It’s no secret that Melissa Bowersock is one talented lady. Not only is she an award-winning author who has been both traditionally and self-published, but she’s an excellent storyteller who has given many interviews.
(I particularly like this one.)
I read her book, Burning Through, in two sittings. It was that captivating!
It’s also received many rave reviews. It’s hard to believe that she wrote this wonderful novel in only 39 days! Amazing!
Read on to find out what this book is about, to learn more about my relationship with this lady, and to discover more books by this author!
Burning Through Book Blurb
When Jennifer and Robert Stinson buy a beautifully restored Victorian house, the last thing they expect is to share their home with a ghost — especially one with a penchant for setting fires. Unfortunately the ghostly arson only creates more tension in their already strained marriage. Jen launches her own investigation into the history of her house and discovers a surprising ally in a sympathetic fire captain. But can she unravel the mystery of the fires before they consume her home, her marriage … and her life?
My Review of Burning Through
The following book review of Burning Through has been posted to Goodreads:
Captivating from the get-go, Burning Through was difficult to put down — and I only put it down once. I read it in two days, as I was anxious to find out what was going to happen next!
Burning Through contains elements of mystery, romance, and suspense.
Jen and Robert move to a small town due to her husband’s recent job change. Although Jen falls in love with their newly-purchased home, she discovers their house is inhabited by a ghost… who starts fires!
But… there might be more than just one spirit involved…
In her quest to learn about the history of the house’s former occupants, Jen consults with two local men as well as old newspaper reports. A subtle romance develops between Jen and Chris, a fire captain, with whom she also teams up with to solve the mystery of the many instances of arson that have occurred over the years in her house, and are still occurring.
As the story unfolds, Robert constantly belittles his wife every chance he gets, especially when it comes to Jen’s budding entrepreneurial ventures. Fortunately for Jen, his new job is one of a travelling salesman, so he’s not home that much!
I don’t want to give too much of the story away by providing you with snippets of the plot twists, so just let me say that, in Burning Through, you’ll find strong character development, a simplistic yet descriptive style of writing, and a good plot, culminating in a climax satisfying to both the characters and the reader.
I have to give this book 5 stars. It’s an excellent read!
I’ve never said this about a self-published book before, but I also think it would make a great movie.
The author certainly cannot receive a higher compliment than that!
About Melissa Bowersock – My Mentor – and some of her books
Melissa Bowersock and I have a bit of a history with one another. When I began my first blog, Lorraine Reguly’s Life (which later morphed into Wording Well), Melissa was the one who initially taught me what I needed to know about self-publishing, in an interview about this subject.
Over time, she became like a mentor to me, and helped guide me through the steps when I published Risky Issues. She was one of my beta readers, too, and she even interviewed me when I was published.
Prior to the latter, Melissa also sent me an autographed copy of one of her books, The Pits of Passion, which she wrote under the pseudonym Amber Flame. My review of The Pits of Passion is as follows:
The Pits of Passion is an unbelievable, hilarious tale and an enjoyable, easy read. Captivating from the get-go, this novel will take you on the ride of your life! Elizabeth’s journeys will enable you to ride the high seas with her and her twin lovers, and laugh at the predicaments in which she both finds and loses herself. I have never read a novel quite like this one; The Pits of Passion is in a class of its own! … Congratulations, Melissa, (aka Amber Flame) for doing what so many writers fail to do! Also, thanks for the autographed copy of The Pits of Passion; I treasure it!
I had the pleasure of working with Melissa on Stone’s Ghost, too, which I helped edit. My review of Stone’s Ghost is as follows:
Melissa Bowersock’s style of writing is light and breezy, which makes her story-telling easy to read and relate to, even when dealing with serious issues. Most people expect a ghost story to be creepy or scary, but “Stone’s Ghost” is neither. The reader is introduced to the characters—including the apparition—in a way that draws the reader in and makes the reader want to know what will happen next. This tale is entertaining and suspenseful, following a logical, realistic sequence of events that illustrate the author’s ability to connect the past and the present using current language that reflects the modernism and technology of our time. “Stone’s Ghost” was a pleasure to read and is another treasure to add to the collection!
Testimonials from Melissa
Melissa gave me glowing testimonials for my editing talents, including one for Bookvetter, as well as the following one:
“Lorraine Reguly has all the qualities that writers need–not necessarily what they want, but what they need. None of us likes to have someone point out our mistakes, but that is exactly what is essential if we are going to polish our work to publication readiness. Lorraine’s sharp eyes and attention to detail become the stone that grinds away the impurities. She has an excellent command of language, syntax, punctuation, spelling and grammar, as well as the retention for continuity and cohesiveness. While working together on my latest book, she found errors that many other readers did not, and asked questions about ambiguous points that made me rethink my intent and increase my clarity. Her editing skills are both helpful and essential. I am extremely grateful for her help and would gladly recommend her to any writer.”
About Melissa the Writer
Melissa grew up in South California although she now lives in Arizona. She’s married to a great guy, and lost her other best friend — her dog — last year. She writes across multiple genres (she’s that talented), and, now, in addition to writing her books and blog, she’s also a regular contributor to Indies Unlimited, a site that offers excellent advice for budding, new, and independently-published authors. Of course, this is all between book signings and other promotions she runs! 😉
For more, visit Melissa’s website or her blog, like her Facebook page and/or follow her on Twitter. She loves connecting with others!
Check out her complete list of her books, and get your copy of Burning Through from Amazon.
YOUR TURN:
Have you heard of this wonderful lady before today? Have you read any of her books? Which ones?
Which books appeal to you?
Do you have any questions for Melissa? I know she’d be more than happy to answer them in the comments! If so, ask away!
My Final Plea
Please share this post on social media. Although my Wording Well site is becoming popular, this site still lacks readerships because I’ve not actively promoted it as much as I’d’ve liked to. So… I need your help! It took me a long time to put this post together, but if no one reads it, I’ll be very sad. (I’m sure Lisa Gardner will be, too!)
So please take two minutes to share this on ALL of your social media networks… and subscribe to my emailing list. Although I don’t currently have a free ebook to bribe you with give you, I will one day suprise you with a special gift… or gifts. 😉
Thanks!
~Lorraine Reguly
P. S. Here are a few Tweets to get you started. 🙂
Lorraine, thanks so much for the great write-up. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, but you’re reading thru my books waaaay too fast! I’m going to have to write faster to keep up with you!
Melissa, I’m glad you liked the review. I actually didn’t post it to Goodreads yet, but I’ll do that today! I hope you noticed the comment I made about it being a good idea for a movie, too!
And yeah, keep on writing! 🙂
Lorraine, thank you for introducing me to a new-to-me author. I will have to check out her books.
Michelle, you’re welcome! I’ve not read all of her books due to the different genres and topics, but the ones I’ve read, I’ve liked… and some I even loved! I’m happy that book reviews help you to make a decision on what to read, too. 🙂
Melissa is a great lady, and she is very open to communication. Definitely feel fre to say hi to her on Facebook; she’s on it often! And mention that you saw my post about Burning Through on my site. I’m sure you two will get along just fine!