highly recommended

Shadow of the Templar: The Morning Star by M. Chandler

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Shadow of the Templar: The Morning Star by M. Chandler
 
Blurb:
Simon Drake is an up-and-coming young FBI hotshot, an agent with a personal track record so outstanding that it borders on unbelievable. Not yet thirty, he’s already the leader of his own special ops team; a ragtag bunch of talented but nigh-uncontrollable lunatics, it’s true, but under Simon’s inspired leadership they’re a force to be reckoned with, a team with an unparalleled success rate, a team with an almost unblemished record–until now.

Jeremy Archer is the brilliant and unpredictable scion of a long line of international art thieves, simultaneously a phenomenally wealthy English socialite and one of the most infamous criminals in the world. At twenty-seven years old he’s already wanted on nearly every continent for thefts totalling more than ninety-one million dollars, and yet no one has ever come close to catching him–until now.

Now?

May the best man win.

 

 

Review: 

The Morning Star is the first in a series of four books staring the same characters. The above blurb is somewhat vague and deals more with the series as a whole than any individual book’s plot. For this first offering, the introduction to the characters and fast paced action plot makes this book an absolute delight. The witty dialogue and laugh out loud antics have the story flying by way too fast and I’m surprised this is offered as a free read or pay for self published PDF. The characters are fabulous and although none have much depth, their entertainment factor is so high it won’t matter. The story is high on the improbability ranking and there are some technical problems, but really none of these mistakes matter. For those readers who love a quirky, delightful spy-ish novel, you’ll clamor for more once you’ve finish this introduction.

The story opens with Simon’s FBI team handling a high profile, wealthy cocktail party. The team is charged with keeping an eight million dollar diamond – owned by socialites the Mornings – safe from a known thief, Jeremy Archer. When said thief shows up but manages to snag the diamond out from under Simon’s talented crew, Simon is enraged. Yet the thief offers a deal, he’ll return the diamond for money. Unfortunately, not everything is as easy as that and Simon, Archer, and the entire team must work together to stop a terrorist plot.

Well as you may have guessed from the summary, the plot itself is classic spy movie implausible. To get the qualms out of the way first, Simon’s high tech FBI team doesn’t act like an FBI group at all and is better suited to being placed as a highly secret government agency. The FBI portion is completely unrealistic, yet putting that aside, it shouldn’t bother readers so much once you’ve accepted this and moved on. It’s as outrageous as the plot but the journey is well worth indulging. The action is incredibly fast paced, a vague homage to Bond/007 movies, and thoroughly delightful. From the opening scene to the last, the pace never lags and never lets up, which is a considerable feat considering the impressive dialogue, characters, and plot all packed within a mere 135 pages.

The characters are many and tend to blend together unfortunately. Simon’s team is called Team Templar after Simon’s code name, Templar. His team consists of 5 people whose names and codenames mix together and offer little in the way of individualizing their personalities. These five members – Rich (Specs Two), Nate (Specs), Mike (Honda), Johnny (Texas), Sandra (Springheal) – are all wonderful, adding great depth and texture to the story. As the author clearly adores these characters, I did as well but I wish there had been more depth and individuality to the various members so it would be easier to tell them apart. It would be nice to like each character versus just the group dynamic.

The group dynamic however is witty, hilarious, and often the backbone of many of the great scenes. Although Simon is a strong classic character and his chemistry with the polished, urbane thief Archer is fabulous, the strength is really in the overall dynamic of the many characters and their interaction together. This fun loving, intelligent and often immature group will keep readers interested and engaged from the start. Here are a few examples of the dialogue between the team members:

 

“And there you are,” Nate said in Simon’s ear. “We’ve got you on camera ten. Adjust your bowtie if you can hear me.” Simon touched his fingers to his tie. “Good. Great. Springheel, look to your left.” Sandra glanced left and smiled.

“Great. Looks like you’re both still in touch.”

“Bring me back some of those little shrimp things,” Rich added.

“There are shrimp things?” Mike said, plaintively. “I’m down here staring at wallpaper and missing shrimp things?”

“Sure are,” Rich said as Simon and Sandra headed into the room. “Looks like there are cheese things, too. Oh, and curly vegetable things. At least, I think those are vegetables.”

“Oh, and your favorite, Honda: booze things!” Nate said.

“Booze things?!” Mike’s voice went from ‘plaintive’ to ‘incredulous’. “Man, I wanna switch jobs with someone. Hey, Springheel, you come down here and guard the door and I’ll be Templar’s date for the evening." 

“Gack . . . unwanted . . . mental image . . . killing brain cells . . . ” Nate croaked.

Rich snorted. “You’d look ridiculous in that gold dress, Honda.” Nate moaned in Simon’s ear in what sounded like real pain.

“Shut up, Specs Two,” Mike said affably. “You shrimp thing, you.”

[…]

 

“You speak Klingon,” Rich pointed out.

“Not any more!” Nate flushed a little. “I mean, come on, that was in college, it was a long time ago . . . ”

Rich snorted. “Verengan Ha’DIbaH!”

“Mu’qaD!” Nate automatically snapped, then yelped and pointed a shaking finger at Rich. “Oh, you jerk, and you were making fun of me for speaking Klingon!”

“I am seriously becoming geekier just by sitting here,” Mike informed Sandra.

“I think my dick is shrinking.”

“Mine too,” Sandra said.

“Mine’s good,” Johnny said, patting it affectionately.

  

This kind of banter is repeated often throughout the story but never overwhelming or annoying. The father of it all is rough talking, hard hitting Simon who corals everyone and takes no prisoners. His sexuality is a bit questionable as Sandra is his ex-girlfriend and there is little inclination that Simon is gay except an encounter with Archer late in the story. So I can’t wait to find out if Simon is gay, bi-sexual, straight, or gay for thief? Archer’s polished, oh so British personality has a wealth of possibilities and since no background information is offered towards any of the characters or their personalities, I can only assume more will come in future stories. Thus while the characters aren’t fully three dimensional, their entertainment factor is high enough to excuse this point.

As a first book in a series, Morning Star completely delivers. Entertaining, dynamic, engaging, interesting, and composed of fascinating characters all wrapped up in a plot that may be outrageous yet tries hard to stay within reality as much as possible. The Bond feel only enhances the story and the writing is rather slick. For a self published story, the editing is much higher than a lot of recent books I’ve paid, even with the few errors I found, so I’d suggest buying the PDF version and supporting a great new voice. There is no explicit erotica but that doesn’t diminish the latent sensuality between Archer and Simon. Check this out, you won’t be disappointed. 

Get it HERE!

 

Taming Groomzilla by E.N. Holland

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Taming Groomzilla by E.N. Holland

 

Blurb:

Joel Harfner and Luke Townsend, lovers for two years, have just bought their first home together in Scarborough, Maine. In a moment of domestic impetuosity, Joel proposes to Luke, who says yes. Then, to Joel’s surprise, Luke says he wants a wedding with “all the bells and whistles.” Joel, who never expected to be married, suddenly finds himself in the midst of planning a full-scale destination event to be held in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Why Massachusetts? As Joel says, "We can’t get married in Maine — yet — but we are ever hopeful."

Taming Groomzilla tells the story of how Joel and Luke navigate the tribulations of the six months from “Will you marry me?” to “I do.” And while they do seal their union, complete with a kiss, there is more than one twist and turn in store to complicate their journey and keep the reader hilariously entertained. A portion of the profits from the sale of this book will be donated to Maine Freedom to Marry and EqualityMaine, organizations that are fighting to keep same-sex marriage legal in Maine.

 


Review:

A delightful, entertaining story about a very happy gay couple that turns into funny but crazy grooms when planning their wedding. Joel and Luke are moving into their first house together and on the spur of the moment, Joel proposes. Although the proposal starts offhand, the emotion and sentiment involved is very true. Luke wants a real wedding with all the trimmings and soon Joel is overwhelmed with clothing choices (kilts?!), cakes (who knew they were so expensive!), venues (six months, are you nuts??) and through it all, Joel struggles to remember why they’re doing this in the first place. Thankfully the committed couple has enough time together to solidify what is important to them.

This story is wonderfully written with great characterization and often poignant moments of emotion mixed with hilarious planning antics. As an introductory novella from a new author, this shorter story is a true gem. The characters are fully realized and developed. Joel is the first person narrator and has a fun, witty voice as a stereotypical gay hairdresser that is anything but predictable. Both Joel and Luke get caught up in wedding plans and gift registry, injecting a lot of humor and sympathy into the narrative. The fag hag attendants are a perfect touch, especially as Joel stresses over his recent hag-less state.

The occasional overwhelming details of planning a wedding are offset by the solid relationship between the two men. Their love is clearly shown in various small details and gestures. Even without any explicit sex scenes included, the suggestion of a vigorous and satisfying sex life is obvious. Here the author is able to please fans without lengthy graphic scenes by adding tantalizing phrases such as:

“That night we made love and it was hard and fast and more intense and passionate than it had been in awhile—and I loved it. He pounded my ass into the mattress.”

Often the importance of gay marriage is highlighted in subtle but poignant moments. Most especially is a conversation between Joel and his mother. It’s too long to include in its entirety but the emotion is touching and moving. Without needing to preach or argue, the simple truth of the issue is stirringly depicted. Here is only a short excerpt but portrays the sentiment of the scene:

“But there’s another group of people who… while they might not approve, won’t actively fight to prevent you getting married. They ‘tolerate’ you… go ahead and get married, but do it privately and quietly. Don’t put wedding announcements in the paper, don’t have a big, splashy ceremony… and I think those people are just as wrong. Joel, you are my son, and I love you. You are not someone to be ‘tolerated.’”

Fans of the genre will enjoy the story and laugh, perhaps even cry, along with the characters as they plan what they thought would be a simple affair. The clean writing, evocative emotion and creative imagination all deliver a thoroughly engaging and delightful story. The ending is romantic, sweet, and very fitting as life and love is more important than any particular event. For only 60 pages, this story has few missteps, with crisp, clean prose and brings a fresh, entertaining voice to the narrator. You’ll definitely want to pick up a copy. 

Get it HERE!

 

Masks: Evolution by Hayden Thorne

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Masks: Evolution by Hayden Thorne


Blurb:

While his friends continue to develop their newfound powers, Eric begins to feel the effects of being the odd man out. Around him, things go from bad to worse for Vintage City as the Shadow Puppet, a new super-villain, steps into the Devil’s Trill’s shoes and wreaks havoc with his army of killer mannequins. Magnifiman, Calais, and Spirit Wire have their hands full, with the Puppet proving to be much more slippery than the Trill and leaving the good guys scrambling for clues. Work-related stress begins to creep into Eric’s relationship with Peter, which reaches the breaking point when Peter takes a new superhero under his wing, a fire-wielding teenage girl, whose awesome powers could make her a better match for Peter.

To make matters worse, there are the strange headaches, sleepwalking, and nightmares that haunt Eric, as well as the Devil’s Trill’s call for him to take his place as a super-villain sidekick. There’s also Brenda Whitaker, her mysterious past, and her sudden desire to help Eric as he struggles to figure himself out and make the right choice before his parents ask him again about his awful Geometry and Chemistry grades. Can Eric handle the stress? Find out in this second book of the Masks trilogy.

Review:

In the second installment of the Masks series, Eric’s stress level is reaching new heights. He’s worried about his perpetually broke financial state, his problematic relationship with Peter, the new villain taking his friends’ time and the fact that no matter what he can’t seem to raise his grades in certain subjects. Convinced his headaches are the physical manifestation of all his stress, Eric struggles with inferiority and emotional outbursts as the normal one out. Although Peter tells Eric he loves him, the busy life of a superhero keeps Peter away and often edgy. When a new hero emerges and seems to have a deep connection with Peter, Eric’s insecurities and fears reach new heights.

The first book in the series is very light and pokes fun at the characters and situations in a youthful and often disaffected way. This story is darker and more emotional as the teenage angst and emo Eric experiences plays out for the majority of the book. Now Eric’s internal struggles and dramas are more evident and present as the main focus versus the action and excitement of crime fighting. Here Eric’s deepest fears and issues are examined. Imagine being back in high school and if that angst isn’t enough on its own, add an openly gay sexuality to the mix and then as the cherry – your boyfriend and fag hag both are super heroes while you’re stuck taking the garbage out and watching the latest news for updates. Eric struggles with his feelings and problems even as the growing chasm between he and his friends echoes wider. The often tumultuous youth is highlighted wonderfully as Eric jumps between despair over Peter and true love at the first sign of reconciliation. Eric’s narrative voice is intimate and engaging, allowing the reader to really connect with him, his emotions, and choices. This extends to allow the reader to sympathize and even agree with his choices, however difficult they may be.

The wonderful pacing and story is designed in such a way as to isolate Eric. Although some of the writing is inconsistent with the previous book, it’s difficult to focus on such an error when the entertaining and wonderfully engaging voice of the narrator pulls the reader into the story whenever slight errors may occur.  In this particular story, Eric is more alone and often by himself. He has more internal musings and conversations, lending more emotion and drama to the teenager, but at the same time creating a setting that will be the climax to the series in part three. Therefore this book is very important as the bridge between books one and three and doesn’t stand-alone. It allows the reader to delve more deeply into Eric’s personality and the reasons for his choices and thought process. There’s a bit of a twist at the end that segways into the next book but I won’t spoil it for readers. However, this twist is important and Eric’s internal arguments and feelings of isolation become important in a larger scheme.

It’s hard to say if this book is better than the previous offering as this story is less about non-stop action and more character driven from Eric’s standpoint. Although the atmosphere deepens and the good versus evil battle still rages on between new villains and the heroes, Eric’s place in the battle starts to become clear. The wonderful voice of Eric shows his desire to be more than he is, whatever that means, and his desire to be closer and understand his place and future. Feelings and desires readers can easily and infinitely relate to at any age. The wonderful writing is rich and realistic, never talking down but instead giving life to the positive and negative drawbacks of teenagers. The self acknowledged emo angst and desire to stand out while desperately hoping that it’s not too far out. The humorous elements are expertly woven into the story once again with Eric’s none too subtle hormones, sexuality, and the running joke about a superhero handbook.

It’s difficult to talk too much due to the inherent spoilers, but this story is well worth reading and only enhances the already great series. The development of Eric and the various other characters as well as the city itself lends such a rich texture to the story that immediately sets this apart from other books. The comic book themes and fresh, evocative narrator vault this young adult story well above a particular genre or narrow definition. The often hilarious dialogue and descriptions lighten the more somber mood of the tale and fitting it perfectly in the continuation of the series. It’s not able to be read on its own, but don’t skip this offering in the series.

Get it HERE!
 

Masks: Rise of Heroes by Hayden Thorne

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Masks: Rise of Heroes by Hayden Thorne

Blurb:
Strange things are happening in Vintage City, and high school goth boy Eric seems to be right in the middle of them. There’s a new villain in town, one with super powers, and he’s wreaking havoc on the town and on Eric’s life. The new superhero who springs up to defend Vintage City is almost as bad, making Eric all hot and bothered, enough so that he almost misses the love that’s right under his nose.

Peter is Eric’s best friend, and even if he does seem to be hiding something most of the time, he finds a way to show Eric how he feels in between attacks. The two boys decide to start dating, much to the chagrin of their other best buddy, Althea, who has a terrible crush on Peter, and a secret or two of her own to keep.

As the fight between the villain, known as the Devil’s Trill, and superhero Magnifiman picks up, Eric’s relationship with Peter almost ends before it begins. When the Trill takes an interest in Eric, can he and his friends figure out the villain’s plan in time?

  

Review:

This is easily a brilliant beginning to a great new series. The first in a planned trilogy, the non-stop action and fabulous characters immediately immerse the reader into a comic book world filled with wit, charm, and adventure. The theme of superheroes and super villains is not necessarily new, but Thorne delivers a fresh and thoroughly entertaining voice in Eric as an average, almost boring outsider to the action. Although technically a young adult book as Eric is only sixteen, the themes presented and wonderful writing will engage readers of all ages. The quintessential teenage voice of the narrator will have readers sympathizing and empathizing with his trials and tribulations. This is definitely an incredibly strong start to a wonderful series.

Eric is an everyday sixteen-year-old teenager. He has trouble in Chemistry and Geometry, forgets to take out the trash every night and has a deep fascination with the color blue. He is openly gay but has yet to have a boyfriend. His two best friends consist of a shy, insecure, be speckled Peter and the outspoken fag-hag Althea. What starts as being in the wrong place at the wrong time sends all three into a new world as superheroes and villains emerge in the tiny, sleepy town of Vintage City. Unfortunately Eric seems to be the sole outsider in the small trio without any interesting powers even as his friendship with Peter takes a decidedly romantic turn. With a new threat on the horizon and his determination to use Eric as a pawn, the average, boring life of a typical teenager is about to change.

The story is narrated in first person from Eric’s perspective and is a totally delightful voice. The humor and wit of an acerbic teenager comes through brilliantly. Eric is sometimes sarcastic, defiant, pouting, moping, upbeat, energized, bored, and sick. He has a common every day life with parents and a bratty older sister, who keep the young man grounded when his thoughts run off to angst ridden haikus and blue food dye. He is hormonal and often lusty, coming of age in a time where his imagination gets more action than anything. Although there is nothing graphic, Eric is still a teenage male with all the associated dreams, wants, and desires. The fun humor and lighthearted manner this is handled add another layer of texture and flavor to the highly enriched tale.

The various other characters from Magnifiman, Peter, Althea, to the Devil’s Trill and even Eric’s parents are all less developed but no less essential to the story. Each has an important part to play, even Bambi Bailey and the RPG community. Although the driving motivations for each of these characters are deeply seated in a comic book atmosphere, Eric’s fresh voice and reactions give a unique and delightful spin on the classic tale. Eric is often in the wrong time and place, but struggles with being the outsider with no purpose and no special attributes. His family’s reactions and Eric’s own internal musings are often hilarious as he views the world with a slightly sarcastic and irreverent eye.

The writing itself is tight and solid with fast paced action and truly stunning dialogue. There are numerous laugh out loud comments mixed with a lyrical quality to the descriptions that come alive in the prose. The plot itself has some holes but these are placed on purpose to no doubt meld in with future books (having read the entire series back to back I can say this works incredibly well if you also read it similarly). This book sets up the characters, their relationships, and the setting perfectly while entertaining and leaving you wanting more. The humanity of the narrator and the heroes and villains comes through poignantly at times, showing the allure and awe of those able to do the impossible. However, the story also hints at the possible downside of such power and responsibility, especially for those that are still growing and maturing themselves.

Some great examples of the humor woven throughout the story:
 

Okay, that’s it,” Mom blurted out, throwing her hands up. “No more trains for you and anyone else in this household. Take the bus. I don’t care if slugs on Valium outpace those things, just take them!”

“Mom, buses could be the next ones to be sabotaged.”

“Well, what do you want? We can’t be held hostage by terrorists!” She glowered at me from where she sat, digging her fork into the skinny and rather dry-looking sausages on her plate. “Take the bus, Eric, and don’t argue.”

 […]

I slunk back into my room, my heart aching for my idol. I scribbled a couple of verses before I went to bed—sonnets, that time—yearning, outrage, and an empathic connection in iambic pentameter. Then I dreamed of him “arresting” me and taking me into custody. Not once did I demand to see my lawyer, and, yes, I came willingly. It was also during my Golden Age of Haiku when I grew to loathe the dawn hours and their murderous effects on dreams, and I think I messed with Mom’s mind when I insisted on washing my own clothes and sheets.

 

I couldn’t put down this page turning, exciting, and entertaining romp in a comic book. The tone is clearly meant to gently mock that very setting and through the eyes of a humorous and often sarcastic teenager – the book certainly delivers that well.  The real test is that the next two are equally enjoyable and only deepen the creative and unique voice of Eric. Be sure to start the series with this first book, you won’t regret it.

Get it HERE!

The Protector by NL Gassert

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The Protector by NL Gassert

Blurb:

Soren Buchanan no longer wishes to work for his father, crime boss James Buchanan, nor does he want to continue his relationship with the dangerous and sexy Jolina Miciano. But Jolina has connections that would make James Buchanan more powerful than he already is. Unwilling to be a pawn in his father’s game, Soren decides to stop seeing Jolina even if it means having to suffer through one of his father’s vicious beatings. Bruised for his defiance, Soren flees to the FBI for help.

Mason Ward, former US Army Ranger and security specialist, lives a quiet life on a house boat docked off the island of Guam. Despite his lack of companionship, Mason believes he is living the life he’s always wanted. Then a job comes Mason’s way, one that will turn his life upside down: hide Soren Buchanan.

Protecting Soren Buchanan should be easy money, but not for Mason. Soren is young, seductive and lacking the type of discipline that doesn’t leave bruises. It doesn’t help that Soren’s physical presence brings up desires Mason would rather not feel about a mobster’s son. Now Mason has to keep his mind on his job while being chased by thugs sent to bring Soren Buchanan home…dead or alive.

  

[It has two possible covers, which do you like better?]

 Review:

This is the kind of fast paced, well-written action story that is instantly engaging and completely entertaining. The tight plot and well-paced story may stumble occasionally but that only adds to its appeal. The first installment of what promises to be a new series only scratches the surface of interesting characters and introduces a wealth of possibilities for future adventures. Not surprising this was a Lambda Award finalist and well deserving the recognition. Although this isn’t a mystery, all the bad guys are introduced early, the action from the beginning to the end is well thought out and enjoyable, almost more so than the romance aspect. Be sure to start this series now before the second installment comes out, you won’t want to miss it.

The premise of the book hinges on Soren, the son of a local crime boss, as he goes into hiding after a particularly brutal beating from his father. Although the FBI is reluctant to help Soren, they do set him up with a bodyguard of sorts in ex-ranger Mason. Mason and Soren are supposed to head out to sea away from the chaos in their wake but plans go awry soon after they’ve left. In the ensuing action, Soren must re-evaluate his life and choices while terrorists and angry fathers threaten his life.

The story begins with Soren being handed over to Mason for safekeeping and the two butt heads immediately. Soren’s spoiled life of privilege, alcohol, and drugs is at odds with Mason’s almost puritanical sensibilities. Although the two clash often, there is a surprising amount of mutual respect. Mason is able to see beyond the image and pampered life Soren has led to hidden strength even Soren doubts exist. This faith and belief in Soren is essential to helping him mature and grow over the course of the book. Soren never loses his wit and sense of humor through his trials, even accepting the abuse as the price for his easy lifestyle. It takes a considerable amount of force and Mason’s unwavering support for Soren to move beyond his empty life. Soren’s motivation and desire to prove Mason’s belief in him is not misplaced is the real driving force for change and maturity, more so than even the numerous and painful beatings he receives.

Soren is a great character, even as he frustrates for well over half the story. His inability to change his pattern of behavior and poor decision making almost predict bad things will happen. I was hard pressed to feel too sorry for him when his inevitable stupid choices led to dire consequences. However, his charm is also evident in his continued self-evaluation and hard work for positive change, even as he slips backward a few times. These aspects of his personality kept Soren from being too annoying and leave a character on the verge of so much possibility in future stories. Soren is a wonderfully flawed and genuine character that struggles against taking the easy life he’s been provided and developing his own identity and independence. He’s far from a weak character but has honest flaws and can admit to taking the easy road in his life up until now.

The relationship portion of the book certainly suffers for the action element. Mason and Soren dance around each other for the majority as Soren comes to terms with his first gay experience rather easily but Mason has some trepidation about the younger man. Soren’s flaws are balanced by Mason’s inherent goodness, creating an interesting dynamic between the two. That is not to say the romance is unsatisfying, as the slow bloom of emotions and connection is fierce, fiery, and explosive. The delicious tension mounts and provides some great scenes of sensuality. Although this is less important than the action/adventure theme, the relationship is no less developed or thought out.

Mason is perhaps a less well-developed character than Soren, though no less interesting, as he and others exist as a support system for Soren. This is really Soren’s story and his maturity while facing the consequences of his lifestyle and choices.  Mason is a good balance for Soren’s poor decisions and helping the story is Mason’s twin brother, Stoney. Stoney is sure to have a book of his own as the dynamic character almost steals scenes. The other secondary characters such as Soren’s father, James, and his ex-girlfriend, Jolina, are both somewhat stereotypical without much depth beyond the obvious evil façade. Even so, they are solid characters without dipping too far into the classic bad guy tropes and keep from being annoying with snappy dialogue and fast paced action.

The story itself is mostly action and slips into almost non-stop sequences once the setup and characters are introduced. The quick story is entertaining and well written with only a few holes in logic and circumstance. Most notable is the final action sequence that comes out of nowhere with no explanation or logical reason for its setup. However, the story is engaging so this small quibble is unlikely to affect any enjoyment. The only other compliant would be that the ending felt forced and rushed, almost an attempt to wrap up big changes in a happy for now ending. However, knowing there are more books to come staring these characters mollifies any disappointment the ending may have caused.

Another well-researched aspect to the story is the setting of Guam. Many settings for action/adventure tend to be either exotic or a typical city setting without much character and flavor to the actual place. Here, the island of Guam is integral to the story and adds detail and texture to the story. The interesting and unique destination is not mentioned for something as stereotypical as drugs but for more mundane reasons and the actual crimes are those attributed to crime bosses everywhere. This helps create a believable setting, rich in detail that definitely adds to the book’s appeal.

Overall this is a great story with fascinating characters and well-written action. There is no fear of dirty, bloody, dire consequences and the story is not afraid to put everyone in danger, which keeps the reader guessing at what might happen while taking away the safety net of immediate rescue. The dramatic tension is well crafted and keeps you fully engaged in the adventure unfolding. This fresh new voice will captivate you from the very beginning and take you on a breathtaking ride from one scene to the next. You won’t want to miss this ride.

Get it HERE! 

The Phoenix By Ruth Sims

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The Phoenix By Ruth Sims

Blurb:

At fourteen, Kit St. Denys brought down his abusive father with a knife. At twenty-one his theatrical genius brought down the house. At thirty, his past—and his forbidden love—nearly brought down the curtain for good.

A compelling Victorian saga of two men whose love for each other transcends time and distance—and the society that considers it an abomination. Set in the last twenty years of the 19th century, The Phoenix is a multi-layered historical novel that illuminates poverty and child abuse, theatre history in America and England, betrayal, a crisis of conscience, violence and vengeance, and the treatment of insanity at a time when such treatment was in its infant stage. Most of all it is a tale of love on many levels, from carnal to devoted friendship to sacrifice.

 

 

does anyone dislike this book?

Finn
 by Angel Martinez

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Finn
by Angel Martinez

Blurb:
Sanity is relative and the world has room for more than one truth.

When Diego rescues a naked man from the rail of the Brooklyn Bridge, he just wants to get the poor man out of traffic and over to social services. He gets more than he bargained for when Finn turns out to be an ailing pooka, poisoned by the pollution of the city. To help him recover, Diego takes him north to New Brunswick where Finn inadvertently wakes an ancient, evil spirit, the wendigo.

While Diego and Finn struggle to find a way to destroy the wendigo before it can possess Diego or kill nearby innocents, Diego wrestles with his growing passion for Finn. Can they succeed in destroying the monster and in navigating a relationship between a modern man and a centuries-old fairy?

 

 

700 years is a hell of a dry spell…