Book Review of Demon Inhibitions by Gary Starta

Synopsis:

Chasing a soul stealer in her reality, psychic investigator Caitlin Diggs inadvertently travels through a portal to another reality and witnesses her fugitive kill her alternate self in DEMON INHIBITIONS. Assuming her alternate's life as an agent of the FBI’s Preternatural Crime Division, Diggs believes her position might help her capture the soul stealer until she finds he may be part of a sinister terrorist plot to keep humans and demons living in segregation. A girl, whose singing inhibits the evil urges of demons, is on the terrorist’s hit list and Diggs will ultimately learn her fugitive is neither supernatural nor demon, but a genetically engineered hit man incapable of being enthralled.

Review:


Demon Inhibitions by Gary Starta
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

This is the third book in which Caitlin Diggs appears. This time as a P.I. rather than an FBI Agent. This is a fantastic paranormal mystery that intrigued me from the moment I read the blurb. I really enjoyed it!

Caitlin Diggs is a fascinating character. She is an ex-FBI agent turned psychic P.I. after an incident with a special crystal that gave her paranormal abilities. I really liked her, as she struggled to cope with her new-found talents. She is feisty and has a tendency to be rather reckless; I'm surprised she hadn't been kicked out of the FBI for it! Being pulled into an alternative reality, she finds herself thrown into a dangerous cat and mouse game with a sadistic and deranged killer.

Demon Inhibitions takes the reader through a magical portal into a alternative universe where demons, vampires, lycans and other paranormal beings live along side humans. This story grabbed me from the first page! There are some intriguing characters brought to life in this story. Caitlin's alternative self is not exactly the same person, as she has had different experiences, but their lives are very similar in other ways and is still an FBI Agent, working in the Preternatural Crime Division. However, when she is killed, Caitlin steps into her life to catch the killer.
I love my cat, but I would love a cat similar to Bastet. Who wouldn't want a cat that could change from a house cat to a panther, as a protector? There are also other paranormal beings that intrigued me; witches, incubi and a girl with the ability to tame the bloodlust of vampires and demons with song. The story has a few references to the previous book, Extreme Liquidation, which I have not read. I found these flashbacks (for lack of a better word) helpful, as they helped me understand why Caitlin acted a certain way in different situations, and how she came into her powers. The ending had me wondering if there was another book to come, as it did not finish on a cliffhanger. However, if there were to be another book, I would definitely love to read it!

Gary Starta has written a fantastic science fiction/paranormal mystery story that kept me hooked from beginning to end! I enjoyed his writing style, which flowed wonderfully. I look forward to reading more of his work in the future.

I recommend this book if you love science fiction or paranormal mystery genres. - Lynn Worton

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I am hosting : Waking Up Dead by Margo Bond Collins: December 2013

POST TITLE: Waking Up Dead by Margo Bond Collins: Book Blitz Tour (Copy paste the next section in its entirety into the body of your post) POST TITLE: Waking Up Dead by Margo Bond Collins: Book Blitz Tour (Copy paste the next section in its entirety into the body of your post)

whrere to reach us: fabulosityreads@gmail.com

When Dallas resident Callie Taylor died young, she expected to go to Heaven, or maybe Hell. Instead, when she met her fate early thanks to a creep with a knife and a mommy complex, she went to Alabama. Now she's witnessed another murder, and she's not about to let this one go. She's determined to help solve it before an innocent man goes to prison. And to answer the biggest question of all: why the hell did she wake up dead in Alabama?

As Molly straightened up, the man slipped the wire over her head and twisted it around her neck. She struggled, but he pulled the garrote tighter and tighter.
I was screaming at the top of my ghostly voice, for all the good it did me. I moved up behind the man and beat at his back with closed fists--fists that slipped in and out of his back without ever making real contact. He shuddered a little--clearly he was one of the very slightly sensitive ones--but he didn’t loosen his hands.
I reached up and tried to grab the wire, tried to pull against the pressure he was exerting on the wire and it did loosen for an instant. But only for an instant. The living have more control over solid objects than the dead do. I never resented that fact more than at that moment.
But I kept trying. I kept trying as Molly’s face turned purple, then blue, then black, kept trying even as she drooped in the man’s grip.
Then he loosened the wire and it was too late. I watched that wispy, light-on-fog life force slip out of Molly and move on to wherever it is that other people go when they die. I was glad she didn’t show up next to me as a full-blown ghost. At that moment, I wouldn’t have wished my impotent half-existence on anyone.
I couldn’t help thinking that if I’d been alive, I might have been able to save her.
If I could have cried real tears, I would have. As it was, I was sobbing hoarsely and calling the man every dirty name I could think of.
I was still cursing as I followed him around the kitchen. First he opened the pantry and pulled out a box of Hefty garbage bags. Then he grabbed a knife out of the block on the counter. And finally, he picked up Molly’s body and carried it to the bathroom.

Margo Bond Collins lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, several spoiled cats, and a ridiculous turtle. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters. Waking Up Dead is her first published novel. Her second novel, Legally Undead, is an urban fantasy, forthcoming in 2014 from World Weaver Press.

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Book Review of Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

Synopsis:

As a boy, William Bellman commits one small cruel act that appears to have unforeseen and terrible consequences. The killing of a rook with his catapult is soon forgotten amidst the riot of boyhood games. And by the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, he seems indeed, to be a man blessed by fortune.

Until tragedy strikes, and the stranger in black comes, and William Bellman starts to wonder if all his happiness is about to be eclipsed. Desperate to save the one precious thing he has left, he enters into a bargain. A rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner, to found a decidedly macabre business.

And Bellman & Black is born.

Review:


Bellman & Black: A Ghost Story by Diane Setterfield
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I love a good ghost story, so I was looking forward to reading this book. I loved it!

William Bellman is a fantastic character. He has an incredible mind (a genius in my opinion), that fascinated me. I liked this charismatic man very much. However, I wish that he wasn't such a workaholic!

This book is set in Victorian times, which was extremely interesting to me; I'm fascinated by how industrious and inventive they were. It follows the life of William Bellman; from his childhood and through adulthood. What intrigued me was the intricate detail the author went into to bring this story to life. The descriptions of the wool mill, the practices and the characters (including William) that worked there, from the young boys to the crotchety old dye hand were obviously very well researched. I found myself completely enthralled with the village and the hustle and bustle of daily life. As William gets older, tragedy strikes and he meets the mysterious Mr. Black. Thus begins a new chapter of William's new life, a business venture called Bellman & Black.

This is a book that I couldn't put down! I was completely fascinated by William, but I also wanted to give him a swift shake (or kick, depending on my mood!), to snap him out of his tunnel vision. Unfortunately, whether by circumstance or fate, his workaholic tendencies made him blind to other aspects of his life. I felt he never grieved properly for his family, and sorely neglected his daughter. However, this made him extremely human, rather than just a character in a book. The mysterious Mr. Black is an enigma and never really involved in the story, but the intrigue of his appearance and disappearance in William's life, gives the story a suspenseful twist. Rooks, ravens and crows figure a lot in this story, and each chapter ends with a tit bit of information about these birds. I found this most interesting and informative.

Diane Setterfield has written an intriguing story that I thoroughly enjoyed. However, although this book is meant to be a ghost story, I didn't find it very ghostly. I did find it to be a fascinating and suspenseful read, and would probably read another book by this author in the future.

I highly recommend this book if you love suspense or thriller genres. - Lynn Worton

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South African author Estelle Ryan with the second book in her Genevieve Lenard Series -- The Dante Connection

Welcome a fellow South African Estelle Ryan to my blog today!!!!

Estelle Ryan was born in South Africa and spent her childhood being surrounded by African beauty, nature and diversity of cultures. Her first trip to Europe at the tender age of 16 transformed her world into a much larger place, endless in its possibilities and places to explore. For most of her adulthood she's travelled all over the world, lived on a few continents, explored numerous cultures and is insatiable in the quest to still the hunger for more life experiences.

She's written for numerous international magazines, was the editor of a European lifestyle magazine and has seven out-of-print romance novels published under a pseudonym. With her interest in international politics, arts, crime, behavioural psychology, criminal psychology and music, she decided to combine all these elements in her writing. And so Genevieve and the team came into being.

She is an unabashed coffeeshopaholic. Good coffee, ambience and music in the perfect combination is all that is required to turn a mundane coffee shop into her 'office'. The appropriate coffee shop is chosen depending on the mood, the weather, the type and amount of work that needs to be done and, of course, the craving of the day. All of her books have been written in numerous coffee shops all over the world.

Click on the pic to go to Amazon to get your copy today. 

Publication Date: February 24, 2013

Art theft. Coded messages. A high-level threat.

Despite her initial disbelief, Doctor Genevieve Lenard discovers that she is the key that connects stolen works of art, ciphers and sinister threats. 
Betrayed by the people who called themselves her friends, Genevieve throws herself into her insurance investigation job with autistic single-mindedness. When hacker Francine appears beaten and bloodied on her doorstep, begging for her help, Genevieve is forced to get past the hurt of her friends' abandonment and team up with them to find the perpetrators. 
Little does she know that it will take her on a journey through not one, but two twisted minds to discover the true target of their mysterious messages. It will take all her personal strength and knowledge as a nonverbal communications expert to overcome fears that could cost not only her life, but the lives of many others.
My review
The Dante Connection
By
Estelle Ryan
I did not read the first book in the series -- usually that for me would be a problem since I keep feeling as if I am missing some information. I give credit to this author for making this book read as a standalone without making the reader feel as if they are missing something.


So I kept on reading with some trepidation. Flash fiction is not my first choice.
Soon however Genevieve had me under her spell. The plot line became clear and unique and even though the author made liberal use of the term fiction regarding Interpol it worked as a whole.

The plot is fast moving, the story enjoyable and the writing style especially concerning Genevieve one I loved.

I did not read the first book in the series -- usually that for me would be a problem since I keep feeling as if I am missing some information. I give credit to this author for making this book read as a standalone without making the reader feel as if they are missing something.

So I kept on reading with some trepidation. Flash fiction is not my first choice.
Soon however Genevieve had me under her spell. The plot line became clear and unique and even though the author made liberal use of the term fiction regarding Interpol it worked as a whole.

The plot is fast moving, the story enjoyable and the writing style especially concerning Genevieve one I loved.


So I kept on reading with some trepidation. Flash fiction is not my first choice.
Soon however Genevieve had me under her spell. The plot line became clear and unique and even though the author made liberal use of the term fiction regarding Interpol it worked as a whole.

The plot is fast moving, the story enjoyable and the writing style especially concerning Genevieve one I loved.

So I kept on reading with some trepidation. Flash fiction is not my first choice.
Soon however Genevieve had me under her spell. The plot line became clear and unique and even though the author made liberal use of the term fiction regarding Interpol it worked as a whole.
The plot is fast moving, the story enjoyable and the writing style especially concerning Genevieve one I loved.

The plot is fast moving, the story enjoyable and the writing style especially concerning Genevieve one I loved.

When I started this book it reminded me a bit much of Dan Brown. Then the main protagonist -- Genevieve was introduced and she reminded me of a female version of Monk. 

The ragga bunch of specialists all has their unique voice and I ended up really loving to get back to the story to read more. For me, that sense of I need to read more is possibly the biggest compliment to an author.

WaAr

As luck will have it her first book in the series is currently free on Amazon.  Hit the pic to pick up your free copy today.

Book Review of Perfection Unleashed (Book 1 of the Double Helix series) by Jade Kerrion

Synopsis:

What would you do if you came face-to-face with perfection, and it looked just like you?

Two men, one face. One man seeks to embrace destiny, the other to escape it.

Danyael Sabre spent sixteen years clawing out of the ruins of his childhood and finally has everything he wanted--a career, a home, and a trusted friend. To hold on to them, he keeps his head down and plays by the rules. An alpha empath, he is powerful in a world transformed by the Genetic Revolution, yet his experience has taught him to avoid attention.

When the perfect human being, Galahad, escapes from Pioneer Laboratories, the illusory peace between humans and their derivatives--the in vitros, clones, and mutants--collapses into social upheaval. The abominations, deformed and distorted mirrors of humanity, created unintentionally in Pioneer Lab's search for perfection, descend upon Washington D.C. The first era of the Genetic Revolution was peaceful. The second is headed for open war.

Although the genetic future of the human race pivots on Galahad, Danyael does not feel compelled to get involved and risk his cover of anonymity, until he finds out that the perfect human being looks just like him.

Review:


Perfection Unleashed by Jade Kerrion
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book from the author in return for an honest review.

I love science fiction, so when I was offered a chance to read this book, I grabbed it with both hands. I'm glad I did, because I loved it!

Galahad is a fantastic character. He is the perfect human - good looking, strong, agile, virile and a powerful weapon. However, he is also a lab rat, with no rights to living his own life. I really felt for this character, as although created in a lab, he is still human. I liked him very much.

Danyael Sabre is also a fantastic character. He is a doctor, but he is also an alpha empath - a mutant born from human parents. He is incredibly powerful. This is a man living on the edge of a knife. I really felt for him, because if he let go of his shields, people had a tendency to die.

This is a fantastic story! I was sucked in from the first page! I felt like I was really there, because the descriptions of the scenes were vivid. The story is told from several points of view, which gave it a movie like feel. I can easily see this on the big screen! I think it could give the X-Men a run for it's money! The characters came alive on the page, and I could feel their emotions as they dealt with some serious issues. This story is set in a world very much like ours, but with a few differences; so it could be a different dimension, or the future in which in vitro's, clones and mutants are either tolerated or hated in equal measure, but not really accepted. However, what made this story so intriguing to me was the inhumanity shown by the so-called humans towards those who are different. Their attitudes made me shudder! There are twists and turns in the story that surprised and delighted me, but there were some that were rather dark and disturbing. This is one thrilling ride! I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Jade Kerrion has written an exciting science fiction story that takes the idea of manipulation of genetics to the next level. I loved the way the story flowed; I am just sorry that it has taken me so long to get to this book.

I highly recommend this story if you love science fiction. - Lynn Worton

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14

By Peter Clines

Click on the cover to take you to Amazon purchase link

14

By Peter Clines

Narrated by Ray Porter

Date 2012

Length 12 hr. 34 min. 48 sec.

Let us start with the narrator.  This is a professional.  From the get go the reader was absolutely sure who in the book was busy speaking at any given moment.  His pacing and his cadence was expertly done and intrigued and never ever bored or annoyed.  Brilliant.  5 * job.

Cover. 

I buy books based on covers or known authors.  I fell in love with this cover and only read the blurb while I was already listening to the audio book.  So according to me the cover is 5*

Characters. 

A good mix of mostly everyday people with no special talents or extra sensory perception was refreshing.  Given Tim could do a few things the average Joe cannot but then so could Veek.  I fell in love with the characters and the author threw me for a loop with one of them turning out to be other than I figured. 

World building.

Amazing.  Need I say more?

Plot line.

Fresh, new, familiar enough to be comfortable and in that lies the crux.  It is this same familiarity that drew me in thinking…ok so the fuss is?  By the time the fuss is explained I was already hooked and could not put the book down.  I did not want to put the book down.  Amazing story. 

So to recap.

If you are looking for a thriller written by a master in the genre this is the book for you. 

If you love plot twists and unexpected happenings, this is the book for you. 

If you, like me, love an ending that is neatly wrapped and done then this is the book for you. 

So.  What are you waiting for?

WaAr

A Cat Called Dog by Jem Vanston

Click on the pic to go to Amazon! And yes YOU WANT TO!!

Blurb
Against his better instincts, George, an old ginger tom, decides to take on the enormous task of teaching the confused kitten how to behave like a proper cat. In the company of the cheeky Eric, the mysterious and exotic Francois and the elegant Miss Fifi, George commences his teaching of the cat curriculum, including lessons on the feline 'Holy Trinity': eating, sleeping and washing. 

But things do not go smoothly. Maybe Dog will find it impossible to change and unlearn all his bad habits?


A Cat Called Dog is an entertaining, funny and heart-warming novel that is all about cats and what they get up to when you're not looking! It is as wonderfully arch and droll and the memorable cat characters themselves, with some gloriously witty dialogue and scenes. 

It could also be seen as a mild satire on human nature, riddled with subtexts, dealing with issues of identity, loyalty, betrayal, trust and friendship - like Animal Farm, with cats!
Against his better instincts, George, an old ginger tom, decides to take on the enormous task of teaching the confused kitten how to behave like a proper cat. In the company of the cheeky Eric, the mysterious and exotic Francois and the elegant Miss Fifi, George commences his teaching of the cat curriculum, including lessons on the feline 'Holy Trinity': eating, sleeping and washing. 
But things do not go smoothly. Maybe Dog will find it impossible to change and unlearn all his bad habits?


A Cat Called Dog is an entertaining, funny and heart-warming novel that is all about cats and what they get up to when you're not looking! It is as wonderfully arch and droll and the memorable cat characters themselves, with some gloriously witty dialogue and scenes. 

It could also be seen as a mild satire on human nature, riddled with subtexts, dealing with issues of identity, loyalty, betrayal, trust and friendship - like Animal Farm, with cats!
But things do not go smoothly. Maybe Dog will find it impossible to change and unlearn all his bad habits?

A Cat Called Dog is an entertaining, funny and heart-warming novel that is all about cats and what they get up to when you're not looking! It is as wonderfully arch and droll and the memorable cat characters themselves, with some gloriously witty dialogue and scenes. 

It could also be seen as a mild satire on human nature, riddled with subtexts, dealing with issues of identity, loyalty, betrayal, trust and friendship - like Animal Farm, with cats!
A Cat Called Dog is an entertaining, funny and heart-warming novel that is all about cats and what they get up to when you're not looking! It is as wonderfully arch and droll and the memorable cat characters themselves, with some gloriously witty dialogue and scenes. 

It could also be seen as a mild satire on human nature, riddled with subtexts, dealing with issues of identity, loyalty, betrayal, trust and friendship - like Animal Farm, with cats!
A Cat Called Dog is an entertaining, funny and heart-warming novel that is all about cats and what they get up to when you're not looking! It is as wonderfully arch and droll and the memorable cat characters themselves, with some gloriously witty dialogue and scenes. 
It could also be seen as a mild satire on human nature, riddled with subtexts, dealing with issues of identity, loyalty, betrayal, trust and friendship - like Animal Farm, with cats!
It could also be seen as a mild satire on human nature, riddled with subtexts, dealing with issues of identity, loyalty, betrayal, trust and friendship - like Animal Farm, with cats!

My Review
A Cat called Dog

Dog is a cat - the only problem is he doesn't behave like one. Instead he wags his tail, sticks out his tongue and yaps in a manner distinctly puppyish. Something has to be done; the pride of cats is at stake!

This is one of the sweetest books I have ever read.

Being an animal person and not a people's person this book immediately appealed to me.  Being a dog person and not a cat person made Dog my absolute hero.

With a cast like this who can complain.  Dog needs to be more feline but he grew up with puppies.  Eric needs manners but he believes he is only an alley cat.  George needs to save his two-leg person but she disappointed him so severely that he gives up on the two-leg hairless race all together.

That is part of the plot.  The sweetness came to its full force in the Cat Holy Trinity.  Dog's willingness to learn and the way the author took cat behavior and wrote an enchanting story around it. 

I guess it was meant for the younger spectrum of readers.   Personally I will recommend it to all.  It is sweet, it is expertly written and it had me hooked.  I was so enchanted with the book that I convinced a friend of mine to purchase a copy even before I even finished it.  So now that I am done…believe me - you want to read this book.

I put it on text-to-speech on Kindle for my mother to listen to as well.  At the age of 78 she promptly claimed that this is an amazing book.  So it really does transcend all age groups.  Now.  Again.  Get your copy.

WaAr