I now know that even wizards can have really, really bad days.....

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Reading Sharon Bayliss' "Destruction" makes my holiday's look like utopia.

It is safe to say that David Vandergraff has had better holiday seasons.  Not that he is a grinch - not by any means.  But bringing home two love children from that you had to an affair and introducing them to your wife and three kids without warning could land you on Santa's (and your wife's) naughty list. Mistletoe magic just isn't that powerful to fix these kinds of problems.

Like that isn't enough - David discovers he is losing his company, cars are crashing into his living room, kids are running away, a daughters friend who they were watching while the parents were on vacation becomes a little more of a permanent member of the family.  It is enough to make a person want to flip out and look for someone to kill......

After a freaking crappy week like that, one would think that discovering that they could do magic would be the high point of David's week.  But discovering there is magic, and then discovering he is a "dark wizard" doesn't seem to be adding anything but more problems.

Oh yeah - everyone else around David are wizards too, but for some strange reason he seems to be the last one in on the joke.  It is almost like he has been living in a fantasy world up until this discovery - could there be an logical explanation for this?  Unfortunately, when your whole family consists of wizards and witches, logic isn't always applicable.

______________________________

Bayliss has created a first novel in a series that will grab your attention.  The best part is that the second book is already out - so you don't have to wait six years like you do with George R R Martin.

I literally have over 200 books sitting in my "in box", but every once in a while I need to take a break and read something that I pick and that I want to read.  The next book on my "me" list is "Watch Me Burn" - which happens to also be by Bayliss and happens to be the next book in this series.

This book was that good.

The characters popped off the page to me, and each had a personality that seemed to be uniquely "theirs" - in a way that felt natural, not contrived.

I don't know if this book is listed as Young Adult or not, and I really don't care.  I liked Hunger Games and Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children because they were great stories.  "Destruction" is a title that should be on your "to read" list if you liked those books, no matter what age you are.

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Motorcycles, Werewolves, Police - Oh My!

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The Seventh Sons of Sycamore is a short novel about a small town cop; a tall, dark, handsome stranger; and a werewolf biker gang in modern-day Sanctuary, Arizona. First, we meet the small town cop, Detective Maxim Dwyer, as he locks up some brawling bikers and pines after his missing wife. He is soon joined by Diego, a mysterious man, with a dark past and an ulterior motive. They join forces in order to take down the Seventh Sons, a formidable local motorcycle gang with a strange and terrifying reputation. The unexpected occurs, and allies and enemies are found in unlikely places.

If you enjoy police dramas and the paranormal with a human twist, this book is definitely in your realm. Note that although there are werewolves and fight scenes containing gore, The Seventh Sons of  Sycamore is not a horror novel. Overall, the plot is entertaining and consistent. Domino Finn, the author, noted that he wrote each chapter as its own short story and somehow it became a book; this was not a hindrance to the readability of the story, it flows smoothly throughout. 

There are some typical jurisdiction disputes that are expected in any story involving local law enforcement and the government. Lycanthropy is given a reasonable explanation; the likes of which, I have not seen before (points for originality!). The greatest weakness in my eyes is that the writing is often verbose; however,the writing remains clear and grammatically correct, which is always a huge joy in my life. The characters are easy to differentiate and easy to imagine while reading.

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Reviewed by guest reviewer Lauren Pesci for Movies and Manuscripts.

Thank you Lauren!

It's what's on the "inside" that counts! Book review of "Innerearth" by S. M. Coan

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Ok, I admit it - when it comes to UFO's, aliens, alien abduction, Men in Black, and X-Files you can count me as all in.  

So when I hear that this book contains elements of crop circles, magnetic fields, Bermuda Triangle-like disappearances and reappearances, and erased memories - I immediately am thinking of beams of lights, implants, and little green (or grey) men.  

But sometimes the truth can be found right where you are standing (well, maybe just a few miles underneath where you are standing).  

You see, all of this time we have been looking to the skies and stars.  According to S. M. Coan’s  fantasy world of Innerearth, we would have been better off to watch dolphins and bats.  

Have I confused you yet?  Coan is able to weave a story that is both original and puts an unique spin on what “believers” have accepted as psuedo-fact - that to find intelligent life, we must look to the stars.  

The main character in the story, Chris Falconer, was an enlisted man in the Air Force that had to get out and become a surveyor after falling ill and going into a coma nine years earlier.  But then Chris is recruited to become a member of “the council” and learns that he is what is considered to be a “Red File.”  A Red File is a person who vanishes without explanation.  Some return, but have no recollection of anything that has happened.

Chris is given his “Red File” to look over, only to find that there is a gap of five years, he was an Air Force Major who flew jets, and vanished somewhere over the ocean.  To try and rediscover his past, Chris agrees to join “the council”.  Instead of being the hunter for the truth, Chris finds himself being used as bait and winds up on a “three hour tour” on a boat that even Gilligan wouldn’t believe.

I found this book to be a good paced read with some plot lines that I hadn’t come across before.  I like fantasy and science fiction, but it has to have some “meat” in it and be original in some facet to really draw me in.  "Innerearth" has both. S.M. Coan didn’t take a well trodden path that he knew from heart.  Instead he tackled a whole new world with some difficult plot lines and characters.

I don’t want to give much away, but the descriptions that Coan uses for characters that don’t have physical forms are excellent.  In a book like this, the author could have easily been sidetracked so much by the new world that they created that they fail to move the story along.  Coan does an excellent job of description and pacing to keep the readers attention.

If you are a fan of intellectual science fiction, then this book should be on your list. 

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(this review was part of a paid ad, which only gave the author 'front of the line' privileges, but in no way influenced this review.)

Fantasy that goes to the core - Innerearth by SM Coan

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"I'm on the other side of the incident." Christian W. Falconer's recurring dreams are becoming more frequent and disturbing. He meets himself as a nine year old child, and the subsequent conversation only reinforces his feeling that something about his past doesn't quite add up. Chris attributes this to the lingering effects of a coma suffered as the result of viral encephalitis during his second tour as an enlisted man in the Air Force. When he is approached by four members of a covert government agency known as the Red File Council, Christian W. Falconer knows his quiet life as a surveyor is about to abruptly change.

From the seemingly endless corridors of the Pentagon to the metamorphic passageways of Innerearth, Chris learns the disturbing truth of the vanished, the answers to the mysteries which have long fascinated humankind, and ultimately the secret to the survival of the planet itself.

By revealing the secret of the Physical to the Neuxe, the personification of the psychic realm of the planet, Chris is returned to his proper place in time, and the two opposing forces are balanced - but for how long?

I have a promotional code going through September for Smashwords. The coupon gets the book for 99 cents. FE78D is the code.   Enjoy!

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/292154

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(Not a review - Paid Ad)

To err is "Human", unless you are destined for a greater destiny.

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If you believe in reincarnation, Zen must have done some bad things in his previous life.  Why do I say that, since he did return as a human instead of a worm?  Well, to start, the guy's wife has an open affair with the housekeeper and he is not allowed to return home until everything is sparkling clean - like around midnight.  Next, his dreams of being an engineer is dangled in front of him as he cleans the building engineers work in - with vivid descriptions of bathroom cleanings.  One of his friends vanishes, and another dies of the pandemic virus that is dropping people like flies.

Maybe a worm would have been a better choice.  That is - until Zen receives a mysterious text with some coordinates and is met by a couple of strangers.

In the course of a week, Zen's entire view of reality will be turned on its head as he is discovers that maybe being "just Zen" is really a gift.  But is Zen ready to reach out and take hold of his destiny?

"Human" by Milan Bakrania is a work of fantasy that follows the journey of Zen through India and way beyond.  This work has ambitious goals, but the journey for the reader is at times almost as difficult as Zen's.  The book is written in parts that are to be read like a diary, parts from Zen's point of view with conversation in broken English (with plenty of "cussing" with *'s for vowels), but then sofisticated thoughts and narration in language that one probably wouldn't find from a cleaner working in India.  Zen goes from wondering about how badly he smells and talking about bowel movements to reading books on geothermal engineering wondering why he didn't get his big break.  Maybe he could start with a shower.....

Bakrania set his goals to be very lofty in this novel, encouraging the reader to pass it on to others who may need help reaching their dreams (or even considering doing physical harm to themselves).  For even a seasoned author, trying to motivate someone to change through a fantasy novel while still pulling off the story and characters would be a tough task.  For an author just trying to break into the field, it might have been a goal that may have been a little beyond the reach.  I think the author would have been better served sticking with the story and allowing the reader to pull out of it the meaning they wanted instead of trying so hard to guide the reader to think a specific way and losing the flow of the story along the way.

For those that like fantasy with a message, however, this author would be a good one to watch as he grows in his craft.

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Two Immortals in two human bodies chasing three swords while deciding between two boyfriends. The math doesn't look good.

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Karla was just your average shy girl who everyone could walk past and never "see" her.  Her sidekick friend was the pretty one who always got all of the attention.  So why did Paul, who every girl was fighting over, start to make conversation and happen to "appear" where ever she was.  And why was a stranger willing to fight Paul over her.  Suddenly, her life became anything but average.  

But when you are sharing your body and your mind with an immortal being and you are the last in her line that she can inhabit - "boring" can be erased from your dictionary.

Karla learns that she is a "Shielder", and while she is teaching veteran shielders a thing or two that they have never seen before, she lacks control over it.  While struggling to learn how to use her shield - she is thrust into a war that has been raging, unbeknownst to the average person, for quite a long time.  You see, Starkoffs and Shielders mix together as well as bleach with brand new red clothes.  When ever they meet - lots of red will lost (hey, I thought that was pretty clever!  LOL).

  

The pressure of realizing you have a "power" that you never knew you had, while trying to figure solve the age old problem of teenage girls everywhere (which boy they have a crush on), then discovering that your body can perform ninja like moves because it is controlled by an immortal being - it's enough to make anyone hear little voices in their head!  Heck, killing Starkoffs might be the easiest thing that the ex-nerd Karla has to deal with!!!

Possession of My Soul (The Three Immortal Blades)  is the debut novel by the young author Kia Carrington-Russell.  Good news to those who will enjoy this first novel by Carrington-Russell - there are two more coming!  Her talent will only increase the more she writes, but don't wait until everyone is talking about her - be one of the first to follow what looks to be a long career of writing from Kia!

 If you like Young Adult Fantasy, with a touch of angst ridden semi-romance that never quite gets fulfilled - then this series is worth your attention.

 Strengths

-  Nice development of the plot and characters.  Enough twists to keep your interest.

-  No spelling or grammar issues were found.

-  Good pacing between action scenes and plot development.

Weaknesses

-  At points, I found Karla (from whose point of view the story is told) repeating her problems and difficulties a few too many times.  But having a teenage daughter myself, this is definitely in character!

-  Some things just seem to "happen" without much of a buildup.  For example, Karla learns some new tricks (such as "hearing" from the earth by draining some energy from it) just out of nowhere.  To be fair, the story is told from Karla's point of view and she is being rushed to use her new found powers in battle well before she has and opportunity explore all of the new facets of it.

                     Amazon Link                             Goodreads Link

Sometimes You Just Have to Root for the Thief!

"Shadowcursed" by Gelo R. Fleisher is a fantasy novella featuring a thief named Bolen.  Bolen is getting up there in years - 43summers have passed him by - and he wants to pull off one last risky job.  Why?  Well, just to see if he can still do it.  Now, you don't usually get to be 43 in the thieving occupation unless you are good, because in that line of work, failure usually means much more than losing just your occupation.

In his head, Bolen can still do all of the things he needs to do.  His body, however, might disagree.  When your knees make worse sounds than the rusty doors you are trying to open quietly, there could be some problems.  Jumping from rooftop to rooftop might also be thought of as a "younger man's game."

So who to target for your last "job?"  Hey, why not sneak into the the mayor's house who is known by all as the "Mad Lord" - sneak into his basement that is home to his vault of personal treasures and see what we can find?  Really, what could go wrong....  Apparently, Murphy's Law was alive and well during the Middle Ages as well.

I enjoyed this book immensely.  It took me all the way back to my Dungeon & Dragon playing days - and let's just be honest - it is sometimes more fun to be the "not so good" guy.  Fleisher does an excellent job all the way around in this story - I was hooked and couldn't wait to get home to keep reading it.  It is very apparent that Fleisher is a great story teller, not just a writer.  I was leery that in 78 pages that he would be able to develop the characters enough to make me care - but that worry left soon after I started reading the book.  Fleisher has a unique ability to build up an entire new world, characters, plot, and action in probably a third of the words that other writers take - and then they still miss the mark.  This is not to say that the story or the writing is overly simple or straightforward - but instead Fleisher chooses his words carefully and doesn't lose his great story to a blustering flurry of adjectives (such as I just used!).


Strengths

• Everything.  Plain and simple.  I am not exaggerating when I say that I loved it!

• There was a point in the plot (which I won't spoil here) that puts Bolen in an impossible (literally) situation that just had me chuckling inside at it's absurdity.  It's not absurd because it's a huge stretch of the imagination, it's absurd because Bolen's life mirrors everyone else who has had the pleasure of living with Murphy's Law.

• This is an easy one or two day read that you will wish you could somehow stretch into a Game of Thrones six book 8,000 page saga.

• Fleisher even has a game that he created around the book himself.  Way to go, Gelo - raise the bar for all of the indie authors out there.  Keep it up and we will all hate you for it!!!  LOL.   What's worse is that it's FREE!

Weaknesses

• None.  Give me more!!!

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Link to the Requiem Free computer game

By the Time You Hear the Thunder, it's too late...

What do you get when you intertwine flying prehistoric creatures, an extinct civilization, eight foot tall sultry goddesses, and Bugatti automobiles?  "Kokopelli's Thunder: Fall of the Anasazi" by Sean Cordry - that's what.

The Anasazi are people who live simple lives in impressive structures.  One could consider them almost boring, except for the fact that they raise pterodactyl type creatures from hatchlings and "imprint" with them using bagpipe like contraptions.  It is the ancient version of drone warfare, except scarier.  And they spit fire - not breathe fire - but spit it.  Two spits - one for fuel / one for fire.  Gross AND deadly!

The story jumps back and forth 700 or so years, which brings us to the beautiful yellow Bugatti that has no business driving around the desert.  A stolen artifact "recovery agent", winds up meeting Frankie, a stuttering boy, and his best friend, Turq - who is strong and wise for his age.  Did I mention a witch?  Oh, well this isn't the Wizard of Oz variety we are dealing with here - magic requires sacrifice.  And sometimes the results aren't exactly what you thought you wanted....

In his "About the Author" section, Cordry says that he has a talent for seeing and making connections between seemingly unconnected events.  This may be a huge understatement.  When I first started reading this book, I thought that Cordry was going to take us on a long and winding journey that would never quite reach it's destination.  However, Cordry lives up to his bio and pulls it off.  

I am a fan of the X-Files series, and this was like watching a couple of episodes together on peyote (I have never touched the stuff, for the record) - lots of unexpected turns with lots of supernatural events and enough deaths to make Conan proud.  I am talking whole civilizations here!  

I hope the author does well enough with this book to keep him writing.  There is definitely talent here - and I would love to see what combinations he chooses to tweak with next go-around.

Strengths 

• Fabulous story.  This author obviously did his research about the Anasazi and their culture and beliefs (what little is known about them).

• Enough action to keep your interest, but maintaining enough focus on character development and detail to spark your imagination.

• Totally original - this is what I have come to love about Indie Authors!  This is a story that may never have been shared any other way.

• No issues with grammar or spelling.

Weaknesses

• My only issue was trying to remember all of the different names of the Anasazi places and people.  But, to be fair to the author, I imagine "James Smith" wasn't a very popular name - especially since I have learned that "James" sounds a lot like "rabbit poop" in whatever language the author was using....

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