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Guest Post – Calliope Jones and The Forests of Mist by Haylie Machado Hanson

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Hello, readers! I’d like to apologize in advance if this blog is incoherent. I’m bone-tired from being up all hours of the night feeding Girl Spawn, who coincidentally came early on launch week. Two October babies for me, what a lucky gal I am!

The biggest news I have (writing-wise, I happen to think Girl Spawn joining the world is pretty big news) is that Calliope Jones and The Forests of Mist launched on Amazon on October 21st!* I’m so excited for you guys to be able to download it and read it. I hope you love it. I know I do, but I’m biased. So please, download it, read it, review it! Beta feedback for this book is better than the first, and I tend to agree.

And with that, I’m off, since Girl Spawn forgot I just fed her, like, 15 minutes ago. My literary baby is far less demanding. And doesn’t keep me up all night. Well, I can’t promise my literary baby won’t keep you up all might until you finish it. In fact, I wish you many sleepless nights as you Dive into Callie’s exciting new adventure!

You can find Forsests of Mist here.

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Book Review – Curse Breaker by Melinda Kucsera

Curse Breaker: Enchanted

Melinda Kucsera

4 Stars

Today, my Gentle Readers, I have an excellent fantasy book for you. Melinda Kucsera delivers a fully realized fantasy world with enough background to bring it to life without burying us in a history lesson. There were a few awkward proofing errors, and missing punctuation, but not enough to put me off from finishing this book.

Sarn possesses magic in a world that has spent a long time eradicating magic. Beholden to the Lord of the Mountain and the Rangers, he tries to keep to his promises and protect his son from discovery. There are those who distrust Sarn’s magic, those that just want to use him, but most are unaware of his gift.

When the magical forest surrounding his home decides Sarn needs to see a clearing of horrendous murders, Sarn is forced to face the capricious magic within. Armed with the seemingly moody force within his blood, and a ghost boy who tries to guide him, Sarn must unravel the mystery of the deaths and how it is connected to his own battered past. When the forces seem to be targeting his son as well, Sarn goes on the offensive, defying his Masters instructions at almost every turn.

Can Sarn protect his son, unravel the mystery, and keep his growing magic in check? If you want to know you’re going to have to read the book, because I’m not spoiling it for you.

Curse Breaker:Enchanted on Amazon

Melinda Kucsera’s Website

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Book Review – The Sand Dweller by Molly Neely

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The Sand Dweller
Molly Neely
5 Stars

This book, my Gentle Readers, is a fantastic journey of one man’s quest to overcome his birthright and find redemption.

Molly weaves classic Christian And Egyptian figures into a tale stretching from thousands of years BC, to present day.

Lucifer’s top general in Hell, Azazeal, has a desire to possess the fallen first female, Lilith.  He proposes a bet, a winner take all battle between a single offspring from each of them. With Lucifer’s blessing they begin.

What follows is a spiritual journey that challenges the concept of “nurture vs. nature”, begging the question “Can one overcome their birthright?” Malachi bin Sinai, son of Azazeal, would like to know. His path weaves from ancient Egypt, past the crucifixion, a stint as a Roman gladiator, to end in a brutal battle with his nemesis, Ra.

I couldn’t put this one down and I doubt you will be able to either.

‘The Sand Dweller’ on Amazon

Molly Neely on Facebook

Molly Neely on Twitter @mollyneely

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Book Review – Celtic Curse: Banshee by D.J. Doyle

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The Celtic Curse: Banshee
D.J. Doyle
4 Stars

Gentle Readers, I know it has been some time since my last review. I have been terribly busy and I apologize for that. Let’s dive into this one shall we?

This story has love, betrayal, murder, supernatural curses, and eventually, a seeking of redemption. The beginning is great in that it gives us some background on the Banshee and why she is doing the haunting she is. I feel this was rushed quite a bit. Her becoming a banshee could almost have been a novel (or at least a novella) all on its own.

Fast forward many generations and finally the bloodline is linked strongly enough to its Irish roots in order for her to come back with enough power to enact revenge again. This begins a race against time before the Banshee takes her next victim. Again, to me this was rushed a bit. There is also some tension, and one not so mild sexual scene, that seemed gratuitous and forced. Perhaps there was more to this storyline that made the scene/tension less “WOW, Here I am”. If so, I think it was lost to the editing floor.

Overall I thought it an enjoyable read and I look forward to seeing what the author does with their next work.

Celtic Curse:Banshee on Amazon

D.J. Doyle on Facebook

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Book Review- Dark Day Dreams by James Hawthorne

Dark Day Dreams
James Hawthorne
4 Stars

Today I have another collection of stories for you, my Gentle Readers. This collection is all from the mind of James Hawthorne. It ranges from the philosophical to the dark, the uplifting to the horrific. James did a great job with this collection. I’m just going to highlight a few of the stories that I particularly enjoyed.

From the first story about the Midnight Kid and the dream realm, I was hooked. Beast in Show is exceptional and I wish there was more of it. The Summer of our Discontent is a fabulous piece of alternative history that could really go places if expanded. James explores the question: What if the Confederate states had stayed separate? Glitch is an interesting and dark story of pharmaceuticals turned street drug becoming catastrophic from the side effects no one would have tested for.

I found this book to be a great quick read. If you are looking for a collection of bite size stories, I’m sure you will find something here to tickle your fancy.

Dark Day Dreams on Amazon

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Book Review – God is a Woman by Michael Tavon


God is a Woman
Michael Tavon
3 Stars

I’m going to put a little parental advisory here, my Gentle Readers. While not nearly the most explicit thing I have ever read, there are parts of this book not suitable for the kiddos.

That said, I want to like this book. Price Jones is a broken man. A broken home, molestation, and a mother who eventually checked out on drugs lead to an adult who can’t cope without alcohol. Price’s redeeming quality centers on his ability with the written word, at least to the few people close to him. His latest book sold more copies than his previous two, but he isn’t topping any best seller lists. His journey to redemption is, if at all possible, going to be difficult.

There is a great story here, even if you ignore the sometimes gratuitous sexual explicitness. The problem for me was in the editing/proofreading of this work. There are many varied errors that will snap the attentive reader out of the story. If you can overlook them however, you can find a great journey of self discovery and redemption.

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Book Review – The Student by Frank Weisener

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The Student (Jerome Water Book 1)
Frank Weisener
4 Stars

 

Crime Dramas are not my normal cup of tea for reading, my Gentle Readers. Don’t get me wrong, I do love the TV shows, I just normally do not read them. This series might become my first exception. Frank does a great job of weaving flashbacks and character backstory in bite size chunks so that you can understand the depth and motivations of his creations. Each chapter gives you a date and time, as well as the primary players in the scene. This allows you to follow along with the investigation as well as the criminal’s activities.

Something is wrong at Miami’s prestigious Florida International University. FIU students are turning up dead. It’s up to rookie detective Jerome Water to crack this case and bring the perp to justice. He’s not alone, however. He has his mentor, aging detective Poole, and former Miami Dade police officer turned private eye, Franco Tamargo. Can these three gumshoes find out who’s killing the students of FIU? Grab your copy of “The Student” today to find out.

The Student on Amazon

Frank Weisener on Goodreads

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Book Review – 2020 by Jim Mosquera


2020 (Chandler Scott Series Book 1)
Jim Mosquera
3 Stars

Gentle Readers, this book will make you think. Jim weaves a tale of financial power players and behind the scenes politics that’s a bit too close to home.

Chandler Scott is a rising star reporter with his own show on the El Mundo television network. With the help of his mentor, Axel Schultz, he begins digging into a story mired deep in the current economic crisis. His investigations make him a target, as well as his girlfriend.

Jim Mosquera does some things right and some things wrong, in my humble opinion. The story begins very slow. There is a lot of info dump of character biographical information. The author seems to do this to establish the pedigree of the character and lend credibility to their statements and actions. While important for the story overall, these chunks of history really slow down the action in the first half to two thirds of the novel. The action does pick up from there. There is also a bit of restatement where a character says something, then the author gives us nearly the same thing as a separate sentence. This bogs down a few of the great dialogue sequences.

These issues aside the book ends on a note of making you want more, to find out just what Chandler is going to do in the wake of the forces arranged to control the flow of and existence of money in the United States and the world.

Jim Mosquera’s Website “The Sentinel.biz”

2020 on Amazon

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Book Review -Into the Darkness by A.M. Rycroft

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Into the Darkness
A.M. Rycroft
4 Stars

Gentle Readers, this is a story right up my alley. Swords, sorcery, good and evil gods, heroes and villains. All in a home brew world that would be great as a pen and paper, dice rolling weekend like I spent in my younger years. Rycroft gives us realism and cohesion in both character personality and the world in general.

Aeryn Ravane is a sellsword with a mission, to complete her father’s final quest to break the curse on the Black Caverns and gain access to the treasures within. What Aeryn doesn’t know is that her long journey is just beginning. She is joined by the master of the Black Caverns, Tynan Selvantyr, or at least his ghost as the mage has been dead for 150 years. Also joining her is young Theo, a street thief with secrets of her own. With The Harbinger loose from his prison in the Black Caverns, Aeryn is on a race against time to find the courage within to face her past, and take out the evil mad god.

Rycroft’s tale was a joy to read and had all the elements of a great fantasy tale. I look forward to more from him, especially this Cathell Series as I don’t think the gods are done with Aeryn and her friends just yet.

Into the Darkness on Amazon

A.M.Rycroft on Facebook

A.M. Rycroft’s Website

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Book Review -Poet King by Jaffa Truex


Poet King

Jaffa Truex

3 Stars

My Gentle Readers, while I write a bit of poetry this is my first review of a poetry book. Given it is a short work, there isn’t a lot  to say. Jaffa reaches deep down inside himself to bring to life personal truths that perhaps we can all relate to at some point in our lives. I did enjoy the poem “I am dead!!” specifically when he talks about the obsession of Facebook life. So many people craft this online persona that is so far from reality it is saddening.

This line from “The Murder Factory” is especially meaningful for anyone who has fought depression. “Every day is a new car accident that I am in everyone slows down and watches but nobody helps me.”

Blitz is the perfect note to end the collection on in my opinion.

Some of the poems may mean something to the poet, but I could find no meaning in the collection of seemingly random words. That’s not to degrade his work, simply that several of them did not speak to me on any level, even a sympathetic or empathetic one.

As other reviewers have pointed out, the collection of images, clearly pulled from Internet databases and not personally from the life of the poet, detracted from the overall work. Images for images sake are better left unused. I would have liked to see him use images from his own life, even if they were poorly  drawn sketches (as I have no idea if the author has artistic skills in that area) than pull from the Internet.

Overall I think the work has some merits but perhaps fell flat for me in the execution. Keep writing Jaffa. You definitely have more to say to the world.

Poet King on Amazon