freedom Institute under the care of Dr. Emerson Sharod when he was just 6 years old. Carl hears mysterious voices all talking at once in a jumble that he can rarely interpret. Dr. Sharon experimented on him to try to tease the voices out. Despite Carl emphatically stating that he no longer hears the voices, Dr. Sharon does not believe him. One day the voices speak to him as one, telling him that it is time to leave. He walks out of the Institute and is shocked by the changes to the outside world...

Breathless is a short story by Yvette M Calleiro and brings a wonder-filled tale that kept me guessing with each paragraph. The detail of the characters and scenes are amazing and mesmerizing. I recommend you give this quick read a chance, and I give it 5 out of 5 Stars. About Breathless What if the fairy tale kiss that always awakens the damsel in distress takes a sinister turn? What if prince charming’s kiss no longer produces a happily ever after? Silena’s infatuation with William hits a speed bump when he rejects her. After all, she is just a maid, and he is a young, rich aristocrat in the 1920s. Why would he have any desire to waste his time with the help? On one particularly lonely day, Silena calls upon her magic to transform into a sexy flapper for the night. Her dream to enjoy one night with William is finally in her grasp, but her magic comes with consequences that neither William nor Silena could ever imagine. About Yvette M Calleiro Yvette M. Calleiro is a heavily addicted...

I always find it interesting to read something that isn’t within my normal genre and discover new stories. Ghostly Interference (The White Rune Series) being a romance doesn’t fit into my norm, while the ghost part does. I enjoyed the world that Jan created with Jag and Rena and their almost deadly first encounter. For me, the ghost of Sam could’ve been more frightening at the beginning, but that’s not what this story was about. Throughout the book, Jag and Rena become their better selves, allowing the other to make them stronger. These characters are very well developed and strong, making them feel real as I read. Even the harassment part of the story seemed like something that has happened in real life. I was very impressed with Ghostly Interference and give it 4 out of 5 Stars. About Ghostly Interference Jag Peters has one goal in his quiet comfortable life—to keep his karma slate wiped clean. A near-miss crash with a candy apple red Harley threatens to upend his safe world. He trac...

Through The Nethergate drew me in quickly and I was immersed in a wonderful story immersed in history. The perfect narrative provides a world that I wasn’t expecting that is dark and frightening (just the way I like them). As I read, I had a hard time putting the book down because I wanted to know the next dreadful that was heading for Margaret, her grandfather, and the ghosts that she’s befriended along the way. The unexpectedness of Hugh Bigod’s desire turned into a super cool twist. The historical parts, while fictionalized, add a nice layer of realness to the story. You need to read Through The Nethergate by Roberta Eaton Cheadle because I give it 5 out of 5 Stars. About Through The Nethergate Margaret, a girl born with second sight, has the unique ability to bring ghosts trapped between Heaven and Hell back to life. When her parents die suddenly, she goes to live with her beloved grandfather, but the cellar of her grandfather’s ancient inn is haunted by an evil spirit of its ...

The One Enlightened (Chronicles of the Diasodz Book 2) continues where The One Discovered left off with a little glimpse of the ending (thank the Goddess because it’s been a while since I read it). The story follows Sofia who is learning about being a Diasodz and her power. This chapter in the Diasodz series isn’t as exciting as the first, but when it comes it is exceptional. Much of this book is about self-awareness and romance, which are integral elements to this story. Each page paints a beautiful picture of this world down and I felt like I had been transported there and can clearly see each detail through Sofia’s eyes. I enjoyed The One Enlightened very much and you need to grab a copy if you haven’t already. Keep in mind though, if you haven’t read the first, you might be a little lost. I give it 4 out of 5 Stars. About The One Enlightened Sofia has lost everything that was important to her: her mother, her boyfriend, and her best friend. Even the belief that humans are the only ...

The first thing I thought when I finished reading Prey for the Dead was that the male characters are jerks yet the female leads, Linda and Shana, are in love with them no matter how badly they treat them. The men are vampires, but still, it left me with an uncomfortable feeling. That aside, I did enjoy the story with the many twists thrown in Linda’s path as she discovers what is actually happening in Oasis. I felt confused about what was happening at times, but everything was answered for me as the story unfolded. Please know that this is part of a series and is Book Two of The Dead Game Series, and I recommend reading the first, if you haven’t already, as a few details from the first are intertwined and explained in this chapter. I gave Prey for the Dead 4 out of 5 Stars, and I must say that enjoyed the first book in the series better. Prey for the Dead by Susanne Leist @SusanneLeist #BookReview #RRBC Click To Tweet About Prey for the Dead Linda Bennett’s dreams of happiness hav...

The Altar Boy is one of those stories that I had difficulty putting down as I wanted to know what would happen next. I related to Carl with his fears of the dark field and creepy people in his hometown and a few of his other experiences. Phil did a fantastic job taking me back in time to an era that I’ve heard so much about but not experienced because I wasn’t born yet. I loved the music references. They gave an extra dimension to the story, making me enjoy it more. And I swear, at one point, I smelled a hint of patchouli. The Altar Boy is one of the most chaotic tales of growing up that I have ever read, and I am happy to have spent time with Carl and his family. I gave The Altar Boy 5 out of 5 Stars. The Altar Boy: A Dark Tale of Comedy Sorrow and the Catholic Church in the 1960s by Phil Stephens #Book #Review #RRBC Click To Tweet About The Altar Boy: A Dark Tale of Comedy Sorrow and the Catholic Church in the 1960s Black-robed nuns, priests, bishops, the select fraternity of Altar B...

The One Betrayed is the third installment in the Chronicles of the Diasodz and shows what happened to Rafe after Sofia went with Ar’ch and Angel (basically an overlay of Book 2). This book is quite the page-turner, and I had a hard time putting it down even when my eyelids started to get heavy. If you haven’t read this series, I highly recommend it. I gave The One Betrayed 4 out of 5 Stars. The One Betrayed by Yvette M Calleiro #Fantasy #Review #RRBC @YvetteMCalleiro Click To Tweet

I read Practical Demonkeeping when it was first published in 1992 and only remembered one scene from it, so when I came across it on Amazon I couldn’t resist getting a copy to rekindle the memories. I’m glad I did because this is a great read. I also learned that this is part of a mini-series of sorts about Pine Cove, the fictional town where it’s set. The dark elements in this novel are amazing and they are offset slightly by the comedic interludes. The layers of stories within the story are great and done perfectly, keeping me turning the digital pages and losing track of time. I gave Practical Demonkeeping 5 out of 5 Stars. Practical Demonkeeping by Christopher Moore #Horror #Comedy Click To Tweet About Practical Demonkeeping In Christopher Moore’s ingenious debut novel, we meet one of the most memorably mismatched pairs in the annals of literature. The good-looking one is one-hundred-year-old ex-seminarian and “roads” scholar Travis O’Hearn. The green one is ...

The way the lead characters are introduced and past events are discussed, I thought Baubles to Die For was two or three in the series. Then I noticed the statement in parenthesis,  A Shell Isle Mystery Book 1. The story follows Page Wright and her cousin Betsy Ross as they unravel a mystery that falls onto their laps while vacationing on Shell Island. There was so much in the first half of the book that made it feel like I’d been reading it for weeks that when I reached that fifty percent mark, I was on the verge of boredom. But since I made it that far, I finished it. Once the clues fell into place for Page and Betsy, it went fast, and then it ended, abruptly. All in all, it wasn’t a bad read, and I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars. Baubles to Die For by Tonya Penrose #Cozy #Mystery Click To Tweet About Baubles to Die For Gifted sleuth Page Wright’s inner world is anything but ordinary, yet her outer world craves a revamp from her mountain bookshop’s continuing demands. A summer escape to...

Betaken is a fantastic look into a place that I’ve heard and seen stories about for years, giving a view that hooked me from the first page. It’s about dark events that happened in the late 1970s to early 1980s in the Appalachians. From the first chapter, I was whisked away into this strange world and shown many things, including ones I didn’t want to know. There’s suspense lingering in the air throughout the book and I know something is going to happen in the backwoods, it’s just a matter of when. One thing bothered me was the use of the word “set” in places. I understand that its usage was to convey the accent, though at times it was used in the wrong places. I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars. About Drema Drema Ferrell graduated with honors from Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, acquiring majors in both English and Social Studies. Upon graduation, she taught school in the coal fields of West Virginia, where she was born and raised. Afterwards, she and her husband resided in ...

The Edge of Fear is about a couple who lose their child to revenge kidnapping because the kidnapper thinks he’s owed because she’s his ex-wife. I was captivated by the intensity of the emotions that Brennan conveyed. Each page was filled with scenes that felt real. At one point in the story, it stalled, which made what I was reading more real as I can expect that a parent that has lost a child to kidnapping would feel that their life had stalled as they waited for their child to walk through the door. The Edge of Fear is well written and gripping and that is why I gave it 5 out of 5 Stars. About Mara Beth Maura Beth lives in a small town in the pinelands of New Jersey. A lover of words and books since childhood, she found ways to incorporate writing into a variety of jobs, from editing an organizational newsletter to writing for the federal government. Now pursuing writing for pleasure, she is the author of two full-length novels, as well as a number of short stories. When not writing,...

No Pedigree by Nonnie Jules No Pedigree tells the tale of Baylee (no spoilers because you must read this). The way Nonnie wrote this story made it feel real as I walked along with Baylee. This short story is a must-read as it conveys how racial bias plays too strong of a role in the world. I enjoyed No Pedigree and gave it 5 out of 5 Stars. Unwelcomed by John Podlaski Unwelcomed is a well-woven short that brings suspense I wasn’t expecting and that wasn’t the only emotion I felt by reading it. This story pulled me in with the first paragraph and kept me wondering what was going to happen next. If you’re looking for a quick thriller this is the story for you. I gave it 5 out of 5 Stars.  

On Amazon, The Garden of Fragile Things is categorized as Occult Horror and Occult Fiction, but I’m not sure that’s where I’d put them because the horror was few and far between, and I just didn’t feel the occult. That aside, I enjoyed the book and found it entertaining. The memoir style is well crafted, as are the letters to a psychological institute and “the author” at the beginning. The story is about Joe’s life and how he ended up in the institute. There are creepy parts, but as I said before, not very many, and most of them occur toward the end of the story. So if you are expecting scares through the entire story, you won’t find it here. I gave Garden of Fragile Things 4 out of 5 Stars. About The Garden of Fragile Things In the late 1970s, Joe Godwin was just twelve years old, living in a working-class neighborhood. Plagued by bullies and a volatile home life, Joe spends his time with his three friends in search of adventure. The discovery of an abandoned mansion during a simple c...

Death Room is a short story by R.P. Healy, revolving around Edward, a lonely office worker looking for something extreme. He takes to watching pay-per-view snuff films on the internet and finds himself experiencing what he’s viewed. Yes, this story is not for everyone with hardcore content, including murder, sexual content, and rape fantasies. Those things aside, the way Healy wrote the story makes it hard to digest at times. Here’s an example of the first paragraph. It was quiet outside. There was a heavy mist, there were a few birds out, chirping, probably freezing, too. Even with the problems with the way it was written, I was captivated by the story itself and the strange twist at the end, giving it a “Fan Fiction” feel for Clive Barker’s Hellbound Heart (Hellraiser). I gave Death Room 3 out of 5 Stars.   [button id=”88d415ce4ca959dac3b484ba0e0bf542″ label=”Get Death Room” button_type=”{‹²›button_type_select‹²›:‹²›normal_button‹²›,‹²›normal_button‹...

The Enigma Factor has been on my reading list for a while, and now that I’ve finally had the chance to read it, I wish I hadn’t. The reason for that statement is it got me thinking about my passwords and cyber security; is my encryption enough? The story revolves around Jacob Michaels, who works in the cyber security world. As the story progresses, he is whisked away from his ordinary life into one filled with criminals and countries plotting against each other. There is a point in the story where the pieces come together, though he’s not as upset or freaked out about what he learns as I expected him to be. While The Enigma Factor isn’t my usual genre to read, I found it well done and entertaining. I gave it 4 out of 5 Stars. About The Enigma Factor A brilliant programmer is targeted by cyber predators! Jacob Michaels, computer network security-tester extraordinaire, tries to settle into a quiet life of work to polish his cyber security skills after the death of his mother. Jacob is un...

Had I known Fear in Souls: Reaper was about zombies, I probably wouldn’t have read it, because, well, I’m just not a fan of them. But what Hesham does with them is intriguing and I’m glad that I read the book. The zombie part aside, the story of the people and the changes in them are what is imparting in this story. Violet and her brother both survived in a way that was unexpected, keeping me interested. The world Hesham created is horrifying with rich visualizations of the monsters and the settings as the story progresses. Now, if you’re worried about not reading Fear in Flesh Book 1 before reading this one, don’t as it seems like an anthology series and this one focuses on Death. I 100% recommend this book and give it 4 out of 5 Stars. About Fear in Souls Fear … Hatred … Judgment … Deliverance For what’s worse than Death itself coming after your soul? Violet Turner is wrapped inside a cocoon of darkness, knowing not where she stands, losing her will to survive. But what of the four r...

S.A. Felix created a strange world where “Undead” come to life with the assistance of a Riser. Then there are Witnesses who find them and help them pass on. Sorry folks, no traditional zombies in this one; there’s not even horror. What is there is the charming tale of Atsushi (a Witness), who falls in love with an “Undead,” Yoshiki. That part is a little creepy if you look at it from the necrophilia side of things. But the story isn’t even about that. It’s more like a man falling in love with a ghost, who then gets the chance to change events in the past. The biggest problem with this book is the editing. It felt like S.A. Felix wrote it in Japanese, then used Google Translate for English. If that is the case, it needs a thorough edit from a Native English speaker to work out the kinks, because the story is amazing. I did enjoy the accent though, helping me feel as though I were in Japan. I admit, at times, I giggled at the strange wordings and ...

I want to say that poetry has never been high on my list to read until I saw the beautiful cover for My Soul Is A Witness on Instagram. There is something about its simplicity and 70s style that drew me in. As a white gay man, I definitely didn’t know what to expect reading the prose and felt like a fish out of water, but as I read, I felt a sense of inclusion, though the strife in my life no way competes. Many of the poems in this collection are about celebrating life and people of color as well as motivational to write and live life to its fullest. I am very impressed with Yecheilyah Ysrayl’s voice and I hope that everyone will pick up a copy of My Soul Is A Witness. I give it 5 out of 5 Stars. About My Soul Is A Witness My Soul is a Witness is a collection of poems that reminds us that there is still hope in our darkest moments. Nothing we go through is without a purpose. No pain we suffer, and no trial we experience happens without reason. It all ministers to our educat...