Cameron D. James's Blog, page 43

Book Review: Message From Viola Mari

Message From Viola Mari

Sabrina Devonshire

As I mentioned a few days ago, I’m now a reviewing author over at Romance Reviews Submitted by Authors.  (One day soon, I’ll create a banner thingy to preface posts that are on that site — like I have a banner for when I’m posting on The Writers Vineyard.)  Anyway, that’s a side note.

Here’s the blurb for Message From Viola Mari:

World-renowned oceanographer and meteorite specialist Marissa Jones uncovers evidence that a comet cloud will soon destroy Earth. When aspiring writer and her best friend Jennifer begs her to take a Saturday morning sci-fi writing class, Marissa reluctantly agrees. Writing her real-life story as fiction gives her an astonishing new perspective on the anomalous set of craters she discovered off the La Jolla Coast. But this favor for her friend stirs up more than scientific results…writing teacher Justin Lincoln goads her constantly and taunts her with his irresistible curly blond locks and steely physique he knows only too well make women drool. Marissa teeters on the edge of anger and raging attraction for this irritating man. But it’s a terrible time to let lust call the shots when the world’s about to end and Marissa’s the only one who can save everyone.

Here’s the first paragraph from my review of Message from Viola Mari:

Message from Viola Mari was an unexpected romantic sci-fi delight. I should preface by saying I’m a huge sci-fi fan and have become incredibly picky over the years when it comes to the genre. I know what I like in sci-fi and I know what I don’t like—and I have no patience for the stuff I don’t like. So, I was understandably hesitant when I read the blurb for Message from Viola Mari and realized it had sci-fi elements.

To read the full review, please click here to visit Romance Reviews Submitted By Authors.

How to Use Twitter as an Author — and other news!

It’s been another four weeks, so I have a new post up at The Writers Vineyard!

In my (sometimes imaginary) free time, I’ve started taking a social media marketing certificate course.  I recently completed the Advanced Twitter course, so I’m applying some of what I’ve learned to the life of an author.  This post on The Writers Vineyard is the first of a two-part Twitter discussion, covering how to set up your profile, make effective use of images, and make yourself easily findable.  Next month, I’ll discuss how to effectively tweet, what your goals on Twitter should be, and what you should never do on Twitter.

And in other news…

I’ve recently connected with Romance Reviews Submitted by Authors — a blog site where romance authors review romance books.  I recently sent in my review of Message From Viola Mari by Sabrina Devonshire, so I’ll let y’all know when it pops up on the blog!  And in a month or so, RRSA with be hosting an M/M weekend extravaganza, in which I’ll both be reviewing and having Autumn Fire reviewed!

Like with The Writers Vineyard, I’ll post on this blog every time I appear over there.  Hmm… I’ll need a logo for RRSA like I do above for TWV… but RRSA doesn’t have a banner image… will think of something!

But for now… back to my much procrastinated writing!

Book Review: Lies

Lies

Michael Grant

It’s been seven months since all the adults disappeared. Gone.

It happens in one night: a girl who died now walks among the living; Zil and the Human Crew set fire to Perdido Beach, and amid the flames and smoke, Sam sees the figure of the boy he fears the most: Drake. But Drake is dead—or so they thought.

Perdido Beach burns and battles rage: Astrid against the Town Council; the Human Crew versus the mutants; and Sam against Drake, who is back from the dead and ready to finish where he and Sam left off. They say that death is a way to escape the FAYZ. But are the kids of Perdido Beach desperate enough to believe that death will set them free?

Lies is the third book in the six-book Gone series.  I simply cannot recommend this book highly enough — the entire series (so far) has been beyond stellar and are some of the most intense and exciting books I have ever read.

Let’s start with a little backstory and context to get everyone up to date:

This is a YA series that’s like a cross between Stephen King’s Under The Dome, X-Men, and Lord of the Flies.

Quick summary — A dome suddenly appears over Perdido Beach, California, and everyone 15 and over vanishes in a heartbeat, and whenever a kid turns 15, they simply vanish. Some of the kids start developing mutant powers and some of the animals in nature turn freakish, and it becomes a constant struggle for survival, and a constant battle between good and evil. And there’s also some sort of demonic being somewhere underground that is trying to consume every kid in Perdido Beach.

In many ways, Lies has been the most emotional book to date, and it excels at it.  The first two books covered a lot of how they are struggling to set up society and keep people alive.  This book continues with that, as there are always new crises, but the most haunting chapter, about two-thirds of the way through, has almost all of the main characters just breaking down.  This is an important chapter.  It shows that these kids are still human.  They are struggling with things beyond comprehension, but they are still human (even the kids who have mutant powers are still just kids).

I did figure out one of the main plot points about halfway through, but even knowing that, this book had me in its grip.  I had pretty much zero productivity all week — as soon as I got home from work I was reading this book and didn’t stop till midnight.  I literally couldn’t put it down.  I would try, I would get up and walk away, but minutes later I was back with my nose in the pages.  (I know I’m being scant on details of the plot of this book, but discussing them would really spoil the experience of this book and the previous ones…)

Grant excels at keeping tension extremely high.  Every page is thrilling.  There were no chapters that I thought were dull.  And, like always, Grant keeps that tension right to the very last page.  The final few sentences of the second-last chapter (which was the climax of the novel), were earth-shattering for this novel’s universe.

Although I want to leap into the next book, I find the tension a bit much to take in successive reads… so far I’ve been leaving about a year between books.  I don’t know if I can wait that long, but I need to read a few other non-gripping things for a bit…

 

 

I just finished the third book, Lies, and it was incredible. Each book is better than the last. I sort of figured out one of the main plots of this novel halfway through, but even knowing that, I was gripped by it to the very last page and shocked and surprised in every chapter. I had zero productivity all week because I was reading this almost as soon as I got home from work until midnight ever night.

Seriously — read it. Even if it’s not your thing — read it.

Book Review: Reflections of Love

Reflections of Love

Dreamspinner Press

Is your heart yearning for Valentine’s Day, the only day of the year exclusively devoted to love? Mark the occasion with this special anthology of heart-warming tales that will convince you Cupid is alive and well. The stories in this collection reflect love in all its guises – from established couples to first encounters, from chocolates and roses to more untraditional wooing. Romance is the common denominator that brings the men in each story together. Make Valentine’s Day even more special with Reflections of Love!

This anthology from Dreamspinner Press, hosting numerous Dreamspinner authors, is a bit of an uneven book.  Each story has romance at the core, with love culminating on Valentine’s Day.  To be honest, most of the stories were so-so.  At least three of them, according to the Goodreads page, feature characters who have appeared in other novels — so, having not read the novels, I was introduced to these characters with very little backstory.  It’s hard to appreciate a character when you don’t know much about them.  I’m sure these stories were greatly enjoyed by people who have read the accompanying novels, but I had difficulty getting in to them.

The writing, as well, was uneven.  In this anthology, and really, in a LOT of gay romance books that I’ve read, there are consistent problems with wandering POV (point of view).  We are very clearly in a certain character’s POV at the start of the scene and then it switches halfway through to a different character.  It’s really quite jarring.  However, about half the stories in this anthology had very minor violations, or none at all.  There really is a mix of weaker stories and weaker writing with excellent stories with excellent writing.

Of particular note are the following three stories:

Don’t Shoot the Messenger by Sean Kennedy
Under Protest by GS Wiley
The Wild Side by Janey Chapel

Kennedy has a superb handle on dialogue and somewhat quirky characters.  He has never failed me in one of his novels and he certainly doesn’t fail me here.  Don’t Shoot the Messenger was a fun, addictive read.  His writing of when the two characters first meet is very vivid and I had no trouble picturing it in my mind.

Under Protest was a heartwarming tale of what could have been — with the opportunity of latching on to those coulda-wouldas once more.  It was an enjoyable and captivating read.

The Wild Side was one of my favourites just simply for the characters.  Ryan and Nick make a delightful combination.

So, yeah, mixed bag, but there are some standout stories in here.

Book Review: Harper’s Treasure

Harper’s Treasure

Jennifer Lynn

Buried treasure lies where ‘X’ marks the spot, and Jolene plans to find it. With the help of one annoying computer geek, she is able to outwit and outmaneuver her former lover through one adventure after another. Little does she know that the geek has romance on his mind, when he finds himself attracted to the feisty brunette.

With tropical storms, pirates and an old nemesis hot on their trail, Jackson proves little by little that he is anything but a nerd, and helps Jo find the greatest treasure of all.

This was a fun-filled romantic adventure as Jolene sets out to prove herself as a treasure hunter and Jackson struggles to break through his geek personality and become the dominant, sexy man he wants to be.  The working relationship between Jo and Jackson gets off to a rough start when she deems him an irritable geek, and Jackson deems her a bad omen (as its apparently bad luck to have a woman on a ship).  Unfortunately, though they don’t get along, Jackson is the best man for the job, as he’s the only one that can safely navigate the corals to the tropical island where the treasure is buried.  Competing for this same treasure, just to spite Jo, is Jo’s ex.  He turns out to be a real asshole at every turn in the novel.  But, despite this, Jo has a history with him and is still somewhat attracted — but through the course of the novel, she comes to understand what a horrible person he is.

This novel was a delightful romp.  There are lots of little sexual bits that come across (intentionally, I think) as humorous, as Jackson struggles to be a confident, suave man — which Jo will have none of.  The other crew member — a redneck Texan who discovered he has Irish background, and thus has an Irish accent through much of the novel, adds another comedic layer.

I know I’ve said this a few times already, but Harper’s Treasure was fun to read.  It was also quick, a credit to Lynn’s smooth writing style.  Harper’s Treasure has the right mix of romance, humour, adventure, and just a dash of sex.

Book Review: Brok Hon

Brok Hon

Michael W. Davis

Earthcom is gone. The distant colonies ruled by the Space Federation are on their own, including the miners on Josuwa, hellhole of Aquarii B, second sun in a quad star system. The perpetual conflict with the indigenous keystone species has depleted their resources, and most of their men. With the settlement on the edge of annihilation, they are left with one choice, a desperate plan to end the war. The radical solution is supported by all in the compound, except for one man, Derek, the only survivor capable of lighting the fuse to end the war once and for all.

This was an interesting little short story, sort of a cross between Dune and The Forever War.  It’s set on a desert world that has underground worm-like creatures, like Dune, and takes place at the apex of a long and pointless war with humans long separated from their home planet, like The Forever War.

What makes Brok Hon interesting is that there is a race of sentient pterodactyl-like creatures who are bent on destroying the abandoned team of humans.  Humanity instigated this war by harvesting nutrients and chemicals from the sentient race’s newborns’ broken shells, bringing on the wrath of the adults.  While the writing can be a bit mired in backstory, as there is a lot of it, and the characterization can seem a bit off at time, the story moves forward fairly quickly when the humans capture one of these sentient beings, intending to end the war once and for all.

The ending was, well, interesting.  It reveals the desperation these humans feel and their desire for things to be over for good.  While this was a short story and the shorter format fits this plot, it could have been expanded to maybe twice the size to weave the backstory in a little better and allow the reader to delve into the characters a little deeper.  Overall, though, it was a satisfying read.

Book Review: Star Trek: Titan: Fallen Gods

Star Trek: Titan: Fallen Gods

Michael A. Martin

Though the United Federation of Planets still reels from Andor’s political decision that will forever affect the coalition, Captain William T. Riker and the crew of the U.S.S. Titan are carrying out Starfleet’s renewed commitment to deep space exploration. While continuing to search the Beta Quadrant’s unknown expanses for an ancient civilization’s long-lost quick-terraforming technology— a potential boon to many Borg-ravaged worlds across the Federation and beyond—Titan’s science specialists encounter the planet Ta’ith, home to the remnant of a once-great society that may hold the very secrets they seek. But this quest also takes Titan perilously close to the deadly Vela Pulsar, the galaxy’s most prolific source of lethal radiation, potentially jeopardizing both the ship and what remains of the Ta’ithan civilization. Meanwhile, Will Riker finds himself on a collision course with the Federation Council and the Andorian government, both of which intend to deprive Titan of its Andorian crew members. And one of those Andorians—Lieutenant Pava Ek’Noor sh’Aqaba—has just uncovered a terrible danger, which has been hiding in plain sight for more than two centuries. . . .

This Titan novel is both a continuation of the Titan series, as well as a continuation of the Typhon Pact storyline.  I have to say that I found this novel to be more enjoyable than I had expected it to be.  On the whole, I have not been too thrilled with the Titan series, nor with the Typhon Pact series.  I sometimes think they both lack the punch that a series like Voyager or Deep Space Nine has.

However, Martin pens an interesting tale here.  Titan needs to get closer to the planet, but their presence near the planet could actually destroy the planet.  And as they consider just leaving, an alien presence interferes and makes it impossible to leave unless they actually visit the planet.  Meanwhile, an Andorian ship tries to abscond with Titan’s Andorian officers, none of whom want to return to Andor.

Martin has a style that I would describe as… scientific.  He uses a lot of precise words that may not have the greatest literary flow or power to them, but they describe the setting and characters precisely.  I also found this to be a much quicker read, and much easier to get into, than a lot of Martin’s previous books.  I always think of his books as dense, difficult to immerse myself into, but I found I could easily do that with Fallen Gods.

The bit with the Andorian ship is where things got a little weird.  And as this is part of a larger multi-author story arc, I don’t know if the weirder Andorian bits were Martin’s ideas or if he had to implement them to continue the grander storyline.  I don’t want to say too much about that, as it could spoil certain plot points for a reader.  I almost feel as if the Typhon Pact storyline has been losing its way — not just because of this Andorian weirdness, but because of a general lack of cohesion (in my opinion anyway) of what’s happening in the wider universe.  All that being said, I believe there’s a six-book mini-series coming later this year that covers some explosive event in the Typhon Pact storyline, so maybe the threads will be pulled together then.

But, back to this book.  Fallen Gods was one of Martin’s better works.  I read two-thirds of it in one sitting (since I was on a plane), and found I could have easily read the rest of the book without stopping as I wasn’t tiring of reading.  The Ta’ith plot was enjoyable, as well as Titan’s response to the Ta’ith plot.  The Andorian thing was a bit weird, but I recognize it fits into the larger universe’s stories.  Martin does a good job of tying it all together.

Book Review: Booklife

Booklife

Jeff Vandermeer

Offering timely advice in an era when the burden of production and publicity frequently falls on authors, this essential reference reflects on methods for being focused, productive, and savvy in the craft of writing. Discussing a wide range of essential topics for self-promoting authors, this important guide explores questions such as How can authors use social media and the internet? How does the new online paradigm affect authors, readers, and the book industry? How can authors find the time to both create and promote their work? and What should never be done? Through good-humored encouragement, practical tips of the trade culled from 25 years of experience as a writer, reviewer, editor, publisher, agent, and blogger are shared. Including topics such as personal space versus public space, deadlines, and networking, the benefits of interacting with readers through new technologies is revealed.

This book is an important read for anyone that is trying to manage or achieve a professional career in writing.  It’s essentially broken into two major sections — your public booklife and your private booklife.  The public section covers everything you need to know about PR — how to interact on social media, how to manage public appearances, and general guidelines to keep in mind when managing the public side of your writing business.  The private section discusses how to strike a healthy balance for demands of your time when writing — including healthy habits, schedules, and work/life balance.

The key thing to remember, though, is that this is a book of guidelines, not rules.  In fact, this book is out of date as far as social media technology is concerned — and Vandermeer acknowledges that very early in the book.  He says something to the effect of “by the time this is in print, the social media landscape will have changed.”  And it has — I don’t know anyone that still uses Second Life, and MySpace, though still around, is on its way out, I think.  And there’s no mention of Goodreads, Pinterest, or Tumblr.  Even if Vandermeer were to create an updated edition that covered all the latest social media, it would still be outdated by the time it reached print, as the internet evolves at lightning speed.

Instead, the real jewel in this book are those guidelines.  Vandermeer provides advice and experience on interacting with the public, sometimes using examples from his social media strategies.  These provide a clear approach that can be picked up and moved to the latest social media and applied effectively.

This is a book about being professional.  Given that writing can often be a solitary activity — one person typing away at the computer in an empty home office, a book about how to be a professional is crucial.  In a regular workplace where an employee interacts with coworkers all day, it’s easy to pick up professionalism from the workplace culture.  It’s a lot harder at home where there are no coworkers and no workplace culture.  Vandermeer encourages writers to take themselves, and their approach to writing, as a professional endeavour.  After all, even if a writer views their work as art, it’s unlikely to get very far if the writer doesn’t also treat it like a professional business.

Go Deep: Excerpt

As promised, I just self-published a short story as a FREE READ for anyone who’s looking to try some gay erotic fiction or looking to see how I measure up as an author.  Go Deep is available on Smashwords.

———-

Blurb:

Hot yoga turns scorching hot during an after-hours practice session.

Hot yoga instructor Brad finds a tantalizing surprise when he closes up his studio for the day. Simon, a young yogi twink, is waiting for him in the hot room, preparing for tomorrow’s tournament. He asks for help, but soon Brad realizes this young man has a different sort of yoga in mind.

By the time they reach Poorna-Salabhasana, the hot room’s not hot enough. Brad teaches Simon how to relax, take it slow, and go deep, and Simon discovers the secret to mastering yoga.

———-

Excerpt:

We pick up in midscene as yoga teacher Brad helps his student Simon practice for the next day’s yoga competition.

Simon licked his lips, then eased out of position. His erect cock protruded long and slender against his red spandex, threatening to poke its head above the waistband. Brad smiled daringly.

“What’s your optional asana?”

“Dandayamana-Bibhaktapada-Paschimotthanasana. But I might need your help.” An impish grin twisted the young man’s lips.

Brad’s heart thumped hard. “A good position—posture. Very well. How do you want me to help?”

In answer, Simon spread his legs wide, held his hands out at his sides, then folded forward at the waist. He wrapped a hand under each heel and brought his forehead to the floor effortlessly. He stared at Brad from between his legs.

“I need you to check that my posture is perfect.”

Brad moved closer, loving the sight of Simon’s ass high in the air, the cheeks spread wide, the spandex taut over the crevice between them. “How do you want me to help?”

“I need you to hold my hips.”

Brad moved closer, until the twink’s ass was so close the heat of it warmed his cock. He put his hands on Simon’s hips, stroking the spandex with his fingers. “Like this?”

“I think I need more support.”

Brad shuddered, biting his lip, hesitating only a moment before pressing his crotch against the crack of Simon’s ass. He groaned as his cock tingled.

“Mmmm… That’s it. A bit harder. I don’t want to fall.”

Brad obliged. He leaned forward, running his hands over the young man’s lower back, his fingers sliding over hot, wet skin. His cock throbbed with pleasure, fully excited, eager for release. “You might want to adjust your legs a bit, get them a bit straighter. It will give me more leverage.”

Simon shifted his legs, wiggling his ass and grinding it firmly against Brad’s dick. “Like this?”

Brad’s jaw slackened. “Yes. Perfect.” He slid his hands toward Simon’s hips again, one resting on each side. “I think you have this one down. Good work. You can rise.”

Simon spread his arms out and raised his torso all the way, then brought his legs together, squeezing his cheeks tight around Brad’s dick. Brad examined their reflection in the mirror, holding Simon’s hips tight. The boy’s cock now pulled his shorts away at the waist, creating a small gap.

They stood motionless, sweat trickling down their bodies. “Are you sure you want to do this?” Brad’s words were low and quiet. He held Simon’s gaze for several more moments, waiting. The young man didn’t say anything, didn’t quiver. Brad hesitated only a moment. Fuck, if I get fired for this, it’s worth it.

Opening his mouth, he found the back of Simon’s neck with his tongue, tasting him and his sweat. Simon let out a heady sigh. Brad relished the sight of him in the mirror, the way his eyelids fluttered and his lips parted—the way the haze of sex clouded his features. Brad ran his hands across Simon’s tight stomach, wrapped his arms around his slim form, and pulled him close. He thrust his pelvis forward, grinding his firm cock against the boy’s supple ass.

———-

Go Deep is available as a free download from Smashwords.

Book Review: Skeleton Men of Jupiter

Skeleton Men of Jupiter

Edgar Rice Burroughs

This is the twelfth and final entry in Edgar Rice Burroughs’s Barsoom series (or, if you’re a movie buff, the John Carter of Mars series).  This entry, Skeleton Men of Jupiter, is really short, as was the previous entry, John Carter and the Giant of Mars, and are often bound together as one volume, despite having nothing to do with each other.

Skeleton Men of Jupiter was clearly meant to be the first in a series of novellas that would be collectively published as a novel, much like some of the previous entries in this series have done.  This tale has an ending of sorts — but there’s still great peril and unresolved issues that were meant to be completed in later entries — but for some reason Burroughs never finished it.  (I just checked the dates on Wikipedia, Skeleton Men of Jupiter was published years before his death, so I’m unsure why Burroughs didn’t complete the tale.)

This entry is markedly different from most of the previous books in the series by one factor and one factor alone.  It is not a woman’s kidnapping that starts the conflict, it is the kidnapping of John Carter.  Yes, John Carter, the unstoppable, unbeatable, and uncontainable hero of the entire series is easily duped, kidnapped, and stolen away to Jupiter.  The inhabitants of Jupiter resemble skeletons (hence the title) and have an insatiable appetite for war and domination.  After having dominated much of their own homeworld (though there are still pockets of resistance from non-skeleton men of Jupiter), they are looking to expand their horizons and conquer all of Mars.  Who’s the one man that can stop them?  John Carter of course!  Except he’s sitting in prison.

I found this entry to be one of the better Barsoom novels, as it had little to none of the colonialism that marked much of the first half of the series, there are really no weak women characters (though that’s partly due to there being only three female characters, all of whom are very minor), and the only way that John Carter can overcome his enemies is to bring together a ragtag group of people from different walks of life but who share a single goal.  And, unlike so many times before, it’s not a “noble savage” trope — John Carter teams up with real characters from real civilizations, not human-like individuals who have struggled to rise above their own savage race.

I have to say, though, that John Carter can be quite stupid when it comes to invisibility.  After dealing with invisible people, buildings, and airships in this and so many previous novels, he’s a little bit of a dumbass when he bumps into an invisible building (soon after flying in an invisible ship, no less) and is stunned and stupefied.

After so many novels on Mars, this sudden change to Jupiter was refreshing, rife with new challenges and new adventures.  It’s a shame it was never completed.