"Kutter" by Jeff Strand (5 Stars) ***Cntdwn2Jeff***

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Kutter

by Jeff Strand

Genre: Horror

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As a part of my Countdown to Jeff Series, Kutter is #4!

This book has two of my favorite things; dogs and a great horror story.

Charlie is anti-social. He's not good looking, he hates his co-workers (well, maybe not Alicia), has no friends, and his only joy in life is tv and murdering women in his basement. Until he finds an injured little "clown-face" dog in the park. Reward money and curiosity are his initial reasons for taking the dog home, but Charlie soon finds that a dog will love you no matter what.

Will Kutter the Boston Terrier change this serial killer through unconditional love?

You want to read it too now, don't you? Well, what are you waiting for?? Go look at it at Goodreads and then buy your own bloody copy at amazon!

"In the End" by Tracey Ward (5 Stars)

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In the End

Quarantined #2

by Tracey Ward

Genre: Zombies!/YA Horror

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In the End is the sequel to Until the End (which I gave a small, unasked for review HERE). Whereas the first book was told from the viewpoint of university student Alissa, this book is in the POV of Jordan, the boy Alissa travels with on their survival trek through a city overrun by a zombie plague.

Jordan has a good head on his shoulders and a strong batting arm, but Alissa, whom he has fallen for, has a father who doesn't seem to like Jordan very much and doesn't much care that the two 'kids' know more about surviving this apocalypse than he does. Additionally and more importantly, Alissa has a pretty serious mental health condition that could get Jordan killed.

But it's not all fun and games! Very bad things are going to happen and the trio will have to make a life and death decision- do they join other survivors or keep on running?

These books are some of my favorites and while Alissa and Jordan's story might be over now, the author has created a new series set in the same world; the Survival series. Find my review of Book #1in this sister series HERE.


Have I gained your interest? Great! Now go check it out at goodreads and then buy your own copy at amazon.com.

"Treacle Mountain" by F.W. Pinkerton (4 Stars)

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Treacle Mountain

Annie's Story #1

by F. W. Pinkerton

Genre: A Hard Knocks Story

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I was given a copy of this book to review honestly and so I shall!

Treacle Mountain immediately grips you in it's fist and won't let go, with the main protagonist being a girl just like that little orphan Annie who gets dealt the hard knocks in life. This Annie also has red hair but she dyes it dark, hardly bathes, and rarely speaks up for herself, all in an attempt not to stand out and bring attention to herself.

Living in the Bronx, Annie is just trying to survive against the bad hand she was given. She doesn't know who her parents are, she works in a soup kitchen run by a self-pampered, thieving hag, and the only friend she has might be something more but how can Annie know? She doesn't know people, she's never touched, and now she has this list of lowlifes she wants to avenge herself upon.

But its not all bad. She has a chance at something more, something real. A family. People who care about her. But can Annie play it straight or will her need for revenge get in the way of the only good thing she has ever known?

Treacle Mountain really stood out for me but I'm not a good judge on street life or the Bronx itself. I don't know how accurate the portrayal is but I felt the author did a fantastic job with her character, Annie, and the everyday grind to survive on the streets. Its pitiful, sad, pathetic, heart wrenching, and upsetting to the bone and when things start to go right for Annie, you find yourself pleading with her not to mess it up.

Have I interested you? Great! Go find out more at goodreads and then pick up your own copy at amazon today. =D

"American Specter" by Rasheedah Prioleau (4 Stars)

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American Specter

by Rasheedah Prioleau

Genre: Paranormal Romance & Mystery

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review and here it is. American Specter was a fun read with romance, mystery, and a surprise at the end that I never saw coming.

We follow FBI Agent Audra Wheeler as she is assigned to a case with a paranormal bent - and an unmistakable similarity to the attempted murder of her sister 13 years prior to the story's beginning. Women are being murdered; women who look an awful lot like her sister, who lies in a coma from an attempt on her life by a specter. A ghost. Only specters in this version of the world live amongst us and hold down jobs.

Enter ex-lover, ex-partner, now sheriff of Specter, Georgia, one Ethan Cole. The love of her life. And it's like they were never apart at all. Together they will race to solve a spate of otherwordly murders to try and uncover the killer before its too late.

Want to know more? Check it out at Goodreads and the author's website!

"Specimen 313" by Jeff Strand (5 Stars) ***Cntdwn2Jeff***

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Specimen 313

by Jeff Strand

Genre: Horror

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As part of my Countdown to Jeff Series, Specimen 313 gets to be #3 in the countdown!

I read this short story previously and thought it was knock-down, drag-you-about hilarious! It reminded me pleasantly of the Little Shop of Horrors movie, only this time, the plant gets the girl. No kidding. Oh, but don't worry! The girl is a plant too,  I promise. This is a leafy romance between two really big, really carnivorous experiments in meaty horticulture, getting their revenge on.

Specimen 313 will leave you blinking in surprise and giggling into your shirt collar!

Take a look at Goodreads and then experience it for yourself at amazon. You're in for a chlorophyll filled good time. Oh yeah, and it's FREE.

"Reflections of Soul" by Queen of Spades (5 Stars)

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Reflections of Soul

by Queen of Spades

Genre: Poetry

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Unexpectedly, I was gifted a copy of this short book of poems as a thank you for expressing interest in the author's Facebook page and giving her a 'Like'. I was not asked to review the book and I'm not very familiar with much poetry and my attempts at it in earlier years are best left a secret between my husband and I. That being said, when I was trying my hand at expressing my deeply emotional feelings for my husband, I found poetry to be a beautiful and passionate way of achieving this.

Reading Queen of Spades's Reflections of Soul, feelings were evoked in me and I felt great sadness for her pain. Her experiences as I interpreted them, were painful reminders of similar hardships that I endured far back in my past, and through these poems I felt a connection to the brave woman who dared to share them with the world.

Thank you, Queen.

Please learn more about Reflections of Soul at Goodreads and Amazon.

"Psychic Appeal" by Michelle McCleod (5 Stars)

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Psychic Appeal

by Michelle McCleod

Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

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I received a copy of Psychic Appeal in exchange for my honest review and I have to say, this is what a great paranormal romance should be! It's got great pacing, sexual attraction between the lead protagonist and the supporting character, and it has a STORY! It's not all about girl meets boy. Or in Sofia's case, girl loses boy who haunts her as a ghost and then meets new boy who needs her to help him find his brother's killer.

Sofia Parker is kind of a private investigator. She's only had one case before she meets Jacob, a man who is trying to find out what really happened to his twin brother. Most of the time, she's an antique dealer. Mostly. She was charged with manslaughter after the accident that killed her boyfriend and that kind of slashed her sales to zero. Add to that she's psychic and things have been a little rough for Sofia.

This book has dragons, necromancers, zombies, love sick ghosts, and even a druid or two! It's fun, easy to read, and one of those books you don't want to put down until you've reached the end.

Want to know more? Check out Psychic Appeal at Goodreads, amazon, and the author's blog!

"The Last Overseer" by Anton Troia (4 Stars)

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The Last Overseer

by Anton Troia

Genre: Sci-fi/Post-Apocalyptic Horror

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I received this book in exchange for my honest review and it's taken me a few days to put my thoughts in order on "The Last Overseer". The first thing I will say is that Anton Troia has a sharp mind and a keen skill. His grasp of sci-fi is stunning and he's used it to illustrate an earth decimated by radiation and under the heel of an unscrupulous Overseer. Add mutated people into the mix and you have a winner!

So why not a 5 star rating?

The Last Overseer is written in a peculiar (to me) way, in that there are no periods to end sentences of dialogue, and exclamation points and question marks are on the outside of the quotations. There were also commas and semi colons that sometimes showed up in places I wouldn't expect them to and a few contradictions, such as Charlie's description. He was described as lean twice on one page, but then called portly on the next page. Another instance of this was "decrepit; so bony the ribs were protruding" and then also described as "a hulking mountain of muscle". I also noticed some tense changes and some repetitive word usage, like "bright" used three times in one paragraph, as well as missing words and words that were overlooked.

Wow, ok. So why not a lower rating?

Because the issues I had were almost all things that could be easily fixed with a good, strong edit. If the author agrees and puts out a second edition, I definitely want to re-read The Last Overseer. As it is, I still give this book a high rating because the science and the story telling are there, I just feel it could be a whole lot more powerful with a little cleaning up.

And did I mention the gorgeous cover art? No? Well. It's gorgeous! And there are a couple of scenes I have to mention. One is when Major Brennan is making breakfast at the beginning of the book and the other is when Charlie is diving in a putrid sea to get into a hardware store! I read it like I was watching it on a big screen and that was simply awesome.


Have I caught your interest? Then check it out for yourself at Goodreads, amazon, and the author's website!

"Red River" by Kelly Van Hull (4 Stars)

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Red River

Book #2, Tent City series

by Kelly Van Hull

Genre: YA/Dystopian Paranormal

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I received this book in exchange for an honest review and I have read and reviewed the first book in this series, Tent City (See that review HERE).

Red River is not as fast-paced action as Tent City. Where the first book dealt with finding a place to avoid The Council and their camps, this book took a more emotional approach with the first half of the story's setting mainly in one location with a more stationary feel to it. There was a lot of waiting-to-see and inner struggles going on with some difficult subjects introduced, such as drug addiction and abortion. It also gets a lot deeper into religion, whereas in book 1, it was more hinted at and less certain.

Another idea only touched upon in book 1, is what the characters are calling 'advancements'. A kind of power or ability that only some people seem to possess. This is explored more openly, as it should be in a second book, with main protagonist Dani trying to come to terms with what may or may not be hers.

Again, we have the love triangle (or is it a foursome, if you include Callie, who pines for one of the twin brothers), but this may too have an explanation, if God does have a hand in it as Jessica believes. So the question arises (and has been debated in a goodreads discussion group) - will it be Bentley or Jack?

And all while Dani tries to keep her little brother safe, because he just might be The Golden Child.

Want to learn more? Check it out at Goodreads and then get your own copy at Amazon!