Monthly Archives: May 2012

Review: Carbon: Session 02 – Forsaken Fates

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Carbon: Session 02 - Forsaken Fates
Carbon: Session 02 – Forsaken Fates by Jason J. Berg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Yet Arin never quits moving forward, and though he is under the constant threat of the invader, he never allows a morsel of respite to be taken for himself, or for the enemy.

Arin is changing. Due to the demon blood from the tainted katana and then from Shenmaru, his quest for vengeance takes a turn towards survival – not for himself, but from those he once lived with in the town of Sunnfal. Desperate to get away before killing someone, Arin takes his tortured body into the surrounding forest. Still wanting to rid the world of demons, he slaughters any he find, while the mysterious man, Vail, brings word of Arin’s deeds to the Council.

Continuing where Session 01 left off and containing much of the same qualities of the previous book, Session 02 expands upon the cast of characters. The mysterious man, Vail, has a larger part to play in this story than first hinted at, and Arin meets another interesting creature that he calls Regret. The world continues to expand, the artwork lending visually to the action portrayed. Still, the ending isn’t really an end, but more like a beginning to the bigger plot arch.

Quick and manga-esque, Carbon follows one man’s quest for vengeance that changes into his quest for saving his people from the monsters of the world – including the one he’s becoming.

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Review: Carbon: Session 01 – Alignment

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Carbon: Session 01 - Alignment
Carbon: Session 01 – Alignment by Jason J. Berg
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

And so, it has been this way for the humans dwelling inside the ancient cities of Terra for well over five hundred years.

Arin has one of the most dangerous jobs in the city: collecting wood, stones, and anything else of use from the banks of the Orchid River. Still, he is happy and he makes enough to support his small family. Until, on his son’s 9th birthday, his life changes in ways he never imagined. Now, he’s on a warpath for revenge, battling demons – both inside his head and in his world.

While the world is vividly detailed and the pictures that are interspersed are masterfully done, the characterization fell a little flat. Arin is very single-minded in his quest for revenge, ignoring what could be helpful advice from a stranger to go after the demons that ransack his town. He also doesn’t question the interesting cloak that magically appears – he simply accepts it and moves forward. Also, there wasn’t a satisfying ending, but since this is made to read as a series, it would seem that Session 02 will pick up where this one left off.

Carbon introduces the reader to a world with plenty of untapped depth and tosses Arin into a fast-paced and bloody battle of revenge. The maps and artwork accurately depict the action of the story, adding a level of intimacy to the writing.

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New Release: Buzz Words

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THE RELEASE OF OUR 9TH BOOK!

To celebrate our astounding success with our free days on Amazon with “Forgotten” by Doug Lucas, GMTA has decided to release a sequel called “Buzz Words” by the same author. For those of you that read “Forgotten” and would like to know what happens to C.W. and Manny, pick up “Buzz Words” for free as we do a combination Release with Immediate Free Days on Amazon!

May 30th – 31st

“Buzz Words” will be free on Amazon! See the badge below for more details and get your free copy!

Guest Post: Behind the Words by Bill Talcott

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I just so happened to be talking to my pal, Bill, the other day and he kindly agreed to stop by again. You see, he’d written this post, but thought it would be nice to post it on my blog – and, of course, I said yes! He poses a good question and I’m curious to see what you think about it. Oh, and he’s the author of a really good story – perhaps you’ve seen my review?

Behind the words

Often when I sit down to write I’ll bring my story up on the screen and at first glance it is just pages of words. Hit Ctrl + End and I’m where I left off yesterday. I go back a couple of paragraphs just to be sure I approve of what I wrote the last time I sat down at it. That’s when the images begin to develop.

Behind the words I see the faces and hear the dialog between my characters. I can feel their joy and happiness when things are going right for them. I can also feel the pain of their losses and tragedies. I know their fears and their realities. Realities? Yes, during these moments, it is all that exists.

During conversations, I am there participating in all sides of it. Does that make me crazy? No, don’t answer that. When you think about it though, you are formulating both sides of any argument between characters and you have feelings one way or another about the current topic of that conversation. Okay, I am crazy, or perhaps there are just those of us who can see both sides of the coin. Yeah, that’s it. Continue reading →

Guest Post: Patti Gibble

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Today I have the pleasure of being a stop on Patti Gibble’s book tour for her book, 10 Powerful Tips for Training Unstoppable Children. Certainly, this is a must-read for any parents out there that want to ensure their children’s success.  Patti was kind enough to write up a little piece for us – enjoy!

Dear Discerning Readers,

Everything you read, see or imagine is not always good for you! You must discern what things you let into your mind and what things you don’t let into your mind. Of course you have free choice so it is up to you but you might want to consider what is good for your mind and what is not good for your mind. “Your mind is more important than you know” ~ Dr. Mike Murdock. Your mind is more important than your body, your friends or your family. If you don’t take care of your mind you can’t take care of anybody! Again, when you start taking care of your mind by knowing what is good for your mind and what is not good for your mind then you can take care of yourself and others. Continue reading →

Excerpt: Deadly Eyes

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Today on the Making Connections Book Tour, I have an excerpt from Michael Myer’s new book, “Deadly Eyes,” a murder mystery set in the Caribbean.

DEADLY EYES by Michael Meyer

SYNOPISIS:

 A HAUNTING CARIBBEAN MYSTERY

James Cuffy, better known as Cuff, is living in paradise with his girlfriend, on the small Caribbean island of St. Croix, where the sky is as blue as Cuff’s eyes, the ocean as pretty as Rosie’s cheeks, where the gentle lapping of the waves is a lullaby, and the swaying of the palm trees is a dance. The sandy beaches are as white as sugar, and the horizon is a world away. St. Croix indeed is paradise, the perfect place for living, laughing, and loving.  Continue reading →

Review: The Black Orb

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The Black Orb
The Black Orb by Sabine A. Reed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Don’t mistake me for a lady, old man, or that might be the last mistake you’ll ever make.

Aria has been searching for her brother for several weeks when she finds out he’s been taken prisoner by the Queen. In her desperation to bring back her only family member, Aria places her trust in Bikkar after he aids in her escape of the guards. They head to the seat of the throne, only to find Aria’s brother has been put under the spell of the Black Orb, leaving him a mindless husk intent on serving the Queen. To rid the world of the Queen’s rule, Aria and Bikkar travel to the end of the kingdom in search of the Dragon Claw, a magical item to break the Black Orb – and her only hope at getting her brother back.

While the world was very detailed, the characters were very simple. Aria only wants her brother back, and repeats this often. There were few minor characters that could have been developed further that would have helped flush out the story, yet Aria was a strong character and Bikkar was a nice compliment to her. The writing was very smooth: the places Aria and Bikkar went seemed to come alive. The ending, while nice and tidy, felt abrupt or forced, the climax too-quickly resolved.

With wonderful descriptions of the surrounding world and enough action to keep the plot moving nicely, The Black Orb is a quick fantasy story that readers can get lost within its pages.

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Review: Have Book, Will Travel

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Have Book, Will Travel
Have Book, Will Travel by Kfir Luzzatto
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you start doubting what the book says, we may as well go back now…

Max has been sent to his uncle’s fortress to continue his studies while his mother attends to a dying friend. While exploring the castle, Max finds an old storage room. Intent on avoiding his studies, he begins searching all of the chests in the room, only to one day find a young girl, Darla, reading a book. Soon, they both pass the time reading about the grand adventures in the book and dreaming of going on their own. So, when Max is forbidden to go back into the room, he prepares to do just that, taking Darla with him. But when the castle is besieged, the two friends have to find a way to get back home.

Once the two figure out the secret of the book, the story picks up a bit. In their efforts to go back home, Max and Darla are transported to two different worlds. While the worlds weren’t as fleshed out as they could have been, the fast-paced adventure kept the story moving forward, and the bond between Max and Darla developed as they endeavored to stay together and find the way home.

Fairly well-developed and adventurous, Have Book, Will Travel is a light read great for younger readers, full of mystery, magic, and friendship.

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New Release: Sarah Smiles

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Today’s new release is a story of young people, of coming of age, of young love: Sarah Smiles by Seanpaul Thomas.

Blurb:

It’s Nineteen ninety one and eleven year old Paul and his family have just moved to the  climatic sunshine paradise of Cyprus with his father’s work as an army sergeant with the Royal Engineers.

On Paul’s first day at school, his third first day in as many years, he is befriended by the dominant school bully Michael who takes young Paul under his sinister wing, introducing him into the fast and furious game of break time football before sadistically snatching it away from him and the chance of making more new friends.

Michael though only wants to hang out with Paul after school since they are neighbours and the only same age kids on their respective army estate. One day after school Michael shows Paul the beautiful but wildly dangerous and adventurous world of the surrounding wasteland caves and valleys around the estate. But things take a turn for the worst when Michael bullies Paul into steeling some cigarettes from his dad’s army bar and the two run off underneath a local bridge to try and smoke them. Here Michael is ‘accidentally’ urinated on from the top of the bridge by another young boy, Ben, who Michel and Paul chase into a local park to beat up for his prank. Continue reading →

Guest Post: Gemma from Charade

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Today I have the wonderful Gemma from Cambria Hebert’s newest novel, Charade! Feel free to check out my review and then dig into some tough questions with the newest cast member in this great series!

First: The book!

Blurb:

Dying at the hands of a psycho was a shock. Having my life returned to me by an angel was
incredible. Being named a Supernatural Treasure and being given Sam as my guard was
pretty darn awesome. Acquiring a debt for it all—well, I should have seen it coming.

Now here we are, fighting demons from Hell, caring for a boy that I just don’t trust, and
traveling to faraway places to return a treasure to its rightful place. Nothing is as it seems.
Everyone wears a mask; everyone puts on a charade. It’s up to us to separate the truth from
the lies and reality from fiction. A hard task when my new reality involves fallen angels,
witches and dragons… and did I mention Hell?

Anchoring me down through it all is Sam. Sam, who must face tragedies of his own and is
put to the test again and again.

If we fail in our task, life as we know it—life as you know it—will end. Forever.

Continue reading →