Book Review: The Recession Groom by Vani

The Recession Groom by Vani is the first book I have ever read that focussed exclusively on a prominent male Indian character. I felt I learned a lot about Indian culture and also about the arranged weddings that take place.

As a teenager, I had many Indian friends at school. After we left school, some of us stayed in touch, and one friend told me he was getting married soon.

When I asked him where he and his wife-to-be would be living, he said simply 'Oh, the same house.'

In English culture, we want to move out as soon as we can, often with devastating consequences! I managed to stay out and remained independent once I had left home. My siblings had to return.

But having read this book, I love the culture it introduced me to.

I have to admit approaching this book wondering if I would really like it. I can happily say it is a truly great book and wonderful debut novel.

It mirrored some of the aspects of my own experiences in the IT world.

Parshuraman Joshi is 27 when we first meet him. He is an IT Professional, lives in Canada, and earns good money doing what he does. For my part, I was 26 when I started working for an IT company, and 35 when 'let go' due to the recession.

It still affects me to this day, to the point that I never wanted to return to work in IT again. So even reading a work of fiction I felt might be quite traumatising for me!

Fortunately, the writing is far from dry, unlike many IT and marketing projects (though the mention of the words 'Project Infinite' had me running for cover!) that some consider sexy - (ugh! No...you'll never convince me of that!)

I really thought it would be about Parshuraman and his wife-to-be, but within a few pages we are introduced to Jennifer, who is a fun character but not really wife material.

Even funnier are the calls Parshuraman receives in the middle of the night from potential father in laws. I can imagine my reaction would be the same as his if I was pushed in this manner.

Things get very interesting when Parshuraman ends up in India to head up the IT project, and has Jennifer along for the ride.

By far the best character is Nani, Parshuraman's grandmother - who has a wit and tenacity with the best of these older generation characters. It makes me want to cherish those around me all the more before we leave this world. 

There was nothing pretentious about the writing. The story flows effortlessly and characters are well drawn. It's easy to say some characters are predictable, like the rather bossy sister - but we've all had one of those in our lives!

Overall this is a must read for anyone interested in Indian culture, marriage, Canada, or IT! 

It was much better than I thought it was going to be, so I applaud this author for drawing us so easily into her world.

Bravo to Vani!

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Cover Reveal: Dark Winter #3: Last Rites

Back in Spring 2012,   I was furiously making notes about a girl, alone in the woods, who possessed an item of great and unknown power. This was to shape the first book in my paranormal horror trilogy, Dark Winter.

Hard to believe that we are now in 2015, and I am looking at the draft of the third and final book, due for release this October. 

From that first book, The Wicca Circle, to 2014's Crescent Moon, this final book in the series will be called Last Rites.

You can add this book to your read list here

I want all readers to know that whilst I spent a lot of money on getting the covers for each of the books just how I wanted them, I really gave it my best whilst writing too.

Of course, any writer can say this. So I will leave you with the cover for now, with more news to come as we near that final release date.

Finally, if you have read either or both of the first two books, you have my eternal thanks and gratitude. This final book is for you then!

You can buy them here 

Best wishes and happy reading to you all!

Book Review (BBC Edited Audio Version) - Carmilla by Sheridan le Fanu

I haven't read this book in many, many years. So I was delighted to hear this special audio version on BBC 4 over the Christmas holiday.

The book is famous for being published ahead of the even more famous Bram Stoker's Dracula, but Carmilla is no less powerful.

I read this book as a teenager, but saw the film version called The Vampire Lovers which could be said to be a loose interpretation of the book.

I felt that the Carmilla of the book was much younger in appearance than Ingrid Pitt's sultry vampire.

But this review is about the audio version, and our heroine, Laura, is acted well; showing her elation at the vampire being in her room, to a great show of fear when she realises the young woman is nothing short of a monster.

Carmilla is a short read, at just 108 pages long. The story does not need any more length, as it is a powerful, unsettling story. I would argue that it is far more frightening than Dracula.

Carmilla harkens back to a time when vampires were truly frightening. If you are in Laura's position, hearing people around you dying of a fever, knowing that you too are unwell, and yet unable to resist the vampire makes for an interesting spectacle.

I believe there is a modern day tv series featuring this character. I wonder can it work? For me, Carmilla is a throw back to those Victorian periods, and I am not sure I would work in a modern setting.

When Laura ends up in the house of Carmilla, she has already been warned not to ask Carmilla anything regarding her heritage.

Carmilla is rather too forward on Laura, and yet, when Laura finally plucks up courage to ask the reason as to why she cannot know about her past, the vampire naturally gets annoyed. Of course, she holds power over the young girl.

Laura could hardly get Carmilla out in the daytime. This book puts paid to the thought that vampires are burned to ash in the daytime sun. It is handled extremely well, with the vampire complaining of headaches because of the sun.

As other young girls start to die, the net begins to close in on Carmilla. In the end, she cannot outrun them, or can she?

Expect thrills, (blood) spills and drama aplenty in this brilliant adaptation. Seek this story out in whatever format you can, and enjoy it.

Cover Reveal and Book News: Innocent While She Sleeps (A Tale of Vampires, #3)

May 2015 will see the release of the third novella in my vampire series. Titled Innocent While She Sleeps, the book's story closely follows the previous installments, Murderous Little Darlings, and The Blood and the Raven.

Here's the cover:-

Synopsis:-

Tormented by all the wicked and evil deeds she has committed in her life, Juliana has never known what it is like to truly rest in peace. Far from the confines of the Blood and the Raven; at Castle Dreymuir, a most unlikely source offers her a way out of the life.

Initially, Juliana dismisses it out of hand; stating the cost is far too high for her to possibly consider. But as time goes on, one overwhelming desire eats away at her - a return to innocence in both her waking hours and whilst she sleeps.

Will Juliana accept this deadly but most compelling of offers, so that she can put her deadly existence to rest, once and for all?

I'm really enjoying writing this series. Novellas are fun to do, but what's great for me about this series is that all seven novellas will tie into one whole book. So we are only on book three, there's a lot more fang related fun, horror, twists and thrills to come.

My thanks to the following people for their reviews so far for the series. Your support is amazing!

Aditi Saha, Cristiane Serruya, J Kahele, Merril Anil, S.R. Gibbs, Maxine Groves, Donna O'Neill, Charlee Henley, Sofhy Haisyah.

Cheers and happy reading!

GoodReads Giveaway: The Blood and the Raven

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Blood and the Raven

by John Hennessy

Giveaway ends March 01, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Book Review: Frozen Charlotte by Alex Bell

Synopsis: We're waiting for you to come and play. Dunvegan School for Girls has been closed for many years. Converted into a family home, the teachers and students are long gone. But they left something behind...Sophie arrives at the old schoolhouse to spend the summer with her cousins. Brooding Cameron with his scarred hand, strange Lilias with a fear of bones and Piper, who seems just a bit too good to be true. And then there's her other cousin. The girl with a room full of antique dolls. The girl that shouldn't be there. The girl that died.

Review: 

Oh boy. Doesn't that cover creep you out? Does the synopsis grab you? For the first third of this book, I was utterly enthralled by this book, which explains its urban legend of the horrid Frozen Charlotte dolls expertly and with great clarity.

Sophie is our heroine, and she spends time at an old house along with her cousins. Prior to this, we learn in the first few chapters of Sophie's encounter with a phone-app enabled ouija board, the use of which has some terrible consequences.

Well, of course horrible things happen. Have you ever known a ouija board not fail to deliver? I had one in the house that I grew up in. How it got there, I don't know. I must ask my mum some time about that. If I had to guess, I'd say my Nan put it there!

Anyway, Sophie ends up at the house with her distant family members, and sure enough, things start to happen.

Most chilling for me was Lilias, who had such a fear of bones, she wants to take a knife to her skin so she can cut the skeleton out. If you got that image, perhaps you can understand the power of author Alex Bells writing. It is good - very good!

I'd advise you look up the legend of Frozen Charlotte for yourself. It is in this where the book's power resonates, and any mention of them in the book sent chills up, down and across my spine.

The book perhaps suffers a little in its length, if only a chapter or two shorter I think it may have been just that little bit tighter. I for one would not want to stay in a house where such freaky things are happening - the piano is a case in point - you'll know when you read it!

As always, well written books like this have a great baddie - and in this book, it is not so obvious who it is.

Let me just say, as horrid as they are, the Frozen Charlotte dolls are not the worst thing in the book. It's a human - and what this person does is horrific and unforgettable.

Frozen Charlotte has the right balance of horror and suspense for a YA level story. I enjoyed it immensely, Thoroughly recommended.

Book Review: Revival by Stephen King

Revival sees the Word Master, (yes, you, Mr King) take us on a journey that thrills, excites and haunts us. I started reading Stephen King as a twelve year old, and He had me at Carrie, he truly did.

I've been waiting for a novel like this since Desperation, his last truly great novel, in my very humble and often humbled opinion.

Reviewing King is something I find near nigh-on-impossible to do. Why? Because he has a reputation for writing way above anyone else, and I have to say, it is a reputation deserved. He crafts a tale in a way that his peers must remark at, and fledgling authors like myself come away thinking  Darn it, John. That's how you write stories.

So I must review this book as the reader, so here goes.

Charles Jacobs is an eccentric Reverend, whose sermons veer from apocalyptic warnings to ranting about inconsistencies in The Good Book. Jamie, our hero (of sorts) meets the Good / Bad Reverend when he is aged just six.

Rev C is not just into God - he believes he has the power to see past Death, and Revive it in some way. He believes he can cure an impending death, so when someone gets cancer or a similar disease, out pops the Rev's box of tricks, through which he runs - and controls an electric current.

Most times, this works. Other times, there are horrific consequences to these acts. Throughout, Jamie is the link, thinking he has moved on from the Reverend, but never really taking care of that side of things. 

There's another thread to Revival that I have noticed in other notable King novels, Insomnia, and Mr Mercedes, to name but two. I'll now add Revival to that little-known rock band.

King is in his late sixties now. I'm seeing, and understanding the things he talks about. The three stages of age - youth, middle -age, and you look f****** terrific. I'll do what I can to stay the wrinkles, but I notice more each day. I can relate to what he is saying.

It takes a master like King to make you relate to the characters and yourself whilst you are reading. Usually, I lose myself in a book like this, but on many occasions I had to rest it down and think - "Christ, he's right."

And he is. It makes me see things in a new perspective. His writing is THAT good.

There may be some naysayers who think King fans like myself will automatically rate his books as awesome and flawless story telling. Actually, it is because he is so good, I'm probably harder on him. I'm not a fanboy - I call it like it is. And if I really hated  a book, I would not trash it, I would just move on to something else that I hope I would like. Life's too short to hate, kids.

As the story evolves, we see Jamie grow up, get laid, join a rock band, get old. A lot of the growing pains cliches, you might think - but it is not the case here. Near the book's final act, Jamie's life, and his connection with Jacobs comes full circle. The 'pull' is so great I cannot nor will not reveal it here.

I just felt so happy, because on the first few pages of the book, I knew Stephen King was writing at his best once again. It falls short of Pet Semetary, Misery, It, and The Shining, but it towers above recent efforts Doctor Sleep and Mr Mercedes - which were both good in their own right.

In a nutshell, if you fell out of love with his writing, Revival offers you a perfect way to return. I'm sure in Stephen King's mind, he'd say 'I've been expecting you, anyway.'