Book Reviews- 7/30

I have 3 book reviews for you today: Only Love Survives, Curse of Stigmata, and Dragon Coin! These were incredible books, and I highly recommend you check them out for yourself when you have a moment. Let’s kick it all off with:

Only Love Survives, by Renee Charles

Description

Amidst an epidemic ravaging the world, all Megan Fletcher’s hopes for the future lie in getting to Las Vegas where newscasts reported scientists were gathering to search for a cure for the modern plague. After rescuing her from a rooftop surrounded by Zombies, Sam Woods appoints himself her escort. While he knows she is determined to get to Vegas no matter the cost, he doesn’t know her secret. And with his hatred of all things Zombie, she doesn’t dare tell him the truth. The more he kisses her, the harder it is for Megan to hide her growing feelings…and the bite-shaped scar. But Vegas is not the haven it was promised to be, and when Megan’s immunity to the disease is discovered, she realizes her future and her heart belong to Sam, if he will trust her.

An idealistic school teacher and ex-corporate mogul manage to find love despite a looming worldwide catastrophe. Can their love survive while everything around them is dying? Will they learn that when facing the end of the world, Only Love Survives.

Review

I’m a fan of the zombie genre, and constantly seek out new books to read on the subject. I picked this up during a free day, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s so different from what I’ve come to expect during the zombie apocalypse, and the love story woven through the tale was well-done and believable- not easy to accomplish.

The ending, however, left me a bit confused. The character, Megan, was on a quest of her own throughout the tale, and found that her goal was unobtainable by the last quarter of the book. So it seems as though she gave up on it, and that left me puzzled. I’m hoping this is the beginning of a series, as the “Love and Zombies” seems to imply. If so, fantastic, as I was left wanting more. The ending left plenty of room to turn this into at least a trilogy if not a full-length series, and I was left in suspense, wanting the story to continue. I’m hoping the author intends to do so, and I’ll be waiting to see where this story goes next.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Only-Love-Survives-Zombies-ebook/dp/B00D0TAXU0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1375209342&sr=1-1&keywords=only+love+survives

The Judas Reflections: Curse of Stigmata, by Michelle Wright and Aiden James

Description

The immortal Judas Iscariot (known by his alias, Emmanuel Ortiz) is hot on the trail of two precious coins believed to be part of the bounty once paid to him for betraying Jesus Christ. 

The coins are rumored to be in the possession of a Pyrenean mountain Shepherd, whose beautiful, but disturbed daughter, Rachel, is purported to be something even more rare than a Judas blood coin: a genuine stigmatic.

It turns out to be a deadly combination for Emmanuel. With blood on his hands and a failed mission to retrieve what is rightfully his, finding his second coin becomes a race against time. 

Traveling thousands of miles across the world’s grand open waters with fellow immortal, Juan Garcia de Moguer, the captivating Rachel, and a ruthless Dutch pirate slave trader named Captain Dirk Chivers teaches Emmanuel an important lesson about himself.

How far is Judas willing to go to get what he wants?

Review

In this incarnation, Judas Iscariot, under the name Emmanuel Ortiz, must travel in search of two of the silver shekels he received for betraying Jesus Christ. Believing the collection of all 30 pieces of silver will redeem him, he’s determined to retrieve them at any cost- to himself, to others. But he didn’t bargain on the difficulties of a genuine stigmatic, and the chase for what he believes is rightfully his. Slave trading, harsh travel by sea and by horseback, and genuine pirates make this a truly captivating read.

I’ve followed the current life cycle of Judas, as written by Aiden James. This tale, told in reverse, by Michelle Wright and Aiden James shows Judas as he once was- his story told in reverse. I look forward to seeing how much further he’ll regress as he collects his blood coins in future installments. Definitely a fascinating read, and a marvelous glimpse into the past. Well done!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Judas-Reflections-Stigmata-ebook/dp/B00DIM8IME/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1375209382&sr=1-1&keywords=curse+of+stigmata

Dragon Coin, by Aiden James

Description

Free of the threat of Viktor Kaslow, William Barrow (aka Judas Iscariot) is tantalizingly close to finally having the life he has dreamed of with Beatrice and Alistair. A life blessed with youthful optimism and renewed companionship–things he once feared were forever lost. But such optimism is short lived. An ancient menace far worse than Kaslow has successfully tracked William and Roderick to Virginia, after hunting the pair for nearly five hundred years. Hailing from the older kingdoms of Europe, this new threat once gained notoriety as the cruelest tyrant in recorded history.

Vlad Tepes. 

Better known as Vlad the Impaler, and the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this ruthlessly cruel immortal carries an unquenchable thirst for torture, slavery, and bloodletting–in addition to a longstanding grudge against William and Roderick. Yet, vengeance is not what spurs the wicked vampire to force this reunion. Instead, the lure of eternal youth and freedom from the sun’s blistering rays are what pull the real Dracul from his secluded island castle in the Adriatic Sea.

Dracul’s lifeline to immortality is tied to a blood coin–one that William is reluctant to pursue. However, once faced with dire alternatives between long-standing friendships, the welfare of his family, and the threat of bondage upon the entire world, there is no other choice.

Find the Dragon Coin…or pay the ultimate price.

Review

I’m a huge fan of the Judas Chronicles, and after I finish one of them, I wonder how the next one could possibly get any better. Well, this one is definitely the best of the lot to date! Fast-paced, full of action, adventure, and that special blend of words and worlds that is uniquely Aiden James- you won’t regret picking up your copy and diving into it. I’m eagerly awaiting the next installment- I can’t wait to see what new troubles will plague William and his crew!

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Coin-Judas-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00DPVP5ME/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t

My Interview With Author L.I. Adams!

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to someone who is not just an author, but a treasured friend. The author of Poaching Bliss as well as Poaching Bliss: Justice Served, author L.I. Adams. 

1. What genre are your books?

I don’t really think I have a specific genre. My books tend to mimic real-life so there’s a bit of everything in them from horror to romance to paranormal to action-thriller to …

 

2. Where did the idea for your first book come from?

By first book, I’m going to presume you mean Poaching Bliss because I actually have another book that I was writing before Poaching Bliss came along. Anyway, Poaching Bliss is the by-product of an ill-fated attempt to co-write a short romance story with another indie author using one of his characters. When that attempt failed, I was left with a really kick-arse female heroine and no story; therefore I wrote a story just for her and let some close friends read it. The main comment they had was “you mention some past shared experiences so tell us how they fell in love if they never met”. Oh duh! Now they wanted me to create backgrounds for my characters so after much thought and consternation I finally got their backstories wrote but the main story now had nothing to do with the characters…Oh duh (again)…now I had to completely re-write Poaching Bliss so it actually told the story of Lady Sioux Mountain and Joshua Dane Sinclare.

 

3. What are you currently working on?

I’m actually working on two projects right now, Poaching Bliss – Book Three – Beyond Justice and Before the Beginning, a story I’ve been wanting and waiting to tell for almost fifty years.

 

4. Where do your book covers come from?

The e-version covers to the original Poaching Bliss and Justice Served books were created by Jeffrey Kosh but the new versions for print and e-format will be my creations.

 

5. Where do you see your writing career five years from now?

Oh wow! Five years from now? I always hate this kind of question because they remind me of professional career evaluations (chuckles a little here)… okay in five years I would love to see my books still in print and being read by a much larger fan base than I have right now. I’m not so sure I want to be on the cover of Time Magazine or on the New York Times best seller list but to have enough of a following to allow me to retire from my ‘night’ job and write full time.

 

6. What is your favorite part of the writing process?

Humm, my favorite part of writing – well, I guess I’d have to say the actual writing but I don’t mind the editing either. I spent a good many years writing and editing formal papers for college and corporate executives so that the whole process is just part of the job.

 

7. What is your least favorite part of the writing process?

My least favorite part of the writing process is formatting the manuscripts to fit the different versions and requirements of different publishing companies. Oh, and getting the headers and footers to look right on the finished print version.

 

8. How do you write? Outlining, a few short notes that become a book, just sit down and write, etc?

In Before the Beginning, I used a time line and ‘sort of’ outline simply because the story takes place so many eons (yes, eons) ago. I needed a reference by which I could measure time and make sure it co-insided with Earth’s early history and to help keep my thoughts and characters straight. In Poaching Bliss and the rest of the PB series, I am mostly going by the seat of my pants. I did do a time line and short outline when I wrote Sioux and Josh’s background stories to make sure I kept my facts straight.  

 

9. What message do you want your readers to take away from your books?

I think there are probably a couple of messages in them. The first, everyday ordinary people can and do make a difference in this world. If you want something bad enough then you have to work to get it because for most of us life isn’t handed to us on a silver or even porcelain platter. The second, bad things can and do happen to good people every day. It’s how we choose to view and overcome those experiences that determine if we will remain victims or victors.

 

10. What do you want to say, personally, to your readers right now?

Thank you for buying and reading my books, I appreciate each and every one of you. I hope if you enjoyed my stories you will share them with your friends.

 

Fun Questions

 

1. If you were only allowed to read one book for the rest of your life, what would that book be?

If I were allowed to read only one book for the rest of my life what would it be…I’m not sure. I figure I’ve read well over twenty thousand books in my lifetime so to pick only one would be almost impossible for me.

 

2. If you could be any book character, who would you want to be?

That’s a tough one but I suppose it would be my own character, Anaiah, from Before the Beginning. She is smart, strong, almost immortal, and can do amazing things with the power of her brain.

 

3. If you could be anything at all, overnight, what career other than being an author would you choose?

I would be the sole proprietor of a fair-sized and successful Guest/Working Ranch, and of course it would be located in the Wyoming mountains someplace. (laughs)

 

4. What one item could you not live without?

I have had to do sacrifice so many physical things at one time or another in my life just so I could put food on my table that I’m not sure there is anything I could not live without anymore.

 

5. Who is your biggest inspiration?

I have four people who inspire me all the time, my parents and my best friends Jan and Olinka. They are my rocks and shoulders to cry on when I need it.

 

Favorites

 

Color? Blues and burgundies

 

Number? None

 

Book? All of them.

 

Holiday? None

 

Animal? Dogs and Cats

 

Song? Amazing Grace

 

Band/Artist? Beach Boys and Elvis Presley

 

Month? August

 

Season? Autumn 

Description

Do you like action, thrillers, romance, and a kick ass Heroine? Poaching Bliss has of
all this and more. Sioux’s Story introduces Lady Sioux Mountain, a one-quarter Native American of Shoshone descent who was raised by her fraternal grandmothers. While on assignment as a computer forensics expert and linguist for the CIA Sioux is taken captive by a group of
terrorists. While a prisoner Sioux hears a man’s voice speaking to her in a bastardized version of the Shoshone language. In her tormented mind Sioux assumes the voice is a Spirit until she realizes the voice is another prisoner being tortured.They chant prayers together and encourage each other until the day the man is taken away.

Joshua Dane Sinclare, a son of a Montana rancher, is introduced in Josh’s Story. He knows that being a good rancher takes more than hard work – it takes money and an education. After graduating from the University of Montana Josh attends the Army War College and a special negotiation seminar where he meets and becomes friends with two Shoshone brothers. After the Embassy is bombed, Josh is taken prisoner by the slave trader and tortured. In his pain riddled mind he hears a woman chanting Native American prayers asking the Spirits for help. He answers those pleas with his own chants until the day he is taken from his cell.

The Rescue
relates Sioux’s success at finding and rescuing the man whose voice she still hears in her dreams – the man who stole her heart and helped save her sanity. The rescue is the beginning of the trouble of young couple as Sioux’s home is invaded by Catherine’s renegade army. Sioux must use her intelligence, ingenuity, and computer expertise to outwit and outfight the enemy while saving the life of Josh.

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/L.-I.-Adams/e/B00ASDCWGY/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Author’s Website: http://www.liadams-author.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaIAdams?ref=br_tf

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ladylioness1950

Thank you so much for your time! I look forward to seeing many more releases from you in the future! 

A Shout-Out To Authors

I’m an author, as you all know… but reading is my first love. Since I purchased my first Kindle I’ve discovered some amazing authors, and I wanted to share their Facebook pages with you so you can go give them a ‘like’ and learn more about their work! 

Veronica Angel: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorVeronicaAngel?ref=ts&fref=ts

L.I. Adams: https://www.facebook.com/LindaIAdams?fref=ts

Aiden James: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aiden-James-Paranormal-Author/186876114703747?fref=ts

Natalie Gibson: https://www.facebook.com/authornataliegibson?fref=ts

Trish Marie Dawson: https://www.facebook.com/WriterTrishMarieDawson?fref=ts

Derendrea: https://www.facebook.com/derendrea?fref=ts

P.J. Day: https://www.facebook.com/PJDayAuthor?fref=ts

Bekkah Jordan: https://www.facebook.com/BekkahJordan?fref=ts

Michelle Wright: https://www.facebook.com/Allthingsafterlife

Jaime Johnesee: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJaimeJohnesee?fref=ts

Go tell these 10 wonderful authors hello, and let them know I sent you! They deserve some massive love for their wonderful work! ❤ 

Five Questions With Author Aiden James!

Today I’m honored to share this mini-interview from Aiden James! He was kind enough to take the time to answer 5 questions so you all can get to know him a bit better in honor of the release of The Dragon Coin, 4th in the Judas Chronicles! And stay tuned for links for where to go for more, including his Amazon author page, so you can pick up your copy of Destiny of Coins FREE today until midnight PST. 

1.  When you first started writing, how did the process develop for you- outlining, just started writing, born from a single idea, etc.?

*** Great Question, Kay.

I started with a paragraph and started stacking them together. I had a general idea of what I wanted to say, and once I got rolling with the paragraphs, I ended up with what is still part of The Forgotten Eden, although miniscule. I put together an outline for a terrible children’s book, and entitled it “The Adventures of Little Jack”. 

After Fiona panned it, I was forced to decide if I really wanted to write stories or if I would continue in my original first love, writing songs. I went back to songs, but the writing bug bite was already in place, and over the course of the next few years, that terrible children’s story became a novel, entitled “The Golden Talisman”(What would be considered the grandparent to The Forgotten Eden, which will be re-released with Curiosity Quills in two weeks).

 

2. Where do you see your writing career in five years?

*** Hopefully still writing books. J

I am branching out into new ideas and partnerships…this year alone will see my book total nearly double from 13 books by the end of 2012 to 25 before January 2014. It is quite possible that with all of the new co-authored books I’m engaged in, the total will rise above 100 books five years from now. By that time, all of my current series should be complete, and new ones will hopefully sprout up in the next few years.

 

3. What message do you want your readers to glean from your writing?

***A message of hope. J

That no matter how bad things can get, there is a way to rise above all obstacles. I am a huge believer in positive energy—even though I write about horrific things. And, I am a sucker for happy endings…But there will be some sad endings to a few of my series, or at least bitter sweet.

 

4. What’s next for you in the world of books?

***Another great question, and one not so easy to answer.

With the release of The Dragon Coin, it will mark my fourth release this summer (Treasure of the Deep, Murder in Whitechapel, and Curse of Stigmata preceded the 4^th Judas Chronicles installment). Three brand new series are about to start. One is a serial with Curiosity Quills entitled Mind’s Eye, and these will likely be very small books (about ten thousand words), and will number about twenty five ‘files’ that we should see released in the next two years. Lots of international intrigue with this one, and reminds be in ways of a supernatural Bourne Identity type of deal…but even that doesn’t do this one justice. It will be lots of fun

“The Serendipitous Curse of Solomon Brandt” is another new series, co-written with Lisa Collicutt, and I have very high hopes for it—and could have quite a few installments. The heart of this series is the true nature of good and evil, and centers around an evil plantation owner who comes back to life 150 years later…but as a good man, due to a hoodoo curse. His past—and past self—are at war with him. These are in the new book length of 50,000 to 60,000 words, which the industry is moving towards.

Another great new series is coming out with James Wymore, and is is a SciFi series dealing with a superimposed reality over much of the world. Yeah, I know…sounds like it has been done before. But never like this, where various book genres take over geographic areas. Yes, this means if you are traveling to San Diego, you might get transformed into an Ork…very cool premise. The first book is entitled “The Acuator”

Also, there will be another Nick Caine Adventure coming this summer, entitled “Pyramid of the Gods”. That one should see the light of day in August.

Rounding things up are the re-release of The Talisman Chronicles via Curiosity Quills this summer, with book Three in the works with Mike Robinson. Richard Roberts is co-authoring the next Cades Cove book (due in October), and Michelle Wright and I have another Judas Reflections book coming this fall and also a futuristic zombie treat.

Oh, and there will be one more Judas book near Christmas time, where William Barrow and company take on an evil force behind the Nazi movement that is lurking in wait for an encore of horror upon the earth.

Whew!

 

5. What message do you have for your readers, personally?

*** I am forever in your debt! J

Without your incredible support of what I do, it could all end tomorrow. So, I treat my responsibility to creating the best books possible very seriously. An, I am not content with what I have created thus far…. You all can count on me to strive to get better and better at the craft, so that you will remain pleased with what I deliver to you. J

 

Description

Free of the threat of Viktor Kaslow, William Barrow (aka Judas Iscariot) is tantalizingly close to finally having the life he has dreamed of with Beatrice and Alistair. A life blessed with youthful optimism and renewed companionship–things he once feared were forever lost. But such optimism is short lived. An ancient menace far worse than Kaslow has successfully tracked William and Roderick to Virginia, after hunting the pair for nearly five hundred years. Hailing from the older kingdoms of Europe, this new threat once gained notoriety as the cruelest tyrant in recorded history. 

Vlad Tepes. 

Better known as Vlad the Impaler, and the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this ruthlessly cruel immortal carries an unquenchable thirst for torture, slavery, and bloodletting–in addition to a longstanding grudge against William and Roderick. Yet, vengeance is not what spurs the wicked vampire to force this reunion. Instead, the lure of eternal youth and freedom from the sun’s blistering rays are what pull the real Dracul from his secluded island castle in the Adriatic Sea. 

Dracul’s lifeline to immortality is tied to a blood coin–one that William is reluctant to pursue. However, once faced with dire alternatives between long-standing friendships, the welfare of his family, and the threat of bondage upon the entire world, there is no other choice. 

Find the Dragon Coin…or pay the ultimate price.

http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Coin-Judas-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00DPVP5ME/ref=la_B004U3TIU6_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373034769&sr=1-13

Aiden’s Links

http://www.amazon.com/Aiden-James/e/B004U3TIU6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 ***Go HERE to find Destiny of Coins FREE today only***

http://www.aidenjamesfiction.com

http://www.twitter.com/AidenJames3

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aiden-James-Paranormal-Author/18687611470374

Thank you, Aiden, so much for taking some time out of your busy schedule to answer a few questions. We all look forward to seeing what you come up with next!