K.J. Chapman's Blog, page 81
February 17, 2016
REVIEW | ARC EVO Shift by KJ Chapman
Thank you to Faith Rivens for taking the time to read the advanced reader copy of EVO Shift, and for the review. I’m over the moon with the feedback I am receiving. I simply had to reblog this overwhelming review…
Happy Monday at all!
Typically Monday’s are a time for This Week in Review, but this Monday is dedicated to a specific book I read: EVO Shift, the 2nd book in the EVO Nation series by the supremely talented KJ Chapman. Before I launch into that, here’s a brief recap of my week:
Read: Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay & The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands
Watched: You’ve Got Mail dir. Nora Ephron (starring: Meg Ryan & Tom Hanks)
Okay, onto our review :)
Which will be SPOILER FREE!
I was honoured to be offer a chance of an advanced reader’s copy of EVO Shift. After reading the first book, I was entirely enchanted by the world that she weaved. You can check out my review of the first book HERE!
Here’s the official blurb:
She killed him, but did it make a difference?
Her kind…
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February 16, 2016
EVO Nation Quote #2
February 15, 2016
Review: Metamorphosis by Brianna West
Metamorphosis (Promiscus Guardians Series Book Two) by Brianna West 5/5
Blurb:
After managing to escape their last foe, Izzy and Lucas are back to face a new formidable villain that will test their strength, relationship, and even the collaboration of the incredibly powerful, entirely hilarious group of Promiscus Guardians.
Despite the odds stacking against them, Izzy maintains her diligence on honing her powers, delving deeper into her origins, and enjoying her incredibly delicious boss slash beau, Lucas.
A continuation of the Promiscus Guardians series, Metamorphosis delivers more fantastical creatures, a sordid amount of humor coupled with fast, incredibly riveting action. Mysteries are unraveled while more about the world Izzy lives in is unveiled in this highly anticipated addition.
I know I have only recently posted a review on Awakening by Brianna West, but I just couldn’t hold off on reading book two in the Promiscus Guardians Series- Metamorphosis. I have a ‘to be read pile’ as tall as I am, but I bumped Metamorphosis to the top because I was desperate to know more about Izzy and Lucas’ story.
Review: (No Spoilers)
West offers more action, more Guardians, more realms, and more romance of the supernatural kind. The world building steps up a notch in this installment and is all the better for it. Peeks inside the Underworld, Terratherial realm, and more information on the creatures that lie in both the shadows and the light in the human realm, kept me entranced from page one. How was Izzy connected to all three? The well woven mysterious origins to Izzy’s power was a real page turner.
The Guardian characters take on a life of their own with fun banter, quirks, and the odd novelty t-shirt or two. I was drawn into each personality, and even though some character’s are of the annoying, slightly perverted variety, I still found them endearing and grew fond of each of them. The demon characters are pure evil- well, they are demons. West delivers backstory whilst maintaining their true nature in scary narrative developments.
The romance… We cannot forget the steamy romances and hunky guardians in this series. I was not disappointed with the development in Izzy and Lucas’ relationship or it’s flaws. At times I found myself shouting at the book and cursing West, but it was all part of the rollercoaster of craziness I experienced from immersing myself in the world of the Guardians; craziness that was a joy to be a part of.
This instalment was a perfect follow up to book one. West delivers on all fronts, taking us to deeper, darker depths of the three realms. Izzy’s story progressed in a fast paced, energetic, and ensnaring way, leaving me desperate to get my hands on book three in the series.
The opinions expressed here are those of K.J.Chapman and no other parties.
All books reviewed on this blog have been read by K.J.Chapman
K.J.Chapman has not been paid for this review.
Picture Prompt #7
Again, my inspiration has come from my brilliantly imaginative five year old. We found a beautiful, white stone on the beach, and she brought it home because it is a dragon’s egg of course.
Everything Has A Price
“Just the shells alone are worth a lot of coin. What you have here is a fossilised egg of sorts. If the eggs didn’t hatch the mothers would bury them. Over hundreds of years the shell and insides would harden into this rock like substance. I could find someone who would take this off your hands.”
Sayed may as well have shouted kerching if the look in his eyes is anything to go by. Horton knew his friend too well. He may be able to bluff his way through a high stake game of poker, but he couldn’t dupe Horton. Not that he ever would.
“What cut are you in for?”
“Twenty five percent.”
Horton laughs. “A quarter? Have a word with yourself, man. You know I never go higher than fifteen.”
“This is worth a lot of coin, Hort- a. lot. of. coin,” Sayed says, turning the egg in his palms. Horton raises a brow. “There is not even a scratch on the shell, and judging by the markings it’s a rare beast. Even in the time of the dragon’s this species was a thing of legend.”
“How much?” Horton presses.
“To the right buyer… between three and four million.”
Horton nearly coughs his drink out of his nose. “You’re shitting me?”
“I shit you not, my friend. This sale is going to require a touch of decorum, but I have a man in mind. He’s been having some intriguing conversations with people he shouldn’t be seen conversing with. He’s good for the money and he’s in the market of unblemished dragon’s eggs- rare ones in particular.”
Horton takes the egg from Sayed. It is an ugly brown colour and speckled in black spots. “Who would spend that amount of coin on this ugly paper weight.”
Sayed smirks, it is as if he has been waiting for Horton to broach the question. “The rumour mill says that they are more than just ornaments. I assume you’ve heard the legends about the dragon’s ability to regenerate? Apparently, they could lose a limb and grow another in mere months. That’s what made the buggers so hard to kill. Well… it seems that the unblemished, unbroken eggs may just hold the key to that regeneration. That, my friend, is why they’re worth a fortune.”
“Are they extracting D.N.A?”
Sayed shrugs. “I couldn’t give a monkey’s ass. I want twenty five percent and that’s my final offer.”
Horton shakes his head at his friend’s brazan approach to coin. “If you get four million for this ugly lump of rock, I’ll give you thirty.”
All written works and images are the property of K.J.Chapman
What’s Your Name? Letter I
I’m falling a little lax with the posting of my ‘What’s Your Name?’ posts. From now on the posts will be over the weekends (this can be anytime from Friday to Monday).
Today’s name randomly selected from the first ‘I’ page in my naming book is:
Ida: a feminine first name meaning ‘God-like’. (Germanic)
Ida
The girl climbs the three thousand steps without breaking a sweat. Is she even human? Kerse thinks to himself. The other applicants practically crawled the remaining thousand, groaning and panting from the effort. Of course, after their year long training, they’d soon be like the rest of The Squad.
It takes every ounce of reserve for Kerse to maintain the girl’s pace and that is saying something. He is the best of the best as far as The Squad is concerned. “You are quite something, girl,” he says, wiping sweat from his brow. “Who trained you to such an extent?”
She surveys him with narrowed eyes. The eyes of a suspicious, untrusting street rat. The same look she has given every member of The Squad she has met since Kerse approached her in the street den. She shrugs. “No one. Living on the streets is training enough. Why do you not tell the recruits your names? You ask us to trust you- which I can tell you now is something you earn not ask for- and yet you offer no name, nothing of worth.”
“You expect reward? We are not wealthy, girl.”
“I said you offer nothing of worth, not once did I mention wealth. Because I’m a street rat you think I’m concerned with money? I chose the poor life in favour of the alternative.”
She really is extraordinary. Kerse keeps his awe in check.”And what would that be?”
“Now, that story is something of worth, but seeing as you can’t even bestow a name, then my tale will become something of a secret that I shall keep from you.”
Is that a hint of a smile he sees? She is good- really good. She could fast become an obsession of his if he isn’t careful. “This goes no further. My name is Kerse. I asked you to trust us because we are trustworthy, but I shall let you judge that on our actions if you so wish.”
She extends a hand and shakes his with surprising confidence. “I’m Ida.”
Ida- such a little name. Perhaps, he looks into her eyes for a little longer than appropriate; a teacher must never broach that line with his ward. He could lose his position on The Squad. The Squad is his life- there is nothing else. He shakes himself out of his reverie. Nothing has happened. I’ve have just met the girl, he tells himself. Girl… she couldn’t be more than five years his junior- twenty at a guess. She is no more a girl than he is a boy.
She slips her hand delicately from his grip, blushing from his attention. “Okay, Kerse. You asked for my story, yet I fear you are not ready for it.” She sits on the wall beside him, so close that he can feel the heat of her skin.
“I’m intrigued,” he says. “I am a member of The Squad. I am ready for anything, Ida. I can assure you of that.” She smiles and he doesn’t miss the eye roll.
Ida takes a breath. “I am the illegitimate daughter of Jalennis. When I was seven he discovered the truth, but the House of Sisters successfully kept me hidden for five years. However, he found me at twelve, slaughtered the sisters, and sold me to a Court brothel. Who would believe the lies of a whore, right? I escaped at fourteen and became the street rat you see today.”
Kerse springs to his feet, distancing himself from her. “You are the daughter of Jalennis?” Jalennis is the last known Sorcerer, and self-appointed ruler of the Kingdom. Jalennis is the enemy that The Squad was formed to protect against. Nothing good comes from Jalennis… except… the girl with the little name.
“Why did he not kill you when he found you?” Kerse almost trips on his words.
Ida grins again, this time showing all her teeth. She is pretty when she smiles, he thinks.
“He can’t. The House of Sister’s knew the truth and lost their lives because of it. Why would I tell you just to have your blood on my hands? Make me tell you, Kerse. Give me reason to suffer your blood on my conscience.”
Kerse shakes his head in disbelief. She is telling the sole truth. He has been trained to detect the ticks of a liar. Ida is the child of Jalennis. What did the House of Sisters know that would lead to such a brutal slaughter? He can see why she is reluctant to tell him.
“You will tell me because I will happily die to put an end to Jalennis. He killed both my parents and all four of my siblings because my father stood against him. If you have information that weakens him, Ida, you have to tell me. I am the man who vows to stop him for good.”
She takes Kerse’s hand with more tenderness than she seemed capable. “I am the next in line. I get the powers when Jalennis dies.”
Kerse’s head is about to explode with information overload. “That still doesn’t explain why he didn’t kill you.”
“Like I said, he can’t. A sorceror cannot kill his own blood. The House of Sisters researched the old lores for many years. That is the information that got them murdered. If Jalennis kills me, he will lose his power and die.”
“Why are you telling me this, Ida?”
“Because I knew of you, Kerse. I know you want the same things as me. I need you to get me into the palace and ensure that Jalennis kills me. No bloody battle- no lives lost except for mine and his- an end to his tyranny.”
All written works are the property of K.J.Chapman
February 13, 2016
EVO Nation Quote #1
For the next few weeks, I shall be sharing my favourite EVO Nation quotes with you all. EVO Nation is book one in my EVO Nation Series. Book Two, EVO Shift, is set for release on March 1st 2016!
The quotes I have chosen have been selected by my readers, so I hope you enjoy them.
My first quote to share with you today is:
Buy EVO Nation here
Pre-order EVO Shift here
All written works are the property of K.J.Chapman
February 12, 2016
SURPRISE!! My Side Project Has Come To Fruition…
I finally have a writing prompt eBook for sale on Amazon Kindle:
Prompt Me: 150 Writing Prompts for Beating the Block.
Blurb: We have all stared at a blank screen or notepad, willing the inspiration to come. Not only is this the most frustrating, infuriating, time wasting thing that can happen to a writer, it is also avoidable. Whether, you need to beat the block, take a breather from your current work in progress, or just harness your inner creativity, writing exercises are the way forward. Take a prompt, give yourself a time allowance, and create.
I have been quietly working on this project alongside writing EVO Shift, book two in the EVO Nation series. I’m a sucker for writing prompts, as you probably know from my writing exercise posts, and I wanted to tap into that love and compile a writing prompts eBook. All the prompts are original and I have included some of my own writing exercise examples that have been featured on this blog.
Why not challenge yourself? Work your way through the book, expanding on one prompt a day. Ten minutes per exercise will amount to approximately 25 hours of writing time under your belt. Just saying…
Buy Prompt Me for just £1.49 on Amazon Kindle.
Images and written works are the property of K.J.Chapman
February 8, 2016
Picture Prompt #6
This beautifully eerie picture was taken on another of my woodland rambles. The green of the algae was intense (the picture doesn’t do it justice). The water is usually quite swampy and brown, so to see it so insanely green was enough for me to choose this picture for today’s picture prompt.
The area in which I live seems to be taking precident in these writing exercises, so after this week, I plan to steer clear of the landscape/ nature picture prompts to shake things up a little.
Ensnared
I warned them to stay well away from the swamps, yet they paid me no heed. The search party found evidence of their untimely deaths scattered around the boggy pits, but no sign of the seven hunters. They’re down in the depths no doubt, however, no local in their right mind would disturb the swamp lands in search of some careless out of towners.
The swamps have a power all of their own. Once you are ensnared there is nothing to stop you from wading into the murky, tar like depths of doom. I’ve seen it happen. I’ve seen entranced men dive headfirst into the sludge never to resurface. They say on clear nights when the breeze carries from the west, you can hear their ghosts screaming. That’s what they say, but I know different. I know about the forest folk and what they want with the souls. And I know that if you are claimed by the swamps you never truly die.
Written works and images are the property of K.J.Chapman
February 6, 2016
What’s Your Name? Letter H
Whoops! This post is a day late, but better late than never, right? The chaos has only increased this week due to our house extension starting. I have zero blog posts scheduled and that is a rarity for me. I’m writing on the fly, folks.
Today’s name randomly selected from the first ‘H’ page of my naming book is:
Haidee- A feminine first name meaning modest or honoured. (Greek)
Haidee
“Can you fight?” Damon asks.
Haidee looks to her fingers, picking at a hang nail. “Yes. I’ve been trained.”
He exhales loudly. “That’s not reassuring me at all. Training and actual fighting are totally different ball games. We’re not babysitters, we need to know that you can hold your own.”
Wyatt stands uncomfortably close to her, placing his hands on the back of her chair and subconsciously, or consciously from what she knows of Wyatt, brushes her shoulder blade with his fingers. “Go easy on the girl. Look at her, she’s shaking like a leaf.”
“I can fight.” Haidee tries to make her voice sound confident, but the small squeak betrays her fear.
“And this nervous disposition of yours. Is that a permanent feature?” Damon waves his hand at her like she is a smell to be wafted.
Haidee meets Damon’s eyes for the first time. They are a striking blue, unlike her own deep brown, and pierce her with judgment and accusation. She’s not sure what is expected of her, or what the man is hoping to hear from a girl who has just witnessed her best friend’s murder? “I’m sorry. I haven’t–“
Damon growls in his throat. “Now, she’s apologising. Lord give me strength.”
Haidee jumps to her feet, her chair screeching in the process. Grabbing Damon by the neck, she cartwheels her legs above her, wrapping them around is head and using the hold to flip him onto his back. She falls softly onto his body, squeezing his airway with her thighs and restraining him with her whole body. If he moves an inch his arm will break.
“I’m out! I’m out!” Damon splutters.
Wyatt laughs, barely able to catch his breath. “The girl said she could fight,” he says, breezing from the room.
Haidee releases Damon, rolling from him and gripping her knees to her chest. He sits beside her, gasping for breath and rubbing at his throat. He looks set to talk, but her tears stall him.
“Hey, none of that,” he says, softly. “Crying won’t bring her back.”
Haidee tucks a curl behind her ear. “I’m scared. I know you probably don’t want to hear that, but I am. I can fight, but that doesn’t mean I want to. I’m not strong like you and Wyatt. I work in a coffee shop and go to night school. This isn’t my life.”
Damon shifts closer. His eyes have lost all hint of judgement. “Don’t be fooled. We are all afraid, but that’s not a weakness. The minute you no longer fear this world is the minute you lose yourself to it. But we can be protectors and that has to be enough for us.”
Haidee wipes at her wet cheeks with her sleeve. “You’re not so scary when you’re not shouting at me,” she says, smiling.
Damon laughs; a deep, belly laugh that echoes through the room. Getting to his feet, he helps her to stand. “I can be full on, right? I only do it because I care.” She meets his eyes for a little longer than necessary, and he shifts awkwardly. “So, we know you can fight, but can you shoot?”
Haidee shakes her head, looking to her feet.
“Then, we start now. I’ll teach you everything I know. You’re one of us, Haidee.”
“I was one of you the minute they took her life. I may be scared, but I can be brave.”
Damon crosses the space between them in one stride and wipes the tears from her face with his fingertips. “I can see that in you. I reckon having you around will be good for me.” Haidee tilts her head in curiosity, but Damon’s game face is back on. “Pick your weapon of choice,” he says, gesturing to the armoury.
Written works are the property of K.J.Chapman
February 5, 2016
EVO Shift Editing Update #4
The advanced reader copies have been sent to their patient recipients. Thank you to those of you who are reading and reviewing EVO Shift as I type this. That sentence strikes fear into the heart of me… please like my baby. It really has been a labour of love.
Stage #3 went as well as could be hoped for. My proof-reader delivered her amendment recommendations and I have straightened everything out. No doubt some have seeped through the cracks, but hey ho, I’m ready to go!
Now, I am cracking on with stage #4- formatting. This is important because self-published ebooks need certain formatting specs, so they translate to all devices properly. I like hyperlinked chapters when reading ebooks, so I shall be spending tonight doing exactly that.
This is the final excerpt that I will share with you before the release of EVO Shift:
One hour turns to two and Bo hasn’t spoken a word for the entire journey. I fidget in my seat, much to Cooper’s annoyance. We lost sight of Leoni and Kesh’s van about an hour ago. Clearly their driver isn’t such a wet blanket as ours. Jesus, just being in the presence of these people makes me mean. I’m sure it’s an illness. Or there is the alternative- this shit is rubbing off on me.
All written works are the property of K.J.Chapman
