The Crossroads
By L. Ron Hubbard
Published by: Galaxy Press
ISBN: 978-1-59212-241-7
Release Date: June 28, 2010

    I recently had the opportunity to review some audio books, courtesy of Stories from the Golden Age in exchange for a few reviews. I’ve written book reviews and DVD reviews, but never an audio review, so I was intrigued and agreed to review a few of the titles. Within a week, I received a box with five audios (each on two Cds), a free copy of the ASI Magazine, and a small calendar.

    The Crossroads was originally published in the February 1941 issue of Unknown magazine. The story involves a farmer Eben Smith, who was told by the government to destroy his crop’s surplus to help stabilize the failing economy. He is tired of the government controlling everything while people are starving. He loads his wagon with fruits and vegetables and heads for the city. His plans come to halt when he comes upon a bizarre crossroads, consisting of four odd roads. Each of these roads takes Eden to different realities, where he comes across soldiers and strange beings. Just because he cannot reach the big city does not mean Eben cannot barter his goods.

Sweet Valley Confidential: The Sweet Life #2 : Lies and Omissions
By: Francine Pascal
Published by: St. Martin’s Griffin
ASIN: B007XSNFAE
Pub Date: July 15, 2012
Pages: 82

 The lives of the Wakefield twins and their friends continue to unravel in book two of this six-part e-serial. The sexual accusations of Bruce Patman become public, causing a media outbreak for the multi-millionaire. Elizabeth has made contact with the accuser and helped her find a safe house. She thought Bruce was the love of her life, but the more she investigates the accusations, the more she starts to question his alibi.

    Meanwhile, Jessica is trying to help Bruce’s image by having female celebrities to say how nice Bruce is and how he would never harm anyone. Elizabeth’s actor friend, Liam, is still after Jessica, especially since she has separated from her husband, Todd. After a one-night mistake with Liam, Jessica realizes that she wants Todd back even if it means sacrificing her career.

Sweet Valley Confidential: The Sweet Life #1 An E-Serial
By: Francine Pascal
Published by: St. Martin’s Griffin
ASIN: B006ZLAFXU
Pub Date: July 15, 2012
Pages: 121

After the horrible Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later novel last year, here comes six new e-serials picking up three years later. Jessica Wakefield is now a mother of a two-year-old named Jake, and she is recently separated from her husband, Todd. She now has a successful job as vice president of VERTPLUS.net and a big deal with Revlon is coming up.  She still loves Todd, but he is now dating a co-worker.

Elizabeth Wakefield is still adjusting to the whole Jessica/Todd situation, as Todd is her ex, but she is happy writing a small column for the L.A. Tribune, and spending time with her multi-millionaire boyfriend, Bruce Patman.

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Shortly after the Jack the Ripper killings came to an abrupt stop, more killings start to occur in the streets of Victorian London, but this time the victims are left with two small puncture marks on their necks. Scotland Yard has no choice but to bring back their best investigator, Special Agent Phaeton Black, who was recently fired.

During his break from Scotland Yard, Phaeton has spent many of days seducing the prostitutes as he lives under a brothel. He eagerly takes on the case, which he believes a vampire is responsible for the killings. While hunting for the night creature, a beautiful woman named Miss America Jones, a half Cajun witch, runs into him as a gang of ruthless pirates, who stole her father’s shipping company, are chasing her. With no other choice, Phaeton helps America escape the pirates.

America is a smart, strong-headed young woman, unlike many of the other women Phaeton has seduced, and she may be just what he needs to catch the killer. He always shuts off his emotions when it comes to women, but there is something about America that sends his heart a racing. Could it be that he has feelings for her? On the other hand, is she just using him for her own gain?

HOME FIRES
Written by: JANA RICHARDS
Published by:  The Wild Rose Press, Inc
ISBN: 978-1-61217-240-8
Pages: 100
Pub Date: 2012

A young British woman, Anne Wakefield, who served as a nurse during WWII, arrives in Emerald, Saskatchewan, a tiny village on the Canadian prairies to meet up with her fiancé, Anders Gustafson, a soldier whom she met during the war. To her surprise Anders doesn’t pick her up at the train station, but instead his older brother Erik, was also a solider and has a bad limp to prove it, does. He basically keeps quiet and takes her to the family farm where she meets his mother, Astrid, and his sister, Ingrid. But there is no sign of her dear Anders, all except for a letter that would change her life.

    It seems when Anders returned home, he married a local girl, Signe, and took a job in another city. Anne is embarrassed, but not as much as the Gustafson’s family, whom are left to cleanup Anders's mess.