"Blood Related" by William Cook - Review and Giveaway

BLOOD RELATED

BY WILLIAM COOK

 

WARNING: THIS REVIEW CONTAINS EXCERPTS FROM "BLOOD RELATED" THAT INCLUDE PROFANITY AS WELL AS GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS OF VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL REFERENCES THAT SOME MAY FIND OFFENSIVE OR DISTURBING

"I remember looking at Charlie and noticing he was visibly erect as he stood there staring, trembling with excitement and fear.

The sick fuck.

I would never stoop to be so obvious.

How tactless!
 

My curiosity got the better of me and I made the mistake of asking Pa why they had to die and, just before he knocked me unconscious, he said that they were a ‘present for a pig.’ Later on, I would find out for myself exactly who Ray Truman was and what he was capable of."

My Review


“Blood Related” is a fascinating journey through the mind and life of a third-generation serial killer. He is both a victim and a victimizer. He is deeply damaged and mentally ill. He embraces and is turned on by his murderous lifestyle.  He finds fulfillment in it and sees it as an expression of who he is. But he also knows it’s wrong and dreams of “one day becoming a better person”.

THE RADIO MURDERS: THE COLLECTORS

By Chuck Collins

“The Radio Murders: The Collectors” by Chuck Collins is a compelling story that pulled me in from the first page and never let me go. The plot was tight and well paced. Every page revealed something new and intriguing. Every character was well developed and interesting, none of them ordinary or predictable. My only complaint is the end of the story.  It was a total surprise and I found some of it not completely believable.

The story begins with a standoff between a woman who has killed several people before and a man she believes has something of great value to her. The entire ordeal is aired live on the radio show that is hosted by the brother of the murderous woman. When the opening scene ends, we are left with many questions that are dealt with in the rest of the book. It’s a story of family and greed and the things we will do for either. It has intrigue, sex, exotic locations, politics, and murder. The one thing it does not have is a dull moment.

The behavior of some characters at the end of the book seemed contrary to their nature and out of character to me. This is my only criticism of the book. It’s a ride that starts on page one and keeps moving and turning until the very last page. I highly recommend “The Radio Murders: The Collectors” if you’re looking for a fun, intriguing read. I look forward to the next installment in the series.

Cover Reveal: Made to Forget by Samantha LaFantansie & giveaway!

MADE TO FORGET by Samantha LaFantasie

There’s something that lies within my memory. Hidden in the dark. Something that can kill me and those that I love. But I was in an accident, covered in mystery and deception. And my memory…was lost. There are those who want me to remember. I don’t trust them. And those I do trust…are fighting for me to forget.

Elsabetha Ellery wants to get her memory back, even if it kills her.

After waking up in a hospital with no memory, Elsabetha quickly learns those who claim to be her friend are anything but. And those who are her true friends keep themselves unseen.

Stuck with piecing together her broken memories alone, Elsa struggles with having faith in those she trusts and heeding the warnings of the dangers in recovering her memory. Ignoring them, she faces heavy consequences. Ones she doesn’t see until it’s too late, and a life is lost.

If you'd like to be updated on the release of MADE TO FORGET -- sign up HERE.

A Kansas native, Samantha spends her free time with her husband and three kids. Writing has always been a passion of hers but she only took up writing seriously a few years ago. Among her writing credentials, she’s a board member of the Kansas Writer’s Association and has founded her own critique group lovingly named The Fighting Hamsters.

You can find her presence on...
Facebook † Twitter † Website † GoodReads

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Cover Reveal & Giveaway! - Skeleton Key Guild

Book 5 in The Doorknob Society Saga

Release: May 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Steampunk, Paranormal

Her parents dead, her sister missing, and those she loves branded traitors to the Old Kind... Chloe Masters is on the run.

To fulfill a parent’s dying wish she will do anything to save the sister she has never met. Can she learn the secrets of the Artifacts before it’s too late? Surrounded by her friends; Slade, Edgar, Jess, Val and the man she loves James Nightshade, Chloe has never had so much to live for... but will her enemies let her?

Reviews about The Doorknob Society

“I am SO GLAD that I said I’d review the 

book!! It had me interested from the first 

chapter, and HOOKED shortly after that!” 

Puretextuality.com 

“Let me start by saying that I'm a pretty picky 

reader. I have to be captured by a story almost 

immediately in order to continue reading. Well, I 

was captured by The Doorknob Society...and I 

am hooked!” Amazon 

“I couldn't put it down and read straight 

through and was so mad at myself for finishing 

it. I. CAN. NOT. WAIT. FOR. THE. NEXT. 

BOOK!” Goodreads 

Other books in the series...

About M.J. Fletcher

MJ Fletcher is the creator of the comic book series Adam Zero: The Last Man of Earth published by Ronin Studios. He’s also been published in Hope: The Hero Initiative and Digital Webbing Presents. The Doorknob Society series is his first book series and he’s thrilled about it. He lives near the beach with his wife, daughter, and dog.

Website † Twitter † Facebook † The Doorknob Society Website 

The Doorknob Society Book Trailer

Win an ebook copy of the first in the series, The Doorknob Society! Open International! 

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Writing Prompt - "Lost and Alone"

Lost and alone - that's how she felt despite the fact that she was surrounded by people. She took the customer's money, gave them their coffee, took the next customer's order, and so on. Auto-pilot. Forcing a smile. 

"Keep it or not? Marriage - absolutely not. Let mom and dad send me away for nine months? Joy. I'm an embarassment. Carry it for 9 months, then give it to a stranger? Spend the rest of my life wondering where it is and what it's doing? Get rid of it and feel guilty the rest of my life?"

"I agree we're not ready for marriage. I hate your parents for making you feel like an embarassment. I'm not crazy about any of the options honestly", Phillip had said.

"Thanks for the help", she had said and stormed off.

Any of the above would hurt someone. In the end it was her body, her choice, her that had to deal with the consequences of her decision every day for the rest of her life. Yes, she was very much lost and alone.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this or any other writing prompt I post. Tell me what you think of the content or any technical aspects. If you had to sit down right now and write about the words "lost and alone", what would you write about?

John Greene! Dying Declarations

The vlogbrothers, Hank and John Green, have a quirky, nerdy style that people either love or hate. I love. They vlog about everything from honey beavers to Fahrenheit 451 to dying declarations. For some reason that I can't put my finger on, I prefer John. Below is one of his vlog entries. The subject is dying declarations of famous people. Take a look.

 

Come on! How can that not make you smile? A light-hearted, enthusiastic look at what is usually a very serious subject - that is what the vlogbrothers are all about. They educate about many things without being condescending and make us smile and laugh as they do so.  

So tell me, did you know the vlogbrothers before reading this post? Do you love them or hate them? And what about this topic - dying declarations. I think this book that John bought sounds fascinating, do you? Got any favorites you'd like to share? I always love hearing what you think!

 

"Bubbles Tastes and Flirts" by Parisjean

I found Parisjean's poem, "Bubbles Tastes and Flirts" on fanstory.com and I love it! It tickles your senses and has a seductive, flirty feel. Hope you enjoy it as well.

Bubbles Tastes And Flirts by Parisjean
Artwork by simonka at FanArtReview.com 

You light a flame
And so I relish your
Cold taste teasing
My taste buds like never before
So as you awaken my taste buds
And slide your coolness down my throat
I welcome your flirt in my mouth
Making me beg and want you more
I am so so thirsty scream my thoughts
As I take another big swallow
From you
My delicious sweet champagne
Of bubbles taste and flirts  

You can connect with Parisjean in any of the ways shown below:

Twitter

Facebook 

Goodreads  

Pinterest

A Note of Sympathy - Rick Hautala

I am truly saddened today by the sudden, too-early passing of the talented Rick Hautala. I didn't know Rick personally. I have read some of his books and we were friends on Facebook. His book "The Wildman" was one of my first reviews on my blog. He was always a pleasure on Facebook.  Without exception everyone who knew him describes him as a great friend and, to the aspiring authors who knew him he was a great teacher and source of encouragement. 

A great writer and a great friend -

you will be missed Rick. 

R.I.P.

 

55 Words - "Cries of Desperation"

The challenge 

"Write a 55-word fictional story on any subject. Use exactly 55 words. The title does not count towards the 55 character count."

I had been looking for a writing contest and figured I could do this - 55 words, how hard could that be? Harder than you think.

Blog Tour Review - "Wanderlust" by Elieba Levine

Publisher: Pinnacle (September 26, 2012)

Category: Erotica
Tour Dates: March, 2013
Available in: ebook  196 pages

ADVENTURE From New York to Kenya to Katmandu, Jane Perry sets out to explore the world and finds romance and excitement at every turn... PASSION From Bali to Sydney to Hawaii, Jane follows her heart's desires... and leaves behind men who will never forget her... WANDERLUST An erotic odyssey of passion and obsession. Part of a trilogy: Wanderlust, Interludes, Escapes

 About Elieba Levine:

 

Elieba Levine is a passionate writer and discerning editor who currently resides in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She has written five fiction novels, a picture book, and an award-winning screenplay. Her extensive world travels greatly influenced the settings in her erotic trilogy Wanderlust, Interludes, and Escapes-which have recently been released in electronic format. She is currently working on her next novel.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/EliebaLevine
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Elieba-Levine/118028291680615?ref=hl

My Review:

"Wanderlust" is the story of passionate affairs had by Jane Perry as she travels to exotic places all over the world. The descriptions of her travels add interest to the story and provide some insight into things one might witness in these locations - things like the exotic animals and their behavior in Kenya and the markets of Kathmandu. 

I found the characters flat and didn't care much for the main character. Every time she turned around there was a man she was considering have sex with. I understand that the point of the book was that Jane was allowing herself to have new experiences but she just seemed easy to me. A total stranger on a plane asks her to share his room and she agrees. I would have liked more intrigue, more emotion, more connection between the objects of her desire.

The sex scenes were fairly well done. I did get caught up in some of them. But it didn't help the book overall much. Much of the plot was very predictable and lacked much imagination.  

Cover Reveal - "The Avery Shaw Experiment" by Kelly Oram

Title: The Avery Shaw Experiment
Author: Kelly Oram
Publisher: Bluefields
Format: ebook
Genre: YA contemporary romance
Release Date: May 2013

Summary:

When Avery Shaw’s heart is shattered by her life-long best friend, she chooses to deal with it the only way she knows how—scientifically.

The state science fair is coming up and Avery decides to use her broken heart as the topic of her experiment. She’s going to find the cure. By forcing herself to experience the seven stages of grief through a series of social tests, she believes she will be able to get over Aiden Kennedy and make herself ready to love again. But she can’t do this experiment alone, and her partner (ex partner!) is the one who broke her heart.

Avery finds the solution to her troubles in the form of Aiden’s older brother Grayson. The gorgeous womanizer is about to be kicked off the school basketball team for failing physics. He’s in need of a good tutor and some serious extra credit. But when Avery recruits the lovable Grayson to be her “objective outside observer,” she gets a whole lot more than she bargained for, because Grayson has a theory of his own: Avery doesn’t need to grieve. She needs to live. And if there’s one thing Grayson Kennedy is good at, it’s living life to the fullest.

A Peek at Avery

Grayson finally noticed Aiden and I on the couch. “What are you two dorks doing?”

“Learning about steroids,” I said cheerfully. “You should probably know that using them can cause acne, testicular atrophy, decreased sperm count, prostate enlargement and gynecomastia.”

Grayson looked rightfully appalled. “Gyneco-what-ia?”

Chief Complaint: Brain Tumor Cosmic Blast

 

 

 

 

Chief Complaint: Brain Tumor

At 57 years old, I thought I was the poster child for fifty-year old healthiness: I competed in triathlons, rode in 100 mile biking events and ate a healthy diet chock full of organic vegetables. Then I discovered that I had a brain tumor the size of my wife’s fist. My memoir chronicles the first year I spent addressing tumor-related health issues: preparing for my first operation, discovering a dangerous skull infection, having the infected portion of my skull surgically removed, learning about my substantial vision and cognitive losses, undergoing rehab and radiation treatments, and learning to live with my “new normal.” And, as best I can tell, the phrase “new normal” is the medical community’s code words for “You’re alive, so quit bitchin’.” As my health changed, so did my sense of humor. My humor started out superficially light-hearted prior to the first operation; transmogrified into gallows humor after several subsequent operations; and leveled out as somewhat wry-ish after radiation and rehab. Topics I write about in the book include:

• How not to tell everybody you have a brain tumor
• Why it’s a lot of work to die in this country
• Why I had difficulties in naming my tumor
• How I negotiated bathroom visits with “Nurse Don’t-Bother-Me”
• Why I could prove that I was the “dumbest guy in the room”
• Why someone compared the back of my head to a diseased goat
• How I flunked a job interview with myself

This is a book for anybody interested in memoirs about people dealing with personal crises, for patients trudging through rehab, for caretakers helping victims of serious illnesses, or for anybody looking for an unexpected chuckle from an unlikely subject.  

COVER REVEAL and GIVEAWAY!! - "Eyes of Ember" by Rebecca Ethingtong

Paperback, 380 pages

Expected publication: April 6th 2013 by Imdalind Press
Eyes of Ember is the second book in Ethington's Imdalind Series.

Joclyn is in hiding, hunted by the man she still desperately loves. Ryland is gone, his mind erased, no memory of Joclyn remains. But, Joclyn’s heart desperately begs her to hold out hope. While, in reality the black eyed monster that possesses him, attempts to kill her over and over.

If it wasn’t for Ilyan, Joclyn would be dead by now.

Ilyan. The man who once stalked her, is now Joclyn’s protector, the only thing she has left. He protects Joclyn from the men who seek to end her life, and while she is haunted by dreams where Ryland begs her to break the bond between them.

Writing Prompt - Truant

“Dear Parent, this letter is to inform you that your child is truant as the result of three unexcused absences . . . “

Blah, blah, blah. Whatever. I go, you yell at me for not sitting still or falling asleep. I don’t go, I’m truant. Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.

Chris left the letter on the kitchen table for his mom and glanced at his watch. 10:40. What time does the bus come? Maybe mom . . . he looked on the counter. Yep, she did. He smiled. She left his ipad on the counter before she went to work and put a post-it note on it - “Bus at 3^rd and Hill at 11:00”. Oh, crap.

He went to his room and banged out a question to a discussion group for indie game developers.   

“game locks up. problem lines below. What’s the prob?”

Enter

Back to the kitchen to grab an apple and his ipad. Another post-it under the ipad – “Don’t forget your keys – on hook by door”.

Apple in mouth, ipad under arm, ipod in pocket, out the door with his keys.  As soon as his butt hit the bench at the bus stop, he saw the bus turn the corner and had to stand right back up.

10 minutes into an online TedTalk about super string theory, his phone vibrated.

. . . And Because I'm Legally Obligated to Do So

Each post I create has a different motivation behind it, a different inspiration. Today's isn't deep or philosophical. Why today's post? Because it has David Letterman, children, and music and I love all three! And because I'm from Kentucky so I am legally obligated to thrust Bluegrass music on you at some point and it might as well be today. (We DO wear shoes in Kentucky by the way).

These boys are brothers and are all under the age of 16. And before you go running at the phrase "Bluegrass music", check them out. They are very talented musicians whatever their age. The fact that they are so young makes them even more impressive.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Sleepy Man Banjo Boys!
 

Amo L'Italia

I have done a few posts the last couple of weeks about the movie “Eat Pray Love”. It's a good movie, not a great one, but it has some good life lessons and allows us to see some beautiful parts of the world. This movie was the beginning of my love for Italy and its people's passion for life. 

In one scene a character named of Luca Spaghetti (love the name!) says that Americans don’t know how to enjoy life. He says we have to schedule our fun. We kill ourselves working all week, go home and drink a six-pack on Friday night and wake up feeling awful. Pretty dang close Luca! However, Italians, he says, they just enjoy life every day. They enjoy their wine. They experience their food instead of being so hurried that they don’t even taste it. The movie portrays eating as more than consuming food. Both preparing it and eating it are about love, friends, and family.  

Book Blast - "Unbroken" by Melody Grace

Sneak Peek...

“So, you own the bar now?” I say, “That’s great. Why didn’t you say?”

Emerson gives me a measured look. “You didn’t ask.”

I stop. How is this my fault? “Yeah, well I didn’t exactly have time, what with you pummeling a guy, pretending like you were going to make out with me, then judging every one of my life choices.”

My reply whips out before I can stop it. I clamp my hand over my mouth, and stare at the shocked expression on Emerson’s face. He so wasn’t expecting that! But why the hell shouldn’t I say it? It’s the truth, after all. I let out a giggle, unable to stop myself.

Something Totally Random

So here's the deal. Totally random writing prompts. Daily. Some will be pure brainstorm and some I'll put into a little story - flash fiction if you will. I have to limit it to 300 or so words. I'll post the stories here. I won't spend a lot of time editing, revising, etc. A little research if I think it's needed, then write it and spend an hour or so tops.

Today's totally random subject was selected by going to Google Search, closing my eyes, and hitting 3 letters on my keyboard. Whatever Google listed first under the results for those 3 letters was to be the subject for today's writing prompt. 

I typed "hkg" and the first result was "Hong Kong International Airport". It did require a bit of research since I know nothing about Hong Kong. Here is the resulting piece of writing. Let's call it - "Bik's New Bed". Let me know what you think - the cold, hard truth! 

"Mommy, it's so big!", 4-year old Bik commented to her mother, Jin Wang as they strode hand in hand through the terminal in the Hong Kong International Airport. In her other hand,  she clutched a photograph. 

Jin smiled. "Look, you can see the sky through the ceiling!" 

Bik looked up from her photo, smiled and skipped. She stumbled.

"Mommy, you go too fast".

Cover Reveal - "Demon Derby" by Carrie Harris

Title: DEMON DERBY

Author: Carrie Harris

Publisher: Random House

Genre: Paranormal

Age Group: Young Adult

Expected release: March 2014

Casey kicked cancer’s ass. Now a demon wants to kick hers...

Casey hates being known as the girl who survived cancer. She wants people to treat her like her old self, fearless and strong. And after a creepy encounter with a crazy guy in an alley, Casey is all about reclaiming her power. 

So when she has a chance to try out for the Apocalypsies roller derby team, she jumps on it. Being a derby girl would prove that she doesn’t need anybody’s pity. It doesn’t hurt that Michael, the team manager, is almost unnaturally hot. Which makes sense when Casey finds out that he’s not even human.

Book Blast - "Astarte's Wrath" by Trisha Wolfe

Amazon † Barnes and Noble

Astarte's Wrath is the companion novel to... 

Check out Trisha Wolfe's other books...

A peek inside Astarte's Wrath...

“I’ve found you.”

I turn to see Xarion leaning against the frame of my terrace door. A slight smile curves his beautiful lips, and his arms are crossed over his bronze muscled cuirass.

Feeling brave, I slip close and wrap my arms around his waist, the brass studs of his belt pressing against my stomach. “I wasn’t hiding,” I say, looking up into his face. I can see his exhaustion there, in the dark crescents under his eyes, though he’s putting on a good front. “I’d never tempt a great hunter.”