Review: "Collateral Damage" by Lynette Eason

Fans of fast-paced suspense won't want to miss this new series from Lynette Eason!

"raptor 6" by ronie kendig

About the book: His mission.

His team.

Captain Dean Watters keeps these parts of his life in laser-like focus. So when hackers threaten both his mission and his team, Dean's Special Forces training kicks into high gear. Ten military super-secure computers are missing-which if opened, would give America's enemies a blueprint of US military intelligence. Failing to stop the hackers isn't an option.

Zahrah Zarrick is a missionary teacher to Afghan children in Mazar-e Sharif. She's also a target. Her expertise in quantum cryptology makes her an unwitting pawn in the hackers' deadly game. They're coming for her, and Dean and his team must stop them.

Before the team can get to Zahrah, she disappears. Now Dean must race to rescue her and stop the hackers from unleashing terror on millions across the globe. But to do so, Dean will be forced to crack open the steel box around his heart-a move that might come at the highest cost.

My take: Ronie Kendig is known for "Rapid-Fire Fiction," so when I picked up Raptor 6, the first of her novels I've read, I expected to immediately be swept into an action-packed thrill ride. That's not quite what happened. The novel does start out with a bang as Dean "Raptor 6" Watters is dumped at a military base in Afghanistan following time in captivity. But then the action jumps back six months, and things progress rather slowly as Kendig introduces characters and sets things up. During this section, the glossary of terms and the character lists were invaluable. I found myself constantly flipping to them as I tried to grasp who everyone was and what exactly was happening.

But once the plot really began rolling—probably about 60 pages in—it fired on all cylinders. Suddenly, things moved so quickly that I struggled to keep up! (And I did still need to consult that glossary every so often.) But even though the plot moved at break-neck speed, I still felt like I got to know the characters. Dean is a great hero—a strong leader who keeps his emotions at arms length until he meets Zahrah. Zahrah is very intriguing, and I feel like we only scratched the surface with her, so I hope she shows up in future novels! Also, I did not expect to tear up while reading Raptor 6, but I did—there is an incredibly touching thread involving one of the members of Dean's team that tugged at my heart.

As I reached the last few pages of the novel, it became clear that everything wasn't going to neatly wrap up. It doesn't exactly end on a cliffhanger, but there are enough threads left open that I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the series!

My rating: 4 stars

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About the author: Ronie Kendig is an award-winning, bestselling author who grew up an Army brat. After twenty-plus years of marriage, she and her hunky hero husband have a full life with four children and a Maltese Menace in northern Virginia. Author and speaker, Ronie loves engaging readers through her Rapid-Fire Fiction.

Ronie can be found at www.roniekendig.com and on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

About the giveaway: Don't miss the first book, Raptor 6, in Ronie Kendig's new Quiet Professionals series. Ronie combines a dangerous romance and explosive action for a thrilling and satisfying ride. "Lock and load for this Spec Op, fighting under God’s 'rules of engagement.'" —Bob Hamer, veteran FBI undercover agent and award-winning author

Ronie is celebrating with a Kindle HDX Giveaway!

One winner will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HDX
• Raptor 6 by Ronie Kendig

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 15th. Winner will be announced June 16th on Ronie's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to stop by Ronie's blog on June 16th to see if you won.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Also, some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"red sky at morning" by steve wilson

About the book (from Amazon): When Marine Lieutenant Michael Neill is ordered to the former Soviet Union, his assignment is to verify nuclear disarmament. But before his mission begins, an American reconnaissance plane is attacked by a Russian fighter, and a Navy pilot is killed. After the incident, Neill’s mission changes.

Willis Avery, the President’s National Security Advisor, wants Lieutenant Neill to investigate Russian stealth technology, in addition to his original assignment. Photographic evidence—and the lack of radar images of the attacking aircraft—lead the American intelligence community to conclude that something new has been developed in the skies over Russia. Avery believes that Neill’s friendship with a high-ranking officer in the Ukrainian Air Force is the key to establishing Red Sky at Morning—the existence of new aviation technology that could upset the balance of power between East and West.

However, ultra-nationalist forces are at work. After arriving in Eastern Europe, Neill quickly uncovers a conspiracy of terrorism secretly instigated by the Kremlin. Government leaders in Moscow will stop at nothing to rebuild the Soviet Union as they try to force the breakaway republics back into the fold.

Neill discovers that the terrorism has extended to the weapons facility he is charged with inspecting. Communist agents have gone far beyond their original orders, and it’s a race against time as the Marine—with the help of a beautiful Ukrainian journalist—tries to stop them—and come up with a plan to bring down the corrupt govenment officials in Moscow.

My take: I love military movies, but I very rarely read military fiction. So it was with a little trepidation that I agreed to review Steve Wilson's Red Sky at Morning. I needn't have worried, as this book immediately grabbed my attention, and I soon found myself flying through the pages to see what would happen next.

The action moves quickly, and even though there are many characters, I didn't have trouble keeping them straight ... with one exception. The author often refers to characters by first name, last name, or both, sometimes all within the same scene. Once I figured this out, I was fine, but at first, I thought that Michael and Neill were different people!

While I enjoyed the entire book, the epilogue was, hands down, my favorite part. I don't want to spoil it, but it wraps up a minor character's story line in a most satisfying manner.

Red Sky at Morning is book one in Wilson's Michael Neill series, and I will definitely be continuing with book two. Those who enjoy military or espionage novels should definitely check these out.

My rating:  4 stars

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About the series: Red Sky at Morning (the first in the Michael Neill series) is a novel of military/espionage, with ties to Christian fiction. It explores the dynamics of faith in uniform, which are often absent from books of the same kind. There’s action, military hardware, strong core values, and even a little romance. Neill’s adventures will hold the interest of young and old, and will encourage readers to value patriotism and embrace honor and integrity.

Michael Neill was born and raised in Ukraine, the son of American missionaries. As a Marine Corps officer, Neill works counter-intelligence. He is fluent in Russian and Ukrainian and brings his linguistic skills to bear on national security issues facing the U.S. The fact that he grew up in that part of the world also gives him an edge.

Neill’s faith guides his actions. He’s an individual who has suffered his share of personal loss, and the different layers of his background are slowly revealed as the series progresses.

About the author: Steve Wilson is a multimedia designer for a large metropolitan newspaper, and has worked in advertising for over 25 years. He is a prior service Marine, now serving as a Master Sergeant in the Air Force Reserve.

Over the course of his military career, he has received the Iraq and Afghanistan Campaign Medals, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. In 2010 he was named the Air Transportation NCO of the Year. His ties to the armed forces—as well as short-term mission trips—have taken him to Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Europe and the Pacific, as well as the former Soviet Union. These experiences have helped to shape his story lines.

Steve is the author of Red Sky at Morning and Tempest of Fire, both military/espionage novels in the Michael Neill Adventure series. He is the father of two grown sons, and lives in Florida with his wife.

To learn more about Steve and his books, visit his website: http://stevewilsonauthor.com/ or his blog.

You can also find Steve on Facebook.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a free copy of this book to review. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Some of the links on this page are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase a product, I will receive a commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” I am part of the CWA Review Crew.