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Here's a hold-your-breath thriller that explores the bonds of "family," while also touching on addiction, drug cartels and illegal immigration. But it's the element of family that makes this novel so much more than a great read. It has a human factor, showing that Mofina isn't afraid to delve into emotions and relationships―or their pitfalls.

IN DESPERATION explores the kidnapping of a young girl and the reunion of a brother and sister, one I've been waiting for as a fan of the lead character, journalist Jack Gannon. When he discovers his sister is alive and she needs his help, readers can sense his confliction. But there are too many questions left unanswered. Why did his sister leave? And what dark secret is she still hiding?

From the first chapter, which will give you shivers of dread, to the final page, the countdown is on. Gannon must find his niece before her captors make good on their promise to kill her if the police are brought in. In the mix is an intriguing, almost sympathetic character in the form of a young assassin, who has reached his breaking point.

Rick Mofina is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. IN DESPERATION has it all―heart-racing action, taut suspense and an emotional story you want to put down. Two thumbs up, five stars and a standing ovation. Highly recommended.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif
bestselling author of Children of the Fog

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Gripping and mesmerizing from the very first chapter, Rick Mofina’s latest thriller explores a chilling conspiracy that is guaranteed to get your heart pounding.

A car crash in Wyoming, involving a young couple and their baby, sets The Panic Zone into rapid motion. The next day, a reporter in Brazil gets a call to meet an unidentified woman at a café; the woman claims to have a news story, and the documents to back it up. The reporter and her photographer friend have no idea what they’re walking into, and the resulting chaos sends World Press Alliance reporter Jack Gannon across the globe in search of the truth. But the truth is more shocking than anyone could fathom.

A twisted scientist gathers a secret group of conspirators and puts into action a horrific plot that threatens the very existence of mankind, proving once again that science can be a deadly plaything if it falls into the wrong hands. From human experimentation without consent, to a killer virus constructed from some of the world’s deadliest toxins and a unique delivery system that will chill you to the bone, The Panic Zone will keep you turning the pages.

With a storytelling talent comparative to Michael Crichton and Robert Ludlum, Mofina expertly weaves the plot with intricate, terrifying and believable details. The Panic Zone is excellently researched and the clearly defined chapters show alternating points of view as only a master writer could achieve. Another Mofina masterpiece―one I can’t recommend enough.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
bestselling author of The River
http://www.cherylktardif.com

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Jack Gannon, a reporter for The Buffalo Sentinel, investigates the brutal murder of one prostitute and the disappearance of another, a woman who had picked herself off the street and cleaned up her life. The investigation points to one suspect—hero cop Karl Styebeck, a man with a secret past brimming with violence. Then there’s the mysterious blue rig that haunts the highways. How is it connected to Styebeck and the victims?

As Gannon digs deeper, he risks losing everything—his career, his reputation and his future. With help from Adell Clark, a former FBI agent turned PI, Gannon gets the inside scoop on the murder investigation. But this puts Gannon and Adell in jeopardy of losing more than their jobs.

Author Rick Mofina has crafted the kind of protagonist that readers will yearn to read more about. Jack Gannon is tough but flawed, and he’s like a pit-bull who won’t let go. In some ways, he’s emotionally disconnected, but the disappearance of his own sister years ago, pushes him onward. I hope the author continues with this character and his back-story. I’d love to see a series!

I think this is my favorite Rick Mofina novel yet! Vengeance Road is a gritty, top-notch thriller, with glimpses of evil thrown in to keep you turning those pages. Mofina’s former career as a crime reporter keeps the writing concise and descriptive, the characters well developed and defined, and the dialogue true and believable.

Vengeance Road is a suspenseful ‘hold-your-breath’ ride, with twists and turns at breakneck speed. I’d recommend it to anyone who enjoys a heart-pounding race against time.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
bestselling author of Divine Intervention

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After an accident in Rome, photojournalist Josh Ryder begins experiencing flashes of past memories―from another life, another era. As these flashes intensify, he’s drawn back to the time of ancient Rome, Vestal Virgins and the mysterious Memory Stones. Through the eyes of Julius, he is reunited with a powerful love for Sabina, the Vestal Virgin he has sworn to protect and would willingly die for, a woman whom would be buried alive if their secret love were ever discovered.

In present day Rome, Josh assists at the Phoenix Foundation, an organization that explores and researches claims of reincarnation or incidences of memory flashes, especially in children. Led by impulse, he finds himself at the edge of a freshly unearthed tomb and witnesses a murder.

His search for answers, for the Memory Stones stolen from the tomb of the Vestal Virgin Sabina, for the truth about what happened in ancient Rome, leads him to two women―Professor Gabriella Chase and Rachel Palmer, a young woman who is haunted by her own past life memories.

Is either of these women the Sabina he once knew? And will Josh ever reconcile his past with his present? These are just some of the questions I found myself asking along the way. I found the premise of this novel intriguing. I couldn’t put the book down once I started it.

Author M.J. Rose tells a compelling story that weaves history and religion into a fateful adventure filled with intrigue, romance, murder and deception. Her writing is detailed but not overloaded, just the right mix of fact and fiction to make me a believer and her characters are ones I’ll remember for a long time. The flashes of past and present are so seamlessly woven yet clearly defined, that I was never jolted from the story, but swept along and taken on a ride that left me breathless by the end.

I highly recommend this novel to anyone interested in the theory of reincarnation or anyone who enjoys a suspenseful, thrilling journey to the past. It would also make an exceptional read for a book club.

The Reincarnationist is the inspiration for a new television series that will be airing soon. I can’t wait to watch Past Life. If it is anything like M.J. Rose’s novel, it is going to be an adventure of a lifetime.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
author of The River

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It's hard to accept that The Christmas Sweater is based on a true story; it is so tragic and compelling. This novel is both heart-wrenching and heart-warming, and its message of fredemption hits close to home--at any time of year.

The authors have created a realistic cast of characters. And who can't identify with a young boy who is not quite enthused to receive a knitted sweater? The fact that his mother dies so tragically afterwards is both shocking and poignant, and really shows that a loved one can go at any time, so be careful of your words and actions.

This book is perfect for the Christmas season, and I predict a Hallmark movie or something similar. I recommend this novel for anyone who enjoys an impactful and inspiring read, and it would be particularly suited to a young adult audience. Although I'm not familiar with Glenn Beck, I found this novel to be well written and moving. Wonderful book, Glen!

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
bestselling author of Whale Song, a novel about family, love, sacrifice and forgiveness

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3.5 stars

As a long time fan of Dean Koontz’s novels, I was drawn into The Good Guy because of the intriguing premise: a nice guy in a bar gets mistaken for a hired assassin and is shown a picture of a woman that someone wants dead. The opening definitely grabbed my attention, as did the promise of more insight into Tim Carrier, the main protagonist, whose life is a bit of a mystery throughout most of the novel.

While the premise remained interesting, I’m afraid I started to lose interest in the characters. I craved to know more about Tim and Linda, the woman with the target on her back, and to feel some emotion from them. There wasn’t enough back story to satisfy me and I just didn’t care about them.

The constant witty banter between all the characters made everything seem like a joke or something to be made fun of. I don’t see people reacting this way in real life. It took away from the believability of the novel. The most interesting character was the killer, a very sick and twisted man who gives the reader insight into the secret society that has hired him.

While The Good Guy won’t be my favorite Koontz novel, it is a decent read. There is enough action and suspense to keep you reading. It doesn’t compare, however, to most of Koontz’s earlier works, such as Watchers or The Taking. It also misses out on the supernatural element that we usually think of when we think ‘Dean Koontz’.

I give this book 3.5 stars, yet I’m looking forward to reading more Dean Koontz novels. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys suspense.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif
author of Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention

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(Read the ARC from MIRA)

5 stars!

Recommended for: those who enjoy rollercoaster-like suspense thrillers

Six Seconds is so taut with tension you won’t be able to put it down

Hold your breath while reading the latest thriller by Canadian author Rick Mofina. The opening prologue of Six Seconds will give you chills and sets up the novel for a relentless, mind-blowing resolution.

Samara is an Iraqi nurse who witnesses the brutal slaying of her husband and young son. Overwrought with grief, she is easily influenced by a terrorist group and becomes a willing pawn in an assassination plot. Samara manipulates Jake Conlin, an America contract driver suffering from post-traumatic distress, and convinces him to leave his wife and take his son to start a new life with her in Montana. Little does anyone know, she’s planning on ‘going out’ in a blaze of glory―and she plans to take others with her.

When Maggie Conlin discovers her husband and son have disappeared, she teams up with Corporal Daniel Graham of Canada’s RCMP. He’s investigating the strange disappearance and subsequent murder of an American family holidaying near Banff, Alberta. Clues lead him to the small town of Blue Rose Creek, California, where the Conlins reside and where he meets Maggie. Fighting his own dark shadows from the past, Graham decides to help Maggie locate her missing husband and son.

In a terrifying novel that sweeps across countries and continents, Six Seconds is a story of war, vengeance and terrorism. It explores the war in Iraq and its damaging affect on everyone involved―from soldiers to terrorists to the innocent―and the repercussions that are felt long afterward. It’s also the story of painful loss, guilt and redemption sought by people who are worlds apart and separated by culture and personal beliefs.

I’d recommend Six Seconds to anyone who enjoys rollercoaster-like suspense thrillers. Reading this novel is like watching a ticking time bomb. You know it’s going to blow; you even know where and when, but all the while you’re praying for some form of divine intervention. Rick Mofina has chosen a timely topic and added intriguing characters to the mix, creating a novel that is taut with tension, complex and disturbingly convincing.

Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
critically acclaimed author of The River

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Performer, film composer and music facilitator, Julie Blue has a powerful voice that lifts me and makes me sing along. Whether she's belting out a bluesy or jazzy tune, or singing something more inspirational, she puts the 'soul' in soulful.

Wing & A Prayer is a lovely collection, perfect for me as a writer. I often find myself playing it on continuous repeat. I've done a lot of writing to this album, and to some of her others as well. This is 'comfort music', the kind that makes you just feel good.

On the inside of the CD cover, Julie states that the title song Wing & A Prayer was born when the baby of her friends was dying. What a gift! I know what it's like to lose a baby and this song is wonderful.

Many of Julie's songs are sung by the Sinspiration Singers, her 50+ voice gospel choir, which I had the privelege of seeing in concert. It was a sensational performance and I haven't stopped singing.

Beautiful music by someone with a beautiful heart! I highly recommend this CD. I also love her 2007 CD One of a Kind Woman.

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif, bestselling author
Whale Song, The River and Divine Intervention

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It has been well over a month since I watched 'The Unsaid', a psychological thriller and a hidden GEM of a movie, and I have to say "WOW"! To see a movie with such hidden depths and emotion, and then try to go about your normal routine is nearly impossible.

From the moment Andy Garcia puts in an appearance to the bittersweet ending, I was mesmerized by these characters. Garcia portrays Michael Hunter, a "once-brilliant psychologist" living with guilt and loss over his son's tragic suicide. And then a young man enters his life and Garcia is given the chance to 'save' him.

Teri Polo (Meet the Parents), Linda Cardellini (ER, Freaks and Geeks) and Vincent Kartheiser, a hot newcomer, join Andy Garcia in a stunning cast.

I have to admit that I am disappointed that there was not more hype about 'The Unsaid'. For a movie filmed in Regina, Saskatchewan, and with Andy Garcia and Mind's Eye Entertainment involved, this thriller deserved much more attention by the media!

As a Canadian author myself, I believe I know a great story when I see one. I give 'The Unsaid' three thumbs up! :)

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
Canadian suspense author

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A thoughtfully compiled assortment of beautifully inspiring songs. Joanne's warm voice, accompanied by mystical musical elements and strong societal messages will take you back to your roots, whether native or non-native.

My personal favorite is 'One Silver One Gold'...
"They left a trail of destruction,
cut through the mountains, rivers and streams.
They scarred the earth as they devoured
our children and ancient dreams."

Wonderful!

~Cheryl Kaye Tardif,
author of Whale Song