Kyra Halland's Blog, page 31

COYER Book Review: The President's Henchman

The President's Henchman, by Joseph Flynn

Wow, what a ride. Fast-paced, suspenseful, witty, with great characters.

Jim McGill is a former cop who just happens to be married to the recently-elected first woman president of the United States. To keep himself busy, he opens up a P.I. business (much to the displeasure of his Secret Service guards). But soon enough, he finds out that life at the White House isn't all bunnies and rainbows.

There's a military sex scandal, a Cuban crisis, a mad scientist trying to work his way into the CIA with a technique for altering personalities, radical anti-abortionists, scheming Senators, and a threat against Jim's children from his first marriage. And it all comes together in one breathless, dangerous day. Yeah, there's a lot going on, but it's all interesting. Even the political stuff. I don't generally enjoy political storylines, but these are exciting and well-done, with real stakes that mean something to the characters.

Speaking of the politics, the book hits a fine balance, without falling too heavily into one camp or the other. The President is a moderate Republican, Jim is a moderate Democrat (a mixed marriage in the White House!). There are bad religious people and good religious people. There are bad people who are against abortion and good people who are against abortion. Good military people and bad military people. Good and bad people on all sides of the political spectrum.

The characters are all well-drawn, distinctive, and interesting, and most of them are likable, except for the ones you'll love to hate. But even those aren't just cardboard cutouts - Mr. Flynn portrays very well where they're coming from and what they want and why.

The book is written in a witty, engaging, down-to-earth style that tells the story at a quick pace that's hard to put down. I stayed up waaaay too late so I could finish the last 20% (and this is not a short book; it seems shorter than it is) and then I immediately downloaded the sample for the next book in the series.
See my main Clean Out Your eReader post here.

Book Review: Wonderfully Wicked

In May, I spotlighted C.J. Burright and her new release, Wonderfully Wicked. And now here's the review!

Breathtakingly romantic and exciting contemporary fantasy, Wonderfully Wicked follows Kalila, who has been haunted by realistic nightmares all her life, as she falls into danger - and love - with a mysterious man who appeared as her killer in her dreams. Lydon is not what she expected - he might not even be human, and he has other ideas about what to do with her than kill her. With Lydon, Kalila discovers the truth behind her nightmares and the strange destiny ahead of her.

The writing is vivid, the characters sharp and well-drawn. Sometimes I wished Kalila had a little bit less of a chip on her shoulder, but given her background (a childhood and adolescence spent bouncing from one dysfunctional foster home to another), I can see why she'd be wary even when the evidence says she doesn't have to be. Lydon is dreamy (no pun intended) and tormented, and even when his actions appeared to be those of the evil man Kalila feared he was, I just knew that deep down inside, in spite of himself, he was honorable.

Wonderfully Wicked is a lot of fun, and I look forward to more of Kalila and Lydon's adventures.

Author Spotlight: T.L. Clark

Introducing T.L. Clark, author of "chick lit with steam."

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm a thirty-something woman, with a wonderful husband. I usually work in admin during the day, but have just been made redundant again. But hopefully I'll just be able to write a bit more until the next job comes along. I also like to ride my motorbike when I get the opportunity. And I also do holistic therapies. In fact, my life goal is to get a farmhouse so I can run a retreat for stressed humans and horses.

2. When did you start writing, and why?
Well, this one's a bit embarrassing. I started writing last year as I had read Fifty Shades, and was disappointed. I thought the characters (particularly Anna) were unbelievable, so I set about trying to do better.

3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write?
I write romance novels; lately called chick lit with steam, which sounds about right. Each of my books is stand alone, and looks at love from a different angle. I love watching my characters unfold and taking them through their journey. I've been known to cry whilst writing the sad parts.

4. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books?
My latest book is Rekindled Love, which is a life story but goes right through marriage, birth and death, through to middle age, as I felt a lot of romances feature the younger people and ends too conveniently with marriage or kids in the 'happily ever after' sense. I'm just writing book five. It's a step away from the norm, as it features an abused child. It is written to give knowledge and hope to others. Mostly, I wanted to show victims of abuse that they can grow up to have healthy love lives, and they don't have to be a victim forever.

5. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series.
Love. There is always a theme of love in my books. Whether it is a new love being sought, one-night-stand love, holiday romance, the love in a BDSM relationship or love that is re-found. People often go searching for love but it really already exists within each one of us.  

6. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them?
Mikhail (from True's Love) is possibly my favourite character. He is a blonde bombshell of a Russian bodyguard. Dancer's muscles make him uber-sexy, but he also has a large heart.

Samantha in Young's Love is great. She has an inner strength she never realised she had. It was great to see her blossom.

Jonathan in Dark Love is gorgeous in every way. He is a Male Sub who begins to query his place in life. The term puppy applies in many ways to him.

Sophie in Rekindled Love is a wonderful mum, wife and lover. She has a temper, but she too has an inner strength that carries her through some dark times.

7. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book.
Each of my books features the phrase TLC or tender loving care. See if you can spot it. It forms my author name (TL Clark).

8. Blog/site link, and where your book is available.
Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook
You can download my books on Amazon | Kobo | Apple | Barnes & Noble.

Book Blurbs:
Young's Love - was the first book I wrote. It features Samantha striving for independence. As she breaks away from her controlling marriage she explores the world of dating with varying results. There's a trip to Tuscany and lots of slushy bits as well as some raunchy scenes. Look out for the extra strong mints!

True's Love - follows feisty Amanda who loves her free & single world filled with nights of passion with different men. She goes to Ibiza with a girly friend and runs into a blonde Adonis of a bodyguard. Is this true love or a holiday romance? It's certainly not short on action.

Dark Love - I wrote this by popular demand. It's the BDSM one! Male Submissive Jonathan is guided by Mistress Eisengrau through a world of dungeons and a journey of self exploration. 
 
Rekindled Love - was written to put the 40 somethings in the limelight. So many romances feature young, skinny 20 or 30 somethings, yet love in later life can be even better. This book actually starts with Sophie's first love though, and follows her through her sometimes traumatic life. There's hatches, matches and dispatches in this one. And there's horses and motorbikes too!

COYER Book Review: The Tease

The Tease (Darling Killer Trilogy, #1) by Nikki M. Pill

Therapist by day, burlesque dancer by night, Anna works hard to keep the two halves of her life compartmentalized. That all falls apart when a patient confesses to a creepy fixation and the latest in a series of bizarre murders hits too close to home.

I really enjoyed this. Well-written, suspenseful, with well-drawn characters and a puzzle that kept me guessing. There are a lot of possible suspects, both obvious and not so obvious, and I found myself really getting nervous whenever Anna interacted with any of these guys in her life who could (maybe?) be the Darling Killer. Is it the guy who's obvious? The guy who's less obvious? The guy who's too obvious? The guy who couldn't possibly be a killer?

And I loved Anna's imperious half-Siamese cat, Caprice.

My only complaint is that the book is a little strident in proclaiming its message of female empowerment through taking your clothes off in front of strangers. Yes, celebrate your body and all that, I agree with the underlying sentiment, but not with that particular expression of it. But, whatever. The burlesque scene (as opposed to more sordid strip clubs) is an interesting setting for a murder mystery, especially in contrast to Anna's straight-laced day job.

Otherwise, I completely enjoyed this book; I stayed up way too late last night to finish it, and then I couldn't sleep because the ending was so creepy. Be warned: this is the first book in a trilogy, so the mystery is only partially solved, but the parting shot is a doozy.

COYER Book Review: Jaunten

Jaunten, by Honor Raconteur

I had actually read this before; as I read, I kept thinking, gee, this seems awfully familiar, then I peeked ahead to the end and realized yes, I've read this before. Not sure how it ended up back on my Kindle marked "new"; probably from when I was having trouble with the Send to Kindle and tried de-registering and re-registering my Kindle. So I skimmed through the rest of the book just to refresh my memory, and here's my review:

Jaunten is the story of a teenage boy, Garth, who flees from his native country, where magic is forbidden and mages and their families are put to death, to a neighboring country where he can be trained in magic. Along the way he becomes a Jaunten, one of a small group of people who have generations of accumulated knowledge passed down by blood, bonds with the only living Nreese (a unicorn-like creature), has some adventures, and eventually finds himself in the position to help other mages from his homeland.

The story starts out strong, with Garth on his journey encountering a dying man and receiving from him the powers of a Jaunten so that he can complete his journey and carry out the man's task of delivering a message to the king. I was especially intrigued by the concept of Jaunten, families who, affected by the aftermath of a magical battle, pass all their accumulated knowledge down to their descendants, and who can also transfer their knowledge by an exchange of blood to someone unrelated to them. I also liked the idea of a boy with magical power fleeing from a land where magic is forbidden.

Things kind of bog down when the story gets into the details of daily life at magic school. I think tweens and younger teen readers (ages 8-14) who enjoy Harry Potter would like this part, but for me the conflict and forward movement in the story fell flat at this point.

The writing style, while clear and readable, is also very young for my tastes. Again, I think this is something that would appeal more to tweens and younger teens. The tense constantly shifts between past and present; the pattern seems to be that Garth's thoughts and observations are in present tense while the action of the story is in past tense. It's a little jarring, but I can see the sense in it.

Younger readers who like Harry Potter, and older readers who enjoy middle grade/YA and light traditional fantasy will enjoy this book. It's the first in a long series, so if you like this book, there's lots more to follow :)

Writing Progress Update

I seem to have found myself caught up into the Writing Process Blog Hop again, having been tagged last week by the lovely and talented Teshelle Combs, whom I've featured here a couple of times. My writing process hasn't changed much in the time since I did this before, but I figure it's time for a progress update.

The first major revisions on books 1-3 of Daughter of the Wildings are done and out to the test readers, and I just started on book 4. It's taking a lot more rewriting than I thought it would. Not that the plots have changed so much, but some major issues with the magic are different, and also some character issues. Plus a lot of what I wrote was me just trying to figure out what happens next! I like to plan my stories in advance, but a lot of Daughter of the Wildings resisted any kind of advance outlining. So I'm cutting lots of stuff, and adding lots of stuff, and changing lots of stuff.

Saturday I spent working out the money system a little more. The amount of money Silas and Lainie have is an important plot point at this point; they just got a big payout for services rendered to wealthy rancher Brin Coltor (one of my favorite supporting characters in the series), and it had to be enough to make taking on the job he hired them for worth the risk. On the other hand, there's something Silas wants to do that's going to cost even more than they have. Balancing the money in and money out to keep it all in proportion took some sitting down and calculating. I think I've finally got it figured out.

So there's that, and since it's been a long time since I wrote anything new, I've decided to participate in July Camp NaNoWriMo (because I'm just not busy enough :P). My goal is 500 words a day for a total of 12,000 words for the month (not much, but should be doable on the heavy revising schedule I'm on), and my project is Tales of Azara, a set of short stories to go along with Chosen of Azara . Some readers have mentioned to me that they'd like more background on the characters in the novel and more stories from that world, so that's what this is for.

And I'm doing COYER Summer Vacation! So when I'm not writing and revising, I'll be reading and reviewing. Should be enough to keep me out of trouble!

This week's other stop on the Writing Process Blog Hop is Madhuri Blaylock; go check her out!

Clean Out Your eReader Summer Vacation!

This summer I'm joining Fantasy is More Fun and Because Reading is Better Than Real Life for their Clean Out Your eReader Summer Vacation, June 21 - Sept. 5. I've heard of COYER events before, and finally decided to jump in!

It's easy - you sign up, read, and review what you read. My goal this summer is to dig down into the books that are languishing at the bottom of my Kindle, that have been there the longest. There'll be a little bit of everything, fantasy, romance, suspense - I don't even know what books I'll be reading! I'll keep a list here of the books I've read with links to my reviews. I'm hoping to read at least ten books, plus I also want to finish Tides of Midnight, Book 5 of the Malazan Book of the Fallen Series by Steven Erikson, which I'm reading in paperback and is really huge. And finish the revision of Daughter of the Wildings by, I want to say end of July but I'd better make it mid-August instead.

Want to join in the fun? Sign up at Fantasy is More Fun or Because Reading is Better Than Real Life through August 15 to read, see what other people are reading, and be entered to win one of two $10 Amazon or B&N gift cards!

Reading list:

1. Jaunten, by Honor Raconteur - started 6/26
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Author Spotlight: Andrew Lamb

Today I'm happy to welcome supernatural science fiction writer, Andrew Lamb, to the blog. (Is it Andrew who is supernatural, or his science fiction? Read on and find out!)

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
During the day, I’m a structural engineer, I run my own consultancy and have a doctorate in the subject. But at night I write supernatural and science fiction thrillers. I love the macabre and the unusual.

2. When did you start writing, and why?
I’ve been seriously writing now for around 5 years but before that I wrote as a hobby really. It just seemed to stem from there. During the recession, I was out of work for three months and I returned to writing.

3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write?
I enjoy mashing my favourite genres together, namely science fiction and the supernatural. I find it helps produce something a little out of the ordinary.

4. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books?
I have two series, Dispatchers and the De Cavalieri series. Both have sequels in the works but Dispatchers 2 (Infinity and Oblivion) is further along in development. I have outline concepts for other novels, one of which I am hoping to get out by Christmas.
5. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series.
Ah, you’ve been to TwistedSpace… and you survived. Impressive. [Kyra sez: Andy's world is indeed a strange and wonderous place!]

Dispatchers is about a group of people who can Astrally Project, the difference between that and regular Out of Body Experience (OBE) is that a Dispatcher can take physical form and unleash incredible powers. The good Dispatchers have formed a secret society called Spectral, which polices and monitors all Global Dispatcher activities. Of course, there are some bad Dispatchers who use their abilities for their own ends and a group of killers, descended from Witch Hunters, who would rather Spectral simply disappears.

The main protagonist is called Marcus Townsend, who has only just discovered his abilities in Book 1. In Vengeance of the Dark, three murders are committed by a killer who has seemingly defied the laws of physics. At the same time, a terrible car crash has left Marcus Townsend practically orphaned. As he comes to terms with his loss and the mysterious skills he has begun to develop, he discovers that he may be next on the killer’s list.

6. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them?
Marcus is a moody teenager. Like most teenager boys, he has very little time for things that aren’t of interest to him. I had a very similar attitude to life when I was that age.

David Raymond is the detective assigned to the murders. He’s charismatic and cool, seemingly laid back but constantly scanning for clues. Alas he has a fear of hospitals which interferes with his investigations.

A fan favourite is Zach “Bax” Baxter, who is a little bit older than Marcus and a trainee Dispatcher. He’s a rogue, eager, highly skilled and, although loyal to Spectral, very difficult to control. He’s inspired by rock music and has a tendency to run into danger without thinking things through.

7. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book.
I wrote this because someone said I would never write a book.

8. Blog/site link, and where your book is available.
I have a blog at http://twistedspace.weebly.com/ and I can be followed on twitter @doc_lamb. My book is available now at Amazon for kindle and in paperback.
Dispatcher Book 1: Vengeance of the Dark

They have existed in plain sight for hundreds of years. They've waged wars in complete shadow and protected us from impossible horrors. Their powers are infinite, their skills are supernatural. They are virtually unstoppable. However, so are their enemies…. 

Marcus Townsend's life was just like any other until that fateful night. A supernatural killer was on the loose and Marcus was next on his list. The only question was why? 
With the only connection between the victims being the mysterious black and red rose, Marcus finds himself in a race against time to uncover the truth before he becomes the next victim.

About the Author:

Mysterious and slightly deranged...

Andrew Lamb was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire. He spent most of his career working as an Engineer in vehicle crash safety. His area of interest is in the supernatural and science fiction and typically enjoys mashing the two together to create vivid and magnificent worlds. His debut novel Dispatchers: Vengeance of the Dark has already topped the bestselling Amazon charts in the Astral Projection and Horror categories.

He holds a Doctorate in Engineering from Cranfield University and a degree in Aerospace Engineering from Kingston. He currently resides in Derby with his wife.

New Cover for Cure for Nel, and Sneak Peeks

So last night as I was procrastinating, er, taking a breather from revisions on The Rancher's Daughter , I decided to fool around with making a new cover for A Cure for Nel, and Other Stories . I've never been very happy with the old cover. The landscape art I used didn't say much about the stories in the collection, and the title was hard to read. I had a piece of stock art I'd thought about using for Sarya's Song but ended up with the great cover by Design by Katt instead, and it kind of made me think of Leya from "A Cure for Nel," so I put it through Photoshop Elements and here's what I came up with:
Art (photomanipulation of woman): Branislav Ostojic dreamstime.com I think it came out kind of pretty :)

The collection is only 99 cents at all the ebook outlets I sell through. If the cheap price and pretty new cover aren't enough to entice you to give it a try, here are some sneak peeks from each of the three stories in the collection.

"The Peach Tree"

The Wise Woman was silent. Her eyes were hidden by her hair, but Sula could feel her critical gaze as she judged Sula’s pain and longing. “What would you do to gain what you want?” the Wise Woman asked.

“I’d do anything! Anything at all, just to have one chance.”

“Then go home. I expect rain tomorrow. Come back when rivulets start running in the street.”

“I’ll be here.” Sula hesitated. “What is the price?”

The Wise Woman pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Whatever you think the result will be worth, dear.”

"You Can't Take It With You"

“Quiet, everyone!” Girda yelled. “You’re all being stupid. It wouldn’t bring very much money if we sold it, even on the black market.” She pinned Giorgi with a hard stare. “And none of us knows how to use it except Aric. If he can do with it what Uncle Morgi did, he’ll make us all as rich—as rich as we’ve ever dreamed of being!”

Aunt, uncle, and cousins looked at Aric again, their expressions more kindly now. He fidgeted and ran a hand through his orange hair, making it stand straight up. “Uncle Morgi did tell me I could have it when he was finished with it. But I don’t—”

“Oh, show us what you can do with it!” squealed Yirna, Giorgi’s wife. The others added their encouragement. Aric didn’t want to, but Uncle Morgi had promised it to him. If he showed himself to be skillful enough with it, he might be allowed to keep it. He went over to the small cabinet where Morgi had always kept his treasure, opened the door, and stared in disbelief. Then he turned around, trying to think of how to break the news. “It doesn’t matter who gets it if it’s missing.”

"A Cure for Nel"

Leya left the window and sat on the edge of the bed. “Maybe the wizards know a cure.”

Sulila shrugged. “Who am I to say what the wizards know? Maybe they do have a cure for this. But I’ve never heard of a wizard leaving his tower and coming out to the middle of nowhere to help the daughter of a village weaver.”

“I know one who will.”

Elena looked up at her. “Leya, surely you aren’t thinking—”

“I am.”

“Arn abandoned you with a baby four years ago, and you haven’t had a word from him since. What makes you think he’ll help you now?”

“He has to, Mother. He owes Nel and me at least that much.”

“Leya, listen,” the witch said. “It’s pointless. You’re only making this harder for yourself. Nel will die by morning. It would take you a week to reach Ferin, who knows how long to convince Arn to help you, if he has any help to give, if he’s even at the School there which you don’t even know for sure, and then another week to return. A dead child can’t be helped, not even by a wizard.”

“I have to try. I can’t just sit here and wait for her to die. If you can find some way to keep Nel alive, I’ll do my best to find help for her.”

The witch fidgeted, and suddenly wouldn’t meet Leya’s eyes.

Leya’s voice dropped. “I’ve heard rumors there’s a way.”

A Cure for Nel, and Other Stories is available at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple | Kobo | OmniLit
Smashwords  | DriveThruFiction

#luckyseven snippet - The Rancher's Daughter

Here's something fun - I've been tagged by Isabella Norse to play #LuckySeven Snippet. Here's how it works: In your current manuscript, go to page 7 (or 77), count seven lines down, and post the next seven lines. Then tag seven other writers to play along!

So here's my seven lines, from The Rancher's Daughter (adjusted to make complete sentences) [note: Silas is left-handed. I don't know why; he just is]:

* * *
He itched to have it out with Storts, but getting in a gunfight with someone who appeared to be one of the town's wealthiest citizens was not a good way to lay low. And he didn't want Lainie to get caught in the middle of a shootout. He wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, as much to keep his hand away from his gun as to comfort her.

"Damn it." Lainie's voice was muffled by her arms. "He cheated! Everyone would have noticed if he'd played the Fire Dragon that early in the game! I would have noticed! How stupid does he think I am?"

* * *

Hm, who to tag now? How about T.F., D.A., M.H., A.L., Zoe, Lauren, and Mindy! (None of them know I'm tagging them; it'll be as much a surprise to them as it is to me!)