Book Review: To St Petersburg With Love by Mel Cormican

        Synopsis

"To St Petersburg With Love" is a quirky travelogue that proves that life is often stranger - and more fun - than fiction. This is the tale of what happened when the author attempted to cycle around most of Northern Europe in 40 days.

The aim was that of a cycling purist: to cycle on all land between Southend and St Petersburg, and back. The trouble was with just weeks to go, he learned of someone who took 2 months to cycle one way from St Petersburg to London. Had he bitten off more than he could chew?

With his friend Craig, an impossibly tight schedule, visa and ship deadlines, bear fears, mishaps and good fortunes, they set off on a life changing adventure to see most of Northern Europe. This is the story of triumphs and tribulations, challenges and compromises, of battling against all the odds and learning to let go of the rules to live the adventure.

What began as an adventurous cycle to St Petersburg became a romantic story of love in Kaliningrad.

"Sometimes charity really hurts."

Sylvester Stallone, as Rocky Balboa, from Rocky III (1982)

Review

Prior to 2003 I was an avid traveller. No sooner had I finished one trip, I would be off on another. Or planning another. Or thinking about it. Wherever I happened to be on the travel spectrum, I just wanted to be sampling another country as soon as I could.

Some places I loved so much that I visited them again and again. In Mel Cormican's excellent To St Petersburg with Love, we are taken on a two-wheeled journey (for the most part) and we see many European countries through Mel's eyes, but also through his co-cyclist Craig.

If you are a non-cyclist, you might think that there's not a lot on offer for you here. I for one found the book full of surprises and felt I was cycling along with Mel and Craig as they dodged European red tape, dodged cars on Russian motorways (it was a big road, who knew?) and dodged falling out with each other as they tried to reach their goal, for charity no less.

What might have turned out to be a dry diary is anything but. I suppose you would have to love travelling. I am huge fan of Michael Palin's BBC travelogues and like watching Michael Portillo's train journeys also. It's all about the unknown. Would Mel and Craig reach St Petersburg? Who would they meet along the way? What difficulties would they come up against?

Through another writer this project could have fallen on its face. It may have been well written, it may even pass as readable for an hour or two. But Mel Cormican is as engaging a writer as he is a determined cyclist. You really feel like you get to know Mel and Craig as you progress through the book.

The last third of the book takes a surprising turn that I did not see coming, and perhaps Mel didn't either. It rounds off an enriching tale that I would insist anyone would enjoy.

Craig smokes, Mel doesn't. One of my best friends is a Scot, and smokes like his life depends on it or paid by the tobacco companies to do so. It can be hard to deal with, though we all have our quirks. I felt that Mel coped with it well and Craig comes across as the perfect co-cyclist for the trip.

That's not all though. I like to read books that make me feel educated, and there's lots to pick up here - the beauty of the Polish language, for example. Mel includes many great phrases and even better than that, each new chapter that showcases a new country gives us the map and the route our two wheeled heroes are taking.

"Mel Cormican is as engaging a writer as he is a determined cyclist."

Add in a healthy smattering of photos taken with willing European locals (Latvia - I'm coming for you!) and you have an exciting read with a great heart at its core.

This is an accomplished work by a talented author. It takes a lot of determination to create a book. To do it based on this remarkable, life-changing bike journey is to be applauded.

Take a bow, Mel and Craig.

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Book Review: Love Minuets by Preethi Venugopala

Synopsis: Is there another emotion that can compete with love? When you fall in love, it is the most magical thing you experience in your whole life. The person, who stirred this emotion in your heart all of a sudden acquires the power to make you his/her slave and you become ready to do anything to win his /her affections. 
Nothing matters anymore other than your lover. It is as if this magician called love has put you in a trance, all you hear are his commands, and you become a helpless puppet in his arms. Every thought like a homing pigeon returns to your lover and every moment you invent a reason to be near him/her. It is like a powerful potion, which has been absorbed by each and every cell of your body. If for some reason the magic ends, you find yourself drained out of the very substance that had fed your soul, and you wish that your heart ceased its rhythm. The beating of your own heart starts to hurt you. 
Many lives have perished after falling prey to this ruthless magician while many other lucky creatures have flourished and bloomed just because of its magic. 
Why do we become minions of this crazy little thing called love? 
Sometimes, this emotion is unconditional when it comes to love between parents and their kids, between friends and between siblings. 
Some cases some are in love with their passion. 
What else is Love other than Magic? 
I present to you, dear reader; 24 stories about this crazy little thing called Love. Though the focus is mainly on romantic love, there are also stories which talks about other facets of love. 
Hope you have a wonderful read. 

Review: Certain books can turn out to be quite deceiving, but I mean that in the most positive way I can, because Love Minuets initially seemed to be a musical book or some kind of poetry. Indeed it has a poetic quality to it that people fond of the the kind of imagery an accomplished author can make is the very reason why we read books in the first place.

The stories are short, diverse and very hard to predict in terms of content. But each and every one is enjoyable.

The Veil of Time, The Duke's Muse and Forgotten Memories were amongst my favourites. It is hard to pick an outright favourite because of the diverse stories on offer.

"I was surprised at the depth of many of the stories, contrasting with those that were lightweight and I believe intentionally so."

I believe with this collection that the author could reward her current fanbase whilst attracting new ones.

If you like fantasy, it's here. If you like heart warming and gentle tales of love, it's here. If you like to read something truly leftfield, it's here too.

I was surprised at the depth of many of the stories, contrasting with those that were lightweight and I believe intentionally so.

Often an author will want to write a true one of a kind book. I think this is the kind of thing we as readers look for.

Strongly recommended.

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Book Review: The Third Servant by Michael Billington

Synopsis: The third servant, who did not enrich his master as two other servants had, was cast into the night for his failure to increase his master's wealth. Matthew tells us this in the famous parable in the Bible but he never tells us what happened to that unfortunate servant after that.

This is the story of that third servant, a young man, and his long journey through the ancient world. It's a journey that takes him throughout the Middle East, to the steppes of what is now Russia, into India where he grows to manhood, and from there along the ancient spice trail that once wound its way along the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. He travels through Egypt and, eventually to Rome where he hears of a young prophet named Jesus.

On his journey he meets fishermen, nomads, emperors, philosophers, warriors and traders. His is not an easy journey, however, and there are times when he must literally fight for his life if he is to continue on it.

This is a story of trial and of sacrifice, of lost faith and redemption.

"There is no honour in fighting a snake."

Review: No indeed. Michael Billington has certainly taken a well known Biblical story and made a principal character of Ezra here in the The Third Servant. Initially I was a little thrown at the length of the novel, and indeed it has taken me a long time to finish it. Whilst there are fast moving scenes it is certainly not a fast moving book, and it seems to me that was the author's intention all along.

The use of language, while grand enough and believable for the context and period in which it is placed starts to a grate a little after a while. Nonethless, Ezra behaves like an honourable man throughout the entire story. Given that he has some battles, disagreements and many epic confrontations along the way, I would say this is a very well drawn and rounded character. Had Ezra not been so believable it would have been difficult to stay the course for such a long book.

The cover is striking, hauntingly beautiful and instantly screamed 'epic', 'fantasy' and 'thrilling journey'. On each of these The Third Servant delivers. Ezra meets the pauper, the prince and all levels inbetween. His interactions with them, some go without incident, others blow up unexpectedly, again, making the journey we take with Ezra a fulfilling and deep read.

The Third Servant is a solid, rewarding tale, deserving of re-reads, and is the kind of book you should give attention to

This book is probably far better than the 4* rating I am giving it at this time. If anything, it is a provisional rating and I may give it the extra star as and when I re-read it, and the book is so well written it certainly deserves another read.

Yes, Ezra meets a number of notable Biblical characters along the way and this is entertaining in itself. Then the book ends a little abruptly for me which, given the amount of ground we have covered already, seemed a little surprising to me.

All in all, The Third Servant is a solid, rewarding tale, deserving of re-reads, and is the kind of book you should give attention to. A couple of pages in each session won't get you into the story. So give it your time and you will be rewarded with a sumptuous telling of a Biblical tale that is is done with so much style that the narrative develops quite the swagger as it reaches its final third.

Recommended.

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Book Review: Fallen Angel (Prequel To Nathaniel Teen Angel - Ominous Book 0)

Synopsis: This book is aimed at older teenagers (New Adults) and adults. All characters depicted in this work of fiction are 18 years of age or older. When Devlin arrives late for the birth of Eloise O'Conner, he can't believe his best friend has taken over his position as her guardian angel. Though Devlin pleads with him to hand the child's guardianship back over to him, Nathaniel refuses. 

The two guardian angels have been friends for thousands of years, but after seeing how vulnerable and sick the baby is, Nathaniel isn't willing to risk her life with a tardy, irresponsible angel. Devlin's new obsession with fallen angels and sexy women seem to be affecting his judgement and Nathaniel believes he'll be too distracted to guard Eloise. Outraged, Devlin accuses Nathaniel of betrayal and threatens to take Eloise back, with or without his approval.

Review:

"But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." - The Book of Job, 1:11

The fantastically titled Fallen Angel is a story of mid-length that introduces us to three principle characters. Nathaniel and Devlin, who are two angels in the stewardship of the Archangel Michael. There's also Eloise, a young girl they are supposed to protect. Indeed, after a friendship that has lasted thousands of years, this girl is the catalyst that threatens to break the friendship apart.

An angel is supposed to advise, guide, protect. But what happens when an angel's feelings are compromised to the extent that he has feelings for the one he is supposed to protect? Add to this the question of rogue elements within the other angel (I'll let you find out who) and well...all Hell is literally about to be let loose.

I really enjoyed this story. There were a couple of things that niggled me, but perhaps this was a good way to display the characters quirks. For example, Nathaniel and Devlin engage is some rather bratty talk, more akin to being irksome teenagers than superior-than-thou angels. They use some mild bad language too. The more I got into the story, I began to understand why they were created this way by the author. For me, angels perhaps speak more regally and grandiose, but this is my imagine, and not my book. So I applaud the author for taking the more untravelled route with her characters.

I really loved the descriptions of the respective angel's powers. You could literally feel what it was like to be whisked at super-speed into the air. The threat of having an angel's wings burned off for any infraction was real and realised - the author literally put me in their place and that was an uncomfortable place to be.

At times, I wondered what kind of genre this book would fit. Sometimes it felt like a children's story, at others, very New Adult. It crosses genres like fantasy, paranormal romance and thriller.

Some of the best books I have ever read defy genre - and this is perhaps one of them.

I really loved the descriptions of the respective angel's powers. You could literally feel what it was like to be whisked at super-speed into the air.

Despite its relatively short length, there is a lot going on here. The soul searching that the angels literally do is brilliantly done in a long (but never overlong) seen where the soul - not just the life of Eloise is in peril.

For me, the introduction of Eloise is where the story really starts. She adds a dangerous component to the story (through no fault of her own, I might add) and it makes for an engaging read.

Fallen Angel is a prequel that feels like a full length novel. It is perfectly paced and is a great introduction to this author's works. 

4.5 stars.

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Book Review: Revenge of Zeeka - Zeeka and the Zombies by Brenda Mohammed

"This whole thing is so bizarre. I don't know what to think."

Mark, talking to Raynor, trying to make sense of what he has just witnessed.

Synopsis (from the author): Revenge of Zeeka - Zeeka and the Zombies is the first book in a mystery thriller series set in the year 2036. 

Twenty years ago in 2016 a virus epidemic raged over the scenic small island of Gosh off the coast of South America. 

Hundreds of pregnant women who were infected with the virus, produced still born babies at the end of their term. 

Twenty years later in the year 2036, at the island's national Carnival celebrations a small band parading as sailors wreaked havoc on the spectators killing and maiming several of them. Why did this happen? Who was the person or persons behind this violent act and how will this all end? 

If you love thrillers with a mix of love and romance, don't miss this action-packed read

Review:

I like weird stories. Not everything has to be set in a world you know, and perhaps my favourite author, Stephen King is my favourite because he turns the normal into abnormal effortlessly. For author Brenda Mohammed's latest work, we are pulled into the genre of zombie horror, which has seen a massive resurgence in recent years.

What I love about this first short story in the series is how, like King, the author has her characters Mark and Raynor going about their normal lives when eyes really start to play tricks on them, and the question is for us, dear readers, is positioned thus:-

Can we trust what we see with our own eyes, or is this a vision, hallucination, or some other mind trick being played on us by some evil entity?

Possibly the answer is yes to each element of that question. 

Rather than being a full blown horror, this first story serves as a tasty morsel (I really shouldn't use such lines in a review about flesh eating zombies!) to what is to come. Who is the mysterious Zeeka? Why does he want revenge? Not everything is answered here, but will be in future stories in the series. At its relatively short length, it is the perfect introduction to this author's writing, which I am seeing a great growth with each work she pens.

My favourite character is actually Detective Jack Wildy. There is so much that cold be done with this charcter, he reminds me of Jack Lord of Hawaii-5-0 (original, people!) fame:-

This is an action packed novella that has several plot lines running, but at no time did I feel lost. Each character seamlessly interacted with others, and there's an interesting man hunt happening which will stretch resources of the said Detective to breaking point. Raynor's impending marriage to long-time love Janet might not happen after all.

"It is the perfect introduction to this author's writing."

These different plot lines keep you reading, and keep you guessing. Despite its length I did not read this book in one sitting. I wanted to absorb the cleverly interlinked plotlines. In fact, there's not a lot of the mysterious Zeeka of the title in this first story, and I think that's a clever decision by the author.

Buy it before the next installment is released!

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Book Review: The Crimson Amulet (Templar Trilogy, #2) by Adriana Girolami

"I value you far too much to allow the woodlands to entrap you in their deadly embrace." - Lord Zanar offering a typical cryptic line to Polyxena.

The Crimson Amulet is the long awaited second book in the trilogy by Adriana Girolami. I was a huge fan of the original Revenge of the Knights Templar and its re-release as Mysterious Templar. Such a fan, in fact, that I approached this second story with some trepidation.. What if the book did not live up to my lofty expectations?

In addition, it is a well known saying to not judge a book by its cover. But when you know the author created the cover herself through her incredible artistry, perhaps it is not a surprise to learn this talent spills over into her writing.

The first book introduced us to the Duchess of Lorengard-Lorraine, a principality in 1400s Europe. The Lady Polyxena was never a wimpish waif, neither could she be termed as a kick-ass heroine of her time. She is ladylike, regal, but never standoffish. You feel like she is someone you could approach. Beneath this royal veneer and approachability is a character with a heart of steel and courage to match.

By the latter third of the first book, I was fully in support of Polyxena and she became the stand out character for me. Surprising, given my own love of medieval England and the Knights of the Round Table - I really thought I would root more for the male characters such as Arsenio and Duccio. Then of course there is the Duke of Nemours, Polyxena's father. All the men live by the strict code of the Knights Templar, so woe be tide anyone who would cross them and especially the Duchess. Such actions tend to be the perpetrator's last....

The writing in The Crimson Amulet is as fluid and poetic as its predecessor, but it is never flowery, fluffy language that makes you think 'get on with it, author!' - you can tell each word has been carefully thought over. That's why I resisted a strong temptation to rush through the book. Its too enjoyable to skim over it like that (unless you were going to go back and give this a second reading, which this book certainly deserves.)

When the mysterious (well, all men are who would visit your place of residence) Zanar is able to bypass the Duke's men and gain easy access to the palace, we know something is amiss. He is not a local, and so he carries a great question mark over him. Soon, his intentions become obvious, kidnapping Polyxena (she's supposed to go with him willingly, but his actions of threatening to kill the Duke force her hand) and riding off to some remote part of Europe on a goose chase to be linked up with the Duke - dead or alive.

Zanar may have used some magical property to overcome the guards, but charming Polyxena won't be so easy. She is loyal to her love (if you have not read book one I won't spoil that here) and for all Zanar's lordly behaviour, she finds him a rather repulsive man who will stop at nothing to achieve his aims.

The writing in The Crimson Amulet is as fluid and poetic as its predecessor, but it is never flowery, fluffy language that makes you think 'get on with it, author!' - you can tell each word has been carefully thought over. That's why I resisted a strong temptation to rush through the book. It's too enjoyable to skim over it like that (unless you were going to go back and give this a second reading, which this book certainly deserves.)

Will Polyxena escape the clutches of the evil Lord Zanar? Will she get back to the palace with her father? Will there even be a palace to go back to?

and....what is the Crimson Amulet of the title?

This story is just as multi-layered as its predecessor, with a gripping, riveting tale that makes you think you know where it is going, but you won't. The amulet itself is more than a MacGuffin. In fact, an author in command of their story and characters needs no such plot device to drive it.

Look out for real thrills with the characters Kusen, Salimah and especially, reluctant knight Berthold. But the real star is the plot. The characters just firm up the wonderful narrative.

The series hearkens back to the classics of yesteryear, but beats with a modern, pulsating heart. The passionate scenes are described in such a way that is never over the top, and should encourage as many male readers as female. This is not a woman's book, exclusively - it's great yarn, epically told without an epic length (though at 300+ pages is satisfyingly long).

This is simply a must-read series. An overused term perhaps, but entirely appropriate here. There's even a bonus chapter of book three in this Kindle version, but I implore you to wait, and read the whole book in full. I know there is a trend for authors to release snippets of their books, free chapter previews and so on, but wait - and your patience will be rewarded.

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Book Review: Stories People Love by Brenda Mohammed

'The Moral of this story is never give up on your dreams.' - author Brenda Mohammed.

With a title like Stories People Love, this book already had a lot to live up to. As I read each of the four short stories in turn, the change from fiction to non-fiction made reading this collection all the more pleasurable.

As a bit of a travel fiend myself, the stand out story for me is Travel Dreams of Yesterday. The author writes this so well that you really feel you are journeying along with her.

Is it a spoiler to say each story is a heart warming one (a reference to one of the author's other works) ?

I don't think so. Each element of the collection's opener, A Headmaster's Daughter, twists and turns and demands that you keep reading.

The author writes this so well that you really feel you are journeying along with her.

The Dirtiest of All Evils is intriguing as a murder mystery and seems initially out of place. But reading the stories again, it feels a good fit.

This is a neat and extremely readable collection and shows an author who is able to write fiction and non-fiction elements seamlessly. It's not an easy combination and yet the author pulls it off admirably.

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Book Review: A Noble Pair of Brothers (The Underwood Mysteries #1)

I read for many reasons, but one of the strongest reasons is that I want to be transported into a world that I think I would really enjoy. There's something so appealing by a story set in the Regency period. A time where men were true gentlemen and ladies were refined and demure. That doesn't mean I view the period through rose tinted glasses, far from it.

But the period instantly appealed to me, and even the blurb doesn't give everything away. Is this a mystery, a historical romance, a crime thriller? in many ways, it is all of these things.

I actually enjoyed the measured pace and descriptive writing style of the author. Miss Downes leaves nothing to chance; you understand where you are and when you are - and her characters are extremely well drawn and entertaining (Chuffy needs his own book!).

For some, the pace may be too slow. I say don't expect each book to run at lightning speed. A Noble Pair of Brothers works on practically every level I could have wished for.

A professor takes leave to visit his brother, who is a vicar in a quaint English village. Of course, it is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone else, is the very definition of 'let sleeping dogs lie' and yet, the wily professor is fascinating by the unknown / unmarked grave of the person who died in mysterious circumstances. The beauty of living in England is that there are lots of villages like this, and I grin each time I visit such a place, knowing that the people there all know each other, but don't know me.

The brothers should be like peas in a pod but the author has given them great distinctiveness and even though there is an underlying sub-plot about marrying the women of the story off to well-to-do men, a given of the period, it is a necessary device and welcome diversion from the mystery that slowly unravels.

For some, the pace may be too slow. I say don't expect each book to run at lightning speed. A Noble Pair of Brothers works on practically every level I could have wished for. It took me a while to read it, some of you may devour it more quickly. But I promise you that you will enjoy this first in the series, and I am going to read the second book in due course.

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Book Review: Choices (New Beginnings, #1) by Michelle Lynn

It is no easy task to introduce a new story, a new series with one or two characters that you root for. What is interesting about Michelle Lynn's newest work is that she has created characters that add a lot to the story. Michaela is the star of the book but her star is risen somewhat with the addition of the enigmatic Jason, wildcard Ethan, but also other characters that you would think would dumb it down.

Michaela has overbearing family that are determined their young lady (a recurring reference used as back handed compliment, but is really a put-down) follow the path they have chosen for her. You would think this is happening in some totalitarian state, but it's not! Michaela is no introverted nymph...she knows what she wants, accepts heartache will be part of the gig, and just gets on with things. She won't be told what to do by anyone, but she doesn't go out of her way to hurt anyone either. So basically Michaela is a nice girl who people closest to her would be wise not to take advantage of.

I have to say that I approached this book wondering if I would really like it. Having read Miss Lynn's superlative (a deserving description if ever there was one) dystopian series Dawn of Rebellion, I quite honestly thought 'how does one go from dystopian to contemporary romance so easily'?

Michaela's mother, for example. She is not so typical as you'd expect. I particularly liked the exchanges between these two, the dialogue was believable and realistic.

In addition the character of Chris who hangs out with Jason is a cool combination. Their dialogue switches effortlessly between sharp observations of the pains in their lives, but also biting, humorous wit; the kind only two good friends can come out with between themselves.

I like Michaela a lot. She is also significantly different from Miss Lynn's siblings in DoR (Dawn of Rebellion) that she has her own 'voice'.

I have to say that I approached this book wondering if I would really like it. Having read Miss Lynn's superlative (a deserving description if ever there was one) dystopian series Dawn of Rebellion, I quite honestly thought 'how does one go from dystopian to contemporary romance so easily'?

The author shows her skill and growing stature as a writer with this new series. I kept hoping Dawn or Gabby (from dawn of Rebellion) would make an appearance here, but the author made a difficult choice of her own, breaking with such a well known series to branch out here.

I'm also not a huge fan of contemporary romance, though there are a handful of authors slowly changing my opinion on this.

Michelle Lynn can be counted amongst them. 

Buy on Amazon

Update from Author John Hennessy / Dark Winter III news / Kobo Books, and New Books from me

Hello everyone.

After a great start to 2016 in terms of my writing goals and hitting them day after day, I hit a bit of bad luck, hard times, call them what you will. In short, it affected my writing and yet as I am writer, I know it won't be a permanent thing.

It could be life's way of saying slow down and focus on some other things. Perhaps. But it's like anything one is into, one has to do it, otherwise, the Cranky Monster will appear. Everyone knows who the Cranky Monster is; it just happens to be different depending on who you are and what you like to do. For most authors, they will feel very cranky if they don't get some writing done.

A lack of writing does not infer a lack of writing focus. In my case, I was finalising tweaks to the concluding segment of the Dark Winter trilogy. There's always mini-errors and omissions that one will find. Over the course of a 110,000 word novel, you bet there are.

Will it be a happy or violently bloody end for Romilly Winter?

However, my process involves viewing it in Word, as a PDF, printing off the entire thing from my own printer, sending it to beta readers, before viewing a proof edition. Even then, I am not finished.

But I am close. The book is available on Kindle via pre-order, with its official release being 21st February 2016. Once I had decided to move the date from October 2015, I felt I could deliver the final edition that I wanted to do. The end will please some, annoy others, but as JK Rowling herself said about the closure of her Harry Potter series, as the author of the work, she was happy. I am too with my own series. And now it is over to the good readers out there to tell the world what they think.

I've already had one review on Good Reads (thank you J Kahele) and I hope more of you will read the book (and the series, because the final book is not a standalone) and up until 21st February, both Dark Winter (I): The Wicca Circle and Dark Winter (II): Crescent Moon can be bought on Amazon for 99c/p each. This changes after 21st February - they will never be 99c/p again.

Kobo. Oh yes, I love Amazon who do help authors a lot to get their name out there, but I am branching out to other platforms too, and on Kobo you can already get Murderous Little Darlings on there, Amazon, iBooks and Nook.

But I will be adding The Ghost of Normandy Road (Haunted Minds I) to the platform in the next day or so, so Kobo users can get it there. But if you can't wait, look it up on Amazon for now.

With Dark Winter III done and basically dusted, fans of my works can look forward to the fifth vampire tale - Reunion of the Blood - which I hope to release end of April. I realise it is nearly a full year since book four - Dream the Crow's Dream came out, but you know I have been busy writing all new works.

March will see the paperback edition of my non-fiction How to Write, Keep Writing and Keep Motivated: Tips for Aspiring Authors book coming out. Kindle version here

So the wait is nearly over for that one.

Currently Writing:-

i) A dystopian tale to thrill and chill you. Anyone who knows me knows how highly I rate George Orwell's Nineteen-Eighty-Four, so expect something that I admit was inspired by this work, but will have my own unique take on the genre.

ii) A tale about a writer who plans to quit his successful career to spend the remainder of his years with his wife. Things don't quite work out as planned.....

I am excited about both, but made more progress on the latter. So it is likely that will come out first.


See you next time.

THIS WEEKEND ONLY

Hello friends!

The witches, demons, devils and normal folk are back for the final chapter. So I have some freebies for you. But you have to enter to win!

WEEKEND SPECIAL! February 6th/7th/8th ONLY - 

HOW TO WIN: 1 (no purchase necessary)

Tweet, share on Facebook, Google+, Tumblr and so on, Sign up to my email list to be entered into a draw for an Amazon Gift Card

HOW TO WIN: 2: (purchase necessary)

Buy Dark Winter 1 and 2 and sign up to my email list to be entered into a draw for a SIGNED copy of Dark Winter III

HOW TO WIN: 3: (purchase necessary)

Pre-order the Kindle version of Dark Winter III: Last Rites on Kindle THIS WEEKEND ONLY or buy the paperback (available now) to be entered into a draw for a KINDLE FIRE

The website for sign-ups:-

http://kate895.wix.com/authorjohnhennessy

Amazon page for Dark Winter I & II:-

http://www.amazon.com/…/B0…/ref=la_B0068UGR44_1_7_twi_kin_2…

Amazon page for Dark Winter III (pre-order released 21.02.16)

http://www.amazon.com/…/B…/ref=la_B0068UGR44_1_14_twi_kin_1…

Or grab the paperback now:-

http://www.amazon.com/…/…/1523862424/ref=la_B0068UGR44_1_13…

AFTER FEBRUARY 21st Dark Winter will NOT be offered at this special low price ever again.

Winners will be contacted after 21st February, with the prizes on the way before end of February.

Book Review: Heart-Warming Tales by Brenda Mohammed

Synopsis: This book contains Five Heart Warming Tales.

1."The Psychiatrist and the Thief," is a comedy- mystery . 

2."Her Online Predator" is an exciting mystery - thriller /romance. It is a must read especially for young people who like to make friends on the Internet..That friend you make may not be who he/she claims to be. 

3."A Marriage on the Rocks," is about a young couple who had serious problems in their marriage. Did their marriage survive?

4."The Undertaker's wife" is about a suspicious wife who doubted her husband.

5."Letters of Love" A loving brother seeks to guide his sister on the right path with his spiritual wisdom. 

Review: This is the second collection of stories I have read in a row. This author is new to me so it is interesting to pick up this writer's particular 'voice' and over the course of this book, it comes across well. 

Her Online Predator is perhaps the best of a strong bunch of stories, with Marriage On the Rocks a close second (though the male character Roberto was a little to subservient to his wife for my liking). The Undertaker's Wife has a wonderful underlying plot - we can probably see what is coming before the end, and its cool to see the MC freaking out along the way, before the big reveal is made.

All the stories are well written and readable. The stories are different from each other and make for interesting reading. Recommended.

Book Review: The Clock Man and Other Stories by Eric Lathi

Synopsis: Enter worlds of magic and dragons, martial arts and mayhem 

A woman waits in a plain white room, wondering why she's there and what's about to happen. 

A man and his talking gun hunt the bogeyman. 

A family finds its house is haunted and sets out to trap the ghosts, but what if the ghosts aren't the real problem? 

Far underneath a city, the figure of a man rests. For decades he's remained perfectly motionless. Last night he moved. 

In a world of magic, martial arts, and dragons, one man controls the flow of magic. Now his daughter wants him dead. 

Zapp Blander always dreamed of being a hero. When a man named Jack shows up, Zapp might just get his chance. 

She was designed to choose which slain warriors got to go to Valhalla, but Kara has developed her own ideas. 

The bogeyman of New Mexico is beaten and fed what should be a simple task: Kill the boy.

Review: 

"Like every other senator, Bedfellow feels slightly dirty after intermingling with the people he claims to represent."

- Awaken.

The Clock Man is the key part of a delectable sandwich, a cocktail of explosive tales that are as addictive as they are compelling. Entering the world of this author, especially in this collection, requires perhaps more than one read.That's why my rating is around 4.5 stars. There's enough five star awesomeness in this book to round it up though.

The Clock Man is by far the longest story, almost reading like a mini-novel in itself. I'm glad the author decided to add other gems in here, the David Lynch / Oliver Stone-esue 'Zona Peligrosa' (you can just feel Leonard Cohen and Charlie Weathers eeking out the soundtrack).

I read the stories in order, and the opener 'Exceeds Expectations' certainly does that.

Awaken brings us back into the world of the Henchmen, the author's prior works, and it's a welcome addition. It's like the author is saying 'this story is for everyone who loved Henchmen'.

 "a cocktail of explosive tales that are as addictive as they are compelling"

Near to the close is 'Eve', a nod to one of the major characters in the Henchmen series. I thought this one would be stronger than it turned out to be. Perhaps if you haven't read Henchmen you will enjoy this segment all the more.

There's a poetic quality to this author's writing punctuated with snappy dialogue and a believable narrative. Add to that the author's talent for the descriptive - you have a sense of your surroundings even when you're lost. If I ever find myself in a desert without a compass, I'm bringing Eric Lahti along for the ride.

Buy on Amazon

Book Review: The Heir (The Selection, #4) by Keira Cass

Synopsis: Princess Eadlyn has grown up hearing endless stories about how her mother and father met. Twenty years ago, America Singer entered the Selection and won the heart of Prince Maxon—and they lived happily ever after. Eadlyn has always found their fairy-tale story romantic, but she has no interest in trying to repeat it. If it were up to her, she'd put off marriage for as long as possible.

But a princess's life is never entirely her own, and Eadlyn can't escape her very own Selection—no matter how fervently she protests.

Eadlyn doesn't expect her story to end in romance. But as the competition begins, one entry may just capture Eadlyn's heart, showing her all the possibilities that lie in front of her . . . and proving that finding her own happily ever after isn't as impossible as she's always thought.

Review:  The Heir is easily the best book in The Selection series, and I was surprised as anyone that after the events in The One, that the author would be penning further adventures in Illea. In full disclosure I must state that I found America 'Mer' Singer from the earlier books a so-so MC. Then along comes her daughter Eadlyn in book four and she is totally different. She's brattish, arrogant and spoilt. You might think this is a recipe for disaster especially when her father Maxon proposes a new Selection take place.

The Heir sees the Selection all grown up.

Here is where the author has got it right - in book one it was lacking a dystopian feel, and by the time of The One it seemed to have dropped the pretence that it was ever a dystopian series. The Heir works better in the understanding of the ruling monarchy and its subjects - Maxon only proposes a new round because it keeps the masses distracted.

Isn't that what all governments want for their people? Distraction, control, with the media (state or otherwise) filling the airwaves with bad news.

And it gets worse for Eadlyn, because some of the guys in the Selection do not want to be there at all. There's no fawning over each other with Eadlyn and Kile unlike the protracted Maxon-Mer-Aspen mess.

The Heir sees the Selection all grown up. It's an entertaining read that fans of the first trilogy may deem unnecessary, but I think Eadlyn is by far the most interesting character, and the story is all the more readable for the focus on her.