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Monday, July 29, 2013

Killing Matt Cooper

Author: John Cassian
Book Format: ePub (Nook)
Obtained: From author for fair and honest review
My Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 52
Published: April 15th, 2013 by Smashwords

Synopsis:

A harrowing and erotic glimpse through the eyes of a serial killer, KILLING MATT COOPER chronicles all the things that makes a monster tick; and the twisted form of love that he is seeking. KILLING MATT COOPER's unnamed narrator details a swirling maelstrom of misogyny, violence, sex, and fantasy -- all the things that he believes will lead him back to his Love. If you're a fan of "American Psycho" and "Dexter," this is the book for you!

Review:

I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.

A serial killer is on the loose. He picks out his victims from a list he keeps in his head. The victims he chooses? They are women who cheat. He picks the women who remind him of His Love, who happened to be his first victim. Although he does not have sex with them, he wants each of his victims to go out having the best orgasm of their life. He is very careful with how he gets rid of the bodies, and he feels his method is foolproof, that is until the FBI is brought in to investigate an incident at his dump site, and bodies are found. Will he be found out? Will the beautiful lead investigator figure out it is him? Only time will tell.

This was an interesting novella, to say the least. As many others have said about it, it is a quick read, and one that is difficult to put down once you start reading it. With it only being 52 pages, I was able to complete it in less than a day. However, when I was done, I was left wanting more. I feel as if there is, or could be more to the story.

Aside from that, if you are not one for reading “rape” stories, then I would suggest you pass on this. The author does get a little specific about a couple of his victims. But, at the same time, it is not too erotic.

Available From: Barnes & Noble, Smashwords


Sunday, July 28, 2013

Frostwalker

Author: Brandon R. Luffman
Book Format: ePub (Nook)
Obtained: From author for a fair and honest review
My Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 240
Published: May 7th, 2013 by Createspace

Synopsis:

There’s something in the woods behind Jake Marsden’s house – and someone wants him to find it. A strange dream shatters his sleep, night after night, and a compulsion to find the dark presence in the forest wars with his logical and ordered nature. What’s a geek to do?

When his small hometown of Wynn falls under an ancient curse, Jake will find himself in a battle against creatures worse than any he’s faced in a game. Playing for keeps, it will be geek versus god in the fight to stop an evil force bent on destroying everything he holds dear.

The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth – If They Live Long Enough.

Review:

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.

Jake is having some really strange dreams. These dreams keep calling him out to the woods behind his house. When he wakes, he feels that he knows exactly where this spot in the woods is at, but when he tries to find it, he can’t. Not because he is unable to find it, but because he is not physically able to continue on in the dark woods.

His dreams, and lack of sleep, are starting to affect his work. But, it’s a good thing he is his own boss and the only other person he has to worry about at work is his secretary, Nancy. Over breakfast at the office one day, he realizes his attraction to Nancy, but now he has to weigh the pros and cons of making a move on his employee.

Jake’s best friend Eric, and Eric’s girlfriend Wendy, convince Jake to ask Nancy to come along with them to do some Christmas shopping. During the trip to the mall, Jake and Nancy realize they have a lot in common, and begin to really hit it off. Because of this trip they start a new, romantic, relationship.

But, strange happenings begin to occur as the weather worsens in their rural North Carolina town. As the snow flies and unnatural beings begin to attack them they are forced to run and try to find a way to save themselves. When they team up with a Native American, John, and his Grandmother, they learn a familiar story about their people and a battle that happened a long time ago. It was too familiar for Jake, as he felt he was living the exact same story.

Will Jake’s story end the same as the story of the tribe? Will these evil beings take over the town? The state? The world? Is this new romantic relationship going to be able to grow, or will something else step in the way and kill it?

This was a good, paranormal, story. It seemed like something straight out of the X-Files. I was hooked from the beginning and had a really hard time putting it down. I felt that the storyline flowed along perfectly, and the editing was really good. And, the way the story ended almost seems like the author might have a sequel in the works.

Available From: Amazon, Barnes &Noble, Smashwords


Sunday, July 21, 2013

Mariachi Murder

Author: D.R. Ransdell
Book Format: PDF
Obtained: From author in exchange for a fair and honest review
My Rating: 2 Stars
Pages: 236
Published: April 30, 2013 by Dark Oak Mysteries

Synopsis:

Andy Veracruz is content with his life as the leader of a mariachi band, but when his lover is accused of murder, he has no choice but to defend her. In the process he faces the loss of his strongest loyalties as well as his entire career.

Review:

I received a PDF copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Andy is a man in his late 30’s enjoying his life. Although he has a “girlfriend” he is not yet ready to settle down and give her the family she wants. At work, where he plays in a Mariachi band late into the night, the very beautiful Yiolanda, his boss’ wife, catches his eye more and more.

When his boss, Rolando, asks him to keep an eye on his wife as he has to attend a family function in Mexico, Andy’s life takes a turn he could have never seen coming. He begins following her around, in his boss’ absence, throughout the streets of Squid Bay, CA and into Las Vegas, NV.

In Yiolanda’s wake of travel there are three murders and Andy is convinced that it is at her hand. She continues to claim that she had not been in Nevada, and without actually saying it, that it was not her that murdered those people. As Yiolanda begins to fear for her life more and more, she turns to Andy to help save her, and tries to seduce him as a way of saying “thanks” and to keep him helping.

Andy believes that he has solved the murders, as all of his leads point directly back at Yiolanda. But, is he really able to trust his gut that it was her? Or, was it really someone else?

This was really one of those books, to me at least, that a reader could really tell it was a new author. It was really a slow and dry beginning. It took about eight chapters for the story to actually flow and become interesting. Usually, when it takes that long, it is because the author is using those beginning chapters to character build. But, that was not the case with this book.

I would have to say that this book was “alright”. I was able to get through it, but was disappointed that it was told in the first person. To me, it was also unbelievable that someone would go through so much to play detective on their own, especially when dangers presented themselves as they did in the story. Also, there were other instances where the author changed scenes without warning. For instance, when Andy first followed Yiolanda to Nevada, he was talking to the wife of one of the murder victims. At the end of the conversation, the very next sentence, he was back at his apartment in California. Then the chapter ended.

However, I did feel that, as the book progressed, and the author caught her groove, that the book became more interesting and showed signs of being a really good piece of work. It looks as if this is going to become a series. If so, I am figuring that the stories will only get better.

Available From: Amazon, Barnes & Noble


Wednesday, July 17, 2013

A Blood Seduction

Author: Pamela Palmer
Book Format: Nook Book
Obtained: Barnes & Noble Free Friday
My Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 232 on the Nook (384 in paperback)
Published: May 29th 2012 from Avon

Synopsis:

Quinn Lennox is searching for a missing friend when she stumbles into a dark otherworld that only she can see—and finds herself at the mercy of Arturo Mazza, a dangerously handsome vampire whose wicked kiss will save her, enslave her, bewitch her, and betray her. What Arturo can't do is forget about her—any more than Quinn can control her own feelings for him. Neither one can let desire get in the way of their mission—his to save his people, hers to save herself. But there is no escape from desire in a city built for seduction, where passion flows hot and blood-red.

Review:

My wife found this book as a free Friday offering from Barnes & Noble a while ago. After reading what it was about, I decided to add it to my reading list. Especially since I have been reading a lot of vampire stories lately, I figured that this would be a good addition. I am really glad that I did.

Living in Washington, D.C., Quinn Lennox is starting to realize that there is something different about her. She is having strange happenings when she goes through “shimmers” on her way to and from work. There are times that she is even able to see what appears to be another world.

After her brother’s, Zack, friend, Lilly, goes missing, they set out to find her. She notices a beam of light and can see the other world inside of it. As they approach it Zack notices Lilly’s pen on the ground and reaches for it. Seeing how close he was to the light, Quinn tries to pull his hand away, but instead they are both pulled into the darkness of what they soon find out is Washington, V.C.

Quinn and Zack are separated shortly thereafter. Zack taken by one vampire, and Quinn taken by Arturo. It is soon realized that she has some powers and is figured to be the savior of this vampire world. But, her only concern is finding Zack and Lilly and getting the hell out of there. But, does she have the ability to actually pull it off?

This was a really interesting read for me. It was kind of a typical vampire story meets Fifty Shades of Grey meets Harry Potter meets Gladiator meets Sci-Fi. The author takes a lot and ties it all up into this nifty little story.

I rated it 4 stars because it was actually able to pull me into the story to where I could actually picture what all was going on. Something that makes me really enjoy reading, to be honest. However, it was not able to catch my emotions. That would have made it a 5 star read. I am really looking forward to reading the sequel to this, A Kiss of Blood, when I get a chance to get my hands on it.

Available From: Barnes & Noble, Amazon


Thursday, July 11, 2013

The Foundlings

Author: R.M. Garcia
Book Format: ePub (Nook)
Obtained: From author (through Smashwords) in exchange for a fair and honest review.
My Rating:
Pages: 464
Published: June 23, 2011 by Createspace

Synopsis:

Donnie aimlessly drifted through the past year of his life, and often wondered if it was worth the effort to just keep trying. The events of the past year had left him near broken. That all changed the moment Abbie walked into his life. She was like an angel sent to lift up his soul from the darkness it now existed in. For a moment his future seemed brighter with her in his life, and he started to believe he could be happy. They never expected how much their lives would change once they are dragged into another world. A world of shadows which within exists a society hidden in plain sight; a world wroth with danger, where they aren’t welcomed at all. They are forced into this world of Vampires, where then find themselves little more than orphans, nothing more than Foundlings from the start. Donnie and Abbie now find their love and faith tested to their very limits, while someone or something else watches, waits and hopes.

Review:

The author provided me with a copy of the book for a fair and honest review. Just by the synopsis the author provided I was intrigued and looking forward to reading it. Then, he told me himself in an email, and I quote, “Don't worry though, my book is nothing like twilight, I know there are a lot of vampire lovey dovey stories out there now. Mine should be different enough to stand out in the genre.” I will agree; it does stand out!

After Donnie endured a really rough and trying year; losing both of his parents, and all but giving up on life himself, he meets the beautiful and elusive (when it comes to relationships) Abbie. Although he is smart has a problem with history, and Abbie happens to tutor the subject, so he signs up for sessions. This was the break he needed, and soon they fell in love.

After high school, Abbie went off to college and Donnie became a mechanic. Things were great, until Abbie went to Florida on a vacation trip she won. It was supposed to be a weeklong “girls” trip with her friends. However, someone had different plans for her. She was given the choice to be turned into a vampire, or have all those that she loved be killed. She chose to become a vampire. After doing so she went back home and hung herself to give the impression that she was dead and there was even a funeral.

Donnie, however, did not believe that the events were true and he set out to find the truth. This was when his spirit guide leads him to “the spot” where he crashes his car and falls to his impending death. As he is dying his beloved Abbie appears. She sees that he will not live, and in a state of frenzy, she decided to feed from him.

In the aftermath of the feeding, and to Abbie’s surprise, Donnie soon awakes. Neither of them can believe it, and soon they find out that Donnie is not a typical vampire himself. Donnie vows to protect Abbie once they learn that she is in danger and is being hunted by the “bloodline” that turned her. Little did either one of them know the war that was about to ensue.

I honestly did not know what to expect when I was getting ready to read this novel. I think I was expecting more of a vampire horror type novel, but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn’t. I truly could not, nor did I want to, put this book down. It had me captivated from the start.

I wanted to give this book a 5 star rating, but the reason why I didn’t is because there were too many errors; additional words in sentences and the in chapter “scene” change breaks was not used until the later chapters in the book, which made some parts of the book a little confusing. Some of it could have been because of formatting issues, but some were probably editing oversights.

Aside from that, like I said before, this book was able to draw me in and get to my emotions in multiple areas of the story. Because of this, this book, and this author, has quickly become one of my favorites. I cannot wait to sink my eyes into the next installment of the series.

Available from: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Origin of the Sphinx

Author: Raye Wagner
Book Format: PDF
Obtained: From author in return for a fair and honest review
My Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 56
Published: June 6, 2013 by Studio Opolis LLC

Synopsis:

In Ancient Greece, the invocation "May the Gods watch over you" was more than a spoken blessing. It was an entreaty for divine benevolence.

When Damon sees a beautiful woman alone, far from civilization, he can’t help but be drawn to her. But his life–as it should have been– is altered and twisted by the immortal touch of deity.

Damon’s daughter, Phoibe, is raised to be wary and distrustful of the gods.

And so she must choose–

If Phoibe marries a mortal, she risks eternal solitude for a moment of love.

If she follows her heart, she risks spurning a god.

The gods are powerful, and their knowledge is vast.

But the gods…

The gods are far from perfect.

Origin of the Sphinx is a novella detailing the story leading up to the creation of the mythological creature, the Sphinx. It is the beginning of the Sphinx series.

Review:

The author contacted me and requested a review of this novella. I do not know much about Greek Mythology, so I decided that I would give it a look.

Damon is a mortal that happened upon Hera – Queen of the heavens and goddess of marriage, women, childbirth, heirs, kings, and empires – one night and they ended up spending the summer together. The following year Hera returns, after leaving without a word at the end of the previous summer, and hands him a child, Phoibe. The child turns out to be his, but is a demigod.

When Damon falls for another woman, and decided to take her as his wife, Hera returns and lets her know that as long as they have Phoibe they will never be able to have children of their own. So, they send her to live with a local weaver, Priska, to be raised.

When Phoibe reaches womanhood she has to decide between a mortal, Isaak, who she absolutely adores and if very much in love with. Or, Apollo – God of light, music, arts, knowledge, healing, plague and darkness, prophecy, poetry, athleticism, manly beauty, and enlightenment – who she also found herself falling for.

After some thinking Phoibe finally makes her choice…little did she know that her choice was going to have dire consequences.

To me, this is a nice, refreshing novella. The author did a good job in developing the characters and story line. I feel that this story could be enhanced and turned into a really good novel as well. I rated it 4 stars because it was able to draw me in and keep my attention all the way through.

Available from: Amazon

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Money for Blood

Book Title: Money for Blood
Author: Darry Fraser
Book Format: ePub (Nook)
Obtained: From Publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review
My Rating: 3 stars
Pages: 209
Published: May 19, 2013 by Steam eReads

Synopsis:

When Joseph McInerney returns with his millions to his childhood home on Australis Island, he hopes to capture something of the simple days of his youth. What he doesn’t bank on is his dysfunctional family, his friendly grocer, the publican or the hostile population of his hometown having their say when he finds the love of his life, the fearless but prickly Cloudy Bannon. The island is then hit by a series of murders and Joseph is about to find out that all the money in the world can’t always get you what you want, especially not the woman you love.

Review:

I was contacted by the publisher to see if I was interested in reviewing a romance novel. Since I never really read a romance, other than the paranormal/vampire romance, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I decided on Money for Blood because the synopsis caught my attention and seemed to be one that I could really get in to.

Joseph returns to his home town after winning $15 million and being away for a few years. His return is not very well accepted by the rest of the town, and not even his own family. They all believe that he has alternative motives.

One of the local women, Cloudy, catches his eye and he tries everything in his power to get her to be interested in him. However, due to previous disastrous relationships, Cloudy has pretty much written off all men. Joseph does not know what he has to do to make her realize that he is just interested in her.

When tragedy begins to strike everyone in Joseph’s life, including Cloudy, he is beside himself and is trying to cope the best he can. Realizing that he is going to have to deal with these situations on his own, he decides to just walk away…or is he really going to be alone?

I wasn’t really sure what to expect with this book. In the beginning it was a little difficult to read as the author had a lot of thoughts and happening smashed together. However, once the story really got going it was really a good read, and one that I did not want to put down. I was expecting a little more “romance” throughout the story, but was pleased with it being more of a suspense novel.

I rated it 3 stars because I felt that it could have had more, or been focused more, on either the suspense or romance side of the genre. I felt that the author wanted it to be a really hot and steamy romance novel, but feel that she really did not know how to get it there, or was afraid to go into more detail with the romance sections. But, she is a really good suspense story teller.

Available at: Amazon