Reviews by Mallory A. Haws On Goodreads, Amazon. In top 1% of Goodreads reviewers.
Thursday, January 29, 2015
REVIEW: THE LAMPLIGHTERS by Frazer Lee
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
REVIEW: STATE OF MIND by Lawrence Gold
Review: THE SALT ROADS by Nalo Hopkinson
Review: JACK IN THE GREEN by Frazer Lee
Monday, January 26, 2015
Tour: THEY CALL ME CRAZY by Kelly Stone Gamble
Cass Adams is crazy, and everyone in Deacon, Kansas, knows it. But when her good-for-nothing husband, Roland, goes missing, no one suspects that Cass buried him in their unfinished koi pond. Too bad he doesn’t stay there for long. Cass gets arrested on the banks of the Spring River for dumping his corpse after heavy rain partially unearths it.
The police chief wants a quick verdict—he’s running for sheriff and has no time for crazy talk.But like Roland’s corpse, secrets start to surface, and they bring more to light than anybodyexpected. Everyone in Cass’s life thinks they know her—her psychic grandmother, herpromiscuous ex-best friend, her worm-farming brother-in-law, and maybe even her local ghost. But after years of separate silences, no one knows the whole truth. Except Roland. And he’s not talking.
TWCS Cover Reveal: SHADOWS HAVE GONE by Lissa Bryan (BOOK 3, ALL THINGS SERIES)
PRESENTS. . .
A Cover Reveal for
Shadows Have Gone
Book 3 of End of All Things Series
by Lissa Bryan
Release Date: March 26 , 2015
Published by The Writers Coffee Shop
~~SUMMARY~~
Carly Daniels knows what it is to suffer loss. She knows what it is to sacrifice. In the two years since a pandemic virus—known only as the Infection—decimated humanity, she’s made choices she never could have imagined. She’s condoned violence in the name of peace and done the unthinkable in the name of mercy. But with Justin at her side, she’s also learned there’s nothing she can’t face and nothing she wouldn’t do to protect those she loves.
But now another threat has arrived in the form of a uniformed man driving an army truck, claiming to represent the remnant of the United States military. Someone has set their sights on their community . . . and on Justin. The struggle to defend their little homeland is far from over, and the visitors may have brought more danger with them than just their weapons.
The shadows are closing in. Carly has to find out whether she has the strength to stand on her own when all of her support has fallen away. What remains when the shadows have gone?
~~EXCERPT~~
For the first time since he had been brought in the clinic, Sarah got a good, long look at him. She noted the perfect blond hair that fell on the side of his face—matted but still perfect. His features were rather forbidding, even in his unconscious state. The defined jawline framed well-proportioned lips that were pale and parted slightly. The suggestion of dimples on either cheek made her ache to see him smile. Then there were the long, dark eyelashes and the contoured nose, all coming together to create a striking, attractive package that kept her eyes glued to his face.
Her heart began to race. What is wrong with me? Shaking off another wave of nausea, Sarah closed her eyes and concentrated on breathing. Her knees weakened underneath her, but she kept on inhaling and exhaling. A few more minutes and it would be over.
In her short life, Sarah hadn’t met a man who evoked the well–documented “butterflies-in-the-stomach” phenomenon. Now here she was, staring at a complete stranger with her heart banging against her chest in a frenzy. This man was just too perfect, too beautiful almost. She was even gladder she’d managed to keep him alive. He’d make a woman happy someday, if he hadn’t already. Instinct made her eyes travel to the man’s ring finger, and her heart skipped when she found it bare.
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~~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~~
Lissa Bryan is an astronaut, renowned Kabuki actress, Olympic pole vault gold medalist, Iron Chef champion, and scientist who recently discovered the cure for athlete's foot...though only in her head. Real life isn't so interesting, which is why she spends most of her time writing.
She is the author of four other novels, Ghostwriter, The End of All Things, its sequel, The Land of the Shadows, and Under These Restless Skies.
~~CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR~~
Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Website
~~OTHER TITLES IN THE SERIES~~
Ī©
The End of All Things Book 1
After a terrible virus ravages the planet, Carly Daniels, one of the few survivors, hides in her apartment in Juneau trying to survive the best she can with only occasional forays to gather food. With her is Sam, a wolf puppy she found starving on the streets. He becomes her companion and a reason to continue when giving up sometimes seems like the more attractive option. Still dazed with shock and grief, she hopes for the world to go back to normal soon.
She is discovered by Justin, an ex-soldier who is intent on making his way to Florida before the winter sets in. Justin coaxes her out of her hiding place and convinces her to join him on his journey, because a warmer climate will be their best chance against the extremes of Mother Nature.
Together, they begin a perilous journey through a nation laid to waste by the disaster. Challenges abound along the way. The weather, injury, and shortage of supplies all help to slow them down. In time, they discover that they aren’t the only survivors. Some are friendly but some have had their minds destroyed by the high fever. Then there are those who simply take what they want, leaving Carly and Justin with no choice but to defend what is theirs.
But their journey is not without joy and love. Together, they face every struggle, including an unplanned pregnancy. Despite the perils of bringing a child into a world of chaos, their baby is a new beginning for themselves and a symbol of hope for the other survivors they find along the way.
This is the story of their journey to find a place to begin a new life, and a home in each other.
Ī©
Tales from the End Book 1.5
The Horsemen
L.A.'s mayor has declared quarantine to try to halt the spread of the Infection. Pearl sets off across the city to buy supplies, but already the world is changing. Something strange is in the air. The Horsemen are coming ...Veronica
When Veronica's mother doesn't come home from work and no one answers the phone when she calls for help, a nine-year-old girl is thrown into the chaos of a world coming to an end. Veronica decides it's up to her to find her family. "Veronica" is the story of a little girl's courage in the face of the end of all things.
"I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud"
They called her Shadowfax-- the mare Carly and Justin found on their travels. But before she was found by Carly, the retired dressage horse was known as Cloud. An unusual tale of the end, told through the eyes of a confused and lonely horse, left in her pasture.
Birthday
(A previously-published bonus story.) Carly knows Justin has never celebrated his birthday, and after society crumbled, no one knows what date it is, anyway. But she wants to do something special for him. Celebrating the little things helps them keep hope alive, and as a blizzard rages outside, a small gesture of love warms their home.
Tales of courage, tales of survival... Tales from the End.
Ī©
The Land of The Shadow Book 2
After surviving the Infection and a perilous journey through the wasteland that was once the United States,Carly and Justin have found a safe home in the isolated town of Colby.Even so, balancing the duties of survival and a growing family isn’t easy. As they emerge as leaders, they face difficult questions about justice in a lawless land, basic human rights, and freedom in a world where strength defines worth. More than ever, they have to rely on one another for strength and support during the darkest of times.
The Crisis is far from over. Their fences won’t keep the world out forever, and a new threat is emerging—a gang of predators who see the town as easy pickings. When danger looms over Colby, Carly must decide how far she’ll go to protect those she loves.
It’s a journey down the long and broken road through The Land of the Shadow.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Temporary Reviewing Slowdown
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Review: A NEW DAY IN ANERICA by Theo Gangl
Tour: HALF DEAD & FULLY BROKEN by Kevin Craig
Half Dead & Fully Broken, by Kevin Craig
Genre: young-adult, contemporary-fantasy
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Date of Release: January 19, 2015
Cover Artist: Eugene Teplitsky
Find Online: Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Description:
Carter Colby is the most unpopular teen at Jefferson High. This would be easier to deal with if his identical twin brother, Marcus, weren’t the hottest, most popular boy in school.
When Marcus is killed in a motorcycle accident, Carter discovers the one thing more painful than trying to compete with Mr. Wonderful: wearing his dead brother’s face. He felt invisible before the accident, but with Marcus dead, everybody turns away from him in mourning. How can he blame them? He can’t bear to look in the mirror.
When Carter begins to see Marcus’ ghost, Mr. Wonderful’s quest to save the world and spread happiness may not be over after all, even in death. Marcus knows that Justin Dewar, the boy who drove the truck that crashed into his motorbike, is struggling with the guilt of taking a life. Melanie, Marcus’ mourning girlfriend, was also hit hard by the tragedy. Marcus wants to make things right before it’s too late.
With Marcus’ help, Carter experiences love and friendship for the first time in his life. But is Mr. Wonderful’s helping hand enough for Carter, Melanie, and Justin - three kids fully broken by the tragedy - to save one another?
About The Author:
Kevin Craig is the author of four previous novels; Burn Baby, Burn Baby, Summer on Fire, Sebastian’s Poet, and The Reasons. He is a 4-time winner of the Muskoka Novel Marathon’s Best Novel Award. Kevin is also a playwright and has had eight 10-minute plays produced. His poetry, short stories, memoir and articles have been published internationally. Kevin was a founding member of the Ontario Writers’ Conference and a long-time member of the Writers’ Community of Durham Region (WCDR). He is represented by literary agent Stacey Donaghy of Donaghy Literary Group.
Find Kevin Craig Online:
Review:
HALF DEAD & FULLY BROKEN by Kevin Craig
Review: BLOOD INFERNAL by James Robbins and Rebecca Cantrell (ORDER OF THE SANGUINES, #3)
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Review: KICKBACK (DI NICK DIXON CRIME SERIES #3) by Damien Boyd
Review: KICKBACK by Damian Boyd (DI NICK DIXON #3) Possibly the best yet in this quite engrossing series, Detective Inspector Nick Dixon of Avon and Somerset Police is inadvertently drawn into a domestic hostage situation, and from that into the death of a young stable lad which had already been ruled accidental. As he peels away layers of deception, DI Dixon gets an education in horse racing, betting, and potential crimes associated with this activity. Once again, the final denouement surprises and enlightens Dixon and his crew--and will readers as well.
Review: HEAD IN THE SAND (DI NICK DIXON CRIME SERIES #2) by Damien Boyd
Review: HEAD IN THE SAND by Damien Boyd Surprisingly, the figure of speech is literal, blazingly so. Author Damian Boyd gives Avon and Somerset Police Detective Inspector Nick Dixon a massively convoluted, crimes-in-different-eras, gritty noirish case to unravel. As his off-scene relationship with Detective Constable Jane Winter deepens, Dixon is tasked with a series of inexplicable crimes, and troubled by his diabetes.
Review: AS THE CROW FLIES by Damien Boyd (DI NICK DIXON CRIME SERIES #1)
Review: AS THE CROW FLIES by Damien Boyd (DI Nick Dixon #1) First in a series, AS THE CROW FLIES introduces amiable yet diligent hero-protagonist Nick Dixon, returned to his boyhood region after some years with London Metropolitan Police. Now with Avon and Somerset Police, Dixon is fitting himself into the department and handling his own case load, when he is tasked by the bereaved parents of a climbing buddy from his younger days, who has just died in a cliff fall while preparing for a new ascent. What appears to be accident, may or may not be, but Dixon, who has the perseverance of a wolverine beneath that amiable and personable demeanor, will discover the facts; and the answers will really surprise readers.
Review: THE SAME SKY by Amanda Eyre Ward. Release
REVIEW: THE SAME SKY by Amanda Eyre Ward A heart-wrenchingly poignant novel of two families, a broken family in Honduras, struggling to survive, let alone to thrive, and a happily married, busy, couple in Texas, THE SAME SKY is a novel unlikely to leave readers with dry eyes. 40-year old Alice wants to adopt, but that is a path strewn with obstacles like broken stones. Carla is a child in Honduras, only five when her mother pays a "coyote" for illicit transport to the States, to.work in a Texas restaurant kitchen. Carla and her younger twin half-brothers are.raised by their grandmother, who dies when Carla is thirteen. The path Carla takes from here on is fraught and troublesome, but in the end demonstrates that we are all siblings beneath the skin and brothers and sisters under the same sky.