Book Review: Corridors of My Mind by Angel M. B. Chadwick

Well. Sit yourselves down. Maybe I haven't read much poetry in a while, though I read Tennyson quite a lot, or as I like to call him "The one who plays all my favourite tunes at once".

The beautifully titled Corridors of My Mind, by Angel M.B. Chadwick, has created a collection of poetry that is, to be blunt, a quite astounding piece of work. Some of the chapters hit home runs more often than others, but Hurt Me is a stand out piece, I literally bled every line - so if anyone is thinking of writing poetry, and would like to refer to it in a modern life context, you really should read this book. It towers above anything I have read in years. I don't sugar coat books or authors - truly, if I like something, they'll know about it!

That's not to say you'll enjoy everything about it. Some of it really hits you like you woke up one day and decided to headbutt a rhino.

I don't wish to make light of this collection. It's a great literary set, and anyone who has never known anything from life probably won't glean anything from this collection. But, if you're like me, a repeat offender from the school of hard knocks, you'll take something from this book.

It will beat you, pummel you, make you want to submit. Don't read it fast - make sure you take your time, because there is a lot to absorb. Don't move onto the next poem until you have taken in the previous one. In the end, you will read it all. And you'll be grateful for the experience.

Teaser Poster: Stormling II: The Curse of Avonwych

Stormling was my first attempt at a full length novel. I started putting pen to paper (or finger to keyboard) in 2011, and in 2014, I finally released the book.

It went through a number of changes, as did I, and yet it remains my most ambitious project to date.

With this new story, I think the foundation of Book One will give readers much excitement with the impending release of the second in the series. I certainly hope so anyway!

Through the Dark Winter and A Tale of Vampires series, I have learned so much. It's my ambition and my duty to give you the very best story that I can. You, dear reader, give me your time - so it can hardly be said you give me, the author, something for free.

In 2016, this book will see the light of day. As I am working on other projects at the moment, I cannot offer you a firm release date. But I won't let you down, that much I promise you!

You can catch up  with Book One, here:

Stormling: The Legend of Mordana: I

Pre-ordering Dream the Crow's Black Dream (A Tale of Vampires, #4)

If you were thrilled by Murderous Little Darlings, spooked by The Blood and the Raven, and turned inside out by Innocent While She Sleeps, you might just be interested in my fourth-in-series Tale of Vampires, which is available on Kindle pre-order now, with the paperback to follow close to the release date of 1st May 2015.

Pre-order on Amazon here

This Tale is is the longest of the four to date, and serves more like a mini-novel than a novella. We are reintroduced with a favourite protagonist, and a wicked antagonist.

Expect spooks, chills, gore (in context!) and thrills, which will give you an ending you are not expecting.

Make my day, keep the vampires at bay, and hit that pre-order button now!

Book Review: Karnage (The Phoenix Ashes, Book One) by AJ Leigh

4.5 stars, rounded up to 5 

Karnage is the second fantasy book I have read this month, and I have to say that from page one, I could hear voices (not a good sign!) saying 'You don't know what you're getting into.'

That's the beauty of great fantasy writing. I want to get lost in a new, different and thrilling.

Book One of the Phoenix Ashes Trilogy, Karnage, is a beautifully detailed world with a myriad of characters that at times, threaten to overwhelm the reader.

However, this being a trilogy, it would not work with a handful of characters.

What the author has done - brilliantly in my opinion, is give her characters tremendous abilities that within the confines of her world, are believable and well constructed.

The author has gone to great lengths to make us understand what the different characters charms and abilities are. Her way of describing things is way above many fantasy writers, and I can only see this growing in the next two books.

There's lot's of fun and thrills along the way, but there is one absolutely gobsmacking moment, about five or so chapters before the end, that makes this tale so captivating.

Lucas, who is main character no2, is one of those Marmite type characters - you'll either cheer for him, or want him to fall down a very long flight of stairs.

The drama is balanced well with the humour. Lines such as the ones below made me smile:-

The next day, Professor Lyle worked us hard to build our stamina. I would make sure to thank him when I was being chased by a stampede of animals, but right now it was not what I needed.

The ending is pretty much perfect. I know there is to be a second book, but you'll close the page and think 'hmm, I feel good about this.'

AJ Leigh - very talented author. I look forward to the next in the series!

Book Review: Venus Lionheart - The Witch and the God

With every adventure, comes a great risk, otherwise it wouldn't be an adventure. Let's find someone who knows a little about that:-  

 For 12 year old Venus Lionheart, things are pretty normal at first. She's at school, has geeky friends like Sebastian and Eric, and yeah...it's fine, until she finds herself in Freaksville, Shropshire (well no, it's

 Helmsmere, Shropshire)  

 Fortunately, our Vee is not without help, and she soon finds herself on a mission (yep - a mission, not a quest, I think that implies she might just fail!) and has friends like Galahad (I kid you not) and a really special guy whose name begins with M (but I can't tell you who it is because it will give all the choc-covered treats away in one go but I can say it is not M from the 007 movies).

 

With this band crew of hardened warriors (and not so hardened, in some cases) Ophelia traverses time, visits stones before they became a tourist attraction (yeah, Wiltshire Council, all your bus tours and spoken guides are way less interesting than the Stones themselves, okay?) But let's not forget that Venus has some powers of her own. And they don't go down too well with a man who may or may not be a man of the cloth...

Overall, Venus Lionheart's first adventure won't be her last. This is a fun and thrill packed debut novel, which will have you chuckling at one moment and cheering at others. In the best tradition of my all-time favourite children's novel, Rebecca's World, this book can hold it's head high. The reason why debut novels are enjoyable is because the author can write not knowing what the world will think of their book. Write fearlessly, and you never know what you'll be capable of. I think you'll be hearing a LOT more about Dino Costi in the not so distant future.

Buy on Amazon.com

Buy on Amazon.co.uk

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

For those of you who read Murderous Little Darlings, or The Blood and the Raven (hopefully both) here is the cover for the paperback version of Innocent While She Sleeps.

Let me know what you think - the book is officially out on March 1st 2015. You can pre-order on Amazon here and add to your GoodReads to-read-list here

Book Review: Crazy on You by James Duncan, J Kahele

If you hear a book described as a taut, tough sexy thriller, you could maybe think of a million books and films that have been described this way, but rarely - if ever - deliver.

Crazy on You is a co-authored work by J Kahele of the stupendous Mine series, as well as the superb Facade. James Duncan is a UK based author.

Both styles come together to work in devastating fashion. James writes from the London base, making his character Archie Pope real, cocky, and likeable. Isabella is created from the Italian-American side, and it would be easy to say that Miss Kahele wrote all her lines.

The thing is, this co-authored book is so masterfully put together, the two writers may have well have been sitting side by side as they wrote.

I really wasn't sure if I would like Archie, he of The Pope Crew, a rather unsavoury set of London gangsters, who made me think of Dexter Fletcher in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. That film absolutely rocked, but things in this story pick up when the Crew jet off to New York to negotiate a deal with the brutal head of the Commatra family.

Sounds like Goodfellas and Casino rolled into one, right? I love both of those films, and this story put me back amongst those wiseguys. What perhaps is not so wise is Archie falling - big time - for Isabella - our New York crime bosses daughter.

It's clear these two have a link, and it sets in motion a chain of events that could destroy both crews, and tangle their lives into a loop that cannot be unravelled. 

I'm not from Lahn-donn, but from Birmingham. We speak a bit differently here, although I don't really have a Brummie accent. Imagine if Toril from my Dark Winter series is told 'Toril bab, mind where yams putting that wand, yamorite love?'

That said, I was totally at home with the Cockney slang, and it's a fun part of the book to read. Perhaps where the book is at its strongest is in the writing of the Pope crew, who constantly 'take the mick' out of one another, whilst respecting each other (to a certain degree).

They arrive in the US, absolutely cock-sure of themselves. In US gangster films like GF and Casino, there is always that worry about upsetting another crew. 

Not the Popes. They are nasty, brutal, and cool with it.

The 'hot' scenes, as ever from the author of Mine and Facade, are tastefully done and you get the real love Archie and Isabella have for one another. 

Some may view the fact that Archie pretty much falls for Isabella the first moment he sees her as not for real - I can honestly say that some women can have that affect on men, and it's often more than just a lustful feeling.

From the start, Crazy on You has a different feel. Just how can one categorise this story? It's a gangster tale, a sexy romance, a suspenseful thriller (literally each page could have had someone blown away) and a comedy.

Some of the lines were truly laugh out loud:-

"He's got more front than Brighton."

"If Al Pacino and Joe Pesci had taken a leak or two, hundreds of lives would have been saved."

You should read the book for more!

So take a bow, Mr Duncan and Miss Kahele. I'm Crazy on this book!

Buy at Amazon US

Buy at Amazon UK