Amy Flint's Shadows in the Mist is Powerfully Fun

Antagonistic colleagues,

Restless spirits, 

and...

Angry, telekinetic mothers that teleproject?!

No worries. Porter Biggleswade is on the job and ready for anything.

Shadows in the Mist is the first book within the Porter Biggleswade series, paranormal fiction by Amy Flint.

So what's it about?

Porter Biggleswade has just accepted a position with the Paranormal Investigation Unit, or PIU, within All Saints University in York. A famous paranormal researcher, she's known for looking at each case with a careful eye, and being able to tell true hauntings from fictitious ones. 

Of course, a large part of that is due to the fact that she can actually see ghostly apparitions, plain as day. Called the Shadow Reader, Biggleswade is who you call when you've lost all hope of a more logical, reasonable explanation for strange occurrences. 

And with a jealous and ghostly author, a mean and unreasonable old woman, and some glow in the dark sheep on her hands, she has her work cut out for her.

The first word that comes to mind when I think about this ebook is fun. 

While Porter Biggleswade herself has a rather dry personality, she's surrounded by a wealth of interesting people that end up getting her into all kinds of crazy situations. A bit of a loner, and quite content to be one, very often she's dragged into social situations that end up becoming quite colorful.

Of course, that's the sort of thing that happens when you have a flatmate that sells magical crystals, a drunken mother, and a hostile colleague with a mind to make you as miserable as possible.

Biggleswade also has a fine assortment of cases to keep her busy. When she's not trying to figure out what's making Charlotte Bronte's bedroom into a disaster zone (Yes, that Charlotte Bronte), or why employees at a new development are being harrassed by visions of people within a quarry that had been filled in long before any of them were born, she's trying to discover why a living woman appears to be haunting her daughter.

And don't even get me started on the glow-in-the-dark sheep she has to investigate...

Yep. She's one busy person. Thankfully, she has a workaholic student intern to help her out. The dynamic between Porter Biggleswade and her intern, Clarice, is quite interesting. Often, Clarice appears to be the grounding force within Biggleswade's life, ensuring the investigator stays on task, while helping out with the overwhelming workload.

Flint created some amazing and entertaining characters, but more than that, they all had substance to them. I never once doubted that they were 'real.' Dialogue flowed smoothly, and felt very much like real conversation. Enough so that I think it's very possible she spoke each line before typing. 

Just to make sure it felt true.

Seriously. I didn't have to reread a single piece of dialogue so that I could feel where the inflection was supposed to be. I just knew. Nor did I ever think, "This person wouldn't say this." I didn't have to.

Each personality was unique, and nothing was misphrased.

Formatting, on the other hand, needed some work. I often discovered lines that didn't wrap appropriately. What I mean by that, is that instead of finding, say, the word 'there' on a single line, I'd find it chopped up with the 't' on one line, and 'here' on the next. Very distracting.

However!

In the author's defense, it may have just been a flaw in the copy I was reading - it was a free review copy, so there's a high chance that this error was fixed in the published version. If you read the amazon sample, you'll be able to see if that's the case.

I also felt that the story ended too abruptly, with a few too many loose ends. There is a sequel, of course, so I'm sure those loose ends will be tied up, but I would have appreciated it if things were tidied up a bit more than they were.

Or perhaps that's just my need for an end-of-story cooldown talking. It's possible.

Even with that, however, this book was well worth reading. I was never bored, and I felt as though I was listening in on true conversations as they happened. Flint's command of dialogue is superb.

Shadows in the Mist can be found on Kindle, and Nook.

Ryan McSwain's Monsters All the Way Down Makes You Question Everything.

Imagine being accused of serial murders

That you know you didn't commit.

Now imagine questioning 

The veracity of your own knowledge.

Today we have science fiction Horror for Halloween!

Monsters All the Way Down is a science fiction horror novel written by Ryan McSwain.

So what's it about?

All Brennan Wade had planned for the day was a simple DNA check that was required for the job he had finally landed. It's all he had planned, that is, until his DNA results pinged a crime database that showed him as the lone suspect for multiple grotesque and unsolved murders spanning decades. 

Now he's on the run, determined to prove that he's not the killer. It's strange, though, that his DNA was lifted from one of the crimes scenes. Even stranger that he truly was at each location at the times the murders were committed... 

 But how could he have committed murders that he has no recollection of? And who is this strange group that's hunting him down for them? Most importantly... who did murder all of these people?

I'm going to start by reminding you not to judge a book by its cover. 

This is definitely not my favorite cover art. I don't think it really gives a good impression of what's inside... but the story within is something worth treating yourself to.

See, one of those cardinal rules of humanity is to never, never, never, NEVER sympathize with a serial killer. So what did I go ahead and do?

Yep. I totally did that.

And who is the serial killer? Well, you won't know that until a long way through... and I'm not giving any spoilers.

But the story was written in such a manner that I repeatedly questioned what I thought I knew. I questioned who the 'good guy' was, and who the 'bad guy' was. I even questioned my own ideas about what good and bad truly mean.

In the beginning, I thought I had made a poor decision about this ebook.

You see, at first, it seemed more like a psychological thriller. It didn't seem to have the markings of a traditional horror novel, and definitely didn't feel sci fi or paranormal. It was quite good, but didn't fit in with my pre-conceived idea of what horror is.

I'm glad I kept reading.

Turns out, this ebook can be classified as both sci fi and paranormal. It has technology that one would expect from near-future sci fi, yet still produces some mind-boggling what-the-heck-is-that-strange-entity thrills. The blend of the two was well done, and allows the reader to have that "what if?" feeling throughout the story.

Brennan Wade, the protagonist, is a particularly interesting - and frustrating - character. When he decided to go into hiding while uncovering the truth, I often saw him do things that seemed absolutely ridiculous. Many times, I thought, "Oh, come on... how could they not catch him after that?"

Yet I kept reading.

Turns out, I was right to ask that question... each time I did. You see, Brennan isn't a criminal. He's the average, everyday guy. The average guy just doesn't know how to run from the law. So even though I wanted to strangle him for his ignorance, I kept reading. I kept wanting him to come out on top. To prove that he wasn't the murderer they claimed he was.

So how did he manage to elude law enforcement while making poor decisions about it? Well, you'll have to read the story to figure out how.

Ha!

(I'm kinda mean, aren't I?)

Seriously, though, this one was worth every moment I spent reading it. While I think I may have made plot discoveries before the author was ready for me to do so, the story ran with fluidity, and I happily read it to the very last word.

Monsters All the Way Down can be found on Kindle.

Mick Bogerman's How to Navigate Zombie Cave Teaches Us The Necessities Involved in Zombie Survival

Since I elected to take my birthday off, I promised to double up on the awesomeness I've found in my hunt for Treasured Tomes. Today is part one of that promise. Tomorrow you'll see part two.

Conveniently, this one fits right into the theme I've been working on this week: Horror for Halloween!!!

Pirate Treasure,

A zombie curse,

And an... old cheese cracker?

Welcome to a day in the life of Mick Bogerman: Big brother and wild adventurer!

How to navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete is a YA horror, and story #1 of  the Slug Pie Stories, written by Mick Bogerman.

So what's it about?

After Mick gets his hands on the one and only map through Zombie Cave, the map that leads to Pirate Pete's treasure, he grabs his miner's hat and a pitchfork and heads off to make the discovery of a lifetime. 

But first he has to keep his little brother safely out of the way. And so, being the good big brother that he is, he ties young Finley to a stake on the beach to keep him from tagging along - above the high tide line. Don't worry. Good big brother, remember? - and heads out to search for the pirate gold. 

Unfortunately, once he gets there he discovers that trekking through a dark cave infested with zombies is rather difficult... especially when you forget to place the treasure map in a plastic baggie to protect it from the water, discover that Pirate Pete is stronger and smarter than the average zombie, and find the tide rising, thereby causing frigid water to rise around you. 

And then there's that zombie parrot...

Writing under the nom de plume of Mick Bogerman, the author tells these stories from the first person perspective - and it works beautifully.

Mick is a smart kid, and has enough curiosity and ingenuity to take us with him on several adventures. We see this from the very beginning, as he tells us about his very well thought out decision to tie his brother to a stake, as well as his ability to get a friend to allow him to borrow a treasure map from the museum that employs the boy's father.

The map written in the 1700s that basically disintegrated because he forgot to keep it watertight.

Oops.

Throughout this ebook, there's a wonderful blend of humor, horror, and quick thinking in the face of danger. From chapter one I knew this was a good one.

Mick felt real. 

He made decisions that were smart, but also decisions that were irrational, due to high stress. I mean... zombies! I don't know about you, but I'd probably make some really weird choices, too, if I was trying to keep from being mauled by the undead. 

And the structure of this story?

Definitely not the norm. You won't find "chapters" in this book. Instead, sections are called steps. The first chapter, for example, is 

Step 1 

Find Zombie Cave

If you ever need to survive a zombie infested treasure hunt, this would be a good ebook to have with you. And bonus! As an ebook, it has a backlight. Very useful in dark terrain.

What?! I'm just saying... it may be a good supply to have with you.

And speaking of supplies...

At the end - don't worry... I'm not giving out spoilers, here - there's a list of materials that Mick and his brother Finley came up with... you know, so that they know what to bring along the next time they have to get through Zombie Cave.

Next time? 

Well, you never know, right? I mean, they're a little older and wiser now...

This book feels like it would be a spectacular read for 4-6th grade readers. It's not long, having a page length roughly equivalent to a Goosebumps story.

Don't worry - I'm not comparing it to Goosebumps. 

Mick Bogerman's work is a unique entity that doesn't need to be compared to anything to stand out as something a young reader would enjoy... and ask for more of. I've even been flirting with the idea of buying the paperback version and holding onto it so that my daughter can read it when she's old enough.

While I didn't make this one a Treasured Tome, it was a breath away. 

And you really need to read this one, because it gives a lot of background knowledge that will be welcome when you decide you want to get the next story in the series: How to Rid your Swimming Pool of a Bloodthirty Mermaid, which you'll see the review for tomorrow... 

...and which just might get awarded Treasured Tome status... not that I'd actually be hinting or anything. Would I do that?  ::wink wink::

How to Navigate Zombie Cave and Defeat Pirate Pete can be found on Kindle and Nook.

The Hutchissons' Full Moon Rising Presents a Seldom Used Concept

Cruelty and Evil,

The dangers of a full moon,

And loyalty...

Today we have an ebook that focuses not only on the concepts of good and evil, but on their several shades of gray, as well.

Full Moon Rising, a fantasy novel,  is the first installment of the Trilogy of the Wolf by J.A.J and J.L Hutchisson

So what's it about?

When Constin, an Elder Priest of Heartfield, is given a prophecy regarding his daughter, he seeks to save her from it. He has been told that she'll be in danger that only a werewolf can save her from. Werewolves are vile beasts that take take special pleasure in massacring humans - especially children - and Constin refuses to believe one of these creatures could possibly be his daughter Olesa's only hope for survival. Racing off to hide her from this terrible prophecy, he finds that his actions only lead the prophecy closer to fulfillment. 

And there is much more to worry about than just a werewolf...

We're used to the idea of werewolves that are reviled, then shown to be more human than characters within a story believe them to be. That's not the seldom used concept I referred to in this review's title. While the authors of this piece focus a great deal on the werewolf Draikin and his relationship with the child Olesa, there's another concept that I found myself drawn to:

The bloodthirsty and depraved elves.

Don't get me wrong. We've all seen evil elves within literature. This is nothing new. Dark elves are a staple.

But these were different.

You see, regardless of the number of evil elves we find within the pages of books, they all share a few common traits. They're beautiful, they have a complex and even elegant society, and they make evil seem sexy.

Not these, though.

The elves within the pages of Full Moon Rising were beautiful, yes. They were also intelligent, as is the norm.

But they were revolting.

Their hatred of humans was so intense, brutal, and single minded that I felt more like I was reading about beautiful trolls then elves. I had absolutely no desire to get to know them. I knew they were beautiful, and I saw that they were graceful... yet my disgust with these creatures was so complete that I saw zero redeeming features within them.

Yet I kept hoping I was wrong about them. I held out hope for one elf in particular, dreaming that he'd be more human than the others.

The werewolf, on the other hand, I had no doubts about.

He was good, through and through. That is, as long as you overlook the fact that he can smell human blood over a mile away... and craves it. Or that in his wolf form he loses all ability to control his desire to rip people to shreds and eat to his heart's content. These things can be a bit problematic...

And yet, I still found that I could trust him.

Funny, that.

The humans, as well, had interesting qualities. They were always standing on the gray line between good and evil, trying their best to make decisions that they could live with.

Kinda like the rest of us.

Many times, the decisions were poor ones. Other times, they were surprisingly good. These people had to battle against the concepts of prejudice, hatred, greed, and cowardice. Sometimes they won, and sometimes they lost. Each action held consequences.

The story itself was very well thought out, and the intricacies of the world this husband/wife team created were a joy to discover. The world of Full Moon Rising felt real.

Unfortunately, the characters themselves weren't quite so well fleshed out.

While I did enjoy them, I found myself frustrated by the amount of information I was told, rather than shown. There was, for example, a discovery of love between two characters that that weren't at all the romantic type.

I think I would have enjoyed seeing these two make the discovery: their confusion, their frustration. The many ways that these two un-romantic people could have screwed things up for themselves. It would have endeared them to me. I'd like, in a sense, to make that discovery through witnessing the steps that led to their revelation.

Instead, I was told that they realised they were in love. Not nearly as fulfilling.

Even so, I read through to the end. The world is what makes this one worth reading. I enjoyed the rules and environment of this world so much that I was able to get past my frustration about being told about things, rather than having them shown to me.

Full Moon Rising can be found on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords.

Susan Griner's The Cemetery Sleeper Reminds Us of the Power Grief Has Over Us

We've all heard superstitions about graveyards:

Hold your breath while passing by one so your life isn't cut short.

Don't sit on a tombstone.

Don't ever lay down on top of a grave.

Unfortunately, the characters within this next YA paranormal work didn't get the memo on that last one.

Cover art by Nicole Stremlow-Monahan

The Cemetery Sleeper is a paranormal YA novel written by Susan Griner. It's her first published piece of fiction, as well, and I'm sure it won't be her last.

So what's it about?

After the death of Freddy's mother, he is sent to the town of Mabry to live with his aunt Teri and cousin Emily until his father completes the process of packing and moving their possessions from their home. One day, he and Emily are listening to a local boy, Matt, as he tells a ghost story that warns of the dangers of laying down on top of a grave. Seeking to prove that Matt's ideas are ridiculous, and that nothing will come of such an action, Emily declares that she'll lay on one, thereby disproving Matt's claims... and she drags Freddy along to act as a witness.

Sure enough, nothing happens... to Emily. Freddy, on the other hand, stumbles into a headstone marked, quite simply, "Tump." All seems well until Freddy goes to sleep that evening. When he does, however, he dreams about Tump's life as viewed through Tump's own eyes. This wouldn't be a big deal, except that upon wakening he feels the same physical pain as Tump felt within the dream.

And things only get worse from there...

Throughout this ebook, we get to know Freddy, and we see the pain and grief he goes through after the death of his mother.

Indeed, we get to see the power grief has over us.

Griner takes us through the different stages of grief, showing us that they don't have to come in any particular order, and that each one is both necessary and profound, and we should take care not to stagnate within any one of them.

In this story, the paranormal - ghosts, in this case - have power over us when we believe in them.

Belief is a strong factor in The Cemetery Sleeper: Belief of superstition, Freddy's belief in himself, everyone's belief in Freddy. Indeed, there's a huge lack of belief within the pages.

I mean, who would really believe that some dead guy from the distant past has come back through someone we know?

Characters have to wrestle with their knowledge of fact and their knowledge of Freddy himself. And as a freshly grieving son, who can blame him for what seem like fantastic stories? He's just working through his pain.

Or not.

Griner's ability to not only show us what the stages of grief look like, but also to show us what the responses of others can do to us during this time is brilliant. I both understood and hated people's reactions. Just as in reality, nothing anyone did really felt right. Freddy acted in an unpredictable manner, and people around him reacted without really understanding what was happening to him.

Just as in reality.

I was impressed. Indeed, I was convinced that Griner had a background in psychology, though I've found nothing to show that. She did work within elementary schools, however, so perhaps her understanding came from a connection with the students she worked with.

This, of course, is all speculation. 

What I do know, though, is that Griner did a spectacular job of thinking like a young boy. Freddy felt real. Whether I agreed with his decisions or not, I understood them - I could even imagine myself doing many of the same things Freddy did, even though I knew the results wouldn't be particularly sterling. 

While it didn't quite tug on my heartstrings as much as I would have liked, The Cemetery Sleeper was a great work, and successfully dealt with grief in a manner that felt true, even going as far as to give the reader an idea of how necessary it is that we not stagnate in any one of the stages.

The Cemetery Sleeper can only be found on Kindle.

J.K. Walker's Sanguine Eyes was Action Packed!

This time I decided to read a book that was smack in the middle of a series.

Yeah, I know. Not recommended.

But I did it, anyway... and I enjoyed it.

So, there!

Sanguine Eyes is the third installment of the paranormal Salt Lake After Dark series, written by J.K. Walker.

So what's it about?

She was supposed to be on a simple ride-along while interning with the Salt Lake City PD. And that's exactly what it was... until the detective Jazz was riding with stopped at a convenience store to deal with a robbery. Pumped up on some sort of new designer drug, the suspect landed the detective in the hospital... and Jazz only just made it out in one piece, as well.

These things happen... but not to a werecat with supernatural strength and speed. Especially not to the werecat who's tasked with fixing problems for the Supernatural Council. Soon, Jazz learns of a drug called Sanguine that gives its user supernatural strength along with the standard high, a pack of werewolves set on invading her territory, and several missing vampires. All of this appears to be connected in some way...

I have to admit... it was the cover that drew me in.

Crazy, I know, but I have a thing for both pink hair and unusual eyes. Combine them into a single cover image, and... yeah. I'm totally sold.

Thankfully, this ebook was more than just a pretty cover.

Sanguine eyes had a fast-paced storyline, great dialogue, and quirky characters. It was easy to lose myself within the story, setting real-life on hold for a few minutes at a time. Or, at least it was easy after I got enough of the backstory to go with the flow.

Stepping into the middle of a series is rarely a good idea.

I missed a great deal of action that occurred in books one and two. So much so that I had to pace myself in the first few chapters in order to let myself become accustomed to the world, and to the events that I missed.

This is not something I would consider a flaw in the writing. 

Rather, this told me that a person who began the series from book one would be overjoyed to not have to go through several paragraphs of regurgitated story in each installment - something that always frustrates me, no matter how much I understand why a writer would do so.

You know... because of crazy people like me that start in the middle. Oops.

Starting in the middle of the series or not, however, one thing was abundantly clear. Jazz kicks some serious butt - and does it with style! Serious character development went into her personality, and I enjoyed every line of dialogue that she took part in. She was believable... and pretty awesome, too.

I loved her wit, as well as her tenacity.



Ok, so maybe she didn't say that... but I could sure imagine her doing so! Because that's the sort of character she is. No matter how difficult the situation she faces is, Jazz will jump right in and do what she feels is necessary.

And to add to the likeability of the character, many times her initial choice is not the best one. She sometimes has to step back and realize the someone else just may be seeing things a bit more clearly, no matter how much she may not like it.

While I may have struggled with the story at some points, due to breaking into the middle of this fast-paced series, rather than starting at the beginning, this was definitely an enjoyable ebook, and I consider it a very worthwhile read.

Sanguine Eyes can be found on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords, as well as Scribd.

Enjoying Tania Johansson's Riddle of Fate is Your Destiny!

One sweet and naive girl

+

One Angel running from judgement

=

One really big mess for the living and the dead!

Riddle of fate is a paranormal fantasy written by Tania Johansson.

So what's it about?

All Khaya wanted was to get through her work of foretelling future events at the Company every day, then go home to her loving boyfriend: a simple life. That shouldn't have been too much to ask. Unfortunately, one day she made the mistake of fixing a typewriter... without touching it. While some people have one ability beyond normal human ranges, nobody has had more than that in over sixty years... and the few that did have two abilities went insane soon after the second one made itself known.

Khaya is rushed to be tested, told by the Company that they want to help her, perhaps keep her from slipping into madness. But then she begins noticing a man that no one else seems to be able to see. Could she truly be going insane, or is there some other explanation? As Khaya puzzles through her situation, one thing becomes clear: there is much more going on than anyone has seen fit to tell her.

This was one fun ebook!

The story was well crafted, dialogue was true, and the subterfuge and manipulation within it brought an excited smile to my face on more than one occasion.

To be honest, at first I saw Khaya as some dopey girl that just sort of followed the action, doing as she was told. She was incredibly naive, she seemed to lack willpower, and I didn't see much in the way of redeeming qualities, beyond her kind heart.

But!

Then I realized that was exactly the point. Even other characters within the story noticed this flaw in her. In other words, throughout the book she had to grow a spine and learn to be a bit more careful about her choices.

And, boy, did she!

She not only gained a backbone, but became a strong, confident, lovable character. Khaya showed some definite growth, and I greatly appreciate that!

And then there was Derrin.

Derrin is a Collector. What's that? Basically, it's a grim reaper. He guides the souls of the dying into the great beyond. He kind of got into a wee bit of trouble one day long ago. See, instead of doing his job, he kinda sorta brought the person back to life.

Oopsie!

So, now he's on the run. By breaking this Collector law, he has forfeited his chance at salvation. And guess who the person whose soul he didn't collect was? Yep, you got it. Khaya. He's been watching over her ever since.

And it's a good thing, too, because she'll need him before this book is over! Heck, she's needed him from the very beginning. Naive, remember?

So, seriously, read this book. I'm having to practically gag myself to keep from telling you the whole thing! It's fast paced, the dialogue is perfect, and it'll keep you reading from beginning to end.

No boring slow bits.

Riddle of Fate can only be found on Kindle.


P.S. You can read chapter one here, if you need extra encouragement to read this beauty! ---> Of Past Things. Things Best Forgotten.

Rebecca Taylor's The Exquisite and Immaculate Grace of Carmen Espinoza is Breathtaking!

How many of you have read Dante's Inferno?

Today I have a modern work that draws from Alighieri's religious classic for you. We travel through a realm similar to that of the inferno, on a quest for truth and insight. It left me hungry for more by this talented and perceptive author!

The Exquisite and Immaculate Grace of Carmen Espinosa is a paranormal fantasy written by Rebecca Taylor.

So what's it about?

Carmen Espinoza is a foreign exchange student living with her host family in Oaxaca, Mexico. Carmen comes from a broken home: her brother died when he was still very young, her father left soon after, and her mother spends her time praying, reading from the bible, and making Carmen feel as though she's worthless and worse, a pariah. Carmen's senior year was supposed to be her chance to open up and be 'normal.' But during a Day of the Dead festival she sees her dead brother, so she follows him and ends up on a quest for truth... a quest in which her very soul is at stake.

So, I'm just going to say...

Wow!

Seriously. Wow. I loved everything about this one.

Carmen is a very well-rounded, believable character. More than that, though, her successes and failures feel personal. While I've never been one to hide from the contact of others, I got a glimpse into what that feels like: the yearning for basic human contact mixed with fear of the unknown, sprinkled with a healthy dose of distrust.

At first, this ebook felt extraordinarily black and white. The reader knows the truth, knows who the 'good' people in Carmen's life are, versus the 'bad.' Everything makes perfect sense. Carmen's perspective was a bit skewed, but the reader completely understood why. The truth was obvious.

Maybe. 

The farther you read into this, the more complex it becomes. You begin to see shades of gray that make you question what you think is correct. You begin to realize that there's something more to Carmen's life than you previously thought, and that discovery is exciting!

"Something's missing..." becomes the overall thought.

There's no frustration in this, though, because as you read you're completely dazzled by the richness of the Between. Images form in your mind that leave you spellbound. You're both awed and disgusted by the many events and spirits you come across.

Indeed, you find yourself questioning your own actions in life.

I'd tell you more, but doing so would mean nasty spoilers, and we know how much I hate those! What I will tell you, though, is that I was wholeheartedly impressed and enthralled.

This one gets added to the others that have reached

Treasured Tome Status!!!

I couldn't find a single flaw worth noting. The grammar, the environment, the characters, the story? All amazing. This ebook will stay with me for quite a while. It entertains, and to a large extent, it teaches.

This is not a title that you want to pass up.

The Exquisite and Immaculate Grace of Carmen Espinoza is only available on Kindle.

Tight Within the Grasp of Insignia

I told myself I'd never review an anthology.

There are too many authors involved. How do you review the works of so many people, and still ensure that they all get the attention they deserve?

But then I found an anthology on Scrbd that I wanted to read. I figured I'd just read a story or two every now and then, while continuing on with the ebooks I intended to review.

But then I kept reading.

And reading.

After a while, I decided to change my mind. I'd review an anthology.

Artwork by Peter Serkov

Insignia, Volume 1: Japanese Fantasy Stories is a collection of short stories by Aislinn Batstone, Heather Jensen, Holly Kench, Chris Ward, Joyce Chng, Chris White, and Kelly Matsuura (who is also the editor and cover designer).

The Insignia series supports the need for diversity in literature, and each story is written by authors that have a passion for Japanese culture. The anthology is broken into two parts: YA and General Adult.

So what's it about?

Part I:
Ancient promises broken, resulting in pain and sorrow. A girl near the end of her life, guided by a spirit wolf on a quest to destroy a monster. A girl oppressed by a calculating beast whose true form only she can see. Friends separated by cruel circumstances, yet bound together through magic and love.
Part 2:
Death, persecution, and crime draw a father and son together. A man returns from war a shell of the person he once was, and brings a powerful gift back with him. A man discovers a bathhouse set apart from the brightly lit, constantly moving city life, and discovers it's more than it appears to be. A man watches his soulmate from the other side, yearning to bring her across the threshold to be with him forever.

Wow, right?!

I really loved this anthology. As in any collection of stories, I liked some better than others, as is to be expected. In most anthologies, there seems to be one story that I consider vastly inferior to the others. In this one, however, I did not have that reaction. I liked every single one, and could easily read them all a second time.

Of course, I do have my favorite. 

I found The Bakeneko to be particularly gripping. Read that one right before bed. The menace within The Bakeneko is particularly strong when you begin the story in the same way the protagonist did: wrapped within your blankets.

The stories within Insignia, Volume 1 were rich and engaging, and each author's voice was so unique that I had no problem switching from one to the next: I easily slid from one author's world into another.

I highly recommend this one.

You can download a copy of Insignia, Volume 1 from the Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords stores, as well as from Scribd.

The Enjoyment of Being Alone with the Girl in the Box

I kinda, sorta broke a rule... accidentally.

See, I found a boxed set of 3 books that only had 6 reviews at the Nook store. This fits the guidelines, so... "Yay, me!"

Unfortunately, upon completion of book one, I discovered that the stand-alone (not-in-the-box) novel had over 120 reviews. Further research showed that the second book had 54 of them. This is well outside my guidelines.

Oops. Can we pretend I didn't see that?

No?

Well, drat. My bad. The good news, though, is that this boxed set is well worth reading.

What set is that, you ask?

Cover photo taken by Anna Omelchenko

The Girl in the Box is an urban fantasy series written by Robert J. Crane. Since I refuse to give spoilers, however, I've elected to only review book 1: Alone, with a few words dealing with book 2 (no spoilers).

So what's it about?

17 year old Sienna has lived her entire life apart from society, her only human contact being her mother. The windows of her home are all draped shut, and she has never left. Her only contact with humanity is the occasional hour of television allowed to her. One day, her mother doesn't return home. A week later she hears people in the house, which is in direct opposition to mom's rule #1: Nobody else is ever allowed into the house. In fear, Sienna fights back against the intruders and races out the front door, breaking rule #2: Never leave the house. For the first time, she has a glimpse of the outside world, and nothing will ever be the same, again.

In this book, Crane has created a rich world filled with secret organizations that keep an eye on Metas, people with extraordinary abilities that go beyond the normal human range, and Sienna is one of them.

So is her missing mother.

Crane does a spectacular job of filling a reader's mind with questions. Who and what is Sienna? Why is she so important? Who can she trust? And why in the world did her mother always demand that she remain fully clothed - with gloves - even when she slept???

Fortunately, Crane was kind enough to answer a few of these questions within Alone.

And!

He left us hanging, unable to answer the others, making the reader anxious to read book 2: Untouched.

In the beginning, I felt that Sienna was very much like Rogue of the X-Men. The similarities were strong.

However, while the world of The Girl in the Box feels rather X-Men-esque, I wouldn't brush it aside as an attempt to remake the Marvel world in the author's own image. Rather, I see it as an entirely different world with rich characters.

See, even though I originally felt it was too much like the world of X-Men, I continued reading, and the story really took hold of me. I laughed, I cried, and I was able to place myself within the world Crane created, actively taking part in the drama.

(I gave myself heightened senses and the ability to heal others, along with slightly enhanced strength. 

Because... who wouldn't want those abilities?)

Alone was a thrilling book that I'd recommend to anyone that enjoys a good superhero based read. I got through it fairly quickly, and continued on into book 2. I didn't want to leave Crane's world.

However, I would recommend taking a break between books 1 and 2, because the second book begins with a great deal of exposition that explains what happened in Alone. This is not a complaint - it's highly necessary, and the exposition is very well written.

Enjoyable.

Unfortunately, going directly into the pages of book 2 after reading book 1 caused me to skip through a lot of that narration, since my head was already happily floating through the world of the story.

So pace yourself if you get the box set. You don't want to simply skim through the narrative. It's full of personality, and deserves to be read in entirety.

The Girl in The Box Series (Books 1-3) is available in the Nook, Kindle and Smashwords stores.

If you prefer, Alone (The first book) can also be individually downloaded via Nook Kindle and Smashwords.

At the moment, the box set and the first book are both FREE, but I don't know how long that offer will last.

Dazzled By The Last Dance

Fast paced Action.

Swordplay.

Humongous beasties from the dark beyond.

That's what I was in the mood for this time. I also wanted a strong female protagonist. Not just any strong female would do, of course, but one that was focused, disciplined, and tough... with some wit thrown in for good measure.

I wanted Sarah Connor mixed with Buffy Summers. Odd combo, I know, but whoever said desires make any sense?

Well, I didn't get Buffy. Actually, I didn't get Sarah Connor, either. But what I did get was someone that made my blood sing for more.

I got Emiko.

Who's Emiko, you ask?

 She's that awesome woman on the cover of The Last Dance: A Sepia Blue Short, written by Orlando Sanchez. This is basically a prequel to his Sepia Blue series.

So what's it about?

The Unholy, creatures of the darkness, have been imprisoned within Central Park for over a hundred years. Wards placed around the park keep the Unholy from breaking out into the the rest of the world, and elite warriors known as Hunters have the duty of protecting us from them. But the wards are weakening, and the unholy have escaped. Emiko, a Level One Hunter, prepares for the toughest battle she's ever faced in an effort to keep the weakened wards from breaking in entirety, knowing this would allow the Unholy the freedom to wreak havoc on human society.

This short story is only around 35 pages in length, but it's one of the best teasers for a series that I've seen in a while.

Sanchez places the reader into Emiko's shoes from the very beginning, giving us a glimpse into her soul. He tells us very little, choosing instead to make Emiko's words and actions speak for her.

And they do it well.

Emiko was focused on her goal, she was smart, and she fought with incredible discipline... but she was also compassionate.

She was somebody that I could admire.

While the first couple of pages were a little slower than I would have liked for a short story, the rest of this work more than made up for that. Its fast paced action and its ability to pull me in made me want Emiko to prevail against the Unholy at all costs.

Sanchez made me want more.

Thankfully, The Last Dance isn't the end. Rather, it's the story of an important event set before the Sepia Blue series, which focuses on Emiko's daughter, Sepia.

And I really hope to find that Sepia is as awesome as her mother when I read the first full novel in the series!

While not available on Smashwords, The Last Dance can be found on Kindle and Nook, as well as Scribd.

An Amazing Experience at 'The Pit Stop'

Anyone up for a short story?

...because I found a good one. I originally found this author sometime before Christmas, but ended up not reading the work I had downloaded. This occasionally happens, because my reading moods change fairly quickly. I'll download a high fantasy, for instance, then decide that what I really want is a scifi story with emphasis on starships.

I know, I know...

Bad Rebecca! Don't do that!

The good news, though, is that in this case I came back to the writer after I saw another author tweet about her.

::hint, hint:: Tweet about authors that fit my review guidelines. You may end up giving them some extra exposure.

What did I find, you ask?

Cover by Jeff Boyce

I was fortunate to rediscover Carmen DeSousa. Her paranormal short story, The Pit Stop was spectacular!

While DeSousa has more than enough reviews on Amazon, I discovered that on Nook the number of reviews for The Pit Stop was surprisingly low. Fortunately, that meant she still fit the review guidelines, using my either/or clause.

So what's it about?

Officer Gino Canale and his wife make a pit stop for gas that causes Gino's memory of his grandparents' peaceful deaths to the resurface after twenty years. His nerves on edge, Gino's gut tells him that their deaths may not have been as simple as they appeared.

"This Stop Could be Life or Death"

DeSousa's extremely short story took less than an hour to read, which was fortunate, because I didn't want to stop. The story builds at a suspenseful pace, holding the reader in a tight grip throughout.

Even more exciting to me was the way that this story was written. This story was originally only 500 words long. Friends and family wanted her to lengthen it, and so she did...

She brought in her readers, and invited them to make suggestions on how the work would continue.

Pretty awesome, right?

Over time, that 500 word drabble was transformed into a stunning short story of nearly 10,000 words.

Furthermore, DeSousa impressed me with her ability to produce a realistic male protagonist. Oftentimes, I find that protagonists that aren't the same as the author are somewhat two-dimensional. This isn't always the case, of course, but it's very common - even among well established, high profile authors.

Carmen DeSousa, however, produced an overwhelmingly believable male in the field of law enforcement, rather than the 'stereotypical cop.' That is a huge accomplishment. Having been surrounded by family and friends in law enforcement for the majority of my life, I find this ability of hers to be quite rare.

The Pit Stop can be found on Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords.