Archive for June, 2012

Grass

Grass (Photo credit: DBduo Photography)

The man who does my lawn maintenance is going on vacation.  I live on the coast of Mobile Bay in Alabama and even though we are in a drought, the grass grows  right before your eyes. I’m not kidding. With no rain to speak of, I can hear it growing. I fear that by the time he returns, he will not be able to find us, the grass will have grown so tall.

How tall can it grow, you ask? Well, I envision this after one week. I let my dog Quigley out to the back yard and when he steps off the patio, he disappears. Do you remember the scene in Jurassic Park 2 where they enter the long grass and you can see the raptors moving through, getting closer to the group. That visual of them weaving trails is what I picture happening in my own backyard.

 

 

 

 

Can you imagine running into this! Look at his eye. I swear he is daring me to come outside and play.

Quigley will enter this jungle and the only telltale signs  of his passage will be the waving grass as he tunnels through my backyard.

My mother is here visiting and she likes her afternoon dip in the pool. By now the grass has grown so tall, you can’t even see where the pool is. I got her one of those poles with a flag on top, you know, the ones they use for corn field mazes, so if you get lost they can find you.  I can see the flag above the grass and when she is done swimming I can direct her back to the deck.

Maybe I am exaggerating a little. Maybe there aren’t any Raptors prowling in my jungle. I just hope my lawn care guy isn’t on an extended vacation or who knows what will be out there when he gets back. For now, I await his return and listen carefully for signs of movement when I open my back door.

I dedicate this to my sister Nancy, who braved the backyard. She still hasn’t returned!

For episode 2: http://wp.me/p27ipo-bQ

For episode 3: http://wp.me/p27ipo-cq

For episode 4: http://wp.me/p27ipo-d6

Final Episode: http://wp.me/p27ipo-dE

 

I have two things to tell you about today. First is my review of Black Warrior by H.D. Gordon. Second is really exciting. H.D. is here on my blog today for an interview. I love interviews, don’t you? Also a peek at Book 2 and her upcoming new release at the end of this post!

Here is my review of Blood Warrior (Book 1 of The Alexa Montgomery Saga)

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Fighting is all Alexa has ever known. Her mother uses makeup to cover the bruises, the ones she herself caused. She never explains why Alexa has to learn, she only says it is necessary to be prepared.

Her younger sister Nelly couldn’t be more different. Always dressed in the nicest clothes, makeup tastefully done and not a hair out of place. She was slight of build, more delicate, and Alexa was glad Nelly did not have to fight their mother. Alexa adored her sister and would do what ever it took to keep her safe, but from what?

I admired how fiercely Alexa loved Nelly. Her protective instincts towards her sister were more lethal than a momma bear for her cub. I have three older sisters and they were  always standing up for me against others, but liked to tease me as older sisters do.

It was a good thing her mother prepared her physically for what was coming, but Alexa could have used some answers to the mysteries surrounding her.

They came late one evening. The Lamias.  They looked like humans, except they weren’t. Eyes completely black, pale white skin, emitting horrid shrieks. There for one reason only, to kill Alexa and her family.

Alexa and her mother fought well, shielding Nelly, but they were vastly outnumbered and when Alexa’s mother orders her to take Nelly and run, she knows there is no other choice. However much she hates leaving her mother behind,  knowing she can’t survive, Alexa must keep Nelly safe. There is no other choice.

I was a little confused in the beginning. It seemed like Alexa was being abused by her mother, but she was actually preparing her for what was surely coming. The Lamias – part demon/damned souls, their only purpose being to cause pain and to kill. Forced to leave their mother behind, the sisters seek refuge at Two Rivers, a spectacular city surrounded by water. They should be safe there. Lamias can not cross water.

At Two Rivers Alexa discovers who and what she is and some secrets are revealed.

Blood Warrior is a great introduction into this series about vampires and werewolves. There are several love interests for Alexa, but not what I would call a real love triangle, along with some intense fighting scenes-vividly written and a whole lot of mystery.

H. D. Gordon has built a marvelous new world. It is always amazing to me how an author can take something tried and true and make it unique and surprisingly fresh. Her writing is crisp, without a lot of fluff, and she tells the story fluidly, capturing you and putting you at the scene.

A great beginning to this series, Blood Warrior sets up the plot, introduces the characters and their world and fills you with anticipation. I already have Half Black Soul, the second book in this series, and am so glad I don’t have to wait to dive back into this world as this is not a stand alone book. I’ll tell you about it later!

I urge you to get Blood Warrior and enter a new world. You won’t want it to end.

4 STARS

And now for my interview with guest H. D. Gordon

How about we start by having you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am 23 years old and the mother of two beautiful girls. My children get the vast majority of my time, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. They both will begin school next year and I’m not sure what I will do with myself when that happens. Well, yes, I do. I will read and write more. Those are the two activities that take up pretty muck all the rest of my time, and I wouldn’t have that any other way, either. A mother and a writer, that just about sums me up. I also play a little guitar, long walks on the beach, etc, etc.

How did you pick this genre and where do you get your ideas?

This genre was always a passion for me. I love all things fantastical. Ever since I was a child and obsessed with Buffy the Vampire Slayer(I used to carve chopsticks into stakes and carry them around with me, in case I had to slay a vamp, of course) and the obsession never waned. Stories, ideas? Well, they come from everywhere and from nowhere. There’s really no other way to describe it. With Blood Warrior, all I had was an opening scene, which I handed to my father to read. He then advised me to take the next semester off of college to write this book. He is huge on school, and this was unheard of from him. I took his advice and am so happy I did. I now write full-time for a living. It’s the best thing that has ever happened to me, other than the birth of my children, of course.

Does your character Alexa resemble you in any way?

Alexa is pretty much me only way, way cooler. Basically, she is everything I wish I could be(except for the homicidal tendencies). More accurately, she is me before children; reckless, hot-headed and young. I think the biggest similarity is our loyalty to those we love. Loyalty is the most valued quality I think a person can have. When I wrote this book I honestly never expected the success it is having. I wrote it for me, and so it indulges my fantasies, and I wrote Alexa to be like me because I sort of wanted to live through her. She is my hero. When I get scared I think to myself “Alexa could handle this.”

What are you reading now?

Lots and lots of Stephen King. Him and Poe are my literary heroes. Poe influenced a lot of my writing as a child, and King embodies everything I aspire to be. I just finished The Stand(awesome btw, so read it) and my fav book of all time is The Shining. I am currently reading The Dark Tower Series and I can’t get enough. King’s attention to the words is just…well, amazing. Someday I hope to be as good as him, and I believe I’m getting there. My new book Joe, due out on June 30th, will hopefully show my growth. Give me a few years and I hope to rival all the males dominating the world of books(Koontz, Patterson, King). I hope to show them what a female writer can do. I guess we will just have to wait and see. But,  I’m getting there.

How do you spend your spare time, if you have any?

Sparetime? Lol, I don’t even know what those words mean. My children come first, but I have gotten used to reading and writing around them, which is to say the least, distracting. But really that’s it right now. I read and write like crazy and make sure my girls get my full attention. There isn’t much time for anything else. But. really, for me, it is like living the dream. I can read and write anywhere, and I do. It’s a dream job. I get to stay with my girls 24/7 and do what I love in between. I couldn’t imagine a better life. (My daughter just came in to tell me about a boy who turns into a turtle and a boy who turns into a “T-wex” as I write this). Gotta love em.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Yes, I am working hard to get books out. My new book, Joe, is my proudest work yet, and I hope to pull in a wider audience with it. After that, two more Alexa books will be released in 2012, the next one at the end of this coming August. I have a lot of stories to tell, and I plan to do just that. So, huge thank you to the fans! You guys have been so supportive, and for this I love you all.

Thank you for the interview!

You are welcome and thank you for being my guest and sharing with us today.

You can read an excerpt for Half Black Soul (Book 2 in the Alexa Montgomery Saga) at the end of the post. Also included is a blurb from her new book “JOE” scheduled to be released on June 30, 2012. That’s right. This week!

For more about H.D. Gordon and her books:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/HDGordon?sk=wall

twitter: https://twitter.com/hd_gordon

Her blog: http://hdgordon.com/

You can sign up for her newsletter and get all of the latest news at the bottom of her blog.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5189455.H_D_Gordon

Mild Spoiler Alert

This is a blurb of book 2 in the Alexa Montgomery Series. If you have not read the first book , this contains mild spoilers.

 In the past few weeks Alexa Montgomery has had her entire world flipped upside down. She’s gone from living a semi-normal teenage life to a life full of vampires and werewolves who all expect her to deliver them from the control of an evil dictator.

Alexa is the last of her kind; a Sun Warrior, and now she has left the safety of Two Rivers to search for her mother, but she’s left her sister behind to do so, and Nelly is the one person that she was told that she must always protect. Kayden, a vampire who is Alexa’s other half, has followed her on her journey. But, secrets are about to come out, relationships will break and danger lies just up ahead. Will Alexa be able to get through all of this and make it out alive? And, will she be able to protect Nelly from danger when she is so far away?

Here is a blurb from Goodreads about Joe, H. D. Gordon’s upcoming new novel, scheduled to be released on June 30, 2012.

Joe
From the author of The Alexa Montgomery Saga comes a book that will take you into the mind of a genuine psychopath, the lives of six ordinary people and the world of a very special girl named Joe.
Joe is seemingly an ordinary college student. She works, studies and reads. But in between these activities Joe has a gift that promises to add a dose of color to her life at any given moment. Joe sees things before they happen. Bad things, and the worst thing she has ever faced is just around the corner. Someone is planning a massacre at the college university that Joe attends, and the only person with a hope of stopping the psychopath is her.
Oh, the beauty of foresight. More like a curse. Joe has four days to figure out the mystery, make plans to take down the psycho and save the lives of people. People like you and me. ordinary people.
You can find out more about Joe here: http://hdgordon.com/?p=436
Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew!

Posted: June 29, 2012 in Uncategorized

I have so many books to read. I am reading several right now. There are many more waiting for me. I can hear them calling “Pick Me!”

Here is a list of some of the books up next for me to read and review. I would love it if you would help me pick which two I should start with.

These are just some of the books I need to read or finish reading for reviews. I am currently working on several reviews, interviews and giveaways.

It would be great if you could give me some suggestions on which two I should do next! Let me know!!

It is time for another giveaway!

I recently read Delta Legend by Kelan O’Connell and I loved it. For my review and a fun interview with Kelan O’Connell go here http://wp.me/p27ipo-9P .

You are going to love what I have to give away today. Kelan has been very generous.

1st Place winner will receive an e-book of Delta Legend, 1 framed poster of the book cover(signed or unsigned) and an origami crawdad(you can check out the crawdad on Kelan’s blog under Team Crawdad).

2nd Place winner receives an e-book of Delta Legend

Entry is easy. Just leave a comment below with your email address(so I can contact you). Though it is not required, it would be lovely if you followed me on twitter and my blog. Show some love and follow Kelan here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kelan-OConnell/270130146353187

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5423908.Kelan_O_Connell

For more about Team Crawdad and to follow Kelan’s blog: http://kelanoconnell.blogspot.com

To follow Kelan on twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/KelanOConnell

You can also read a fascinating post from Kelan about the making of the cover of Delta Legend here: http://kelanoconnell.blogspot.com/2012/06/cover-me.html

I told you it was easy. This contest will run from June 27th until midnight July 7th. So come on and enter to discover what is in the waters of the Delta.

If you like this post please tweet it:)

About Kelan O’Connell

As a young adult, Kelan spent her summers aboard a family houseboat in the Sacramento-Joaquin Delta. Apparently she still harbors suspicions about those deep murky waters. Though she’s been writing in one form or another since the age of 20, Delta Legend is her debut Young Adult Crossover novel.

Kelan began writing in college, creating character monologues as a way to stand out in auditions while also cranking out sketch comedy. She holds a degree in Theatre Arts from San Francisco State University and has worked in the Entertainment Industry in Northern California and Los Angeles, among her many other day jobs.

She currently lives in Northern California with her partner, Sound Engineer/Producer Tom Size, and the incredibly spoiled pets of Camp Runamuck.

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Everyone is a winner!

 

It’s time to announce the winners. I am so happy to tell you that everybody will be winning something today!

The Grand Prize winner is: Johanna

2nd Place winner is: Lissette

3rd Place winner is: DeeAnn

Ebook Winners are:

Nicole

Sherry

Laura

Brian

Ritesh

Antoinette

Lizzy

Lynn

Marian

Brittany

Leigh

Rose

Sheri

I will be emailing each of you and will provide Michelle with your contact information so she can contact each of you about where to send your prize.

Thanks so much to everyone for entering. I would also like to thank Michelle for her generosity. This was a huge giveaway and I know all of you will have an enjoyable reading experience.

English: Sunset on Mildred Island in the Sacra...

English: Sunset on Mildred Island in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta with view of Mount Diablo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Delta Legend is so much more than a scary creature story. It is about second chances, community, new friendships, budding romance, courage and honor.

There is an inner story that provides vital background for the legend. Kelan has really done a lot of research in order to tell you about this creature and where the events take place. Her descriptions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are almost visual.  You can almost feel the sluggish, dark water on your skin and the cold, silty bottom between your toes.

There are many characters that have their parts to play in this book. They are all essential to the plot and add depth, believability and some comic relief.

When Calvin has a brush with the juvenile court system, his mother, Angela, knows she has to do something. After losing her older son Leo to drug and gang violence, she does not want him going down the same path. Her solution is to send Calvin to stay with his great-uncle Samuel for the summer break.  He wants no part of the “cuts”, or back country life and arrives with a big chip on his shoulder.

Samuel was apprehensive about taking in Calvin, but is pleasantly surprised when his great-nephew shows a penchant for machine and engine repair. He proves to be a hard worker and an asset at Samuel’s Marine Repair Shop.

Calvin’s first encounter with Mei Li, a young Chinese farm girl, is confrontational. She sees through his tough guy persona and calls him on it. She is sassy and bold and he wants nothing to do with her.

Samuel takes Calvin into the local cafe and small grocery owned by Frances. It is also where the rental desk for Heron’s Harbor Marina, which her teenage son Jess runs. The locals come there to hang out, have a bite to eat and catch up on the daily news around town. It seems every small town has one of these.

After a little bit of juggling, Calvin and Jess start up a friendship. Mei Li is friends with Jess and includes herself on their outings. It is not hard for the others to notice that Jess has developed an interest in Lauren. She is a nice girl, but hangs with the town bullies. But soon enough Lauren sees them for what they are and joins up with Jess, Calvin and Mei Li.

Good old boys Terry and Neal just want to fish and drink cold beer. They motor to their favorite fishing spot and settle in to catch some dinner when they spot what looks like debris from a boat floating in the water. Seeing what they think is a wig, they hook  it and take a look. What they had on the end of that hook was someone’s face. Their return trip broke records. This is not the only encounter they have with body parts, it seems like they just can’t get a day of fishing in.

It soon becomes obvious that something is preying on the people of the Delta. Something hungry. The fatalities start piling up, and finally even Sheriff Ray Cruz has to accept that there is a deadly creature cruising the waters, killing and eating the unsuspecting .

The mish mash of locals,  along with Calvin and his posse of friends and Sheriff Cruz and bumbling Deputy Burt Watson, unite to combat this evil monster. There are many more characters that I’ve not mentioned, each one adding flavor and dimension to the story.  Kelan has the ability to weave them in without confusing you or slowing down your reading enjoyment. No flipping back and forth to see who’s who.

I particularly liked her characterization of Joe, Tak and Samuel. I smilingly think of them as the Over the Hill Gang.

There are a few surprises, you think something has been left out, but then Kelan slips it in effortlessly, providing all of the answers.

And I can’t wait for you to read the great “Oh No!” ending.

If you are looking for a unique monster story with lots of action, adventure and scares, I recommend you get Delta Legend and get reading. 

I loved this book and decided not to do a STAR rating. It deserves much more than 5 STARS.

I am so happy to have Kelan O’Connell on my blog today. She has been kind enough to do an interview.

Hi Kelan. Would you like to start by telling us about yourself?

Sure. I live in Northern California with my partner, Tom Size, who’s a sound engineer/producer. His profession makes for some interesting experiences, especially since one of his primary clients is the rockband Y & T. Considering I was never a rocker chick, it’s pretty funny that I’m now thrown in with that scene. But I truly love the Y & T family and the boys in the band certainly keep us all entertained – on stage, backstage, and on the road.

At home, we have Roxie(a pitbull/boxer mix) who”s a brilliant ambassador against breed discrimination. Everyone who meets her falls head over heels. We also have two cranky old boy cats(both named Jack) who live to wake us up at all hours of the night. These two are NOT good ambassadors for anything and really should be fired, but they’d only file grievances against us so what’s the point really?

When I’m not writing, I love to hike(especially along the Sonoma Coast where I used to live) cook, wine taste, and read. Sadly, I’m writing more than reading these days. When I see how many books you devour on a weekly basis, Laura, I am both impressed and extremely jealous. My idea of a great vacation is to be somewhere beautiful near the water where I can sit and read all day long, my only distractions being a dip in the pool or ocean, eating great food, and enjoying tropical beverages with umbrellas in them.

What was the inspiration for your book?

Delta Legend was a spec screenplay I wrote during my time as a struggling screenwriter in Hollywood. Teen Horror was all the rage back then and I was chasing the genre. In order to crank one out, I had to ask myself “What really scares me?” The answer came from my own young adulthood – swimming and waterskiing in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. I was always more than a little freaked out about what might be lurking in those deep murky waters. So, the story line, characters, and legend all grew out of that one fear, and the Delta itself.

By the time I finished the spec, however, it was such a budget-busting behemoth, no one in their right mind would have touched it. Tons of shooting in and around water, loads of Special Effects(at a time when they were far more expensive) not to mention a cast of thousands – okay, I’m exaggerating but more characters than advisable. Thank god I was deep enough in denial to complete the screenplay, otherwise I never would’ve had the blueprint for what ultimately became the novel.

You have many colorful characters in Delta Legend. Are any of them based on people you know?

None of them are based on any one person, though many of my characters possess some element or trait of someone I’ve known – especially the more extreme ones. I’ve always loved creating colorful(and whacky) characters. This stems from my days writing sketch comedy and one-act plays.

I think colorful characters provide a great balance to the more hip and controlled young adults in YA stories. While teenagers can be just as colorful and out there, most of them have a better cover on. As we age, that cover starts to come off more and we fly our freak flags a little higher without caring who sees it.

Is there one genre you prefer?

Seems I’m becoming partial to YA and its sub genres of Urban Fantasy, Adventure, and Horror. I never feel like I’m writing specifically for a younger audience, however, since people of all ages love YA and I create characters of all ages. I’m also a big advocate of multiculturalism in YA. I’d like to see more YA novels that reflect the demographics of our society.

Do you have a current project and would you like to tell us something about it?

In addition to working on a new “Legend” now and then, I’m finishing a fairly extensive article about the process of turning a screenplay into a novel. It’s not commonly done, and I want to encourage other screenwriters to go for it.

People have no idea how many brilliant stories with great characters have been created but are going to waste in unwanted specs. Of the countless spec screenplays written, only a tiny fraction of those will actually get picked up and made into a film. I now regret that I let Delta Legend languish in story purgatory for almost nine years. I won’t lie, turning a visual story into a narrative one was far from easy, but if I can do it, other screenwriters can as well.

Screenwriters know how to write creatively within a very limited format. This makes for a more deliberate novelist – we rarely wander aimlessly. And the cinematic quality screenwriters bring to a novel is undeniable. Most readers aren’t able to put their finger on why, they just know they’re experiencing a richer, more visual read, one that leaves them saying, “I can totally see this as a movie.”

What was the most challenging aspect of writing this book?

Aside from transitioning it from screen to novel, it was the amount of research required to create the historical fiction element. The novel version required far more detail and therefore more research in order to meld fictional characters with actual historical events. At one point, our kitchen wall was covered with a large timeline so I could visually see when different events took place in order to properly build the story around them. I still have that timeline somewhere. Thankfully, it’s no longer taking up an entire wall of our kitchen.

I’m extremely proud that Delta Legend teaches a slice of American and California history in a fun and interesting way. There’s a small but growing list of teachers who want to use it in their classrooms once the print-on-demand version is available. (I’m working on that.) If I could have learned a piece of American history from a fun YA novel, I would have been much more engaged in high school history class, that’s for sure.

Thanks for a wonderful interview with some really unique questions, Laura! I stalk you here and on Goodreads so I know what to put on my TBR list for that reading vacation I’m dreaming of.

Thank you also Kelan. This was a fun and enlightening interview. It is nice to be stalked, I think?! I am always on the lookout for the next great read. Give me a shout out when you take that vacation!

Exciting News!

Kelan is offering up some really cool stuff for a giveaway here on fuonlyknew! Stay tuned for more about when it will start. I’ll be posting it next week!

Be sure to visit Kelan’s blog: http://kelanoconnell.blogspot.com

and the Delta Legend website: http://deltalegend.com

I hope you enjoyed the review of Delta Legend and the author interview with Kelan O’Connell. See ya’ll next week for the GIVEAWAY!

I went looking for a good zombie collection in my Kindle and look what I found.

 

ZERO
                                                                                                      

Edited by TW Brown

Forward

How did it all begin for you? What was the instant you became a die-hard zombophile? For me, it was my fourteenth birthday when a neighbor took me to see Dawn Of The Dead. The funny thing is, I was actually there to see the other film playing in the double-feature (remember those days?).

S0 … think back to the past dozen or so zombie books you’ve read. How many really delve into how it all begins? It has to start somewhere … right? In these pages , you will find out how it all began.

Seven writers have given you a look at that first person to fall: Patient Zero. This anthology opens the door to the genesis of the zombie apocalypse in detail. Could it really be something as simple as a paper cut? The answer awaits you.

The Morning Show Host by Patrick Shand

Minnie Brown was the catalyst, the one that brought about the beginning of the end for mankind. And to think it all started with a paper cut.

Minnie tells her story in the form of a written apology to be read by a survivor, if there is one. It doesn’t look too good out there.

I loved her sass.

“I died forty times from a paper cut?” I said. “Wow, I’m a bit of a pussy.” “…Hey, you want to take any bets on how many times I’ll croak?”

She is witty and likes to tell jokes, especially dirty jokes, you know, ones about body parts.

Through all of the bloody, bone- gnawing gore she still thought of herself as “Just some crazy lady who told jokes on the radio at the asscrack of dawn”.

Number Two

The Zombie Curse by Bennie L. Newsome

This story takes place over the span of 96 hours.

Justin Burrows, ladies man, cheat.

He slinks home in the wee hours of the morning, trying not to get caught, but wifie is lying in wait for him. When she doesn’t buy his story, he figures, if all else fails, turn the tables on her. He lays a guilt trip on her and lies so well that he actually convinces himself that he has been wronged.

His restless night on the couch was filled with vivid dreams of his sexual escapades with his  one night stand. In the middle of their activities, Justin opened his eyes and saw the woman is no woman. Her face has morphed into an evil visage of a demon. He should have run away screaming but…”Justin always thought with his smaller head, and he did not see why he should stop at that point. The man closed his eyes and enjoyed the ride”.

Now we know how it started. A romp in the sack with a demon. It was spread by a little love bite he gave his wife while having make-up sex.

Justin isn’t doing so well at work, a severe migraine sends him home. Figuring a quick shower would help, he jumps in and lathers up. A loud smack makes him look down. “The startled man looked between his legs, nothing there. Blood was not even present. His stuff had just … fallen off somehow. He returned his gaze to the bottom of the tub. There it was, the whole set, both the faucet and the two knobs”.

Boy, a lot of women would think that was poetic justice. I couldn’t stop laughing and read the whole story out loud to my mother and my sister. We all laughed our asses off.

Fatal attraction with the ultimate twist. Maybe he should have just went home.

The Third One

Termination papers by Suzanne Robb

The goal of Project Re-Genesis was to alter the internal structures of the human body so when an injury occurred, the body would be able to heal itself within mere seconds.”

“Jerrod knew they meant well, but he didn’t think they had the interests of the soldiers at heart. First, they planned to inoculate the soldiers without telling them. Secondly, the kind of alterations happening would be painful and most likely result in the death of some. What they were asking his company to do would be an alteration of human DNA”.

What? The government is not concerned with our welfare? Big shocker there?

Months into the experiment, Spencer still has no results. It is do or die time, literally. Spencer makes a mistake and one of his test subjects takes a bite out of him. Now he is on the other side of the safety glass, while others observe him and take notes. Life is funny that way.

Fourth In Line

The Scientific Method by Nathaniel Phillips

A mere clerk for the Post, more of a fact finder than anything. Why send him to Russia?

“It seemed like a pretty simple assignment, and in fact, it was, but the repercussions of it all … good Lord, saying that it was merely out of my league would trivialize the whole situation”.

The assignment was to gather documents about one Dr. Fenstermacher, a former Nazi SS officer. The scuttlebutt was that, while not as notorious as Dr. Josef Mengele, he also committed experiments of a most atrocious nature.

What our clerk discovers is Fenstermacher”s journal, containing descriptions of an unknown contagion. Inside the pages, he reads about unimaginable horrors performed on young boys and their ramifications.

Welcome to Nazi Germany 1944.

Fifth In Line-Up

William by A. A. Garrison

A man, a woman, a child and a robotic babysitter.

A jingle from the commercial-

“Do the right thing for your loved one. Get a Swammy Sitter today.”

They seemed too good to be true. You could teach them to do damn near anything. Mow the lawn? Yep. Pressure wash the house? Sure, and you don’t have to worry, they don’t rust.

What you have forgotten is the golden rule. Never believe what you see on television and, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Next Up-6

Escarg-O by Chantal Boudreau

Business is booming at The Crystal Fountain Bistro. Mars Grimm a music icon and new patron, has made the restaurant extremely popular. To keep him coming back, Steve and Ray, cooks at the bistro, have to come up with new and unusual dishes.

You see, mars will not eat the same thing twice, except for snails. That’s what drew him to the restaurant in the first place.

desperate to hang on to their jobs, Steve and Ray go to the black market. Steve finds the ultimate snails – Novisuccinea Ovalis. They are unusual, with eye stalks that ripple and vibrate  a glowing, flourescent  green.

Truly revolting looking.

“Well, I was thinking of serving them raw.”

“Raw?! Are you crazy?!”

“Well, they serve sushi raw, don’t they? And we have to keep them alive to maintain the special effects. That’s the whole point, isn’t it – a weird novelty food? Mars will love them!”

Eating them raw probably would have been okay if Steve and a friend hadn’t given the snails a concoction of drugs to keep tem from crawling off the plate.

If I didn’t like escargo before, I definitely won’t be eating them now.

7 – The Finale

Quietus by Christopher Beck

One thing you could say about Reed is he is punctual. Every morning, at the same time, he arrives at the small pond to feed goldfish crackers to a pair of ducks. Also waiting for him is a starling. The bird also knows Reed’s feeding schedule and, knowing he is a food source, follows him to the lab where it finds an open window. Knowing people means food, if flies inside. Ever the opportunist, It samples what is left out in a petri dish. Reed enters the lab and spots the starling but is too late to stop its escape.

Now the bird has a new appetite. All it takes is a peck on a tiny hand to spread the contagion.

In the mood for some twisted zombie tales. Give ZERO a go!

For more go to: www.meydecenberpublications.com

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Posted: June 21, 2012 in Uncategorized

Sully and Mike are back!

I had the honor of receiving this book for an early review. Hope’s Betrayal is a historical romance in every sense of the word. It takes you back to the first romance book you read and evokes those feelings of wonder and anticipation. I can still feel the sun baking my skin as I lay on the pier, enthralled by the story of Hope and George.

Sometimes I like to comment on the cover art. This cover is seductive and the woman is now firmly implanted in my mind as Hope. I love it when the cover compliments the story inside.

Excerpt borrowed from Goodreads

One wild, winter’s night two worlds collide.

Known for his ruthless efficiency, Captain George Huntley is sent to stamp out smuggling on the south coast of England. On a night raid, the Captain captures a lanky lad, but finds his troubles are just beginning when the lad turns out to be a lass, Hope Tyler.

With Hope as bait, the Captain sets a trap to catch the rest of the gang. But in a battle of wills, with his reputation at stake, George Huntley starts to respect feisty, independent Hope. Challenged by her sea-green eyes and stubborn loyalty; Huntley now faces a new threat – his growing attraction to a sworn enemy. And a love where either Hope betrays her own kind, or Captain Huntley is court-marshalled, is not an easy destiny to follow.

I truly enjoyed Hope’s Betrayal. A sweet tale of falling in love despite their different places in society,  the risks of a damaged reputation and the loss of a dream profession.

Hope is forced to join the free traders to feed her family. Smuggling is not her first choice, but what else can she do. To protect herself, she wears a disguise.

Captain Huntley is hell-bent on furthering his career and will not stop until the smugglers gang are all rounded up. He manages to catch one of them, but the lad is injured and he is forced to take him to his estate lest the boy dies.

At first the captain thinks he is going crazy.Upon cleaning up the unconscious lad, he gazes upon his face and feels stirred by him. He leans closer and laughs in relief when he recognizes the lad is a lass. And a beautiful one at that.

The physical attraction might be quick, as it can be in real life, but the emotional attraction is developed slowly. There are many obstacles to overcome for Hope and George if they are to be together and the way will not be easy.

 

Grace Elliot‘s writing is like a wave, building to a crest as it approaches shore, then crashing down.  As you read the undertow pulls you deeper into the story, tossing you about and then gently depositing you safely on land.

There are a few places in the story where I felt it could have been explained in more detail, but maybe that is because I felt the need for more.

Historical romance has not been my first genre of choice since I was younger, but recently I have discovered some wonderful stories and I am left wondering, when did I wander away from reading them and what took me so long to come back?

Hope’s Betrayal is romance with a touch of innocence and I recommend it to anyone that enjoys falling in love, with all its angst and fervor.

5 STARS

I do not usually read the second book in a series first, so I am going to quickly get reading Eulogy’s Secret (The Huntley Trilogy – Book 1) so that I can tell you all about it.

More exciting news! Grace has graciously(grins) given me a working blurb of the third book in this trilogy, Verity’s Lie. Want to read it? Okay!

Lord Charles Huntley, notorious rogue…and government agent. His latest assignment is to protect a politicians daughter, Verity Verrinder, while her father negotiates an alliance against Napoleon. Huntley embarks on a campaign of seduction to keep Verity under his watchful eye, but hasn’t anticipated falling in love with his charge. When Lord Huntley turns his bone-melting charms on her, Verity suspects she’s exchanging an overbearing parent for a domineering rogue. Denying her attraction to the handsome Huntley, Verity goes in search of freedom, only to run into the clutches of French kidnappers. This leaves Lord Huntley with a stark choice between trying to save Britain’s peace negotiations or the life of the only woman he has ever loved.

I can’t wait to read more. I am hopelessly entangled in the Huntley family saga and these three brothers. What is really great is that each novel is written so that they can stand alone but why would you not want to read them in order. It is so much more fun! 

About Grace Elliot

Grace Elliot leads a double life as a veterinarian by day and an author of historical romance by night. Grace is an avid reader and believes intelligent people need to read romance – as an antidote to the modern world. She works in a companion animal practice near London and is housekeeping staff to five demanding felines.

She has now written three historical romance novels.

 

To purchase any of these books, just click on the cover images.

You can find out more about Grace Elliot and her books here:

https://www.amazon.com/author/graceelliot

http://graceelliot-author.blogspot.com