Donan Berg's novel Alexa's Gold achieves 89 days as most popular.

It makes one humble.

Alexa's Gold, a romantic thriller, has achieved a record eighty-nine (89) consecutive days at the most popular novel on the Authorsden.com website. Click here to access Donan Berg's page: Authorsden.com .

In fact, four Author Donan Berg novels occupy four of the five top most popular novel spots. (December 27, 2018 Update: novels  Alexa's Gold, A Body To Bones, Abbey Burning Love, One Paper Heart. All are romances, except the mystery novel A Body To Bones.)

Alexa's Gold becomes the second Author Donan Berg novel to reach the highest pinnacle of popularity at Authorsden.com . As of December 27, Donan Berg novels are four of the top five.

The first was A Body To Bones. After rising to number one in July, 2018, A Body To Bones has in the past month challenged Alexa's Gold, rising as high as a runnerup.  Today, December 27, 2018, the former number one still ranks number two.

Both novels have free excerpts and signed copy availability at Authorsden.com .

Joining Alexa's Gold and A Body To Bones as top most popular books, all genres, are romances Abbey Burning Love and One Paper Heart.  The three romances are the top romances at Authorsden.com. Adolph's Gold, a police procedural mystery has ranked as high as number nine this December. (On December 27, it's number 12.) One Paper Heart was a 2016 Feathered Quill Gold Award First Place romance.

To all who have read either excerpts, entire stories or accessed any one of the five novels, thank you.

If you wish to enjoy these novels, there's an easy remedy.

Two Donan Berg Novels Top Popularity

Breaking News

As of  Thursday, October 18, 2018, two Donan Berg novels continue their
string of consecutive days ranked most popular. Now at twenty-one (21).

Alexa's Gold, a romantic thriller, ranks No. 1 most popular at
Authorsden.com, a literary website.

A Body To Bones, a mystery, ranks No. 2 most popular at Authorsden.com.

Both novels have maintained their top literary ranking since September 28.
Joining them October 17 at #6 is Author Berg's romance/mystery Abbey Burning Love.

Thank you all and keep up your visits to the below links.

To find more information and the rankings click here:  AuthorsDen.com .

Donan Berg's AuthorsDen.com author page is here: Donan Berg Author .

Thank you all.

For reviews of Alexa's Gold and A Body To Bones, check out prior blog posts.

"A Body To Bones" Book Reviews

A Body To Bones, First Skeleton Series Mystery Author Donan Berg Review Number One: By E. Harris (Reader) 6/25/2018 Ten years ago Sarah Hamilton made a mistake. Never far from her mind were the reminders of the consequences. Not wanting to dwell on the past, she tried to look towards the future. This was not to be when an investigation into recently found skeletal remains threatens not only her secrets, but her safety as well. Will she survive the turmoil? The author has crafted an intriguing and suspenseful mystery novel. The tension builds slowly and keeps the reader engrossed throughout. When least expected, the narrative takes unexpected twists and turns. The well-drawn characters are an interesting group as are their roles in the story. I found this to be a well written and engrossing novel. Highly recommended. I received a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed are my own. Review Number Two: By Laura H. (Reader) 5/8/2018
The meticulous and lengthy descriptions of the characters in this story are an integral piece of recognizing the clues. The masterful way Berg entwined them into the story shows the extent of his creativity, imagination, and depth of writing. As a debut novel, this book deserves the praise it has received. If this publication is any indication, this writer has a prolific career ahead as a novelist. The twisting and turning storyline keeps the reader enthralled and wondering 'who done it' and 'why' to the end. What this reader supposed happened and why--was way off! The reader quickly becomes invested in the character's lives as horrific findings are unveiled. The complex secrets, lives changed, and Sarah's role--brings the town and its events into focus. Sarah's difficult decisions and finally confrontation with the past are written beautifully. The book highlights how incredibly complicated a police investigation is and how the simplest observation, say: a key, can change the future of an entire town. This reader is looking forward to reading the next novel in this series. One can hope it is as well-written and engaging as this one. Also a big plus is the price is reasonable.  Review Number Three By Glenda Bixler (07/2018) Reading the Prologue of Berg's first book certainly will grab readers and have them continue to learn what happens! Ten years has passed for Sarah Hamilton with a burden hanging over her... Clearly she had not yet felt God's forgiveness for her act... I have often thought that God sees our contrite heart and forgives us long before we are able to fully accept that... Then, too, what of the man who had been involved? Had he even thought to seek forgiveness, especially when we later learn, that Sarah was not the only woman with whom he had been involved... The small-town intrigue and gossip is alive and well in Clinton... The morality of the characters in the novel plays an important part as, ten years later, a body is found...or should I say, bones of a body... For this skeleton had missing bones that soon became part of the mystery... There was mystery in town this past week as every citizen wondered about the disappearance of Father Cornelius Murphy, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic Church of Clinton. ~~~ But before then, we learn more about the lives in Clinton a small town, of less than 900...for, of course, each is known and involved in some way in those events that the Pioneer Ledger shares to its readers once a week. Sarah and her husband are well-known and respected, and involved with local church activities. Sarah Hamilton is married to the editor/owner. One of those moral issues she has suffered under was her mother's dictates of how a Christian woman should act. One definitely was that she should take care of the home and not work outside it. But the Hamiltons actually lived in the building where the newspaper was created and printed... and her husband really did need her help. So, while agreeing to help with the paper, once more she buried her personal feelings of guilt and sense of doing something wrong... I had great sympathy for this woman living very much like I did in a small town... Throughout the story, the Hamiltons, not only because of their news-gathering activities, remain involved...We soon learn that there had been two disappearances around the mid-50s... One of them was the wife of the neighbor of the Hamiltons, who also owned a large warehouse in which the bones were later found. The other was the disappearance of a local priest... The officials, including local and federal, do an excellent job in pulling the investigation together and the created characters add greatly to the enjoyment of the hunt for whodunit! And the possible villains, including even Sarah, are explored as we learn more about the bodies, keeping us guessing. My intuition was right again, but the author keeps readers on the edge until almost the end of the book, as Sarah faces danger from the killer! I was pleased how the author allowed our main character's family to come together after all that had happened and we find a quite satisfactory ending after more than a decade of hidden secrets... A solid whodunit mystery that I highly recommend! GABixlerReviews (End of Reviews) Read this and other reviews of Author Donan Berg novels at Author Donan Berg Website . In addition, Author Berg's most popular story, "Inspiration" and most popular article "Aisle Two Romance, Chapter One" are both at the above website. Also see earlier post of "Inspiration" that appears on this blog. Thank you to E. Harris, Laura H., and G. Bixler and other readers for your continued strong support.

Inspiration by Donan Berg

After three months, Author Donan Berg's "Inspiration" still trending as the most popular inspirational story at AuthorsDen

To read it free click here: Inspiration by Donan Berg . Thank you for your read. All reads help advance Donan's story to be the most popular of all stories. Last check showed it at number six; number one is within reach.

While there, check out Donan Berg's A Body To Bones, at last check, the most popular novel at AuthorsDen. For romance fans there's Aisle Two Romance, chapter one listed under articles.

Again, thank you to all.

Review: Fools in the Magic Kingdom by Michael Hartnett

Fools in the Magic Kingdom by Michael Hartnett is a captivating satire of true-to-life undercurrents of present day American culture. Metaphors abound, striking close to home. There is Walt Disney’s creation of a magic kingdom and a world of nations on Florida’s swampy terrain. Think of Shakespeare’s character Jaques who says in As You Like It: “All the world’s a stage.” and “One man in his time plays many parts.” With a past-her-prime actress and a gullible documentary filmmaker, remember Gilligan’s Island. Sprinkle in the budding romance of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. From Orson Welles’s “War of the Worlds” add a full portion of invading green-skinned Martians (portrayed by Dreamers in green T-shirts) where Halloween is supplanted by April Fool’s Day.

Author Hartnett does a masterful job of creating a Chinese box, a play within a play. In fast-paced action, the reader follows three sets of well-developed characters who on one day enter Disney World for diverse purposes only to become embroiled in a rising tide of emotional and physical tension. Dare I refer to the tidal wave of Typhoon Lagoon? Readers exposed to character gullibility, racism and greed are led to understand, if not to endorse, resentment, confusion, and life’s perils within a satirical tale of an enticing culture created in a make-believe world. Haunting parallels exist to life in the United States where God is not replaced by a mouse and wrist bands need not be purchased for magic or enchantment.

His writing, interlaced with humor, is sharp and detailed, yet not excessive. One need not wait for a fast pass to enjoy the plot twists. He wraps the reader inside a cocoon of physical description and emotional reaching out. For example, the different nose colors of Chip ‘n’ Dale. Further examples of vivid metaphors include: “Marlene suckled on the sweet milk of distant memory.” And “… sky fell upon them like the clouds were equipped with Jacuzzi jets.”

Both the Disney World novice and veteran will enjoy experiencing the world of Author Hartnett. His world won’t be found in either the Burnham or Unofficial guide, and that is notable. His world’s journey is a tour where the question is not “We there yet?” but “What will happen next?”

Real Life Character Building

Fiction novel writers never ignore characters. Characters live and
breathe as the heart and soul of every potential masterpiece.

How does the novelist get there?

Consider this perspective; they blend in the physical attributes of hair color, body build,
eye color etcetera, but, more important, they interview their characters to gain a
deeper understanding.

They ask each character in turn, digging to get as much information as possible:

1. What life experiences have you enjoyed?

2.  What physical things have you enjoyed, even loved?

3.  What experience or physical object liberated you?

4.  What ideas and held beliefs have you outgrown?

5.  What spiritual concepts have controlled your life?

6.  What secular ideas have guided your life?

7.  What physical or emotional risks have you taken?

8.  What dangers have you avoided or courted?

9.  What sufferings have helped you grow?

10. What people shaped or influenced you life? To what degree?

Donan Berg is the author of entertaining mystery and heartwarming romance. His 2016 romance,
One Paper Heart, won the Feathered Quill Gold Award First Place for Romance. His latest is a
romantic thriller, Alexa's Gold. Ask for both at your favorite book retailer.