Book Review: Southern Superstitions

          Today's review is on Southern Superstitions by B. J. Robinson

After reading Last Resort, I became an instant fan of Robinson's writing style. Though works of fiction, her books give the reader a sense that the characters are "real" people facing "real" problems. There is romance, love, and loss in them, but there is also always unwavering faith in God.

Myrtle was just 25 when her husband passed away, leaving her to care for their berry farm and their 4 year-old daughter, June on her own. She has always believed in God, but has also been a superstitious woman, and poor June found that she couldn't do many of the things the other kids did because of her mothers worries.

Now June is an adult, and though she tries hard to remind her mother to trust in God, her mother maintains her "silly" superstitions. So when a solid black cat crosses their path, any all all bad luck to come to them is blamed on it. Even after being blessed when June falls in love with a wonderful man and has a son of her own. But could there be something to her mother's superstitions and that darn cat?

When Andy doesn't return from a hunting trip June and her family fear the worst. As the years pass, June decides she must go on with her life and chooses to return to school to earn her teaching certification, all the while never loosing faith that her husband will one day return to her.

Because I myself am a Christian woman, I am not offended by the amount of "religiousness" within the pages of Ms. Robinson's work, and I feel that they are a great addition to any Christian library. But I also think that they have enough mystery, danger, and excitement that they would be a great addition to anyone's library as well.

Well developed, well written and all around well done.

4 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon

Book Review: Cold Light

                                                        Today's review is on Cold Light by Traci L. Slatton

A good book is sometimes hard to find, and a good series is even harder.  When I finished reading Fallen, I was amazed at how much I liked it, so much so that it is listed as one of the Books You Got To Have here on my blog.  Now, Cold Light; the second installment in Slatton's After Trilogy, will be added to that very same list.

Slatton's ability to weave a tale that is filled with adventure, loss and love is unmatched.  Her writing makes it so easy for you to fall in love with the characters so much so that you find yourself riding a roller-coaster of emotions.  One minute you are mad, then your lips curl into a smile, and sometimes you cannot help but reach for a tissue.

After finding out that Arthur actually created the Mists that have basically destroyed the earth, Emma is heartbroken.  And even though she loves Arthur with all of her heart, when her husband risks his life to fly to Europe to "save" her, she decides to leave with him and return to Canada.  But the last year and a half hasn't been the same.  There has been a change in their relationship.  Emma cannot keep her mind from wandering to the wonderful memories she has of Arthur, and how much they love(d) each other.  Those thoughts are pushed aside and  have to wait though when her older daughter Beth is kidnapped by a rogue group.

Setting off on her own, Emma is hell-bent on finding Beth and bringing her home.  Imagine her surprise when she sees Arthur and some of the others in the town where she has settled in order to "acquire" some supplies.  Emma and Arthur's love and passion knows no limits as they seamlessly fall back into each others lives and each others arms.

When her husband makes an appearance, Emma is thrown into a game of tug-o-war.  Should she return to Europe with Arthur, the man whom she loves more deeply than she has ever loved anyone, or stay with her husband, the man who she vowed to love "till death do you part."

The Mists are changing, and our favorite Russian cut-throat is back in Cold Light.  But don't get me started on the ending.  I only hope that the final installment comes out quickly, and things work out the way I want them to.  (I am totally on team Arthur!!)

An exceptional series that will keep you reading and ignoring your family.  So grab Fallen and Cold Light, grab a bottle of wine, head to your favorite reading spot and be ready to spend the next four to eight or so hours falling in love with this series.

A MUST have series!

5 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon

HALLOWEEN CONTEST!!

Gothic Mom's Book Reviews is glad to announce our HALLOWEEN contest!!!

Madison Daniels, the author of the Ember series and much more, is giving away a signed copy of Beyond the Never, two signed posters, and a signed post card!!!

To enter, all you have to do is let us know what your favorite Horror MOVIE is or your favorite Horror BOOK!  It's that simple.

The winner(s) will be announced on October 31st, 2012!!

                       A big MAHALO (Thank You) to Madison for your generous  SWAG!!

(we will post a picture shortly)

Book Review: Asleep Without Dreaming

Today's review is on Asleep Without Dreaming by: Barbara F. Abate

Like the first book I read by Abate; The Secret of Lies, this second book left me with a feeling of loss so great that I had to wait a full 24 hours before I could totally bring my thoughts together.  Written without the fluff and filler's that other writers utilize, Ms. Abate has the ability to tell the unsaid tales of those that have suffered irreputable damage throughout their entire life. Damage which cannot be easily repaired if at all, and the lasting effect that it has on them and those around them.

Willa Burkett's life is anything but the happy-go-lucky life of other children.   With a mother that seems to only think of herself, it's no wonder her father left for work one morning never to return.  Now it's only poor Willa that is left behind in the backwards town of Hoosick Falls with her.  

Trying to stay off the radar, Willa is distressed to learn that her mother's flaws knows no bounds as she tries to "reinvent" herself numerous times, lies to get what she wants, and even uses Willa's name to gain the interest of men.  But that all changes late one evening when Willa is awakened by her mother and told that they are finally leaving Hoosick Falls.

Driving along to some unknown destination, Willa tries in vain to think that things will be better once they get to where they are heading.  But once their beat up car stalls on the highway, Willa knows that that is not going to happen.  

Ending up in another dead-end town, Willa is faced with the truth of her life.  She is sick of her mothers' secret's and her lie's.  She's tired of the made-up reasons why her mother cannot work and leaves the housekeeping duties to fall on her, and she is tired of her mother's rants.  The only thing she is not tired of is Jesse Truman.

But Jesse too has secrets of his own, and though she wants nothing more than to help him and to save him, she may be to late in the end.

Though Asleep Without Dreaming may seem a bit slow, it really isn't.  If it were written any other way, the full impact would be lost in the end.  It may even bring a tear to your eye's as it did to mine.

5 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon

Book Review: The Zombie Always Knocks Twice

                                     Today's review is on The Zombie Always Knocks Twice by E. Van Lowe


As far as YA books go, this one is pretty good. Filled with the usual drama you would expect from a female outcast's perspective, Lowe has been able to add his own flair of paranormalacy.

Kristine "Kris" Golden is different. And it's not just her mixed heritage. As though being half Caucasian and half African American wasn't bad enough, she has this "gift." That is, if you can call being able to raise the dead a gift. But raising the dead is just half of the problem. She also has a sworn duty to lay the risen dead back to rest.

It's been pretty quiet all in all though. Sure she's still bombarded by the various spirits wandering her Hollywood stomping grounds, but there hasn't been a true deadie bothering her for some time. That all changes however when she comes across three in a span of a few days.

Now Kris has to solve the possible murder of a cheerleader, defend herself from a love struck Zombie, and not fall in love with the handsome Alex Romero. Oh yeah, they are all dead, and she'll have to lay all three of those "people" to rest. Eventually.

Lowe's experience shines through with The Zombie. Though I feel that the characters of Talia, Ann Marie, Randy, and her father were weak in this first installment, there is room for their growth as the series continues.

No sex, no explicit violence, just some good wholesome fun for young readers who have an affinity for the paranormal.

4 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon

Hollywood California, Swimming pools, movie stars… and now the risen dead

 

Hollywood can be a difficult place to grow up, especially if you’re Kristine Golden, a fifteen-year-old necromancer with a sworn duty to lay the risen dead back to rest and no desire to be in the movie business.

When handsome deadie Alex Romero swaggers into her life, Kris must keep her promise, despite her growing feelings for him.  If that’s not enough to give a girl a headache, a murderous zombie comes knocking at Kris’ door, rocking her world and threatening her family.

Can Kris solve the mystery of the rampaging zombie before someone else winds up dead? Or will the walking dead take over Hollywood and turn it into… Hollyweird?

About the Author:


E. Van Lowe is an author, television writer, screen-writer, playwright and producer who has worked on such TV shows as "The Cosby Show," "Even Stevens," and "Homeboys In Outer Space." 

He has been nominated for both an Emmy and an Academy Award. His first YA Paranormal novel, "Never Slow Dance With A Zombie," was a selection of The Scholastic Book Club, and a nominee for an American Library Association Award.  His Best Selling novels, “Boyfriend From Hell” and “Earth Angel,” are the first two books in the Falling Angels Saga.  “The Zombie Always Knocks Twice” is the first book in his Hollyweird series.

E lives in Beverly Hills California with his spouse, a werewolf, several zombies and a fairy godmother who grants him wishes from time-to-time.

http://evanlowe.com/  

http://vanlowe.blogspot.com/ 

@evanlowe 

http://www.facebook.com/author.e.vanlowe 

6 Days until the release of This Blackened Night, The Order: Book 3!

Every author has a set of characters more dear to their hearts than any others. In most cases, this stems from these characters being among the first ever created. I won't claim Lori and Terrence were my very first, but they did come close. Their first book, Stalking Shade, which released in 2011, was originally written in 2007. And rewritten. And rewritten.

And now it feels like a dear friend is moving away. With the release of This Blackened Night on September 24th, 2012, the trilogy will come to an end. Lori might be a prickly character, not easy for anyone but Terrence to love, but I had a lot of fun with her. When I wrote this third book late last year, I dragged my feet to see it finished for the same reason. I didn't want to let the pair of them go. A not-so-secret part of me is hoping for an overwhelming response from readers asking me to continue so I have an excuse to revisit my favorite characters.

For now, I'm counting down the days until the third book releases. Maybe you'll fall in love with Lori and Terrence every bit as fiercely as I have. Lori might be stubborn in pushing people away, but Terrence is the most persistent character I've ever written. Good thing, too.

Join me in celebrating the release of the third book a bit early with this short, sweet teaser excerpt:

This Blackened Night by L.K. Below

With murders cropping up all around, who should she trust?

After months of searching, Lori finally scrounges up a clue as to the whereabouts of the missing leader of her secret organization. But her vision isn't encouraging--it points to her vampire companion Terrence as the culprit.

Terrence is adamant that he isn't at fault. Even though she knows she might be walking into a trap, she follows his lead to a shabby island port. When her informants start turning up dead with puncture wounds in their necks, Lori wonders just how well she knows Terrence. And why does he act different during the search than in their hotel room?

Lori doesn't know who to trust anymore. She only hopes that she won't be the next victim.

Seven Sweet Sentences from the book:

She ran her fingers over Terrence’s jaw. It was rough with stubble. Who knew vampires had to shave? She lowered her mouth to his slack lips, hoping. Still no vision. When she pulled back, he remained asleep, thank God.

Would she ever know what the vision had meant?

Do you want to win a copy of the first book in the series, Stalking Shade? Comment below with your email address before September 20th, 2012 at 11:59PM EST. Contest open worldwide. Winner announced on September 21st.

Learn more about the series as a whole on the Lyrical Press, Inc. website: http://bit.ly/TheOrderSeries.

Read a longer excerpt from This Blackened Night at http://bit.ly/ThisBlackenedNight.

Bio: If L.K. Below gets far too attached to her characters, well, that's because they're interesting people. Read two of her favorites in her urban fantasy series, The Order. Join her online at www.lbelow.net to learn more. Want to keep up to date with her tour stops? Follow her on Twitter (http://twitter.com/LBelowtheauthor) or Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/pages/LK-BelowLindsay-Below/355586159614)

Book Review: The Devil is a Gentleman

        Today's review is on The Devil is a Gentleman by J.L. Murray

The Devil is a Gentleman is the second book in the Niki Slobodian series, and though I enjoyed it very much, I wanted to see more in the way of Niki's relationship with Sam. I mean, am I the only one that wants these two to get together? It's all there, I can see it coming; I think. I just don't want to wait to book four to get there.

Anyway, book two picks up right where we left our heroine. Hating her father for what he had become, but loving him just the same. But did she really know her father? In Gentleman, Niki finds out the truth about her him when she learns about The Blood.

The Blood is a group of twelve powerful individual's that even Sam want's Niki to avoid. But when the person responsible for The Registry, the one man who ruined your life, comes to you, an "abby" for help, how can you NOT get involved. It's only when Niki learns about how her father and her sister were treated, and continue to be treated by The Blood, does she begin to understand why Sasha did what he did.

But there's a war brewing. A war between Heaven and Hell, and Niki's actions will bring the deciding factor into play. Will Niki's "do-gooderness" win out in the end? We'll have to wait for book three to actually find out.

FYI, Gentleman is NOT a stand alone book. You will understand the overall concept better if you read the first book; Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, first. My only complaint is that I would really like to see a bit more romance for Niki. (I vote for Sam, just in case you're wondering)

4 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon