Now available from Red Adept Publishing is the urban fantasy Chaos Unbound, book two in the Metis Files series, by Brian S. Leon.




When did you become interested in storytelling?

Writing to tell stories is a relatively new thing for me. I only started doing it about six or seven years ago. I did a lot of expository writing for academic journals and such through grad school and then I wrote and edited articles for fishing magazines for years after that, but storytelling of this kind is new for me.

What was your first book/story published?

Havoc Rising, the first book in the Metis Files series. It was published in June of 2015.

What inspired you to write Chaos Unbound?

Someone described my first book as “Tom Clancy meets the Iliad,” and I wanted to write one that was more like “Jason Bourne meets Harry Potter.” I wanted one to write a story that was more nonstop action, something that moved from place to place in a hurry. Plus, there was the whole blackout thing that happened in San Diego and it seemed to make a perfect segue for a surreptitious chase scene.

What character in Chaos Unbound is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I suppose the character most like me is Diomedes, but only in some of the ways where I’ve been able to develop his personality a bit more in depth. Obviously I didn’t invent him. There are dozens of myths and legends about him, including whole sections of the Iliad. I got to flesh out his character a bit more and I’d say that’s where you might run into similarities. I also have some similarities with Duma, too. Abraxos, Duma’s brother, is probably the least like me—he’s all action and no planning. As for exactly how I’m like Duma and Diomedes, well, readers will just have to speculate.

What is your favorite part in Chaos Unbound?

Now available from author Dana Ford is the mystery novel Case File Phantom.


The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her novel.



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I have been writing stories since I was in elementary school. My best friend and I would have sleepovers and write short stories through the night. Her reaction to my writing encouraged me to become a writer. 

What is your favorite part in Case File Phantom?

One of my favorite parts in this book is when Constance visits her sister's family for the weekend.

What was the hardest part to write?

Zonderkidz; 30 pages; $9.99; Amazon

Now available to own just in time for Easter is the board book Princess Prayers, which is part of the "The Princess Parables" series, written by Crystal Bowman, who was inspired by the series original authors Jeanna Young & Jacqueline Johnson. Illustrations are by Omar Aranda.

Even the most DIY homeowner needs to hire a professional for a renovation project sometimes. We just don't have the experience or tools to get some jobs done and sometimes it's just too big for us. Whether you need a contractor to fix an emergency or to increase the value of your home, you want to choose the right one for your job.

Choosing the right pro isn't as cut and dry as it seems. There are a huge number of contractors in your area that all seem to offer different services with different specialties. How do you choose the right one? Here are a few tips that can hopefully help you with that.

• Know Their Specialty - While a lot contractors are proficient in most aspects of home renovation, they do each have jobs they specialize in. Clearly, you should hire a pro that specializes in the job you require.

• Learn About the Job - The more you know about the repair job you need, the easier it will be to hire the right person for the job. The right knowledge will help you ask the right questions. This is also a good way to know that you are hiring a trustworthy contractor because they will not be able to put one over on you during your interview.

Little Brown & Company; 400 pages; Amazon

Yes, keeping up with each new James Patterson release can be a little difficult with at least two books, as well as the Bookshots ebooks, being released every month. The author's thriller Never Never, co-written with Candice Fox, was released in January, and it introduced a brand new character, Detective Harriet "Harry" Blue - well sorta, since technically the character was first introduced in the "Black & Blue" Bookshots novella.

In the novel, Harry Blue is a detective for the Sex Crimes Department in Sydney, Australia. She is shell-shocked when she learns that her brother, Sam, has been arrested for the Georgia River Three murders.

Despite wanting to do anything she can to prove her brother's innocence, her boss orders not to get involved with the case and gives her a new assignment out of the city. She's assigned a simple missing-person case, but there is one catch - she has to work with a new partner, Edward Whittaker, who is more or less there to babysit her while the Feds are investigating her bother.

Final Thoughts: Honestly, it took me over a month to read Never Never, which is probably the longest it has ever taken me to read a James Patterson novel. The problem for me is that I couldn't connect with the main character, aka Harry Blue. Her, along with most the other characters, felt very flat and one-dimensional with absolutely no character development; just a wooden by-the-book character similar to the ones on television series Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

ZonderKidz; 160 pages; $10.99; Amazon

Now available from ZonderKidz is The Berenstain Bears: Friendship Blessings Collection, featuring five picture books. The Berenstain Bears books were created by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Sadly, both the authors have passed away, but their son, Mike, has taken over the series by writing and illustrating new stories.

The collection includes:

Perfect Fishing Spot (originally published in ?) - Papa Bear wants fish for dinner. Instead of buying fish from Grizzly Fish, he takes Brother and Sister fishing.

Reap The Harvest (originally published in ?) - Brother and Sister Bear are out of school for the summer. They quickly become bored and start looking for a summer job to make some cash. The reply to a help wanted sign on Farmer Ben's farm. They get the job, but they don't get paid right away. Instead of giving the cubs cash, Framer Ben gives them a section of his crops.

Faithful Friends (originally published in 2009) Sister Bear befriends the new cub, Suzy, in school. Suzy doesn't have any other friends because she isn't like other cubs. Instead of playing, Suzy would rather be reading.

Kindness Counts (originally published in 2010) While getting ready to fly his model plane in the park, Brother Bear befriends a young cub named Billy, who also likes model planes.

God Made You Special (originally published in 2014) Sister Bear gets a little confused when she meets her best friend's cousin, Tommy. Tommy is the same age as Brother Bear, but mentally he acts a lot younger. Eventually, she learns that God made Tommy special from others.

Best Buy; Walmart

Now available to own from Lucasfilm on Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray +DVD+Digital HD) is Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the first standalone adventure set in the Star Wars franchise. Directed by Gareth Edwards, the film stars Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Jiang Wen, and Forest Whitaker.

Set just prior to the events that took place in the original movie, Star Wars: A New Hope, Rogue One tells the story of the small group of rebels who stole the plans to the first Death Star, which will eventually finds its way to Princess Leia.

The rebel group consists of Jyn Erso (played by Felicity Jones), Cassian Andor (played by Diego Luna), Chirrut Îmwe (played Donnie Yen), Bodhi Rook (played by Riz Ahmed), Baze Malbus (played by Jiang Wen), and K-2SO (played by Alan Tudyk), all of whom must (Spoiler Alert) sacrifice their lives in the attempt to stop the Empire's greatest weapon - the Death Star.

The special features are a little lacking for this release. There are no deleted scenes, bloopers, or commentaries. However, there are several short behind-the-scenes features.

These bonus features are:

• A Rogue Idea – Hear how ILM’s John Knoll came up with the movie’s concept – and why it’s the right film to launch the Star Wars stand-alone films.

• Jyn: The Rebel – Get to know Rogue One’s defiant, resourceful survivor, and hear what it was like for Felicity Jones to bring her to life onscreen.

• Cassian: The Spy – Diego Luna shares insights into his complex, driven character, who becomes a hero through selflessness, perseverance and passion.

• K-2SO: The Droid – Explore the development of this reprogrammed Imperial droid, from initial pitch and character design through Alan Tudyk’s performance.

• Baze & Chirrut: Guardians of the Whills – Go deeper into the relationship between these two very different characters, with Chinese superstars Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen.