REVIEW: "Destiny Sets" - by Karen Fainges (Virtual Book Tour Cafe)

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"Destiny Sets is the first novel in the Shaytonian Chronicles.   Lightning sears a scene against the eye. Trapped between reality and death, every scrap of life is fighting for existence. To stop fighting is to die. Some precious moments of peace can be stolen from small pockets of calm. Life can take a breath and wonder at the harsh beauty. But only for a moment, then struggle resumes. And others watch.   The Shayton Chronicles begins in Destiny Sets, the story of one man. He is that drop of chaos that can spell success or failure.   Born from a vampiric race of slaves, genetically moulded to provide comfort for their masters, he alone decides to be truly free. Irreverent humour and a fierce need to know 'why', war within him and entire worlds are changed.   "The Stainless Steel Rat with fangs."

Book Genre: Scifi/Fantasy Vampire

Publisher: Writers Exchange

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - KAREN FAINGES
Karen Fainges works as a trainer in business and computing. A wife and mother, she started thinking up sci-fi stories at the age of 10. Editor of the K-tips business and computing ezine, she longed to present her fiction to the world. So she took those long ago stories, a love of the absurd and wrote about beings that were not humans. Sometimes you see a lot more about humanity and yourself when you are looking at someone else.

FACEBOOK  *  LINKEDIN  *  GOOREADS  *  AMAZON

REVIEW

Vampires have overtaken common lore.  Well, vampires and zombies (not sure which I would be more freaked by during a chance encounter....each in their own way...).  Just take a look at the recent popularity of shows and books dedicated to each.  But what if the vampires have more of a story than we realize....and what if they are from another dimension?

Overall, I give this book a 3 out of 5, and here is why.......

THE GOOD 

Given that vampire stuff has been done, and done and done and done, it can be hard to find anything truly original in the area of vampire lore.  Fainges, however, has here fashioned something truly original. 

Here we have a vampire who bleeds purple (kind of made me think of Vulcans and their green blood), loves passionately, defends vehemently, and Survives stubbornly.  Born under a shroud of conspiracy and secrecy, this vampire is determined to wrest his will out of life and not be used as a pawn.  If only he knew the true manipulation happening behind the scenes....

Fainges has here tended the character development of a very interesting vampire caught in very interesting circumstances.  We learn that he is from a planet that literally wrests itself to pieces and rebuilds constantly, uses the 'old power' (read: magic), is kind of related to a woman who was bred as a weapon against the "Enemy", and fights to control the vampire beast within who threatens to gain control and turn him into a "fear eater" (one who feeds on prey's fear...and loses control).  Doesn't that sound intriguing?

It is.  :)

I enjoyed the story here.  Vampires from alternate dimensions?  People used as pawns?  Science fiction presented in a way that is new and intriguing?  I definitely was hooked on the story and characters and found myself constantly reading away far past the time I intended to lay the book down. 

Characters are interesting, unique, distinct, have fairly clear motivations (well, most of them) and EACH HAVE THEIR OWN CLEAR VOICE!!  YAY!!  (okay, I'm over excited, but this is one of my sticking points as a reader, so there).  Settings are just as interesting.  Not only does Fainges have the vampires on Earth, but also in their own planet...as well as on a few others.  The plot is engaging, writing style is accessible, all in all a fairly nice read. 

Oh, and did I forget to mention that there are some really interesting philosophical/ethical questions raised in much the same kind of way as they appear in Star Trek: The Next Generation?  ("Nora, your geek is showing...") 

The Bugly (bad/ugly)

Now, I'm gonna be super nitpicky here.  Keep in mind that I do enjoy this story and this book.  Just...

• While the plot is intensely original and interesting, it jumps around a bit and almost feels as fragmented in places as the constantly shifting soil of planet on which the vampires originate.  Transitions from various settings and time periods are rather unclear, and at times it was hard for me to figure out where/when the vampires were located.  Things did not flow real well.  
• There were enough grammatical errors to distract me while reading.  Seriously, my editing fingers were itching.  :P
• More more more....I wanted more!  While we are given lots about the characters and their motivations, it often felt as there was a back story that we needed in order to truly understand just what in the heck was going on.  Why was this vampire bred specifically?  Just who is the Enemy?  Huh what why?  Now, keep in mind that I've always been the pesky one constantly asking "why" about everything (I've driven a few employers and friends to distraction by doing so), but this made me ask "why" constantly.  Argh.  Rather than feeling like the first book in the series that this work is, it felt like a second book that was depending on the first book to fill in some gaps.
• On that kind of note, how things work in this universe did not make sense to me in some places....just how could certain beings watch other beings?  How did things work?

GUEST POST

"The hardest part of character development for me has always been remembering what I said before. You need to keep all the details about your character somewhere where you can refer to it easily and make sure you get the basics right. You might think that you really don’t need this for your main character. Maybe not, though it is amazing how often I have to go back and check a fact. More likely you will need the reference sheets for supporting characters, those that wander on and off the page at intervals long enough that you forgot what you called them, or what colour their hair was.

One example of a sheet for keeping character details on is available http://dehydromon.deviantart.com/art/Blank-Character-Sheet-doc-Over-370-Questions-298561173. There are also less detailed sheets for minor characters.

Now you probably will not use even half of this in your story and definitely not for a minor character. ‘So why gather it’ I hear you asking. Good question.

You gather the information because the better you know the characters, the better your writing will be. First of all, the internal logic will be there. You won’t have consistency problems across the book or series.

You will never have to stop and think what a character would do in a given situation. You can also use small details to give reasons for your character’s actions. For example, I would rarely see the need to simply state that my character’s favourite colour is blue. If he met someone wearing the exact shade of blue that was the colour of his favourite jewel that his mother wore, that could influence his decisions and reactions.

The other area of character development that can be difficult is creating mannerisms that round out the character without being annoying (unless that is what you are going for). Here’s an example. In the Harry Potter books and movies, Harry would push his glasses up his nose if he was confused or embarrassed. Rowling didn’t have him do it in every scene, but it was often enough to see the habit of a young boy whose glasses never quite fit.

In contrast, Barty Crouch had that annoying thing he did with his mouth. It instantly told you that he was none too stable and more than a little bit creepy. The more he did it, the more I didn’t like him and I am sure that was intended.

So write down details so you stay consistent, give colour and depth to your characters and show their reasoning. Even if they don’t know why something is pushing their buttons, with the help of your sheet, you will."

Excerpt

Painting the mythic vampire

The deep royal blue sky of the Italian Riviera provided the perfect backdrop to the posed woman. She was an otherworldly figure set amongst the ancient columns. Her softly accented voice broke the stillness. "Are you sure about this?"

She watched as he added a daub more paint, "I am sure. You said it yourself, the best way to deny something it is to say it is true."

"And what if the Council finds out?"

Alfredo dabbed on a different colour. Going by the look on his face, he still did not have the skin colour the exactly right colour of purple. It had been frustrating him all evening. There was a timeline that neither one of them had mentioned, but it loomed in their thoughts. He was getting older, and no one lived forever. His words dragged her out of the wave of sadness that swept through her. "This mythical Council of yours, what if they do notice the paintings? They are just paintings."

"The Council is no myth. They rule our world."

"I thought the King ruled your homeworld?"

Lisa started to shrug but remembered in time not to move from the pose. "His rule is absolute, so long as he leaves all the day to day decisions, like whether to exile his daughter to Earth, to the Council."

"And you, as this poor exiled waif are concerned that one of those 'day to day' decisions may be objecting to this painting?"

Lisa snorted at the sarcasm in his voice, knowing it was meant more to chide her out of the doldrums than anything else. "They defend of the safety of Shayton. They hold dear her anonymity. It keeps her from being destroyed by those that fear the different, which, my dear, you must agree describes most humans remarkably well."

Alfredo nodded, "And trust me, the picture of a masked dancer with obviously fake wings..." Lisa snorted again at this description of her body, "will ensure that any little slip ups like the one in Venice, will be seen as a publicity stunt and nothing else. Your Council will thank us."

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REVIEW: "Ruby Heart - The Neve & Egan Cases" - by Cristelle Comby (Tribute Books Blog Tours)

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"When elderly client Doris Hargrave informs private investigator Alexandra Neve that her beloved antique ruby heart necklace has gone missing for the second time in a period of over sixty years, Alexandra knows this is no ordinary jewellery theft. The ruby heart is a family heirloom and the only thing that connects an ailing Mrs Hargrave to her parents, who were murdered during the Holocaust.

To solve the case, Alexandra and her business partner, blind history professor Ashford Egan, must sift through obscure Holocaust documents to find out the truth. It’s that way that they learn of a secret World War II-era love affair which could hold the key to all the answers they are looking for. Meanwhile, Egan is under immense pressure from the university to quit his private investigating business, and Alexandra is afraid that a man she trusts will leave her. Again.

When Alexandra begins to receive anonymous threats and her flat is vandalised, this all becomes personal. Knowing that there is someone out there to hurt her, Alexandra vows to find that elusive ruby heart if it’s the last thing she ever does."

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - CRISTELLE COMBY

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where she still resides.

Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

Ruby Heart is her second new-adult novel, and she’s hard at work on the next titles in the Neve & Egan series.

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REVIEW
It doesn't take a lot of cultural examination to discover Americans' love for mystery...especially when that mystery comes with a British accent.  Sherlock Holmes still captures our imagination, we still flock to watch whodunit shows, we involve ourselves in real life mysteries as if it is our very lives they touch (and, sometimes, they do), etc.  Mystery adds a little spice to life....but what if that mystery comes with a touch of the Holocaust and its horrors, physical limitations, the Russian mob, and romance?

BLITZ: "First World" - by Jaymin Eve (Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours)

I love well-done extraterrestrial stores.  ET phone home, anyone?  This one looks quite fascinating...

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"A young adult paranormal romance series. 

An epic journey. 

If the Seventine are released, will anyone survive? 

Abigail Swish might not love her life, living in gang-ridden New York in 2035 and training to fight and survive with Compound 23. But she is grateful for a few things, especially her no-filter-between-brain-and-mouth best friend Lucy and her escape each night into a dream world far different from her own. 

In fact, sometimes she lives for the fleeting moments she spends at night with the man who fuels every romantic fantasy she’s ever had. But each morning reality returns. She could just cry. But she won’t of course; tears don’t change a damn thing. 

Then without any warning, a month before her eighteenth birthday, everything does change. A guardian finds her. He explains, in a strangely familiar accent, that she was stashed on Earth for safekeeping and has been lost to her family ever since. And it is time to return home. To the First World; a land of unimagined beauty. 

Abigail and Lucy find themselves escaping New York, ending up on another planet and traversing through an unforgiving wilderness. Yeah, because that sort of thing just happens every day. Luckily an unexpected saviour arrives; the man from her dream-world. Brace is six-and-a-half feet of gorgeous perfectness, wrapped in an arrogance like no other. Unable to trust his assistance, and unsure which of her instincts to follow - kiss him or punch him in the mouth - Abigail eventually accepts his help to find her family. 

And what a family. Enter Josian, her father; larger than life and apparently not even human. He is Walker, a planet-less race revered as gods, causing mischief and mayhem through-out this star-system. Unfortunately, there is no time for a cosy reunion, since no one explained that by returning to First World her half-Walker genetics would act as a catalyst setting forth a chain of events which could spell disaster for not only her existence but that of all worlds. 

First World is book one in the Walker Saga, a seven-book paranormal fantasy series." 

Spurn - A Walker Saga Book Two (available on Amazon) 

Crais - the burning planet - book three (due for release early 2014)

First World (Walker Saga Book #1) ~ Blitz

Jaymin Eve

Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Date Published: 7/18/2013

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EXCERPT

     Something close to worry – disbelief maybe – crossed his features. “You dreamed of home? How is that possible on Earth? It’s a dead zone.”

     I shrugged. Dead zone?

     “You should have gone to ‘dreamland’ many years ago, Aribella. It has other names, but once again I find myself with too many stories and not enough time.”

     “Why ...?” I looked around. “Why am I still here then?”

     “Could someone speak in English? Just for five minutes.” Annoyance replaced Lucy’s usual cynicism.

     “We need to get Aribella back now; the countdown is on for both of these worlds. And it is too dangerous to be roaming New York.” He sighed. “The reason you’ve been here for extra years is ... I don’t have the power ... and I lost contact.”

Lucy glanced at each of us in turn.

     “I’m really hoping when you say Aribella needs to go to dreamland, you mean Lucy and Aribella, and you just forgot about me.” She turned to me. “He just forgot me, right, Aribella? Crap. Sorry ...” She grinned. “It’s a catchy name.”

     I shook my head and sighed. “I’m not leaving without Lucy, no matter how annoying she is.”

     Quarn had paced a few steps away toward the alley entrance. He spoke over his shoulder. “You cannot go, Lucy Laurell; this is no place for an Earthling. You must stay here.” 

     Did he just say –? Hell. NO.

     “I’m going to ignore that. Implying I’m some type of alien ... well, it’s just rude.”

     “Are you kidding me? Don’t ignore it.” Lucy interrupted me to glare at Quarn. “What do you mean: Earthling?” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “Is Abby an alien?” 

     I groaned. It was time for the conspiracy theories. 

     “I knew it.” She was triumphant. “There is no way someone gets to be as gorgeous as Abigail and then is also tall. On top of that her lips are full and perfect and naturally red without one ounce of lipstick. Come on, it’s not natural.”

     “You’re not natural,” I retorted weakly. 

Lucy was always harping on about how unusual my lips were. I was just happy they matched the blood-red of my hair and not the black. 

     Lucy glared. “Oh, I’m sorry, Extraterrestrial. Where’s your other skin? Green not your color?”

     Quarn interrupted. “Sorry to cut this short. As amusing as the pair of you are, we need to move before the Gangers regroup. I’m good, but even I have my limits.” He was standing near the entrance to the alley, scoping it out. 

     “I’m. Going. Nowhere. Without. Lucy.” I had to spell it out.

     He looked between us for a second before nodding. “It does not matter. I don’t have the power to send one of you there, let alone both of you.”

     “How do we get more power?” Lucy looked around eagerly. “I’m ready – we digging for coal ... oil?” 

     I laughed. Fossil fuels. We’d have more chance of finding a magic wand. 

     He shook his head. “Nothing on Earth. The dead zone is more encompassing than we’d ever anticipated. I’d need a storage amulet, which is rare; a sacred stone, even rarer; and, as a last resort, a power on the other side to assist.”

     I smiled in delight. “Quarn, this may just be your lucky day.” 

 

 

Author Links

Jaymin Eve

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This Promo Blitz Reveal is brought to you by Reading Addiction Book Tours

BITZ: "Dragon Craving" - by Livia Olteano (Xpresso Book Tours)

 Hey hey hey - there's a giveaway here!  The first person to follow my blog and comment on this post confirming such will win....an e-copy of this and the other book in the series! (giveaway expires, fyi, on Dec 17, 2013)

 BLURB
"The world holds few secrets for Oracle Elana Anderson, or as her fans know her, Ela Deville. Successful author of paranormal romance, Ela, has a secret: not all her paranormal characters are quite that fictional. She hardly expected she’d trigger a chain of events that might bring about the end of the world via a pesky dragon. Rendered blind to visions of him, Ela’s only way to save her world is to keep the dragon close…very close.

Obitus, the only awake dragon in the Otherworlds, is determined to get back the magic that was stolen from him and secure his position for a good thousand years. Becoming Akai’s new guardian after getting rid of the current one is the best way to it. But that means getting Ela on his side. He’ll bargain and maneuver his way there if he has to, but ends up tormented by the desire to have her for real.

In a game of deals, half-truths and irresistible cravings, does one heart have to break in order for the other to save the world?"

GOODREADS  *  AMAZON  *  BARNES & NOBLE

Dragon Craving by Livia Olteano

(Otherworlds Summons #2)

Publication date: Late November 2013

Genres: New Adult, Paranormal Romance

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR - LIVIA OLTEANO

Livia Olteano is a loud and proud coffee addict, lover of all things beautiful and incurable romantic.

She believes stories are the best kind of magic there is. And life would be horrible without magic. Her hobbies include losing herself in the minds and souls of characters, giving up countless nights of sleep to get to know said characters, and trying to introduce them to the world. Sometimes they appreciate her efforts. The process would probably go quicker if they'd bring her a cup of coffee now and then when stopping by. Characters--what can you do, right?

WEBSITE  *  BLOG  *  TWITTER  *  FACEBOOK  *  GOODREADS

BLITZ: "Misplaced" - by Lee Murray (Xpresso Book Tours)

Eek!  What do you do when someone goes missing, you've no idea what in the world happened, and then a body is found?  Eek!

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"Dream cars have no registration plate…

One evening, Adam’s mum pops out for the milk and doesn’t come back, launching a frantic nationwide search. Yet after weeks with no leads, the television crews drift away, the police start asking hairy questions, and Adam’s dad starts seeing someone else. Adam’s life is falling apart. But then he meets Skye, who it seems has misplaced a parent too, and things start to look up. That is, until a body is found…"

Misplaced by Lee Murray

Publication date: December 1st 2013

Genres: Mystery, New Adult

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR - LEE MURRAY

Lee Murray is a full-time writer and editor with masters degrees in science and management. Lee wrote Misplaced after a friend, Florence, went missing from her home in France in 2003. Sadly, Florence is still missing. Lee lives in Tauranga, New Zealand with her husband and their two teenaged children. 

WEBSITE  *  GOODREADS

EXCERPT

The make-up girl has a silver nose ring and hair streaked psychedelic orange.

‘Almost done,’ the girl says, puffing his face with powder. She has bony knuckles like cauliflower stalks. Holding his breath, Adam wills himself not to fidget as she deals to the fresh eruption of zits on his forehead. Right now, a few spots are the least of his worries.

‘There, that’s put some colour in your cheeks.’

Adam opens his eyes, stares at the mirror, and doesn’t say anything. Even with the powder, he’s as pale as Colgate. There’s fuzz on his chin and dark bags under his eyes. He looks like a druggie, a metal-head on a bender.

The Powder Puff girl selects a lipstick from a tray which, held vertically, could be a Connect Four player board.

Resolution Red.

With a practised twist, she pushes up the tube.

‘Pucker up, now,’ she coaxes. ‘Give me your sexiest pout, the one the girls love.’ But Adam clamps his mouth shut, pursing his lips in a thin line, and shakes his head. No lipstick. This isn’t an audition for American Idol.

‘But...’ The Powder Puff girl puts on a pout of her own.

‘No!’ he says, with more vehemence than is warranted.

The girl shrugs, rolls her eyes. ‘Whatever.’ She packs up her Connect Four box and leaves him there.

‘One minute, people!’ the floor manager screams. Through the scramble of movement, Adam is aware of Dad, shuffling about on the spot off to the side of the make-shift set, a man out of his comfort zone. Six days a week, Dad’s natural habitat is Creighton Cars, the yard that he runs. On Sundays he mows the lawns, then slumps in front of the telly, cold beer in hand, watching whatever sport happens to be on.

Adam notices that Dad’s tugging his earlobe again. Dad always does that when he’s out of sorts. It’s a good thing the clients haven’t cottoned on or he’d never sell any cars. Lately, he’s pulled that lobe so often it’s a wonder he isn’t mistaken for a tribesman from Borneo.

Not that Adam isn’t uncomfortable. He wishes it hadn’t come to this. The thing is, the news people insisted a public appeal could make a difference. They said it’d made a difference in other cases. But Dad couldn’t face it, so Adam had agreed to do it instead. At this point Adam would agree to car surf down Auckland’s Queen Street in the wrong direction at rush hour, if there was a chance it would make a difference.

Anyway, it’s better Adam does it because, being younger than Dad, he’ll make the biggest impact, apparently. Adam knows this because he heard the camera crew chatting. They’d started off saying how Adam and Dad’s story was made for television, the kind of story that won awards. Then one of them said it was a bummer that Adam was seventeen. That’s when the guy holding the boom said, in these kind of cases, nothing tops a 7-year-old girl, especially a little blondie with dimples.

‘Trust our freaking luck!’ They’d laughed then, quietly amongst themselves, but one of them caught Adam looking and quickly shushed the others.

‘Hey, show a bit of compassion, will ya?’

Maybe this is how his life will be from now on. People shushing each other or looking away. Feeling sorry for him.

‘Adam? We’re ready for you.’ The floor manager speaks quietly. Adam’s grateful. Right now he feels like the entire cast of Lost, like something awful is about to happen. Maybe it already has, maybe he’s living in a parallel universe and none of this is real, but whatever it is, Adam doesn’t get any of it. He gets to his feet and allows the floor manager to direct him to the lectern. Placing both hands on either side of the lectern, Adam steadies himself.

This has to work. Please, let this work. Please.

But Adam knows that even if it does, nothing will be quite the same.

‘In 5... 4... 3...’ The floor manager holds up two fingers, then one...

The microphone makes a soft buzz as it’s switched on. Adam pauses, marvelling at how they actually do that, the holding up the finger thing.

Oh shit.

He’s on national television. His face spreads with warmth: the nasty-but-nice feeling you get when you pee in the sea. Great. His face will be red and blotchy now. He inhales deeply.

Swallows.

Stares directly at the camera lens.

What if this is the last time he ever speaks to her?

‘Mum... Mum, if you’re out there, if you can hear this, please, please call and let us know you’re all right. Whatever’s wrong, Dad and me, we’re worried. Please, Mum, just come home...’

COVER REVEAL: "Buried Appearances" - by D.E. Haggerty (Reading Addiction Virtual Book Tours)

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"Skylar Dewitt has been ostracized her entire life due to her grandfather’s well-known sympathies with the Nazis. But now her grandfather’s body has been recovered in the Netherlands in an area famous for being a Nazi killing ground. Why would her grandfather be buried in a place legendary for assassinations of resistance members? Skylar jets off to Holland in search of answers about her grandfather’s demise. Along the way she finds long-lost family and old friends but will she solve the mystery of what happened to her grandfather? And maybe she discovers something more valuable than resolving any mystery could be: herself."    

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - D.E. Haggerty

     "I was born and raised in Wisconsin but think I’m a European (a cloggy to be exact). After spending my senior year of high school in Germany, I developed a bad case of wanderlust that is yet to be cured. After high school I returned to the U.S. to go to college ending up with a Bachelor’s degree in History at the tender age of 20 while still managing to spend time bouncing back and forth to Europe during my vacations (oh the benefits of a long-distance relationship). Unable to find a job after college and still suffering from wanderlust, I joined the U.S. Army as a Military Policewoman for 5 years (the Peace Corps was too much paperwork). While stationed in Heidelberg, Germany, I met my future husband, a flying Dutchman (literally). After being given my freedom from the Army, I went off to law school. I finished law school and moved to the Netherlands with my husband and became a commercial lawyer for more than a decade. During a six month break from the lawyering world, I wrote Unforeseen Consequences. Although I finished the book (and another book that I may or may not revise and publish), I went back to the law until I could no longer take it and upped stakes and moved to Germany to start a B&B. Three years after starting the B&B, I got the itch to try something else and decided to pull the manuscript for Unforeseen Consequences out of the attic and get it published as an e-book. Between tennis, running, traveling, singing off tune, reading, playing part-time lawyer and running the B&B, I’m working on my 2nd book.

Author Links

Website | Twitter | Facebook

Email : dena@dehaggerty.com

EXCERPT

     After I hang up the phone, I sit and stare at my computer for a while. I still have no clue how to carry on. I am completely and utterly stuck. I am at a loose end and don’t know what to do. I do have one promise, however, that I made to Griet before I left Michigan that I have to fulfill. I head off to the Wertheim park to fulfill that promise. 

I stand at the Auschwitz memorial in the park and try to hold back my tears. It is so breathtakingly sad here. The smashed mirrors dominating this tiny park are heartbreaking. The memorial epitomizes the dichotomy that is the war and Holland. On the one hand, I am standing in front of a heart wrenching monument to the Dutch victims of the Holocaust that died in Auschwitz but in the background I hear the tram rumble by, dogs barking as they run around the grass of the park and children playing soccer on the other side of the fence. 

     The Dutch continue with their lives as I slowly kneel and place white tulips on the memorial. I have one tulip for each member of Griet’s family that perished in the camps. As I stand, I can’t help but let the tears fall. I don’t know how Griet has survived such sadness, such heartbreak. “Gaat het me u,” I hear behind me.

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REVIEW: "A Jealous God" - by Dee Wilbur (Fire and Ice Book Tours)

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"Compellingly told from multiple points of view, A Jealous God follows Emma on her labyrinthine journey in search of the truth at all costs. A brilliant attorney with unflappable focus, she becomes consumed with learning who is responsible for several similar birth defects originating in her hometown. Her quest introduces her to a number of colorful characters. One of these is Jon, the local attorney whose largest client—Hays Chemical—is the target of Emma’s investigation. Jon embarks in pursuit of answers of his own, only to come to the realization that the suffering heaped upon these children dates back far further than he, Emma, or Hays Chemical could have ever imagined. It was, in fact, foretold in the oldest book of all."

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A Jealous God by Dee Wilbur
Virtual Book Tour Dates: 11/1/13 to 11/29/13
Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Medical Mystery, Beach Read

“A Jealous God … dishes up a fast-paced mix of mystery and intrigue.”
New York Times best selling author Ellen Tanner Marsh

“A thought provoking formula that will haunt your daydreams.”

Herman W. Brune, national award winning author

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Beatrice Dee Pipes and Charles Wilbur Yates, Jr. write under the pen name Dee Wilbur, a combination of their middle names.

Both are Texas natives and both graduated from Rice University. Ms. Pipes runs And Take Names, a company that assists other companies with marketing, project management, and other tasks. She has been married to her husband Bryan for thirty-five years. They reside in Houston. Charles Yates is retired after thirty years in the practice of radiology. He has been married to his wife Sally for fifty years with four children and eight grandchildren. He tends his garden in Richmond, Texas.

WEBSITE  *  AUTHOR PAGE 

REVIEW
Pregnancy is a good thing.  Elation at the successful union of sperm and egg is pretty typical - it's a pretty exciting thing to find out new life is beginning.  But what are you supposed to do when that new life brings nothing but sorrow, heartache, and a desperate need to know why?

COVER REVEAL: "I am Just Junco" by J.A. Huss (Xpresso Book Tours)

BLURB
Picture yourself standing at the edge of a dock.

Now picture being lost in your own head, utterly unsure of yourself, surrounded by people who want to use you, take you away, or simply kill you.

This is Junco Coot, aged 19, year 2152, daughter of the Rural Republic’s ranking commander. Assassin, semi-famous athlete, and on the run.

In front of you is your future...

A future filled with secrets so heinous and truths so outrageous, it will push you past the edge of sanity.

…and behind you is a life of lies.

Lies that will rip apart the threads of reality barely holding you together.

Congratulations, soldier. Your life is over, but your mission has only just begun.

Welcome to my twisted, messed-up life. No one’s getting out alive, so we might as well kick some ass on the way down.

I Am Just Junco is a dark, epic SF/fantasy that spans five full-length novels and one novella. It is NOT young adult.

I Am Just Junco by JA Huss
NA Epic SF/Dystopian
Series: I AM JUST JUNCO
Books: Clutch, Fledge, Flight, Range, Magpie Bridge, Return

GOODREADS  *  Clutch at AMAZON  *  Clutch at BARNES AND NOBLE

AUTHOR J.A. Huss

J. A. Huss likes to write new adult books that make you think and keep you guessing. Her favorite genre to read is space opera, but since practically no one reads those books, she writes new adult science fiction, paranormal romance, contemporary romance, urban fantasy, and books about Junco (who refuses to be saddled with a label).

She has an undergraduate degree in horses, (yes, really–Thank you, Colorado State University) and a master’s degree in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She used to have a job driving around Colorado doing pretty much nothing but shooting the breeze with farmers, but now she just writes, runs the New Adult Addiction and Clean Teen Reads Book Blogs, and runs an online science classroom for homeschoolers.

Author Links:

Website  *  Goodreads  *  Facebook  *  Twitter

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REVIEW: "Assured Destruction: Script Kiddie" - by Michael F. Stewart (Tribute Books Blog Tour)

BLURB
"Jan Rose no longer steals data from the old computers she recycles. She doesn't need to. As the newest member of the police department’s High Tech Crime Unit, the laptop of a murderer has landed on her desk. Her job: to profile and expose a killer.

But that’s not all.

A creep lurks in the shadows, stalking a friend, and Jan must stop him before the hunt turns deadly. The clock counts down for Jan to save her friend, her job, her boyfriend—maybe even her life."


Formats: paperback & ebook
Release: August 2013
Pages: 156
ISBN: 9780981269979
Publisher: Non Sequitur Press

AMAZON  -   GOODREADS  

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
After crewing ships in the Antarctic and the Baltic Sea and some fun in venture capital, Michael anchored himself (happily) to a marriage and a boatload of kids. Now he injects his adventurous spirit into his writing with brief respites for research into the jungles of Sumatra and Guatemala, the ruins of Egypt and Tik’al, paddling the Zambezi and diving whatever cave or ocean reef will have him. He is a member of the International Thriller Writers and SF Canada, and the author of the Assured Destruction series, 24 Bones, The Sand Dragon, Hurakan, Ruination and several award winning graphic novels for young adults.

WEBSITE  --  FACEBOOK  --   TWITTER  --  GOODREADS


REVIEW
It is not unheard of for the government to hire individuals who have caused them heaps o' trouble for virtual reasons.  Who better to protect computer systems than someone skilled at hacking?  Who better to track down con artists than a con artist?  I'm sure they have means of weeding out the goofs from those who are actually able to take their mischievous skills and wield them in the fight for justice...but what if the person wielding some made skills is 16 years old and is seriously not taken seriously due to her youth and *cough* unconventional methods?

REVIEW - "Chasing Memories" (by Tia Silverthorne Bach) [Tribute Books Blog Tour]

BLURB
"There isn’t another way; not now. The others are coming. I can’t let them have you…

Seventeen-year-old Reagan has a problem: She can’t remember what happened the night her brother was taken.

Now, the dreams haunting her from the incident are becoming more intense by the day. All the while, the lines between what’s real and what’s a product of her paranormal-obsessed mind are becoming blurred.

Is she losing her mind or has she just stepped into a world she thought only existed in books?

Caught in a web of worried parents, competing boys, Wiccan relatives, protective amulets, and psychiatrist babble, Reagan must determine the truth before it’s too late."

Prices/Formats: $3.99 ebook, $12.99 paperback
Pages: 296
Publisher: self-published 
Release: May 22, 2013

Kindle buy link ($3.99)
Amazon paperback buy link ($12.99)Barnes and Noble paperback buy link ($12.99)


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tia Silverthorne Bach is an avid reader, sometimes runner, involved wife and mother, and rabid grammar hound in addition to being a multi-genre writer. Her three daughters were born in Chicago, San Diego, and Baltimore; and she feels fortunate to have called many places home. She's the award-winning co-author of Depression Cookies, a coming of age story written with her mother. Tia's office is wherever her laptop takes her and any place that's conducive to allowing a wild imagination like hers to flourish.


Web Site  I  Author Blog   I  Book Review Blog   I   Facebook   I   Twitter    I   Goodreads - Tia   I   Goodreads - Book


REVIEW
Beware the things that go bump in the night...we are told this as very young children.  As we grow older, we learn bumps in the night are caused by things falling off shelves, jackets sliding to the floor, branches against the window....or are they??  What if those bumps have claws and fangs, and invade our dreams, making us truly wonder what happened to a loved one whose death and disappearance we can't quite remember?

The Good
Let's see.  A young lady named Reagan is living a typical teenage life filled with hot boyfriends, gossipy girl friends, high school drama, and the like.  Her family goes on a camping trip during the summer before her senior year of high school, a year of school for which she has planned for ages, and her life takes on a new shape.  

Supposedly attacked by a wild animal, Reagan wakes up to a new world of horrible nightmares, physical pain that disappears as she heals abnormally fast, and loss of memory surrounding the disappearance of her brother...oh, and some supernatural family drama and pesky psychiatrists.

I have a brother.  If he disappeared or died, I'd want to die as well.  In this I found a relatable character in Reagan.  Friends who are interested in all the "dirt" they can get their hands on?  Yep, can relate with that as well.  I was home schooled, so the high school drama I can only relate to in theory when compared with my college experience.  That all being said, the characters in this work are extremely relatable and likeable (well, for the most part).

The story line clips along at a fairly good pace.  Certain time frames that would add little to the plot are appropriately skipped over, while other bits receive much more attention.  The story wraps itself around readers' heartstrings and refused to let go...so much so that when the book ended (on a cliffhanger, no less), my thought was the same as my thought when "Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring" was over: "That can't be the end!".  Well, yes, it can.  Bach wants us to read the rest of the books, after all.  :)

As a young adult book, this work reaches into life experiences age-peers to Reagan are experiencing at the same time, while throwing in some unexpected drama.  Reagan has a grandmother who can do things that are just a bit odd.  Eventually it comes out that she is a Wiccan.  How's that for a surprise?

Literary elements? The suspense is built well, characters are built fairly well, vocabulary is in keeping with the intended audience, etc.  It is a pretty good book.  

The Bugly (bad/ugly)
Now, here is where I warn readers: do not get involved in Wiccan activities.  This book makes it look like all fun and games, white magic that helps and the like.  There is no such thing as white magic.  White magic leads very quickly to dark magic, which definitely should be avoided.  Yes, I believe in magic...but in a different form than many would attribute to the event.  Getting involved with Wiccan stuff is messing around with spiritual forces that should be left alone...completely alone.  These forces do not like human beings and will do anything and everything to undermine their thriving in whatever way possible.  If you want to chat with me about this, shoot me an email - I'm more than willing to chat about my views, beliefs, and knowledge about this topic.

Okay, back to the book.  : )  

While this is a good read, there are a few issues.  First, the characters are a tad flat.  This can happen in a young adult book sometimes, and it definitely happens here.  The main characters are fleshed out pretty well, just some other main characters are not...and that bugged me.  Perhaps they are fleshed out a bit more in the remaining books in the series.

Next, this book was a fast read.  This was a bugly in the sense that I was able to read it so fast that I'm afraid things were missed, simply because the language and sentence structure are so simple that it is a breeze to breeze through.

Next, this book was so aimed at its audience that those whom annoy members of that audience were painted in a very bad light.  Audience = young adults.  Who do young adults have conflict with?  Adults, of course.  Mothers, psychiatrists, school officials - all here are depicted in extremely negative lights with little time spent on figuring out their motivations (except for Mom).  I was annoyed by this as I work with at risk youth trying to show them how adults can be allies to their struggles, and I felt like this supported "adults wanna bring you down".

Overall
Overall this is a pretty quick, fairly good read. It did not make my Top 10 favorite books of all time, but there is pretty steep competition in my mind for that list (and it, of course, includes lots of canonical items).  There were good things about it, and bad things about it.  There's a petty major thing the main character is figuring out, and I don't want to spoil it...but it's a doozy!!  

Overall, I give this book a 3 out of 5.

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