Book Review Sora’s Quest

Sora'sQuestCoverTitle: Sora’s Quest

Author: Theresa Sheffler

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5 stars

Purchase: Amazon

Sora Fallcrest was born into Nobility. She had it all: money, maids, a fancy estate. But she never expected to be kidnapped.

Abducted from her manor, Sora is plunged into a world of magical races, arcane jewelry and forgotten lore. She finds herself at the mercy of a dangerous assassin, haunted by an even darker past. She yearns for freedom, but he won’t let her go — not when her Cat’s Eye necklace is the only thing that can save his life.

But the necklace itself presents a problem. It is an ancient device from the long forgotten War of the Races, and its magic has the ability to steal souls. Can Sora learn to wield its power — or will the power wield her? (Winner of the SKOW 2006 Best Fantasy Award)

I love some good old fashioned fantasy, and Sora’s Quest has it all. A dangerous assassin with a dark, troubled past. A heroine who wants nothing more than to escape the clutches of her boring existence. A fantasy world that is well-crafted and well-explained.

Sora was a great main character. She held the middle between being adult-like at times and a bit childish at times, and even though she longed for freedom, she felt the pull of duty as well. I liked her spark and attitude. I also liked the entire storyline involving the Cat’s Eye necklace. It was something different than I’m used to, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. The storyline, to me, at least, was unique, but mostly because it introduced a great concept, an enjoyable setting, and original characters.

I loved the whole ability to steal souls part. Very clever. I also liked how Sora wasn’t some kind of over-powered hero who got the necklace and could use it right away without any problems. I hate stories like that, but it wasn’t the case here.

Excellent plot, fast-paced, decent writing and a main character who stole my heart.

Release Day There Goes The Groom

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We’re celebrating the release day for contemporary romance comedy “There Goes The Groom” by Jana Richards. The author is giving away an Amazon Gift Certificate to one lucky winner! Scroll down to find out how to participate.

About There Goes The Groom

theregoe_epubEight years ago Tony left Olivia at the altar. He was sure she didn’t really want to marry him. Now he’s back, and they’re forced to work together.

Coming home isn’t easy for Tony, because his father wanted him to work at a trade instead of going off to college. Their relationship is still unsteady. Even before Tony’s return, Olivia began questioning the depth of her love for her fiancé, a man she chose because he was safe and reliable. Yet the last thing she wants is a loveless, faithless marriage like the one her parents suffered through.

When Tony, who never stopped loving her, insists her fiancé is the wrong man for her, Olivia sets out to prove him wrong. But the sexual chemistry between them is still strong, and so are her feelings for him. Even so, how can she break her engagement, hurt her fiancé as she was once hurt? And how can she trust Tony not to abandon her as he did before?

If anyone does the jilting this time, she will.

Author Bio

Jana Richards pictureJana Richards has tried her hand at many writing projects over the years, from magazine articles and short stories to full-length paranormal suspense and romantic comedy.  She loves to create characters with a sense of humor, but also a serious side.  She believes there’s nothing more interesting then peeling back the layers of a character to see what makes them tick.

When not writing up a storm, working at her day job as an Office Administrator, or dealing with ever present mountains of laundry, Jana can be found on the local golf course pursuing her newest hobby.

Jana lives in Western Canada with her husband Warren, and a highly spoiled Pug/Terrier cross named Lou. You can reach her through her website at http://www.janarichards.net

Website http://www.janarichards.net
Blog http://janarichards.blogspot.com
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/JanaRichardsAuthor
Amazon Author Page  http://www.amazon.com/author/janarichards

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JanaRichards_

Read an Excerpt

When he arrived at McLaren’s a short time later, he saw a group of people, mostly men, crowded around one of the pool tables, clapping and cheering to the beat of hard driving rock music. As he got closer he saw the object of their attention. Olivia was on top of the pool table, doing an incredibly sexy, somewhat drunken dance. Her snug jeans and close fitting tank top showed off her lovely curves, and her hair, usually pinned into submission, hung loose and free around her shoulders. Even her bare feet were sexy, the toenails painted a flirty red.

Tony’s breath caught in his throat. She’d never looked more beautiful.

Dani stood nearby, arguing with a couple of the bar’s bouncers.

“Look Lady, if your friend doesn’t come down on her own, we’re going to have to go up there and get her. She’s ruining the table.”

Dani held up a pair of high heels. “How could she be ruining the table?  She’s in her bare feet.”

“She’s creating a disturbance. She’s got to come down.”

Tony spoke up. “I’ll get her down. Just give me a few minutes.”

“You’ve got five minutes before we toss her.”

“How are you going to get her down?” Dani asked when the bouncers moved away.

“I don’t know. I’ll think of something.”

Tony elbowed his way to the side of the pool table. Olivia was in her own little world, moving to the rock beat, her hair flying around her face. She looked totally different from the buttoned down executive she usually showed to the world. She reminded him of the girl he used to know, the girl he’d fallen in love with.

“Hey Liv, what are you doing up there?”

At first she didn’t hear him and he had to shout at her again. Then she lifted her face and looked towards him, smiling.

“Hey Tony, I’m having a party,” she said. “It’s my birthday. You remembered my birthday, didn’t you?”

“Sure I did.” Every June twenty-eighth for the last eight years he’d think of her and wonder what she was doing.

“At least you said ‘Happy Birthday’ to me.” She spun in a little circle, her hips gyrating. Tony swallowed nervously. She was an incredibly sexy woman. A look around him at the faces of the other men watching her told him they thought the same. He had to get Liv out of there before one of them decided to take her up on what she unwittingly offered.

“Time to go home, Liv,” he said, holding out his hand to her. “I’ll help you down.”

“Don’t wanna go home,” Liv giggled. “Too many mice.”

“Then we’ll go to Dani’s house.”

Liv danced around the light fixture to the other side of the pool table. “Too many floors.”

“Dani and I will take you to my place then,” he said, grasping at ways to entice her. “We’ll have cake.”

She stopped dancing and walked towards him. “With birthday candles and balloons?”

“Sure.” Where the hell was he going to get birthday candles and balloons at this time of night?

“Okay, let’s go!”

Without warning she jumped off the pool table and into his arms. Tony staggered under her weight, barely keeping his balance. Liv flung her arms around his neck.

“Let’s go eat birthday cake!”

Giveaway

Win a $20 Amazon Gift Card! All you have to do is fill in the Rafflecopter form to participate.

Participate in the giveaway

Book Excerpt from Born of Greed

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I’m happy to host an excerpt today from contemporary romance novel Born of Greed. The excerpt is adult – so beware! :)

Book Excerpt

Judy then closed her eyes and let the power of both her vivid imagination and two D-cell batteries, magically, mentally, transform his front door—into—her back door.

Her fantasy lover taps their covert knock ever so lightly. She opens the door and orders her private dancer, “Get your ass in here, Marine. I’ve been waiting for you.”

She then closes the door behind him and coos, “We only have time for a quickie, my Love. Dickhead Craig will be home in an hour.”

Trotter replies, “Any longer than that, and you’d probably kill me, you sex starved nympho.”

She’s wearing a see-through teddy. He eyes her sexy body up and down. She senses his tormented hunger for her. He can’t help but to utter, “God, you’re one beautiful bitch! I’m AWOL right now, but I don’t care. I couldn’t stay away. I’d face a firing squad to be with you.”

As though a model on the catwalk, she sashays to him. With the confidence of Mae West, “I knew you’d be back. You can’t resist my charms. Aching all over, aren’t you?”

He swiftly and easily pulls her to him with one arm and plants a long wet kiss on her mouth. Their tongues play hide and seek. Her knees weaken as she drops to the floor. She pulls his sweatpants off, then his speedos, while he rips off his Bulldog sweatshirt, exposing those gorgeous, rippling muscles. Still on her knees, she caresses him with her cheek.

Within seconds, she has her Marine standing at rock hard attention, ready for duty. She looks up into his big blue eyes. “I can’t wait any longer. I surrender!”

He picks her off the floor with his massive arms and sits her on the bed. She rolls on to her back, he follows. His mouth lingers on her voluptuous lips, then to her neck where he teasingly nibbles. Ever so lightly, he sprinkles kisses on her glistening breasts. His tongue weaves its way downward and circles her belly button. She clutches his head; his short hair feels like velvet in her hands as she pulls him tight to her. He buries his face in her downy mound. His tongue flutters lightly on her trigger, causing her hips to quiver. Her cute little ass raises off the satin sheets of her king size bed. “Oh…Ohh…Ohhh…” Wave after wave of intense pleasure race through her shuddering body. Each one more intense than the last, lighting a fire deep in her loins as she grinds her pelvis hard in his face.

“Now. I need to feel you deep inside of me, now. Give me that big schlong, Marine,” she orders, moaning out in a whisper.

“Yes, ma’am, you outrank me.” He gracefully slides his muscular body up and across her flat tummy as his lips search for hers. Hungrily, they kiss. Feverishly, she rakes her nails across his back as he slowly, teasingly engulfs her. She gasps while tenderly biting his lower lip. Her gasps turn to moans.

“Slam me. Hard!” she orders. “Now!”

He obeys, plunging his entire manhood into her wet pussy in one vicious thrust.

Her moans turn to quiet screams, drowning the hum of her vibrator, as he pounds away in long hard thrusts.

For the next hour, Corporal Trotter obeyed Judy’s every command; be it in the bedroom, on the kitchen table, in the shower, on the floor, or in Craig’s Lazy Boy recliner. Even in the pool. Anywhere and every way her little mind fantasized. Her Marine is a beast that never tires.

Her vibrator’s batteries were running low when she heard her husband’s car door slam. “Fuck! He’s early. Quick, my love. Out the door.”

He pulls her close for one more kiss. “Tomorrow?”

“Yes, my Love.” She sighs heavily, exhausted.

Judy heard her husband’s keys jingling at the front door. She jumped out of her easy chair, grabbed the soaking wet towel from under her huge, fat ass and ran down the hall to the bathroom. She threw the towel in the hamper, and ran to the bedroom. She tossed the dildo in her nightstand, and snuck under the blankets. Where’d an hour go?

Craig’s key turned the lock; he came in and headed straight for the refrigerator. “Oh, good, there’s salami.” The fool always talked to himself. Then she heard the distinct ‘ssshhhpop’ when he opened a can of cold Old Milwaukee beer. Twenty minutes later she heard the toilet flush, but no sounds of any hand washing.

Craig, short, fat, and balding, stood by the bed and dropped his trousers and tidy whities to the floor. He left his smelly, sweaty T-shirt on and crawled under the blankets. Then he put his face next to his wife’s ear, and whispered with his beer and salami breath, “Honey, are you awake?” She did not reply as he silently burped from the beer.

Then in a louder voice, he said, “Daddy’s home. Does my little Muffin need some sugar?”

“Huh? What? No, Dear. I’m too exhausted. I was up all night with a migraine, again. I need sleep,” she replied, wincing from the nauseating stench of his burp.

“Okay, Muffin, maybe later. Go back to sleep.” He patted her fat rump, turned his back to her, put his glasses on the nightstand, and belched long and loud before dozing off.

The later is usually much, much later. Craig’s lucky if it’s once every two months when Judy lets him have any of her ‘sugar’. She will only give in after tiring of his constant whining and begging. Then she orders the repulsive little fat man, “Here it is. Make it fast, and don’t you dare come in me.”

She tells him she likes it best from behind, just so she doesn’t have to smell his beer and salami breath. However, it’s not her short-peckered husband banging her. Oh no, it’s—her Marine, her Love, the rock solid soldier boy with the tight buns and massive schlong who obeys every command she barks out, never tiring.

Then, on the extremely rare occasions when Craig manages to last for more than two minutes, or he finally gets it right and Judy lets out a tiny whimper, he always asks in his arrogant tone, “Who’s your Daddy?”

Then, with her eyes closed, she stares into those big blue eyes, smiles to herself, and replies, “You, my Love. Only…You.”

 About Born of Greed

couple heterosexual topless with jeans detail studio shotTitle: Born of Greed

Author: J.T. Baroni

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Jack Trotter and Amber Fontana enjoy a platonic relationship; that is until one fateful evening when they dine at Jimmie’s Crab Shack, a tiny bistro lying in seclusion off the coastal highway outside of Santa Monica. An out of the way place, Jimmie’s legendary seafood is as notorious as the movie stars and gangsters who have wined and dined here since the Roaring Twenties. It is here, in the aura of secrecy where clandestine meetings amongst lovers; deceitful schemes; and revenge riddled plots, have abounded for decades, where Amber reveals her intimacy problem, and Trotter finds courage to reveal his own disturbing dilemma.

Together, Jack and Amber overcome their sexual inhibitions and learn how to love. Then the two lovers mastermind a plan to take what they feel is rightfully Amber’s…forty million dollars from her greedy twin sister who became a sensational singing diva due mainly to Amber’s writing her twin’s hit songs, for little pay and no recognition.

Born of Greed is a fascinating epic fictional biography where greed, love, and revenge collide with sex, drugs and rock and roll.

           

Links

Amazon URL:

http://www.amazon.com/Born-of-Greed-ebook/dp/B00BHOH3X0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361327275&sr=1-1&keywords=born+of+greed

Secret Craving Publishing URL:

http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=products_all&filter_author=200&zenid=9178ddc5835201b27ee04076033a85da

Book Excerpt Trinity Book Tour

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Skaric stepped forward onto healthy green grass and waited for a count of ten, long enough for Berend to get out of the range of his magic. He began to concentrate, narrowing his eyes so that he could focus on the portcullis: their only way in.

He slowly exhaled and then began to pull power from the earth. Energy flowed into him, warming from within. It wasn’t enough, but he had known it wouldn’t be. Skaric gritted his teeth and reached out with his mind, grabbing energy from the men behind him, from the willing sacrifices.

He could feel their life energy throbbing within him—like a dozen hearts beating beside his own. But faster. More desperate. He heard them all scream—sounds of terror that he tried to block out. It was too late to save them. They had wanted to die.

Power sizzled beneath Skaric’s skin, so intense that he felt his head would burst. He pushed it all towards his hands, readying himself to release it. He just needed a little more. Behind him, the screams died out as the body of each sacrificial Wolf thudded to the ground.

Skaric waited. He waited until he could no longer draw any more power, waited until he couldn’t bear the heat beneath his skin. Then, with a cry, he thrust his left hand towards the tower. Pure, deadly, devastating energy darted from his hand, stronger than a tumultuous wind. As it struck, the portcullis shattered into hundreds of lethal pieces that went flying in all directions.

Skaric heard the Wolves cheer, but it was distant, as though he was underwater. For all Berend’s strength and physical might, he couldn’t match the power that Skaric had just wielded. Not ever.

Unbearable pain coursed beneath Skaric’s skin. The sickening stench of smouldering flesh stung his nostrils. His flesh. Pain like he had never known devoured him from within. At the edge of his vision fire leapt hungrily. The price for his arrogance. His death didn’t matter. He was a hero. His name would be remembered amongst the Wolves.

About Trinity

website-fc-1400w-187x300Title: Trinity

Author: Clare Davidson

Genre: YA Fantasy

‘Trinity’, released July 2012, is Clare Davidson’s debut novel. It is an epic fantasy, targeted at young adult readers, with strong crossover appeal into the adult market.

Kiana longs to walk through a forest and feel grass between her toes. But she is the living embodiment of a goddess and has enemies who wish to murder her. Her death will curse the whole of Gettryne. Locked away for protection, she dreams of freedom.

Her wish comes true in the worst possible way, when her home and defenders are destroyed.

Along with an inexperienced guard and a hunted outcast, Kiana flees the ravages of battle to search for a solution to the madness that has gripped Gettryne for a thousand years. Pursued by the vicious and unrelenting Wolves, their journey will take them far beyond their limits, to a secret that will shake the world.

Author Bio

ClareClare Davidson is a character driven fantasy writer, teacher and mother, from the UK. Clare was born in Northampton and lived in Malaysia for four and a half years as a child, before returning to the UK to settle in Leeds with her family. Whilst attending Lancaster University, Clare met her future husband and never left. They now share their lives with their young daughter and a cranky grey cat, called Ash. Clare juggles family life with writing, teaching and a variety of fibre craft hobbies.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Purchase Trinity:

Paperback: Amazon | Amazon UK

eBook: Amazon | Amazon UK | Smashwords | Sony | iTunes | Barnes and Noble

Book Review The Rose Red Reaper

The-Rose-Red-Reaper-ebookTitle: The Rose Red Reaper

Author: Kristi Loucks

Genre: Romantic Suspense/Thriller

Rating: 4 stars

Purchase from Amazon.

Lt. Commander Mason Cole never intended to follow his brother into law enforcement, but the murder of a loved one gave him the motivation needed to take a position as the head of Chicago’s Serial Crimes Unit. Along with his brother, Detective Devon Cole, former FBI Profiler and Technical Analyst Melinda Kade and Detective Piper Torello, Mason is tasked with finding some of the cities most prolific serial killers.

As a former Navy SEAL, Mason has seen some of the worst the world has to offer, but nothing could have prepared him for his initiation into the world of a serial killer.

Their first case came with a gruesome introduction from a man who has given himself his own press ready moniker. Known for his macabre signature and the white rose he leaves at the scene with a calling card signed in blood,

THE ROSE RED REAPER

Mason and his team will pursue the killer through the vast streets of Chicago, across the affluent suburbs of the North Shore following cryptic clues left at each crime scene and pointing them to a web of violence dating back to The Reaper’s own childhood.

Complications begin to arise when The Reaper makes a connection to the woman that Mason loves. Dakota Rose Shelton. The stunning, raven-haired beauty that has carefully salvaged Mason’s broken heart may also be the key to ending The Reaper’s bloody reign. Left blind by a childhood illness, she must help them to assemble the pieces of the Reaper’s past with no visual memories to aid her.

Can Dakota help the team put the pieces together before The Reaper targets one of there own? And will she be able to fight off a killer that she cannot see?

 

I love romantic suspense, and The Rose Red Reaper was no exception. The story follows detective Mason as he tries to catch his girlfriend’s killer, a notorious serial killer who leaves behind white roses stained with blood and cryptic messages. For a year, the killer kept quiet, but now he’s at it again, not only killing women, but men as well. There’s seemingly no connection between the murders, but Mason knows there is – why would the killer leave those messages if there was no connection?

Mason is an intriguing character. He wants to do the right thing, wants to catch the killer, but he’s too involved to see things clearly, especially when the killer starts targeting his new girlfriend, Dakota. I liked Dakota for the most part. She’s blind, and the author clearly thought this through. Dakota can manage well enough on her own, even despite being blind, and she doesn’t need help all the time either, but Mason likes to dote on her by walking her home and stuff. I thought it was all kind of cute, but I would’ve liked to see Dakota being a bit more independent. She’d always been independent until Mason showed up, and then she started to depend on him for nearly everything. Either way, I liked both of them, but I liked Mason best.

The novel was suspenseful from start to finish, and I loved the entire backstory about the serial killer and the blood red roses. I felt there was a connection between the murder victims almost right away, but was left in the dark as to what that connection was until the end. A great book and an even greater debut from a surprisingly talented author.

Review copy was provided by Enchanted Book Promotions to review during a book tour.

Author Interview with Daitoku Daiichi

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It doesn’t happen very often that I get to interview authors who write about foreign countries like Japan, so I jumped to the opportunity to ask some questions from author Daitoku Daiichi, the author of “Hot Spring”.

1) What is the hardest part about being an author?

The hardest part about being an author is appearing soft. Let me explain. As I am quite a private person nowadays, I rarely talk about my own life unless it necessary to the conversation. Most of the time people ask me questions for their own sake, and if I tell them about myself it becomes irrelevant. Some time ago this was considered tactful and considerate. I don’t do this in real life:

“How do I get to City Hall?”

“Yeah, I be going to the supermarket to buy some condoms, it’s really cool. Man, you should like, totally go to the supermarket. Like right now. It be awesome. They can fit right over your head!”

I am precisely that guy in the street whom people ask for directions when they are confused. I help them out, but I hardly ever see them again. Sometimes they even ask me directions in a foreign language. So in a group of people, I won’t talk about my new promotion or how my company is expanding, so I may appear soft or ‘unmanly’.

And as a novelist, the other occupational hazard is to talk about fiction, and fictional characters, as if they are real. To the average person, this is a sign of lunacy. Sometimes, if I’m with people who don’t look like they read, I just tell myself to smile and keep my mouth shut.

2) Can you give us the synopsis of your book?

My website has a blurb meant for the back cover, but I’ll give a more personal synopsis here. Chucky, middle-ranking divinity in the Eastern Heaven, has been tasked with assisting Godfrey, supreme lord of the Western Paradise. Chucky is surprised by an upheaval in the Western Paradise, and soon Godfrey and Chucky make their mission to the mortal realm.

On earth, they appear in Langkawi, Malaysia and admire her pleasures. The beaches are perfect for inspiring love. Godfrey then hears of Singapore from a British tourist David White, so he takes Chucky along to see the excitement. Luxury hotels, fine dining, attractive women, grand casinos, mega malls, popular churches and orderly government; Singapore has it all despite her small size.

Singapore therefore attracts indecent people as much as she attracts decent people. An insidious plot is forming to rob Singaporeans of their wealth, including those who live there for work and tourism. Together with their local friends, Godfrey and Chucky save the island from the fraudulent scheme. The duo then leave after their work is done.

3) If you could have dinner with three random authors, which ones would you choose?

JG Ballard, Empire of the Sun, Sōseki Natsume, I am a Cat, and Cao Xueqin, Dream of Red Mansion.

4) How many hours do you write per day/week/month (choose time period yourself)?

I usually write most from January to July, because I get busy with tutoring in the later part of the year. The best I can do is 4 days a week, 5 hours a day. I really need the remaining time to rest and to run my personal life.

5) What is your favorite book?

Many, but I like any book that is sensational and innovative. My favorite read in the last two years has been The Story of My Life by Giacomo Casanova.
Thanks for answering my questions!

About Hot Spring

god-chuck-ebook-cover-webuse-lgeThe Wonderful Adventures of Godfrey and Chucky

Godfrey is young, wealthy and able-bodied. He has all the women you can imagine, and unbelievably deep pockets. But Godfrey wants more. His Great Greatness wants to rid the world of a menacing scourge, and restore what is truly superior to an elevated position. Why would anyone stop him? Who could possibly stop him?

Chucky arrives as the new assistant, and tries to perform every duty that is handed to him. What challenges for a dull servant! Look at him muddling through! With passports of exclusive privilege, the two adventurers make a splash in tropical Langkawi, where the water is blue and the girls are brown. Then they rendezvous with the locals in Singapore, where pleasures are plentiful and multicolored. Food and money are found in piles. Life in a global city should be, possibly, one of uninterrupted leisure…shouldn’t it?

Desire is a seductively red piece of jade, which resides even in our dreams.

“I am a healthy, strong and sexy male with a life, most of it sex life.” – Godfrey Mann

“I did not know how to reply, since the words were difficult to speak.” – Chucky

Links

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17227290-the-wonderful-adventures-of-godfrey-and-chucky

Author Website: http://www.godfreychucky.com/

Buy from Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/The-Wonderful-Adventures-Godfrey-Chucky/book-NQYQUKGIbUGq0zRHM-Jvag/page1.html?s=zqrnKeiLgkq5BRmcoIuP3A&r=1

Author Bio

I committed myself to writing playful and profound books for discerning readers of good taste. I hope to give to my readers delightful characters in moving scenes that will help all of us to appreciate life better.

I have lived in parts of Asia, USA and Europe, so I hope to combine these diverse experiences to craft some great literature.

Giveaway

If you can give an answer to one of the three questions below, you’ll be entered into a raffle for one of five eBook copies of Hot Spring. Please mail your replies to ddaiichi@gmail.com and put ‘Enchanted Book Promotions’ in your subject line.

If you can’t find your answer in the excerpt here, check out the other excerpts featured during the tour for an answer.

Godfrey and Chucky giveaway quiz
1. Chucky is Godfrey’s

  • a. Golf buddy
  • b. Temporary servant
  • c. Love interest
  • d. Page boy

2. What is Godfrey’s other name?

  • a. Godly
  • b. Goodness
  • c. Gawd
  • d. Godzilla

3. Where do Godfrey and Chucky stay in Singapore?

  • a. A Bed and Breakfast Inn called Geylang Eggs
  • b. A modern business hotel called Quickie Profits
  • c. A colonial style luxury hotel called the Raffles Hotel
  • d. A Chinese-themed luxury hotel called the Red Jade Palace Hotel

Book Review The Awakening & Other Stories

Cover ArtTitle: The Awakening & Other Stories

Author: Emma Meade

Genre: Paranormal

Rating: 4 stars

The Awakening & Other Stories by Emma Meade

Put on the kettle, close the curtains and curl up by the fire. Dive into 8 short tales, each with a slice of the paranormal.

Ghost Story – Who is the shadow in the window of the abandoned house, and what or who is he waiting for?
The Awakening – It’s time for Sabrina to wake up and face the light.
End of the Line – Cassie wants to die. When midnight rolls around, she stands on the tracks waiting for the train to come.
Milsa Loris – The once magnificent kingdom of Milsa Loris comes alive one night each winter. The King’s witch is brewing up a little magic, sure to make the soup all the tastier.
The Old Vampire – Hailey spent her life dreaming of a dark prince falling in love with her. He never showed up, until now.
The Knocking – Alison’s grandfather has one eye on the next life. After all, he’s heard a lot of rapping at his door lately.
The Boy on the Beach – Kate’s grandmother warns her about the boy with the green eyes. Will she pay heed?
Snowglobes- It’s busy at Calvin’s Cabins this Christmas. Eddie and Maggie are a young couple in trouble. Not to fear, Calvin is always ready to lend a hand.

I decided to read The Awakening & Other Stories because it was a short read. I’m not usually too keen on anthologies, but I thought: what the heck. I’m glad I read this one. All the stories were short and to the point, and I could easily read through them within my breaks. They were delightful and scary, but not that scary that I had to crawl under my bed and hide. Just more like fun-scary.

Instead of giving my opinion on each story, I’m going to talk about the most memorable ones, which would be “The Awakening”, “The Old Vampire” and “End of The Line”. “The Awakening” was brilliant from start to end, and for me, the most powerful and memorable story in the book. I thought about this story for a long while after I finished reading. “The Old Vampire” was another excellent read that haunted me for long afterward. I didn’t find this one that scary while reading it, but the more I thought about it afterward, the scarier the story became. “End of the Line” was a nice thrill-ride, and probably the story that scared me the most in the entire anthology.

“The Knocking” was my least favorite. It was predictable, and the story took a lot of build up to get to the end of what was basically, a very simple story.

I like the author’s creativity and writing style. She has a very to-the-point writing style, and that’s always enjoyable in short stories. If she has another anthology coming out, I will definitely pick it up since I very much enjoyed this one.

Author Bio

Author PicEmma Meade lives in rainy Ireland. She loves vampires, slayers, witches, ghosts, aliens & shadow men (or at least the youngest of the Shadow Men), and regular people who live extraordinary lives (think Slayerettes and you’re on the right track).

Books, DVDS & TV show boxsets take up lots of space in her home, and she collects all the Point Horror books she can get her hands on.

Writing supernatural stories and watching marathon re-runs of Buffy are some of her favourite ways of escaping reality.

Connect with Emma

Blog: Emma’s Ramblings on Supernatural Fiction emmameade.com

Website: emmameadebooks

Twitter

Goodreads

Facebook

Amazon

Buy Links

Amazon.com

Amazon.uk

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