August 19, 2012

FIVE by Christie Rich

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3.5 out of 5 stars

Rayla is an Elemental, but she doesn’t learn this about herself until after she leaves home for college. She also finds out that Elementals are wanted/hunted by fae lords as prospective mates. Elementals are able to bond with a fae lord and it increases the power in both parties. Rayla has four lords who are serious about courting her. Most Elementals can only influence one element. Rayla can manipulate all of them, though she hasn’t learned how to control it yet.

There is not a lot of action in this first novel. We meet Rayla, a few of her friends, and the lords. We spend most of this novel learning about the rules associated with the fae and Elementals, and also with Rayla as she gets to know each of the lords. I’m a hopeless romantic, so this part was great, the sexual tension hot, and descriptions very good. If you’re seeking a lot of action over romance however, it might not be for you.

My number one test for any novel is judged by how fast I read it. If I’m still struggling through after a week or more, not good. I read Five by Christie Rich in two. It would have been one if outside life had kept out of the way. So this gives the novel an automatic top score in stars. But then I have to take into account editing, typos and such. This tripped me up quite a few times, more of a distraction than outright irritation, but I do hope for better when I read the second novel in the series.

I also ran into a few problems where character development and believability are concerned. Rayla and Cassie are supposedly best friends, but I felt through most of the story that they more or less just tolerated each other, which didn’t work for me. I also questioned Rayla’s willingness to accept all this weirdness with hardly a blink. I know how I would’ve reacted if placed in her shoes and this was nowhere close. Her attraction to the fae is believable enough when she is in their presence. I get (and liked) the power they seem to hold over her. What I couldn’t get was why she still thought well of some of them out of their presence. She seemed to fall into and out of love too easily. The aunt who raised her also didn’t come across as loving, or even fearful about the danger Rayla had put herself in. She almost came across more as an afterthought, which I thought was strange. So these are the two greatest faults with this story in my opinion–editing and character development. I’m going to take one star off for each– though probably more a 3.5. It is still a fast, fun read and I have no problems recommending it to my family and friends. I’m looking forward to part two.

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August 13, 2012

Mik Murdoch: Boy Superhero by Michell Plested

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Five out of five stars

Mik Murdoch is just like any other nine-year-old boy; after watching the amazing Spiderman he decides he wants to be a superhero. But how does a superhero get his power? Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider. Superman came from another world.

And so the quest begins.

With his trusty dog Krypto by his side he begins to hunt for a way to kick start his superpowers and manages to get into all sorts of amusing trouble along the way. As the search continues, he runs into people in trouble in the community and in his heart he knows he has to stop and do what he can to help. The last is not something every nine-year-old boy or girl is so willing to do and this is what sets Mik apart from most of the others.

In an age where violence, darkness and bad attitudes are the norm it can be difficult to choose a novel for our young children to read. When I was a child, the novels to read were the “Little House” books by Laura Engles Wilder. I remember wishing I was Half Pint as I read about one adventure after another. Mik Murdock reminds me a great deal of the young Laura Engles, in that he cares about his family and friends, often putting their needs above his own. But he doesn’t always do exactly as he’s told, and this works to get him into trouble. I hadn’t planned to read straight through when I picked up the story, but that’s exactly what I did. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a novel so much. It is easy to imagine the younger generation eagerly waiting to see what Mik will be up to next. Well done to the author Michell Plested! He has managed to hook this big kid-at-heart.

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August 9, 2012

GRAFFITI HEAVEN by MARITA HANSEN

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Five out of five stars

Talented new author Marita Hansen is an expert at getting inside the mind of her characters. She takes a firm hold of the reader and drags them kicking and screaming into the pages with her. Not always pleasant and many times downright cringe worthy, she takes us inside the lives of four troubled teenagers. Their souls are laid bare to our eyes, every motive, good and bad, exposed, their deepest, darkest secrets held under a magnifying glass. They live in a hypocritical society, one where people prefer to stay blind to the truth and are quick to point fingers away from themselves. Often time unforgiving, a fist is the weapon of choice when it comes to handling disagreements and real, or imagined, transgressions. I found Graffiti Heaven as passionate a read as her debut novel Behind the Hood, perhaps even more intense because the characters are so young. Sixteen should be a carefree time in the lives of these teenagers, one of growth and change, of first love, a first kiss, friendship and trust. Instead we are shown a realistic view of intense conflict and pain, as much internal as external. Enter Ash, Tianna, Levi and Jenna’s world, where dysfunctional families are the norm, jealousy dominates, and one dangerous paedophile lies hidden amongst them. Loyalty and trust will be tested and fail, misunderstandings common. Expect a change in the way you’ve always viewed the dangerous and chaotic world our teenagers must find a way to survive in today.

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August 1, 2012

Amazon Chart Rush Day – Today! STEALING BREATH by Joanne Brothwell

August 2nd CHART RUSH for STEALING BREATH

My fellow Cresecent Moon Press author Joanne is celebrating the official launch of her paranormal Native American book series, beginning with STEALING BREATH, in a big, BIG way. And she’s giving away freebies for everyone!
She’s set a crazy ambitious goal for herself and her book, STEALING BREATH. On the full moon, August 2nd, she’s hoping to reach the #1 Amazon.com Bestseller, and she needs your help. The idea is for as many people as possible to go to Amazon and BUY THE BOOK ON AUGUST 2nd.
In thanks for your efforts, Joanne will also be giving away the following freebies:
 
* free e-book of the prequel novella, Vicarious (published by Crescent Moon Press)
* plus Skinwalker Lore (explanation of the Navajo legends)
* The Indigo Children (a guidebook to the New Age concept), and
* Malandanti Incantations from the Key of Solomon (a Malandanti spellbook).
These freebies will be immediately sent TO EVERYONE WHO BUYS STEALING BREATH, with proof of purchase through her website Contact Form: http://www.joannebrothwell.com/contact.html
You will get four free reads, plus you’ll be introduced to a great new book, which people are raving about, Joanne’s book goes to #1 on Amazon, and – a side benefit – an Indie author is put on the map for a change.
STEALING BREATH is perfect for anyone who loved Twilight, but with no sparkly vampires!
On August 2nd, the New Moon, let’s help make Joanne’s dream come true, and blast an Indie author right to the top of Amazon’s charts. Remember, for this crazy goal to be reached, purchases must be all on the same day, August 2nd, otherwise, the book will not go Bestseller.
So click on the link below and grab yourself a copy of STEALING BREATH right now:
Kindle version ($7.99):
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Paperback version ($14.99):
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Thank you!
Here’s what people are saying about Stealing Breath:
“I particularly enjoyed the many scenes that held me entranced in their gothic eeriness. That creepiness was entwined masterfully within the descriptive passages.”
  -Night Owl Reviews
“STEALING BREATH stole mine! Compulsive, scary suspense balanced with
a tender love story.”
-Mary Balogh, New York Times Bestselling Author
“This is actually only the second story I’ve read that had Skinwalkers as the supernatural element, so it’s a new and interesting element to use. I love the use of folklore in Stealing Breath. It gives a richness to the story and gives us some insight into the Native American and Italian cultures.”
-Zodiac Book Reviews
“I liked the character development, the fresh elements of the supernatural and Ms. Brothwell’s easily read style. She has one of those voices that reads like someone is talking or even like a movie. Highly palatable and I’m curious if there will be more from this author.”
-HK Savage, author/publisher Staccato Publishing
“This was an amazing story! I loved every page. One thing that drew me in was how Ms. Brothwell was just so descriptive. She has a beautiful writing style, very impressive.”
-For the Love of Film and Novels
“I really enjoyed this book… I love how it pulls together old fairy tales and has a type of SyFy Lost Girl feel to it. The heroine is strong, and the hero is sexy. The story is solid, and it sucked me in, and I want the next book!”
-Reader

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July 29, 2012

The Final Winter by Iain Rob Wright

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Two out of Five stars

Had a lot of potential at the start, but didn’t deliver  . . .

This started out great and I’d settled myself down for a quick, all-in-one-sitting, read. Sufficient gore and tense situations that kept me
second guessing who the real good guys/bad guys were. Reminded me a lot of Stephen King’s The Mist to be honest. But then we hit about the three-quarters mark and I literally went WTH happened? The story slipped into silly mode and I found myself totally turned off. I don’t know, maybe I expected too much from an apocalyptic horror story, but I felt this could have been so much more than what it turned out to be. Comedy is not what I search for when choosing a “horror” story, but comedy is what it morphed into. It’s like the author did this bang-up job of setting up this dark tale and then totally dropped the ball. I might try a second novel by Iain Rob Wright just because I liked the set up of the first half in The Final Winter, but right now it’s a mighty big IF. The talent is there to produce a good horror. He certainly caught my attention at the start. But I think this one got pushed through while still in need of a lot more work in the developmental, editing, part of the writing process. Had potential, but didn’t deliver. I should probably have given it one star, but decided to go with two only because of the good beginning. For the author, because I feel you have a lot of talent as a writer– I’d pull this one and rework it before anymore damage is done. For potential readers—probably not going to be the story you hoped for when glancing through the blurb and those beginning pages.

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July 17, 2012

Dracula’s Demeter by Doug Lamoreux

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Five out of five stars

Dracula by Bram Stoker is one of my all time favorite novels and, like many others, was probably the beginning of my lifelong love of the vampire, both the romanticized versions and those with more of a darker nature. I admit I’ve always been curious about what took place on the ship Dracula was transported to England on. In Stoker’s novel we know the vampire is a stowaway, hidden away in his crates of foul dirt, and that no one is left alive to steer the ship into port at the end of the voyage. But we get little on the journey itself. I was intrigued when I read the blurb for Dracula’s Demeter and decided to pick it up straight away. I’m pleased to say I found the writing excellent, perhaps even surpassing the original novel by Stoker that it’s based upon. The pages easily held me mesmerized, perhaps a little of the Count’s mystical powers involved because I found it difficult to put the novel down once I’d started reading.

We are drawn quickly into the lives of the unlucky crew and the single passenger fated to die aboard the Demeter. They come across as real people, the descriptions and individual personalities shown in vivid 3D color. The tension level is kept high throughout, which in my opinion is the key to any good horror story. The reader swiftly begins to feel the growing terror of these people, trapped on a ship with a monster out on the open seas. A warning here; you may want to read this novel during the daylight hours because all the senses are brought into play, including fear and disgust. When the storm rages around the ship, we can almost feel the spray of the saltwater on our face, smell the Count’s fetid breath brush against the neck, feel the stickiness of blood. For sure it’ll bring out a shiver or two. As we delve deeper into the story, one can’t help but hope for a miracle to arrive in time to save these doomed people.

If you’re like me and always wanted to know what took place at the beginning of the famous Count’s journey from Transylvania to England, and you enjoy the scare of a good horror story, then Dracula’s Demeter is the novel for you. I’m looking forward to reading the next novel by Doug Lamoreux.

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July 6, 2012

And Stones Shall Dance by David Pickering

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(4.5 out of 5 stars)

“And Stones Shall Dance” by David Pickering turned out to be one of those surprise novels I know is going to stick with me for many years to come. I say `surprise’ because my normal taste in novels falls more toward paranormal romance than literary fiction, though romance is involved. I decided to give it a look off the recommendations of a few friends and I’m very happy that I did.

Pickering begins his story when Elk decides to accept an invitation to a New Year’s Eve Ball, a costume party being held at White Abbey House–a private school for boys he had attended many years before. From the start the author begins to cleverly weave the two halves of Elk’s life together, smoothly slipping from past to present and back again. It is a coming of age story certainly, but also much, much more. Who of us can’t look back to our high school days and wonder what had made us behave in a certain, often times embarrassing, manner? Changing hormones, teenage angst, troubled family life (some abused, some spoiled) or is it beyond our understanding? Perhaps my own curiosity with the supernatural stems from one of these mysterious rites of passage we all seem to go through as we grow into adults — an exciting, but often frightening time. What about the lifelong consequences of past mistakes? Are we doomed to suffer for them until our dying day? I’ve read a lot of coming of age stories over the years, but none that affected me quite the way Pickering’s story did. Even as a woman, I found I was able to connect with Elk, perhaps because his story brought back memories from my own past, some I can smile about, others that haunt me. I think a little bit of everyone can be found inside these pages, though some buried deeper than others, still there.

Elk and Miles are roommates in a private school for boys. Miles’ family also happens to run the school, his father the headmaster, though he tends to leave the day to day decisions in the hands of his brother, Lucas. Although Elk likes Miles well enough, it’s his sister Avril who catches his attention, a love-at-first-sight type of attention. But Avril isn’t the only young woman in the household. Avril and Miles have a cousin Augusta, a mysterious girl Elk doesn’t know what to think about. At times he finds himself attracted to her beauty and aloof nature, but he also accepts the attraction comes mixed with a healthy dose of unease and fear. There is something odd about Augusta and Elk is not sure he wants to learn what.

I’m not going to give any plot details away by going further. One needs to read the story firsthand to pick up all the finer details necessary to appreciate the surprise at the end. I did struggle with my decision on scoring 4 instead of 5 stars, the reason because of the very detail that made me love this novel. From the start we are kept moving fast between past and present and I admit on a couple of occasions I found myself tripped up. But then again, perhaps this reader was in too big a hurry to learn what happened and didn’t pay close enough attention to well-marked scene breaks. If I could I’d give “And Stones Shall Dance” 4.5 stars.

Excellent story, great writing by David Pickering, and a wonderful adventure. I feel confident recommending the novel no matter what the age of the reader. Whether you are just heading toward those confusing and often times painful high school years, or far past them (like myself) and looking back, I’m sure you’ll find areas that hit home. It even has hints of the paranormal through popular legends about a mysterious circle of stones known as the Hag Stones. I plan to read “And Stones Shall Dance” again in a few years as I’m sure there are many details I might have missed on this first go around.

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July 2, 2012

1-Year Anniversary of “Soul Reborn” by Jean Murray

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-soulreborn-546847-140.html

Join Author Jean Murray in celebrating her 1-Year Anniversary of Soul Reborn, her debut paranormal romance novel.

TO CELEBRATE:, Soul Reborn from Crescent Moon Press on sale for $0.99 (original price $6.99) at All Romance

eBooks for a limited time only (July 1-15, 2012)

THE HUMAN REALM, HIS BATTLEFIELD.

Asar, the Egyptian God of the Underworld, has been tortured and left soulless by a malevolent goddess, relegating him to consume the very thing he was commissioned to protect. Human souls. Now an empty shell of hatred, Asar vows to kill the goddess and anyone involved in her release, but fate crosses his path with a beautiful blonde huntress who has a soul too sweet to ignore. DEADLY SECRETS BETTER LEFT UNEARTHED. Lilly, fearless commander of the Nehebkau huntresses, is the only thing standing in the way of the goddess’ undead army unleashing hell on earth. But Lilly has a secret—one she is willing to sell her soul to keep. If the Underworld god discovers her role in the dig that released the goddess, she will lose everything, including his heart.

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July 1, 2012

Eternal by J.A. Belfield

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Four out of five stars

I was introduced to Sean and Jem’s story when J.A. Belfield’s debut novel Darkness & Light first came out. I have to say I loved it, a novel I’m sure I’ll enjoy reading again in a few years. In the first novel we meet a Jem and Sean from the present, though their great love affair began over a century earlier—their souls permanently connected through a spell. I have to admit, though I loved Darkness & Light, it left me curious about the first couple, the original Jem and Sean.

If you haven’t yet read it, I suggest you pick up a copy of the novella Instinct before you read Eternal so you’ll know how Jem and Sean first meet. Eternal begins after Jem and Sean have already been together for three years. Though Eternal is a novella and doesn’t have the detail and depth involved one would expect in a full length novel, I enjoyed how we dropped straight into the story. I thought the author did a great job to bring across not only the setting of the early nineteenth century, but the actions of the characters living there.

Sean must be ruthless in his dealings with outsiders if he wants to keep Jem out of the hands of rival packs. And there are many who want her, because Jem is the only female werewolf known to exist, the first woman to survive being bitten and turned. Other werewolves are naturally curious about her and will take her from Sean if they can. Tension levels are kept high as we see a new powerful male invade their area. Maybe this one will be strong enough to do what all the others have failed at so far—take Jem away from Sean before he can marry her.

But Sean’s greatest fear doesn’t come from fighting off rivals for Jem’s affection, but more from the need to approach Jem’s mother and ask for permission to marry her daughter. Powerful werewolf meets protective human mother—I’ll leave it to your imagination, or you can pick up your own copy of Eternal and read it for yourself. A fun romance, fast read, and highly entertaining.

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June 2, 2012

The Baptist by Ruby Barnes

 

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Five out of Five stars

I was first introduced to Ruby Barnes and The Baptist when I received the first three chapters as an assignment on a peer writer critique site. I believe my first reaction fell somewhere into the—You have got to freaking be kidding me!—category. Shocking comes to mind when I think about this story. I read a lot of beginnings to novels, but rarely do I have one stick with me like The Baptist did. I couldn’t get the story off my mind and found myself watching for its release date. You have got to admire an author who can make a connection like this with their writing. My only regret is for taking so long to write up my review.

Having read the thriller “Peril” last year and thoroughly enjoying the story, I already knew Ruby Barnes could write. John, the main character in The Baptist, earns his title when he freaks out one day and decides his brother is evil and a danger to all those around him—mainly John and his parents—and so he chooses to drown his brother in the bathtub. Any normal parents would understandably be shocked by this turn of events. Not only did they lose the son John killed, they also lose John. He is committed to a mental institution and spends the rest of his childhood growing up with an assortment of amusing characters who are just as messed up as he is. You’ll have to read the novel for yourself if you want to know what goes on behind closed mental ward walls, but I will say this, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Ken Kesey comes in a definite second to some of the antics John and his new psychopathic friends dream up. Ruby Barnes pushes barriers many might wish he’d well left alone.

But the mental institution is only the beginning of the rollercoaster ride we take with John. Once the doctors state he is well enough, John is released to a clueless society. We are left somewhat surprised when he manages to actually blend in; he finds a job, gets married and has a couple of kids. By all outward appearance, John becomes a solid member of society—until he stops taking his medication and ends up baptizing another evil man—an unlucky stranger out hitchhiking in the wrong place at the wrong time. And though John is definitely a dangerous person to be around, and not one to ever be fully trusted, we begin to understand and identify with the drive behind a mind that is never quite sane. My feelings alternated between fear for John’s young family, and hope, that he’d find a way to overcome the lifelong demons who rode his shoulders.

Bottom line—John’s actions are despicable, horrifying, and guaranteed to make you cringe in more than a few places, but at the same time we find he is not a totally unlikable character. He is a messed up young man trying to fight for his life and sanity in an often insane world. Who among us can’t identify with that during the difficult times of our lives? Definitely a novel I’d recommend to all you thrill seekers and adrenalin junkies out there searching for your next fright.

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