Reviews for A New Haunt for Mr. Bierce
“A mystery that’s as clever as it is entertaining…
Bridges’s latest novel delves into ghostly existence’s struggle with the dark history of his new residence. When the ghost of Ambrose Bierce, American writer and civil war Union soldier, is displaced from the home he had been haunting, he enlists the help of a haunting agent and finds a new residence to haunt. But the house’s dark history makes Ambrose curious about the secrets that have stayed buried for a long time. With the help of an old friend Sid, a Buddhist priest who has inhabited the spirit world for 25 centuries, Ambrose sets on to solve the mystery of his new residence. Bridges populates his traditional mystery with convincingly complicated characters who gracefully carry the book and deftly explores the desires, doubts, and endless questions that accompany Ambrose and Sid’s quest to get to the heart of the matter. The narrative rotates among finite questions about afterlife, moving on, redemption, spirituality, a murder mystery, and Ambrose Bierce’s writing and character while offering insight into the living and otherworldly characters’ varied lives. The surprises and revelations come fast and are plentiful and the pacing expert. Readers will love Ambrose’s questions about his ghostly existence, his endearing bond of friendship with Sid, the hefty dose of supernatural, the historical setting, and the intricately tangled complications. Expertly plotted and executed, the novel will keep readers on the edge of their seats until they turn the last page. Bridges has delivered a winner.”
5 stars. “I quite enjoyed reading A New Haunt for Mr. Bierce. It was provoking and kept me interested until the very end. In addition, the cover was eye-catching and one of the first things that attracted me to the book. Thank you for the opportunity to be able to read this book! Looking forward to reading more by this author in the future.”
— Illy Renfroe, NetGalley
Reviews for Billion Dollar Bracket
5 stars. “The March Madness basketball bracket is the star of this book, but it is surrounded by some well-developed, and interesting, characters. A college math professor engenders interest in formulas, probability, and more when he introduces the bracket as a teaching tool. The same professor is dealing with a dying sister who is the mother of a special needs daughter. The development of the Billion Dollar Bracket involves a number of characters who each bring special skills and issues to an engaging story.”
– Doug Yonce (Educator), NetGalley
“This book was so good. Honestly it surprised me how much I enjoyed it. You really get into the plot and the twists that the story brings. Great book all around.”
– Amanda Yates (Media professional), NetGalley
“Are you interested in a proposal to make you the easiest $5M you will ever make?
With March Madness just around the corner, Sinclair Dane contacts a handful of heavyweights in Las Vegas and proposes they support her Billion Dollar Bracket contest. Contestants pay a two-dollar entry fee for a chance to win a billion. However, the odds of winning are astronomical, which is good as Sinclair doesn’t have the billion to pay a winner. Meanwhile, Dr. Lewis Cusac has moved to Boiling Springs to care for his dying niece and assume responsibility for her intellectually disabled eleven-year-old daughter, Cheeky. Taking over a remedial math class at Gardner-Webb University, he must find a way to interest the students in mathematical concepts. When a student in his class states he’d like to learn about statistics to win the Billion Dollar Bracket, Cusac proposes to use the playoffs as a class project. Will this mathematician find a way to use statistics to win the bracket, and if so, how will Sinclair pay?
Bridges scores a three-pointer (and it’s all net) in this intriguing look at college basketball and March Madness. The novel, however, entails more than just sports and statistics. It is also a tale of family loyalty as Sinclair and Cusac struggle with family problems during the tournament. Cusac must forge the delicate steps of talking with Cheeky about her mother’s impending death. Sinclair’s mother, who is mentally ill, chooses to live on the streets of Las Vegas. Each of these storylines is handled with humility and humanity and provides balance to the book. The author also delves into the political arena of college sports and money by addressing the problems facing college athletes who must rely on scholarships alone while navigating NCAA rules. Whether one is a sports fan or not, this one is a fascinating and fun read.”
– Kat Kennedy, The US Review of Books