As you know on Friday I bring you new books and authors. J.P. McLean has already been my guest before and her series (initially a trilogy, but these things have a way of growing…) The Gift has featured with pride of place before. I knew that the next novel was nearly ready, and the author has been so kind as to send us her reflections about her writing and where she is now. And here, the floor is yours, J. P.:
Author J.P.McLean
Thank you, Olga for once again hosting me on your Friday guest author feature. It’s great to be back.
I’m at an interesting crossroads. Having recently released Penance, the fourth book in the contemporary fantasy series, The Gift Legacy, I’m now ready to start a new project. The decision is whether to take the road that leads to the next book in the series, or take the road not yet travelled, and write a brand new story instead.
On the familiar road, a small but devoted group of readers, who love The Gift Legacy, cheer me on (a writer’s dream!). I know the terrain and the characters and just how to tamper with their brakes to heighten the excitement.
There are no street lamps on the second road and no map. The characters taunt me with their thumbs out, but do I dare pick them up? Will we get along in the tight confines of the car?
What if there’s a curve so sharp we crash?
Hmm. Decisions, decisions. If you have thoughts on the matter, I’d love to hear them.
You can reach me through my blog, on Twitter (@jpmclean1) or on Facebook. And if you’d curious about The Gift Legacy, you can read excerpts and learn more about it on my website.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Thanks so much J.P.!
And here, I had to tell you a bit more about Penance
The Gift Legacy Book 4. Penance by J.P. McLean
When Emelynn Taylor chooses a man’s life over a secret, she draws the attention of the wrong people. International Covert Operations wields the secret like a weapon to coerce the Tribunal Novem’s cooperation. And all ICO wants in exchange for protecting the secret is Emelynn’s services.
With a new job, a new handler and no choice, Emelynn goes undercover to unravel a dangerous drug ring. She soon finds herself in a deadly game of cat and mouse in which she breaks all the rules: the same rules that got her into trouble in the first place.
Here the links in Amazon, although you can check J.P.’s website for more links and information:
Thanks so much to J.P. McLean for her book and her reflections (I hope you’ll give her some suggestions), thanks to you all for reading, and you know, like, share, comment and CLICK!
Ah, and as you know, I do reviews for BTS e-Magazine and just in case you want to have a look at the new number, here it is (there are a couple of mine): //e.issuu.com/embed.html#5491198/13900468
You’ll remember a couple of weeks ago I published a post on reviews (by the way, many thanks for all the comments. It was one of the most dynamic posts I’ve published and I enjoyed the discussion it created). As I mentioned, apart from just reading for the blog and posting the reviews in a variety of sites, I do reviews for BTS e-magazine (click on the widget at the bottom of the post to go to the current number if you enjoy reading about new books and checking reviews) and although the actual reviews belong to the magazine, I like to share some of the books if I think you might enjoy them.
I’ve read some pretty heavy books recently and I don’t know you, but I like to combine light reads with heavier stuff. I reviewed these two books for the magazine, both by female authors, that I enjoyed and were like a breath of fresh air. I’ll give you a taster and you can see what you think:
The Contract by Violet Ryan
The Contract by Violet L. Ryan
Orphaned Grace Barnett receives many proposals because her property has a dependable year-round water supply. She agrees to marry Jacob Cooper, the stranger from the ranch next door who claims he’ll never fall in love. They’ll have only a straightforward contract.
Jilted two years before, Jake doesn’t trust women. He wants water rights, heirs, and a peaceful home. He expects the boyish girl next door to provide these without the messiness of emotions. When he sees her walk down the aisle, dressed as a woman, clean, and lovely, an inner struggle begins. Two strangers learning to live together in a house filled with emotional conflict and family intrigue will test their ability to cope and hinder chances to fall in love.
One paragraph from my review to give you an idea of what I thought:
With arch-villains, scheming ex-loves and relatives, handsome cowboys, formidable women, sexy Native-Americans and plenty of action, what the characters lack in psychological depth and consistency, they make up for in the sheer variety of misunderstandings and adventures they get involved in.
It reminded me of ‘The Little House of the Prairie’ and it made me smile.
I loved the heroine who is innocent but resourceful and I think you’ll like her too. And the rest of the characters added to the mix.
The author has written quite a few books and she sounds like someone I’d like to meet. Just check her page here:
On quite a different note, setting and everything, but again written by another formidable female author (Australian in this case), I read:
See You in Hell (Mel Goes to Hell Series Book 2) by Demelza Carlton
See You In Hell (Mel Goes to Hell. Book 2)
A devilishly hot CEO. The angelic new office temp. A match made in Heaven or Hell?
Melody Angel takes a job as a temp at the HELL Corporation. Surrounded by eternal bureaucracy gone mad, demons who love making life miserable, and dying for a decent coffee, it may take a miracle for Mel’s mission to succeed. She must find out what evil plans Lucifer and his minions have in store and stop them, using any means necessary.
Adding trouble and temptation to Mel’s job is Luce Iblis, the damnably hot CEO, who has set his smouldering eyes on the new office angel and he’s determined to claim her, body and soul.
Can ultimate evil and angelic perfection escape a limbo of desire and find a paradise of their own?
A tiny taste of what’s in store:
“Do you know how long you’ve made me wait?” Luce lifted his chin. “Close the door.”
Mel turned and kicked the door shut with the sole of one shoe. The click of it closing coincided with her eyes meeting Luce’s once more.
“Now strip and get your arse on the desk,” Luce instructed.
Mel stared at him. He couldn’t be serious, could he?
“Every other girl in this building knows how to do as she’s told. Do you know how many girls I’ve had on this desk? You should consider yourself lucky. The last one I had in here was so quick getting undressed that I managed to give her a full fifteen minutes of my time. At this rate, you’ll be lucky to have five.”
Mel became transfixed by the timber desktop. “Did you wipe it clean afterwards?”
“What?” Luce’s face reddened.
Mel Goes to Hell series
This is the second book in the Mel Goes to Hell series, which includes:
Welcome to Hell (#1) – FREE
See You in Hell (#2)
Mel Goes to Hell (#3)
To Hell and Back (#4)
The Holiday From Hell (#5) (to be released 26 March 2015)
This book I must tell you I thoroughly enjoyed. Despite what you might think, it is not erotica (it’s not high in my list of priorities and unless I’m really interested in the book I’ll avoid books where that’s the main focus) and no descriptive sex, although it is sexy (but you might disagree). What I don’t think you’ll disagree on is that it’s a good read and fun.
This is the beginning of my review:
If like me, you’ve also imagined hell as a bureaucratic nightmare where political correctness and paperwork are masters and your boss is Lucifer himself, you should read this novel. Imagine a world where Hell is in charge of most branches of the public sector.
There is romance, a fantastic angel at the centre of the book, and the cast of characters reminded me of Greek gods, as angels and demons are very human and recognisable, and by the end of it…Oh well, you go on and read it.
And, extremely good news. If you want to try the first short story in the series, this one is free:
Welcome to Hell (Mel Goes To Hell Book 1) by Demelza Carlton
Welcome to Hell (Mel Goes to Hell Book 1)
“Good morning. Welcome to HELL.”
Mel hates job interviews – and this one’s shaping up to be the interview from Hell.
From the grumpy receptionist to the disturbingly demonic interview panel and the sleazy CEO, it seems landing her first job is the least of Mel’s worries.
Can she make it out of the office alive without selling her soul?
A tiny taste of what’s in store:
Lilith opened the door, waiting for Mel to leave first. Mel did so, almost running into a man in a dark suit.
His coffee splashed high, yet he caught most of it in his cup. Not a spot landed on Mel – just one on the man’s shoe. “Damn,” he swore, swiping at it with a black handkerchief that appeared almost instantly in his hand. As he rose from his crouch, he took in Mel’s attire, from her toes to her raised eyebrows.
He summoned a smile that clashed with the stormy expression in his eyes. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you in the office before and I make it a point to know all of my staff intimately.” He handed the dripping cup to Mel’s haughty interviewer, who took it without a murmur, even as some of the coffee slopped onto Lilith’s shoes.
He held out his hand to shake Mel’s. “Luce Iblis, CEO of the HELL Corporation.”
Mel gave him her fingers, in such a way that he couldn’t crush them in his firm handshake.
“I’m Mel,” she began.
“This is her first time here. She’s being interviewed for a position here at Health, Environment, Life and Lands Corporation – as my executive officer,” Lilith said.
Luce’s eyes stared hungrily at Mel as she lowered her gaze. “Is that so? I suspect I’ll be seeing a lot more of you very soon, then. I look forward to welcoming you to HELL.”
When I finished the previous one I wanted to start reading this one but unfortunately my Kindle hadn’t downloaded it properly (only to the Cloud) and I had no connection where I was at the time. And then I started reading another book so… But I must say I found the other one therapeutic.
Thank you for reading, thank you to BTS e-magazine and to both authors, and you know, like, share, comment, CLICK, and of course, don’t forget to check the magazine!
As you’ll remember last week I brought you some of the books I had reviewed recently that I though you might find inspiring if you were looking for something to buy for your nearest and dearest (and of course, who’s nearest and dearest than your good selves?). As I’m a writer and an avid reader, I’ve always loved to have books as presents, so…
I started reviewing for BTS-e Magazine a few months back. The deal is that the reviews belong to the magazine although we can share bits of them and links. I’ve read now a few books and thought that although I wasn’t going to share the reviews (or only a bite-sound of it) you might find something interesting there. I’m also sharing the description of the books for more info.
Here is the link to the magazine where there are many more reviews (you can also click on the button down for up-to-date numbers of the magazine). Some of my reviews will be still pending, so consider this a preview:
Deep within the Canadian wilderness, people have been disappearing for over a century. There is a place the locals call “the Devil’s Woods”, but to speak of it will only bring the devil to your door. It is a place so evil that even animals avoid it.
When their father’s expedition team goes missing, Kyle Elkheart and his brother and sister return to the abandoned Cree Indian reservation where they were born. Kyle can see ghosts that haunt the woods surrounding the village—and they seem to be trying to warn him. The search for their father will lead Kyle and his siblings to the dark heart of the legendary forest, where their mission will quickly become a fight for survival.
Written in a direct style, with vivid descriptions that make you live the action, psychologically complex characters you get to care for and a good rhythm that never lets you off the hook.
And I did like it so much that I repeated with another one of the author’s books:
The Vagrants by Brian Moreland
Beneath the city of Boston, evil is gathering.
Journalist Daniel Finley is determined to save the impoverished of the world. But the abandoned part of humanity has a dark side too. While living under a bridge with the homeless for six months, Daniel witnessed something terrifying. Something that nearly cost him his sanity.
Now, two years later, he’s published a book that exposes a deadly underground cult and its charismatic leader. And Daniel fears the vagrants are after him because of it. At the same time, his father is being terrorized by vicious mobsters. As he desperately tries to help his father, Daniel gets caught up in the middle of a war between the Irish-American mafia and a deranged cult of homeless people who are preparing to shed blood on the streets of Boston.
This is seriously scary read (and I love my horror!). Don’t say I didn’t warn you and come crying back to me!
Here a brief snippet of my review:
The story is shorter and tighter, graphically rendered and truly terrifying. Prepared to be scared.
If you like thrillers that keep you guessing:
In His Eyes by Nina Pierce
*** SECOND PLACE WINNER in the suspense category of the 2014 INTERNATIONAL DIGITAL AWARDS ***
It’s always wonderful to be noticed … or is it?
To those around her, Maggie Callaghan appears to have the perfect life…a handsome husband, three beautiful children, and her own business. But beneath her thin veneer lies a dark past and self-doubts. When evidence of her husband’s infidelity surfaces, Maggie leases a cottage on the Maine coast and prepares for her inevitable divorce. But a serial killer is on the hunt–and he’s marked Maggie as his next victim. Now her beachside retreat is the focus of an undercover FBI investigation targeting the murderer who’s left a trail of bodies across two states. As lies and secrets are revealed, Maggie realizes her life depends on knowing who’s protecting her–and who’s got her in his sights.
I must admit this books wrongfooted me from the very beginning. It is written in a very intriguing way, and it goes to show how point of view can be put to excellent use.
A brief extract from my review:
Red herrings, confusing clues and creepy guys with secret identities will keep you guessing throughout. A gripping read.
And, if you need something gentle and relaxed for all ages try this romance:
Firecracker Queen by Cat Shaffer
A NEXT DOOR Category Romance
How can one small town cause Betsey Jones such big problems?
Betsey Jones has one simple desire: to spend a peaceful summer in her hometown of Milford Falls, Michigan, while she decides what to do with the rest of her life. But Betsey hadn’t figured on being blackmailed into competing in the Miss Firecracker contest, mentoring a teen who didn’t want a faux big sister or coming face to face with Quentin Hayes, the cocky jock from her high school years.
Quent knew his editor wasn’t happy with him, but he never expected to be banished to Milford Falls to report on a beauty pageant as punishment. Once there he realizes his past wasn’t quite as he remembered it, Betsey is far different than the usual beauty queen wannabe and that everything he’s always wanted may not be what he really needs.
Although it’s set during the summer, I think it might be the ticket for Christmas when sometimes things can get quite stressful. No big surprises, just a gentle ride, full of characters you’d like to have as neighbours in real life.
Comfortable as an old pair of slippers….It will make you smile but it won’t rock your world.
I hope you might find something of interest to yourself or one of your loved ones. But don’t worry, I’ll keep bringing you more ideas and suggestions on Fridays.
Thanks to all the authors who’ve worked so hard to bring us these awesome books, and thanks to you for reading. And you know the drill: like, share, comment and CLICK!
Ah, and as a bonus, you’ll have noticed Sally Cronin kindly featured one of my selected carols in one of her posts in the series of the 12 days of Christmas. When reading the comments I remembered this parody of the 12 days of Christmas by Frank Kelly (Father Jack in the series Father Ted). I had to share. It always makes me howl with laughter. Do click!
Hola a todos. Como sabéis aparte de escribir y traducir, también soy una lectora empedernida (aunque por desgracias no tengo tanto tiempo como me gustaría) y de un tiempo a esta parte he estado leyendo mayoritariamente la obra de escritores indies (independientes). Aunque es importante para todos los escritores, las reseñas de sus libros son quizás aún más importantes para estos escritores. Así que, aparte de publicarlas en los canales de ventas y en Goodreads, intento hacerles un hueco también en el blog por si así le llegan a alguien más.
Hoy os traigo:
La virgen del Sol de Jordi Díez
La virgen del Sol de Jordi Díez. Una fantástica novela histórica con un gran corazón y mucho espíritu.
Debo confesar que no conozco mucho (casi nada) el período histórico que nos muestra la novela La Virgen del Sol. No puedo comentar con conocimiento de causa con qué exactitud se ajusta a los hechos históricos (que por las características peculiares de la civilización Inca no son fáciles de comprobar y todas las fuentes son indirectas) aunque por lo que he leído y por la nota aclaratoria del autor (que él llama ‘Pequeñas licencias históricas’) parece proporcionar una idea bastante aproximada de la época. Yo desde luego sé mucho más sobre el tema que al empezar la novela y me ha inspirado a seguir informándome.
La Virgen del Sol es una novela sobre un período específico de la historia del Imperio Inca, uno de sus momentos de máxima expansión. El autor tiene el acierto de combinar la historia de una persona de a pie (Nuba, un campesino de un pueblecito) y su familia (especialmente su hija, Nemrac) con la de los grandes del Imperio, el Inca Tupanqui Pachacutec y su hijo Tupac Yupanqui. De hecho la novela transcurre en una especie de mundo del ‘Arriba y Abajo’ donde los destinos de los más poderosos y de los que a primera vista no tienen poder alguno, se entremezclan y combinan de forma compleja e inesperada.
La historia de Nuba no es simplemente (aunque no sea nada simple) la historia de su vida, y su familia, las tragedias que le suceden, las pérdidas que experimenta, sino también su despertar espiritual. Cuando llegamos al final del libro (y no os lo voy a contar, no os preocupéis) y llegamos a comprender totalmente la experiencia y las enseñanzas por las que ha pasado Nuba, que compartimos ya que le acompañamos, nos damos cuenta de que su viaje hacia su nuevo entendimiento va en paralelo con el viaje que realiza durante la novela.
La Virgen del Sol me gustó mucho. El autor consigue proporcionar la información necesaria para situar la acción y a los personajes sin transformar el libro en un tratado histórico tedioso. A pesar de la distancia, no solo histórica, sino también cultural, que nos separa de la acción su caracterización es tal que llegamos a conocer a los personajes, que son multidimensionales, humanos e interesantes. Como en toda época nos encontramos envidias, personajes cegados por el deseo (sea de poder, de inmortalidad, de amor…), víctimas de situaciones fuera de su control, y también personajes enigmáticos que imparten sus enseñanzas de forma a veces difícil de entender (maravilloso Corioma). Lloré con las desgracias de Nuba, las vicisitudes de Nemrac, y marché con las tropas a través del desierto. Me horroricé con los sacrificios, me preocupé por el futuro de los amantes imposibles, me emocioné con la visión de Machu Picchu, y me fascinaron los proyectos de conquistas y creación de un imperio. ¿Qué más os puedo decir? Lloraréis, reiréis, aprenderéis, descubriréis cosas nuevas sobre los Incas y puede que sobre vosotros mismos.
Os recomiendo esta novela por su amplitud de miras, por la fascinación del argumento, por la humanidad de los personajes y porque es una gran historia. ¡No os la perdáis!
Por cierto, también hace poco me apunté al equipo de BTS-e Magazine haciendo reseñas. Por si os interesa leer en inglés, aquí os dejo el enlace (mis reseñas espero que aparezcan en un número futuro):
Gracias por leer, y si os ha gustado ya sabéis, dadle al me gusta, comentad, compartid, y haced CLICK! Ah, y si os leéis algún libro y os gusta, no os olvidéis de dejar una reseña y recomendarselo a los amigos!
As you know, apart from a writer, I’m also a reader and when I have time, I read. I’ve been reading many indie books of recent and being a writer I know how important it is for writers to get reviews for their books. I also try and share them here and see if people who might have missed them find the books interesting.
Today I bring you two short and very different reads. One is a distopian YA novella and the other one a non-fiction book about relationships.
The Ivory Tower
Review of Kirstin Pulioff’s ‘The Ivory Tower’
A sharp, shiny and precise jewel of a dystopian novella.
I read The Ivory Tower very quickly some time ago and have finally managed to catch up with a review. This dystopian story is brief but hides a good punch. I’m always in two minds with regards to shorter stories. On the one hand I want to know more, but on the other hand, the best of them are like perfect jewels, nicely shaped, shiny and precise. Sharp with no rounded edges. I suspect some of that precision and the effect might be lost if they were longer.
The Ivory Tower is one of those stories. The reader is given some details but not the full story behind the situation or the reasons why the characters live as they do. And that makes you think and imagine. It also works because when the main character finds herself in a situation that she cannot quite understand, you are in her shoes and as astounded as her by what happens. The sense of menace and threat increases as one reads and the writing helps create an atmospheric and intriguing tale. Although there are no unduly lengthy descriptions, the reader knows where s/he is. And the ending…
If you only have a little time and want a good story (not a feel good story, though) go and grab The Ivory Tower, quick!
After “I Do!” A Marriage Map by P.J. LaRue Common sense advice about relationships, from the heart.
Before I write the review I must confess something. I’m not married and I’m not in a relationship at the moment. I’m not sure if that qualifies me more or disqualifies me completely from writing this review, but I’ve already warned you. If you want to read on, it’s up to you.
Having said all that, I have to confess I loved the book. Like all advice, one can take it or leave it. And Oscar Wilde already told us that the thing to do with good advice is to pass it on. That one should never use it oneself. I don’t agree although understand the sentiment.
P.J. LaRue explains her reasons for writing the book. She is aware of the statistics on the survival of relationships and observes that although her marriage seemed to have many numbers for not working, it has (so far for over thirty years). As people kept asking her and her husband for the recipe, that got her thinking, and as she is a writer, she thought she’d write a book about it.
The author’s advice is common sense, but not for that less valuable. She reflects on what she calls ‘Starter Marriages’ and observes that if there is no true commitment to a relationship from the beginning you might as well not even bother. If you’re going to give up at the first hurdle, don’t get in the race. She also emphasises the importance of communication, true communication, and she highlights the elements she thinks are necessary for such communication to exist: honesty, be open, listen, never trash talk, don’t play games, whisper sweet nothings, choose your words carefully, change requires self-awareness, change takes effort, compromise, tone, body language, golden rule and R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Other than ‘whisper sweet nothings’ I’d say they are very good principles to follow in any communication, but even more important when the communication is with your loved one.
If the advice is sound, as I say, what I found more touching (and it is a touching book) was how the author uses her own relationship as a yardstick and example of both the things to do and the possible pitfalls, the type of problems that relationships experience. She is candid and honest when talking about her personal difficulties and the trials that they have had to go through (and they’re still coming to terms with).
It might be that some of the ideas exposed in the book (yes, I’m talking about her stance on sex in relationships) might sound old-fashioned, and she herself acknowledges that, but just because something is old or has been said before it doesn’t mean it is wrong. You can always decide what parts of the advice you think should apply to you, but if you can be as selfless and insightful as the author is after you read it, I guarantee you will have a much better chance at making your relationship work.
By the way, very recently I’ve joined the BTS-e Magazine team of reviewers (I’ll let you know when my reviews come up and give you a link to the magazine), so I leave you links to it for you to check and explore. Thanks so much for reading, and you know, if you’ve found it interesting, like, share, comment and of course CLICK! Ah, and if read any books and enjoy them, remember to review and recommend them to your friends!
Just Olga 