My Friends’ Books!
Hello everyone, I have been thinking about making a post like this for some time and now I finally got around to doing it. I have several friends who have published stories over the years, and I have now compiled them together in one place, in order of publication date. All of these friends have met personally over the years, and it is so fascinating to me how different each of these books are from each other. Read the descriptions and check them out! Note: I’m only linking social media or websites if they have a public writing account or a confirmed Goodreads account.
Quick Overview:
Burlwood Forest (Burlwood Forest Trilogy Book 1) by John Choquette
Sacrifices (The Sacrificial Stars Book 1) by Daniel Shaw III
The Last Adventure of Adorus Stormblade by Benjamin Wirzba
We are the Old Souls: A Guidebook To The Worlds We Wish To Discover by Ella Catherine Marshall
Secrets: Hidden Legacies Book 1 by V.R. Biwott
Burlwood Forest (Burlwood Forest Trilogy Book 1) by John Choquette. 329 pages, 2014.
If you like: middle-grade human and talking animal fantasy adventure (with plenty of humor)
Back cover description:
No one came to 11-year-old Michael Pumpernickel's birthday party, not even his invisible friend. The clown was a no-show, and his brother's dog tried to escape and got caught in the act. Maybe it's because he's awkward and carries a fanny pack. Or maybe it's because he really likes school. But nothing is going right in Michael's life, until one day everything does.
After receiving a mysterious letter, he finds himself in the middle of an unlikely adventure, the center of an age-old prophecy about an enchanted magical forest and a power-hungry fox obsessed with revenge. Awesome, right? Now people will have to notice him! But being a hero isn't everything he thought it would be. Sure, he'd do almost anything to win the affection of his piano teacher, but if it means missing dessert more than two days in a row he's not sure he can make it. He might not have that long. The launch of the evil fox's line of trendy necklaces is only days away, and he has to figure out the mysteries of an ancient book and identify a double agent before he's caught.
Apparently adventures aren't as easy as they look. At least he gets to wear his favorite shirt. That should help
Mini Review: I admit, it has been a while since I have read this book, but I remember really enjoying it. It was very funny in places and really exciting in others, with plenty of forth between characters and tons of funny side thoughts from Michael. There were also some tight scrapes and close cliffhangers! Check this one out for a fun time and a laugh! This book is the first in the Burlwood Forest Trilogy: Book 2 is Through the Woods, and Book 3 is Many Fields.
Buy Burlwood Forest:
John Choquette:
Pumpernickel Art Facebook Page (John Choquette’s publishing and art company)
Sacrifices (The Sacrificial Stars Book 1) by Daniel Shaw III. 117 pages, 2017.
If you like: epic worldbuilding Sci-Fi without the epic page length
Back cover description:
If a mysterious stranger offered you a life of adventure traveling in a time machine, would you take it? Would you leave behind the family and life you knew for the unknown?
The adventure-seeking Vicki knew her answer when Mr. Smith, an odd time traveler, showed her an incredible metal machine, and asked, “Would you like to fly away?” Journeying through time and to other planets, she never regretted saying “yes.” However, that choice is tested when Mr. Smith leaves her on an alien moon near the forbidden planet Fensgsele. More questions are raised when a passing ship discovers her, and Vicki meets Captain Carol, a militant, composed woman who harbors hidden motives and an arcane agenda.
When secrets and pasts emerge, Vicki questions the one aspect of her travels she never wanted to: why did Mr. Smith choose her? And more importantly, what wickedness lies beneath the surface of Fensgsele? When an adventure turns into danger and worlds are hunted by an ancient evil, sacrifices must be made. Can the universe live with the consequences? Can they
With every decision comes a price, and sometimes, an ultimate sacrifice.
Mini Review: (My Amazon Review): “Combining incredible world-building with exciting adventure, this story follows Vicki as she joins Mr. Smith as they travel to the planet Fensgsele. Filled with complex characters and incredible alien creatures, check out this amazing story!” This book also contains no chapter breaks, so it’s easy to get sucked in and read the whole thing. If you liked the first one, check out the sequel, In the Ashes of My Past (Book 2 of Sacrificial Stars), which follows a supporting character from Book 1.
Buy Sacrifices:
Sacrifices (The Sacrificial Stars): Shaw III, Daniel: 9781976575488: Amazon.com: Books
The Last Adventure of Adorus Stormblade by Benjamin Wirzba. 430 Pages, 2022.
If you like: classic medieval magic fantasy
Back cover description:
Legendary warrior and general Adorus Stormblade is the greatest hero of his age, but his ship has all but sailed. Unwilling to let the last of his vitality drain away, Adorus decides to sally forth once more to seek the legendary City of the Moon. He entices three other aging heroes to join him: Kies Mar, a half-elf wizard of unrivaled power known as the Blackstaff; Bracken, a ranger known as the Deadeye; and Coronius, the Zealot of the Sun God. Adorus is hopeful for a triumphant, final adventure, but old heroes have long histories, and none of them lacks an agenda. As the party ventures into the Wilds with a few retainers, Adorus’s quest faces threats from forces within the group and without, and the stakes begin to mount. As their magic and their bodies fail, these aging heroes must summon the last vestiges of their strength, each trying to impose their will on the party. They cannot all succeed. But none of them are used to failure.
Mini Review (My Amazon Review): In this exciting tale, aging Adorus Stormblade recruits his old friends, Half-elf Keis Mar, ranger Bracken, and zealot Coronius for one final adventure to travel the City of the Moon. Each chapter is told from the point of view of one of the four main characters, fleshing out all four main heroes. Full of adventure, the heroes get into one tight scrape after another, while the true intentions of Adorus's friends are slowly revealed, putting old friendships to the test. A wonderful and epic tale!
Buy The Last Adventure of Adorus Stormblade:
The Last Adventure of Adorus Stormblade: Wirzba, Benjamin: 9798847403672: Amazon.com: Books
Ben Wirzba:
We are the Old Souls: A Guidebook To The Worlds We Wish To Discover by Ella Catherine Marshall. 230 Pages, 2023
If you like: Young Adult/New Adult coming-of-age whirlwind romance
Back Cover Description: Aurora James is an idealist in the most pure form. She doesn't believe in bad days, despite how many she's had. She's a sucker for cliches and she really truly believes that romance novels are the best form of literature in the world.
Eric Meridian is the opposite. He's a realist who verges on cynicism. He doesn't believe in good people. He doesn't believe that his best friend's little sister could possibly ever take care of herself in a college as big as Weston University- and he definitely doesn't want to be stuck taking care of her while his best friend spends two months in New York City. All he wants is to do is take photos and finish his degree. And he most definitely doesn't want to fall for her. Not in the slightest.
But in true romance novel fashion, he doesn't have any control over that. Aurora James was never meant to love Eric Meridian, and Eric Meridian was never meant to throw away everything for his best friend's little sister.
Mini Review (Slightly Condensed from my Amazon Review): This book got me hooked. I found the central conflict of the storyline very compelling. Aurora and Eric are definitely attracted to each other, but they feel terrible because they believe Caleb, Aurora’s brother and Eric’s best friend, would be devastated and feel the relationship will be a violation of trust by Eric. This creates a strong push and pull in Aurora and Eric’s relationship which keeps the pages turning. Aurora’s idealized view of Eric as her childhood crush and hero juts up against Eric’s view of Aurora as a naive little girl who still needs to be protected - and they have huge fights based on those preconceived notions. Will they be able to work through their differences? What will happen if or when Caleb finds out? If you're an older teenager and into Young Adult romance novels, you should definitely check this one out. One thing is for sure: Ella Marshall poured her heart and soul into this book. Thank you for letting me into your world and allowing me to discover it!
I also wrote a full review of We Are the Old Souls; you can read it here!
Buy We Are the Old Souls:
Ella Marshall:
Secrets: Hidden Legacies Book 1 by V.R. Biwott. 250 Pages, 2024.
If you like: Contemporary Christian romantic drama/mystery combined with historical drama
Loretta, a former slave in the pre-Civil War South, defied the odds, amassing wealth and influence that no one of her status was supposed to achieve. Yet, behind her success lay secrets, ones she carefully recorded in a hidden journal—truths too dangerous to share during her lifetime.
Over a century later, Josh and Sheila’s marriage teeters on the edge after a devastating fight that shakes the foundations of their faith. While grappling with the fallout, Josh uncovers Loretta’s hidden journal—a discovery that reveals a shattering truth. This revelation forces Josh and Sheila to confront the buried past as they wrestle with whether love and faith can survive the weight of long-hidden secrets.
If you enjoy faith-based novels with authentic, relatable characters, clean romance with just the right amount of passion, and stories that leave a lasting impact, this is the book you’ve been waiting for.
Mini Review (My Amazon Review): Have you ever read a book and thought, at the end, that this is the book that she (or he) was born to write? This is one such story. V. R. Biwott wrote a deeply personal and relevant story, an awesome God-honoring romance and mystery novel. What Biwott does so well is present a realistic picture of how the biases from each person’s background can tear an interracial marriage apart. Biwott doesn’t depict one partner as worse than the other: both did and said hurtful things, and both need forgiveness. I finished the book in just a few days, I was completely engrossed! I had to find out what happened with Josh and Sheila! It was a fantastic book and I highly recommend it!
I also wrote a full review of Secrets; you can read it here!
Buy Secrets:
V.R. Biwott
I’m so proud of my friends for their books and pouring all their hard work and heart and soul into them. I’m hoping to update with another blog post in the future with more books by my friends!
