L.A. Kelley's Blog, page 17

Ebook Sale for Second Chance City

99 Cent Sale for Second Chance City
Comic books can be the death of you


Police officer Nate Hammond led a well-ordered life until a chance meeting with a girl from his past drags him into an extraordinary adventure.
Libby Parish never intended to visit her hometown again. Is the strange obsession to return related to a mysterious comic book? Or someone she left behind?
Sucked into a deadly comic book universe Nate and Libby find themselves in Second Chance City, home of the Refractor and a league of murderous adversaries. Can a knowledge of comic books, a half-hearted super-hero, misunderstood villains, science gone horribly awry, and a mysterious flashlight help them find a way home or will their second chance at happily-ever-after only end in in death?
Excerpt The building was silent with the exception of a faint hum now emanating from the glow in the corner. Nate moved cautiously forward, shining the flashlight. “Debolt?” No one answered. “We’ll check the rest of the store…Libby?”Libby had stepped from his side, her attention drawn elsewhere. She stood in front of the display stand filled with comic books. Her respiration sharply increased. “What is that?” she said. The eerie glow came directly from one of the books.            Nate’s gaze widened. “I’ve no idea.” The glow began to fluctuate, pulsing with a bright green neon light.            Libby squinted at the glare. She leaned in as if striving to discern the cover. “It’s the latest Refractor issue. Why is it doing that?” On and off, on and off, the hypnotic beat flashed.            The light was oddly attractive. “It’s not some marketing gimmick?” Nate said.“No way,” insisted Libby. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”The tempo of the pulses increased, so did the hum. A little voice in Nate’s head bleated a warning. This isn’t normal. You should do something…do something…do something. His thoughts muddled with the incessant flash. The hand which had been resting on the gun, dropped to his side. Libby clutched the pencil light to her chest. As if drawn by an irresistible impulse, the other hand reached for the Refractor comic.            Nate’s confusion vanished, shoved aside by a powerful protective urge. “Libby, don’t! It might be dangerous.” He grabbed her arm at the same time she touched the comic. For an instant, the world turned to green light.           Then total blackness enveloped them. 


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Book Review: Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris

The perfect marriage isn’t always what it seems to be.
To the townsfolk of the quaint English village, newlyweds Grace and Jack, have a perfect marriage. Grace hangs on every one of Jack’s words. He is handsome, charming, rich, and adoringly attentive, oozing kindness on visits to her mentally disabled sister at a residential facility. Grace and Jack even live in a perfectly charming home. Of course, the neighbors have noticed Grace never seems to be out in public alone and why does that charming house have bars on the windows?
Behind Closed Doors is a contemporary suspense novel about what can happen when Mr. Right turns out to be oh-so-wrong. The tension builds slowly, but never to the edge-of-your-seat level. The book should be a chilling page-turner, but the story didn’t grip me the way I’d hoped. The main problem was Grace. Before Jack, she’s spunky and strong, lovingly tending to her sister. She has a good life with a job she loves, but when when Jack arrives all her most interesting characteristics go right out the window. She easily falls under his spell, asking no questions about his odd demands like quitting her job before the wedding. Her transformation isn’t credible. Neither is how long it takes for the final confrontation between them to take place. When Grace finally figures out Jack’s evil intentions I couldn’t help but think, conk him on the head and run, lady. End of story. (I suppose that would have made for a very short book.)
The novel is written in the first person from Grace’s point of view. I have no problem with first person narration, but in a suspense story the reader is left with three options. Grace will confront Jack and be victorious. She will confront Jack and not be victorious. The author will use a cheesy Sunset Boulevard escape and Grace will be narrating the book as a ghost. Thankfully, the third option wasn’t used, but Grace’s voice still comes across as too weak. I never made a connection to her. The ending was satisfying, but while it should have been a big surprise, it wasn’t. Any reader paying attention can see it coming. I didn’t toss the book aside. The story was interesting enough to keep reading, but somewhere in the middle I suddenly realized the only reason for me to finish was to see if my theory of the ending held up. I didn’t particularly care whether Grace escaped Jack’s clutches or not.
I received a free advanced copy from the publisher.

Book Review: Doodletopia Manga by Christopher Hart

It’s vacation time. I hoped Doodletopia Mangawould be a fun book to recommend parents pack for the kids when they get bored on a car trip. Unfortunately, it’s sadly lacking and in the most surprising way.
For a book that’s supposed to teach the budding artist how to draw manga, there are precious few instructions and they all are incomplete. A page will have some wire frame sketches and then the finished project from the author. Somewhere between the two an inexperienced artist is supposed to bridge the gap, but that’s not how a book that purports to teach drawing techniques is supposed to work. It needs detailed step-by-step guidelines and there aren’t any. What the reader finds is lots of cute finished manga drawings by the author that I suppose can be used as references. If your kid is only into tracing he or she might get enjoyment out of this book, but you’ll have to shell out for tracing paper.
Doodletopia Manga includes projects such as mazes and bookmarks that could have been fun for kids. Again, with the limited instructions I don’t see a reader producing more than crude artwork, not much better than what they can probably already create. I’m puzzling over the purpose of the book because it appears to be a how-to-draw manual for people who already know how to draw.

In the end, Doodletopia Manga isn’t much better than a coloring book and there are more fun coloring books out there. Buy one of those.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.

Book Review: How May We Hate You by Anna Drezen and Todd Dakotah Briscoe

Just in time for summer travel season comes a book to tell how the other half lives. Not the rich and famous, but the nondescript concierge who only lives to serve. Or maybe not. The authors are two ex-actors who entered hospitality management to make ends meet between gigs. Needless to say by the title of the book, neither one found their true calling at the front desk.  How May We Hate You purports to give the dirt on what really goes on in the world of hospitality management, but doesn’t quite hit the mark.   
Quibbles and bits The book is a short, quick read filled with vignettes and little drawings. The major fault is that it doesn’t go far enough and often reads as half done. It’s not gossipy enough to be a tell-all. The authors hint they’ve witnessed famous people acting in unprofessional or embarrassing manners, but don’t give names. Then why mention it at all? If you’re going to write a book like this and expect me to believe you, sorry I need the dirt.  Otherwise, I’m going to think you made it all up.
There’s not enough substance in the writing for it to be an exposé on the life of the concierge either.  While heavy on the snark, it’s light on the details and often comes off as merely two people crabbing about their jobs. Mind you, the stories, vignettes, and little quirky lists aren’t badly written. They range from mildly amusing to ho hum. I like a lot of the drawings. The authors apparently have a blog which is probably why much of the writing reads like rehashed posts. If you’re in the doctor’s office it’s a good way pass the time.  At a little over 100 pages you’ll probably breeze through it before called for the appointment. I did. In general, a reader will come away with more sympathy toward those who man the front desk, a chuckle or two, but not much else.   
Scratching my head on this one I obviously don’t understand marketing.  The physical makeup of this book consists of heavy binding, sturdy cover, and pages of high quality paper. Why? It’s not the kind of book a person keeps forever. It’s a light read that takes about an hour, more fitting for a trade paperback found in an airport gift shop. Even the ebook is expensive at just shy of ten bucks.  I don’t get it.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.

A Vote for Me Means a Free EBook for You

My YA book, Rimrider, has been nominated for Kindle Scout. 

What the heck is that?
Kindle Scout is an Amazon publishing program for indy authors. Winning for me means a publishing contract and you will get a free copy of the ebook from Amazon when it's published. 

How can you help?
Easy. No fuss. No muss. No cost to you except a few seconds of your time. Simply take a moment to click on the link befow for Rimrider. I hope you'll find the description intriguing, and I greatly appreciate your support. Please feel free to pass the link on to any friends or family members who would be interested in a free book.

Thanks a ton. 

Kindle Scout Link for Rimrider 
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/1135KKAY4C6QF


 

Cover Reveal for Moon, Mist, and Magic

Take a gander at our gorgeous new cover designed by Abigail Owen. Moon, Mist & Magic is a paranormal anthology ebook with stories contributed by four lovely ladies and one old poot (me.) The release date will be August 4 and price is 99 cents with all proceeds donated to the World Wildlife Fund. 





Get ready to be enchanted by mythical beasts, magical creatures, and moonlit nights. Enjoy your favorite author, and perhaps discover someone new, in these five fantastic tales of paranormal romance woven with moon, mist, and magic… 

A Ghost of a Chance by Abigail Owen 
What’s a girl to do when her brother’s ghost appears asking for help? If that wasn’t bad enough, finding her not-dead-yet brother’s body before he becomes permanently spectral isn’t her only problem. Josie can’t save him on her own. The only person who can help is the last person who would want to. Bryce Evans, a man she once wrapped hopes of her future around, can’t stand to be near her. How can she convince him when her evidence is a ghost he can’t see? 

Dangerous Dreams by J.C. McKenzie 
As a dragon shifter in hiding, Lara Stone wants nothing to do with others of her kind or finding a mate. No way, no how. She's perfectly content to work for a security company, masquerading as a simple mage. When the leader of all the dragon clans personally requests her as a bodyguard, Lara fears her secret is blown, or worse. What danger could possibly make Rafael Dragoi, the powerful Astarot, seek protection? 

Myths and Legends 101 by L.A. Kelley 
Flickering lights. Strange drifting shadows. Unnatural cold. Anthropology professor Jim Calloway is convinced the recent eerie phenomena at Octavian College are due to his overactive imagination until he meets Keilana Yamada and her eccentric grandfather, Toshi. Dazzled by the beautiful Keilani, Jim volunteers to help hunt for an ancient evil roaming the ivied halls. Can a mild-mannered academic find his inner demon hunter and a way into Keilani’s heart? Or will a supernatural predator with an insatiable hunger destroy them first? 

The Keeper by Sharon Saracino 
When a stranger lands on her slab, poisoned with silver and reeking of vampire, Medical Examiner Olivia Duncan fears someone's discovered her dangerous secret. Enter Nick Alexios, a mysterious man with a hidden agenda of his own. Olivia ignites his passion and challenges his loyalties, making him question his duty. Nick might be Olivia’s salvation...or her downfall. Will honor-bound promises drive them apart or unite them against threats from both near and far? 

Witch You Were Here by Maureen L. Bonatch 
Lucy is a witch with a successful business righting magical mischief. A call for help from her high-school heartache, Shane, prompts Lucy to manage his magical mayhem herself. No longer a nervous, hormonal, teenager, Lucy takes the case to force an apology and bury her past humiliation. To her surprise, Shane insists he couldn’t forget Lucy—because she hexed him ten years ago. Will Shane and Lucy put their past behind them, or will the spell prove permanent?
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You meet the most interesting people at Comic Cons

MOBICONMobile, Alabama, May 27, 28, & 29 

Balloon Man and his tiny human sidekick. They only fear pins.
It's not easy being blue-green
Who knew you could get a flight suit in size XXXXXXL?
I wonder if what they say about a guy with big hands is true?
Someone got up on the wrong side of the yurt.

Release Day for My New Book

Spirit Ridge Spirit Ridge
L. A. Kelley
A dark shadow rises.
San Francisco in 1885 was a dangerous place for those who crossed Colin Doyle. To Nob Hill elite he was a successful businessman. To the underbelly of San Francisco he was The Mick, a criminal mastermind ruling from the shadows. If a buyer’s tastes ran to opium, a whore, or a politician, The Mick could name a price. No one who betrayed him ever escaped the city alive.
Until now.
Nell Bishop is a fearless investigative reporter for the San Francisco Dispatch. She’s on the run to the Arizona Territory with the one witness who can expose Doyle’s corrupt empire and stop the plan to extend his evil dominion to the West.

Marshal Sam Tanner of Spirit Ridge in the Arizona Territory fought the visions sent by his Apache blood. They always foretold a death he couldn’t prevent. Then Sam dreamed of the coyote with golden brown eyes who warned of a black shadow spreading evil across the land. Did the message call him to help the beautiful woman who stepped off the stagecoach? Can Sam and Nell elude the mysterious dark riders who dog their trail or will the next vision mean death for both of them?
Adventure, romance, humor, and the call of Apache spirits weave together a Wild West adventure where either murder or justice can come at the twitch of a trigger finger.
Excerpt Surprise shot through Bart’s expression. “Never reckoned you smart enough to figure the truth. The Mick’s reward ain’t for fetching you alive.” His tongue flicked in and out again. “Please me, and I’ll make it quick.”Tears sprung to Daisy’s eyes. “Sweet Jesus, help me.”Bart’s heartless chuckle encased Nell’s heart in ice. “Ain’t no God nor man gonna help a whore.”“Get away from her this instant!” Nell stepped into the alley, right hand hidden in the tunic, finger on the trigger.Bart raised the gun to meet the new arrival. “Where’d you come from? Best be on your way. This ain’t no concern of yours.”Nell strode toward them through the fog. The gaslight shone on her white wimple and the scapular under the veil.Daisy gasped. “She’s a nun, Bart. You can’t shoot a nun.”“Shut up,” he barked, backhanding her across the mouth. “For five thousand, I’ll shoot anyone.”  “Get out of here, Sister,” Daisy moaned. “Please, don’t get hurt on my account. I ain’t worth it.”“Release her.” Nell’s tone betrayed not a single tremor. “If you beg trouble, sir, let fly. I guarantee you won’t live long enough for regrets.”Bart’s thumb pulled back to cock the trigger. “Your words don’t cut nothing. The devil claimed me as his own long ago.”“Then perhaps,” she responded coolly, “the time has come to meet your maker and beg forgiveness in person.”A shot rang out. Daisy shut her eyes and screamed.

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Book Review: Dead Wake by Eric Larson

The best historical fiction transports a reader to a different time and place, so much so that pages come alive. The story is real. The same can be said for the best historical nonfiction. All senses are engaged; taste, touch, smell, hearing, sight. The reader not only comes away with a better understanding of historical events, but a complete picture of the world in a far-removed time. It’s the mark of a great book when you root for people to survive and forget they are long dead.
New York Times Bestseller, Dead Wake, is a vibrant telling of the last crossing of the steamship Lusitania. No stuffy compilation of facts, no dull recitation of times and dates. As Larson relates the story of the doomed ship and the passengers, readers are drawn along. It doesn’t take long to become vested in their survival. Will the young man headed to England for his engagement live? What about the little boy with measles confined to bed? His pregnant mother? The spiritualist? The book dealer with his priceless package? Larson uses a treasure trove of letters, diaries, and written reminisces to give each a unique voice.
Larson flicks the story between the major players; the passengers and crew of the Lusitania, the British Admiralty, President Woodrow Wilson, and the U-boat commander Schwieger. This is in no way confusing, but instead, reveals surprising details. Some are sweet. President Wilson wrote gushy love letters for his soon-to-be wife, Edith. Others are simply amusing. I never expected a description of life aboard a U-boat to include a dachshund with puppies who cuddled with the crew.  
Tragedy can sometimes approach a comedy of errors. The sinking of the Lusitania is no exception. Warnings of submarines sightings were ignored or never sent. People who needed vital information didn’t get it. Even simple pride played a large part. Few took seriously the German government’s warning that all ships flying the British flag were fair game. Even when they did, destroying the Lusitania was unthinkable. She was the biggest, fastest passenger ship afloat with more than enough lifeboats. Too bad safety drills weren’t mandatory. Maybe then passengers would have actually learned how to put on their life jackets.
Larson’s face-paced chapters build tension until the final moment when U-20 fires the torpedo. After that, the story turns to nail-biting anxiety as the ship quickly sinks. Heartbreaking tragedy follows when who lived and who died is revealed.
Dead Wake has no overly technical jargon or dull details. No one is painted as a villain. This is simply a great read that recreates a tragic historical event in remarkable detail. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys getting lost in another time and place, whether fictional or real. Any quibbles? Yes. Other than one map and one photograph of the Lusitania, the book contains no illustrations or pictures. The omission is disappointing.
I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.

Book Review of The Naturalist by Darrin Lunde

When Being a Passionate Preservationist Meant Shooting Lots of Stuff
Naturalists are hunters for science who collect biological specimens for display and skins for study. These early collectors made natural history available to the general populace and played a major role in turning the study into a serious scientific pursuit. In this well-researched book, author Darrin Lunde focuses on Theodore Roosevelt’s passion as a naturalist and his influence on early environmentalism in the United States. The biography concentrates on the years from Roosevelt’s birth to his great African safari after he left the White House, and describes the events and people in his life that turned him into an avid outdoorsman.
Roosevelt came to his love early. Although a sickly child, he grew up in a time of Victorian beliefs that a weak constitution can be overcome by manly pursuits. So with the blessing of his parents little Teddy spent many happy hours rambling through the outdoors, slaughtering animals to skin and stuff. (He became an expert taxidermist.) Roosevelt was a serious student of the natural world, even studying science in Harvard. His decision to enter politics was an economic one; natural scientists made a poor living. Throughout his life Roosevelt surrounded himself with scientists, cultivating their friendships, and later inviting many to the White House.
Nowadays, naturalists are readily identified as preservationists, but not in Roosevelt’s era. He shot hundreds of animals for collections, many whose numbers were already in decline. The rationale being it’s better to kill a good specimen before they’re all gone so people will know what they once looked like. Readers will be surprised to learn how many of his contributions are in collections of the American Museum of Natural History and Smithsonian.
How times have changed. One of the things I liked about this book is that it doesn’t sugarcoat. There is a weird horror in reading the number of animals killed during Roosevelt’s hunting trips and safaris, and yet he and others like him laid the foundation for both the National Park system and conservation movement. Perhaps Roosevelt’s greatest accomplishment was conveying his enthusiasm for the natural world to the general populace through his writings and collection of species for exhibit.
Another interesting aspect is how the notion of preservationist has changed over the years. Roosevelt had no qualms about hunting, even endangered species. He believed predation was a natural part of life. One of the reasons he gave for supporting nature preserves in the first place was so enough big game would be left for his son to shoot when he came of age. “Laws should so far as possible provide for the continued existence of the game in sufficient numbers to allow a reasonable amount of hunting on fair terms to any hardy and vigorous man.”
The book was enjoyable, giving a real flavor for not only the work of early naturalists, but life in the Victorian Age as well. (Victorians also believe nicotine helped asthma and I snickered over Lunde’s appalling description of wheezy little Teddy as a child smoking stogies in bed.) I recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Theodore Roosevelt, the Victorian Age, or natural history.

I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a review.