Book Review: Ghost Storm by Sechin Tower

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Ghost Storm by Sechin Tower

A YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novel published by Sechin Tower (07/17/15)

Summary:

“…sometimes it’s better to stand out badly than to fit in adequately.” (Page 68).

Dean Lazarchek is still dean of students at the Mechanical Science Institute… for now. He still feels inadequate to lead his students and to keep them from harm, after all he was just a firefighter before he stepped in to fill his dead fiancé’s role as dean. She left large shoes to fill, but after fighting off the near destruction of the world as we know it, another threat looms on the horizon and this one has memory lane written all over it. Will Dean be able to prove to himself that he’s right for the job and save his students?

 

Keywords:

Tesla, Twain, Scientists, Hackers, Save the World, University, Experiments, Mad Scientists, Explosions, Bad Guys, Danger, Thugs, Technology, Clueless, Lighting, Storms

 

My Review:

Ghost Storm is told only from the point of view of Dean and in the beginning he’s a bit pessimistic/depressing/sad. I miss the chaotic brain of Soap and her female perspective in Ghost Storm. Having the POV of just one person and for him to be a grieving adult, pushes this third book in the series to a more advanced age group. There are explosions and evil and fighting to save the world still, but the mood and tone of the narrator makes for a more ‘adult’ book that would probably appeal more to an adultier audience.

Soap, a character we grew to love in books one and two is almost nonexistant in this third book. Most of the students are given less time and less action in this book, though we are introduced to a new student who helps to save the day, Cake.

Technology and science in the book is cool, still above my head, but way cool the things that they can do. The technology really is able to move the plot along, for without the Predecessors and their Teslanium there would be no bid to end the world or to destroy everything in the name of saving the world.

This novel was published by Sechin Tower on July 17th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

Links for more information:

Sechin Tower’s Website

Twitter

Book Review: Dragons in Flight (Maze Beset) (Volume 3) by Lee French

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Dragons in Flight (Maze Beset) (Volume 3) by Lee French

A Fantasy Novel published by Emily French (2/14/14)

 

Summary:

Everything is chaos, but Bobby has one dragon free. The safe haven was not so safe and was infiltrated and all the people with peculiar eyes and peculiar talents were kidnapped again. This time, it won’t be a picnic to escape or free them either. This time, there is a new weapon. This time, Bobby won’t be able to go it alone.

 

Keywords:

Dragons, Superheroes, Fighting, Powerful, Government, Experiment, Testing, Survival, Friendship, Vampire, Helping Others, Conflicted, Disaster, Ulterior Motives, Mind Control, Leadership

 

My Review:

This final book in the Maze Beset Trilogy is super exciting. French tones down the philosophical musings of Bobby and focusses on the immediate danger for the group. Bobby once again must free them all, but this time it’s different. This time they are up against something completely different, yet working for the same people. This time, Bobby will truly learn what Maze Beset means and where they all came from, who gave them their unusual eyes. Everyone has their theories, but Bobby will finally learn the truth.

This book was a whirlwind of commotion and action. Bobby is his usual charming self, which apparently makes him very dangerous to his enemies. Someone who only heralds the truth and will always jump in to save those in need is truly the most dangerous individual indeed, especially against an organization that is rife with lies and manipulations.

I thought the ending did well tying up the loose ends and fully revealing the big picture. However, there could be more. A world open to children and young adults with powers such as bursting into a swarm of dragons has so much more potential. Perhaps Lee French will write a second trilogy to chronicle Bobby and his friend’s journeys as they integrate into society or segregate themselves apart. Who knows? A world like Maze Beset has never been seen and can only be imagined.

This novel was published by Emily French on February 14th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

 

Links for more information:

Lee French on Facebook

Lee French on Twitter

Goodreads

Book Review: Dragons in Chains (Maze Beset) (Volume 2) by Lee French

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Dragons in Chains (Maze Beset) (Volume 2) by Lee French

A Fantasy Novel published by Emily French (10/04/13)

 

Summary:

“Purpose rushed through his veins, a more potent drug than anything he’d ever tasted before.” (Page. 154).

Bobby has pulled together most of the 35 people with super abilities, but the missing 11 (the 11 that were kidnapped by the government and might now be experimented on while Bobby and the others settle into their base of operations) are continually on his mind. He can’t forget about them. They are his half siblings after all. Bobby and Stephen decide to go on a mission of their own, not even informing the others of what they’re doing, in an effort to find out where the missing 11 are and how to free them. Bobby and Stephen end up in Afghanistan, working for the very people who are most likely holding the missing 11 hostage somewhere. Will Bobby be able to deal with real war and death?

Keywords:

Dragons, Superheroes, Fighting, Powerful, Government, Experiment, Testing, Survival, Friendship, Vampire, Helping Others, Slaughter, Conflicted, Afghanistan, War, Mission, Torture

My Review:

This second book is just as exciting as the first book, but it gets a bit heavy in the conflicted thoughts of Bobby because of the killing he’s done. Lee French puts Bobby through a whirlwind of chaos and has him asking if he is a monster. Bobby doesn’t know if he has control over himself. Is he a hive mind? Are his dragons in control or is he? What does that mean when they/he kill someone? These are all interesting questions, but the book takes too long pondering these questions and focusses too much on Stephen the Vampire and Bobby the Dragons and almost leaves behind the rest of the characters for another story.

Finally Bobby and Stephen return to their home base and Bobby questions even more what he is doing and how it makes him feel. The first book was about the group and the premise and the setup, but the second book is more on Bobby and his feelings and emotions and how he’s handling being who he is and doing what he does.

The book ends on a high tension note with a great cliffhanger to propel readers into the third and final book of the Maze Beset Series (or maybe there will be more books…)

This novel was published by Emily French on October 4th, 2013 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

 

Links for more information:

Lee French on Facebook

Lee French on Twitter

Goodreads

Book Review: Dragons In Pieces (Maze Beset) (Volume 1) by Lee French

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Dragons In Pieces (Maze Beset) (Volume 1) by Lee French

A Fantasy Novel published by Emily French (6/30/13)

 

Summary:

“Yes, it is a little disturbing to realize the only thing really preventing you from taking whatever you want is your own commitment to morality.” (Pages 153-154).

Bobby didn’t really have much going for him, but when the feds picked him up for a crime he didn’t commit, he used his upbringing to calm himself. Southern boys are polite, that is, until he was accused of being a terrorist, locked away, and experimented on like a lab rat. After discovering an unusual ability and meeting others with similar eery eyes, Bobby joins together with them to escape. But they find a list with more names then their own, and they can’t leave anyone to go through the hell they went through as lab rats, even if only for several days, and they make it their mission to save all the almond shaped eyed superheroes.

Keywords:

Dragons, Superheroes, Fighting, Powerful, Government, Experiment, Testing, Survival, Friendship, Vampire, Helping Others

 

My Review:

Dragons in Pieces starts with a focus on Bobby. He seems normal. He acts normal. He talks normal. He does normal youth-ish type things. There is a key difference, though, as Bobby is a Southern boy and he was never well off. He is quick to anger when something sparks the Southern Gentleman in him. His story starts when he takes it upon himself to tell off his mother’s boss and punches him right in the face. He is cooling off when he’s picked up as a terrorist. They must be wrong, Bobby didn’t do anything, just punched one guy.

Waking up hours or days later, Bobby doesn’t know, he is confronted by something quite unusual. Bobby and three others were being experimented on like lab rats and it won’t take long for Bobby and them to figure out why. They have super powers.

I loved Bobby. He had so much character, even if all that he said and did weren’t the best choices or the most smart decisions. Bobby has Southern charm and it’s apparent he has a Southern upbringing and grew up quite different than I did and I found him fascinating for these differences. It’s downright adorable that Bobby says “Heckbiscuits” as a curse word and tries to do what his momma done told him about being polite and how to handle himself in social situations. Bobby is rough around the edges but an extremely likeable main character.

The story was also fascinating and the choices Lee French made for the super powers was interesting. French gives is interesting characters, a compelling story, and a hint at something more going on than Bobby and his friends know.

This novel was published by Emily French on June 30th, 2013 and is available on Amazon here.

 

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

 

Links for more information:

Lee French on Facebook

Lee French on Twitter

Goodreads

Author Tuesdays: My Favorite Indie Authors 8 – AJ Downey

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Indie Star Badge

AJ Downey

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I met AJ Downey at the Destination Staycation event at the AFK in Renton, WA. Her taglines and down to earth witty manner pulled me in. Her covers got my attention. When I picked up the first book in the Scacred Hearts MC Series I was hooked on AJ Downey.

 

I really like how Downey’s covers in her Scared Hearts MC Series are unique to the romance genre, they aren’t just bare chested men. Just like her stories aren’t just sex and romance, but also involve a larger story and the bigger picture of the Sacred Hearts MC.

 

I love AJ Downey’s writing style and how she describes the world in the Sacred Hearts MC. All her characters come alive and every book is interconnected with the others through the overarching story-line and the characters’ involvement in each other’s lives. I would like to mention how fantastic Downey’s character names are, very unique and purposeful.

Downey also has a knack with descriptions. I like how she describes everything: people especially. Shattered and Scarred, for example, was more sophisticated than the average book. The way Downey looks at a scene and describes it is fascinating.

links for more information:

First Draft Complete at 40k: Flora’s Last Chance for Magic

by in Flora's Last Chance for Magic, Miscellaneous Mondays, Rachel Barnard and tagged , ,

How do you celebrate finishing a first draft?

Challenge (4)

I like to do it with cake….

Flora finished fanfare: from Vanessa’s Book of Awesome Things – Challenge from 30 at 30, number 18: “pie/cake in the face”

Challenge (7)

Challenge (6)  Challenge (8)

When I started the first draft: 4/13/15
When I finished the first draft: 8/8/15
Total days to completion: 117 days or 3 months, 26 days

What I did differently in writing this novel: after writing the first chapter and the summary I wrote a complete outline

The first chapter: I rewrote several times

Fun fact: This novel is based on the short story Magicas Quotient I wrote in May of 2014 and submitted to WOTF second quarter in 2015. I was inspired to write it into a middle grade fantasy novel after reading Sara Supernatural by the local author Tiffany Belcher.
Total number of words in Flora’s Last Chance for Magic draft one: 40,283

The last two sentences of the manuscript:

Challenge (3)

The aftermath of the celebration:

Challenge (2) 11855836_10153520960239464_8501508667508910279_n

 

Check out the video from the event!

Thanks to Paul for taking video and cake to the face.

Book Review: Fractured & Formidable: The Sacred Hearts MC Book V by AJ Downey

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Fractured & Formidable: The Sacred Hearts MC Book V by AJ Downey

A Romance Novel published by Second Circle Press (07/01/15)

Summary:

“Taking the long road, doing the right thing, and using your words and actions that didn’t involve letting fists fly, was harder and way more time consuming than just punching a dude in the face a few times and going out for a beer after.” (Kindle Locations 2431-2432).

Autumn Amanda Price is the daughter of a preacher. The stigma of growing up a preacher’s daughter leaves her unprepared to deal with some of the darker parts of reality, but not at all from exploring her own desires. Zander (redubbed Revelator when he patched into the MC) almost shows his interest in Mandy too late and he has to work even harder to win her affections. Mandy’s dark secrets will come out in the open when all her friends don’t let up trying to help her. How will the MC proceed with this new conundrum, will they go back to their old ways or forge a new path?

 

Keywords:

Romance, motorcycle, club, friendship, loyalty, family, POV change, bad days, sexual content, threesome, darker sides, violence, past life, preacher’s daughter, innocence

My Review:

I love AJ Downey’s writing style and how she describes the world in the Sacred Hearts MC. All her characters come alive and every book is interconnected with the others through the overarching story-line and the characters’ involvement in each other’s lives.

Mandy is the ultimate unreachable girl. She’s a preacher’s daughter and supposedly innocent of the more sexual things, but she is ready to party and ready to play. She’s fun and vivacious, but she’s stuck in her past and stuck in her family secret. It was interesting to watch Revelator get stuck along with her in her family’s problems. A true relationship means that you are involved in your significant other’s family and that your partner’s problems become your own. Rev doesn’t pause to think about any of this, he is ready to lay down the law and jump into problems headfirst if it means protecting or helping his Mandy girl.

Downey changes the game with this book. No spoilers, you have to read for yourself, but leading up to the last book in the series, Fractured and Formidable is full of twists and turns.

This novel was published by Second Circle Press on July 1st, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

A.J. Downey’s Blog

Goodreads

Facebook

Book Review: Tattered & Torn: The Sacred Hearts MC Book IV (Volume 4) by AJ Downey

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Tattered & Torn: The Sacred Hearts MC Book IV (Volume 4) by AJ Downey

A Romance Novel published by Second Circle Press (03/24/15)

Summary:

“I didn’t know how to process this big horrible no good very bad thing that had taken over my life and my dreams and dogged every step I took.” (Page 44).

Shelly and Ghost have a thing for one another, but with a lack of communication their budding relationship was nipped in the bud with the brutality of the Suicide King’s attack in Cracked & Crushed, until Ghost learns what Shelly has given up for him and Shelly learns why Ghost was so hung up over her past.

 

Keywords:

Romance, motorcycle, club, friendship, loyalty, family, POV change, best friends, bad days, sexual content, darker sides, past life, protection, love

 

My Review:

Downey brings together two unlikely characters in Tattered & Torn, the club “bunny” and a Southern gentleman/farmer boy. Their views on sex differ quite a bit, but their attraction to each other is in equal measure. Downey has set up a large personality difference and attitude to overcome for each of them to be able to live with one another and love one another.

This is the first book in the Sacred Hearts MC Series where the book drags until the middle and the relationship can really begin. Downey drowns us in Shelly’s moods and depression following quite the catastrophic incident and her misery is quite negative to float around in.

Ghost and Shelly are more perfect for each other than they realize. They both have their tempers and pasts to overcome. They both are willing to work for what they love and are extremely loyal to the club. What Ghost doesn’t understand, at first, is that the roles of a woman and man in the MC club are completely and irrevocably different.

I absolutely love the fact that Shelly gets her moment in this book. She gets to face her past head on and she gets to prove that even though she has those who will kill to protect her, she is capable of protecting herself.

This novel was published by Second Circle Press on March 24th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.25

Links for more information:

A.J. Downey’s Blog

Goodreads

Facebook

Book Review: Masked & Miserable: A Novella of the Sacred Hearts MC (Book 3.5) by AJ Downey

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Masked & Miserable: A Novella of the Sacred Hearts MC (Book 3.5) by AJ Downey

A Romance Novel published by Second Circle Press (02/09/15)

Summary:

Squick has yet to officially tell anyone in the Scared Hearts MC that he’s gay, even though some have already guessed his secret. He had an easier time keeping his sex life private when he had none, but after meeting Aaron at the Open Road Ink tattoo parlor, he was instantly attracted to the slender musician, and life became much more complicated. He must open up to his family at the MC or risk losing them forever, but will they be able to accept the first and only gay member of their club?

 

Keywords:

Romance, motorcycle, club, friendship, loyalty, family, sexual content, past life, gay, acceptance, rivalry, love, musician, tattoos, artist, male on male sex

 

My Review:

This book, though marked as a novella, is packed with action. Be warned not to jump from book three to book four without diving into Masked and Miserable, because it moves along the main MC plot and squares away some of the Prospect’s new names. Even if male on male sex is not your thing, there is still romance and inner turmoil and the story of the Sacred Hearts and their struggles against the Suicide Kings going on in this book.

This is the first book in the Sacred Hearts series where a new character is introduced immediately and there is an instant attraction that is immediately acted upon. Get set for sex within the first couple of chapters versus halfway through like Downey’s other books in the series.

Downey still plays up the vulnerability of the characters and gives life to their feelings for one another.

This novel was published by Second Circle Press on February 9th, 2015 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.00

Links for more information:

A.J. Downey’s Blog

Goodreads

Facebook

Book Review: Cracked and Crushed (The Sacred Hearts MC Book 3) by AJ Downey

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Cracked and Crushed (The Sacred Hearts MC Book  3) by AJ Downey

A Romance Novel published by Second Circle Press (12/09/14)

Summary:

“I can’t tell if you’re the storm or my shelter from it…” -Hayden (Kindle Location 1639).

Hayden, Ashton’s friend from Shattered & Scarred, is ready on her wedding day to wed Andy and forget all about the mysterious man from the Sacred Hearts MC she had her eyes on, Reaver. When she gets left at the altar, the only person who can get her back on her feet is Reaver. He takes her on her honeymoon and they both learn that they can balance each other and that they are good for one another. It isn’t just Hayden who has been through tough times, Reav has his own past troubles to deal with.

 

Keywords:

Romance, motorcycle, club, friendship, loyalty, family, POV change, best friends, bad days, sexual content, threesome, darker sides, violence, graphic violence, past life, B&B, boat

 

My Review:

Reaver has been the most difficult character for me to get behind, to sympathize with, and to like. He is the most intense character, the most rough, the most animalistic and barbaric. Reaver is the violent one, the one who will take revenge far enough that even the other characters question him. Reaver is also the most sexually deviant from the pack (thus far) and his different kind of sexual appetite scares Hayden at times.

Hayden is the all-around cool girl. Sure, she gets left at the altar and is depressed and sad, but she’s up for anything! Anyone who can have a good time (at least some of the time) on their own Honeymoon for a wedding that didn’t actually happen, is a happy person indeed. Hayden is up for Reaver and his eccentricities. She’s up for MC life. She’s a trooper and fun to watch grow and blossom under Reaver’s protection and love.

I liked Downey’s re-iteration of the phrase “You trust me Doll?” by Reaver to signify their love.

I haven’t mentioned before but I really like how Downey’s covers are unique to the romance genre, they aren’t just bare chested men. Just like her stories aren’t just sex and romance, but also involve a larger story and the bigger picture of the Sacred Hearts MC.

This novel was published by Second Circle Press on December 9th, 2014 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

A.J. Downey’s Blog

Goodreads

Facebook