Posts Tagged ‘Action’

Teaser Tuesday #5 Aye! Aye! and Aargh!

Posted: January 1, 2013 in Action/Adventure, Book Promos, suspense, Teaser Tuesdays
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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page.
•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
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My teaser for today is from Swords & Sails
The Legacy of the Red Lion by David McAvoy II
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Swords & Sails: The Legacy of the Red Lion
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“Edward.” The Pirate Hunter said, glaring at him. “A shame for such a promising young man to throw in his lot with pirates. I will get out of this Edward, and believe me, when I do I’m going to make sure you hang right beside Wolfgang.”
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Having a great time reading this one! I can smell the briny scent of the ocean and taste the salt from the water’s spray on my lips. A good thing I don’t get seasick!
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Giving Away Freeblood! Come get yours!

Posted: December 9, 2012 in Action/Adventure, Dark Fantasy, fiction, giveaways, otherworldly, Paranormal or fantasy, reviews, Series, suspense, Vampires, werewolves
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Free Blood, The Quinn Chronicles #1

by Marny Copal

Freeblood

ADD To Goodreads

Pretty cover art. Love the stained glass and the cool chick.

Let’s talk about the story shall we.

Quinn’s busted. Her cousin Kasey received a text message that was meant for Quinn. It’s from her best friend Jo-Jo.

“Quinn, it’s Jo-Jo. You know that recorder we set last night? You’ll never believe what we caught. It’s more than an EVP. Meet me at Chockablock at six. I’ll bring my laptop and hit you with the details. Gotta run.”

Great. Just great. Her Aunt Renae would kill her if she let Kasey get involved in ghost hunting. She’s here staying with Quinn while she attends college. Besides, there’s much more going in and around the Portland Underground than just ghosts.

Kasey is persistent, and to placate her, Quinn lets her come along to meet Jo-Jo. They get there before her and as Jo-Jo’s crossing the street a vehicle races up and some goons jump out and grab her.

Quinn puts a hurt on some and Kasey jumps in, trying to help. There are too many and they take off with Jo-Jo.

If they’d been ordinary men, Quinn could’ve managed them, but they weren’t. They were vassals. Vassals are people who’ve drank the same vampires blood three or more times, binding them to that vampire and doing his bidding.

To keep Kasey safe, Quinn keeps her by her side. They’re going to have to enter the vampires world to get to the bottom of Jo-Jos kidnapping. And whether she likes it or not, she’s going to need Del’s help.

Quinn and Del have a shared past and still have feelings for each other. They also have secrets they’ve kept to themselves. If they’re to get Jo-Jo back alive, keep Kasey safe, and stay alive themselves, they’ll need to trust each other.

Wow, does this book start with a bang and just keep packing it on.

You’ll get to go into a vampire club and meet some strange beings.

The vampires in this story are pretty vile. They are motivated by their own agendas and are master tricksters.

Then there’s the blood drinkers. The human ones. You have the fastbloods(or vassals) and the freebloods. The freebloods are people who drink vampire blood in order to gain their strength and healing powers. For some, the risk of drinking the same vampires blood too may times is worth the risk of becoming its slave.

About the characters. Quinn is my favorite. She’s flawed, comes with a lot of baggage, and has a nasty habit. That just makes me like her more. She’s also fiercely loyal, quick thinking, and doesn’t hesitate to put her life on the line. She also likes a good battle.

Her cousin Kasey, with her barbie doll looks, really comes into her own and she’s also the comic relief. Her antics had me smiling and laughing. She’s also stubborn and quite good at getting her way.

Del is the alpha male type. He’s the man you’d follow into battle, trusting him to have your back. But he’s vulnerable where Quinn’s concerned. She makes his head spin.

There are other characters you’ll meet along the way, with their own special influences.

The world building is well described and easy to envision. I enjoyed reading about the lifestyles of the vampires and their motivations.

There’s never a dull moment and Marny Copal’s Freeblood doesn’t disappoint.

A great beginning to an exciting new series. I’ll be snatching up the next chapter as soon as it’s available.

Five vials of liquid gold for Freeblood

       

Giveaway.

Marny is offering one signed paperback for the giveaway.

East to enter. Leave your email address and answer this question, “Would you drink vamp blood to gain their powers, even at risk of becoming their slave?”

Contest ends Dec. 15th.

Sorry. This giveaway is for US only.

About the author and where to find her

Books, school, and farm animals kept Marny Copal busy as a kid in Central Oregon. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Oregon, she worked in archaeology and freelance writing. She lives in Eugene with her husband. No farm animals in their residential neighborhood, but plenty of deer, raccoons, possums, and cats keep her company as she works on her latest writing project.

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Freeblood is on sale for 99 cents until January 1, 2013 as part of the Ring in the New Year Holiday Promotion. Click on the cover to get yours.

Have A Holly Jolly Christmas!

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Sunday Afternoon Double-Feature

Posted: June 3, 2012 in fiction
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I recently had the pleasure of reading The Emerald Quest: A Noah Winter YA Adventure Series by Renee Pawlish. I enjoyed her writing so much that I went on and read some more of her books.

My review today is a double-feature from her Reed Ferguson Mystery Series.

 

I really like the cover art for this book. Once you read it you will see that it compliments the story and her writing style.

Now, about the book.

Book blurb from Goodreads

A wannabe private eye with a love of film noir and detective fiction.

A rich, attractive femme fatale.

A missing husband.

A rollicking ride to a dark and daring ending.

This description says it all, but I would like to talk more about this book.

It starts off with a bang!

“I want you to find my dead husband.:

“Excuse me?” That was my first reaction.

“I want you to find my husband. He’s dead, and I need to know where he is.” She spoke in a voice one sexy note below middle C.

“Uh-huh.” That was my second reaction. Really slick.

Renee’s writing style reads like a noir film. Like a Bogie movie. It is no surprise that Reed Ferguson, main character and a P.I. in this story, is a fan of Bogie. He prefers old movies, especially detective film noir, and dark women.

When Amanda first walked in to his office and blurted out her request his first thought was “Trouble”. She was a flirt and he tried not to mix business with pleasure, never a good idea and always complicated things.

The cast of characters is diverse and compliment the story well. Honorable mentions for brothers Ace and Deuce. Funny and endearing, their back and forth banter adds a lighter note to the tale. Cal. Get a picture of Sherlock Holmes in your head. Got it? That is Cal. He’s Reed’s friend and sidekick , helping unravel the dirty little secrets in his investigations.

Like all good mysteries, there are plots within plots and lots of twists and turns. Reed does not escape this without being battered and bloody. Despite all of the warnings to drop the investigation, Reed persists and ends up in a world of hurt.

My body was screaming at me, sore in too many places to count. “I feel light-headed.” I blinked hard at Forbes.

“Hey, buddy, you’re bleeding.”

I began examining myself, but didn’t see anything.

“No, back there.”

I craned my neck around, exploring my backside with my hands. “Oh, man? She shot me in the ass?” I couldn’t believe it, but it was true. My rear end suddenly hurt like nobody’s business.

Agent Forbes tried to hide a smile. And then I fainted.

Witty sarcasm and sexual tension ooze from the pages. This looks and smells like the  Alfred Hitchcock and Sherlock Holmes movies.

I ate it up and immediately moved on to the second Ferguson Mystery

Another great cover right? They are perfect for these stories.

Goodreads description

Lights! Camera! Read!

That’s right – Reed Ferguson, the intrepid hero of This Doesn’t Happen In The Movies, is back.

A mysterious death.

A brother searching for the truth.

A devious ex-wife.

Real estate shenanigans.

More danger for Reed than a film noir plot.

 

Reed was all ready to start his weekend. Gonna hang with his buddies and relax.

His plans change when Jack Healy introduces himself. He wants to hire Reed to find his brothers killer or killers.

After listening to the request from Jack, Reed’s response is “I’ll take it.”

There are the usual questions.

Why would anyone want to kill his brother?

Did he have any enemies?

What about the ex-wife?

Any trouble with the law?

I was led through the investigation, step by step, and my interest never wavered.

Ace and Deuce, the Goofball brothers are back to play their role of comic relief. Of course Cal is busy helping Reed dig up the dirt,  sparring words with him. They add seasoning to this well written mystery.

Aah, there is maybe a love interest for Reed. The new neighbor, the sultry voiced Willie, has caught Reed’s eye and he is crushing on her in a big way. His advances are gently rebuffed, she keeps it friendship only. Her reasoning is understandable and hard to argue.”

“Reed, I like you. A lot. Even before I broke up with Alan, I was tempted to go out with you. But you want to know why I won’t?”

“Because you need time to get over Alan?”

She shook her head. “That’s only part of the reason. I don’t want to get involved with you and then find out that you’ve been hurt or killed.”

“C’mon. I got shot in the rear as I was diving to the floor.”

“But it could’ve been any number of things,” Willie pointed out. “I’ve seen it happen before. You were lucky it was only your ass.”

He may have to work a little harder on this.

Reed is a man’s man. His enthusiasm and sarcastic humor is contagious, it reaches out and grabs you. There is a lighter side to him also. He is still a little boy in his mother’s eyes.

His mother is a real card:

“Hello, dear.” My mother’s high-pitched voice carried over the phone lines like a parrot on cocaine. “You sound groggy. Why is it every time I call, you’re asleep? Does this have something to do with that detective work? Are you on drugs? Paul.” she yelled away from the phone. “your son’s on drugs, I just know it.”

Sound like anyone you know?

The investigation gets serious. Events start steam-rolling. The s-curves of the case keep it interesting and exciting. Jump on the speeding train and hang on tight.

Thanks, Renee, for a well written and thought out story.

Great ending. Everything is gift-wrapped with a bow on top.  It is a pleasure all the way and I am left sated, with a smile on my face.

I do wonder what will happen with Reed and Willie though.

5 STARS for both books. Each can stand alone, but it is so great to be able to keep reading about my new friends.

 

Other books Renee has written

Nehpilim Trilogy

 

Books 2 and 3 soon to be released. I will be posting my review of this book next week.

The Noah Winter Adventure Series

You can find my review here: http://wp.me/p27ipo-43

Take Five: A short story collection.

The Sallie House: Exposing the Beast Within

Non-fiction account of a haunted house investigation in Kansas.

I am thrilled to know that there are two more additions to the Reed Ferguson Mystery Series

I will be grabbing these right away!

For more about Renee and her books:

http://www.facebook.com/reneepawlish

http://tobecomeawriter.wordpress.com

http://twitter.com/reneepawlish

 

Treasure Down Below and A lost World

Posted: May 18, 2012 in Children's books, fiction
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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
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
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