Archive for January 26, 2015

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I usually shy away from books that deal with true life evil like the sex trade. Something about the characters described in the synopsis drew me to this one and I’m glad I read it.

I hope you enjoy my review of and give this book a read.

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

You can be one of ten lucky winners of a copy of The Scwarzschild Radius in print or eBook.

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My Review

I was hesitant to read this story when I read what the topic was about.

Exploiting young people for sex is prevalent in our society today. The research for this story must have been dark indeed and gave cause to many nightmares.

Evil men. Men of influence and power. Men that think being wealthy gives them license to buy whatever they want. That’s what prowls these pages, preying on the weak, the lost, the vulnerable. And the monsters willing to provide it for them.

Shining a light, a ray of hope, in this dark tragedy, are three young girls.

Olivia, adopted by an American family, learns she has a sister, Achara, forced to work in a brothel in Thailand. To save her, she enters the seedy world of sex and depravity and disappears.

Achara. Sold to a brothel and forced to spend her days servicing the men that come to her door, no one to turn to for help except a sister she never met, Olivia, living in America and offering to rescue her.

Rachel, Olivia’s sister in America. Desperate to find Olivia, who vanished without a trace. Or so she thinks until she gets on her sisters computer and stumbles upon emails from Olivia’s long lost sister, Achara.

I wondered I far I could go to save someone I loved. Rachel is just starting college. She’s led a happy, carefree life with friends and family. She knows nothing of the dark and deadly world of the sex trade. Yet she braves it to find Olivia and save Achara.

Her lack of experience and wiles are apparent to her clients and Rachel won’t be able to stay on the sidelines for much longer. How the author showed this to her clients and to me made her very genuine. Her bravery endeared her to me and I feared for the worst.

The scenes of sexual depravity are not written in big detail. They are shocking and the author spares you a lot of that by being somewhat brief. There’s enough to make you cringe, to sadden you, to outrage you.

The monsters are real and walk among us, going to work, paying their bills, going home to their families, and hiding behind the world wide web to satisfy every vile, deviant desire you can imagine. They look like us on the outside, but on the inside is an evil so deep you couldn’t bear to look upon their true form.

Don’t let the topic scare you off. These girls are inspiring, the chapters are short and make for fast reading, and all is not dark in these pages.

Bravo  to the author for writing about such a vile and tragic topic in our society today and giving me a bright light to follow with his strong, brave characters.

4 Stars

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Synopsis

Rachel, an 18-year-old Columbia University student descends into the netherworld of runaways and predators to find her sister, Olivia, who has suddenly disappeared. After getting a job in a strip joint where Olivia worked, then doing private shows in the homes of rich clients, Rachel discovers that Olivia has been abducted by a killer who auctions the deaths of young girls in an eBay of agony. As she closes in on the killer who has taken Olivia, Rachel becomes his next target.

Author’s Bio:

Gustavo Florentin

Gustavo Florentin was born in Queens, New York and received a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Polytechnic University of New York. He spent a decade in the defense industry working on the F-14 fighter jet and classified electronics projects. After the fall of the Soviet Union, many thought America wouldn’t need weapons anymore, so while others waited for the peace dividend, he moved on to the financial sector in New York where he is currently a network engineer. His passions include violin, travel to exotic places and exploring worldwide conspiracies. He lives in New Jersey where he is working on his third novel. His thriller, In the Talons of the Condor, won the following awards:

WUACADEMIA–Prix d’Or Best Novel
The Verb First Chapter Contest–First Prize
Mount Arrowsmith Best Novel 4th place
The Writing Show–Second Prize best first chapter of a novel.
Second Prize–16th Annual International Latino Book Awards

Connect with Gustavo: Website  ~  Facebook  ~  Twitter

Where to buy the book:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble

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Giveaway

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I fell in love with the cover for Blood Monarch.

Looking for something new with some Vlad the Impaler, Dracula himself?

Draco’s new release has so much to offer.

Come on in.

Check out Blood Monarch and get to know a bit about the characters!

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Blood Monarch

by Drako

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A king’s duty never ends, even when his kingdom changes. Vladimir Dracula is one of the most famous and misunderstood figures in all of history. One thing is true, he is a king, and he is a vampire. He is the true king and enforcer of the vampire race. Feared by all of his own kind, he is perhaps the most lethal of the Black Dragon God’s mortal born servants. At the same time, he personifies sex. None can resist his charms, save one.

Vax King is the Chosen of Hecate, the Heir of Mjolnir, and has no plans on a mate. When he’s called on to enter Fae lands, he’s surprised to find the legendary vampire there. Looking to aid the beautiful Fae, Anaya, and her soul mate, Galen, Vax must enter a world of sex of violence with only Vlad to accompany him. Here, there can be no denial, no hesitation. Only truth….and dominance.

A war is brewing in the Fae lands, as the fallen angels rise to lay claim to the power of their goddess, Verlaine and topple their higher brethren. Older than most, Vlad must accustom himself to having a soul mate, and use all his legendary power to stop the forces of darkness long believed to be controlled by him. A new kingdom is the prize, and none knows better than the famed Dracula that the secret to power lies in the blood.

Book Links:

Goodreads I Amazon

Meet the Characters:



Vladimir Dracula



AKA: Vlad, Vlad the Impaler, Dracula

Height: 6’10”

Weight: 315 pounds

Hair: shoulder length, brown

Origin: A human follower of Jarel, the Black Dragon god. He was caught in the crossfire of Jarel’s disagreement with a demon god and the result changed him into one of the first vampires. 

More info: Contrary to popular belief, he has never sired another vampire. The entire race descends from the married couple, Vacker and Deidre. He has functioned as the final enforcer of the race since its creation. He is lethal in battle, being one of those fortunate enough to have had Jarel’s favor in mortal life first. He is also extremely sexual, with an appeal that draws others to him. He should not be confused with the prince who became known as Vlad the Impaler. He’s far older and earned the name in a far different manner. 



Vax



Height: 6’4”

Weight: 220 pounds

Hair: long, red

Origin: A mortal born witch, servant to Hecate, the patron goddess of witches. He was chosen by the goddess himself to wield the legendary hammer Mjolnir to expel Lucifer from the mortal world.

More info: Vax originally had a bit of a self-confidence issue. Because he’s mortal born, he is not used to the strength and power gifted to him by the goddess. He’s a quick learner, and in fact, had a bit of conflict with Vlad in his first story. He’s the first person to resist Vlad’s charm when the vampire is really pouring it on. 



Anaya



Height: 5’3”

Hair: long, red

Origin: An orphaned Fae, she comes into contact with Brandon during his mortal life and the two have a son, Theo, who eventually becomes one of the Three Fates. She is actually the daughter of the Fae queen and the very first angel, Apollyon.

More info: Anaya was captured due to her softer and trusting nature in the second book, and the reasons are complicated. Her ties to the father of her child as well as her soul mate, in addition to her parentage, made her a target. But she’s certainly come into her own and is no damsel in distress



Galen

Height: 6’6”

Weight: 258 pounds

Eyes: blue

Hair: long, black

Origin: A warrior angel created by an ancient goddess, he has only known war and duty and has not adjusted to the idea of having a soul mate.

More info: Galen has loyalty that cannot be questioned, even falling from grace to aid in the fall of Lucifer. He’s powerful and ruthless in battle, but unfamiliar with the concept of love. It’s taken him a long time to accept Anaya.

About the Author:

Drako resides in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, which you may notice is part of the setting of this series. When he isn’t writing, he’s busy editing for other authors, reviewing books, working, going to college, and spending time with his friends and two nieces. He blogs often and is very active on Facebook while trying to readjust to activity on twitter. His subject matter varies as he likes to talk about more than just his writing. You can check out his posts at his website, drakosden.weebly.com

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Author Links:

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