Shrouded in Ilusion by H.D. Thomson--Book Review

I love finding a great summertime read! Today's book was given to me courtesy of the fabulous folks at Innovative Online Book Tours. If you're ready for a little mystery, a little romance, and a little telekinesis with a slice of thriller on the side, then H.D. Thomson's Shrouded in Illusion is the book for you!

Here is the publisher's blurb:

Someone wants Skye Hunter’s son and they’re willing to kill her or anyone else to get to him. On the run for her life, she is forced to turn to the only person who can help her—a complete stranger with a shared past—David Bishop, a renowned illusionist.

David’s life is also an illusion, built of smoke and little else. He meets Skye, a woman filled with passion and conviction, and the pain he sees in her eyes is a mirror to his own soul. But when he realizes she has the same strange, telekinetic phenomenon inside her body that he does, he is forced to question his life, his childhood and the father who raised him. Can these two lost souls uncover the mystery behind their powers and save Skye’s son and themselves in the process?

This was a fast-paced read that I finished within a day--that's always a plus when you're looking for a great beach read. The story opens with Skye and her son caught up in convenience store robbery. I thought this first chapter was a great set up for the reader to discover exactly what is important to Skye and what kind of person she is. She's a woman on the run who will do anything to protect the child she loves.

Her journey has led her to Vegas where she hopes to run into David Bishop--a man whose name keeps popping up in her dreams of the past. David has a magic act and is a big time, good looking illusionist. When he sees Skye working her telekinesis mojo on the roulette table, he is drawn to her, though something about her also makes him apprehensive.

I loved the chemistry between these two characters. There is a lot of great, smoldering dialogue that really keeps you turning the pages as you wonder whether or not they will get together. The character development for the minor characters was strong and there were lots of turns and twists in the plot. I felt like the climax of the book where you find out what exactly is going on could have been tightened up and some description cut out, but maybe that's because I was so into the tale that I wanted to hurry up and find out if the bad guy gets what's coming to him or not.

This book is the third in a series, but I felt it was a great stand alone title. If anything, it made me want to go back and read the other two.

Click on the Amazon link to get your copy!

Shrouded in Illusion--Amazon

Shrouded in Illusion--Barnes and Noble

Author Bio:

 H.D. Thomson moved from Ontario, Canada as a teenager to the heat of Arizona where she graduated from the University of Arizona with a B.S. in Business Administration with a major in accounting. After working in the corporate world as an accountant, H.D. changed her focus to one of her passions-books. She owned and operated an online bookstore for several years and then started Bella Media Management. The company specializes in web sites, video trailers, ebook conversion and promotional resources for authors and small businesses. When she is not heading her company, she is following her first love-writing.

The Bridge of Deaths by M.C.V. Egan---Book Review

***I received this book as part of IO Book Tours in exchange for an honest review****

I like history. I don't want to marry it or anything, but I enjoy it and feel that yes, we do in fact learn from it. I like tales based on fact, too, and when I read the synopsis for The Bridge of Deaths by M.C.V. Egan, I was excited. Past life regressions, a brutal plane crash, soul mates---oh yeah, baby. This sounded great. But….well….the execution didn't come like I thought it would.

Here's the synopsis:

On August 15th 1939, at the brink of World War II, an English plane crashed and sunk in Danish waters. Five deaths were reported: two Standard Oil of New Jersey employees, a German Corporate Lawyer, an English member of Parliament, and a crew member for the airline. Here is a conceivable version of the events.

As you read the book, the author lets you know that this is a personal story for her and that she spent a great deal of time researching the events of August 15, 1939. It shows, too. The novel is full of factual information that pieces together a fictional story about Bill and Maggie. Bill is having dreams about the crash and we find out this because of past life regression. In an effort to help Bill, Maggie's job is to research history and see if they can make sense of anything.  There's a third character, Catalina, who has spent years researching the plane crash because her grandfather was killed in it.

I think this is a great idea for a book. The past life regression especially grabbed me, reminding me of the movie Dead Again. The relationship between Bill and Maggie as soul mates is strong and I liked their "chance" meeting in the book store.

For me though, this book wavered a little about what genre it wanted to be. At times, I felt like it was historical fiction with paranormal elements, and at others, it wanted to be a non-fiction written like a fictional book. While I liked the idea, the research details slowed the story line down, making it difficult for me to stay with the book.

If you are some that enjoys reading historical documents, particularly from the World War II era, then this will provide some intriguing reading.

Here is the link to the book on Amazon, as well as, the author's info!

 Amazon code The Bridge of Deaths

M.C.V.EGAN Online:

Website http://www.thebridgeofdeaths.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Bridge-of-Deaths/130675087014521

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/M_C_V_Egan

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5004249.M_C_V_Egan

Video interview http://vimeo.com/44036673

Tale of Lust, Hate, and Despair--Interview and Review with Ian Truman

Mary Ann: Hi Ian! We're delighted to have you at All Things Writing. Our blog mainly reaches other writers so we like to talk about the process of writing. How long have you been writing?

The absolute first thing I ever wrote I think was some sort of Role playing game when I was in 4^th grade or something. We were a few soon-to-be-geeks in school and we played a lot of Nintendo games and this thing that was called Hero Quest (a board game). It was around the time when the first Jurassic Park came out (In 93 I think) and my dad had bought me the game and so I adapted the Jurassic Park video game into a sort of D&D. That is the first thing that I can remember.

I don't think we ever played more than a few games and then high school kicked in and I was sent to this specialized class for smart kids (and I am not saying this to brag) which does not land you points with ladies or jocks, but hell if we learned how to use computers. We were really into like early cyberpunk novels and I remember reading a bunch of the Shadowrun series and then trying to write one. I don't remember what I did with it.

It wasn't until I went to Cegep (some sort of community college here in QC) that I took my writing seriously. I played around with philosophy, political science, poetry, script, but after a while I realized I was more comfortable with novels. How long have I been writing you asked? I guess 19 years now.

You bio and your synopsis of Tales of Lust, Hate, and Despair indicate you were strongly influenced by music and cinema for this work. Is that the norm for you when you are writing? Or is this the first time you've attempted that style?

I have been a huge fan of all things cinema for as long as I can remember but it was when my uncle gave me a copy of Aliens (the Cameron one) when I was something like 15 that my mind was really blown away. I started digging into these kinds of stories, asking people I knew if there was anything else like it they knew about.

There was this weird goth kid (we became friends) at the record shop and he introduced me to a few of the bands that I still love to this day. If you look at the “thank you” part of movies, novels or Cd's (back then), that's how you discovered these gritty movies or underground bands. I had the internet, but there was no such thing as wiki or youtube back then and finding an director like Kevin Smith still required some work.

For the longest time I didn't want to write novels “Who the fuck would buy them?” I was thinking. I mostly wrote songs and sang in a hardcore band, but when the band broke off, I had to do something else. That was the first time I thought about moving away from music and I tried writing scripts first which I still do from time to time, but then I figured I could actually sell my own books so I started writing novels for the first time. That was maybe three or four years ago.

I think that what I write is visual and I have heard people call it something like “cinematic” because it is mostly descriptive with a lot of dialogue, but that's just how I learned to do narratives when I watched these hundreds (if not thousands) of movies. I think my writings will always be influenced by cinema and music. There's no way around it.

This novel is full of gritty characters and complex situations. Where did you get your inspiration from?

Movies and music are a big part of it. I cite Kurosawa and Samuel Fuller as major influences, you could add writers like Richler, Hemingway or Lehane, but as far as the story goes, I was mostly influenced by the darker sides of Montreal. I know the city has (had?) a reputation for being a place where people are all happy and all, but there are these places and times where people struggle and conflicts are real. I would never say that it is as bad as places like Baltimore or Detroit but the conflicts are not unlike New-York in the 80s-90s (from what I've read of the era). There was this think in Montreal in the late 90's, early 00s that has been called “The Biker Wars” and although I was never part of it, that's all the news would talk about back then.

I also spend a lot of my young adult years in the red light district at this community center called “L'x room” which is where I discovered “Straight Edge” but also a lot of violence, drugs and prostitution. The room was sort of a safe heaven for young punks and bums where you could see a show for 5$ and there were old used books for sale every now and then. The whole area is gentrified now and I can't say I miss it (I still work there for a student coop) but it was a time and place of turmoil and a lot of stories in the novel are from that time in my life.

The city is certainly a huge character in the book!  Agent or no agent? What's your take on that part of the publishing process?

I did send out stuff to a few agencies, mostly when I was still in college, but none of them seemed to care. Back when there was no DIY option (or no viable one) for self-publishing I understood their necessity even if I could argue that they maintained themselves in a position of power in order to guarantee themselves a job, but now that self-publishing is incredibly easier, I see no reason why I should get an agent.

I also discovered art and music by going at L'X (which I mentioned before) and it was a very special place where most of the people believed in direct democracy and the DIY (Do It Yourself) ethic. There were these bands that we all loved, like Minor Threat, Bad Religion and Black Flag, and these bands had built their careers (and an entire musical genre) from scratch. There was no one around willing to support them, so they did it themselves.

In the 90s in Montreal and early 00s, there was this void downtown where most of the buildings were vacant and artists kinda took them over and there was no scene at all and no money, so everyone I knew were adamant on DIY. If you could find a few instruments, a few mics and a computer you'd be alright. It was the beginning of the accessible numeric-age, the very first “affordable” pro-tools and CD printers.

So going to a major was never much of an issue for me whether it was music or literature. If ever a publishing house or an agent calls me, I am not saying I would say yes or no, but I would simply ask if the deal was to my advantage or not.

What is something major that the publishing world has taught you?

“You're on your own kid.” I guess that's nothing new to people my age, but in today's world, if you are a creative person, you have to know how how to do (almost) anything. Of course, there are endless databases and videos online on how to do this and that or this and that. If someone asks you good money for information on anything, look elsewhere, there might be someone who wrote a similar article and was happy to give it for free.

Libraries are also free and have endless on a vast aray of subjects. If you are expecting to be a self-published author, you need to know how to write, but then you need to know how editing works, how the programs themselves work, how the technology is evolving and mostly, how marketing works. All of these competences ca be found for free if you are willing to give in the time.

Something else I learned is that I am not proficient in all aspects of book publishing. For example, I know how to work the basics of photoshop, but I am not a graphics designer in any ways. That is why I gave the cover design for Tales of Lust, Hate and Despair to a professional. I came up with the general idea, I spent maybe 16 hours just looking at stock photos. I had made a plan to have my wife take pictures of models we knew, but as I am not rich and we have little place (and a daughter) I took the decision to buy stock photos instead. I sent the proofs to my graphics designer (who is a friend as well) and he replied “this one will work, this one won't for this and this reason” which are details that I don't know about.

There is also this issue with editing and proofreading that I (really) such at. I think I know how to tell a story and I am far less interested by the grammar than I am interested by the tone and the story I am telling. So I hired two people I used to go to college with who are now graduates as well. And these persons are now professional writers and publishers in a certain way. I could have looked for someone with ten years of experience, but having spent countless hours in workshops and classes with these two (I am talking here of Sarah Needles and Alex Manley) I knew their work was just as good as the next guy with “more” experience. So I paid them what I could and they seemed happy to put in the time. Hopefully I'm make a little money out of the novel (or at least cover my costs) and be able to pay them more next time but their inputs has been invaluable to the novel.

So I guess the lessons you need to remember is :

A) learn at least a little bit about all aspects of the work

and

B) know your own limitations and act on them by getting the proper help.

What's next for you? Any other books in the works?

I started writing my third novel a few months ago. It was mostly snapshots at first and a good idea, but I've been putting in the hours lately and the novel is advancing almost as fast as I'd like it. The title will be “A Teenage Suicide” and it is a straightforward look at the lives of young men and women whose lives have been struck by that kind of event. It's more of a Young Adult marked I'd say, but it is also a story that is closer to my heart so I wanted to get it off my chest before going back to my more hardboiled stuff.

I had a bunch of fragments and ideas written down on scrap paper for something titled “Memoirs of a Hit-man” but it'll have to wait for A Teenage Suicide to be over. I would love to get the third novel ready for late November and catch a bit of the Christmas crowd, but I am not willing to cut corners just for that.

That's pretty much it for now.

Thanks for having me.

Review of Tales of Lust, Despair, and Hate

Be sure to enter the raffle copter giveway at the bottom to win a copy of this book!

This is not a sunshine and roses book. It has no paranormal element to it or pages and pages of a romantic hero looking to ride off into the sunset. And none of that is a bad thing! I have to admit that I've been swamped with romance novels, historical fiction, and high fantasy books for review so I was really looking forward to something with a little more grit to it.

And boy, did I get that.

If you read my interview with Mr. Truman, you probably gathered that he is quite passionate in his beliefs. You can easily sense this in his writing as well. Tales of Lust, Despair, and Hate is a gritty, brutal novel that travels a dark path of self-discovery. Full of tough truths, this is the book that stays with you long after it's done.

Here’s the synopsis:

Samuel Lee has known three days of freedom in the last eighteen years. Three days to come out of prison, see his daughter, settle a score with the mother of his child and her dangerous new boyfriend. Finding shelter in the unlikely company of a group of prostitutes, Sam will have to challenge his friends, his family, and ultimately, himself.

Told in the tradition of the best literary noir, Tales of Lust, Hate and Despair is a modern, lowdown and gritty take on the genre. Inspired by the cinema of Akira Kurosawa and Samuel Fuller as well as the music of Tom Waits, Sage Francis, Neurosis and Marilyn Manson, it is a novel that is sure to please anyone who has ever found themselves trapped and cast aside from the world.

Cast aside from the world? Yeah. I would agree that is where we find Sam when the novel begins. He is  a man looking for answers and looking for his daughter. He tries to be peaceable, tries to mind his business and walk a straight path, but his internal struggle with himself does not make that easy. Oh, and then there's that little liquor problem he seems to have. He doesn't exactly make the best impression on people when he's been drinking. 

I had mixed feelings about Sam as a character. On the one hand, I liked him and wanted him to stop daydreaming about what he could do with his life and just do it! He often wanders into flights of fancy where he imagines himself living the good life or where things are perfect. Yet, he doesn't allow himself the opportunity to follow through with those thoughts and make them a reality. This was frustrating for me as a reader,and unfortunately, very true to life. There are so many people like Sam who think about how great their life could be, but yet do nothing to make it happen.  The author really had me here!

There is quite an eclectic group of characters within this story ranging from Alice (Sam's drugged up ex) to Josie who fits the prostitute with a heart of gold stereo type. I particularly liked how the story of the European client who beats the prostitutes unfolds.  I liked Mikey (the best friend) because I could feel his concern for Sam. So all in all, great character development!

There is a lot of backstory which guides the reader to the present day situations that are occurring.  While I think backstory is important, I did feel that at times it slowed the forward motion of the novel.  The descriptions of the city were vivid and painted a picture, but once that picture is painted, I want to move on. Occasionally, I felt like some of the setting stuff was taking away from the pace of the tale. I also loved the narrative style of the author, but there were times when the tense changed and some head hopping occurred.  I spotted quite a few typos and misspellings--not enough to make me stop reading, but enough to make me think the book needed one more pass with a line editor.  On the other hand, I was reading the Kindle version  and I always find more mistakes in that format.

I agree that there is a cinematic feel to this novel, and I would recommend  putting it on your reading list! I'm glad I got to read this one! Don't forget to enter the raffle for your free copy of this book!

Amazon code:

Ian Truman Online:

Website www.iantruman.wordpress.com

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/iantruman1982

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/IanTruman

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15726756-tales-of-lust-hate-and-despair

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dreamwalker by Andrea Heltsley--Review

Is there anything yummier than a nice paranormal romance on a hot summer afternoon? Sure it's already steamy outside, but isn't it fun when your imagination and a good book raise the temperature even more? Dreamwalker by Andrea Heltsley is the latest paranormal romance I've had the good fortune to read. It's part of an Innovative Online Book Tour (one of my favorite book groups!) and lucky me--I get to review it here at All Things Writing.

Here is the book synopsis from the cover:

Noel Kennedy lost her boyfriend, her job and he dignity all in one week. Then something happened and she began to dream of this stranger she had never met. She couldn’t resist the man of her dreams named Jared especially when she met him in real life. Entranced, she slowly unraveled a world she was meant to stay out of. Her life was not what she thought it was once a sexy Boone stepped into the mix and shook things up. Can she escape a life of servitude or immortality for a chance at love?

Let's begin with the book cover--nice. I like it! It captures the romantic, ethereal tone the author is going for!

When I first started the book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like the main character, Noel. See, she just got dumped and spends the first few chapters in a deep depression. It kind of had me worried. Was this going to be the trend for the whole story? Luckily, her best friend Autumn and a hottie tottie stranger called Jared help pull her out of her funk and get the story moving.

Jared is not only easy on the eyes, but he's special. Really special. As in he has powers that let him slip into your dreams and do…special things. Let's just say that he gets Noel's motor racing and helps her learn that she also has some extraordinary gifts that the bad guys are willing to capture her for.

And then there is Boone. Ah, empathetic, good looking Boone who also gets Noel hot and bothered. Once he enters the picture and we find out his back story, the plot starts to really unfold.

I think this book is full of interesting and well written characters. I especially like the best friend, Autumn, who evolves throughout the story. As stated early, I was worried about liking Noel, but she also goes through some changes that turn her into a strong person the reader cares about.

There were a few things about this book that bothered me. One was that the dialogue from time to time felt a little stilted, and occasionally the changes in point of view were tough for me to follow. I also was distracted by some typos and grammar issues such as too many dialogue tags or lots of ly adverbs that over describe situations. While I enjoyed this book, I think it could have benefited from one more round of editing.

All in all though, this is a hot paranormal romance to add to your reading list. After all, it's going to be a long, steamy summer!

Here are the buy links, as well as, more info on the author!

Amazon code:

Kindle

Paperbook

Andrea Heltsley Online:

Website http://www.andreaheltsley.blogspot.com/

Facebook http://www.facebook.com/AndreaHeltsley

Good reads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5766043.Andrea_Heltsley.

Review--Dead Meat by Chris and Patrick Williams

Brains….brains….I need brains…..mmmmm…..

Yeah. That's what I expected when I read Dead Meat by Chris and Patrick Williams.  I mean, c'mon. With a title like that, I figured the book would be all about zombies eating human flesh and walking around with no real destination in mind. Granted, there is some of that in this book, but there is so much more!

First of all, the word zombie isn't ever mentioned. Gavin, the narrator, can't deal with thinking of them as once being human, so he nicknames them bees. And they are kind of like that. These zombies sway and swarm together looking for a pattern to the world around them. Their world was once called River's Edge, a small town where rabies or "something" has become rampant. Though we never really find out what's up with that, it doesn't matter. River's Edge has a big problem with its residents eating each other and that's enough for Gavin and his new buddy, Benny, to try and leave town. Unfortunately, the government appears to have other plans for them and due to the "Exterminators" (soldiers at the edge of town who shoot both the living and the dead), their evacuation plan becomes harder than they imagined.

This is a gory book. It's graphic in its violence and though I consider myself pretty seasoned when it comes to reading about death, this had me shuddering from time to time. However, that being said, I would not say that this is your typical zombie story. It really isn't about working together as a team or defeating the military. It's about survival and how far you are willing to trust another human being. Benny and Gavin's relationship is a tenuous balance of power and allows growth in both characters. I went from hating Benny to really thinking he was pretty cool and the kind of guy I might want around at Doomsday. Gavin is our every man who has to deal with what's happening and then figure out who he really is--wimp or fighter?

I have to admit the ending did not make me happy. I sorta saw it coming, but I'm not a fan of first person narratives that end in this particular way. But that's just me and I won't spoil the outcome!

You can pick up your copy of Dead Meat at the following locations:

AMAZON DEAD MEAT

BARNES AND NOBLE

Covenant by CD Harper

As part of Innovative Online Book Tours, we are featuring CD Harper, a historical fiction writer with a long career as a writer. He also has a background in theatre which warms my soul! Learn more about this unique writer and read an excerpt from Covenant!

Author, CD Harper is pleased to announce his book, Covenant. This work is a historical fiction novel set during slavery and the Civil War and looks at the relationship of the slave master and his slave love. The story also delves into the impact of slavery, the war and the human impulse to love on lives of everyone on Covenant Plantation.  Covenant is told from the perspective of a slave. 

The Civil War provides a smoky background for this debut novel that delves into the uncomfortable friction that exists between the waning power of the Southern plantation culture and the emerging identities that lie beneath. The naive Seth Hunter Jr., whose existence has been mapped out for him by domineering patriarchs, finds himself forced to confront his life as pressures from the past and future force him from his pedestal. The divine nature of the American ideal of Manifest Destiny led earlier generations of Hunters from humble Northern beginnings to a precipice of Southern power embodied in Covenant Plantation, Seth Jr.'s inheritance. As the Civil War unseats the stability of the South, Seth's own life unravels. The estate, the lifestyle and the woman he was given all become harder to hang on to as he struggles to fulfill his destiny.

Website:   http://cdharperbooks.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CovenantBook

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorCDHarper

Enjoy these two excerpts from Covenant:

Seth Junior at his father's death bed...

He strained to hear Seth Senior. His daddy's voice once had boomed with presence and authority. That's the voice he wanted to hear and imitate, and the wisdom, strength and will power he needed.

"I ain't never had to think about nothing like that before, Daddy."

"Why not? Did I make it so easy? Was I so sure that Providence would always be there? Was I? My daddy, he never worried about me. He knew I was ready! Don't you mess with His stuff, you hear me, Seth Junior? Huh?" The old man's breath smelled of age, an indescribably dry odor, one that Seth Junior knew he would never smell again.

There was a long pause before he spoke again, opening and closing his eyes at a slow and deliberate rate breathing deeply, his chest heaving with each effort.  " You have to carry on stand in my place." 

Seth Junior breaks the news to Sandy...

Her response was so sudden, so quick that it startled both horses. Her horse bolted like a runaway, leaving Seth Junior standing in shock, trying to control his horse and holding the side of his face where Sandy had struck him with her riding crop. It took only a moment before he reined in his horse and felt the pain. Only then did he realize that in that brief moment, she had disappeared.

His first thought was to go after her, but her horse was as fast as his, perhaps faster. In an instant, he realized that maybe this was the best solution, her running off, and his allowing her to run off. Yet at the same moment came the realization that he couldn't bear the thought of being without her. If she left the plantation, his land, she would be just another nigger slave gal, beautiful and desirable and available. He gasped when he felt the words in his mind: another nigger slave gal. He had never thought of her in that way, and it disturbed him that he could with such ease.

Author Bio:

Dr. Clifford D. Harper is a respected theatrical executive producer and playwright. His written works include Curse and Neva's Tale. Neva's Tale was produced by Theresa Larkin, directed by Ted Lange, and earned actor Larry Gammell Jr. an NAACP Award and another from L.A. Weekly in 1993 for his supporting role.

A retired Professor of Theatre Arts and Dance at California State University, Los Angeles, Clif served as the Chair of the Department of Theatre Arts where he established the "Theatre of the Twenty-First Century" and revived the Dance Kaleidoscope program in the LA community. During his tenure, he became the founding Executive Director of the Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex, where he developed the world-renowned Luckman Jazz Orchestra. Dr. Harper's commitment to the arts was instrumental in facilitating the art retrospective: "African American Artists in Los Angeles, A Survey, Exhibition, 1945-2003."

 Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Clif taught for a year at Sangamon State University before moving on to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, where he served as Chair of the Black Studies Program and Dean of General Academic Programs. Dr. Harper received an undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois, a Master's in Theatre and Speech and became one of the first African Americans to earn a PhD. in English from St. Louis University

 Born and raised in a segregated neighborhood of East St. Louis, Illinois, Dr. Harper graduated and later returned to teach at his high school alma mater, Lincoln High. Dr. Harper found this experience to be significant and rewarding. During this time, he discovered his passion for theater and found inspiration in his students, many of whom went on to have gratifying careers.

Dr. Harper's many accomplishments have included: working with the renowned Katherine Dunham, receiving a Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship Award, earning one of the earliest Certificates in Black Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and starting a "Forgivable Loan" program for female PhD's at CSULA.

Clif and his lovely wife, Linda, have migrated north to the Oregon Coast, settling in the charming town of Gleneden Beach. Clif continues to write and is working on his next novel.

Rotter World--A review of Scott M. Baker's Latest Novel

Happy Mother's Day! Nothing says love like the gift of Zombies! Be sure to enter our giveaway! All you have to do is leave a comment and you'll be entered!

Rotter World…the title already conjures some strong images. The book contains some even stronger ones. Of course, that's to be expected in a tale about zombies, vampires, and the military. Now before you go thinking that this is another 28 Days, Resident Evil, or Walking Dead rip off, let me just set you straight. Sure, it has some of the same qualities, but I found that this book by Scott M. Baker managed to take on a life of its own and be a really interesting, if graphic, story about mankind's survival after a zombie apocalypse.

So let's get to it! Here is the synopsis from the book:

Eight months ago vampires released the Revenant Virus on humanity. Both species were nearly wiped out.

For Mike Robson, the situation could be far worse. He joined up with a small band of humans and the last coven of vampires who are riding out the zombie apocalypse in an old fort along the coast of southern Maine.

The group's uneasy alliance is strained by the arrival of the creator of the Revenant Virus. He claims there is a vaccine that will make them immune to the virus, but it's located in a secure underground facility five hundred miles away.

To retrieve the vaccine, Robson leads a raiding party of humans and vampires down the devastated East Coast. Yet none of the horrors Robson has faced match what awaits in the underground facility.

Yeah, I'm gonna agree. What waited in the facility was pretty bad and one of the reasons I love the cover of this book. It captures a moment that was riveting in the novel!

I think Mr. Baker did a great job of creating sympathetic characters that have gone through a lot. Robson, the protagonist, is especially well done. He's the everyman who's been beaten down my guilt over an incident that was really beyond his control. The camp relies on him, as does, Natalie who falls for him. Their relationship is sweet to watch and I found myself worried about what would happen to them in the end. By the way, Mr. Baker, great sex scene!

I like the vampire element in this book, too. The vamps are the bad guys who realize they've made a big mistake in releasing the zombie virus. It practically wipes out their entire race and causes them to join forces with the humans. Of course, not everyone is on board with this kind of alliance which just adds tension to the plot. O'Bannon is an awesome bad guy, and as a reader, you can't help but root for the zombies and hope they get him in the end.

My only complaint is that I wanted more. I got plenty, but I wanted to know what happened next. Did they get back to camp? Did everyone get vaccinated? Sequel, please!

If you can't tell, I highly recommend Rotter World by Scott M. Baker. Keep in mind it does contain some graphic violence and is not for the faint of heart! Pregnant women should consider reading it only if they want to give birth early. People with heart problems should probably take their pills first.

This is the Amazon buy link: ROTTER WORLD

 or if you are a Barnes and Noble Fan click here: ROTTER WORLD

Here is the author bio info!

Born and raised in Everett, Massachusetts (just outside of Boston), Scott M. Baker has spent the last twenty-two years living in northern Virginia.  He has authored several short stories, including the e-chapbook “Dead Water” by D’Ink Well Publications; “Rednecks Shouldn’t Play with Dead Things,” which appeared in the autumn 2008 edition of the e-zine Necrotic Tissue; “Cruise of the Living Dead,” which appeared in Living Dead Press’ Dead Worlds: Volume 3 anthology (August 2009); “Deck the Malls with Bowels of Holly,” which appeared in Living Dead Press‘ Christmas Is Dead anthology (October 2009); and “Denizens,” which appeared in Living Dead Press’ The Book of Horror anthology (March 2010). 

Scott’s first zombie novel, Rotter World, which details the struggle between humans and vampires during a zombie apocalypse, was released by Permuted Press in April 2012.  He has also authored The Vampire Hunters trilogy, which has been published by Pill Hill Press and received excellent reviews from Famous Monsters of Filmland and Fangoria, among others. Scott has finished his fifth novel, Yeitso, a homage to the monster movies of the 1950s set in northern New Mexico, which is currently with a publisher, and has begun his next novel, Hell Gates, the first in a series of young adult novels set in a world in which the realms of Hell and earth have merged. 

When he is not busy writing, Scott can either be found relaxing on his back deck with a good cigar and a cup of iced coffee, or doting on the four house rabbits that live with him.

Please visit the author’s website at http:\\scottmbakerauthor.blogspot.com.

Book Review--Better Off Dead by Danielle Blanchard

Better Off Dead

Book 2 in The Vamp Saga

I can never decide about vampire books--what do I really want out of my vamps? Should they be old school, traditional bloodsuckers that fear the sunlight or should they have evolved and found new ways to break out of the Dracula paradigm. It tends to be a fine line for me. Better Off Dead, book 2 in the The Vamp Saga by Danielle Blanchard takes the vampire mythos into new territory, causing the reader to ponder a whole new kind of bloodsucker.

Here is the synopsis straight from the book:

Welcome to Western Europe in 2020. The International Vampire Council are in the middle of intense negotiations with the Global Six when a mysterious plot is revealed to end Manon's life and thinly veiled lies Mikkel has told his wife will be exposed once and for all. Manon is sent into hiding with Emmerik as her protector while a deal can be negotiated to spare her life. As the clock ticks toward a catastrophic outbreak of new virus which seeks to destroy not only the Lycan population but millions of humans along with it, two ancient vampires return prematurely from their time in the ground, and their mood is less than receptive. What will happen? Who will live? Who will face betrayal? Who will die? Sometimes, the most devastating secrets are better off dead and buried. This novel is not YA friendly, contains plenty of snark, supernatural creatures included, but not limited to, vampires and Lycans, not to mention a few choice scenes of sex and death. It is not for the faint of heart.

At times it felt like I was reading an episode from that 80's TV show, Dynasty. So much drama! So much back stabbing! So much confusion! If Joan Collins had popped up as one of the undead, I would have been in nostalgia heaven. This is certainly the best dressed cast of vamps I've ever heard of, too. Each of them could be a contender during Fashion Week in their Yves St. Lauren outfits!

Blanchard has created a rich and complex vision full of lush prose and interesting new ideas about vampires. I really like the virus idea and thought she gave it a new twist since the vamps intentions are to wipe out other supernatural beings. However, I found it hard to navigate through Blanchard's world even with the help of her character appendix. While the characters are interesting and certainly appealing to the reader, at times it was difficult to keep the names of the vamps and their various genealogies straight. Unfortunately, that presents a problem as so much of the plot relies on the reader understanding the past relationships these vampires have had and how their prior actions continue to affect the dealings of the present.

I also felt that the main character, Manon, was difficult to root for. She's married to Mikkel, a sexy vamp with a secret agenda, but sleeping with his son, Emmerik who despises his father.  She claims to love both and can't make up her mind which one her destiny lies with. Sometimes her debates with herself about whether or not she was doing the right thing slowed down the story, and that's too bad.  If you don't relate or feel empathy for your heroine, it's hard to stay interested.  Personally, I would have picked the son, Emmerik.

Perhaps part of my problem with this book is that it is book 2. Not having read book 1, I really felt like I'd missed a great deal of the action. A strong sequel should have enough info in it for the reader to understand what has occurred prior and still feel like they are seeing a new story. I never really got there with this book.

I gotta say though that I loved some of Manon's thoughts. Here's my favorite: "I surely didn't want my blood tears to make me look like I had been bitch slapped with tampons by a gang of menstruating women."

Now that's just funny stuff!

Overall, I think if you've read book one in this series, Death Wish, you'll have an easy time with Better Off Dead. I think this author has much to offer and I'd like to read more of her work!