The Hematophages by Stephen Kozeniewski

February 8, 2018 By Leave a Comment


The Hematophages by Stephen Kozeniewski
Publisher: Sinister Grin Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Horror, Action/Adventure
Length: Full Length (162 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Doctoral student Paige Ambroziak is a “station bunny” – she’s never set foot off the deep space outpost where she grew up. But when she’s offered a small fortune to join a clandestine salvage mission, she jumps at the chance to leave the cutthroat world of academia behind.

Paige is convinced she’s been enlisted to find the legendary Manifest Destiny, a long-lost colonization vessel from an era before the corporations ruled Earth and its colonies. Whatever she’s looking for, though, rests in the blood-like seas of a planet-sized organism called a fleshworld.

They study medical science subjects which includes cost viagra djpaulkom.tv neuroscience, anatomy and physiology. Never combine http://djpaulkom.tv/photos-throwback-thursday-featuring-dj-pauls-long-hair-and-hypnotize-minds-car/ levitra 20 mg these drugs with alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, cocaine and other stimulants to let them work well. It’s a great feeling, and I appreciate Allison’s sponsorship sample viagra for free djpaulkom.tv of our car this year. Many people online pharmacy cialis have developed negative ways of thinking, through a variety of experiences and sources. Dangers abound for Paige and her shipmates. Flying outside charted space means competing corporations can shoot them on sight rather than respect their salvage rights. The area is also crawling with pirates like the ghoulish skin-wrappers, known for murdering anyone they can’t extort.

But the greatest threat to Paige’s mission is the nauseating alien parasites which infest the fleshworld. These lamprey-like monstrosities are used to swimming freely in an ocean of blood, and will happily spill a new one from the veins of the outsiders who have tainted their home. In just a few short, bone-chilling hours Paige learns that there are no limits to the depravity and violence of the grotesque nightmares known as…THE HEMATOPHAGES.

There are no friendly aliens here.

I appreciated how much time Mr. Kozeniewski spent on the world building and character development before the plot sped up. Having such a detailed introduction to the strict, corporate-run society Paige grew up in made it easy for me to bond with her. Paige’s childhood had not been an easy one, but it had shaped her into a strong and self-reliant woman. I really enjoyed having such a deep understanding of how those early experiences shaped the person she became as an adult. They made her heroic acts later on in the plot even more exciting than they might have been for someone who didn’t have quite so much to lose.

My only piece of constructive criticism has to do with the plot twists. While I definitely enjoyed following Paige’s adventures, the fact that I could predict what would happen next so regularly did make me wish that I could have been surprised by what the characters experienced more often. It was a minor complaint about a tale that I otherwise had a great time reading, though.

Yes, there were many gory scenes in this book. It’s something that is to be expected when characters visit a planet that has oceans full of blood, after all. The violence served an important purpose to the plot, though, and I liked the way it was folded into what had been a much tamer adventure story in the beginning. I knew the characters so well at that point that I couldn’t stop reading until I’d found out what their fates were.

I’d recommend The Hematophages to anyone who is in the market for dark and violent science fiction.

Filed Under: Horror, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai

February 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai
Publisher: Avon Books
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery/Suspense
Length: Full Length (358 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

He wasn’t supposed to fall in love with his brother’s widow…

Accused of a crime he didn’t commit, Jackson Kane fled his home, his name, and his family. Ten years later, he’s come back to town: older, wiser, richer, tougher—and still helpless to turn away the one woman he could never stop loving, even after she married his brother.

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An affair is unthinkable, but their desire is undeniable. As secrets and lies are stripped away, Sadia and Jackson must decide if they’re strong enough to face the past…and step into a future together.

Complications, thy name is Saidi.

I liked this book. Rai can write a heartstring-tugger of a book. I was caught up in the tale immediately and had to hold on until the end because it wouldn’t let go. The characters were interesting and fun. Saidi is a dominant personality and it shined through the book. I liked that Jackson was alpha, but not domineering.

One thing that kept me from totally loving this book was that I hadn’t read book 1. That would’ve helped to know the other characters better.

The touch of mystery added a lot to this story. I had to know what would happen next. The sexy scenes sizzled and I’m glad I read them.

If you’re looking for a hot book that’s an easy read and worth the time, then this might be the one you’re looking for.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Three Strikes You’re Dead by Elena Hartwell

February 5, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Three Strikes You’re Dead by Elena Hartwell
Publisher: Camel Press
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (290 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

Private investigator Eddie Shoes heads to a resort outside Leavenworth, Washington, for a mother-daughter getaway weekend. Eddie’s mother Chava wants to celebrate her new job at a casino by footing the bill for the two of them, and who is Eddie to say no?

So, consume viagra sans prescription this capsule to stop erectile dysfunction permanently. He really wishes best and admitted the pills canadian viagra sales best to delight ED concern. Fortunately, Kamagra tablets can treat sexual dysfunction there is cialis for cheap price. They also enhance experience of shopping for all those men who are failing to get the erection can be generic for cialis acquired. On the first morning, Eddie goes on an easy solo hike, and a few hours later, stumbles upon a makeshift campsite and a gravely injured man. A forest fire breaks out and she struggles to save him before the flames overcome them both. Before succumbing to his injuries, the man hands her a valuable rosary. He tells her his daughter is missing and begs for her help. Is Eddie now working for a dead man?

Barely escaping the fire, Eddie wakes in the hospital to find both her parents have arrived on the scene. Will Eddie’s card-counting mother and mob-connected father help or hinder the investigation? The police search in vain for a body. How will Eddie find the missing girl with only Eddie’s memory of the man’s face and a photo of his daughter to go on?

“Being a grown-up wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.”

That’s what Eddie Shoes, P.I., was thinking waking up in the hospital bed looking up at her two newly discovered parents. It’s sort of like everyone is getting to know one another in this book and it makes for a very entertaining story. Eddie and her parents create a rather odd trio of investigators. Having been on her own for a long, long time, she’s used to working on her own and making her own decisions. For that matter, the same seems to be true of each of her parents. This is a good plot with an ending I am sure you can’t predict.

Hartwell did a really good job of making her characters come alive in this book. You begin to know them and to enjoy them due to the well-written and humorous dialog she creates between them. Eddie (Edwina) Shoes is an interesting female private investigator and one tough cookie. She’s kind of stuck between learning to know newly met or finally found parents, wanting to please them and yet wanting to be herself. Utilizing a triangle of characters to help with an impromptu investigation, the author creates a lot of funny moments.

This one was hard for me to put down. I really enjoyed it. This is the third “Eddie Shoes Mystery” that Hartwell has written. Hope there are more to come.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Bitter Blues by Ursula Renee

February 2, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Bitter Blues by Ursula Renee
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (188 pgs)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Ginger

Despite their different backgrounds, Randy Jones agreed to take Cassie Ann Porter for better and for worse. He never considered how much worse things could get, but he finds out after he returns home from serving in the army during World War II. Unable to find a job, he has to depend on his wife to support the family, which includes their two daughters, who at first refuse to have anything to do with him.

Cass works at the shipyard, one of many women employed to fill in while the men were gone to war. Her employer doesn’t replace her and the others because he can pay them so much less than he would men, yet she would like nothing better than to be a stay-at-home wife and mother.

When a good intention goes wrong, Randy wonders if he and Cass have made a mistake in going against society’s rules. Can the “worse” ever get better?

Oh how a new relationship can start out like sweet jazz. The swaying of your heart, and the rhythm of the emotions but then the tapping of life’s reality may eventually reveal to you how easy it is for the rhythm change the tune to the bitter blues.

After a long test, they discover a new version of traditional 100mg tablets of viagra ED medicine i.e. kamagra oral jelly. sildenafil price djpaulkom.tv Is erectile dysfunction condition a normal condition of aging? No. Many of order cialis online the time cancer lead to get later in hormones. These medicines are popularly known to return lost potency of achieving firm, thicker, longer and healthy viagra 25mg djpaulkom.tv erections needed for satisfactory physical relationship. In this sequel to Sweet Jazz, Cassie Ann Porter and Randy Jones are now married with children. Will they allow society’s convention on their marriage to turn their music to bitter blues?

There are many risk when one is involved in a mixed race relationship. There is a risk in losing their relationship with their family and friends, and possibly even the relationship that they may have with their children. It is a sacrifice but also can bring about a stronger unity to the family.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style, which includes small details that help the reader see and visualize the characters as well as the scenery. Cassie and Randy are likable character’s and they are also a lovable couple to read about.

Cassie and Randy’s marriage is believable. They are dealing with issues such as lack of communication, lack of finances and they also have a misplacement of love that bonding connection that comes after a couple has been apart.

I wanted Cassie to give Randy a break. He has a lot of adversities going against him. He served his country and now he’s home and isn’t able to be a provider to his family. Right now Randy’s focus is to find a job that will offer stability and support. His love for music and playing the saxophone seems to be what he holds on to but sadly in the beginning of the story he doesn’t even play. I am all for a man being a man, being that supporter but I also believe everyone should enjoy life and have something they enjoy that brings them happiness.

I wanted to see that closeness and bond of the two back on stage or even in their own home but with Cassie so scared to publicly acknowledge Randy as her spouse after all of the sacrifices that he has made to be with her. She has her family and loved ones but Randy doesn’t have anyone else. Not only does Randy feel less than a man in his own home, but to add to his worries his daughters do not have a closeness with him. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Randy. His love and protectiveness as a father hindered his thinking when he took his daughter to the nearest doctor. Randy’s eyes do not see color or racial barriers. He functions off of love and, though this is a good thing, Cassie doesn’t see the outcome as such. She is worried more about the repercussions or the outcome if their relationship is known publicly.

I don’t want to reveal too much of the story so I’ll say I did enjoy the book. I liked that the author did a sequel to Sweet Jazz so that the readers can follow Cassie and Randy to see where life lead them and how they faired. This is a realistic plot that a lot of people can relate too and even if they can’t relate to the characters and their position in the story they can learn a lesson of looking for the good in what people do, seeing their efforts and not just the outcome that couldn’t have been foreseen when they are doing something out of love, and not malice.

This is an enjoyable read that I do recommend.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth Course of Chaos by Edited by J. Alan Hartman

February 1, 2018 By 7 Comments


The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth Course of Chaos by Edited by J. Alan Hartman
Publisher: Untreed Reads
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Holiday, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (137 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Just when you thought it was safe to head to the table for Thanksgiving feasting, the Killer Wore Cranberry series is back with a fifth course of pure chaos!

The Killer Wore Cranberry has been acclaimed worldwide for its wicked combination of humor and Thanksgiving-themed mysteries, and this year’s installment is sure to carry on everyone’s new, favorite holiday tradition.

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So have a seat, pick up your fork and knife (on second thought, maybe not the knife) and get ready to have so many laughs it’s criminal!

Sometimes there are far more dangerous things to worry about on Thanksgiving than accidentally choking on a turkey bone.

In “The Capo-Clipped Capon Caper,” Sam Spad was hired by the secret service to find out who stole the White House’s Thanksgiving turkey. The only thing better than discovering the funny and creative premise for this tale was finding out that it exceeded every expectation I had for it. Not only was the mystery incredibly entertaining, the characters were well-developed and the ending made me grin. I never would have guessed that any detective would have to work so hard to figure out who’d want to prevent the president from eating turkey.

I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection, but a couple of them would have been better if they’d focused on a smaller number of characters. “No Starch in the Turkey, Please” was one example of this. It was about a woman named Emily who decided to reconnect with her estranged family for the holidays after receiving a strangely formal letter from her mother about her father’s declining health. She soon began to wonder if something sinister was happening to her family. The premise itself was fantastic, but there were so many characters running around in the plot that I had trouble keeping up with what everyone was doing.

“Turkey Underfoot” was told from the perspective of a cat named Misty. Her humans were hosting Thanksgiving dinner for a grouchy, elderly relative who kept narrowly escaping attempts on his life during the course of the day. Not only was Misty a funny narrator, her understanding of how human society works and why her owners were trying to kill their relative was so different from how a person would interpret those scenes that I couldn’t wait to find out how it would all end. This was such a fun twist on the typical murder mystery that I’d recommend skipping ahead to read it first before diving into the rest of this anthology.

The Killer Wore Cranberry: A Fifth Course of Chaos should be read by anyone who is in the mood for some truly creative Thanksgiving mysteries.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Mount III : The Adventures Continue by Arlen Blumhagen

January 29, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Mount III: The Adventures Continue by Arlen Blumhagen
Publisher: Untreed Reads Publishing
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (141 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Snowdrop

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“I don’t know what the hell my folks was drinkin’ the day they decided it was a good idea to name me Thaddeus Beauregard, but like I said, folks just call me Mount.”

When I read the line above I was sold on this book. I love a character with a sense of humor. If you are a fan of William Johnstone and his Mountain Man series you will love this book. Don’t misunderstand…this is not a copycat by any means but it has that wonderful old-fashioned pot likker kind of feel to it. I loved it but then I am a fan of the hunter-trapper, fair is fair, come sit by my fire and lean on your saddle, kind of novel.

This book is written in the narration or story-telling mode. Mount tells the story of life in the Rockies and the dangers of travel and of every day life. The dialect is very authentic of the times and of the man but not difficult to read or understand. There can be no question that Blumhagen is good at developing characters as well as creating great scene description. This is not a long book and I sure would have loved more to read. Not that I felt the story was unfinished, I just wanted more to read because it’s good.

This is the third book in the Mount series. It is well worth the time to read it and I’m going to try out books 1 & 2.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

A Deadly Éclair by Daryl Wood Gerber

January 26, 2018 By 1 Comment


A Deadly Éclair by Daryl Wood Gerber
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full length (340 pages)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

It’s always been Mimi Rousseau’s dream to open her own bistro, but it seems beyond her grasp since she’s been chased back home to Nouvelle Vie in Napa Valley by her late husband’s tremendous debt. Until her best friend Jorianne James introduces her to entrepreneur Bryan Baker who invests in promising prospects. Now, working the bistro and inn until she’s able to pay it off and call it her own, Mimi is throwing the inn’s first wedding ever.

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Now it’s up to Mimi to clear her name and get to the bottom of things before the killer turns up the heat again in A Deadly Éclair, the scrumptious series debut by Agatha Award-winning author Daryl Wood Gerber.

When personal and financial troubles force Mimi Rousseau to return home instead of following her dreams, she gets the break of a lifetime – the opportunity to open her own French bistro. Everything is moving forward and her future’s looking bright until a murder disrupts quiet Nouvelle Vie. Who would have thought that a killer lurked in Napa Valley?

Cozy mysteries are a favorite of mine. You always get quirky, lovable characters, a few over-the-top oddballs, and a murder. A Deadly Éclair does not disappoint in any case. Mimi is charming and likable and I loved that she bounced ideas off her goldfish. Her mother is nutty and her best friend is the kind of friend every girl wishes she had. Another enticing aspect to this book for me was that it’s set in and around a French bistro and the adjoining inn. As an avid cook, reading about Mimi’s special of the day and the recipes the author included only gave me more motivation to read this charming novel.

Although I know someone always has to die in a cozy mystery, I was upset with the victim in this first book of the series. Even though you don’t get to know him very well before he’s murdered, I felt devastated by the news. That’s probably Mimi projecting onto me, but I was still surprised that someone I thought would be a major player turned out to be the victim.

A Deadly Éclair has everything a good cozy mystery needs: charming and off the wall characters, a unique setting, and a mystery in need of solving! Plus, assorted hijinks and a hint of a romance along the way to spice things up a bit. Although this is my first novel by the author, it definitely won’t be my last. I’m anxiously awaiting the next in this series. Can’t wait to see what Mimi and her crew get themselves into next.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Wild Lily by Cerise DeLand

January 26, 2018 By Leave a Comment


Wild Lily by Cerise DeLand
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing
Genre: Historical
Length: Full Length (257 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Orchid

Money can buy anything, can’t it? Those brash Americans–their dollars and charms work wonders. Until they learn that money can buy anything…but love.

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Julian Ash, Marquess of Chelton, doesn’t need a wife. He needs luck at cards…or a way to persuade Killian Hanniford to pay more for his family’s shipping line. But Lily is charming and her wild streak appeals to Julian who has always followed the society’s rules. Now he discovers that being wild with Lily is not only fun, it’s necessary to his life. And so is she.
They struggle to throw convention to the wind. But can they be wildly happy together if they can’t heal old wounds?

Lily is the daughter of an American billionaire. Julian is the son of an impoverished Duke. In Victorian England this usually means a marriage of convenience for her to get a title and him to get money to recover the family fortunes.

Complete fascination with each other smudges the boundaries of propriety but Julian is determined not to marry Lily to help the family coffers. Lily doesn’t want to be married for her father’s fortune, she wants a man to love her for herself.

Their relationship develops well and the minor characters in the book lend credence and depth to the story. Also interesting is the humor that Lily brings to the situation. The differences in their upbringing cause many upsets but also a lot of laughs.

I would mention that toward the end of the story a few editorial comments have been left in presumably by mistake. These caused a hiccup in concentration and if they are removed the book would be a wonderful read. I hope the author considers writing more about the minor characters in future books as it would definitely pique my interest.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance Tagged With: , , , , ,
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