GtPGKogPYT4p61R1biicqBXsUzo" /> Google+ I Smell Sheep: March 2019

Sunday, March 31, 2019

Book Review: The Dragon of New Orleans (The Treasure of Paragon #1) By Genevieve Jack

The Dragon of New Orleans (The Treasure of Paragon #1)
By Genevieve Jack
March 5, 2019

New Orleans: city of intrigue, supernatural secrets, and one enigmatic dragon. 

A deadly curse....
For 300 years, Gabriel Blakemore has survived in New Orleans after a coup in his native realm of Paragon scattered him and his dragon siblings across the globe. Now a voodoo curse threatens to end his immortal existence. His only hope is to find an antidote, one that may rest in a mortal woman.

A lifesaving gift...
After five years of unsuccessful treatment for her brain cancer, death is a welcome end for Raven Tanglewood. Her illness has become a prison her adventurous spirit cannot abide. Salvation comes in the form of Gabriel, who uses dragon magic to save her.

A harrowing price...
To Raven, the bond that results from Gabriel's gift is another kind of captivity. Can Gabriel win Raven's love and trust in time to awaken the life-saving magic within her? Or will his fiery personality and possessive ways drive her from his side and seal his fate?

Dragon shifter Gabriel Blakemore is running out of time. The victim of a voodoo curse, Gabriel is desperate to find a cure. So desperate, in fact, he’s willing to bet on cancer patient Raven Tanglewood. Despite being on death’s door, Gabriel feels Raven’s potential. Using dragon magic, he’s able to pull her from the brink and offer her gainful employment. Believed to have psychic ability, Raven is tasked with searching for a cure and Gabriel’s salvation.

This book was a highly addictive, immensely entertaining ride through New Orleans. I was glued to this story, finishing it in one day. The characters were well-crafted and likable. The relationship between Gabriel and Raven unfolds at a delicious pace and explosive results. The plot and story-scape are incredibly imaginative. Jack has set the table for a dynamite series full of action, romance, and dragon politics.

This is the third Jack series I’ve reviewed and it might just be my favourite yet. I can hardly wait for Windy City Dragon, book two in this series. Other Jack series worth checking out are Knight Games and Fireborn Wolves.

Five Dragon-Sized Sheep


Bianca Greenwood


About the Author:
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Genevieve Jack is a former registered nurse turned author of weird, witty, and wicked-hot paranormal romance. She grew up in a suburb of Chicago and attended a high school rumored to be haunted. There she developed a love for old cemeteries and ghost tours. Today, she specializes in original, cross-genre stories with surprising twists. She lives in Illinois with her husband, two children, and a Brittany spaniel named Riptide, who holds down her feet while she writes.



Saturday, March 30, 2019

The Story Behind the Story: Traveller - Inceptio by Rob Shackleford + recipie for Beor

Science Fiction meets Historical Fiction
The Story Behind the Story: Traveller - Inceptio
by Rob Shackleford


Traveller Inceptio is a mix of science fiction and historical fiction that examines how members of 21st Century Western society could survive the world of the 11th Century.

I was inspired one day when I sat on a beach imagining how the location would have looked 100, then 200, then 1000 years in the past. Fortunately, I lived close to the beautiful beaches of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia and the exercise of imagining the location before resorts, powerlines, and phone towers brought to mind a very different world.

The next step in the tale was to imagine how modern humans would survive ‘back then’. Then – how was this leap of imagination possible?

Traveller Inceptio (Latin for Beginning) examines what could happen if such an accidental discovery was not hidden from public view. How would a device that takes one back a thousand years be used? Where would one go? In a world where historians are not like Indiana Jones, who would be sent?

I took every effort to thoroughly research any role the military might play, the consequences of inevitable bureaucratic and political interference, and the world of the Saxons in 11th Century England. England was chosen because of the interests of the nations involved in the research that developed the device, called the Transporter, and the attempt to access a place that might be safest for the Travellers, the title of the researchers involved.

Traveller Inceptio examines the interactions of the Travellers with local Saxons and their efforts to integrate into the village of a people of the great forest. This was the time of the Viking invasions, an unsettled time of conflict.

Through it all, I tried to make the Saxons human and examine how they would interact with a highly trained soldier from the 21st Century. How would we look to a Saxon of the 11th Century?

Think how we would look, especially when we think:
· Teeth
· Flawless skin free from the endless weather
· Soft hands
· Nice, soft hair

People of the 21st Century look very different to the people of 1000 years ago.

This is a drink from the 11th century
How to make Giolgrave Monks Beor 
  • Gather grain and soak until it starts to germinate
  • Roughly grind
  • Add flavouring – this could be crabapples, pears, elder flowers, or honey
  • Soak, simmer for an hour or two, and leave
  • Strain out the mash and leave to ferment
  • Strain again and drink within a day
  • Refer to https://regia.org/research/life/brewing.htm

Note: The author takes no responsibility for any errant brewing results.


by Rob Shackleford
February 27, 2017
1011 pages
Publisher: Austin Macauley
If you were sent a thousand years into the past, would you survive?

With the accidental development of the Transporter, university researchers determine that the device sends any subject one thousand years into the past.

Or is it to a possible past?

The enigmatic Transporter soon becomes known as a Time Machine, but with limitations.

An audacious research project is devised to use the Transporter to investigate Medieval Saxon England, when an international team of crack Special Services soldiers undergo intensive training for their role as historical researchers.

The elite researchers, called Travellers, are to be sent into what is a very dangerous period in England's turbulent past.

From the beaches of Australia to the forests of Saxon England, Traveller - Inceptio reveals how Travellers soon learn that they need more than combat skills and modern technology to survive the trials of early 11th Century li
fe.

About the Author:
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Hi, my name is Rob Shackleford.

I live in Australia at the beach area of the Gold Coast. We are lucky here, for sunny, empty beaches still beckon.

My background is in media, tourism, and time as a college teacher.

Besides travel, I love to experience nature, scuba dive, play the djembe, look at the stars, and play in the surf.

Friday, March 29, 2019

Excerpt: Bastien’s Bite (The Light Summoners, #1) by C.A. Worley + giveaway

Bastien’s Bite (The Light Summoners, #1)
by C.A. Worley
March 25th 2019
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
Alina Ray has always lived a quiet life. When she starts having problems with a group of creepy supernaturals, she turns to her witch friend, Shane
, for help. She never imagined his solution would be to push her into the arms of the city’s most powerful vampire. Will Alina resist what’s offered, or will she fall prey to Bastien’s bite?

Bastien James has been living the high life. He has money, power, and a different female on his arm every night. When he meets Alina, he realizes his life has had no real purpose. Keeping her safe seems to be his new reason for living. Bastien plans to help Alina navigate her new reality—for the rest of their immortal lives.



EXCERPT:
The entire alley started to slowly blur, like a fog was rolling in. I couldn’t hear them, but the creatures maws widened and I knew they were making that horrible screech I’d only heard once.

Suddenly they were gone and I exhaled in relief. A minute later, all thee fighters were walking into the room, looking no worse for wear.

Aside from Shane’s torn charcoal shirt, none of them had a mark on them. I wanted to go to Bastien first, which was crazy. I hardly knew the male.

My best friend opened his arms and I ran into them. A low growl vibrated through the room, followed by a quiet oomph.

When I looked over to Bastien, he was rubbing his ribs and the female was looking mildly annoyed. I ignored the urge to throw myself at the sexy male vampire.

I studied Shane’s face. “You’re okay?”

“I’m great.”

“You shouldn’t have gone out there. I told you they were dangerous.”

“This isn’t my first rodeo, doll face.”

“But—”

“She’s right,” Bastien cut in, glaring at Shane.

I stepped out of my friend’s embrace. “Thank you for helping him, Bastien. And you, too, uh, sorry, I don’t know your name.”

“Sasha.”

“I’m Alina.”

“I know.”

“Oh.” I didn’t know what else to say. Her tone was clipped and I got the feeling that was just how she was, blunt and to the point.

I was starting to sweat again and I rubbed the back of my neck. “I don’t feel so well.”

I stepped closer to the couch and suddenly Bastien was there, pulling me to him while barking at the other two to leave the room.

Because I’d shut my eyes, I didn’t see them go. I was too busy concentrating on my uncooperative body to worry about it anyway.

My hand found the skin of his forearm and my mind settled. Bastien was fast becoming my lifeline.

“I didn’t take enough of your blood.”

“What?” I mumbled, my face in his chest.

“You’re overloaded with excess energies and your bone marrow is producing more blood than your body can handle.”

“Is that why biting me helped?”

“Yes, only I didn’t take enough. I should have taken more but I didn’t want to without your permission.”

“You bit me without permission, stopping my seizure, so I doubt I’d have said no to you taking more.”

He laughed darkly. “Oh, little dove, do you not know what happens when a vampire feeds for longer than a minute or two?”

I’d heard it could be highly pleasurable, but I’d never spoken in detail to anyone who’d been bitten. Shane was my only real friend and all he’d
ever said was it was worth the effort to be on the receiving end.

I shook my head.

“Would you like to find out?” his asked, his voice dropping an octave.

My core heated to a boiling temperature and my chest heaved for air. Gods help me, but I did. I did want to find out.

I could rationalize it was because I wanted his help to stave off my seizure. That was part of it. The rational side of me was flashing the green light for this very reason.

The other part? Well, that was the part that hadn’t had sex in two years.

I wanted to feel his unspoken dark promise. Like a moth to the flame, I was inexplicably drawn to him.

When I’d come to on the couch, I’d been aroused. I was turned on before I’d seen his stunningly sharp features, his bright green eyes and his midnight hair.

His gentle touch and care for me confirmed he would not harm me. When I’d touched his face, my mind was calm and I felt like I could look at him forever.

Before he touched me again—because I was going to let him if he still wanted to—I needed to warn him of my curse.

“You should know that when my skin comes into contact with someone else’s I get, ah, visions. Like pictures of their future.”

Bastien didn’t seem at all surprised by my confession and some of my anxiety over telling him eased off.

“Did you pick up anything when I drank from you?”

“No.”

His emerald irises blazed and I licked my lips. “Then I’m thinking I’m immune to it. So I’ll ask again, do you want to find out what it’s like to be bitten? This time while you’re fully aware?”

“Yes,” I whispered, wanting him with a fierceness I wasn’t going to question right now.

A clicking purr of pure male satisfaction emitted from his chest. He fisted my ponytail and angled my face. I was surprised when his mouth pressed to mine instead of to my neck.

His lips were salty sweet and I hummed with approval over their flavor. His tongue demanded entrance, which I avidly gave. I was so enamored, he could do anything right now and I wouldn’t stop him.

Suddenly I was off the floor, lifted into his arms and moving. I felt us lower to the couch, never breaking the kiss. I was straddling his lap, my dress practically up to my waist.

I wiggled, settling my core over his hardened length. I shamelessly rocked my hips and we both moaned. I was on fire. I needed more so I rocked again.

He tore his lips from mine and I whined. Bastien’s chuckle did things to me and I wanted to please him even more.

He trailed scorching kisses across my jawline and down my throat. He licked and sucked at the skin on my neck. My hips gyrated in the same rhythm as his mouth.

“Oh, gods,” I panted.

“Bastien will do, Dove.”

“Bastien.”

“I love my name on your tongue. Be a good girl and say it when you come for me.”


About the Author:
C.A. Worley is the alter-ego of Romance Author Cass Alexander. Where Cass tends to focus on humor in her publications, C.A. loves to write fantasy. She chose to write under the two different monikers so as to not confuse (or tick off) her readers.

C.A. currently resides in the Midwest, but was born and raised in the South. She spends her days working from home and her evenings are spent shuttling her kids to and fro. Her dinners are subpar, but she makes a mean dessert.

When she's tired of living her sons' travel sports schedules, C.A. enjoys a glass (or four) of wine. She needs the liquid courage to click the publish button for her fantasy romance novels.

Her motto is, "Be Brave," and she tries to live it every day. It takes a healthy dose of courage to get through this thing we call life.

GIVEAWAY
Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)
$25 Amazon gift card 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Excerpt: Ravenous Innocence (The Last Tritan Book 1) by Myra Danvers

Ravenous Innocence (The Last Tritan Book 1)
by Myra Danvers
February 1, 2019
Genre: Adult Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fantasy

His people took everything from me, and Goddess be damned if I won't take it back.

“I’ll be good to you,” he purred and swept his thumb over my pendant, caressing. His ki surged into my mind, hammering at me with a soothing promise, abusing the link he’d left behind with a kiss. “You’ll never want for anything…”

Asher promises to teach me the forbidden while my city—my home—burns at his back. Because of him, Tritan falls, and the Caledonian forces take the best of my people for their own sick uses.

To fight, those of us who remain must flee. Regroup, or submit.

But he’s coming, hunting me, and Asher won’t stop until I wear his mark. Until my goddess-given power is his to command.

He’s tasted my lips and fed me nothing but lies, but his betrayal has given me strength even he didn’t expect.

His people took everything from me, and Goddess be damned if I won’t take it back.


Excerpt
A low groan rumbled in his throat, and he swallowed, catching my wrist in a much larger hand. For a long moment, he simply stared down at me, but when my tongue darted out to wet lips dried by searing winds of ki and living shadows, something in him snapped. I felt it happen. Even before he pressed his lips to mine, I felt it.

Warm and soft, his kiss spoke of the forbidden. The impossible. Making my core clench with unnatural speed and fervor as ki whirled between us. Sending blood surging in delicate tissue. All around us. Invisible to the hoards of sightless mundane going about their business a scant few feet away, where only their shades could see us. The scrape of a day-old beard dragged a splintered groan from my chest, and, hands slipping down my back, he seized the taut globes of my bottom. Spreading me.

Pulling me closer.

Would that he could drag me inside his skin, where I could drink him dry and soothe this blessed, painful ache.

His teeth traced my lower lip, filling my lungs with breath and heated ki, pressing a thick bulge against my belly.

I gasped, drinking him in, demanding more. Gorging until my every cell was filled to bursting. Drawing on him as heavily as I drew upon his lips. Needing it. More. There would never be enough.

A puff of breath warmed my cheek when he twisted, breaking away from my lips with a curse, his fingers bunching the fabric of my shift. Inching it indecently high. But he drew back, setting his forehead against mine. Petting my hair back with calloused hands. Obsidian eyes concealed behind scrunched eyelids, labored breath leaving my skin damp. “God, the taste of you, girl.” He released my bottom and cupped the back of my neck, forcing me to still. “What are you?”

“I’m—” my voice cracked, and I cleared my throat, blinking as the world settled around us. Dazed, I squinted up at the man, admiring the rugged, handsome features so different to my own. Alien. Bronzed skin, muscular frame, dark hair and darker eyes—everything I wasn’t.

A Caledonian.

Kissing a Caledonian Elite in public? Had I lost my damned mind? My father would…

Nothing.

My father wasn’t here. And I hadn’t had enough. Not now. Not ever.

I buried my fist in his hair, pulling him back. Driven by instinct I didn’t recognize as my own. By a needy itch below the skin, the likes of which I’d never felt before. Before him...

About the Author:
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Raised by her awesome parents in Canada's snowy north, Myra learned perseverance from an early age. She learned to speak in third person, via extensive reading as a child, because... well... Northern Canada gets a LOT of snow. And when one isn't snowboarding, building quinzees, or waking up to teddy bears frozen to the floor, one tends to read about places that are warm--even if being cold is preferable to being hot, every-damn-time.

All that reading gave Myra the gypsy bug. So, after college, (where she majored in professional gypsying) she moved to a ski resort in British Colombia to be a ski bum and chase the winter, because the cold was in her bones and it never bothered her anyway. (Points because Elsa of Frozen is her spirit animal?)

But then life caught up with her, as it does, and now she's stuffed full of enough life experience to write until transcendence (where she will be first in line to get a sweet android body and travel the universe until the end of time). So that's what she does, when she's not listening to the voices or taking apart the electronics just to see their insides.


In partnership with


Guest Post: Kellie M Davies -Mabon (The Clandestine Chronicles Book One) + teaser

Mabon book one of The Clandestine Chronicles is as much about first love as it is about dark ancestral mysteries and the magickal world of Witchcraft. It offers a fresh twist on the YA paranormal romance genre with standings firmly in magical realism. Mabon provides the reader with the protagonist’s dilemma in a relatable manner that hooks them from the first page with complex and 3-dimensional characters, all who are affected by Lucy’s final decision.

Personally, I love the discussions that surround my book, the analysis my readers put forward. They really are an intelligent bunch – highlighting certain points and situations that have arisen because of the character interaction. I’m always in awe of their reviews (good and bad) and they have so many differing opinions. One reviewer was fascinated by the mountain lion attack, another the Witchcraft initiation ritual but all have loved the characters, one even saying with such a distinctive voice Lucy (the protagonist) is an easy character to cheer on in every aspect.

As the author, I feel a little biased when responding to questions like this, so I tend to let reader reviews speak for my book – you can find them on Goodreads, Amazon and Netgalley.

A fully developed story grabs me and Mabon is book one of a four book series with Yule to follow. It’s just the beginning of Lucy’s fantastical story … Come on along for the ride!

Mabon is available through Amazon … grab a copy, have a read then drop me a ‘g’day’ (course I’m Australian) by visiting my website www.kelliemdavies.com and join my Reading Coven for book excerpts, bonus material and giveaways. I’m also on the usual social media culprits but favor Instagram where I post about everything … not just my writing life.

Thanks so much for having me.

Hope you enjoy the read …

… and let the magick in!

Kellie M Davies

Teaser Excerpt: 
All three witches took their places. Dana stood in the north quarter in front of the alter stretching her hands out for the twins to take in theirs. She pressed on their hands and they all smiled at each other. Abi winked in my direction and my pulse quickened.

The ritual, my initiation ritual, was about to begin.

Mabon (The Clandestine Chronicles Book One)
by Kellie M Davies
September 16, 2018
Genre: paranormal romance, YA
Publisher: Aurora House Publishing
ISBN: 978-0-6481851-7-8
ASIN: B07HF18BY5
Number of pages: 227
Cover Artist: Simon Critchell
Let the Magick in.

Magick or Love.

If both ran deep in your blood, which would you choose?

On her sixteenth birthday, introvert Lucy DeBane can’t shake the memory of her father’s death, or the possibility that by day’s end a life altering ancestral truth will blow apart the world she knows. Lucy is sure of one thing, her feelings for Gil ... tall, dark and hot ... her first real love.
So when she hears the chiming of ancient bells and her family’s secret is revealed, Lucy must make a decision ... become a DeBane witch, or walk away from family for love.

Is there a way she can have both?

‘Davies weaves together a complex tale of magic and romance in this sweeping adventure.’ ~ Fiona Horne


About the Author:
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Kellie M Davies was born and lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and two children. After University and a long period away from writing, she began to dabble with words again. Stories flowed and from the mess of manuscripts that uttered her computer files, Lucy’s story rose.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Cover Grabby Hands Syndrome: Dawn of a Legend (The Silvan, #3) by R.K. Lander + cover reveal

Sometimes you run into a cover or series of covers that make you stop, bow down to the awesome and maybe drool and develop grabby-hands.

Today, I give you The Silvan Series by R. K. Lander.

They have earned my Grabby-hands stamp of approval.
Image result for grabby hands gif

Today is a cover reveal of Dawn of a Legend (The Silvan #3). And then I got a look at the other covers in the series...OMG! Most people know elves—especially white hair elves—push all my hubba-hubba buttons. So not only is this a cover reveal, but the series earns my Grabby-hands stamp of approval.
Dawn of a Legend (The Silvan, #3)
by R.K. Lander
May 2019
Genres: Young adult, fantasy, Arthurian legend
Book three in The Silvan, a best-selling series by award-winning author R.K. Lander. “Page-turning epic fantasy you will not be able to put down.”

A past to claim

A power to wield

A destiny to fulfill

To the enemy, Fel’annár is just a half-blood bastard, but to the Silvan people, he is their crownless warrior prince. Returning from battle in the mountains, he grieves for one who was lost, a death that triggers a mystery Fel’annár and his company of chosen brothers must unravel. But why do the trees speak of a beautiful monster?

Fel’annár will learn the ways of the Kah Warrior from a legendary commander while facing the disdain of another who struggles to accept this ‘ignoble son’ for who he is, not for what he represents. Meanwhile, Fel’annár’s royal half-brother reveals a plan to restore the Great Forest to its past splendour of multi-cultural harmony. But the Forest is falling apart under the final onslaught of a ruthless traitor and the Silvan people are turning away from their ruler. Can Fel’annár come to understand what role he must play in this plan before it is too late? Can the brothers put aside their resentment towards each other for tearing their families apart and learn to trust one another? Can love prosper in the midst of battle and hardship as dark enemies converge on the Motherland?

Danger lies in wait for an elf who is slowly coming to terms with his heritage, learning to wield a natural ability and accepting the nature of his unfolding destiny.

The greatest warriors of their time will come together once more—in the name of justice. In the name of love.

Previous books in the series:
(Hubba-hubba!)

Start your Silvan adventure today!
Book Two: Road of a Warrior (Best Indie Book Award winner 2018)
Book Three: Dawn of a Legend – coming soon
Book Four: Rise of a Warlord – 2020

About the Author:
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I write epic fantasy for adults. I love battles, warriors, great adventures - elves, monsters and generally weird things, but above all, I love a good story with compelling characters.
My first project is The Silvan Series, with book three, Dawn of a Legend ready to launch April 2019. I hope you'll enjoy my stories

 and perhaps click the 'follow' button. And I would love to see you over at rklander.com. You'll find some story extras there and freebie if you're interested.

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Rekindled (A Circuit Fae NEMESIS Prequel Novella, #3.5) by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge + giveaway


Rekindled (A Circuit Fae NEMESIS Prequel Novella, #3.5)
by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge
March 26, 2019
Published by: Firefly Hill Press
Genres: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult
“If you like reading about the fae, other realms and watching two bada** chicks fight then you will love this series! – The Avid Reader

It’s good to be queen. Except when it’s a total disaster.

Syl Skye, newly crowned Queen of Fair Faerie, would be psyched to be the ruler of her Summer realm, except for two things.

First, her girlfriend Rouen Rivoche became Queen of Dark Faerie, the Winter realm. That would be great except the Winter realm’s always been at war with Summer. By tradition, that makes Rouen Syl’s mortal enemy. That said, love can break past old hatred, right? Especially with a new foe about to attack them both.

Ah, no.

Which brings us to Syl’s second problem. Rouen’s under a dark spell and doesn’t remember Syl, their lives, their love. Worse, if Syl doesn’t break the spell by the next new moon, Rouen will forget her forever.

“Fast paced, full of action, never a moment of bore! Strongly recommended!” – Annarella, Goodreads

To defeat their foe, it’ll take two soul-bound queens whose hearts and minds act as one. Trouble is, no one has ever broken the dark spell Rouen suffers from.

Good thing Syl isn’t the type of queen who gives up easily.

Don’t miss Syl and Roue’s adventures in REKINDLED, the new prequel novella to NEMESIS, Book 4 of the Circuit Fae

Don’t miss out!

Perfect for readers of romance, urban fantasy, fairy stories and LGBT.



About the Author:
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Raised by witches and dragons in the northern wilds, GIE writes angsty urban fantasy YA romance–where girls who are mortal enemies kick butt, take names, and fall in love against all odds.

She enjoys long hikes in the woods (where better to find the fair folk?), believing in fairies (in fact, she’s clapping right now), dancing with dark elves (always wear your best shoes), being a self-rescuing princess (hello, black belt!), and writing diverse books about teenage girls finding love, romance, and their own inner power.

She might be planning high tea at the Fae Court right now.

GIE is multi-published, and in her role as an editor has helped hundreds of authors make their dream of being published a reality.

Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (US/CAN)
A Magical Fairy-Themed Giveaway 
Alex & Ani Ouroboros Necklace Charm 
Signed Copy of Moribund by Genevieve Iseult Eldredge

Monday, March 25, 2019

Spotlight: The Brightest Darkness: A Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Novel (Oklahoma Wastelands Book 2) by Kate L Mary



The Brightest Darkness: A Post-Apocalyptic Zombie Novel (Oklahoma Wastelands Book 2)
by Kate L MaryMarch 18th, 2019
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic/Zombie
Publisher: Twisted Press
Editor: Lori Whitwam
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
There was something evil living in Andrew. I’d seen it in his eyes, reflecting back at me like a spotlight. It was the brightest darkness I’d ever seen, bright enough to snuff every one of us out…

Still reeling from loss, Kellan and Regan set out to rescue Harper from Andrew and his men. Only now they aren’t just fighting to free a teenage girl, they’re fighting to keep a promise to the man who saved them, knowing if they fail, Harper won’t be the only one at risk.

Joining forces with a new group means having help and making friends, but it also brings new conflict and the risk of losing everything they’ve worked to build over the last night years. With zombies banging at their door and the threat of danger around every corner, Regan and Kellan will have to fight to keep their world secure and their secret from getting out.




About the Author:
Kate L. Mary is an award-winning author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, ranging from Post-apocalyptic tales of the undead, to Speculative Fiction and Contemporary Romance. Her YA book, When We Were Human, was the 2015 Children's Moonbeam Book Awards Silver Medal Winner for Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi Fiction, and the 2016 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner for Young Adult Science Fiction, and her dystopian novel, Outliers, was a Top 10 Finalist in the 2018 Author Academy Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and the Winner in the 2018 Kindle Book Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy. 

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Book Review: We Sold Our Souls: A Novel by Grady Hendrix


by Grady Hendrix
September 18, 2018
336 pages
Publisher: Quirk Books
In this hard-rocking, spine-tingling supernatural thriller, the washed-up guitarist of a ’90s heavy metal band embarks on an epic road-trip across America and deep into the web of a sinister conspiracy.
  
Every morning, Kris Pulaski wakes up in hell. In the 1990s she was lead guitarist of Dürt Würk, a heavy-metal band on the brink of breakout success until lead singer Terry Hunt embarked on a solo career and rocketed to stardom, leaving his bandmates to rot in obscurity.

Now Kris works as night manager of a Best Western; she’s tired, broke, and unhappy. One day everything changes—a shocking act of violence turns her life upside down, and she begins to suspect that Terry sabotaged more than just the band. Kris hits the road, hoping to reunite Dürt Würk and confront the man who ruined her life. Her journey will take her from the Pennsylvania rust belt to a celebrity rehab center to a satanic music festival. A furious power ballad about never giving up, We Sold Our Souls is one woman’s epic journey to reclaim her life—and save her soul.

Some themes are universal. Good vs evil. Love conquering all. People selling their souls to form a band then regretting it. The important thing isn't the theme itself, but what one does with it. Such is the case with We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix.

A former metal guitarist, Kris now works in a Best Western and her life is falling apart. Not only that, but former bandmate Terry is super successful fronting the band Koffin and is geared up for his ‘final’ tour.

What follows is her reuniting with her old band (or what's left of it), and working her way across the country to confront Terry...and before it’s too late. Because something happened to them long ago, something that involves the lost concept album Kris wrote and the memories of contract night that she just can't seem to recall.

This is absolutely not a typical devil music book. I love Grady Hendrix’s work, but I wasn't prepared for all the twists and turns. I also wasn't prepared for just how insightful a story this is.

Kris goes through a personal journey along with her road tripping. She has a lot of emotions about how Terry screwed her over, her place in the world now, and her music that need to be worked through. I also love that we also see the feeling of stuckness through Melanie, a Koffin fan determined to make her life better. It also goes a long way that the story equates the hellish figures less with traditional Robert Johnson and Satan imagery and leans into its own mythology highlighted by the mysterious lost album Trogladyte.

It makes for an intriguing mystery and a fantastic mythos. I love that the soulless factor is incorporated into day to day living and losing one's self.

That’s not to say that there aren't some creepy, unsettling, downright unnerving scenes. Hendrix is fantastic at balancing horror with the overall feel of a story. While this book has a different vibe than, say, Horrorstor, I definitely was gripping the book hard and felt my stomach drop during parts of the festival at the end.

And I will never look at UPS the same ever again.

You can tell there's a love and respect for the music, too. It’s not just a device, but something that permeates every aspect of the book. This is one of those titles that gripped me hard (I read it in a day), and left me a little jealous. I love the choice of a female lead, I love that things get dicey but not outright gratuitous, because it would have been easy to go that route. I love that this book feels real and gives no easy answer to regaining personal fulfillment.

Plus, the whole concert sequence and when you find out who had their souls sold to what is just bitchin.

A wild ride that makes you think and want to dig out your old record collection? I am totally down.

5 sheep





About the Author:
Award-winning author Grady Hendrix has written about the Confederate flag for Playboy magazine, covered machine gun collector conventions, and scripted award shows for Chinese television. His novels include HORRORSTÖR about a haunted IKEA, MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM, which is basically "Beaches" meets "The Exorcist", and WE SOLD OUR SOULS, a heavy metal horror epic out now from Quirk Books. He's also the author of PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, a history of the horror paperback boom of the Seventies and Eighties, and the movie MOHAWK, a horror flick about the War of 1812, and the upcoming film, SATANIC PANIC. You can discover more ridiculous facts about him at www.gradyhendrix.com.

***Reviewer***
About Selah Janel:
Selah Janel is a writer who is trying to start doing that again instead of reading manga all the time.





Saturday, March 23, 2019

Book Review: Fireweed & Brimstone (A Grim Reality Series– Book 3) by Boone Brux

Fireweed & Brimstone (A Grim Reality Series– Book 3) 
by Boone Brux
March 8, 2019
Pages: 158
It seems rather fitting that I’m a grim reaper who happens to be a widow. In fact, my husband’s death ignited a chain of events that shook my life and landed me as GRS’s newest grim reaper. He’s been dead for over a year, but I can’t shake the feeling that the circumstances surrounding his car accident aren’t what they appear.

My suspicions are confirmed when I find a receipt for a storage locker rented in his name. Of course, I have to investigate, but what will I find? Was he leading a double life, cheating on me? If only. What I find makes me wish another family in Ohio was all he’d been mixed up in.

As pieces of the puzzle surrounding my husband’s death fall into place, I discover a scheme so diabolical, it could change the face of death as we know it—and not in a good way. Using our mad reaper skills, my partner Nate and I skirt the edge of ethereal rules, call on some old friends to help, and learn there’s a lot more to being a grim reaper than we ever imagined—or wanted to know.


Lisa has been a grim reaper for two years now since her husband’s car accident which may not be such an accident after all. Nate, her partner and possibly boyfriend, work together to try to figure out what is going on with other reaper’s and what Jeff’s possible connection could be.

Never one to disappoint, Brux’s third book in the Grime Reality Series is funny and easy to read. Her characters are engaging and relatable, complete with their own quirks and issues. My only complaint is that I would have liked the book to be longer and continue a little farter instead of waiting for the next installment. I felt it was a little unfinished for me.







Denise B

About the Author:
Boone is a bestselling author in both fantasy and series romance genres. She began writing in an attempt to ward off the slow decomposition of her mental state while taking care of her twin toddlers. It soon became clear that storytelling was her true calling.

Her books range from medieval fantasy, filled with demon's and hot heroes, to humorous paranormal and spicy contemporary romance. Though she loves writing romance, Boone much prefers stories where she gets to kill somebody or blow something up.

She lives in the beautiful and rugged state of Alaska with her husband, two kids, their dog Oreo, and her black cat Velma Underfoot. Not to mention the numerous wild creatures that lounge in her backyard.