Nicky Peacock's Blog, page 47
July 20, 2013
Book Review: Vampire Elite by Irina Argo
Synopsis:
How can you make a choice between saving your people and destroying the one you love?
A millennia-long war between two immortal races is about to come to an end. Long ago, the Vampire Elite began capturing members of another race of immortal beings, the Amiti, forcing them to become their blood suppliers—bloodstock—and locking them in underground cells, where they are treated like livestock. Now, the few remaining free Amiti are making a final attempt to strike back. The Queen of the Amiti has been proclaimed a traitor and executed. Her death makes possible the rise of a new Queen, her young daughter Arianna, who becomes the last hope of her dying race.
Arianna totally embraces her mission and is ready to fight for her people to the last drop of her blood but encounters an unexpected challenge—the vampire King Tor. The Amiti Queen and the King of the vampires are drawn into a trap of love where each has to make the ultimate choice: to kill their loved one or risk the extermination of their people.
Vampire Elite is an epic story of a bitter conflict between two peoples, and the effect of that conflict on everyone living in its grip. The characters are driven to love and betrayal, vengeance and sacrifice in a world without easy black-and-white answers.
Based on an ancient Egyptian legend, packed with action and intrigue, Vampire Elite will pull you into the entrancing world of immortals and open new portals into their hidden universe.
Authors:
Irina Argo is a combined pen name for two authors, Irina and Jo-An .
Irina’s world is dark. She works as a clinical psychologist in a Juvenile Correctional Facility dealing with the extremes of human behavior on a regular basis and takes care of her paralyzed husband who suffered a stroke several years ago. To bring light into her life she writes. Writing has always been her passion. She is originally from Russia where she was employed as a TV journalist.
Facebook page series: https://www.facebook.com/Vampire
Website: www.vampire-elite.com
Jo-An is a Leo, a lioness who has emerged to follow her dream, to someday write a book of her own. She owned a
costume shop for 15 years and was able to satisfy and excel in her creative nature. She is an over-achiever and believes that anything is possible if you believe in yourself and ignore the nay-sayers. Her philosophy is based on Shakespeare “It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves.” She currently resides in California with her 5 cats and 1 husband.
My Review:
Vampire Elite has a similar feel of Gena Showalter and the White Wolf Vampires the Masquerade books. It’s told third person with multiple character viewpoints and has a variety of supernatural clans – quite literally, at each other’s throats. It’s set in some lovely locations and has some very nice turns of phrase.
From a writer’s perspective, my only criticisms are really down to personal preference. The Glossary was a bit annoying at the start of the book. One of my favourite authors, Karen Marie Moning has them in her books, but they are nestled firmly at the back of the book so can be ignored if the reader chooses.
I’m not a big fan of head hoping and the book does spend time on lots of different characters – again just my personal taste here (I couldn’t get into the Game of Thrones books either – as they do a similar thing.)
Overall I’d give Vampire Elite 3 out of 5 stars. It was a great premise and had some strong characters. It has the potential to be an evolving series, rich with plots. It would make a good supernatural soap opera.
Filed under: Book Review Tagged: Egypt, Irina Argo, Norse Lengends, Paranormal Cravings Book Tours, Vampire Elite, vampires
July 18, 2013
Book Review – Ghost Prison by Joseph Delany
Synopsis:
‘This is the entrance to the Witch Well and behind that door you’d face your worst nightmare. Don’t ever go through there.’
Night falls, the portcullis rises in the moonlight, and young Billy starts his first night as a prison guard. But this is no ordinary prison. There are haunted cells that can’t be used, whispers and cries in the night . . . and the dreaded Witch Well. Billy is warned to stay away from the prisoner down in the Witch Well. But who could it be? What prisoner could be so frightening? Billy is about to find out . . .
An unforgettable ghost story from the creator of the Wardstone Chronicles (Spook’s Apprentice) series.
My Review:
I don’t normally review children’s books, preferring YA, NA and adult – but I must admit this one really pulled me in. I wanted something to read to my three young nephews and this traditional style ghost story was just the ticket. I’m not sure how Joseph Delaney did it, but there is just enough scare in this book. Without giving the story away, the ending was a shudder in itself and the imagery of the illustrations, along with the expert turn of phrase, was eerily magical. There aren’t many children’s books on the market that can scare the adult along with the child – but this does just that.
As a writer I think it is commendable to be able to dance that fine line between children and adult horror. More often than not I’m reading books to kids that are quite frankly boring and fail to hold their attention for longer than it takes to plug in the Xbox. But Ghost Prison is a little spine tingling gem that is enough of a scare to keep them concentrating, but not enough to give them nightmares!
I downloaded a kindle galley of this book and, to be honest, the settings and screen wasn’t right for the illustrations – so definitely hard copy would be best to make the most out of the book.
If you have a child around 12 and want to get them into horror books buy Ghost Prison today. 5 out of 5 scary stars.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: 5 star book, book review, children's books, children's horror book, Ghost Prison, ghost stories, Joseph Delaney, something to read to your kids, Source Books, Summer reads
July 16, 2013
Book Review: Gargoyle Addiction by Livia Olteano
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Synopsis:
Summonari don’t trust. Under their command, they summon any number of creatures from the Otherwolds—but never trust them outside of the summoning.
Gargoyles don’t love. Fierce descendants of dragons, they function on power and fear—never love.
Karla isn’t the happily-ever-after type of girl. No territory-hungry guy is going to stick flags all over her unclaimed grounds.
Kann’s world is death and betrayal. As Dar Primus of Haus Varis, he’s expected to follow tradition but he’s not your regular gargoyle. In fact, he’s anything but.
One fateful Friday night, Otherworlds collide. Stuck together in one world or another, Karla and Kann face everything from Awakenings and turbulent love to Festnavals and bloodthirsty scorned suitors.
If there’s one thing they can’t escape, it’s the addiction to each other. And they’ve got it bad.
My Review:
I do find the concept of gargoyles in romantic fiction interesting, so I was really curious about this book. And it was a cool concept to have a character, especially a villain, escape from a book. The author’s voice was quite snarky (in a good way) and, through the book, it felt like you were having a good gossip with a friend.
The front cover is beautiful. Very evocative and sums up the the romantic feel of the book.
From a writer’s perspective, having the main characters with such similar names was a mistake. And I didn’t get on with the first person head hopping, again just my personal preference. There was a harsh number of cliches and overused phrases that could have been easily edited out to make the book tighter. In the author’s defense, these cliches are rampant in romantic literature so it can’t be helped too much. Nature of the beast.
I would say though, as romances go, it was a good one. If you like Gena Showalter then you would probably love this book.
3 out 5 stars.
About the Author:
Livia lives in Europe where she listens to obscene amounts of music and devours every reading material in sight. When she’s not doing either of the two, she fiddles with anything remotely customizable within reach.
Website: http://www.liviaolteano.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LiviaOlteano
Blog: http://blog.liviaolteano.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LiviaOlteano
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/11350038-livia-olteano
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Bewitching book tours, book review, books, gargoyle addiction, gargoyles, Livia Olteano, romance, Summer reads
July 14, 2013
Interview with author Sarah Daltry
With me today is author, Sarah Daltry.
A funny thing happened on the way to being published…
I realized I like doing it myself. That’s not 100% true and, in fact, I am most likely publishing Bitter Fruits with someone else. However, I did come to the realization that self-publishing is ideal for someone like me. I’m a control freak. I love being involved in every detail. I have a million questions and I want them answered immediately. I want to work on my schedule, at my pace. I want to decide which giveaways and sales I participate in and I want to choose my covers. All of this had led me to love the idea of being a hybrid author. For some titles, I would like the support of a publisher, but I want to keep a few for myself. It’ll be an interesting experiment to see how each path turns out.
Do you always cast your books in your mind as you write them, and if so who would be your favourite lead?
Not at all. I picture my characters, but they don’t look like anyone I can think of and I actually find fault with most suggestions of famous actors as my leads. I also use stock photos for covers and I end up eventually seeing those models as my characters. This is true with every book I read as well, so when they don’t look similar in movies, I feel like it loses something.
What is your fav supernatural creature and why?
Angels. I love angels, especially the fallen ones. Angel and demon mythology ties in very well to my personal love of theology. I know that probably sounds funny coming from someone who writes erotica and romance, but I am obsessed with religious stories and texts. I find them so intriguing. In Bitter Fruits, that’s evident, I’m sure.
Best book you’ve read recently?
Laini Taylor’s Days of Blood and Starlight. I have read many books in the nearly year since I read her book, but it still stays with me.
What advice would you give to other authors?
I’ve learned that it’s important to trust yourself. No matter what choices you make in your writing, someone thinks it’s the wrong one. It could be your editor, it could be a beta, or it could be a reviewer. However, if you believe it was the right choice, listen to yourself. If you let every critic affect what you do, you’ll never write anything. That being said, I do think it’s important to take in feedback. I just think you need to filter what you instinctively know is true and leave the rest.
NA is it the new YA?
Absolutely not. They are completely different markets. The most obvious is the way that NA pushes boundaries that YA is not ready to cross. But you are also dealing with different fans. There is massive crossover, but the market is still not the same. For example, I’m in my 30′s and I read everything from middle grade fiction to stuff that should come wrapped in brown paper. The context is crucial in appreciating each for its own merits. YA deals with issues that young people face – identity, relationships, family problems, bullying, peer pressure, academic pressure, drug use, violence, etc. NA deals with the problems of people who are older. Their issues may be the same, especially when it comes to those first three. However, when I picture a YA romance and an NA romance, I get a very different idea in my mind. A YA romance is sweet. It often deals with first love, with the emotions that go along with that experience. NA romance is often steamier, even if that doesn’t mean it’s explicit. The characters have had their first loves and their first heartbreaks. They’re not thinking about Prom – they’re thinking about marriage. That is a massive difference for a person and for a reader. When I finish Anna and the French Kiss, I’m not wondering if Anna and Etienne get married; probably, they won’t. They’re what? 18? However, when you read something like Beautiful Disaster, there is a definite possibility of a real long term connection between the characters. Sure, they may also be only 18 or 19, but something changes between high school and college. We date in high school because everyone does and we date the people who are there. In college, we are becoming the people we will be as adults and we are looking for someone to balance us out in our future.
Where can fans find you online?
My website is http://sarahdaltry.com and all my social media links are there, as well as my book titles.
*Sarah’s work and website is 18+
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Bitter Fruits, Interview, Interview with NA author, NA, paranormal romance, Sarah Daltry, Summer reads, YA
July 12, 2013
Book Review: A Vampire’s Saving Embrace by Darlene Kuncytes
Synopsis:
Abigail Montgomery was happy with her life. She was independent, strong, and had managed on her own for a very long time. That was, until the dark, handsome Desmond LaGrange showed up at the bar where she worked. How could she know that this mysterious man would end up saving her from the evil that she didn’t even know existed? And why was she so drawn to him? Why did he make her body heat with just a simple look? Desmond LaGrange was fighting a past he was trying hard to forget. But when he sees the beautiful Abby working behind the bar – something deep inside compels him to get closer. The only question is why? And when he saves her from danger – can he resist the strong pull between them to let her go when the time comes? Or will the passion that she ignites in him be his end?
About the Author:
Darlene Kuncytes was born and raised in Northeast Ohio. She has enjoyed writing ever since she can remember, and has always had a love for romance. ”A Vampire’s Saving Embrace” is her first novella, of what will hopefully be many more. She has always loved the supernatural with a touch of suspense – not to mention the allure of finding one’s soul mate.
She loves hearing from her fans- so be sure to drop her a line.
My Review:
I must admit that I found the book a relaxing read. It went from A to B nicely and gave the reader characters that belonged in the world they existed in. There was a healthy dose of romance, that wasn’t tainted with too much adult sizzle.
From a writer’s perspective I found that there were some ‘show don’t tell’ moments that could have been easily ironed out in the editing process. Some info dumps too, that could have been cleared away – however they didn’t harm the story much for readers, although were a little frustrating as an author to read, as they are so easily fixed.
I didn’t find any new adages to the vampire mythos and this story did echo the typical paranormal romance book. Though, now Charlaine Harris has put Sookie Stackhouse out to pasture, we need something to fill the gap.
I’d give A Vampire’s Embrace 3 out of 5 stars. If you like vampire stories – you’ll love this.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Bewitched book tours, book review, Charlaine Harris, Darlene Kuncytes, paranormal romance, Summer reads, vampires, vampires saving embrace
July 10, 2013
Interview with Mathias Jansson
With me today is Mathias Jansson who is a Swedish art critic and poet. He has been published in magazines as The Horror Zine Magazine SNM Horror Magazine, Dark Eclipse, Schlock, The Sirens Call and The Poetry Box. He has also contributed to several anthologies from Horrified Press as Just One More Step, Suffer Eternal anthology Volume 1-3, Hell Whore Anthology Volume 1-3.Homepage: http://mathiasjansson72.blogspot.se/
When did you realise you wanted to be a horror writer?
I haven’t realized it yet. I started as a young boy to write drama and non horror poetry in Swedish, but about a year ago I realized that it was fun to write horror and people seemed to like my poems, so that´s how it started. It´s to soon to say what will happen in the further if I will be a horror writer or not
What was the first story you got published? Is there anything you’d change about it now?
If we talk horror genre I can’t ‘ remember, a poem of course. Since it got published I must have made something right, but I think as all people that write a lot, you learn by time and after a while you see your old stories and poems with new eyes and always find things that you could improve or change.
What’s your thoughts on authors and social media? Which sites do you prefer?
I think Internet and social media have been a great improvement for indie and new authors. It’s much easier to find people with the same interest, readers, authors and editors. It have help me a lot. I would call myself a Facebook junkie.
What’s your favourite horror monster and why?
Dr Faust but he is not a horror monster, but an interesting character, mythic and mystic,in his dualism between good and evil. Otherwise I would say the Golem, as an example when people try to control nature but are hit by a backlash.
What is the worst mistake a new writer can make? And what advice would you give them?
As a new writer you make a ton of mistakes, that’s how you learn to write. But the worst mistake is not to listen to your inner voice. You can read books how you will write a good story just followed the standard horror genre template, but to succeed you need a true and unique voice, and then you have to follow your own path. So a good advice is to write what you want to read yourself and not what you think others will read. And then you need a great confidence to continue despite all rejections. There are lot of histories with famous author that were constantly rejected before someone published there book or authors unknown to the major public during their lifetime but now are know worldwide, that kind of stories could inspire you in your work.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: author interviews, Golem, Horrified press, horror, horror author, Mathias Jansson, writing advice
July 6, 2013
My favourite villains.
We all love a bad boy, it’s practically ingrained in our DNA. So I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about a few of my favorite movie, comic, and literary villains of all time and why I like them.
Eric Northman – be still my beating heart. Not a villain per say but he’s not exactly a good guy either. He’s the dude your daddy warned you against and the one your mom secretly wants for herself. In the books, like most villains, he seems to be only held up as a mirror to other characters such as Bill, Quinn and Alcide. And Sookie only falls for him when he has his memory zapped – it’s harder to stay with him when he is back to his conniving true self.
Ming The Merciless – Fresh from the Flash Gordon comics, Ming rules the planet Mongo and has a weakness for a beautiful lady. He has an almost Guinness Book of Records style beard and has that look in his eye that lets you know, he always has a plan. And hey, power is sexy, right?
Dracula – Depending on the version you read/ watch, this blood-sucking tuxedo wearing villain usually has a tug at my heart strings. Although his polygamous vampire brides are slightly off putting, he’s usually on the quest for true love and doesn’t mind how many lawyers and doctors he battles to get there.
Dr Frankenstein – come on, who doesn’t want to make their own man? His crazy God-complex aside, he’s a driven medical student, who in my humble opinion, masquerades as the villain in the book. When all is said and done, the horrors that occur in Mary Shelley’s novel only happen because of his poor choices and selfish nature. Okay, but he’s still a doctor and quite wealthy, so still kind of attractive.
Candy Man – The supernatural serial killer from the movie of the same name and originally from the dark mind of Clive Barker. He’s polite, as he only comes when you call him. He’s good to animals, he keeps bees. And hopefully is made up of a few sweet treats (I’m really grabbing at straws now!) He’s actually one of the only movie villains that scared me when I first saw the movie back in 1992.
The Phantom of the Opera – Okay, he had an unfortunate accident and is kind of a murderous control freak, but who doesn’t want to be serenaded and called his ‘Angel of Music’. The novel was amazing and the movie, although a bit disappointing, still had a gothic romantic vibe that clung to the Phantom like an extra cape.
The King slayer Jaime Lannister – The rugged yet alluring knight from Game of Thrones. Started off as an incestuous, child killing scumbag, but through the third season has been tormented into a more noble, loyal knight. I’m looking forward to the conclusion of this season to see his continued transformation.
Now I can’t very well talk about my favorite villains without giving a nod to my own creation. Nicholas the vampire is a the nemesis of Bad Blood’s heroine Britannia. He does some very naughty things and has quite a warped sense of love and loyalty. He is a gentleman though, and is always impeccably dressed, even when fighting zombies, and he has a secret – one that you’ll find out if you pick up your copy of Bad Blood today.
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Candy Man, Clive Barker, Dracula, Eric Northam, game of thrones, Ming the Merciless, My favourite villains, Nicky Peacock, phantom of the opera, Sookie Stackhouse, villains
June 30, 2013
Book Review: Soul Taken by Katlyn Duncan
Synopsis:
After-life just got a lot more complicated
Maggie is a Soul Collector. It’s her job to transport souls from the Living Realm to the After – but during a mission to find a stolen soul, she ends up stuck in a teen mean girl’s body.
Trapped, Maggie’s soul is catapulted into Ally’s life – and the human world she hasn’t experienced for one hundred years. But, as a descendant of the most powerful beings in the After, Maggie must rescue Ally before the girl’s soul dies…
To survive, Maggie must uncover devastating secrets – because with one soul taken by a terrifying enemy, Maggie’s could be next!
My review:
One of the biggest joys of YA fiction is that the market is wide and the readers ravenous – and Soul Taken is a tasty morsel indeed. It not only gives us an interesting new concept of Reapers and the business of soul recycling, but also a believable and uncomplicated world to visit. It was an easy read from start to finish and invites you into an intriguing, well written story every time you turn on your e-Reader. It has a steady pace and enough of a mystery to keep you reading well past your bedtime!
I know we shouldn’t judge books by their covers but we all secretly do, so - from an aesthetics point of view the front cover is bright and attractive and encapsulates the overall feel of the book. Fresh and beautiful.
Looking at the plot from a writer’s perspective, it could have been all too easy to complicate this story with unnecessary and indulgent side-lines – but Katlyn keeps it effortlessly on-track making it a seamless read. There are some beautiful characters in Soul Taken that tick all the YA boxes and the style is very chatty, much like a secret shared by your best friend.
I’d give this book 5 out of 5 stars and highly recommend it to anyone. Come on Katlyn, let’s be ‘aving book 2!
Buy Links
iBooks, Nook US links coming soon!
Contact Links
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads | Carina UK
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: book review, book spotlight, Carina, Katlyn Duncan, Soul Taken, Soul Taken review, Summer reads, YA books
June 29, 2013
Book review: The Weight of Souls by Bryony Pierce
Synopsis:
16 year old Taylor Oh is cursed: if she is touched by the ghost of a murder victim then they pass a mark beneath her skin. She has three weeks to find their murderer and pass the mark to them – letting justice take place and sending them into the Darkness. And if she doesn’t make it in time? The Darkness will come for her… She spends her life trying to avoid ghosts, make it through school where she’s bullied by popular Justin and his cronies, keep her one remaining friend, and persuade her father that this is real and that she’s not going crazy.
And then Justin is murdered and everything gets a whole lot worse. Justin doesn’t know who killed him, so there’s no obvious person for Taylor to go after. The clues she has lead her to the V Club, a vicious secret-society at her school where no one is allowed to leave… And where Justin was dared to do the stunt which led to his death. Can she find out who was responsible for his murder before the Darkness comes for her? Can she put aside her hatred for her former bully to truly help him? And what happens if she starts to fall for him?
My Review:
I really enjoyed this book. It is such an interesting concept and really sets the start of an amazing YA series. The character of Taylor was written well, it was just like I remember school being and how I felt when when I was a teen - although I didn’t have to deal with ghosts and murderers (that I’ll admit to anyway!)
From a writer’s perspective, it was a little jumpy in places, although I’m assuming that was because I was reading an Advanced Reader Copy. It had an interesting murder mystery running alongside the supernatural plot, however for me it was easy to work out what happened – maybe because I’m an adult? I could have done with a few more red herrings and twists in that department.
The paranormal story arc is based on Egyptian legend, however with the main character being of Chinese heritage, I did feel that the author missed an opportunity. China’s legends are strong and rich and I was surprised that the story wasn’t rooted there rather than a separate, and much more over-used, culture as Egypt. In my opinion, the story would have better if it has been more culturally linear.
The front cover is stunning and really captures the essence, dare I say soul, of the book and I think the artist really portrayed Taylor’s character.
Overall, I’d give The Weight of Souls 4 out of 5 starts. I great read that felt like it finished too soon – so lets hope there’s another in the pipeline – it was certainly set up well in the end to carry on.
Also, don’t forget, the publishers Strange Chemistry (YA imprint of UK publishers Angry Robot) currently have their door wide open for un-agented submissions. If you want to pop along and feel the draft: Strange Chemistry Open Door 2013 I know that I’m currently beavering away on something for to send in.
Now, if you want to enjoy The Weight of Souls yourself, you’ll have hang on till August 2013 – but you can pre-order here on Amazon.co.uk
Filed under: Uncategorized Tagged: Angry Robot, Book Review The Weight of Souls, Bryony Pierce, Strange Chemistry, Strange Chemistry open door, Summer Read, The Weight of Souls, YA books
