Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Nevermore, David Niall Wilson




About Nevermore – A Novel of Love, Loss & Edgar Allan Poe
On the banks of Lake Drummond, on the edge of The Great Dismal Swamp, there is a tree in the shape of a woman.
One dark, moonlit night, two artists met at The Lake Drummond Hotel, built directly on the borderline of North Carolina and Virginia. One was a young woman with the ability to see spirits trapped in trees and stone, anchored to the earth beyond their years. Her gift was to draw them, and then to set them free. The other was a dark man, haunted by dreams and visions that brought him stories of sadness and pain, and trapped in a life between the powers he sensed all around him, and a mundane existence attended by failure. They were Eleanore MacReady, Lenore, to her friends, and a young poet named Edgar Allan Poe, who traveled with a crow that was his secret, and almost constant companion, a bird named Grimm for the talented brothers of fairy-tale fame.
Their meeting drew them together in vision, and legend, and pitted their strange powers and quick minds against the depths of the Dismal Swamp itself, ancient legends, and time.
Once, upon a shoreline dreary, there was a tree. This is her story.



You can find more about me, and my books at my website  
Connect with me on Twitter: @David_n_Wilson  
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You can get Nevermore in Hardcover, Trade paperback, all eBook formats and in unabridged Audio (narrated by the talented Gigi Shane) at all the regular outlets.


SLAVE's Review



When I read the blurb to this book I wanted to read it. I thought it would be a sensual, dark and creepy spin off type of story for those who enjoy the writings of Edgar Allen Poe. Unfortunately I was wrong. For me, this “spin-off” did not work. I was expecting something different. The longer I read realizing it wasn’t the type of book I expected, the more disappointed I became and simply could not enjoy the story. It may not be that way for others, but it was for me.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Quarry, Mark Allen Gunnells



THE COLLEGE...Peaceful and idyllic, bordering picturesque Lake Limestone, known locally as the Quarry. Until DALE awakens an ancient evil lurking deep beneath the waters. Becomes one with it. And EMILIO loses his best friend and wants to know why.

SLAVE's Review:
I'm gonna start this review a little differently than usual by first saying that I gladly give The QUARRY by Mark Allan Gunnells, a review score of 5 1/2 pens! 


Here's a few reasons why.

-With a story line of an ancient life sucking killer thing terrorizing a small college campus I was immediately hooked. The story itself had a nice even flow that didn't waver nor get stagnant.
-Characters, that don't step on each others toes or battling for dominance for the leading role is always welcomed. The ones created in the Quarry, all carried their own weight in keeping the story evenly paced.
-All-in-all, I truly liked this lite horror/romance by Mark Allan Gunnells. This was my second time being exposed to his work. I look forward to a third.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Asylum, by Mark Allen Gunnells


Curtis, a young college student is dragged to his first gay club by his best friend Jimmy for a night of dancing, drinking and sex…at least until the dead start to rise and attack the club. Trapped inside the Asylum are a small band of survivors, including a drag queen, a male stripper, a Vietnam vet bartender, a pretentious gay couple, and an unstable DJ. Will this motley crew survive the hungry undead rattling the sealed-off doors? Will they survive each other? Will they survive their own personal demons? Asylum recalls George Romero’s classic Night of the Living Dead–except with more gore and a more current social message.


SLAVE's Review
For me novella are a hit or miss kind of thing because authors have limited space to set the scene, hook their readers and relay a complete tale. Well, Mark Gunnells' ASYLUM hit the ground running. Because of the shortness of the story, I 'll do a simple check list so I don't give away anymore than can be read in the blog.

~Character creation, interaction, and believability?    check
~Believable story plot on any planet?                             check
~Just the right amount of Sexual Tension?                   check
~Story flow with no hiccups or interruptions?             check

~2nd time readability?                                                       check 

~Earning 5 1/2 pens for a GREAT NOVELLA?            check                 

Monday, June 24, 2013

Tyrian's Mist, by VL Moon

A soul divided by race and hate due to his breeding, a bloodline born of angelic purity and driven by his vampire lust for blood, Tyrian is a half breed from a union forbidden and feared. He is rescued as an infant by a Guardian's guide, Daira, who stows him away safely hidden within a valley hidden from the depravity and misconceptions of man and shrouded by mists. In the valley far from humans and among others of different breeds, Tyrian learns that even in the sanctuary with the Guardians, Fate continues to rule his life.

Jaral, loyal Guardian and warrior of his race, accepts the duty of Tyrian's protection. Only, he crosses the forbidden barrier and falls in love with his ward. Although he fights his attraction and love for his charge, Jaral is unable to withstand the desire Tyrian stirs within him. Desperate to ensure Tyrian remains untainted, he faces his Elders and the punishment he is sure to receive.

As Tyrian’s and Jaral’s lives become perilously entwined only the bond of love and an eternity spent within the mist shrouded valley could keep their world from shattering apart. As Jaral's fate as a Guardian hangs in the balance, danger presents itself in the form of two vampires intent on Tyrian's death. Will Fate intervene and grant them a life in the Mists?



https://www.facebook.com/VenusMoonstories?ref=hl

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6893965.Venus_Moon

https://twitter.com/VenusMoon5


SLAVE's Review
I'd like to start my review by first saying that my reviews whether good or bad is just one person's opinion.

Tyrian's Mist by V.L. Moon, though a short story it was not the type of book that I enjoy. The one major point that I had trouble with, is the main character who was taken in by the Guardians as a baby. I got the impression that he was pretty much left in the care of Jaral, who was his protector, mentor and pretty much a father figure. However when Tyrian grows up they are sexually attracted to each other and become lovers?
I found that to be a little too creepy. I couldn't get pass this fact to fully appreciate the story as V.L. Moon intended.

For this, I could only give Tyrians Mist 1 pen

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

The Frozen, by Michel Prince

You close your eyes and finally make the decision to end your life only to have him show up. Gabriel, here to give you a second chance for salvation. They say he’s an angel, but then again, they don’t have to serve under him. He offers you a chance to be a member of the Frozen, a group of demon hunters. Serve your sentence and you can ascend to heaven. Refuse, well the punishment has been clearly laid out in the scriptures. It’s a last chance. But when your body is frozen in time can your heart still beat? 

Nye, a former slave who lost his love and was tired of being under the control of another ended his life in 1859. His stubborn ways kept him under Gabriel’s thumb and from ascending to Heaven. Feeling that a woman was the cause of his downfall he hasn’t had an urge for a woman for over a hundred and fifty years. Knowing that he has less than seven years left until he earns salvation he is staying on the straight and narrow – until a woman gets caught in the crossfire during a demon hunt. 

Receiving devastating news, Kiriana moves across the country only to get caught up in the world of our protectors The Frozen. With each passing moment Nye and Kiriana are pulled into an attraction that could be their ultimate demise or their greatest salvation… 

All the while Damarion, is leading a group of female demons as they try to protect the demons sent from Hell to obtain the souls of humans around the world. Being assigned to Earth as a punishment for crimes against the royal family, Damarion learns that there are dangers within his coven trying to take him down and stop him from returning to his love still trapped in Hell and threaten the love that he was so sure was true.



SLAVE's Review
Very few novels do I actually want to read, simply from seeing the author's name having read a previous story written by them. I immediately start with great expectations of the character creations, story flow, and the authors ability to draw me into the world they've created. 

Well, The FROZEN by MICHEL PRINCE met with my expectations to the type of writing that I enjoy. From the start the characters--main and secondary--felt alive, always moving forward with the events unfolding. 

The story: a group of Hunters, frozen in fluid moving time doing their best to prevent the emergence of new Demons into the world, was believable and flowed smoothly without a hitch. I especially enjoyed the conflicts, interactions, and rivalry on both sides that kept The FROZEN from getting .."frozen". 
I easily give the FROZEN by MICHEL PRINCE, 5 1/2 pens

Monday, June 10, 2013

Paranormal Tours: Vampire Elite, by Irina Argo






Vampire Elite; Prophecy by Irina Argo

Paranormal romance












   ISBN: 9780988836204
   393 pages (approximate on e-reader),  119,000 words


In    PRODUCT DETAILS
       Info and downloads available on Paranormal Cravings: http://www.paranormalcravings.com/release-day-tour-vampire-elite-by-irina-kardos 
  

V     Vampire Elite by Irina Argo
       Genre: Paranormal Romance
       Release Date: June 7th, 2013
      
       Book Description:
       How can you make a choice between saving your people and destroying the one you love?
     
       A millennia-long war between two immortal races is about to come to an end. Long ago, the Vampire Elite began capturing members of another race of immortal beings, the Amiti, forcing them to become their blood suppliers—bloodstock—and locking them in underground cells, where they are treated like livestock. Now, the few remaining free Amiti are making a final attempt to strike back. The Queen of the Amiti has been proclaimed a traitor and executed. Her death makes possible the rise of a new Queen, her young daughter Arianna, who becomes the last hope of her dying race.

     Arianna totally embraces her mission and is ready to fight for her people to the last drop of her blood but encounters an unexpected challenge—the vampire King Tor. The Amiti Queen and the King of the vampires are drawn into a trap of love where each has to make the ultimate choice: to kill their loved one or risk the extermination of their people.



Vampire Elite is an epic story of a bitter conflict between two peoples, and the effect of that conflict on everyone living in its grip. The characters are driven to love and betrayal, vengeance and sacrifice in a world without easy black-and-white answers.

Based on an ancient Egyptian legend, packed with action and intrigue, Vampire Elite will pull you into the entrancing world of immortals and open new portals into their hidden universe.

Contact links
Facebook page series: https://www.facebook.com/VampireEliteSeries



About the Authors

Irina Argo is a combined pen name for two authors, Irina  and Jo-An .




Irina

Irina’s world is dark. She works as a clinical psychologist in a Juvenile Correctional Facility dealing with the extremes of human behavior on a regular basis and takes care of her paralyzed husband who suffered a stroke several years ago. To bring light into her life she writes. Writing has always been her passion. She is originally from Russia where she was employed as a TV journalist.





Jo

Jo-An
Jo-An is a Leo, a lioness who has emerged to follow her dream, to someday write a book of her own. She owned a costume shop for 15 years and was able to satisfy and excel in her creative nature. She is an over-achiever and believes that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and ignore the nay-sayers.  Her philosophy is based on Shakespeare “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” She currently resides in California with her 5 cats and 1 husband.


SLAVE's Review

 Vampire Elite, by Iriana Argo, started out as an interesting novel. I strangely liked the opening glossary and prologue.
I almost didn't finish reading this book. I was halfway into it and the story did not encourage me to move forward. I'm glad that I was encouraged to finish reading. After about 62% into this tale the story became intriguing. I found myself curious as to how it would end.
Every character seemed to have a major role in this story. Almost all of them had a back story and their own little stories within this one, leaving little room for any secondary characters. I enjoyed the various intimate moments. It got a little jumbled at times, but somehow came together in the end. 
However, it ended with a cliffhanger, with no mention or hint of a follow up book, not the climax I was expecting. So I give this novel 3 1/2 pens.