Obvious Child by Warren Cantrell

Published By The Writer's Coffee Shop

Available from TWCS, Amazon, B&N, iTunes and Kobo - April 3rd, 2014

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My Thoughts:

Obvious Child by Warren Cantrell is a strange story to describe, it's part sci-fi, part modern culture, and part drama. 

The sci-fi is easy to explore as the tale begins with the first successful time travel experiment being broadcast on YouTube. Of course YouTube is hardly a private medium, so it is not long before the discovery goes viral and the Government is forced to decide on the best use of the technology through a very public forum. Enter the modern culture aspect... Reality TV and the Global Financial Crisis.

How do you chose the first suitable candidate to travel through time in today's society? More importantly in today's insecure financial climate, how do you fund such a project? Well... you invite applicants to submit an application along with an entry fee, you choose a select few to compete against each other and have the public vote. A simple enough premise with the obvious elevated drama that accompanies such programs. 

But the real drama, the real depth to this novel centres around the main character Sam Grant, who goes from being a loveable larrikin to being a perfect scoundrel, before he finally chooses a more honourable path. I love stories where a character can grow and change, and come out a better person in the end.

My main criticism with this book is the author may have taken the degeneration of our Hero a little too far over to the dark side. It's a tricky to balance to maintain and in the end his redemption was proportionate, so I guess that the tension created by Sam's shenanigan's was justified. 

My Rating:

❀❀❀

Disclaimer

I obtained an ARC from the publisher (via Netgalley) with a view to providing an honest review. The thoughts expressed above, are entirely my own. I don’t really like the concept of rating novels as they are subjective and subject to change. A five star book today, may be re-evaluated when compared to future novels.

The Summary:

Sam Grant doesn’t want to be famous, but he doesn’t have much of a say in the matter.

On the verge of graduating from college with his master’s in History, Sam and the rest of the world bear witness to the invention of time travel. Revealed via a YouTube broadcast, the brothers responsible for inventing time travel find their remarkable device coopted by the U.S. government. In a magnanimous gesture, the U.S. government holds a worldwide competition to decide who will be the first time traveler in history. This turns Sam’s world upside down after a half-baked joke application he sends in gets him accepted as a contestant for consideration.

Thrust into a political and media blender set to puree, Sam and his fellow contestants vie for the affections of a worldwide audience who will vote on the eventual winner. As the successive rounds of the contest pass by, and Sam tries everything from indifference to wild irreverence to get himself voted out of the competition, he finds that all his actions only serve to make him more popular.

As the contest goes on, Sam and the time travel project become more of a referendum on our society’s fascination with celebrity disasters, and what they will do to make sure the entertainment doesn’t stop anytime soon. Unable to get out of the contest via logical means, Sam learns to embrace the perks sudden celebrity provides, yet also suffers some of its typical consequences.

Stuck between two worlds—one he can’t handle, and another he can’t control—Sam finds himself considering a third option, one that has him confronting a time traveling reality that terrifies him to his very core.

The Author:

Warren Cantrell is a film and music critic based out of Seattle, Washington. One of the few surviving journalists of the Gonzo school, Mr. Cantrell’s work has appeared in such publications as Lost in Reviews and Scene-Stealers.

A classically trained scholar with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in History, Mr. Cantrell has spent the majority of his time since graduation writing novels and paying off his student loans. Working as a critic and an on-the-ground correspondent, Mr. Cantrell has covered the Seattle International and Sundance Film Festivals and has had the pleasure of interviewing people ranging from Sissy Spacek to Joss Whedon.

As an established film and music critic, Mr. Cantrell finds that it is best to keep his political views private, except to say that he feels Greedo definitely did not shoot first and that The Misfits ceased to exist the moment Danzig left the band.

A life-long Arizona Diamondbacks, Cardinals, and Phoenix Suns fan, Mr. Cantrell enjoys fast cars, Italian opera, Norwegian cinema, Kentucky bourbon, and Motörhead concerts.

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Honor Among Orcs by Amalia Dillin

Beauty must save the BEAST...

Honor Among Orcs

by Amalia Dillin  

Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Available from: Barnes & Noble, Amazon
Series: Orc Saga, Book One
Genre: New Adult Fantasy/ Romantic Fantasy 
Blast Page: Masquerade Tours

After nearly a decade as the king’s whipping-girl, Princess Arianna has no intention of going quietly into marriage to some treasonous noble, or serving obediently as the king’s spy until her death is more convenient. When she discovers a handsome orc, chained and trapped inside a magic mirror, Arianna cannot help but see a lasting freedom from her father's abuse.

Left to rot inside a mirror by the king, Bolthorn never imagined his prayers would be answered by a princess. Nor did he ever expect to meet so worthy a woman after knowing her father’s cruelty. He needs her help to escape the mirror before the king marches against the orcs, but all he can offer Arianna is ice and darkness in exchange for her aid. 

If Arianna can free the monster behind the glass, perhaps she might free herself, as well. But once they cross the mountain, there will be no return, and the deadly winter is the least of what threatens them on the other side. Romance blossoms in this gripping fantasy adventure.

About the Author

Amalia Dillin began as a Biology major before taking Latin and falling in love with old heroes and older gods. After that, she couldn't stop writing about them, with the occasional break for more contemporary subjects. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, and dreams of the day when she will own goats--to pull her chariot through the sky, of course. 

Amalia is the author of the Fate of the Gods trilogy from World Weaver Press, and the soon to be released Orc Saga, coming April 1, 2014. You can learn more about her work at www.amaliadillin.com

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Sapphire Blue by G. Doucette

"WARNING: DARK THEMES, EXPLICIT CONTENT"

Published by http://ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/books 

My Thoughts:

Wow... Sapphire Blue by G. Doucette certainly goes off on an unexpected tangent. 

Have you ever dreamed of a looming catastrophe, where you are just an ordinary bystander watching the drama unfold around you? Imagine a train comes careening, too fast around a corner; you see the engine derail, leaving the tracks speeding to a place no train should go. Transfixed you watch, knowing disaster is coming. Knowing you have no hope of stopping the carriages with your bare hands and your shrill, panicked voice. And knowing all this, you still you cry out a warning and reach out in vain with arms that even if close enough would be able to push the barreling locomotive back on its course.

Sapphire Blue is like that. Argent is the train steadily loosing control; Mara is a passenger with no real inkling of her pending doom, and you the reader are the forever traumatised witness wishing desperately to push them both back on a course, towards something true and maybe a little safer.

Poor, poor Mara. Her life was so well ordered before the advent of Argent. At first, like so many relationships where a good girl meets a bad boy, the sex is all heat, excitement and raw passion. However Argent isn’t the hero of this tale, he’s not going mend his ways and become the man of Mara’s dreams. He is a sick @$&* with some supernatural shit in his corner, and Mara is the catalyst... the conductive material for a sexual experiment.

This book crosses into dark themes and scenes and the reader should be prepared.

For myself, I enjoyed the story. Yes, even the darkness and the controversy - though it did make me uncomfortable. Possession as a means of sexual exploitation is not a new concept in fiction. Dean Koontz has delved near to this topic on at least two occasions, using hypnotherapy in False Memory and chemical mind control in Night Chills. I would love to discuss this in a bookclub group one day. It would be interesting to analyse / philosophise / debate the difference between the act of giving consent, and supernatural possession creating the illusion of consent. 

Read this book and tell me who is the victim and who is the perpetrator, in all the many situations where you can find such identities. It won’t be as simple as you think. 

My Rating:

❀❀❀❀

Disclaimer:

I obtained an ARC from the publisher (via Netgalley) with a view to providing an honest review. The thoughts expressed above, are entirely my own. I don’t like the concept of rating novels as they are subjective to the moment. A five star book today, may be re-evaluated when compared to future novels.

The Summary:

Mara Cantor’s life is boring and uncomplicated, and she likes it that way. She has her internship at the museum—a job she shares with her roommate, Davis—and while it is low-paying and occasionally mind-numbing, it gives her all the free time she needs to finish her thesis. And that is just fine.

But when Argent Leeds, the internationally famous playboy and raconteur, visits Mara’s museum, he brings with him the most exciting archeological discovery in decades: the Pazuzu gemstones. Long assumed to be nothing more than a myth by most scholars, the gemstones are rumored to possess mystical powers.

Between Argent, his gemstones, and Davis, Mara’s boring life has suddenly gotten very complicated. Now she is caught up in a sexual adventure that is either the most exciting time of her life . . . or the most terrifying.

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Available From:

The Writer's Coffee Shop, Amazon, B&N, iTunes, Kobo

About the Author:

Gene Doucette is an award-winning screenwriter, novelist, playwright, humorist, essayist, father, husband, cyclist, dog owner – and a few other things, too. He is, in other words, a writer. A graduate of Boston College, he lives in Cambridge, MA with his family.

Sapphire Blue is Doucette’s first foray into the erotica genre, and will be available for purchase in both paperback and e-book formats on February 27, 2014.

Connect with G. Doucette:

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Other books by Gene Doucette

 

Andromeda's Fall by Abigail Owen

Andromeda's Fall

by Abigail Owen 

Designed by: Regina Wamba from Mae I Design
Publication Date: February 25, 2014
Series: Shadowcat Nation, Book One
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance (18+)

Andie Reynolds is being hunted. After witnessing her mother's violent death at the hands of a pack of wolf shifters, Andie has devoted her life to protecting her community of cougar shifters from a similar fate. But now, a greater threat lies within her own dare, and she must run. If she stays, Kyle Carstairs will try to force their Mating, seeking the added power their union would provide.

Andie would rather chew off her own foot than end up with Kyle. Though, knowing him, she won't live long either way. Andie's only hope of survival is to Mate the Alpha of the Keller Dare with which she is seeking asylum. But before she can get to him, Andie must first go through A.J., one of the Alpha's Protectors. The incredibly frustrating shifter insists on challenging her story, her skills, her trust… and her heart.

Andie is running out of options and out of time. But risking the life of someone she loves - just to save herself - goes against every instinct she has.

MY THOUGHTS

There is nothing better that good morphing artwork! The successful blending of the two figures in the cover of Andromeda's Fall is nothing short of astounding. I also love the shadowed areas which serve two purposes; 1) to highlight the features of the main character 2) to hide the more personal areas of her body, giving the viewer a hint of her form without revealing anything… very sexy!

The red patterned border on the right side is unusual and creates a visual tension that is well executed, especially when offset by the minimalist inking in it's complimentary green on the left. About the only issue I have with this cover is the position of the arm and the bright white triangle of light it leaves against the ladies cheek… but otherwise its perfect.

EXCERPT

Andie crouched low, obscured from view in the underbrush, and watched the compound with a quiet patience born of experience. If her calculations were correct, the next patrol of guards would pass by within the minute. Her posture and expression didn’t shift an inch when, moments later, she was proven correct. As soon as the patrol passed out of sight, Andie moved, swift and silent as a shadow. She sprinted across the well-cut lawn, ignoring the pain radiating throughout her body, and was up and over the wall, using her momentum and the corners formed by a turn in the wall surrounding the installation. She dropped to the ground on the other side with a barely audible thud.

Andie found herself on the back side of a well-manicured garden. She stayed completely still, crouched low to the ground once more, and took her time observing her location. Ahead, about the length of a football field, she could see light from the main building in the complex. The glow spilled from a pair of glass doors and across the trees and plants, creating patches of dark and light.

A plan in mind, Andie moved again, using the pools of darkness and groupings of plants for cover. She didn’t go for the doors. They were too obvious and were likely wired for the alarm system and required some kind of code to get in and out. But on the second floor, one of the windows was wide open, allowing the cool nighttime breeze in. With agile grace, Andie swung herself up into the branches of a large tree. She took care to only use her right arm, which slowed her down a bit. As quickly as she could without rustling the leaves, she made her way up to the branch closest to that open window. And she stopped again. And observed.

Andie didn’t move for close to thirty minutes as she watched. And then, without any warning, she leapt, putting all the power of her feline form into the action. She didn’t shift exactly - she was trying to avoid that right now since it would be seen as a direct threat - but she used the might of the beast inside her to clear the distance to the window. She sailed through the opening and immediately tucked and rolled as she hit the ground. She found her feet and returned to her crouch.

Using her cat’s hearing, she waited. Someone might have heard the sound of her landing. Her injured left arm was messing with her usual finesse. At the same time as she listened, she also turned in a slow circle, checking that room she was in was empty. Many minutes later, satisfied that she was alone and that no one was coming for her… yet… Andie moved to the door of the room she currently occupied. Cracking it open a hair, she looked down the hallway.

She tensed to open the door all the way and then froze in place when a deep, male voice sounded from directly behind her, “Stop where you are.”

Dammit, Andie thought. How the hell did he find me?

About the Author

Award-winning author, Abigail Owen was born in Greeley, Colorado and raised in Austin, Texas. She now resides in Northern California with her husband and two adorable children who are the center of her universe. 

Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by obtaining a degree in English Rhetoric/Technical Writing. However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.

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Norah by Cynthia G Neale

Fireship Press Virtual Tours

My Thoughts

I have to start by saying that this book and the author has great potential. For the most part the writing is sound and the flow of description is both easy and real.

The Pros: A great Heroine, someone both timid and fearless... and a little bit fickle, but always a woman! Norah is not afraid to venture beyond the norm,  e.g. she’s opens a dress shop by taking advantage of the various charitable ladies who try to help the painted ladies. Her scheme is diabolical, and could hardly be considered noble, but it is her first step in getting ahead

The Cons: The story takes a while to really get going. A lot happens, it’s not like it’s boring, but there is so much going on that I really felt it could have been streamlined, to get the pacing moving, at a much more page turning speed. 

My Rating

❀❀❀

Disclaimer

I obtained an ARC with a view to providing an honest review. The thoughts expressed above, are entirely my own. I don’t really like the concept of rating novels as they are subjective and subject to change. A five star book today, may be re-evaluated when compared to future novels.

Norah: The Making of an Irish-American Woman in 19^th-Century New York by Cynthia Neale

Once she was a child of hunger, but now Norah McCabe is a woman with courage, passion, and reckless dreams. Her story is one of survival, intrigue, and love. This Irish immigrant woman cannot be narrowly defined! She dons Paris fashion and opens a used-clothing store, is attacked by a vicious police commissioner, joins a movement to free Ireland, and attends a National Women's Rights Convention. And love comes to her slowly one night on a dark street, ensnared by the great Mr. Murray, essayist and gang leader extraordinaire. Norah is the story of a woman who confronts prejudice, violence, and greed in a city that mystifies and helps to mold her into becoming an Irish-American woman.

Author Bio of Cynthia Neale:

Cynthia Neale is an American with Irish ancestry and a native of the Finger Lakes region in New York. She now resides in Hampstead, New Hampshire. She has long possessed a deep interest in the tragedies and triumphs of the Irish during the Potato Famine or “The Great Hunger.” She is a graduate of Vermont College in Montpelier, VT, with a B.A. degree in Literature and Creative Writing. Norah is her first historical novel for adult readers. She is also the author of two young adult novels, The Irish Dresser, A Story of Hope during The Great Hunger (An Gorta Mor, 1845-1850) and Hope in New York City, The Continuing Story of The Irish Dresser. Her forthcoming book, Pavlova in a Hat Box, is a collection of essays and dessert recipes. She is currently researching and writing a sequel to Norah, as well as a novel about Queen Catharine, a Native American of New York whose village was destroyed by General John Sullivan in 1779.

Goodbye Nothing by Beck Sherman

My Thoughts 

This was one of those books that prove blog posts work. I honestly can’t remember what I was actually looking at the day I discovered Goodbye Nothing but I was researching a different book entirely when I came across a reviewer that had featured this novel as well as the one I was investigating.

The cover is simple, nothing exceptional, though it’s use of solid green blocking is rare. The image was dominated by a large font and the title is split into syllables not words. I guess when you’re describing Nothing then going minimalistic is probably the best course. Anyway, despite being nondescript, the cover grabbed my attention and I moved on to read the summary... and then the blogger’s review (I wish I tagged the page as it would be nice to give the blogger kudos).

The summary reminded me of Dean Koontz and his style of stories, the review confirmed this aspect and I was sold. I bought the ebook...  I wanted this book right away and I was going to read it. Once I started I couldn’t stop; which is awesome when you’ve got all the time in the world, but not so great when you have to work.

Goodbye Nothing is almost like a supernatural disease, it details two people who are ensconced in their own feelings of emptiness (though they were not always this way) and they instigate violence as a way of obtaining a high. They become desiccated shells of the humans they were, they denounce their former lives and choose a path of menace, mayhem and destruction... and occasionally “it” spreads - whatever “it” is. (This is not an accurate description but it’s the best I can give you - read the book)

I’m undecided as to whether the violence spawning internal void spreads as a result of contact with the perpetrator or due to the premature departure of a soul that freaks out and seeks a more viable host. But these questions do not detract from the story, they are more a philosophical debate after the fact. 

A lot of the nastiness is described in an abstract way, so I think most people would be able to read this and cope with the heinous nature of the tale. There is however one event that will leave you gasping. I had to put the book down for awhile and walk away to breathe clean air and I guess to grieve a little bit. What is especially profound is the way Beck Sherman describes the transformation of Cain Emmerick. His commitment to the emptiness is sudden, complete, irreversible and oh so devastating.

***Small tangent. I remember hearing about the Port Arthur Massacre and being unable to comprehend how anyone can kill 35 people including children in cold blood. Not long afterwards I was in a discussion with a church minister regarding the concept of redemption. The minister stated that redemption was more than being sorry, it was taking responsibility, owning your actions and bearing the weight of them. The conversation came about when we were analysing how we would feel if God was to forgive to such a person (in this case the Port Arthur Gunman). I said I was fine with that, because if that person  truly wanted to atone for his crimes, he would have had to take on the burden of his actions. He would have to taste the fear they felt as they watched others die, he would have to smell the stick of their sheer terror, for himself. He would also have to should and embrace the grief of the families left beyond and the despair of an entire nation in mourning. Such ownership would surely not allow a person to forgive themselves.

 *** back to my review... Goodbye Nothing had the perfect ending. Forgiveness is  the hardest to obtain from one’s own self. There is no forgiveness here, only the realisation of what has been done and the true understanding that there are somethings you can’t take it back, no matter how much you might want to.

Loved it, and the after taste.

My Rating

❀❀❀❀+

Disclaimer

This review is totally unsolicited. I bought the story and chose to review it. The opinions expressed are my own. I don’t really like the concept of rating novels as they are subjective and subject to change. A five star book today, may be re-evaluated when compared to future novels.

The Summary

A New Adult Horror Novel

Since the night of the accident, Cain Emmerick has felt different. Empty. What was important to him—family, friends, his job—doesn't matter anymore. His new life revolves around that Nothing inside of him and the extraordinary highs he gets from committing random acts of violence. 

Seventeen-year-old Joey Morgan is blind, but that doesn't stop her from seeing. Something bad is about to happen. Something that could tear her world apart. For Joey, college life isn't quite turning out like she planned, because before good grades, fitting in, and love, comes survival

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Cover Reveal "Hero, Cursed" by Diantha Jones

Before he knew the Oracle...

Before he knew the Quad...

Before the Great Unknown threatened his world...

He was a hero, cursed forever.

Cover Designed by: Colin F. Barnes

Publication Date: March 18, 2014

Genre: YA Mythology

Series: Mythos: Stories from Olympus #2/Oracle of Delphi #3.5

My Thoughts

The first thing that strikes me about this cover is the art work. I love it when a clever artist creates something interesting to look at. This cover is not your quick glance and move on type of cover. I am fascinated by the bird of prey and where it sits on the hero's torso, the curve of its head and neck taking the same line as the shoulder, the large part of its face perfectly ensconced in one beautifully defined pectoral muscle, its beak crossing the centre chest at just the right spot to add to its definition. Nothing about the bird detracts from the hero's form at all. Beautiful!

The font and the tones used are also suited to the cover and the images within. There is an element of heat alluded to in the golden glow of our hero and the rich browns of the bird. Earthy and Primal. The font though bendy and almost cursive has hard protruding edges that add to the rough and raw nature, whilst its crisp colour and outline give it prominence in the overall arrangement.

*WARNING* To be read after Prophecy of Solstice's End (Oracle of Delphi #3). 

Contains MAJOR spoilers!

Shunned by a family that doesn't understand him, demigod Lenka Tahile aka "Swindle" is a complete loner and he likes it that way. Then he meets the hero, Ace Remedy, the brother of an infamous demigod Prince, and his life goes from bad to worse. Ace is loud, rude, and disruptive to his peaceful existence in every way. He's also hilarious and daring, and Swindle ends up finding a friend just when he thought he'd never have another.

But little does he know, becoming friends with Ace was all part of the Fates' plan. Now his past is slowly coming back to haunt him and there's nothing he can do to stop it. Nothing but try not to bring to light the lost love, the failed hopes, and the cursed existence that he would kill to keep in the dark.

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Five Facts about Hero, Cursed

1. Lenka Tahile is a South African name. The MC was born in South Africa.

2. "Swindle" is Lenka's celestial name. He is a son of Hermes. Figure it out.

3. The hawk on the cover is not a tattoo. His name is Bill and he's Swindle's Fauna Morph, an animal that morphs into a weapon on command.

4. Though it isn't showcased on the cover, Swindle has extremely curly hair. Out of control, I tell you.

5. Just like Solar, Defeated, this novella switches back and forth between the present and the past, and reveals what life was like for Swindle before the Oracle of Delphi came along.

Mythos: Stories from Olympus #1

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Diantha Jones was born the day thousands of turkeys sacrificed their lives to fill millions of American bellies on November 22 which also happened to be Thanksgiving Day (Her mother says she owes her a turkey). She is a Journalism graduate who wants to be a career novelist (of books, not Facebook posts). When not writing or working, she is reading on her Nook, being hypnotized by Netflix or on a mission to procure french fries.

The Oracle of Delphi fantasy series is her first series. She is also the author of Mythos: Stories from Olympus, a companion series, and there is another fantasy series in the works. She also writes (new) adult fantasy/paranormal romance under the name A. Star. Invasion (An Alien Romance) is her first title released under this pen name. Future releases under A. Star include, Mythos: Gods and Lovers series, the Love & Steampunk series, the Purr, Inc. stories, and more.

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