Archive for May, 2012

 Cover of "Stephen King's It"

Cover of "Killer Klowns from Outer Space&...
Cover of Killer Klowns from Outer Space

Today I want to talk about What Scares You.

I don’t know about you, but I love to be scared. Not the jump out and yell BOO! scared, unless it is in a movie. I mean while reading. Some books are so scary that I find myself hugging a pillow, dreading the next line.

An example would be Stephen King’s IT. Pennywise the clown is one of my all time scariest characters. I find clowns to be creepy. All that white face paint makes them look dead and their teeth look yellow. Huge creep factor!

And what about Killer Klowns From Outerspace? You would think with a title like that the movie would be lame. It is a classic B-movie with plenty of violence, campy fun and the ugliest clowns imaginable. Scary good.

Recently I read The Dark Horde by Brewin’. Do you remember the old black and white movies about Dracula, the Wolfman and Frankenstein? They did not have all of the fancy CG that we have now, so the movies relied on building an atmosphere that played on our fears. Brewin’ has written a book that reads like these movies. You have this apprehension while reading, worrying about what comes next.

My bookshelves are loaded with horror stories. Many of them are tattered and soft from frequent reading. Now and then I feel the urge and reach for one of my favorites, grab a pillow to hug, settle in and open the book.

How about you? Do you like to be scared? What are your favorite characters in horror books?

A treasure map

A treasure map (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Title: The Emerald Quest

Author: Renee Pawlish

 
Book description borrowed from Goodreads.
A long-lost emerald, a missing treasure map, and a wealthy villain combine for an action-packed adventure!
Thirteen-year-old Noah Winter, the son of sea-exploring treasure hunters, dives the San Isabel shipwreck with his parents in search of a mysterious treasure map lost in the murky depths off the Florida Keys over a century ago. The map reveals the hiding place of the priceless De La Rosa emerald. But before the Winters can find the map, a wealthy treasure-hunting rival kidnaps Noah’s parents. Now Noah must match wits with a dangerous adversary, not only to discover the treasure map first, but to rescue his mom and dad before it is too late.
My Review
It starts simply enough. Noah and his parents go diving on a shipwreck, trying to locate a treasure map.  Somebody else wants the map and kidnaps Noah’s parents in order to exchange them for the map.  It is up to Noah to rescue his parents.  
Of course, I simplified the story line. There is no end to the action in this adventure. Rescuing his parents is just the beginning for Noah. Now they set off to find the treasure with the ever-present bad guys hot on their trail.
Renee takes you on a treasure hunt across the globe. Her characters are fun and realistic and you find yourself holding your breath in the hope that they will succeed. I loved everything about this book, the action, the vivid descriptions and the thrill of the hunt. There is much more to be told in this series.
The Emerald Quest is a good read for all ages and I highly recommend you join the hunt!
 
5STARS
 
About Renee Pawlish
From the time she was ten and tried to write her own detective series in the fashion of the Hardy Boys, Renee Pawlish has been developing her craft. Along with creative writing classes, Renee studied great writers like Dashiell Hammett, Rex Stout, Stephen King, Sue Grafton and many more. Once Renee graduated from college, she began her first novel. Now, all these years later, she has penned numerous books in a variety of genres.
Renee was born in California, but has lived most of her life in Colorado. When she’s not hiking, cycling, or chasing ball players for autographs, she is writing mysteries and thrillers. She has some middle grade novels waiting to be published.
Renee loves to travel and has visited numerous countries around the world. She has also spent many summer days at her parents’ cabin in the hills outside of Boulder, which was the inspiration for the setting of Taylor Crossing in her novel Nephilim: Genesis of Evil.
Other books by Renee Pawlish
The Reed Ferguson Mystery Series
This Doesn’t Happen in the Movies
Real Estate Rip-off
The Nephilim Series
Nephilim: Genesis of Evil
Books 2 and 3 soon to be released
The Noah Winter YA Adventure Series
The Emerald Quest
Take Five
A short story collection that includes a Reed Ferguson tale.
The Sallie House: Exposing the Beast Within
A non-fiction book about one of the most haunted houses in America.
 
To learn more you can follow her on Facebook:
on her blog:
on twitter:
 
A short review
Title: Return to Underland
Author: Alan nayes
 
My review
Spinner and Reglan are best friends. Spinner collects fossils and Regan wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up. Finally, when he turns eleven, Spinner is allowed to venture beyond the meadow, but only if Reglan and his dog Otter goes with him.  They discover the tracks of a weird creature and follow them to a stream where they notice the tracks have changed. They are almost human.
I just love the heck out of this book. The author creates such a believable world, filling it with amazing creatures. Once the action starts, it never slows down.  With Spinner and Reglan, the author perfectly captured the preciousness of young friendship and trust. This is a quick read that leaves you smiling. Recommended for all ages.
 
5 STARS
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

Posted: May 17, 2012 in Uncategorized

What’s Up?

Posted: May 14, 2012 in Uncategorized

This is my list of things to do this week. It will help me to keep on track.

To Review:

Aftereffects: Zombie Therapy by Zane Bradey

The Emerald Quest by Renee Pawlish

Taken by Charlotte Abel

To Read For Review:

Fire with Fire by Penelope King

Killings in Boulder Valley by Brendan Siebel

Martin Little, Resurrected by Ella Medler

In The Works:

Progeny by R T Kaelin

Burning Bridges  by multi-authors

Zed by Stephen Herfst

Looks like a busy week for me! It’s a good thing I love reading. I will be adding to this list as each task is finished.  I needed some way to stay on track and thought that posting it on my blog would be fun and affective.

Please feel free to comment.

 

   Title: The Eye of the Lion – Genesis/Volume 1

Author: Leo Bolanos

I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

Book description borrowed from Goodreads

In a near future, an amazing archaeological finding will shock the world. This event will lead to an illegal genetic experiment of unimaginable consequences.

At the same time, the shadows of the Armageddon close over mankind. The faith of the world rests on the shoulders of a man who should never have existed…

My Review

This story begins with the ruminations from the diary of a 98 year old man and he has an amazing story to tell.

Haile is one of a team of investigators working for a private security company put together by Colonel Carter. The colonel built the team from the best of the best. The opening scene has Haile and the rest of his surveillance team in place to spy on a meeting between two men. The meeting takes place in a open cafe in Paris. Doctor Elias Waiss, the founder of Netgen, a genetic technology business, arrives with a mysterious briefcase. Shortly after, the man known as V arrives and joins Waiss at his table. Haile is shocked when he recognizes V as none other than His Excellence Cardinal Bruno Voquessi, the power behind the throne in the Vatican. A fortunate opportunity presents itself and they are able to get a glimpse inside the briefcase. It is a small cryogenic chamber that contains what looks like a lock of human hair. Haile realizes something is very different about this investigation and asks the Colonel for more information.

“Colonel, I need you to tell me what’s going on. If we want to finish this job successfully I need all the information you can give me.”

The Colonel nodded again. I know, Haile” he replied with a paternal tone to his voice. “Of course I know that… but this time I can’t reveal the client’s identity to you. For your own safety. This job is… different.”

He was staring at me as he said it, and I couldn’t help shivering. This was the first time in seven years that I had heard the Colonel utter these words and I realized something that made me shudder: The Colonel was afraid.”

After the meeting he is left with more questions than answers.

There appears to be two investigations going on and two teams, which is unusual.

An unknown archaeology teacher, Edward Kelly, makes a discovery which puts him in the spotlight and threatens to rip the world apart. He claims to have found a tomb containing the mortal remains of Christ. A fire started in the crypt kills Kelly and all that it contained is lost, or is it? Afterwards, he is said to be a fake and eventually he is forgotten. But, there are rumors circulating that he may still be alive.

Plots within plots, the Catholic Church, Templar Knights, World War and the end of life as we know it, all are contained in this book of intrigue. You are in for a shocking experience. There are moments that set your heart racing and stunning revelations in this fast paced thriller. I loved it and was so happy to find out that there will be more books in this series. The author answered all of my questions, and I had plenty while reading, and wrapped it up nicely while leaving an opening to continue this adventure. I can not wait to read more.

I gave this 5 STARS and strongly urge you to read it. You will be glad you did.

About The Author

Leo Bolanos is a novelist, screenplay writer, 3d artist and filmmaker. He lives and works in Mexico City. He is now in preparation of his feature film debut, Great Hunter, which well also be a novel.

The Eye of the Lion is the first part of his epic trilogy of Joshua, the lion.

Deutsch: Emblem des Pontifikats English: emble...

Title: The Dark Horde

Author: Brewin’

The Dark Horde

Book Description from Goodreads

Part thriller, part crime-fiction, all supernatural horror, The Dark Horde tells of the return of an ancient evil that is neither stoppable nor comprehensible…

My Review

From the opening page to the horror driven end, this story had me riveted.

Howqua Hills is under siege by something. Monster, demon, alien, or creature from another dimension, who knows? They have been waiting, but no more. Out of the shadows they come, the Dark Horde.  Hungry for flesh, they thrill to feel our terror and revel in our pain. Want a taste?

“The beast had an acute sense of smell, enabling it to smell the raw terror in the sweat of its quarry. The smell of this human was strong, indulging its senses with delectable wafts. Hungry for the kill, it gripped the wooden handle of the trap door and slowly teased it open. The shrieking cry of its hinges rang out, enhancing the fear of the cornered prey…It entered, scraping its clawed feet across each wooden step with calculated intent to terrify… Two down, one to go.”

The action is intense and relentless and the creatures are absolutely terrifying. Want a bit more?

“It glared at them with red, hate-filled eyes the shape of swollen slits as its bloodied snout curled to reveal a chaotic array of sharpened teeth. It grinned.”

Able to manipulate our minds, they invade our dreams with heart-stopping nightmares. I was worried they would invade my dreams. I read this book in one sitting and finished in the wee hours. Maybe it was because I was sleep deprived, but I didn’t remember dreaming. However, there are many more nights to come.

Brewin’ is a master at making you afraid of the dark. I suggest you sleep with a flashlight!

Here is the Unpublished Prologue

I was once an avid believer in many things… I believed in love, in compassion, in hope. I even believed in a God watching lovingly over us and that somewhere within the mystery of it all, there was a special place for us. This inclination towards a blind faith was strong in me, stamped upon my DNA and cultivated through my upbringing. I was sheltered from the brutal reality of this world, hidden from the horrible truths of our existence.

It is your choice to hear these words, but be warned, once you understand what they mean you will never be able to hide in the warm comfort of ignorance again.

Unless you’re prepared for this, it’s best you stop now. Time is short now, I sense them drawing close. Whilst blood flows through these shaking hands, I will tell you of them, in the hope that someone hears these words and know of what is inevitably to come.

I know not how to stop the Dark Horde, or how to stop the events I have set into motion. But I doubt it makes any difference, as mankind is doomed anyway.

It wasn’t always like this. Once I enjoyed a happy life too. Once I had  a life. my early childhood to the outsider seemed like any other. A child full of energy and confidence, and the world around me was of wonder. Then, when I was seven, came the visions. They were infrequent at first, like intermittent thunder before the storm, but by the time I was eight they were coming to me not only every night, but every hour of every waking day. Every child fears the dark, but who’s to believe that a child’s nightmares could possibly be real?

I was trapped alone in a world of nightmares, under constant assault from a force no one could see or believe. With time the cancerous visions only grew stronger and my parents grew ever more frantic in their attempts to find a cure. After numerous doctors and counselors, my parents finally found a psychiatrist to their liking. I was not yet ten when he gave his damning assessment; “Your son is suffering from temporary psychosis of a type that is treatable and not uncommon in boys his age. Nightmares and the fear of the dark occur in most children and have been known to be so intense that it results in delusions and even hallucinations. it is merely a product of the hormonal imbalance of puberty, of an over-active imagination…But he will be cured and in years to come he’ll look back at these days with humor and think how silly he’d been! Fear not, this psychosis will come to pass.”

I was to receive therapy and medication, and for a few mostly happy years, the treatment seemed successful. but always below the surface, dark forces gathered, revealing themselves in occasional “fits of madness”. My doctor was intrigued by this and sought to uncover what was best left alone. He put me under hypnosis, an event that was to forever alter my life. I was only thirteen. The hypnosis swept aside the clouds of consciousness, revealing my past in all its horror. I saw my previous life and the terrible deeds I had done. I realised then that the visions keep returning to haunt me because they are my past. In some archaic time I had brought them into this world, though what they were, I did not know. I only knew that they were alien to this world and meant only to destroy it…And I. in some “fit of madness”, had let them in.

I became resigned to the power of the visions, recognising my place in the scheme of things and realising the futility of it all. With time, I learned to hide the visions effects and ceased to even tell others of their existence. By the age of sixteen, I was deemed cured and ready to join the “real world”…But I had merely learned to wear the mask of sanity. Sometimes, however, the mask slipped…And deeds of darkness came to light.

I would wake alone in a dark forest, shivering. Then I’d realize…I dreamt this. Somehow I had sleepwalked into the forest at night, the black shapes of swaying trees crowded around me and the wind taunted in strange voices. Then I’d notice the candle-lit inscriptions in the dirt before me…If what I just dreamt was real, then I knew we were in great danger. Screaming, I’d run through moonless undergrowth until I found a road I could follow home, or someone found me, bruised and feverish, the next day.

My fate was inevitable. I was doomed to repeat history.

Neither drugs nor therapy would stop my sleepwalking and before long I was sleeping in restraints. At seventeen I left school and moved with my parents from Howqua Hills to far away Melbourne. With the move, my sleepwalking tendencies ended and I was able to begin a new life among strangers who did not know my past, nor care. They teased me for my country background, but accepted me as normal, as someone who was dependable. But never did the visions relent on my tortured mind, ever reminding me of who I was and who I was destined to be.

It is now five years later and things are no different. destiny is cruel when you are its slave. There is no privilege in this, no fortune in being chosen, there is only eternal damnation. but I cannot be held responsible for something that started and was predetermined before i was even born. And if I wasn’t their channel, it inevitably would have been another, if it wasn’t my past life, it inevitably would have been someone elses.

it is utterly useless to try to stop them. Their age is limitless, as is their knowledge and power. We are to them as ants on the Earth. An organized society that adapts and multiplies, but does not know of the world around it. We are not the most advanced creature in the universe, even on our own planet. Nor are we blessed in any way. Just as many other species of life succumbed to our dominance, so shall we succumb to others.

And now as I sit here making this recording of my final words; i know that i can restrain them no longer. Consciousness is fading, the lights grow dim and my voice faint. they are close now.

Calling…Calling…Calling…

“…..Come Dark Horde, remember, and once more be!

We are as one, as many are we,

Become one, once more be.

We are as one, as many are we,

Become one, once more be…”

After many hours of semiconscious chanting, I was startled awake by a sharp crack in front of me. Before me stretched a black void with depths beyond comprehension. A nauseating stench fell over me and I saw that within the nebulous darkness was a pair of eyes: red convex slits. They were a short distance away and staring directly at me, my mind naked before their gaze…

My God, what had I done?

About Brewin’

Brewin’ knew he wanted to be a writer when he was only seven and that has shaped his life. A gift from his brothers of a Role Playing Game Book was a pivotal moment in his life. Game books(along with role-playing games) made him the writer he is today. The last third of his first published novel, Evermore: An Introduction, is a choose-your-own-adventure and his second novel, The Dark Horde, has one of the characters from Evermore in it. For more about Brewin’ and his work visit:

http://www.thebrewin.com

Title: A Demon Made Me Do It

Demonblood Series #1

Author: Penelope King

 

My review
When an Amazea demon curses Lucky her soul is split in half. During the day she lives as Liora, a 17 years old human and by night she lives as Lucky, an Aequitas demon whose duty is to dole out justice and torment those that deserve it. While they share one body, each one lives in their own realm with totally different lives. Not particularly caring for each other, they have developed an uneasy truce.

Enter Kieron, a demon that moves through both worlds.When Liora meets him she begins to hope that she has a chance at a normal relationship and happiness. The s*#t hits the fan when Lucky finds out that they have been hanging out together. She doesn’t trust Kieron and feels that he is a threat to both of them.

The author makes you feel a strong connection to all of the characters, which I find new and refreshing. She tells the story from Liora’s and Lucky’s points of view and writes it so well that you have no trouble following along. Actually, you can’t help but keep reading as you are drawn deeper into the story and discover a world of incubi and demons of all kinds.

The ending is exciting and satisfying with plenty of room for more. I am anxious to read Fire with Fire, Book 2, which is out now.

Also available: Witchy, Witchy (Spellbound Trilogy #1)

4 STARS

This book is appropriate for mid-teens to adults. I would recommend it to anyone that loves YA/ paranormal romance and fantasy.

About the author

Penelope King is a native Californian who now lives in beautiful South Carolina. She says “ya’ll” more often than she’d like to admit, eats more fried food than is probably healthy, and still hasn’t gotten used to the scary thunderstorms that seem to appear out of nowhere.

She stays up way too late and does the bulk of her writing in the witching hours. She rarely misses a sunrise, and needs to include a special “thank you” to Starbucks caramel frappuccinos.

When she’s not writing, she’s reading any and all YA out there, swimming, kayaking at the river, doing Zumba and kickboxing, or watching a trashy reality show. She can BBQ better than most men, and if she had to marry a food it would probably be pizza, but she’d cheat on it with sushi.

You can find her at:

http://authorpenelopeking.blogspot.com

Title: Neophyte

Author: Emmalee Aple

 

Description from Goodreads

Addisyn White thought that she had her new life, her after life, all figured out. Granted, death had not brought her to the pearly gates, she hadn’t even left Earth. But death had its perks; she got to live forever with her best friend and her assigned Link of Angels in a beautiful beach house. Even with the changes she was going through to turn her human body into an angelic one, everything seemed pretty easy. Until a gray winged angel comes into her life, then all the secrets and lies her link had been keeping start crumbling away, exposing a whole new world of dangers she didn’t even know about.

Now Addisyn must fill in the blanks before things escalate too far. Will she save her Link? Or will she be buried in their secrets forever?

 

Here is my take

Addisyn was your typical teenage girl with dreams and plans for the future. That all changed the day she died. Three days after a school shooting ends her life she awakens to the best of her best friend Hunter. He, along with four other angels, is her Link. She is now a Neophyte, a changed angel, and they will be training and protecting her for the next five years until she becomes a full-fledged angel and gets her assignment.

It has been two years that Addisyn has been living with her link. When she is tricked into breaking the rules by Sebastian, a gray winged angel, she witnesses his death at the hands of her Link. Discovering that she can still die, she is furious and demands to know what other secrets they are keeping from her. Who was the strange angel and what did he mean about who she was? Not allowed to tell her what she wants to know, her fellow angels just make her more determined.

I really came to like Addisyn. She knew what she wanted and set out to get it. One of the things she wanted was Greysan, an angel in her Link. The romance grew slowly and made me remember the confusion and self doubt of young love. And the anticipation! Remember this feeling?

“Slowly, his perfectly sculpted face leaned in toward mine, his warmth surrounded my entire being as the moment of my much=anticipated first kiss neared. I could feel his fingers as they weaved through the hair at the nape of my neck, and tilted my face upward toward his. My heart raced in my chest, my breath caught in my throat, seconds slipped by like hours as I waited for his lips to greet mine.”

While the back and forth dialogue and babying by Addisyn’s guardians irked me in the beginning, the rest of the story really took off.

Not wanting to spoil it for you I will just say that there is so much more to this story and the ending, while leaving me with some unanswered questions, satisfied me and led me to believe the answers would be found in the next book.

Come read about angels in a whole new way!

4 STARS

About the author

Emmalee Aple was born and raised in Wisconsin, but always dreamed of life on the coast. Now grown, with a handsome computer geeky husband and two beautiful blonde monsters of her own, she uses what spare time she can manage to squeeze out of her day writing, sewing and crafting.

Emmalee lives off of carmel fraps and sprees. She strongly believes that a child’s imagination is the most important part of growing up, and that the cleaning elves are avoiding her messy house.

She loves a good book that sucks you in and doesn’t let go until the pages run out. And can’t get enough of the show Glee. (Although she will admit she DVRs quite a few other shows.) Growing up, her favorite movie was Annie and she knows all the lyrics to almost every Disney song.

Feel free to connect with Emmalee via her web page:

www.emmaleeaple.com