Azure Dwarf's Horde of SciFi & Fantasy

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Slays

2012-05-31T06:00:00.000-07:00

See my review of the same book.

A Guest Post:

You may think you know your history, but just reading a few pages of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunterand you might just catch yourself second guessing yourself: are vampires real? And was our nation's 16^thpresident really the meanest, most skilled, vampire hunter to ever grace our presence?

It's evident that since the release of Stephanie Meyer's Twilight, vampires have definitely sunk their teeth into almost every piece of literature released within the past few years. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunteris no exception. However Seth Grahame-Smith, author of the popular 2009 mash up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, does "vampire" the right way: staying clear from all the new found "teenaged" romance associated with present-day blood suckers, Grahame-Smith's vampires do not seduce the opposite sex–they're actually scary.

Although Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was released in 2010, a film adaptation of the book directed by Tim Burton will be released in the summer—thus what better time to revisit the tale of Abe Lincoln and his famous slayer days than right now.

Without trying to sound too colloquial, this book has bite. It's funny, exciting, and so well-researched that it's somewhat eerie—Grahame-Smith seamlessly (and convincingly) interweaves facts of Lincoln's childhood, presidential campaign, and the Civil War with fictional characters that go bump-in-the-night. It's truly an original and entertaining piece of work—and it's filled with tons of pictures.

The epistolary-style book basically tells Lincoln's life story through a set of "secret diaries" held by a vampire for many centuries. Lincoln's mission to defeat vampires begins when he witnesses his mother's death by vampire at 9-years-old. At this time, Lincoln also discovers that his grandfather was also killed by the same demon in 1786. Lincoln avenges his mother's death and then befriends a "good" vampire who trains him: he learns some facts of vampirism and how to defeat them. As he grows older, Lincoln becomes stronger and more skilled. Later Lincoln discovers that some slave owners are in fact vampires and purchase slaves for sustenance, not labor. Thus begins his mission to end slavery. Throughout the book Lincoln also befriends some other famous historical figures, such as Edgar Allen Poe.

In fear of giving too much away, the plot summary will end now. But it's definitely worth a read. While it's technically written for ages 13 and up, college aged students and adults will probably appreciate it more.

By-line:
This guest post is contributed by Lauren Bailey, who regularly writes for online colleges. She welcomes your comments at her email Id: blauren99 @gmail.com.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. Any guest post is checked to verify that the link is harmless as far as I can tell.

Summoning The Night by Jenn Bennett

2012-05-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

This book was given 4.5 stars by Romantic Times Book Reviews. Now I don’t know the folks at Romantic Times and this is not intended to be critical but most guys would be somewhat put off with that accolade. Up front, I enjoyed the book and I avoid romance novels like the plague. The book involves a witch and her single father boyfriend demon as hey face an evil wizard and disappearing children.

Ms. Bennett takes an unlikely scenario and populates it with likeable and believable characters. The protagonists are not super hero/heroine types. They have foibles and faults and quirks. They do dumb things and pay for them. A great plot can be dragged down with crass characters just as a pool plot can be bolstered by great characterizations.

This is by no means a poor plot; it has some substance and provides a strong level of mystery. You find yourself enjoying the mystery and those of you who are leery of the supernatural, it is more like the icing than the cake. This book is a very good mix that produces a very palatable read. Hmm, it is approaching dinner time, I find my food references increase in dramatic proportion to my appetite.

I recommend it.

Body of work of <a type="amzn"> Jenn Bennett </a>

Web Site: http://www.jennbennett.net/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Spirit of Fire Blog Tour

2012-05-25T13:44:00.000-07:00

48 Date Blog Tour Announced and Cover Art Unveiled for Stephen Zimmer's Spirit of Fire

Seventh Star Press is proud to unveil the cover art and illustrations created by award-winning artist Matthew Perry for Spirit of Fire, Book Three of the epic fantasy Fires in Eden Series by award-winning author Stephen Zimmer, as well as announce the dates and sites for the 48 day Spirit of Fire Blog Tour. A pre-order window for a limited edition hardcover is also open in advance of the book's official release.

(Illustrations by Matthew Perry from the first edition of Spirit of Fire)

The Spirit of Fire Blog Tour is being hosted by Babs Book Bistro, and will feature 50 events over 48 days, beginning May 29th and running through July 14th. The tour will feature a number of activities, including reviews, video, interviews, podcasts, guest blog posts, and contests/giveaways.

Spirit of Fire is the third title in the Fires in Eden Series, following Crown of Vengeance and Dream of Legends. Also associated with the epic fantasy series is a growing collection of short stories, the Chronicles of Ave, that have been released on eBook and are part of the Seventh Star Singles catalog.

In Spirit of Fire, a maelstrom of war engulfs lands resisting the designs of the Unifier to bring about a new order, of a kind that has never existed within Ave. Battered by a massive invasion force from Gallea, the tribal people of the Five Realms and their Midragardan allies are being driven eastward, towards the sea, while the Saxan lines are wearing down ever thinner on the Plains of Athelney.

Time is running out quickly, as an ancient creature of legend soars through the skies with a brave young Saxan. They carry the desperate hopes of two realms sorely beset by a voracious enemy.

Diabolic entities conduct a great hunt, as a malignant darkness deepens across all of Ave. Exiles from another world must gain refuge, or find themselves ensnared by the long reach of the Unifier. The very nature of creation itself stands in the balance.

It is a time when the honor and fortitude of many are put to the test, and terrible prices are paid for resisting great evils. It is also a time of awakening for many, old and young alike, some of whom may yet discover the spirit of fire that lies within.

The third installment in the Fires in Eden series, Spirit of Fire is richly imagined epic fantasy with a diverse ensemble of characters that offers a new world to explore for readers who enjoy large-scale tales along the likes of George R.R. Martin, Brandon Sanderson, Steven Erikson, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Spirit of Fire will be released in softcover and eBook versions during the first week of June. The novel is now available for pre-order in a beautiful hardcover edition that is strictly limited to 75 copies.

The limited hardcover edition will be signed and numbered by Stephen Zimmer and includes a bonus illustration from Matthew Perry not included in other editions. It will be accompanied by an assortment of collectibles, including a set of glossy art cards, bookmarks, and magnets. The limited edition hardcovers will also be bundled with the eBook version (provided as a direct ePub file for users with Nooks, iPads, or Sony eReaders, and gifted as a Kindle file for Kindle users). Those interested in securing one of the 75 limited hardcovers can place a pre-order at: http://seventhstarpress.com/documents/pre_orders.html

The Spirit of Fire Blog Tour Dates and Participants Are As Follows:

May 29 Fantasy Book Review
May 30 Ginger Nuts of Horror
May 31 Mom Cat's Gateway Book Blog
June 1   Splash of Our Worlds
June 2   Soliloquy
June 3   Ritesh Kala's Book Review
June 4   Jess Resides Here
June 5   Reading Away the Days
June 6   Vilutheril Reviews
June 7   A Daydreamer's Thoughts
June 8 Red Headed Bookworm
June 9   Lisa's World of Books
June 10 Kentucky Geek Girl
June 11 Goatfairy Review Blog
June 12 Book and Movie Dimension Blog
June 13 Full Moon Bites
June 14 Stuck in Books
June 15 The Independent Review
June 15 Alchemy of Scrawl
June 16 Watch Play Read
June 17 A Book Vacation
June 18 Eva's Sanctuary
June 19 That Book Place Blog
June 20 Edi's Book Lighthouse
June 21 SpecMusicMuse
June 22 Once Upon a Time
June 23 Azure Dwarf Horde of Sci-Fi & Fantasy
June 24 Bad Girls, Good Guys, and Two-Fisted Action
June 25 Eden Road Blog
June 25 Ali's Bookshelf (live podcast)
June 26 Workaday Reads
June 27 Bookishly Me
June 28 Earth's Book Nook
June 29 Darlene's Book Nook
June 30 The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
July 1     Evie Bookish
July 2     Urban Fantasy Reviews
July 3     The Cabin Goddess
July 4     TheSci-Fi Guys Book Review
July 5     The Speculative Salon
July 6     Ali's Bookshelf
July 7     Bunnys Review
July 8     Bee's Knees Reviews
July 9     In the Dark of Night with James Tuck
July 10   Edin Road Radio (live podcast)
July 11   A Few Words
July 12    Bab's Book Bistro
July 13   Alchemy of Scrawl (live podcast)
July 14    Babs Book Bistro (live podcast)

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

REDHEART--FREE in ebook format Today 5/22/12 and Tomorrow at Amazon.

2012-05-22T08:16:00.002-07:00

FREE in ebook format Today 5/22/12 and Tomorrow at Amazon.

If you love dragons, you must jump on this one for an exciting ride.!

Review of Redheart. Review of Sela the sequel.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Poseidon’s Children by Michael West

2012-05-19T07:00:00.000-07:00

This book is a bit difficult to characterize. It is a thriller but it has science fiction overtones and perhaps urban fantasy with Children of the Corn and Al Capone. Archeologist trying to establish the whereabouts of Atlantis encounter a current situation that jeopardizes their lives and mental well being.

I’m not terrible thrilled with the first paragraph and its run on sentence but bear with me. Mr. West crafted both a thought provoking story and a tense, action packed runaway. You can get caught up in the action and miss the contemplation of how little we know of the bulk of our earthly environment, the seas.

Interesting characters abound in this book. You have archeologists, artists, authors, gangsters, psychopaths, the Coast Guard and shape changers. West does a good job crafting each player and making them believable. The story is colorful, entertaining and well plotted. There is something for every reader and the story provides fodder for every imagination.

I really enjoyed this book.

I highly recommend.

Body of work of <a type="amzn" >Michael West</a>

Site: http://www.bymichaelwest.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Indigo Springs by A. M. Dellamonica

2012-05-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is a tale of a small town populated by small town people who stumble upon magic and the consequences there of.

I grew up in a small town so there was some familiarity with Indigo Springs. The characters were equally familiar. My biggest problem with the book was that none of the characters were endearing. I didn’t find one single character that I truly liked. The shallowness and banality of the characters was probably intended as I suspect they were not meant to be liked.

The plot was interesting and the premise of where has all the magic gone was well played. The lure of power and the greed illustrated was a sad commentary on human nature. The book sets up a sequel, it will be interesting to see where this unusual story goes.

Body of work of <a type="amzn"> A. M. Dellamonica </a>

Web site: http://alyxdellamonica.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

FREE Angelkiller Download Today and Wednesday 5/15-5/16/12

2012-05-15T08:51:00.000-07:00

Well-written urban fantasy that blends the supernatural with the technological, and first of a trilogy.

See my Review!

FREE

click of Free to go to Amazon for the free Kindle download of Angelkiller.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Calley’s War By John Ringo & Julie Cochrane

2012-05-12T07:00:00.015-07:00

This book is by my count the 6^th of the Posleen War series. We have been introduced to Calley in the early books in her role as a child. Calley is no longer a child!

This book would be a good read as a stand alone but it would be confusing. It is a better read if you go in the order they were released. The politics of the post-Posleen invasion are confusing at best and incomprehensible at worse.

With that said, there is more action, violence, torture and mayhem than you can shake whatever your weapon may be at. It was a fun read, yikes! Fun used after those previous words may indicate a need for therapy. Oh well, I still enjoyed the book.

I recommend the book.

Body of work of <a type="amzn"> John Ringo</a>

Body of work of <a type="amzn"> Julie Cochrane </a>

Web sites: http://www.johnringo.net/Home.aspx

http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Julie-Cochrane/22640057

Post-Posleen Adventures

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

FREE Overkill by Steven Shrewsbury May 8 & 9,2012

2012-05-08T08:29:00.001-07:00

FREE eBook

May 8th and 9th only.

If you missed out on a free copy of Overkill with my GiveAway, this is a great time to get a FREE copy!

Read my review of this great book.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Winners of Steven Shrewsbury GiveAway

2012-05-08T07:00:00.002-07:00

Winners of Overkill and Thrall

John from Kentucky

Stephen from Nebraska

Thank you for participating and please come back to my blogs often, there is almost always a GiveAway going on at one of my blogs.

My Books
Azure Dwarf's Horde of SciFi&Fantasy Blog
Pick of the Literate Blog
Money Saving Tech Tips Blog

Overkill by Steven Shrewsbury

2012-05-04T06:30:00.000-07:00

Gorias LaGaul is back and as I said in my review of Thrall, he would kick Conan’s butt. This is the second book in a dark heroic fantasy with an aging protagonist.

Gorias is a protagonist that I can identify with in many aspects. Pragmatic to a fault he is accepting of his age and doesn’t let it stop him from doing what he wants to do. I’m not sure I can identify with his ruthlessness but it certainly is effective. He has skewed soft spots that pop up with surprising frequency. He is a much, much larger than life character. That is what makes him so entertaining.

The story provide Gorias with a quest. Requested to quest by a former love, he acquiesces reluctantly. His personal code of ethics demands he remain loyal to past loves. In his case, it means a wealth of women for whom he must be loyal.

As fantasies go, there are the requisites of Dragons, monsters, demons, wizards, pirates and assorted nefarious characters. Steven adds his own personal twists to the standard hosts providing them with identities that enable them to be unique.

Action runs amuck as well as libidos, the easily offended may want to pass on this book. For the rest of us who enjoy rollicking good humor and raucous action this is a book for the must read shelf.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of <a type="amzn"> Steven Shrewsbury </a>

Web site: http://www.seventhstarpress.com/current_authors/steven_shrewsbury.html

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

LAST Day Free Dwarves! Not Free The Dwarves, Free Dwarves!

2012-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

Real Dwarves Read on Kindles!

Last Day This Deal Will Be Over SHORTLY!

Now is your chance to get a FREE (free is good) Kindle download of D.A. Adams’ Brotherhood of the Dwarves. This is not a short story! (dwarf joke)

This will not be announced shortly, this is right now, Yesterday Tuesday May 1^st and Today Wednesday May 2^nd only. In just a short time, this FREE book will be gone, so download today or tomorrow and end your shortage of reading material.

This message has been brought to you by the United Brotherhood of Vertically Challenged, Muscle Bound Miners and Adventures or UBVCMBMA for short.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Overkill and Thrall GiveAway!

2012-05-01T19:15:00.000-07:00

May 1--May 7, 2012 Steven Shrewsbury GiveAway
Three Winners--Two eBooks and More*

*The great people at 7th Star Press are going to include the Gorias La Gaul Short stories Author and Finisher of Our Flesh and Insurmountable with these three prizes. Winners will be announced on May 8th.

Want to know more? See my review of Thrall.
See the 7th Star Press release on the Overkill Tour.

&lt;p&gt;Loading...&lt;/p&gt;This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Free Dwarves! Not Free The Dwarves, Free Dwarves!

2012-05-01T06:50:00.002-07:00

Now is your chance to get a FREE (free is good) Kindle download of D.A. Adams’ Brotherhood of the Dwarves. This is not a short story! (dwarf joke)

This will not be announced shortly, this is right now, Today Tuesday May 1^st and Tomorrow Wednesday May 2^nd only. In just a short time, this FREE book will be gone, so download today or tomorrow and end your shortage of reading material.

This message has been brought to you by the United Brotherhood of Vertically Challenged, Muscle Bound Miners and Adventures or UBVCMBMA for short.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

The Overkill Blog Tour--Thrall is BACK!

2012-04-29T13:44:00.000-07:00

Overkill Blog Tour and Cover Art Unveiled for Steven Shrewsbury's Latest Gorias La Gaul Adventure!

Seventh Star Press is proud to unveil the cover art and illustrations created by award-winning artist Matthew Perry for Steven Shrewsbury's newest Gorias La Gaul novel, Overkill, as well as announce the dates and sites for the Overkill Blog Tour. A pre-order window for a limited edition hardcover is also being opened in advance of the book's official release.

(Illustrations by Matthew Perry from the first edition of Overkill)

The Overkill Tour is being hosted by Babs Book Bistro, and will feature 25 blog sites over 25 days, beginning April 20th and running through May 14th . The tour will feature a number of activities, from interviews, to reveiws, guest blog posts, and contests/giveaways.

Overkill is the second novel featuring the iconic sword and scorcery figure Gorias La Gaul, following the debut of the character in the novel Thrall, released in late 2010 from Seventh Star Press. Gorias La Gaul is also featured in two short stories, Author and Finisher of Our Flesh, and Insurmountable, both available in eBook format in the Blood and Steel: Legends of La Gaul collection in the Seventh Star Singles catalog.

The story told in Overkill takes place in an ancient time, before a great flood wiped clean the earth, destroying everything upon it. Before the deluge, in a time now forgotten, the world was a place of warriors and witches, conflicts between kingdoms, and, until their extermination, dragons. In this world, men may live centuries, fallen angels have begotten terrifying spawn, and sometimes, the best hope can be found in a brothel.

In the land of Transalpina, a new religion spreads, and important men are dying mysteriously, slain by what can only be the fire of dragon breath. Summoned by the Queen Garnet, the legendary warrior Gorias La Gaul
returns to the place where he once saved the queen's young granddaughter from treachery and enslavement. The Princess Nykia is gone, and soon others may try to claim the throne. The queen has little choice but to turn to the only man who ever told her no.

With the aid of one of the queen's elite guard, the battle maiden Alena, and the young palace servant Orsen, the old mercenary will face pirates and traitors, monsters and foul magic in the quest to find the missing heir and learn the truth behind the disconcerting murders.

Overkill will be released in softcover and Kindle versions during the third week of April. The novel is now available for pre-order in a beautiful hardcover edition that is strictly limited to 75 copies.

The limited hardcover edition will be signed and numbered by Steven Shrewsbury and includes a bonus illustration from Matthew Perry not included in other editions. It will be accompanied by an assortment of collectibles, including a set of glossy art cards, bookmarks, and magnets. The limited edition hardcovers will also be bundled with the eBook version (provided as a direct ePub file for users with Nooks, iPads, or Sony eReaders, and gifted as a Kindle file for Kindle users). Those interested in securing one of the 75 limited hardcovers can place a pre-order at: http://seventhstarpress.com/documents/pre_orders.html

The Overkill Blog Tour Dates and Participants Are As Follows:

April 20 Watch Play Read
April 21   SpecMusicMuse
April 22 Splash of Our Worlds
April 23   Edi's Book Lighthouse
April 24   Sci-Fi Guys Book Review
April 25   Jess Resides Here
April 26   Book Den
April 27   That Book Place Blog
April 28   Urban Fantasy Reviews
April 29   Evie Bookish
April 30   Eva's Sanctuary
May 1     Azure Dwarf Horde of Sci-Fi & Fantasy
May 2     Darlene's Book Nook
May 3     Ginger Nuts of Horror
May 4     Ali's Bookshelf
May 5   The Magick Pen
May 6    Book and Movie Dimension Blog
May 7    The Cabin Goddess
May 8     Bee's Knees Reviews
May 9     I Smell Sheep
May 10   Once Upon A Time
May 11   Ritesh Kala's Book Review
May 12   Goatfairy Review Blog
May 13   Fantasy Book Review
May 14   Babs Book Bistro

Contact: C.C. James
Public Relations, Seventh Star Press
ccjames@seventhstarpress.com

Seventh Star Press is a small press publisher of speculative fiction located in Lexington Kentucky

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson

2012-04-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

I see this book as an urban fantasy coming of age of a young wizard. It is set in immediate post-Katrina New Orleans.

DJ, Drusilla Jaco, is a Green Congress wizard. She is chafing at her restrictions on being a young, junior sentinel guarding New Orleans. Ms. Johnson does an excellent job creating DJ’s character, filling her with angst, life and temper. Katrina weakens the boundary between the Beyond and now. The Beyond is the home of the bulk of the mystical fantasy world. Elves, vampires, weres of all types, pixies and the historical un-dead populate the Beyond. Reminiscent of Tinkerbell, it appears that the historical undead can be reanimated by the strength of their believers.

Vague reference is made to the co-existence of some groups of supernatural’s and the acceptance of that co-existence by the Elders. The Elders are a governing body of the strongest wizards who have accepted or co-opted the responsibility for keeping the bulk of the supernatural’s in the Beyond.

The plot centers on DJ coming to grips with her abilities and emotions while battling historical un-dead, a serial killer and a pseudo-religious deities. There is a lot of action and DJ often finds herself staring at the sky and wondering what just happened. Ms. Johnson crafted a believable character who exhibits appropriate foibles for a young person struggling to find their identity in a very confusing, colorful and dangerous environment.

I’m hoping this is the first in a series as it was very well done and introduced some very likeable characters.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of <a type="amzn"> Suzanne Johnson</a>

Web sites: http://www.suzanne-johnson.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Winner of Sela & Redheart by Jackie Gamber

2012-04-23T11:13:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to

Denise from Oregon

Winner of two great eBooks!

Thank you to all who participated, come back often for there are frequent GiveAways.

Thank you for reading my blogs!

In The Lion’s Mouth by Michael Flynn

2012-04-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is the third book in a series. In my opinion it did not stand alone well. Shellie, one of my favorite bloggers, disagrees with me. (See opposing view point.) I suggest reading the first two, The January Dancer and then Up Jim River before reading this book. Donovan, the protagonist, seems to be a key piece in the Spiral Arm politics. The black ops teams of the Confederation and the League each hope to use him for their own ends.

I was never able to get into this book. I suspect that a better back story would have allowed my interest to be piqued. I found the characters and their put upon dialects confusing. Again, I blame this on not having read the prior two books. The plot apparently spans the three books and more books are supposedly forthcoming.

Donovan’s multiple personalities were the most interesting aspect of the book. It is a scenario that would seem to be a major plus for a black op agent.

The black op talents were interesting as was the premise that if the “boots” (regular military) became involved it would be a disaster for all. The Hounds and the Shadows each perceived themselves as elite, surgically precise solutions to political difficulties.

I suspect readers of the first two books will be happy with this book.

Body of work of Michael Flynn</a>

Site: http://m-francis.livejournal.com/

2012-04-18T10:40:00.003-07:00

Wednesday & Thursday April 18 & 19 Only!

Sela

by Jackie Gamber

This is a Great Dragon Story
See my review

Get Free book

See my review of Redheart Jackie's first dragon book.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Sela by Jackie Gamber GiveAway (sequel to RedHeart)

2012-04-15T07:00:00.004-07:00

Three Winners of both Sela and it's predecessor Redheart eBooks in either Kindle or ePub format.

See my review of Redheart Jackie's first book in the Leland Dragon Series.

See my review posted on March 11th and the Winner on March 23rd, here!

Every comment gets an entry.

Giveaway runs from Apri 15th to April 22nd 2012.

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Sela by Jackie Gamber

2012-04-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is the sequel to Redheart,Jackie’s first book in the Leland Dragon Series.

I first posted my review on Redheartat Book Review: Redheart by Jackie Gamber on Blogcritics which will theoretically get me more traffic on my posts. I still don’t know if that is true. Sela is every bit as good as Redheart and deals with the coming of age of some young dragons.

The cast of characters and location are familiar in this book. Leland is the province where Kallon Redheart, a red dragon, resides. The province is in a drought and tensions between dragons and humans are at an all time high. Fordon Blackclaw, the Dragon Council Leader, is using the tensions to further his personal ambitions. Riza Diantus epitomizes or perhaps symbolizes the plight of the woman in un-enlightened cultures. That is making the assumption that we live in an enlightened culture which isn’t always guaranteed. Equal opportunity often seems to be a cliché not realized in our tumultuous economic environment of today let alone in a rural agriculture set in a medieval style setting.

Jastin, the dragon hunter, returns as merciless as ever and the wizard, Orman is here again.

There are new characters as well. Drell and Sela are second generation characters who bring new viewpoints to a tumultuous story.

There are dragons of all colors. Desert dragons and mountain dragons, good dragons and bad dragons, the book are infested with dragons. That is one of the reasons I loved it.

Gamber has created loveable and despicable characters. She imbues them with real feelings, emotions and frustrations. Jackie Gamber brings alive dragons and adventure with colorful, involved storytelling. Once again, the warm characters and very believable emotions produce a book that will be remembered and cherished.

I highly recommend the book, it was an excellent sequel and I look fervently for the next chapter in the tale.

Body of work of <a type="amzn"> Jackie Gamber </a>

Web site: http://www.jackiegamber.com/

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Free Kindle eBook Poseidon's Children! 4/11/12--4/12/12

2012-04-10T11:55:00.000-07:00

Kindle Free Day Promotion with Michael West's Poseidon's Children

April 11 & 12 Wednesday and Thursday Only

Go to Amazon the 11th & 12th & Download For FREE

Synopsis of Poseidon's Children:

Man no longer worships the old gods; forgotten and forsaken, they have become nothing more than myth and legend. But all that is about to change. After the ruins of a vast, ancient civilization are discovered on the ocean floor, Coast Guard officers find a series of derelict ships drifting in the current--high-priced yachts and leaking fishing boats, all ransacked, splattered in blood, their crews missing and presumed dead.

And that's just the beginning.

Vacationing artist Larry Neuhaus has just witnessed a gruesome shark attack, a young couple torn apart right before his eyes ... at least, he thinks it was a shark. And when one of these victims turns out to be the only son of Roger Hays, the most powerful man in the country, things go from bad to worse. Now, to stop the carnage,Larry and his new-found friends must work together to unravel a mystery as old as time, and face an enemy as dark as the ocean depths.

REVIEWS

Cinema of Shadows Reviews:

Shroud Magazine Review:

http://shroudmagazinebookreviews.blogspot.com/2011/10/cinema-of-shadows.html

Infernal Dreams Review:

http://www.infernaldreams.net/cinemaofshadows.html

Bee's Knees Review:

http://beeskneesreviews.blogspot.com/2011/11/cinema-of-shadows-by-michael-west.html?spref=fb

RJ Sullivan Review:

http://rjsullivanfiction.wordpress.com/2011/11/04/review-cinema-of-shadows/

Watch Play Read Review:

http://watchplayread.com/2011/10/its-about-time-you-read-something-scary-like-cinema-of-shadows/

The SciFi Guys Book Review:

http://scifiguysbookreview.blogspot.com/2011/06/cinema-of-shadows-book-review.html

Porkhead's Horror Review Hole Review:

http://porkhead.blogspot.com/2011/10/cinema-of-shadows.html?zx=d405dfade8a05125

Cyberbookworm Review:

http://cyberbookworm.wordpress.com/2011/09/19/cinema-of-shadows-%E2%80%93-michael-west/

Book Den Review:

http://bookden.blogspot.com/2011/08/book-review-cinema-of-shadows-by.html

Jess Resides Here Review:

http://www.frellathon.com/2011/08/cinema-of-shadows-review.html?zx=b6a73b05c6d11ca4

Horror-Web Review:

http://www.littlebunnycthulhu.com/index.php/2011/08/13/book-review-cinema-of-shadows-by-michael-west/

Pretty Sinister Books Review:

http://prettysinister.blogspot.com/2011/08/new-stuff-21st-century-ghostbusters.html

Hellnotes Review:

http://hellnotes.com/cinema-of-shadows-book-review?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=cinema-of-shadows-book-review

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

The Jackie Gamber Sela Blog Tour!

2012-04-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

Jackie Gamber's Sela Blog Tour Dates, Sela Cover Unveil, and Limited Hardcover Edition Announced

Seventh Star Press is proud to announce 36 blog tour dates for award-winning author Jackie Gamber's Sela, Book Two of the YA fantasy Leland Dragon Series, and the follow-up to her highly-acclaimed novel Redheart. In addition, Seventh Star Press is unveiling the cover art and two interior illustrations created by award-winning artist Matthew Perry for Sela.

The Sela Blog Tour is being hosted by Babs Book Bistro, and will feature 35 blog sites over 36 days, beginning March 27th and running through all of April. The tour will include a mixture of reviews, giveaways, interviews, and guest posts from Jackie. The tour will culminate with a special encore and wrap-up visit at From The Bookshelf of T.B. on May 1st.

Sela picks up a few years after the events of Redheart. Vorham Riddess, Venur of Esra Province, covets the crystal ore buried deep in Leland's mountains, and his latest device to obtain it is by marriage to a Leland maiden.

Among Dragonkind, old threats haunt Mount Gore, and shadows loom in the thoughts of the Red who restored life to land and love. A dragon hunter, scarred from countless battles, discovers he can yet suffer more wounds.

In the midst of it all, Sela Redheart is lost, driven from her home with only her old uncle to watch over her. As the dragon-born child of Kallon, the leader of Leland's Dragon Council, she is trapped in human form with no understanding of how she transformed, or how to turn back.

In a world where magic is born of feeling, where the love between a girl and a dragon was once transformative, what power dwells in the heart of young Sela?

Sela will be released in softcover and eBook versions during the first week of April, following the launch party at MidSouthCon in Memphis, TN during the March 24-26 weekend. Continuing the Seventh Star Press tradition of releasing collectible, limited edition hardcovers, Sela is now available for pre-order in a beautiful hardcover edition that is strictly limited to 75 copies.

The limited hardcover edition is signed and numbered by Jackie Gamber, and includes a bonus illustration from Matthew Perry not included in other editions. It will be accompanied by an assortment of collectibles, including a set of glossy art cards, bookmarks, and magnets. The limited edition hardcovers will also be bundled with the eBook version, with buyers able to choose an ePub, Kindle, or Nook version. Those interested in securing one of the 75 limited hardcovers can place a pre-order at: http://seventhstarpress.com/documents/pre_orders.html

The Sela Blog Tour Dates and Participants Are As Follows:

March 27 Lisa's Book Reviews
March 28 Watch Play Read
March 29 Stuck In Books
March 30 Fade Into Fantasy
March 31 Ian's Realm
April 1 Jelly Bean Chair Reviews
April 2 Once Upon A Time
April 3   A Book Vacation
April 4   Jess Resides Here
April 5 Soliloquy
April 6 Vilutheril Reviews
April 7 Ritesh Kala's Book Review
April 8   Sci Fi Guys
April 9 Unputdownable Books
April 10 Edi's Book Lighthouse
April 11 Workaday Reads
April 12 Eva's Sanctuary
April 13 Book and Movie Dimension Blog
April 14 Babs Book Bistro
April 15 Azure Dwarf Horde of Fantasy and SciFi
April 16 Fade Into Fantasy
April 17 Reading Away the Days
April 18 Splash of Our Worlds
April 19 Ali's Bookshelf
April 20 Sheila Deeth
April 21 I Heart Reading
April 22 All-Consuming Media
April 23 Spellbound By Books
April 24 One Thrifty Gurl
April 25 Evie Bookish
April 26 Booklady's Booknotes
April 27 Ella Bella Reviews
April 28 I Smell Sheep
April 29 The Haunting of Orchid Forsythia
April 30 Darlene's Book Nook
May 1st From The Bookshelf of T.B.   (special tour encore and wrap-up visit)

Contact: C.C. James
Public Relations, Seventh Star Press
ccjames@seventhstarpress.com

Seventh Star Press is a small press publisher of speculative fiction located in Lexington Kentucky

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations.

Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb by MJA Ware

2012-04-07T07:00:00.002-07:00

This book details the interaction of a teenager boy and girl and some horrid, disgusting zombies.

Nate and Missy’s adventures are utterly preposterous and imminently entertaining. Their relationship is refreshing and contrary to what is normally presented in teenage literature. The relationship should resonate with “real” teenagers who most frequently do not resemble the cast of Twilight.

The action was well done and graphic without the overtones of reality. This book was a treat to read and I will follow up with a post of what my thirteen associate has to say as he really is in the target market demographic. The book poses no intellectual challenge nor does it demand any moral attachment, it is entertaining and fun to read and frankly teens need to have something fun to read.

This is an excellent addition to the YA genre.

I highly recommend the book.

Body of work of Body of work of M.J.A.Ware

Web Site: http://www.mjaware.com/

Vicious Grace by M.L.N. Hanover.

2012-04-03T10:19:00.000-07:00

This is book three of the series The Black Sun’s Daughter. This is urban fantasy at its best. Jayne Heller discovers that her favorite uncle may not be the man she thought he was.

I read the fourth book, Killing Rites, in the series first. I am now caught up as I have read Unclean Spirits and Darker Angels . I am enjoying the series and hope to read the fifth book when it comes out.

Realizing I may be repetitious but nevertheless this is a violent coming of age story. Jayne discovers a lot about her Uncle Eric, her relationships and her self through the action and violence of the story.

The careful crafting to show good and evil as shades of gray deserves praise. The ambivalent nature shown by Jayne provides her with a reality persona far better than other urban fantasy heroines. The cast of characters demonstrates extraordinary courage in the sacrifices they make to thwart evil. Hanover, once again, has produced a action laden story that holds your interest to the very last page.

I really enjoyed the book and highly recommend.

Body of work of Body of work of M.L.N. Hanover

Web Site: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/abrahamdaniel.html

Azure Dwarf's Horde of SciFi & Fantasy

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Slays

Summoning The Night by Jenn Bennett

Spirit of Fire Blog Tour

REDHEART--FREE in ebook format Today 5/22/12 and Tomorrow at Amazon.

FREE in ebook format Today 5/22/12 and Tomorrow at Amazon.

If you love dragons, you must jump on this one for an exciting ride.!

Poseidon’s Children by Michael West

Indigo Springs by A. M. Dellamonica

FREE Angelkiller Download Today and Wednesday 5/15-5/16/12

Well-written urban fantasy that blends the supernatural with the technological, and first of a trilogy.

See my Review!

FREE

click of Free to go to Amazon for the free Kindle download of Angelkiller.

Calley’s War By John Ringo & Julie Cochrane

FREE Overkill by Steven Shrewsbury May 8 & 9,2012

Winners of Steven Shrewsbury GiveAway

Winners of Overkill and Thrall

John from Kentucky

Stephen from Nebraska

Thank you for participating and please come back to my blogs often, there is almost always a GiveAway going on at one of my blogs.

My BooksAzure Dwarf's Horde of SciFi&Fantasy BlogPick of the Literate BlogMoney Saving Tech Tips Blog

Overkill by Steven Shrewsbury

LAST Day Free Dwarves! Not Free The Dwarves, Free Dwarves!

Overkill and Thrall GiveAway!

Free Dwarves! Not Free The Dwarves, Free Dwarves!

The Overkill Blog Tour--Thrall is BACK!

Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson

Winner of Sela & Redheart by Jackie Gamber

Congratulations to

Denise from Oregon

Winner of two great eBooks!

In The Lion’s Mouth by Michael Flynn

Wednesday & Thursday April 18 & 19 Only!

Sela

by Jackie Gamber

This is a Great Dragon StorySee my review

Get Free book

See my review of Redheart Jackie's first dragon book.

Sela by Jackie Gamber GiveAway (sequel to RedHeart)

Sela by Jackie Gamber

Free Kindle eBook Poseidon's Children! 4/11/12--4/12/12

April 11 & 12 Wednesday and Thursday Only

Go to Amazon the 11th & 12th & Download For FREE

The Jackie Gamber Sela Blog Tour!

Super Zombie Juice Mega Bomb by MJA Ware

Vicious Grace by M.L.N. Hanover.

My Books
Azure Dwarf's Horde of SciFi&Fantasy Blog
Pick of the Literate Blog
Money Saving Tech Tips Blog

This is a Great Dragon Story
See my review