C.V. Hunt's Blog, page 30

Book Review: Temptation by Tina deCoux

Temptation by Tina deCoux
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
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REVIEW: This story is based around a demon, Temptation, and his job is to do exactly what his name states. He roams earth, trying to tempt humans into sin. If a human gives in to the sin, their soul is marked for the Collector, another demon. But Temptation has grown jaded about his job, and forces sin on humans instead of letting them choose. An angel of war visits him, and informs him that he has to right his wrongs or the ultimate war will wage, bring an end to everything, including Temptation. Why would Temptation need to exist if there are no humans left to tempt?
I'll have to admit, I was going to pass on this book. The cover was intriguing, and as I read through the reviews I was accosted with a spoil sport review. You know, someone didn't like the book so they left a spoiler review without a warning.
I'm glad that I decided to read it even after the spoiler. The book was a little choppy for me, and the dialog seemed forced in some areas, but over all I thought it was a decent story. It was something different, and that is what I'm always looking for. The book is written from first person POV with chapters alternating between Sunset, a bar owner, and Temptation (Sam), a demon. I think I would have like it better if it would have been completely written from Temptation's POV; he had a child-like quality to his personality as he struggled with new emotions.
This book was the first of a series called The Soul Collection Series, I will be looking for the next one.
ABOUT: Times are tough for the demon, Temptation. Once he enjoyed his work enticing humans to sin so their souls could be marked for collection. Now no one needs inducement from him. Lying, stealing, and cheating, has become the mortal's way. 


This tiny gold-mining town in northern California and the bar he has just entered appear as corrupt as all the other places he has visited. However, he senses purity amongst the squalor, and he knows he has found the one soul he must tempt. Sunset. She is as decent as he is corrupt. As good as he is evil. And more hopeful about life than any human he has encountered. He must have her. 

But he soon learns he has overstepped his bounds and must now find a way to free the souls of the wrongfully damned.

His long-time enemy, the Collector, has other plans. Here to chastise him, he takes great pleasure in announcing Temptation's punishment. He must pursue his quest, in human form, with human emotions. Emotions that lead him straight to Sunset.

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Have pleasant vampire, werewolf, and zombie dreams. www.authorcvhunt.comwww.authorcvhunt.com

Legacy Giveaway

Here is your chance to win an autographed copy of Legacy. .goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important; text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #6A6454; -moz-border-radius: 5px; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-image:url(http://goodreads.com/images/layout/gr... background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596; outline: 0; white-space: nowrap; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(http://goodreads.com/images/layout/gr... color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; }
Goodreads Book Giveaway Legacy by C.V. Hunt Giveaway ends September 23, 2011.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win Have pleasant vampire, werewolf, and zombie dreams. www.authorcvhunt.comwww.authorcvhunt.com

Book Review: Succumbing to Gravity by Richard Farnsworth

Succumbing to Gravity by Richard Farnsworth
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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REVIEW: We have all made sacrifices in our lives, but none of them could compare to ones that Greg presents the reader.

The internal conflict that our protagonist struggles with every day is beyond human comprehension. He knew heaven once, and it was taken from him as a penitence for his sins. But how far can you fall as an angel? A lot farther than you think.

Wandering the earth for centuries of time, burdened with the guilt of his own damnation, he self- medicates his pain with heroine. Even though his wings have been shorn, he is left with residual gifts from his celestial life. He uses his ability to see ones soul to pull a small fortune telling gig. This in return keeps him fed - on his favorite diet of pancakes - and enough funds to buy more smack. This parlor tick of his eventually led him to reading for someone that compromises his self-absorbed existence.

Now his time has come to fight his own inner demons, and the real demons trying to claw their way back from the abyss below.

It's been a long time since I read a book, and ran around shoving it in everyone's face telling them they have to read it. So if you haven't read this, you need to, and let's see if you read the last line of the book and yell: "F#@k Yeah!" like I did.

ABOUT: Greg used to be an angel, but that was an eternity ago. Back when he was Araqiel, part of the celestial chorus. Back before he gave in to his temptations. Before he fell. Now he roams the wet streets of a hopeless city, feeding his addictions and punishing himself for sins that cannot be forgiven. But when a desperate girl and a host of vengeful demons cross his path, Greg must choose between redemption and damnation. For him, the two may not be so different.


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Have pleasant vampire, werewolf, and zombie dreams. www.authorcvhunt.com

www.authorcvhunt.com

Hand Ramblings

I have recently been spending a little more of my time painting than writing. Art is something in general that has always had a huge impact in my life. Music, drawing, painting, photography, tattoos, writing... my life is consumed with art in every aspect.

I decided with the urging of some friends, that my paintings need a tad bit more respect. So I built a small, and polished, website for them. Here is the link. http://www.wix.com/scarycarrie1/handramblings  I will be taking down the crude photos (they're still crude on the new site) in the "My Paintings" page and adding the link instead. I hope you enjoy them.

Have pleasant vampire, werewolf, and zombie dreams. www.authorcvhunt.com

Hand Ramblings

I have recently been spending a little more of my time painting than writing. Art is something in general that has always had a huge impact in my life. Music, drawing, painting, photography, tattoos, writing... my life is consumed with art in every aspect.

I decided with the urging of some friends, that my paintings need a tad bit more respect. So I built a small, and polished, website for them. Here is the link. http://www.wix.com/scarycarrie1/handramblings  I will be taking down the crude photos (they're still crude on the new site) in the "My Paintings" page and adding the link instead. I hope you enjoy them.

Have pleasant vampire, werewolf, and zombie dreams. www.authorcvhunt.comwww.authorcvhunt.com

Don't be a spoilsport.

I am currently reading Succumbing to Gravity by Richard Farnsworth, and I really don't have anything else lined up to read afterward. I always keep a small pile of bargain-bin paperbacks on my bookshelf to keep my eyes glued to something. I started going through my ever growing list of to-reads, looking at reviews, and checking prices (my husband calls me a money hoarder, I call it penny pinching), trying to line up something newer to read.
One thing that I did notice as a side note, paperbacks are becoming cheaper than e-books? (I think I'll discuss this at a later time)
So, here I am, narrowing down two books that look interesting. Both of them are cheaper to purchase as a paperback used. I decide to read through some of the reviews to make sure that they are worth the cost, if not, I will call my local used bookstores until I can find it cheaper (o.k., maybe I am a money hoarder). I spot a one star review, and I go over it to give every reader their two cents, when what do I run into…? A disgruntled spoiler! Ugh!
Just because you might not like a certain book does not mean that you should ruin it for everyone. I think what upsets me the most about this type of sabotage is that the site that I read the review on had an option to hide a review that contains spoilers.
I understand that not every person is going to like every book, but don't ruin it for those who haven't even had a chance to read it. I think that I will still look for this book even though it had mixed reviews. I tend to like books that most people don't. But I still feel robbed, and I think the person that should feel ripped off the most is the author. 

Have pleasant vampire, werewolf, and zombie dreams. www.authorcvhunt.comwww.authorcvhunt.com

Book Review: Inner Horror by L.A. Tafe

Inner Horror by L.A. Tafe

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
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REVIEW: Fight Club, gruesome nightmares, and action packed combat.

I spoke to the author before reading this, and he gave me a heads up on the grammar errors. I won't dwell on it long, because I won't judge a book by grammar errors, punctuation mistakes, and repetitive sentence beginnings. A lot of independent authors cannot afford a good editor, and therefore, I will not rate a book based on it. But, this book would definitely benefit from it.

The story is strong and it takes place, bouncing back and forth, between a very imaginative dream land, and reality. The protagonist, Lance, has essentially created a bad ass alter ego to stifle some bulling fears. And much like a gremlin, it's hard to only contain one. The steadily multiplying personalities become a real life menace, as they all battle for what Lance doesn't want to give up… his life.

L.A. Tafe paints a horrifying dream world filled with terrifying monsters. In the reality of the book, the character struggles for control of a life that is spiraling out of control. I ask you… where would you rather live?

ABOUT:


A seventeen year old boy with a past of terrible nightmares begins to realize they are much more than nightmares and they are back to torment him once again. Haunted by hallucinations and voices within his own head, he fights sanity while fighting with his deepest fears for his life and the life of his girlfriend. He must face his inner horrors or be lost in his own mind forever. 

This novel is fast paced and stays true to its horror roots with crass dialogue and graphic imagery. While there are a few grammar errors the story is solid and definitely will not disappoint.
View all my reviews

Have pleasant vampire, werewolf, and zombie dreams. www.authorcvhunt.comwww.authorcvhunt.com

The first review of Legacy is up.

Just a small update on my own writing. I received an e-mail informing me of the first review of Legacy has hit Amazon, B&N, Goodreads, and all of the other great sites. If you would like to check it out, follow this link:
http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/2011/08/legacy-by-cv-hunt.html and I can not thank Krystal enough for her honest opinion. Check out her blog for reviews of some great books.

Another thing that I wanted to share is a link that Google updates sent me. http://www.coolest-vampire-art-gallery.com/endlessly-by-c-v-hunt.html I'm not real sure who runs this site, or how Endlessly ended up with a page, but thank you. It looks like a very cool site for all of us vampire lovers. It has everything vampire: books, movies, art, wallpapers, and contacts. Check it out.

I know that there will be a lot of busy readers this weekend. I gave out 18 books today. I hope that everyone enjoys the story.

Have pleasant vampire, werewolf, and zombie dreams. www.authorcvhunt.comwww.authorcvhunt.com

Book Review: The Devil's Bed by Doug Lamoreux

The Devil's Bed by Doug Lamoreux

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
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REVIEW: Horror at its finest… mixed with humor.

Brandy takes a vacation to France with her fiancé, Ray, and her best friend/soon-to-be sister-in-law, Vicki, to finish her project on burial practices. It inevitably takes them to the tombs of the Templar Knights. Terrible things happen at the graves, and all hell (literally) breaks loose. Yet, through it all, the characters seem to keep a morbid sense of humor.

The mummified Templars are resurrected with help of their personal idol, Satan, and with it they bring forth a new kind of horror. They reanimate the dead as vampires, building an army of undead minions. Stop! I know what you are thinking, and you are wrong. These vampires have a thirst for human blood, and the human soul.

My creeptacular meter was dinging on high this time. What a great and creepy story filled with blood, guts, holy water, fire, and ceiling crawling undead. I have to give the writer props on the Evil Dead-like chase through the church that had me laughing out loud.

ABOUT:

What awaits Brandy in... The Devil's Bed?

Brandy Petracus, touring a ruined castle in the south of France, is led to the unhallowed graveyard of Templar knights executed for practicing Black Magic. Long forgotten by the world, this ancient cemetery is known to the locals as – the Devil's Bed and its occupants do not rest in peace.

In this fast-paced clash of Good vs Evil, Brandy soon finds herself the ad hoc leader of an eclectic group besieged by resurrected Templar knights - craving their blood. Vampirism, madness, dark humor, and flashbacks to 14th century Paris tell Brandy's very human story of commitment, trust and sacrifice.

These aren't your daddy's zombies! They are an all new form of undead creature; former monks and Crusaders to whom symbolism is everything. They wear crosses but cannot abide a crucifix. They can enter a chapel but not its sanctuary. They chant Latin curses while chasing their victims, pray to evil while killing them, and drink their blood in a corruption of the sacraments.

Before the appearance of these resurrected horrors, Brandy is feeling trapped by life. Her best friend, Vicki, is horribly murdered (with three others) near the Templars' graveyard. Angry and overwhelmed by guilt, she finds little comfort in her emotionally detached fiance (Vicki's brother). She fights to come to grips with her loss, her failing relationship, and the local authorities suspicions she is involved in the murders. Then Brandy's nightmare really begins. The Templars, keeping a seven centuries old covenant, rise from their graves to avenge their executions. Brandy and company are forced to hole up in an ancient chapel and fight for survival.

Even then, the Devil's Bed has yet to surrender all of its secrets.

View all my reviews

Have pleasant vampire, werewolf, and zombie dreams. www.authorcvhunt.comwww.authorcvhunt.com

Book Review: The Devil's Bed by Doug Lamoreux

The Devil's Bed by Doug Lamoreux

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
[image error]



REVIEW: Horror at its finest… mixed with humor.

Brandy takes a vacation to France with her fiancé, Ray, and her best friend/soon-to-be sister-in-law, Vicki, to finish her project on burial practices. It inevitably takes them to tombs of the Templar Knights. Terrible things happen at the graves of the knights, and then all hell (literally) breaks loose. Yet, through it all, the characters seem to keep a morbid sense of humor.

The mummified Templars are resurrected with help of their personal idol, Satan, and with it they bring forth a new kind of horror. They reanimate the dead as vampires, building an army of undead minions. Stop! I know what you are thinking, and you are wrong. These vampires have a thirst for human blood, and the human soul.

My creeptacular meter was dinging on high this time. What a great and creepy story filled with blood, guts, holy water, fire, and ceiling crawling undead. I have to give the writer props on the Evil Dead-like chase through the church that had me laughing out loud.

ABOUT:

What awaits Brandy in... The Devil's Bed?

Brandy Petracus, touring a ruined castle in the south of France, is led to the unhallowed graveyard of Templar knights executed for practicing Black Magic. Long forgotten by the world, this ancient cemetery is known to the locals as – the Devil's Bed and its occupants do not rest in peace.

In this fast-paced clash of Good vs Evil, Brandy soon finds herself the ad hoc leader of an eclectic group besieged by resurrected Templar knights - craving their blood. Vampirism, madness, dark humor, and flashbacks to 14th century Paris tell Brandy's very human story of commitment, trust and sacrifice.

These aren't your daddy's zombies! They are an all new form of undead creature; former monks and Crusaders to whom symbolism is everything. They wear crosses but cannot abide a crucifix. They can enter a chapel but not its sanctuary. They chant Latin curses while chasing their victims, pray to evil while killing them, and drink their blood in a corruption of the sacraments.

Before the appearance of these resurrected horrors, Brandy is feeling trapped by life. Her best friend, Vicki, is horribly murdered (with three others) near the Templars' graveyard. Angry and overwhelmed by guilt, she finds little comfort in her emotionally detached fiance (Vicki's brother). She fights to come to grips with her loss, her failing relationship, and the local authorities suspicions she is involved in the murders. Then Brandy's nightmare really begins. The Templars, keeping a seven centuries old covenant, rise from their graves to avenge their executions. Brandy and company are forced to hole up in an ancient chapel and fight for survival.

Even then, the Devil's Bed has yet to surrender all of its secrets.

View all my reviews

Have pleasant vampire, werewolf, and zombie dreams. www.authorcvhunt.comwww.authorcvhunt.com