Today I am a bit sleepy. Could be all the work I have done on my novel in process, could be waking up at 4am and not going back to sleep really, you never know. So how about I just post up reviews, by title, in alphabetical order? These are ones I put up on amazon, so you can find these fun reads no trouble. In the letter A I have nine...so here you go!
A Fairy for Bin Laden
A Fairy for Bin Laden
Price: $0.99
5.0 out of 5 stars very different fairy tale, July 13, 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Fairy for Bin Laden (Kindle Edition)
Now this was fun. A bit raw, a bit raunchy but an interesting take on Tinkerbell and on the SEALS. Loved this little bit. Definitely a fun fast read. get it, read it, review it. A talent in the making!
A Secret Rage
A Secret Rage
Offered by Penguin Group (USA) LLC
Price: $5.99
5.0 out of 5 stars Everything old is new, December 16, 2013
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Secret Rage (Kindle Edition)
After becoming a huge fan of Ms Harris' paranormal novels I really had to read everything I could find.
This novel is a simple gothic told in her style. It has little bit of southernisms that you expect from this multitalented author. The characters are crisp and intelligent and strong. The dark theme of rape and its effect on the women who suffer it is handled cleanly and well. Being set in the deep south like most of her novels this tale shows us the different ways that subcultures within our own deal with the victim.
I was actually both surprised and happy at how she dealt with the climax of this story. Well the subject matter is dark this novel left me feeling content.
A Three-Dog Night
A Three-Dog Night
Price: $0.99
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars two out of three, July 9, 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Three-Dog Night (Kindle Edition)
I liked this set of tales. Short and to the point..the only one I had issues with was the final one...it seemed rushed...otherwise solid little tales
A Wicked Deception
A Wicked Deception
Price: $2.99
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Love in the times the Australian gold rush, November 3, 2013
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: A Wicked Deception (Kindle Edition)
Readers of historical romances generally find stories set either in the wild west of the United States or in Britain. This lovely tale is set for a large part in Australia. With the detail Ms Tanner added the story comes alive with the sights, sounds and flavors of that wild land. She teaches you a bit of history while telling a tale of love, betrayal and classism.
While at times you want to take her heroine and shake her soundly for the pure silly innocence she has, you come to care for the characters. You feel sadness at the loses they survive and happiness at the neat ending to the tale. A good read for a lazy afternoon.
Adventures of a Southern Girl
Adventures of a Southern Girl
Price: $3.00
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Adventures in life, January 18, 2013
This review is from: Adventures of a Southern Girl (Kindle Edition)
These stories are a bite out of a full life, little things that make you smile and nod. In a few places they could be tightened up to flow better but they have a great charm to them. As you move through the stories they get better. Going from a bit awkward to a smooth and heart touching flow. They author needs to write more. She gives an insight into a way of life that in the 21st century isn't seen as much. The travel stories are funny but the family stories are strong and at time gripping. And the poem she included was very strong as were the studies of nature in all her glory. Looking forward to more.
Aftermath and Other Zombie Shorts
Aftermath and Other Zombie Shorts
Price: $0.99
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A trio of zombie fun, November 3, 2013
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This review is from: Aftermath and Other Zombie Shorts (Kindle Edition)
An interesting trio of stories. Well written especially considering English is not Mr Stark's first language. My favorite is the Zombie Cab story. Felt like reading an old twilight zone story. Well done. The only quibble I have with these tales is the author putting himself into the third story. If he had used a different name for the main character this book would have rated five stars from me. Well worth the money and the reading time.
Alice in the Country of Hearts, Vol. 2
Alice in the Country of Hearts, Vol. 2
by Soumei Hoshino
Edition: Paperback
41 used & new from $0.01
5.0 out of 5 stars Alice in wonderland japanese style, April 19, 2010
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Alice in the Country of Hearts, Vol. 2 (Paperback)
Okay right now there seems to be a big demand for everything Alice and this little manga is a good one. Obviously written in a harem style with beautiful male characters all trying to win the heart of the heroine. Some violence makes this a read not for the younger set. I would recommend teens and adults like me.
Amor Maldito: Romantic Tragedies from Tejano Folklore
Amor Maldito: Romantic Tragedies from Tejano Folklore
Price: $0.99
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Three interesting tales told, September 15, 2013
This review is from: Amor Maldito: Romantic Tragedies from Tejano Folklore (Kindle Edition)
When I read these three tales at first I was a little confused. These romantic ghost stories are from a culture that I don't know much about but as I read them I found myself transported. I could see the young people in these tales walking into their fates like I was watching a movie. Well told stories that just need a tweak here and there to help the flow but otherwise this is a grand set of stories. Perfect for a dark and chilly night.
Ancient Futures
Ancient Futures
Price: $2.99
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars A good tale in need of tender loving care, July 19, 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Ancient Futures (Kindle Edition)
I'm gonna review this honestly and what I have to say is it wont be all flowers and nice. It needs some serious work. Flashes of brilliance are surrounded by a lot of sections needing a heavy editing hand in this tale. Gilmar was beautifully written and in parts watching Ramiles grow was very moving but it needs work on pacing, spelling and well..over all feel. I can't give it more than a three, it really should get two and a half but I will give it three since it is a complete story, if one in need of work. I got through it...which is better than some other stuff I have been handed to read lately. Ir does have good characters and an interesting world. The whole end of days feel to this story is good but we need the pacing to match all the way through. With the revisions done I could see this getting better reviews all around.
Now I have posted some of these before but you can never put up reviews enough. Writers work very hard and they need all the pushes they can get. Hope you find something you want to read here.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Monday, April 21, 2014
Jo Clayton, a master now gone
As a reading nut I have of course read or re-read many books over my fifty years. I have been fighting with the nasty cold virus that is going around. While I was not what I would consider awfully sick, I was pretty out of it for the past week. Between congestion and coughing, it was of course hard to breath. The worst part for me though was that as soon as I stood up it felt like I had been on a merry go round and let my eleven year old spin me around for an hour at hyperspeed. In other words, I stood up and the world spun, I sat up the world spun, heck I lay on my back and the world spun. Not a good thin for being a good and creative writer. So I did what I do when I am sick. I pulled out the work of authors I have loved reading over and over and over yet again.
Jo Clayton is one of my all time favorite authors. She passed away back in 1998 but she was one of the ground breaking female science fiction authors who came out of the 60s and 70s. Her Diadem of the Stars series, while nowadays would be considered novellas, were some of my first and favorite science fiction books. She wrote strong female leads who go through all kinds of things and come out the other side stronger and wiser. If not for writers like her all the strong women in fiction today would not exist.
My favorite of her characters was Shadith or Shadow. She is the last surviving daughter of the Weaver of Shaylin. A race long gone, as was her birth form. She spent centuries as a collection of memories in the diadem before being released into a young woman's body by another of Ms Clayton's characters, Alyetes.
She is a bard in the truest sense. While she is a mischief maker who can't seem to stay out of trouble, she sees a culture different than her own as a place to learn and create. And Ms Clayton populates her universe with so many varied races of beings. They are not all variations on human, like many science fiction worlds have been in the past. They are feathered or have lizard skin, they are made of crystal or of an entire sentient world. They are rich in stories and that is what we read for.
She told stories of evil men and women in a time when complexity was not common. The stories in her books always inspire me to write more and more. I aim to some day write something as good as those books that I still read.
The sad part for me is that as far as i can tell her books have not been brought into the digital age. Like a lot of the classic, well written fiction that came out before computers where popular, her books are still in paperback but they are not easy to get. I looked her up on Amazon and found three being sold as used. Three out of over thirty novels and the same number of short stories that are out there.
I no longer own the complete library of her books that I once did. Another of the great loses that came from moving from one country to another. Not that I would give up my very happy life now, but I do wish I had managed to keep those books.
And I now take it back. I just put in Jo Clayton on Amazon and there are a lot more listed now.
The books fo Jo Clayton
They are still paperbacks but you know what? They are more than worth the read. These books will give the reader something we all look for. Rich and involved worlds with magic and music and science fiction combined into something unique and good. Why not try one? You can start with Diadem to the Stars or just pick Drinker of Souls. These are full worlds with a lot of characters that are fully developed.
Jo Clayton is one of my all time favorite authors. She passed away back in 1998 but she was one of the ground breaking female science fiction authors who came out of the 60s and 70s. Her Diadem of the Stars series, while nowadays would be considered novellas, were some of my first and favorite science fiction books. She wrote strong female leads who go through all kinds of things and come out the other side stronger and wiser. If not for writers like her all the strong women in fiction today would not exist.
My favorite of her characters was Shadith or Shadow. She is the last surviving daughter of the Weaver of Shaylin. A race long gone, as was her birth form. She spent centuries as a collection of memories in the diadem before being released into a young woman's body by another of Ms Clayton's characters, Alyetes.
She is a bard in the truest sense. While she is a mischief maker who can't seem to stay out of trouble, she sees a culture different than her own as a place to learn and create. And Ms Clayton populates her universe with so many varied races of beings. They are not all variations on human, like many science fiction worlds have been in the past. They are feathered or have lizard skin, they are made of crystal or of an entire sentient world. They are rich in stories and that is what we read for.
She told stories of evil men and women in a time when complexity was not common. The stories in her books always inspire me to write more and more. I aim to some day write something as good as those books that I still read.
The sad part for me is that as far as i can tell her books have not been brought into the digital age. Like a lot of the classic, well written fiction that came out before computers where popular, her books are still in paperback but they are not easy to get. I looked her up on Amazon and found three being sold as used. Three out of over thirty novels and the same number of short stories that are out there.
I no longer own the complete library of her books that I once did. Another of the great loses that came from moving from one country to another. Not that I would give up my very happy life now, but I do wish I had managed to keep those books.
And I now take it back. I just put in Jo Clayton on Amazon and there are a lot more listed now.
The books fo Jo Clayton
They are still paperbacks but you know what? They are more than worth the read. These books will give the reader something we all look for. Rich and involved worlds with magic and music and science fiction combined into something unique and good. Why not try one? You can start with Diadem to the Stars or just pick Drinker of Souls. These are full worlds with a lot of characters that are fully developed.
Monday, April 7, 2014
More book reviews for your reading pleasure...or what is she reading now?
Yup another Monday has rolled forward and I have reviews for you to read of books that you can take a chance on. Nothing like finding something different, something odd and something cheap at the same time right?
Yes I am always looking for a bargain. As I have yet to make a living at being a writer (Okay I haven't made more than a few dollars so far but we won't go into that) so feeding my overwhelming addiction to the written word is hard. When amazon sent out the email to everyone who had bought books from certain big name publishers, well I was happy as all heck. I picked up first of course a book from a friend writer and read through it in a day. Yes I do that. I read way too fast but that is not what I plan on reviewing here!
I then sat back and decided it was time to read and review more of the books i took a chance on when they were free. The first is:
Magenta Shaman by Lily Childs
Magenta Shaman
Now I haven't posted this review yet on Amazon but I plan to soon.
While this is a short story, it is a pretty intense one With plenty of detailed description, you get a true feel to these characters. As an introduction you are given what you need to see that this world will be unfolding into a complex one. With strong characters, tension, action and a lot of rich story telling, why not try it out?
Next is:
Stray by Rachel Vincent
Stray
Another in the series of strong female leads that have been so popular right now. Fayth is something different, she is a were cat.
Like all modern women she just wants to live her life the way she chooses. There is one problem though, as a werecat tabby, she is a rare and precious thing.
When a strange tom tries to attack her, she kicks backside but is hauled home by her father's order. And we have the beginning of a great tale.
Evil strays bent on taking the rare tabbies and an overwhelming attraction to an enforcer gives us a great lead into a new series. Well worth reading.
and finally we have:
Killer in Sight (A Tom Lackey Mystery)
Killer in Sight
Price: $4.78
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice little mystery, July 29, 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Killer in Sight (A Tom Lackey Mystery) (Kindle Edition)
With lots of possible suspects, twists and turns and a touch of the otherworldly this story is a great read. There were a couple of formatting issues but they really didn't detract from the story being told. I was intrigued by the iriology and the idea of capturing the last image seen by dead eyes. While I am sure that it is something this author invented I think it would be a great tool for those trying to solve crimes. I would say get this tale and sit back for a fun ride.
Have fun reading folks!
Yes I am always looking for a bargain. As I have yet to make a living at being a writer (Okay I haven't made more than a few dollars so far but we won't go into that) so feeding my overwhelming addiction to the written word is hard. When amazon sent out the email to everyone who had bought books from certain big name publishers, well I was happy as all heck. I picked up first of course a book from a friend writer and read through it in a day. Yes I do that. I read way too fast but that is not what I plan on reviewing here!
I then sat back and decided it was time to read and review more of the books i took a chance on when they were free. The first is:
Magenta Shaman by Lily Childs
Magenta Shaman
Now I haven't posted this review yet on Amazon but I plan to soon.
While this is a short story, it is a pretty intense one With plenty of detailed description, you get a true feel to these characters. As an introduction you are given what you need to see that this world will be unfolding into a complex one. With strong characters, tension, action and a lot of rich story telling, why not try it out?
Next is:
Stray by Rachel Vincent
Stray
Another in the series of strong female leads that have been so popular right now. Fayth is something different, she is a were cat.
Like all modern women she just wants to live her life the way she chooses. There is one problem though, as a werecat tabby, she is a rare and precious thing.
When a strange tom tries to attack her, she kicks backside but is hauled home by her father's order. And we have the beginning of a great tale.
Evil strays bent on taking the rare tabbies and an overwhelming attraction to an enforcer gives us a great lead into a new series. Well worth reading.
and finally we have:
Killer in Sight (A Tom Lackey Mystery)
Killer in Sight
Price: $4.78
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice little mystery, July 29, 2012
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Killer in Sight (A Tom Lackey Mystery) (Kindle Edition)
With lots of possible suspects, twists and turns and a touch of the otherworldly this story is a great read. There were a couple of formatting issues but they really didn't detract from the story being told. I was intrigued by the iriology and the idea of capturing the last image seen by dead eyes. While I am sure that it is something this author invented I think it would be a great tool for those trying to solve crimes. I would say get this tale and sit back for a fun ride.
Have fun reading folks!
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