tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56282491652481794572024-03-13T01:21:43.145-04:00Michelle's Waking Dreams BlogWriting, reviewing speculative fiction, and other story telling misc.Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.comBlogger383125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-48685652275860431932023-08-26T22:14:00.001-04:002023-08-26T22:51:33.108-04:00New Release!<p>My story "Starlight and the Dire Child," appears alongside great short stories featuring evil cats, apprehensive unicorns, and Good Boys who just want to dig a hole. Oh, and a satyr x goblin meet-cute. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/44uk5CO" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1383" data-original-width="1500" height="531" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjGnmQagVg6jzrSsx6yK1RA0vLYVAfsN9yPkhX8NuGE9hCwLF51sVEknBV9oxUUAjhUBdwwtc_6HjT-p-W1qBEWtmI69w3M7Z0vNpGqHOe0aRU3-zmWoLF_sQtT2vF9Ng8Z9LgyAuNL0ymBddeKWD2dWPA0L3dMs2XbDxUx-qzt5ZE_l7_sdDYwFwSWk/w577-h531/bwapcover.png" width="577"></a></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a href="https://amzn.to/44uk5CO">By Wing and Paw: A Story Valley Anthology</a></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">In fantasy, creatures are often kept on the sidelines, supporting heroes and villains with their backs for riding or their teeth for biting foes. But these creatures have their own minds, too. They see these fantastic worlds with whole other colors and wonders than does humanity.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">These stories are told from the eyes and hearts of inhuman creatures as battles are waged, as dreams are sought out, as nefarious ambitions are satisfied, and as worlds are explored on their wings and paws.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">This collection of nine stories, written by the writers of Story Valley for their first ever anthology, is filled with wonder and intrigue and even a bit of darkness. Enter, and live and breathe with creatures fantastical.</span></p><p><br></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSzjc0xrDn4_QbvZ7hdPpj1Y67xwDXPFQf8vI5OvZnF_RF7QZb1cZsp7vA5np6NeCfKOufg6aVmCbhiRXDdoTkMF_SPG9zTZHaWbibzdMmw6qQuULaQvAKxauB9t2MpbQATcy3HhV1etKgWLeolVhpJkaaJvf3j8MLZbtpGGNuhQugpf3NavSX4rJgiA/s800/Newsletter%20Divider%20dark%20turquoise%20005c59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="57" data-original-width="800" height="23" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSzjc0xrDn4_QbvZ7hdPpj1Y67xwDXPFQf8vI5OvZnF_RF7QZb1cZsp7vA5np6NeCfKOufg6aVmCbhiRXDdoTkMF_SPG9zTZHaWbibzdMmw6qQuULaQvAKxauB9t2MpbQATcy3HhV1etKgWLeolVhpJkaaJvf3j8MLZbtpGGNuhQugpf3NavSX4rJgiA/s320/Newsletter%20Divider%20dark%20turquoise%20005c59.png" width="320"></a></div><p></p>Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-1192988660768091732023-01-16T14:02:00.006-05:002023-01-16T14:06:54.732-05:00<p>A round-up of my favorite stories in 2022!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_6nf1YiorUlz5pv9DY9TrMI_55u8e-U9zFb2vXTFce-DF1FRmv6xt7Jg7j0vL0jingsGqGQ5QCNm2vtcJKv5y4BT_dHUjNcRosztl8iUyzawDbExtUDkX4Gdo3gN9NKHMDuDKXF1i-XvoSRqgkYM82y-fdhuhzkJ5dP4sxm6qLHHDBNz2V_VMAph/s368/holtondome-cover-book-ereader.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="368" data-original-width="368" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG_6nf1YiorUlz5pv9DY9TrMI_55u8e-U9zFb2vXTFce-DF1FRmv6xt7Jg7j0vL0jingsGqGQ5QCNm2vtcJKv5y4BT_dHUjNcRosztl8iUyzawDbExtUDkX4Gdo3gN9NKHMDuDKXF1i-XvoSRqgkYM82y-fdhuhzkJ5dP4sxm6qLHHDBNz2V_VMAph/s320/holtondome-cover-book-ereader.webp" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Wf5B5I">One Man's Trash by Ryan Southwick</a></span></p><p><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">Quite an enjoyable, cozy science fiction romance, a perfect treat for yourself or a friend for the holidays, or any time of the year. Southwick writes both Croft and Maria's perspective with equal fervor and empathy, with each character's thoughts unraveling like their own sweet mysteries. Science Fiction lovers will be endeared to not only to the romance, but to the hard-scifi feel of the space dock setting and the AI themes, with a dash of space adventure and ancient mystery thrown in. Everything fits together so naturally, from the character dialogue, to the cleaner robots who love Croft, to Maria's relationship talk with a true AI. I would hand this book to my teen to read, as it is fairly family friendly while also displaying a mature level of emotional IQ. Looking forward to reading more by Ryan Southwick!<br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCxfL9tVJXTPsP9nDIPD73Sinj7wBHKholmZ3v6kOmBd9jWNlOU0kWKz7FMf6R78l8lbVAGlx2yiQp1t6I4R3ZCS8gAXOwnxoTC8Z2TW4UrdNez_nMWk6n7sVf6QYobJKSXleRKXJZMP0c4xhDKDMEoE6r6eLajmCa-cTYcuyI5_W5cCKFA_Ovp0C/s2525/lucas%20hale.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2525" data-original-width="1587" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQCxfL9tVJXTPsP9nDIPD73Sinj7wBHKholmZ3v6kOmBd9jWNlOU0kWKz7FMf6R78l8lbVAGlx2yiQp1t6I4R3ZCS8gAXOwnxoTC8Z2TW4UrdNez_nMWk6n7sVf6QYobJKSXleRKXJZMP0c4xhDKDMEoE6r6eLajmCa-cTYcuyI5_W5cCKFA_Ovp0C/s320/lucas%20hale.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ZDaF6T">"Lucas Hale and the Founder's Key"</a> is a promising start for this break-out fantasy series. While fans of Harry Potter will find much to love in the magic school with competing houses, Ratliff's writing has its own unique flavor. Great characterization draws readers in from page one, and a unique multi-world backstory enhances the comfortable backdrop of familiar genre tropes. This coming-of-age story is solid entertainment. While sometimes I wished that 13yos were smarter, I also found their decisions distressingly realistic and in character, without making the protagonists out to be morons. Somebody put a tracker on my tweens, stat! Seriously, though. Ratliff does a good job showing how powerless young teens can be in a world of adults, while still showcasing Lucas' agency and growth.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JTjDN0a7Qh1FnP1xLhrOFBiYMlO2tfeuKg4i0T1kG9aqfBvktfisrkDpMN6EiFUpVremCREvJBZ8aaF7vUkCw5FFWCS2f4OI2WFsWrSbzp4u2V-eJmEVjxIWJZXUSVdWMC_qWAjL3mkLXMELJZk1Kbv16aZ8_IuxqR6MUXQctJFYuDB3zWQTIM7d/s1524/literallydead.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1524" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7JTjDN0a7Qh1FnP1xLhrOFBiYMlO2tfeuKg4i0T1kG9aqfBvktfisrkDpMN6EiFUpVremCREvJBZ8aaF7vUkCw5FFWCS2f4OI2WFsWrSbzp4u2V-eJmEVjxIWJZXUSVdWMC_qWAjL3mkLXMELJZk1Kbv16aZ8_IuxqR6MUXQctJFYuDB3zWQTIM7d/s320/literallydead.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://amzn.to/3kk1Iz4" style="font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Literally Dead</a><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">anthology: </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">"The Ghost Lake Mermaid" brings Alethea Kontis' unique flair to this anthology. Great characters, engaging visuals, and solid storytelling. A fierce narrative exploring the unfairness of life, and the hope that the living might yet address the wrongs of the past--and thereby the present, and the future.</span></span></span><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89P0b1hjYUMTk8mk1ssyiEEsfpO6eh1Z7w_3mTmeGgl7u6_e76rnbAGc9IUsxbBcywz3Spj_eCN9ih8ni2AfBSaPERTNLvehGWo0gbFVJrp6Mr_-bK4tXH14BtVL09_Xu1MatTVX19PShMTjEryBc1smNP6pMgKZoUIvXU5AfC8VdJjaesDXDnW1P/s500/shattering%20the%20glass%20slipper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="315" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj89P0b1hjYUMTk8mk1ssyiEEsfpO6eh1Z7w_3mTmeGgl7u6_e76rnbAGc9IUsxbBcywz3Spj_eCN9ih8ni2AfBSaPERTNLvehGWo0gbFVJrp6Mr_-bK4tXH14BtVL09_Xu1MatTVX19PShMTjEryBc1smNP6pMgKZoUIvXU5AfC8VdJjaesDXDnW1P/s320/shattering%20the%20glass%20slipper.jpg" width="202" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3iIF7vG">Shattering the Glass Slipper</a> anthology: "Dear Auntie Star" by Alethea Kontis is a wonderfully feminist fantasy that will make you feel the cruel weight of obsessed evil, the battering of the soul as we stand in its storm, and the bliss of freedom when the storm finally snuffs out.</span><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_obtPNm--DVI0qLOXW4inzR9ZETjyT_5P4iUfL5QBMqy3ogsCbZLSopJmqC6xZXqNJK0jX6rNn25cy9k9YQee-lwFozem_s5AtcojHQn4v93q98Rg6oboFMklY5y2DFbtPhwzdru-vUS3OVXTGPNOAaKlEpdLDbYBHrnbaUfJmU20Zopxcvfsn7E/s500/itwasthebest.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="357" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip_obtPNm--DVI0qLOXW4inzR9ZETjyT_5P4iUfL5QBMqy3ogsCbZLSopJmqC6xZXqNJK0jX6rNn25cy9k9YQee-lwFozem_s5AtcojHQn4v93q98Rg6oboFMklY5y2DFbtPhwzdru-vUS3OVXTGPNOAaKlEpdLDbYBHrnbaUfJmU20Zopxcvfsn7E/s320/itwasthebest.jpg" width="228" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white;"><span face="Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br />"<a href="https://amzn.to/3IUCHEW">It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer's Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences</a>" by June Casagrande.</span></span><br /></span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;">Maybe you look at a passage of your work and you know it's a little boring, and you want to understand why. Maybe you get comments from readers saying that sentences are "too long," which is code for clunky, confusing, or full of filler words. For me, I have always enjoyed grammar, but it had been a while and I had never read an entire book about grammar aimed at writers. This book addresses some of the common advice you will hear and explains it more in-depth. I found the book entertaining, so I still enjoyed the sections that covered issues I already knew. I appreciated the moderate opinion, the understanding that these rules are not absolutes. I also enjoyed the sample sentences with sample edits. I'm calling it a refresher on grammar because I feel that if you don't already know many of these terms, the use of them will be overwhelming.</span><p></p></div></div>Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-81027116050919852862021-04-19T15:26:00.001-04:002021-04-19T15:26:38.986-04:00Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune<p>This uplifting tale of found family will restore your faith in humanity, and in your own power to work good in an imperfect world.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLrFWpw-wYxARB2_FME74NTg4QtmbKgCCoRAa_xCyHDd0f86dH9Fk02Vk_u1BZd8NbnaKHeD0Joz37Ir_82G6HF8_uSnZ_nhN1i2mDEck8O0Cm3SYGn_pVOc4bSj_sWOvHZ6ldE15ShY/s750/houseceruleansea-rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="750" data-original-width="500" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLrFWpw-wYxARB2_FME74NTg4QtmbKgCCoRAa_xCyHDd0f86dH9Fk02Vk_u1BZd8NbnaKHeD0Joz37Ir_82G6HF8_uSnZ_nhN1i2mDEck8O0Cm3SYGn_pVOc4bSj_sWOvHZ6ldE15ShY/w321-h482/houseceruleansea-rev.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://amzn.to/3r6ZyQU">The House in the Cerulean Sea</a> by TJ Klune</div><p></p><p>One thing I found wonderfully unique compared to other found-family stories is how it follows the perspective of a parent-figure protecting children. While a coming-of-age story where young adults connect with peers can be wonderful, as a mother with children of a certain age, I found much more in common with middle-aged Linus and his sense of inviolate responsibility for the children in the orphanages he inspects.</p><p>Ah, Linus. Before we even get a hint of the found family, we're sold on our wonderful main character. T.J. Klune starts readers with Linus on the job, inspecting an orphanage for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth, watching a child levitate bricks. Immediately, we see that the Department itself has its bureaucratic, soul-crushing flaws, flaws that Linus dare not recognize because that would question his entire purpose in life, but that Linus himself cares deeply for the children. This makes him perfectly suited to his job, yet at the same time, also causes him to clash with his boss and workmates.</p><p>Linus' position at work is ultimately untenable, despite the fact that he thrives on rules. When the Department hands him a top-secret assignment above his paygrade, perhaps his worst fear will come to fruition, and the mission will end with the termination of his employment--or, perhaps he will discover that the loss of his job is not his worst fear after all. For someone who cares so deeply about the children, it can't be.</p><p>The emotional depth of this story makes me thrilled to call it a slow-burn romance (M/M). The way both men put the kids absolutely first speaks volumes to their character. They have a job to do, one more prescient than the romantic attraction of two strangers who have just met. Both men protect their hearts, needing to check, first, that the other is a trustworthy partner. This is especially true for Arthur, the master of the top-secret orphanage Linus inspects. I don't want to give too much away about Arthur because remains a bit of a mystery for most of the book. And for Linus, even as he hopes that Arthur's intentions for the children are good, it's the results that matter, results that can be difficult to measure when dealing with magically powerful children from troubled backgrounds.</p><p>And did I mention that one of the children is the son of Satan? This wholesome fantasy, with its perfect touch of oddball humor, will have readers begging for more.</p><p>Find T. J. Klune on <a href="https://twitter.com/tjklune">Twitter</a>, and on his website, <a href="http://www.tjklunebooks.com/">http://www.tjklunebooks.com/</a></p><p>Check out T. J. Klune's upcoming release for Fall 2021, <a href="https://amzn.to/2QrmVs0">Under the Whispering Door</a></p><p><br /></p>Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-50632955759585458622021-03-01T09:40:00.028-05:002021-03-01T09:48:26.798-05:00Review: The Islevale Cycle by D.B. Jackson (@DBJackson)<p>When I first saw <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2Mu87a5">Time's Children</a></i> come out, I snatched that baby up, and I'm glad I did. Time travel and demons with an epic fantasy adventure feel? Yes, please! <a href="https://www.facebook.com/angryrobotbooks">Angry Robot</a> publishes a lot of great stuff, and I see <a href="https://www.dbjackson-author.com/">D.B. Jackson</a> (pen name of <a href="https://www.davidbcoe.com/">David Coe</a>) on a lot of people's shelves alongside my favorite books. Now I see why. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3b0QRD3" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1117" data-original-width="737" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-ejxi2s7AcZ9IuRg_-IV2xc2fC9xxypPH2qF9Suz77Ig4ggKaq6nZkYJTRV8jMTUEnMGWV-uWrQ5TJ8kzkUDyt_zRT40He0uRAeO6u6oLMzA69y9_2YxYRwGWyv7EV49-H8NGUHMFR-A/w211-h320/image.png" width="211" /></a></div>The <i>Islevale Cycle</i> by D.B. Jackson delivers a gripping, well-paced fantasy adventure with compelling characters and a unique magic system.<div><p></p><p>Time's Children (book one) hooked me with its drastic magic costs, the inclusion of small children, and demons that are truly "other." D. B. Jackson takes time travel to the next level by exacting daunting costs for those who Walk through time, giving his magic system a unique feel, and keeping his human characters grounded, relatable in their struggle to outwit high odds with limited resources. </p><p>And did I mention that there's a baby? Children are naturally left out of most adventure fantasy because they're fragile and can't stick it to the antagonist. With Islevale's themes of maturity, love, and family, including a child works excellently. In book two, <i>Time's Demon</i>, time demon Droë brings her own layer of complexity to these themes with her child-like appearance and her almost-love fascination with human Walker Tobias, who is actually 15 but now appears older and finds himself taking care of a baby. </p><p>In following these themes, the <i>Islevale Cycle</i> includes NSFW scenes of nakedness, and scenes portraying sex, without delving into explicit erotica. Genre-wise, characters become couples or wish to become so, but the series starts with a heavy dose of adventure that drives the plot apart from romance. Sex and violence are all handled well and definitely not just for shock value. It's an adult-audience series with complex, adult views on humanity and love.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3uL2GFd" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="500" data-original-width="330" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTGbEs9wVCxsalyNg1b-ztiDSYwVL3D6HGp3Zix00QptGuCHnkgN6mMyo4ddOi0uF_l88RdG8jY4GO7roJi_FG91IOkHnDd4QbGh219Ln7L2EcE3td7aoUWGBUn98VIOMfEBJOcMcB8WY/w211-h320/image.png" width="211" /></a></div>Speaking of Droë, I don't want to spoil too much, so let's just say that the demons in the <i>Islevale Cycle</i> give off a spine-shivering sense of "other," as one tends to do when one's sustenance is literally the years stolen from human lives. And while time demons appear humanoid, one demon type is literally a mist cloud and figures wonderfully into sailor's lore. And, of course, where there are pirates, there are also beautiful, enigmatic sea demons. Readers who enjoy fae in fiction but crave something new will love D.B. Jackson's unique demon classes.<p></p><p></p>Also, there are pirates! D. B. Jackson shows a wide range of lifestyles as his characters cross vast distances in a complex world, with a mind for how age and gender effects experiences. We start in a school for young mages but soon visit castles, pirate ships, port towns, and seaside slums, and all the nooks and crannies of human existence that those imply. There's also a bit of political intrigue, as politics underpin why Tobias Walks back in time in the first place, and how he ends up with a baby. I prefer character-driven stories, so I was pleased with how all the politics and cool magic feeds directly into character motivations.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3o90S5e" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img data-original-height="500" data-original-width="330" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv2xLRVZYScXfItMTvqSmlBboBTFx9nqw2-Lh1wrSqTESd6S35wMQlXoHQdZ1q9uGyeKqsyF6MN7eVOrhCB4s_64ESOI2LXcuKnxLEbbK034DlhjufgiD3XSA_MIwuALbz0WJ38bo7s_M/w211-h320/image.png" width="211" /></a></div>This might sound a little strange, but I love how nice and considerate the characters are to each other. (Uh, to their friends. You know. The ones they're not murdering or getting murdered by?) The dialogue feels real and I quite enjoy the considerate attitude of POV characters for their loved ones. There are high stakes a-plenty, but characters also talk to each other like you would hope a friend would talk to you if your lives were in danger. This not only contrasts well with the demons, who are a step removed from human emotion and the workings of human relationships, but also provides depth for conflict between the antagonists and the protagonists. Without sacrificing a sense of right and wrong, D. B. Jackson shows how characters like Droë set on their paths, how they, too, fight from a sense of something good to pursue or protect.<div><br /></div><div>Pick up the D. B. Jackson's <i>Islevale Cycle</i> and let Tobias and Droë take you on an epic fantasy adventure full of time travel, demons, and the harried pursuit of life, liberty, and love:</div><div><p></p><div><p><b>Book 1:</b> <a href="https://amzn.to/2Mu87a5">Time's Children</a></p><p>Read an interview with D. B. Jackson based on book one <a href="https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2019/05/26/spotlight-qa-with-d-b-jackson-author-of-the-islevale-cycle/">here</a>. Another interview asks about Islevale's magic system <a href="https://quillings.com/2018/10/03/10770/">here</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Book 2:</b> <a href="https://amzn.to/3pEL0aU">Time's Demon</a></p><div style="text-align: left;">Read an excerpt from Time's Demon and meet winged demons <a href="https://slipperywords.com/2019/06/excerpt-from-db-jacksons-david-b-coe-new-book-times-demon/">here</a>. <br /><a href="https://www.teleportmagazine.com/2019/06/13/an-interview-with-david-b-coe/">Another interview</a> talks about time travel and how it's handled differently for an anthology David B. Coe edited, <i>Temporarily Deactivated</i>.</div><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Book 3:</b> <a href="https://amzn.to/3o90S5e">Time's Assassin</a></p><p style="text-align: left;">Once you've read the books, give them some love on Amazon and Goodreads!</p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;">Like my review? Follow me on <a href="https://twitter.com/mrsmica">Twitter (@mrsmica)</a>, my Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/michelleAnnRistuccia">author page</a>, and sign up for <a href="https://mailchi.mp/b751e3515b63/michelleristuccia">my newsletter</a> for a roundup of all my short story and novel reviews posted in various locations.</p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p></div></div></div>Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-75462493368744666702021-01-03T09:56:00.002-05:002021-01-03T09:59:50.459-05:00Best SFF short stories of 2020!<p>Oh, how I wish I could read every SFF short story published in 2020! If you missed these excellent stories, they're worth going back for (yes, even into 2020).</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: NonBreakingSpaceOverride, "Hoefler Text", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: NonBreakingSpaceOverride, "Hoefler Text", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">“</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><span lang="en-US" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><a href="https://www.tor.com/2020/06/10/were-here-were-here-k-m-szpara/">We’re Here, We’re Here</a>” by K.M. Szpara (<a href="https://twitter.com/KMSzpara">@KMSzpara</a>) </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">is an unapologetically sweet narrative where music executives attempt to keep transgender singer Tyler and the rest of the boy band in line by removing Tyler’s voice when he goes off-script. Szpara constructs a compellingly intricate social setting where Tyler’s transgender status is openly accepted and well-known, but his affection for another bandmate pits him against unwritten rules and the unbalanced power differential between band members and their record label. Tyler’s simple need to be himself plucks the universal cord of human rights, while the tender friendship of he and his bandmates calls to our need for tribalistic support against any who abuse their power over us. Szpara’s accessible characters and solid story structure plunges readers into a compelling narrative of empathy and self-actualization.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: NonBreakingSpaceOverride, "Hoefler Text", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">In “</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><span lang="en-GB" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><a href="https://www.tor.com/2020/06/17/two-truths-and-a-lie-sarah-pinsker/">Two Truths and a Lie</a>” by Sarah Pin</span><span lang="en-GB" style="box-sizing: inherit;">sk</span><span lang="en-GB" style="box-sizing: inherit;">er (<a href="https://twitter.com/SarahPinsker">@SarahPinsker</a>)</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">, Stella’s help cleaning out the house of a deceased childhood friend unearths reality-shifting evidence of a past that should only exist in her web of compulsive lies. When Stella blurts out the name of a childhood show she believes she’s invented for a lark, she soon learns that not only does the ultra-creepy “Uncle Bob” show exist on VHS tapes, but that she herself has ties to the show that she has no recollection of. Stella’s memories of her dead friend Denny take on new significance as she learns more about the show that nearly every kid in town took part in. Pinsker cultivates the traditional theme of prophecy and fate into her own brand of horror, blending folk-tale elements with modern knowledge of hoarding and compulsive lying. Stella’s own tenuous grip on reality keeps readers guessing which way she’ll go until the very end.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: NonBreakingSpaceOverride, "Hoefler Text", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><span lang="en-US" style="box-sizing: inherit;"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><span lang="en-GB" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: NonBreakingSpaceOverride, "Hoefler Text", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif;">In “</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span lang="en-US" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><a href="https://www.tor.com/2020/08/12/exiles-end-carolyn-ives-gilman/">Exile’s End</a></span>” by <span lang="en-US" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Carolyn Ives Gilman (<a href="http://www.carolynivesgilman.com/">http://www.carolynivesgilman.com/</a>)</span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">, museum curator Rue finds herself at odds with a representative from a culture long persecuted for destroying their possessions. When Traversed Bridge and his people insist that burning a famous painting will release the ghost inside, Rue and the museum must decide who truly owns art, and if ownership includes the right to destroy. Gilman’s timely dive into cultural reparations brings us skillfully into the worlds of both the dominant and persecuted cultures, through the eyes of a protagonist whose wish to preserve both runs aground on the rocky shores of liberty. Sympathetic characters and gentle pacing elevate this story above a prescriptive guilt trip of dominant culture; like Rue and Traversed Bridge, Gilman leaves us to interpret the art of “Exile’s End” for ourselves.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><span lang="en-GB" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: NonBreakingSpaceOverride, "Hoefler Text", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">“</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><span lang="en-US" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><a href="https://www.tor.com/2020/08/19/flight-claire-wrenwood/">Flight</a></span>” by <span lang="en-US" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Claire Wrenwood (<a href="https://clairewrenwood.com/">https://clairewrenwood.com/</a>) </span></span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">lays out the vivid bones of its social commentary from the start, opening with a winged mother’s decision to finally address her five-year-old son’s micro-aggressions against women. Scenes then unfold in reverse chronological order, prying back to the origin of the mother’s wings and beyond, bringing the narrative full-circle to her wingless childhood. From its brave opening to the punch at the end, Wrenwood’s delicate depiction of trauma provides readers with moving, powerful insight into cycles of victimization against women. Content warning: sexual abuse.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: NonBreakingSpaceOverride, "Hoefler Text", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">“</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><a href="https://www.mysteriononline.com/2020/08/what-comes-before.html">What Comes Before</a>” by John Nadas (<a href="https://twitter.com/JohnNadas">@John Nadas</a>),</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">psychologist Dr. Brosz attempts to refuse the implementation of new magic-tech that claims to photograph the condition of a person’s soul, showing halos around those destined for heaven. When his patients, all violent criminals in prison, are photographed against his wishes, his superiors then expect to condemn the supposedly lost souls to a solitary confinement where there will be no rehabilitation, and therefore no danger to the public. While Dr. Bosz and his colleagues question who—or what—can possibly be trusted to sort irredeemable criminals from those who might yet be saved, the narrative poses a question of determinism, from subtle details like Dr. Bosz’ inability to quit smoking, to an inmate’s claim of undeniable impulses, to the government forcing Dr. Bosz to use the thaumatic cameras he declined. Nada’s voice is both efficient and compelling, balancing a philosophic exploration of Calvinism with a passionate, earnest character surrounded by high stakes. A haunting tale that reveals even more on the second read.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: NonBreakingSpaceOverride, "Hoefler Text", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: NonBreakingSpaceOverride, "Hoefler Text", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">“</span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black;"><span lang="en-US" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><a href="http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/after-me-the-flood/">After Me, The Flood</a></span></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black;">” </span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: black;"><span lang="en-US" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Elizabeth Zuckerman </span></span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">(</span><a href="https://twitter.com/LizCanTweet" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">@LizCanTweet</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">) </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">draws readers into an immersive first-person narrative of a selkie-child’s attempts to distance herself from a king who sees her as a replacement for the selkie wife who abandoned them. Unhappy on land and at the constant beck-and-call of her father, Princess Dahut promises to keep a room ready for him if he’ll build her a city on the sea, and he agrees, expending a fortune on an enchanted wall to keep out the ocean waters. Yet, this measure of freedom proves insufficient, as glimpses of private conversations with her father build on the subtle picture of familial abuse hinted at in little, casual moments from the start. It’s no accident that Zuckerman opens “After Me, The Flood” with Dahut asking her father for a story: her father’s been telling her the story of her captivity all her life. Can the brainwashing of an over-controlling father keep his half-selkie daughter from answering the call of the ocean? Zuckerman’s clever use of structure and detail transforms a classic selkie’s quest for freedom into the profound tale of a daughter discovering her magic and her Self under the suffocating oppression of those who should be her protectors. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">Content warning: sexual abuse.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: NonBreakingSpaceOverride, "Hoefler Text", "Baskerville Old Face", Garamond, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;">“</span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 18.6667px;"><a href="http://www.beneath-ceaseless-skies.com/stories/and-the-ones-who-walk-in/">And The Ones Who Walk In</a>” Sarah Avery </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">(</span><a href="https://twitter.com/SarahAveryBooks" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">@SarahAveryBooks</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">)</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;">, readers follow our young protagonist beyond the charmed borders of her city’s luck spell, a journey driven by the conviction that no amount of magic safety is worth the misery of another. The inhospitable outer lands will immediately test not only her moral mettle, but her ability to survive—and her ability to empathize with those who chose to walk back into her city of misery-powered prosperity. Astute readers will recognize the reference to “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. Le Guin, yet knowledge of Le Guin’s story is not strictly required to plumb the depths of Avery’s subversive piece, which stands on its own. In a story with no easy answers, Avery pits her protagonist’s untested conviction against the down-trodden acceptance of those who walk back into the luckbringer’s unwilling blessing, for no one knows a more foolproof way to protect the frail loved ones that the world consumes in fire and bloodshed.</span></p>Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-42654090886699726392020-09-01T16:42:00.001-04:002020-09-01T16:42:48.491-04:00Review: Fledgling, by Octavia E. Butler (NSFW)<p>A masterfully written story dealing with consent, mutual need, and racism, but read further before you decide if this NSFW book is right for you.</p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/3hRTat7">"Fledgling" by Octavia E. Butler</a></p><p><img src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/513KM8gc4JL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" /></p><p>Readers considering this book need to know about the "underaged" consensual sex. We learn early on that Fledgling's narrator "looks 10 or 11," and then she seeks out and has sex with a young man who firsts protests that he's uncomfortable with her apparent age. Many readers will correctly expect consent themes in a vampire book (more on that later), but that particular detail deserves mention.</p><p>Now, by the time we encounter sex in Fledling, we're made to understand that, if anything, it's the humans she meets that are at a power disadvantage--physically as well as physiologically. Later, we're told by one of her kind (an "Ina") that she's at an appropriate age for her kind to explore sexuality. Her appearance is used to accentuate her otherness, and its certainly not the first speculative fiction novel to play with the appearance and sexuality of "nonhuman" creatures. We're not surprised to learn later that our MC is much older than she appears, but its worth noting that she's physically incapable of having children yet, which harkens back to "10 or 11" territory.</p><p><i>Fledgling</i> tackles a lot of fascinating power and consent issues that are expertly woven together. For example, humans become addicted to the Ina who feed on them as part of a symbiotic relationship, and these human symbionts do have to obey their vampire's commands. On a political powerplay level, our MC is genetically superior to all other vampires, yet the violent politics of ancient biogtry threaten her life from the outset. </p><p>All-in-all, <i>Fledgling</i> is a powerful, engaging story about how racism unfairly puts the burden of knowledge and preemptive action on its victims, with death waiting on the other side of failure.</p><p>Butler's thought-provoking take on vampire lore questions the conflation of pleasure with need and sex, and power with the right to order and possess. Ina communities are essentially polyamorous to suit their need for several blood donors (symbionts), and symbionts receive the benefits of a longer life with faster healing. Throw a bit of ageism in there, where older Ina try to dismiss our MC as a "child" who is too mentally damaged by her trauma to testify against her oppressors, and one can see why Butler chose to create a protagonist that's younger than the elders in charge of the justice system. Since age-ism is a thing, can we call the dismissal of victims trauma-ism, or is there another term? Whatever you call it, I much appreciated how Butler wove both issues naturally into the text.</p><p>However, I would have preferred a protagonist who appeared older. That one line gave me pause and nearly caused me to quit reading, and reading the rest of the book hasn't convinced me that this detail was necessary. Having a sexually active character who appears "10 or 11" sounds like pedophilia. Many books do feature sexually active minors, but usually in the 14+ range, an age where real teens are sometimes sexually active (40% of never-married teens ages 15-19 are sexually active in the US). The only reason the book didn't lose me so early on is because I knew that the narrator would end up being older than she appeared, and I'd heard Octavia E. Butler recommended many times. While it is important to the story that other Ina see her as a child, this particular detail seemed to be designed for shock value. I fear that this detail potentially overshadows other aspects of the book. If not for this one detail, I would whole-heartedly recommend this book for anyone who does not mind the NSFW exploration of consent and need. I found the book thought-provoking and moving overall, yet this makes me want to find a similar author handling similar themes, rather than necessarily pick up another book by Octavia E. Butler.</p><p>I'm open to suggestions for further reading--either of books by Octavia E. Butler featuring "older" characters, or books like Fledgling by other authors. </p><div><br /></div>Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-43546394175217382082020-06-30T08:28:00.002-04:002020-06-30T10:26:03.379-04:00Review: Strong Fort Spathi by Heather C. Wright<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f3c51; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">
Strong Fort Spathí by Heather C. Wright is a delightful ticking-clock urban fantasy with engaging characters. Although this first book stands well on its own, readers will want to see more of best friends Sinikka and Jordan, their pack, and the wolf who's fallen head-over-heels for Jordan (m/m).</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f3c51; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://amzn.to/2Z9zXez">https://amzn.to/2Z9zXez</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f3c51; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">
<img alt="Strong Fort Spathí (Swords & Shields Book 1) by [Heather C Wright]" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51t6-qmuiSL.jpg" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f3c51; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Strong Fort Spathi follows werewolf Jordan as he scrambles to find his missing Spathi--his magical shield and, more importantly, his best friend since childhood, Sinikka. Jordan's only clue is Sinikka's scent disappearing into thin air and his magical bond with Sinikka, which lets Jordan know that his best friend yet lives. That small reassurance and the help of his packmates might keep him sane enough to entertain visiting Oplarchêgós hopeful Andrew Farkas, whose arrival marks the immutable start of the Dokimés, ritual paw-to-teeth contests for the title of Oplarchêgós.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f3c51; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">
When Sinikka wakes up with twelve other missing witches, she immediately realizes two things: her captors need her for a powerful ritual, and Jordan might not get there in time, if at all. Her captors know exactly how to hide her and how to force her hand, and they're ready to start now. What they don't know is that spilling her blood will give her komistês Jordan the power to find her anywhere on Earth. As the strongest and most knowledgable witch under her captors' thumbs, it's up to her to figure out a way to thwart the ritual and call in reinforcements.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f3c51; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">
Werewolf Andrew Farkas came prepared for the usual politics of the Dokimés. He did not come expecting to fall for a distraught werewolf consumed by a missing person search, in the middle of his own battle for Oplarchêgós. When Andrew offers to help search, Strong Fort pack politely declines, and his protege Tyler warns him to stay away from Jordan. As much as Andrew wishes to spare Jordan the politics of his attraction, he can't help the way his interest shows whenever Jordan walks into the room. With tension in the fort as volatile as a gathering thunderstorm, Andrew must choose his words carefully if he says anything to Jordan at all.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f3c51; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">
Strong Fort Spathí delivers an engaging read with great pacing and strong characters that could easily carry a series.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f3c51; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">
Readers will fall in love with Wright's refreshing portrayal of werewolf pack mentality that kicks toxic masculinity to the curb: Wright's werewolves cuddle and kick ass better for it, because they know that a little empathetic/platonic touch can go a long way to keeping their wolves at bay. The pack offers what we all need on some level: cooperative friendship, where members can support and care for each other without it being misconstrued as amorous. Yet, is romance banished from Wright's world? Hardly. Wright skillfully weaves in a slow burn romance while keeping the pack's puppy pile platonic. Where Jordan and Sinikka care for each other like close siblings, Andrew's infatuation enters the page the moment he walks into the narrative, promising a longer story arc that readers will want to follow in sequels.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f3c51; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">
Strong Fort Spathi offers readers a kidnapping plot that gleefully defies expectations. Sinikka is anything but a maiden in distress as the stakes rise against her and the other witches. She knows the value of her own agency even in the face of stronger magic, and her bond with Jordan is anything but a crutch. Werewolves are everything we want werewolves to be, and more. Strong Fort Spathí is a delightful urban fantasy that hits all the genre sweet spots while offering its own unique flavor.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f3c51; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://amzn.to/2Z9zXez">https://amzn.to/2Z9zXez</a><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20982056-strong-fort-spath">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20982056-strong-fort-spath</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f3c51; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HeatherCWrightAuthor">https://www.facebook.com/HeatherCWrightAuthor</a></div>
Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-58266554671186798482019-07-13T11:46:00.002-04:002020-09-01T16:27:31.037-04:00Review: Sevenwaters series by Juliet Marillier (NSFW)I'm one of those people who covers their ears and flees into the night at the first hint of spoilers. Sometimes even the blurb on the back of the book annoys me--tell me the setup, yes, but don't mention events from half-way through the book! So, when I started <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2VhC6Az">Daughter of the Forest</a> (Sevenwaters Book 1)</i>, I started blind, knowing only that it was historical fiction set in ancient Ireland. When I got to the Celtic fairy tale aspects I had to set the book down to squee.<br />
<br />
Squee!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd76zf7q0vCVOBbuoXvXb4nySL5x9efxOezV7DhHP9Af0Y_PKn5OUwbKebNCRoA1uMXCGRBVQKoI1x2z51BfwF6VtsXK5gT5GSXE7Ufn3rDMJyWD2-Oq9iHJye_boWOtIYHOOxkxF1BlY/s1600/book_cover_creator_daughter-254x300.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd76zf7q0vCVOBbuoXvXb4nySL5x9efxOezV7DhHP9Af0Y_PKn5OUwbKebNCRoA1uMXCGRBVQKoI1x2z51BfwF6VtsXK5gT5GSXE7Ufn3rDMJyWD2-Oq9iHJye_boWOtIYHOOxkxF1BlY/s400/book_cover_creator_daughter-254x300.jpg" /></a>Juliet Marillier weaves this retelling in such intimate, immersive detail that calling it a fairy tell remix feels ingenuine. You'll fall in love with each character in a way that transcends the original lore while bringing you closer to mystical Ireland with every fae breath of the wind in the trees. Enter a world where the old ways are fading even as the Old Ones put in very real appearances, hooking their fingers into the paths of fate in a way Sorcha, the daughter of the forest, could never predict. Can Sorcha forge her own path through fate to save her loved ones from bitter evil?<br />
<br />
Just as Irish fairy tales warn of deep loss (here's looking at you, <a href="http://www.dartthornton.com/">Cecilia Dart-Thorton's <i>Bitterbynde Trilogy</i></a>), each installment of <i>Sevenwaters </i>dives deep into darkness - rape, despair, death, torture - you name it. Yet, Marillier also brings out the best in humanity through a light of perseverance and hope perhaps more powerful than the strange magics of <i>Sevenwaters' </i>forest nymphs and selkie caves.<br />
<br />
Each sequel introduces compelling new characters as we follow along through the generations of Sorcha's ancestral home. Books 1-3 form their own trilogy with a fairly tied-up ending:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2VhC6Az">Daughter of the Forest</a> (Sevenwaters Book 1)<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2JAvgUS">Son of the Shadows</a> (Sevenwaters Book 2)<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2PYkEAh">Child of the Prophecy</a> (Sevenwaters Book 3)<br />
<br />
Books 4-6 work as a separate trilogy that follows chronologically after the first trilogy. Mac Dara harasses the characters until the final show-off in book 6 and I felt the new antagonist gives this trilogy somewhat of a different feel from the first three books. I found these books more predictable due to the formulaic nature of the series, yet I still enjoyed each one:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2Q3Wjco">Heir to Sevenwaters</a> (Sevenwaters Book 4)<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2E1HVwh">Seer of Sevenwaters</a> (Sevenwaters Book 5)<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2LLzjAu">Flame of Sevenwaters</a> (Sevenwaters Book 6)<br /><br />Trigger warning: This series contains a rape scene. That is why I have marked it (NSFW).<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/44771-sevenwaters">https://www.goodreads.com/series/44771-sevenwaters</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.julietmarillier.com/">http://www.julietmarillier.com/</a>Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-75853480520242354342019-06-02T14:37:00.000-04:002019-06-02T14:37:07.270-04:00Review: Young Miles by Lois Mcmaster Bujold<br />
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HZD1VNG1L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51HZD1VNG1L.jpg" /></a>Being Space Opera, <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2E3VKu8">Young Miles</a></i> had to work extra hard to win my interest. If a friend hadn't recommended it I never would have picked it up.<br />
<br />
Now I'm recommending it to you.<br />
<br />
Lois McMaster Bujold's fast-paced style beckons the reader through high wit sparked by a well-meaning sardonic character who often bites off more than he can chew. In contrast, dark moments of suicidal ideation give realistic weight to Mile's snowballing lies and the all-or-nothing risks they represent. Bujold's exemplary diction is like the written version of perfect comedic timing, layered like icing on top of expertly-woven comedy of circumstance and clashing personalities. Her deft handling of despair rounds out characters who care for the potential consequences of their actions, real or imagined. It's a rare book that can make me laugh out loud one minute and shudder in sympathy the next.<br />
<br />
Many readers will appreciate Mile's physical limitations, his leg braces and brittle bones making him more than the odd man out in a prejudiced future where an advanced medical field lays side-by-side with superstitious mountain folk who still slaughter babies born with extra fingers and toes. Mile's differences pervade each story in both the occasional outright oppression and in the subtle, everyday experiences necessitated by walking, getting dressed, and moving through the physical world--okay, and in hand-to-hand combat.<br />
<br />
If Space Opera is your thing there's plenty of space battles, both of the ship-to-ship and the chase scene variety. Homeworld and galactic politics give Miles a run for his money--literally. Or, more accurately, his father's money.<br />
<br />
<i>Young Miles</i> is a collection of short novels following Miles from his moment of epic failure in the Barrayan Military Academy, through unexpected adventures involving mercenaries, through barren wastelands ruled by despotic military higher-ups, and most of all, through Mile's search for himself and his place in the galaxy. You can find many other books by Bujold in the Vorkosigan Series, and like many great series, there's debate as to the best reading order--chronological, or publication date? <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2VWjgDr">Young Miles</a> </i>makes for an excellent first taste of the Vorkosigan Series.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61916.Young_Miles">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61916.Young_Miles</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.dendarii.com/">http://www.dendarii.com/</a>Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-8350280354816628292019-05-14T15:58:00.001-04:002019-05-14T15:58:25.030-04:00Review: true.love by Alethea Kontis<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Alethea Kontis story true.love now appears in two great anthologies!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2LKg36b">Game On!</a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><img alt="Game On! A GameLit Anthology by [Sharp, Anthea, Kontis, Alethea, Cannon, Sarra, Sabine, Avril, Purdy, Alexia, Peake, Marilyn, Landry, Stephen, Creeden, Pauline, Leya, Angel, Annett, Danielle]" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51nwZrb3JlL.jpg" style="background-color: transparent;" /> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<img alt="Once Upon A Star: 14 SF-Inspired Faerie Tales (Once Upon Anthologies Book 4) by [Sharp, Anthea, Cannon, Sarra, Kontis, Alethea, Weldon, Phaedra, Pope, Christine, Jefford, Nikki, Mackenzie, Kasey, Madison, Shawntelle, Purdy, Alexia, Johnson, Jenna Elizabeth, Julia Crane, Jamie Ferguson, Evelyn Snow, Kay McSpadden]" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51XEiO%2BuCgL._SY346_.jpg" /><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/2EeyZEb">Once Upon a Star</a></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">True.love by Alethea Kontis weaves the wonderment of fantasy into a far-future science fiction where young Brandon spends most of his life in virtual reality while his sister plots an anti-technology revolution. Kontis' expert storytelling brings characters to lif</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; display: inline; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">e in this touching, thoughtful re-imagining of Briar Rose. True.love reads even better the second time around.</span>Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-48600682540124846272019-02-01T08:31:00.000-05:002019-02-01T08:31:06.383-05:00Review: The CHRONOS Files by Rysa WalkerI present to you a SF series that consumed my life from page one to the final word: <a href="https://amzn.to/2WpICr4">The CHRONOS Files by Rysa Walker</a>. The trilogy also has novellas that fit between each book, as well as other stories. You can read the three books by themselves or go all-out and immerse yourself in the CHRONOS universe:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.rysa.com/books/Timebound.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Timebound" border="0" height="400" src="https://www.rysa.com/books/Timebound.jpg" width="270" /></a><br />
<i>CHRONOS historians travel to the past to observe history as it happens.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>But Saul Rand isn't content with simply observing. His plan: reshape history by creating a new religion and then stop anyone by any means necessary who doesn't fall into line. In The CHRONOS Files, seventeen-year-old Kate travels through time to retrieve CHRONOS keys before they fall into the hands of Saul and his Cyrists, all while trying to tread through the past without erasing the memories of those she loves or her entire existence.</i><br />
<br />
Timebound (The CHRONOS Files Book 1)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2WpICr4">https://amzn.to/2WpICr4</a><br />
<br />
Time's Echo (The CHRONOS Files 1.5)<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2SdpXiG">https://amzn.to/2SdpXiG</a><br />
<br />
Time's Edge (The CHRONOS Files Book 2)<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2B5mEAz">https://amzn.to/2B5mEAz</a><br />
<br />
Time's Mirror (The CHRONOS Files 2.5)<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2Sasme5">https://amzn.to/2Sasme5</a><br />
<br />
Time's Divide (The CHRONOS Files Book 3)<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2G9dO8j">https://amzn.to/2G9dO8j</a><br />
<br />
Simon Says (The CHRONOS Files 3.5)<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2G4UQiR">https://amzn.to/2G4UQiR</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Timebound</u> begins with Kate learning about her ability to time travel, her evil grandfather, and meeting a mysterious young man whom she seems to have kissed quite passionately in a wheatfield. When the timeline suddenly shifts and erases her parents, Kate finds help from a kind student at the school, Trey, and sort-of-accidentally draws him into the whole time traveling secret and head-over-heels in love with her.<br />
<br />
More Cyrists churches pop up with every time shift, bringing their "end times" warning all that much closer to fruition. To complicate matters, Kate's missing aunt Prudence appears in the church's propaganda as a fertility goddess, and Kate's a dead-ringer for her time-traveling aunt.<br />
<br />
Rysa Walker weaves together an immersive story where one misstep can mean erasing yourself from existence. The more Kate investigates Saul's end-time plans, the further ahead he and his ubiquitous Cyrus organization get, and the more she and her friends realize there is no perfect timeline where they all live happily ever after.<br />
<br />
Rysa's beautiful characterization leaves us questioning the meaning of our true selves. Is it possible to fall in love all over again? How much is our experiences and choices--the ones of our current timeline? Timeline conundrums turn every character into their own doppelganger as older versions of characters pop in whenever they want to contradict their younger selves, and each time shift brings mind-bending double-memories of re-written events.<br />
<br />
In The CHRONOS Files, Rysa brings us an addictive SF topped with delightful historical accuracy--Houdini, anyone? The World Fair? If you've ever wished you could hop back and time to experience such things yourself, this is your chance to experience them through the eyes of Kate: <a href="https://amzn.to/2WpICr4">Timebound (The CHRONOS Files Book 1)</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Find <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rysa.walker.3">Rysa Walker on Facebook</a> and on her website, <a href="http://www.rysa.com/">www.rysa.com</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-57741686202340412542018-12-22T09:56:00.000-05:002018-12-22T09:56:01.702-05:00Review: Unmake by Lauren HarrisStumped on gifts for Christmas? Don't be. This urban fantasy series will appeal to your friends--because they have good taste, right? Grab this series for its compelling characters, exciting imagery, and magic mafia v. magic guild conflict.<br />
<br />
<br />
Book 1:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2KRSCnA">https://amzn.to/2KRSCnA</a><br />
<br />
<img alt="34931255" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1492813260l/34931255.jpg" /><br />
<i><br /></i>
<h2 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<b><i>Magic Mafia. Sorcerer Police. A girl on the run from both.</i></b></h2>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px;">
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
<i>Helena Martin doesn't know who she hates more, the sorcerers who fired the magic-laced bullet or the gang-lord master who used her mother as a shield. It's not the price she expected for escaping magical slavery, nor is the unstable power now pulsing in her veins.</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: -4px; padding: 0px;">
<i>Caught between her former master's hunters and the Guild Sorcerers determined to kill them, she finds a safe haven at a dog rescue willing to take in a different kind of stray. But Helena's newly-unleashed power is a beacon for her enemies. And they're threatening the first place she's ever thought of as home.</i></div>
<h3 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.24; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<i>"A visceral, heart-pounding ride of a book that will keep you guessing until the final bloody breath."</i></h3>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; padding: 0px;">
~Award-winning fantasy author <b>Philippa Ballantine</b> (<i>The Books of the Order, The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences</i>)</div>
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34931255-unleash">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34931255-unleash</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Book 2:<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2SpZQS5">https://amzn.to/2SpZQS5</a><br />
<br />
<img alt="40207551" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1527220296l/40207551.jpg" /><br />
<i><br /></i>
<h2 style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 21px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">
<i>She's on trial for her life. He's torn between two futures. The decisions they make could draw the magical world into war.</i></h2>
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40207551-unmake">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40207551-unmake</a>Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-44203575473870655182018-12-08T09:52:00.000-05:002018-12-08T09:52:07.799-05:00Review: Hunter and Fox by Philippa BallantineEvery year after National Novel Writing Month I like to reward myself with a book (or 5), and boy did this one hit the spot! In fact, to tell the complete truth, I read the first chapter in the middle of November and then had to drop my own writing project long enough to finish reading it. No regrets! I absolutely adore the complexity of this tale and the emotional strength of the characters. Philippa's expert storytelling had me at page one and delivered on every page after.<br />
<br />
I first heard of Philippa Ballantine many years ago and now I have finally joined her legions of fans. When I saw the description of this book pop up I knew I had to have it, and when I finished it, I knew I had to have the sequel! So without further ado, Hunter and Fox by Philippa Ballantine:<br />
<br />
Get it on Amazon here:<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2UdjOkF">https://amzn.to/2UdjOkF</a><br />
(What are you waiting for? Treat yourself or a friend for Christmas!)<br />
<br />
<img alt="13275818" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1365462525l/13275818.jpg" /><br />
<br />
(Is that... is that a blurb from Felicia Day?! IT IS!)<br />
<br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">The world of Conhaero is in constant flux; mountains can change to plains and then to lakes in a matter of weeks. It is a place where only the most adaptable can survive, but also a refuge to people from other worlds seeking peace—but nothing is as it should be. The native protectors of the realm, the Vaerli are scattered and cursed. The Kindred, the spirits of the land, who once held a pact with them, have disappeared.</span></i><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Now the Caisah, and his own alien magic rule the land, controlling the peoples and hunting the Vaerli. He also holds the leash of Talyn.</span></i><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">With the promise of freedom for her people, Talyn has become his hunter. She seeks out her enemies because she thinks it is the only way to save the remainder of the Vaerli, but she is a wreck of a once-proud person.</span></i><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">When she is given the task of hunting down Finn, she cannot know the changes that will follow. As teller of tales, Finn carries his own dreadful secret and has his own mission.</span></i><br />
<i><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">For the Kindred are finally moving, and the Vaerli have a chance at redemption and freedom. If Talyn and Finn can find a way back through the past, and into the very heart of this shifting land, then perhaps old wounds can be healed, and the Caisah defeated. Maybe Conhaero and its people can find a new kind of peace.</span></i><br />
<br />
<br />
Add it on goodreads here:<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13275818-hunter-and-fox">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13275818-hunter-and-fox</a><br />
<br />
Visit Philippa Balletine's website here:<br />
<a href="http://www.pjballantine.com/">http://www.pjballantine.com/</a><br />
<br />
<br />Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-72912066875603188132018-12-07T07:00:00.000-05:002019-07-21T16:48:33.690-04:00Review: Walking on the Sea of Clouds by Gray RinehartHere's a Christmas gift for the science fiction lovers on your list, and what better day to buy it than the anniversary of Apollo 17's launch?<br />
<br />
Gray Rinehart's Walking on the Sea of Clouds brings us a near-future colonization of the moon, packed full of all the nightmare-inducing equipment failures and the sort of determined, reach-for-the-moon characters who can make it happen. Or can they?<br />
<br />
<a href="https://amzn.to/2Qsg8Nd">https://amzn.to/2Qsg8Nd</a><br />
<br />
<img alt="35840519" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1501195976l/35840519.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Before permanent lunar encampments such as Clarke's Clavius Base (in 2001: A Space Odyssey) or Heinlein's Luna City (in The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress) could be built, there would have to be the first settlers--the first people to set up shop and try to eke out an existence on the Moon. Walking On the Sea of Clouds is the story of such lunar pioneers: two couples, Stormie and Frank Pastorelli and Van and Barbara Richards, determined to survive and succeed in this near-future technological drama about the risks people will take, the emergencies they'll face, and the sacrifices they'll make as members of the first commercial lunar colony. In the end, one will decide to leave, one will decide to stay, one will put off deciding ... and one will decide to die so another can live.</i></span><br />
<br />
Find Gray Rinehart at:<br />
<a href="http://graymanwrites.com/">http://graymanwrites.com/</a><br />
<br />
<br />
You can also find <u>Walking on the Sea of Clouds</u> on goodreads:<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35840519-walking-on-the-sea-of-clouds">https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35840519-walking-on-the-sea-of-clouds</a><br />
<br />Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-5179445606436858052018-05-31T08:27:00.001-04:002018-05-31T08:27:31.440-04:00Review: Wings Unseen by Rabecca Gomez Farrell<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="550" src="https://read.amazon.com/kp/card?asin=B074P4RCJ8&preview=inline&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_fK-dBbJDXPFQ5&tag=wakidrea-20" style="max-width: 100%;" type="text/html" width="336"></iframe> <span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><u>Wings Unseen</u> by Rebecca Gomez Farrell is vivid fantasy with engaging characters and a rich world. Vesperi's growth from deluded and desperate victim-abuser to an actual person who can determine right from wrong was well done. Janto's time proving himself at the Murat echoes ancient legends with details like the silver stag. Serra's growth through the Order may shock readers but eventually proves her maturity. As the horrific claren bugs multiply and kill, the three must work together to rid the world of the bugs and the circumstances that breed them.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Visit the author's blog, here:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.rebeccagomezfarrell.com/">http://www.rebeccagomezfarrell.com/</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Find her on Facebook, here:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaGomezFarrell/">https://www.facebook.com/RebeccaGomezFarrell/</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">Bonus: Ms. Farrell is local to NC! Love it.</span>Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-51981315397106674522018-02-14T07:23:00.000-05:002018-02-14T07:23:27.494-05:00Review: When Tinker Met Bell by @AletheaKontis<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://amzn.to/2yJUha2"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLLC6EMN2cwN94UrO2zV1r3_r4_OR8ipb4JR7sGZscNF_fQyNwKD4IG5VjQEqB8l2KIglbRbEuQ0KT7XqqYaBYVfRI_TZpMz-13rtcJ0yEXpirIokadsz6cbHqrck04gcKLjKTXsMYG8/s320/tinkerbell.jpg" width="212" /></a><span id="goog_544238630"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_544238631"></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2yJUha2" style="font-style: italic;">When Tinker Met Bell</a> is the perfect cute paranormal romance to pick up for Valentine's Day! Find out how Tinker and Bell get around the pesky curse that keeps their species from getting together. Includes heroic antics in otherworldly settings.<br />
<br />
You can also pick up the newest novel, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2Ftbyoq">Besphinxed</a>,</i> for Heather's redemption story. I really enjoyed <i>When Tinker Met Bell</i> when it first came out and immediately gave a five-star review on Amazon, but had a bit of a hiccup with scheduling this post on my blog. Now there are more books in the series you can pick up--I've enjoyed them all! <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2DLwy9R">The Truth About Cats and Wolves</a> </i>makes a great introduction to the series, and they all also work as stand-alones. What a great Valentine's Day binge!<br />
<br />
<br />Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-80992939372606735612018-01-29T19:21:00.004-05:002018-01-29T19:21:41.865-05:00Review: Besphinxed by Alethea Kontis<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2DLBq2B"><img alt="Besphinxed: A Nocturne Falls Universe Story: Nocturne Falls Universe by [Kontis, Alethea]" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51D3Ru9XM9L.jpg" /></a><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2DLBq2B">Besphinxed</a> </i>is my favorite book in the Nocturne Falls Universe so far. I have enjoyed reading all of Alethea Kontis' books in the Nocturne Falls Universe--they are all fun urban fantasy / paranormal romance with young protagonists and great heroines. Kontis' books fit well together by focusing on different characters whose stories intersect while maintaining their own stand-alone integrity. So while you can read any of the books on their own, you'll get a bigger kick out of reading them all. And unlike some romance stories which lean too heavily on a formula, Kontis' Nocturne Falls books weave unique, interesting plots, focusing on characters with differing life challenges and differing world views.<br />
<br />
Now, the reason <i>Besphinxed </i>is my favorite (so far!): Heather, the protagonist in this book, first appears in<i> <a href="http://amzn.to/2DJT0Ql">The Truth About Cats and Wolves</a> </i>as a bad gal. Think selfish and cliquish, and add in magic powers you wouldn't trust someone like that to have. In <i>Besphinxed </i>we meet Heather and follow along as her life snowballs into an opportunity for personal growth. As we learn more about Heather, Alethea Kontis portrays Heather's dysfunctional family in a succinctly accurate way alongside more positive relationships surrounding Heather.<br />
<br />
<i>Besphinxed </i>has real depth without losing the fun; We also get to learn more about Owen, the cat-shifter that's supposed to be the best friend of Heather's sworn enemy, but who finds himself inexplicably attracted to her. And let's not forget the Zombie Prom and a deadly magic confrontation at the end.<br />
<br />
Pick up <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2DLBq2B">Besphinxed</a> </i>for a touching paranormal romance. I cried at the end!Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-82924021997599160292017-10-26T19:00:00.000-04:002017-10-26T19:00:10.879-04:00Review: Haven Kansas by @AletheaKontisLooking for something spooky for Halloween?<br />
<br />
Step into Lora's life-turned-nightmare in young adult horror novel, <a href="http://amzn.to/2zKjK1G">"Haven, Kansas" by Alethea Kontis</a>, where Lora and Erin's dreams of getting in touch with spirits and magic come true in the worst way. Lora wears black and reads about the occult, but at heart she is only a teenager living an average rural life in Haven, Kansas. Her oldest brother likes to fix tractors. Her younger brother and his friends like to pull pranks on the school. And her best friend Erin shares everything with her, including a years-long promise to keep their hands off their mutual crush. Except, Erin doesn't tell Lora where she's going that fateful night, and this innocent little secret makes solving deaths that much harder.<br />
<br />
Also, murderous crows. Murderous crows make everything harder. The best clue Lora has is a foul-smelling, centuries-old book engraved with a single name, and meanwhile, people are dying around her.<br />
<br />
In "Haven, Kansas" by Alethea Kontis, Lora confronts the power of hate with the help of her family and friends--not exactly your typical super-powered line-up of exorcists, but it's all they've got. Grab your copy <a href="http://amzn.to/2zKjK1G">here</a>!<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2zKjK1G"><img alt="32725152" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1477221898l/32725152.jpg" /></a><br />
<br />Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-8095103008074607872017-10-21T22:43:00.001-04:002017-10-21T22:43:41.397-04:00Review: UFO6 by @AShvartsman<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">In
<a href="http://amzn.to/2xWE129">UFO6 (Unidentified Funny Objects 6)</a>, editor Alex Shvartsman once
again delivers the high quality comedy we've come to expect from his
UFO series. A good portion of UFO6 titles utilize epistolary formats
for a non-traditional punchline—these stories are otherwise quite
unlike each other. A wonderful collection, expertly arranged.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0dM034t_gQv4MX0R-8-p5ZI8vX8VnK7TXSZHpgwsSKBgGOJu086pT_HJZ8qeQL7zP6GS88QdmJ7gFkKgcBRhcFBC0AWkuAOhPg2Tf2BdlZ5XrLiR0OcLIKrpSdl5X_YVUSqaybZKwGQ/s1600/ufo6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja0dM034t_gQv4MX0R-8-p5ZI8vX8VnK7TXSZHpgwsSKBgGOJu086pT_HJZ8qeQL7zP6GS88QdmJ7gFkKgcBRhcFBC0AWkuAOhPg2Tf2BdlZ5XrLiR0OcLIKrpSdl5X_YVUSqaybZKwGQ/s320/ufo6.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Stories
range from the self-explanatory “Twenty-Nine Responses to Inquiries
About my Craigslist Post: Alien Spaceship for Sale. $200, You Haul”
by Tina Connolly to the surprisingly touching “A Crawlspace Full of
Prizes” by Bill Ferris, which is a bit like if your life were a
video game, while being nothing like other stories about video-game
lives. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">UFO6
includes heavy-hitters Jim C. Hines with parody “A Game of
Goblins,” Jack Campbell with “Agent of Chaos,” in which a
writer's muse forces her on a trek deep into the mountains where she
coincidentally encounters Gothlack, God of Chaos, Alan Dean Foster
with a Mad Amos Malone story, “A Mountain Man and a Cat Walk Into a
Bar,” and Mike Resnick with a Harry the Book story, “The Great
Manhattan Eat-Off,” which is as perfectly ridiculous as it sounds.
If you've never read Mad Amos Malone or Harry the Book, you're still
in for a treat with these two. And let's not forget Ken Liu, whose
“An Open Letter to the Sentient AI Who Has Announced its Intention
to Take Over the Earth” drips with sleaze.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">On
the hard science fiction side of things, “The Breakdown of the
Parasite/Host Relationship” by Paul R. Hardy shows how a symbiote
and its host can degenerate into petty arguments as fast as your
roommate. The Captain reluctantly attempts to intervene as
disagreements turn violent and regulations fly out the spaceport.
“Display of Affection” by P. K. Sambeaux serves up a healthy dose
of creepy in a world where everyone's wired into the net. Guy can't
take any more of it when his mother dies, and—well, you'll never
look at a museum quite the same afterward. In “Common Scents” by
Jody Lynn Nye, symbiote Dr. K't'ank helps host Dena Malone solve a
murder mystery with his love of stink. “Alexander Outland: Space
Jockey” by Gini Koch may make you wonder if a comedic anthology
could, indeed, be complete without space pirates and explosions.
“Approved Expense” by David Vierling gives us a chance to live
vicariously through dimension-hopping Special Operative Morgan T.
Graymael as he explains his itemizations to The Budget and Accounting
Administration.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Israel's
lost tribe returns on a spaceship in “Lost and Found” by Laura
Resnick, in which they are quite shocked to learn what's become of
their temple. Esther Friesner introduces readers to the mythical
Yiddish town of fools with “From This She Makes a Living?”—along
with some interesting phrases, uttered at the discovery of a
people-eating dragon come to town. Both Friesner and Resnick's
stories treat religion with whimsical irreverence. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
“<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Dear
Joyce” by Langley Hyde turns all your fantasy tropes on their head
with an opinionated advice columnist in this parody reminiscent of
LOTR, if Frodo had written to Joyce. “Return to Sender” by
Melissa Mead takes us back to folktale classics with letters written
by giants of the fe-fi-fo-fum persuasion. “An Evil Opportunity
Employer” by Lawrence Wayt-Evans pokes fun at both lawyers and
secret identities as our hero tells a henchmen that he should have
read the contract. “The Friendly Necromancer” by Rod M. Santos
shows us the proper way to deal with those pesky Knights and Knaves
riddles—with violence. Santos delivers an excellent blend of
characterization, quest-like trickery, and irreverent humor.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 16pt;">Told
in first person by the morally-ambiguous scientist who unleashed
chaos on the world through humanity's greed and self-loathing,
“Impress Me, Then We'll Take About the Money” by Tatiana Ivanova,
Translated by Alex Shvartsman, closes out UFO6 with a bang.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmK2ApfpBEW4dk6hD6Y2u4wYE5fMUxt5wTqm0aR7zU40JUhRlqYSYSlr49KbPxJtGULo-1ddjSpanmVn7NQbX4wnGXulKG4JH2nuXN68IGu5-AwRr0WkBqteiRQ0VLGk95B3HERSw3rI/s1600/ufo6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="306" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGmK2ApfpBEW4dk6hD6Y2u4wYE5fMUxt5wTqm0aR7zU40JUhRlqYSYSlr49KbPxJtGULo-1ddjSpanmVn7NQbX4wnGXulKG4JH2nuXN68IGu5-AwRr0WkBqteiRQ0VLGk95B3HERSw3rI/s320/ufo6.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-61145130820582011562017-08-04T08:18:00.000-04:002017-08-04T08:18:00.161-04:00Review: Stolen Legacy by @GoblinWriter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXakIM4hrwjHd0PDc_vbMXUF-wHR8dYKvefgCJpAiQjWx886-iq8TX3kDZGElvo_r3ZUnRgy7V9WazHS1HB4INeZ7phzTYV4yikWkWZFIccrRqL0cbBCVgxmFM39VX3NgxEuQjskdBUj8/s1600/stolen+legacy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="231" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXakIM4hrwjHd0PDc_vbMXUF-wHR8dYKvefgCJpAiQjWx886-iq8TX3kDZGElvo_r3ZUnRgy7V9WazHS1HB4INeZ7phzTYV4yikWkWZFIccrRqL0cbBCVgxmFM39VX3NgxEuQjskdBUj8/s320/stolen+legacy.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><a href="http://amzn.to/2qqIvuZ">Stolen Legacy</a></i> is the third book in fast-paced, smart and funny space opera, </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The Sky Full of Stars</i></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Lindsay Buroker. <i style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; white-space: normal;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2qqIvuZ">Stolen Legacy</a></i> is just as smart and engaging as its predecessors, <a href="http://amzn.to/2qr00eh"><i>The Rogue Prince</i></a>, (reviewed <a href="http://www.michelleristuccia.com/2017/04/review-rogue-prince-by-lindsay-buroker.html" style="font-style: normal;">here</a>) and </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2qqERBc" style="font-style: italic;">Angle of Truth</a>.<span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br />
This time, trouble comes knocking on Jelena Marchenko's figurative door in the form of an unlikely treasure hunt with dubious characters, so naturally, she says yes. It can't be that bad when the contact is passed on by her experienced mercenary parents, can it? Not only will Jelena get paid as a transport/smuggler, but she will get to meet Starseers outside of her small family circle. Marchenko has always suspected that the Starseer community shuns her family, though she's not sure why. Surely it is all a big misunderstanding and she can make valuable contacts on this mission, all while aiding her fellow Starseers.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, the treasure hunt involves Starseer powers--a temptation that seems to affect everyone except Jelena. Space pirates are only the first of their troubles as opposition tears at the crew from inside and out. A classic SF mystery provides the bones for this adventure as well as a twist near the end, and one not quite as happy-go-lucky as rescuing lab animals. <i style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2qqIvuZ">Stolen Legacy</a> </i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">adds depth to <i>The Sky Full of Stars </i>universe as Jelena and her crew hop from space battle to space battle.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<i>The Sky Full of Stars</i> is perfect for voracious readers who enjoy smart and funny characters and plot with soul. Buroker has a great way with dialogue and a good balance of character development and long-reaching plot.</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://lindsayburoker.com/">Join Lindsay Buroker's email list</a> to keep up-to-date on her releases, and get free content. Buroker is a prolific writer with a variety of series to whet your appetite. Pick up <i style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2qr00eh" style="font-size: 14.6667px;">The Rogue Prince</a>, </i><a href="http://amzn.to/2qqERBc" style="font-style: italic;">Angle of Truth</a>, and <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2qqIvuZ">Stolen Legacy</a> </i>now on Amazon.</div>
Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-36518247812961463682017-07-07T21:51:00.000-04:002017-07-07T21:51:07.381-04:00Review: Angle of Truth by @GoblinWriter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1E3FV4ibFj58A7J7Y52AzDEFKYgNiAa8ZqC9hZOTRucw1q5Tgr0mtwp04XzAPrE5WpeRZ3sUMYvNgUEdOt13BMzOHDOlHeuw76V-ZeScMpt0X9kQp4l1TAYWB7iPCNaUq3eT2YHMp9ao/s1600/angle+of+truth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1E3FV4ibFj58A7J7Y52AzDEFKYgNiAa8ZqC9hZOTRucw1q5Tgr0mtwp04XzAPrE5WpeRZ3sUMYvNgUEdOt13BMzOHDOlHeuw76V-ZeScMpt0X9kQp4l1TAYWB7iPCNaUq3eT2YHMp9ao/s320/angle+of+truth.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2qqERBc"><i>Angle of Truth</i></a> is the second book in fast-paced, smart and funny space opera, </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>The Sky Full of Stars</i></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, by Lindsay Buroker. <i>Angle of Truth</i> is just as witty and engaging as its predecessor, <a href="http://amzn.to/2qr00eh"><i>The Rogue Prince</i></a>, which I reviewed <a href="http://www.michelleristuccia.com/2017/04/review-rogue-prince-by-lindsay-buroker.html" style="font-style: normal;">here</a>. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
Young Captain Jelena Marchenko would never regret saving mistreated animals from a giant corporation, but she does feel bad about the debt incurred by her family’s business from her adventures. Apparently, space bases are costly to repair--who knew?</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
After seeing the bill and her new monthly payments, Jelena turns to her crew for creative solutions, and soon settles on mercenary work. Childhood friend and practiced assassin Prince Thorian warns Jelena that she doesn’t have the cold, killer’s heart needed to be a mercenary, so the team settles for the most heroic-sounding mission: rescuing war prisoners.</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
Jelena Marchenko still has a knack for getting into trouble as she acts on her bright moral principles in a post-war universe. <a href="http://amzn.to/2qqERBc"><i>Angle of Truth</i></a> piles space battles, magic-like Starseer powers, and witty banter onto the platter of a classic SF moral quandary: outsiders interfering in a civil war.</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<i>The Sky Full of Stars</i> is perfect for voracious readers who enjoy smart and funny characters and plot with soul. Buroker has a great way with dialogue and a good balance of character development and long-reaching plot.</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<a href="http://lindsayburoker.com/">Join Lindsay Buroker's email list</a> to keep up-to-date on her releases, and get free content. Buroker is a prolific writer with a variety of series to whet your appetite. Pick up <i style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://amzn.to/2qr00eh" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The Rogue Prince</a> </i><span style="font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; white-space: pre-wrap;">and </span><a href="http://amzn.to/2qqERBc" style="font-style: italic;">Angle of Truth</a> now on Amazon.</div>
Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-66105556484516480722017-06-23T22:25:00.000-04:002017-06-25T08:13:33.800-04:00Review: Unleash by @LaurenScribe<h4 style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #404040; font-family: "Droid Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
I was so excited for <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2tYSZmB">Unleash</a></i>, which already had good reviews from awesome people, like:</h4>
<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #404040; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
“A visceral, heart-pounding ride of a book that will keep you guessing until the final bloody breath.” – Award-winning fantasy author Pip Ballantine (The Books of the Order, The Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And <a href="http://gailcarriger.com/2017/05/19/gail-carriger-interviews-lauren-harris-about-unleash/">Gail Carriger intereviewed Lauren Harris</a>. How cool is that? So of course, I read the book, and after devouring it in two days, I can give you my own glowing review:</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQrWl2fZwZHOU6jT-6ixEErXMAeNr2JvN0GBmLZ9PabtGuVxUSyhFjNV2Qbp1ZqP4Cl_cM76pryGrKzogpQAup5E3okB2NATHqZhpNg3N5jz4t3SD8O49wVLSAfoVX38bI-WswJ9K6xw/s320/unleash.jpg" width="200" /><span id="goog_1785117318"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_1785117319"></span></div>
<br />
In contemporary urban fantasy <i>Unleash (Spellhounds, Book One) </i>by Lauren Harris, Helena Martin fights to break the spell binding her to her sadistic abuser, a powerful mage intent on destroying her family lineage. When well-meaning mundanes offer her a couch to crash on while she waits to contact her cousin on the run, Helena gets a taste of the normal life her abuser has stolen from her. Too bad the Guild is after her and strange happenings keep endangering her and her mundane rescuers.<br />
<br />
Lauren Harris writes heart-stopping action scenes while delving into the emotional backlash of abuse--which for Helena includes panic attacks and a painful disconnect from your average social scripts. Readers get a good feel for how dangerous and damaging Helena's situation is, and as a result, Helena comes out on top as an even stronger character. The gritty realism of <i>Unleash</i> was a welcome break from the lighter urban fantasy I usually see. Flowing banter, plot twists, and pointed descriptions round out the action to make <i>Unleash </i>a compelling read.<br />
<br />
The wonderfully nail-bitting world of <i>Unleash </i>involves ancient magic drawn through mandalas, blood magic, shapeshifting, and a powerful sorcerer's intent on hiding it all from mundanes. And then there's the heart-warming volunteer dog rescue and the rescuers who only want to give Helena a safe place to stay, away from whatever horrible thing she ran away from. Mandalas and dangerous puppies. Doesn't that make you want to dive in?<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Pick up <i><a href="http://amzn.to/2tYSZmB">Unleash</a></i> by Lauren Harris on Amazon.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Add it to your <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34931255-unleash">Goodreads</a> list and give it some love there and on Amazon. Every review counts!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Join <a href="http://eepurl.com/CB6Pv">Lauren's mailing list</a> for an exclusive prequel! </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> You can also find her on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/laurenbharris">Patreon</a> where followers get exclusive content.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><i>Unjust </i>is the cool prequel you get for signing up!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img src="http://gailcarriger.com/admit1/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/IDea-300x235.png" /></div>
Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-28171959037372134322017-04-19T08:00:00.000-04:002017-04-19T08:00:48.040-04:00Review: The Rogue Prince by Lindsay Buroker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWknEIe_-IsyGVGD5hkJAcdf9NLyMkzUeu-ROHw4KYATJEbiqX30_Swetc3-grPt5ZM3i5QtLaJYsWQjzUWbhYCCgFuDonhK3OGUCC_S8UY4hqgg47GWeITo6kecbhnTHnuxLcRKcd5tg/s1600/rogue+prince.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWknEIe_-IsyGVGD5hkJAcdf9NLyMkzUeu-ROHw4KYATJEbiqX30_Swetc3-grPt5ZM3i5QtLaJYsWQjzUWbhYCCgFuDonhK3OGUCC_S8UY4hqgg47GWeITo6kecbhnTHnuxLcRKcd5tg/s400/rogue+prince.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2pBoYHR">The Rogue Prince</a></i> is a fast-paced space adventure by Lindsay Buroker. Young Starseer Jelena Marchenko captains her first mission running cargo, to prove to her parents that she's mature enough to handle the family business. Or, you know, to divert on an impulsive rescue mission to rescue abused animals from Stellacor. Whoops. Stellacor ends up being bigger than she imagined, sporting a high-security facility complete with mounted guns and secret super soldiers. And it's not just herself that Jelena drags into this--she couldn't do it without the help of her Erick Ostberg, her friend whose like a brother, and whose Starseer powers balance her own talents.<br />
<br />
As Jelena and Erick race back in response to a family emergency, their little diversion continues to pester them with this little thing called consequences. Meanwhile, news of a friend gone rogue further complicates their return home: Jelena wants to talk to prince Thorian to find out if he's really the one behind the assassinations on the news. If they can even find him.<br />
<br />
Jelena Marchenko has a knack for getting into trouble--much like her mom, Alisa. Witty banter, believable family dynamics, Starseer powers and plenty of life-and-death encounters make <i>The Rogue Prince</i> an entertaining read, while the larger story line add depth and complexity.<br />
<br />
<i><a href="http://amzn.to/2pBoYHR">The Rogue Prince</a></i> is part of <i>The Fallen Empire </i>universe, in a timeline which begins with <a href="http://amzn.to/2nSFR2f">Star Nomad</a> (see my review below) in <a href="http://amzn.to/2nAFI0O" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Fallen Empire Collection</a>. It's not necessary to read <i>The Fallen Empire Collection</i> first, but reading one series will make you want to read the rest. <i>Star Nomad </i>begins it all with Alisa's quest to reunite with her daughter in the wake of chaos following the collapse of the Empire. <i>The Rogue Prince</i> stars her daughter, Jelena Marchenko, and the books share many characters. And let's not forget <a href="http://amzn.to/2nSNCFl" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Cyborg Legacy: A Fallen Empire Novel</a>, which goes into Leonida's backstory, a cyborg character integral to the series.<br />
<br />
Guys, this series is FUN and Buroker is prolific, so if you like to devour your SF at a fast pace, you'll have a lot of material and you won't have to wait long for the next installment or spin-off. Buroker has a great way with dialogue and a good balance of character development and long-reaching plot.<br />
<br />
Keep an eye out for book two, Angle of Truth--join <a href="http://lindsayburoker.com/">Lindsay Buroker's</a> email list to keep up-to-date on her releases, and get free content.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
PS:<br />
My review of <a href="http://amzn.to/2nSFR2f">Star Nomad</a>:<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Lindsay Buroker was a new author for me and I am 100% sold. I couldn't join her newsletter fast enough after reading this. <i>Star Nomad</i> jumps right into the action and is fast-paced throughout. Great banter, smooth character development, and a complex universe and backstory give the story surprising depth. A great mix of humor, suspense, and a splash of grim. Fans of Firefly will indeed enjoy this because it has a similar tone and tackles similar political nuances--but Buroker's work stands completely on its own. I love Alisa and Mica (the lead female characters), and I also can't wait to read more of Leonidas' story in <a href="http://amzn.to/2nSNCFl">Cyborg Legacy: A Fallen Empire Novel</a>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-88923734215818990842017-04-08T07:00:00.000-04:002017-04-08T07:00:09.843-04:00Review: Little Green Men--Attack! by @BryanThomasS @BaileyRobinW<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://amzn.to/2neizDl">Little Green Men--Attack!</a> edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Robin Wayne Bailey is an entertaining collection I recently had the privilege to review for Tangent Online. However, I only reviewed the first half of the collection for Tangent. Do you think I stopped reading half-way through? Of course not! So, here's another look at the collection as a whole:<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgmkFoB2MzplHQauWh-4oyPr8Af56I47EYXbm39aBu2xNnFtQ9DSJskasA7834Fy4hK_kPruNHjljFRoeFvroTjVdudxJKFkOX5BaqP_yQNThFJXFwxMxPmyTlwE4TfjFVjmbp6yXgP8HNn9SuhZUGVvSPE7BGUIEdXx-vPXViRopFunnU=" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.tangentonline.com/images/Little-Green-Men-Attack-3-17.jpg" /></a><a href="http://amzn.to/2neizDl">Little Green Men--Attack!</a> from Baen, edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Robin Wayne Bailey, is a collection of 18 new stories and 1 classic reprint. Each author takes the idea of little green men and runs with it in their own direction, sometimes playing with SF and conspiracy theory tropes, and sometimes shooting off into the unexpected--unless you were expecting Japanese mythological demons (“A Cuppa, Cuppa Burnin' Love” by Esther M. Friesner), or Victorian roller-skate-offs (“A Fine Night for Tea and Bludgeoning” by Beth L. Cato) complete with satirically stiff Victorian style. And speaking of sportswomen who take their sport seriously, “School Colors” by Seanan McGuire is another particularly funny story featuring a paranormal-fighting cheer leading team that may remind readers of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Turn the ridiculousness up another notch for “Big White Men—Attack!” by Steven H Silver, in which aliens the size of dust motes (Mars dust, to be precise) face off against unwitting astronauts Buzz and Neil.<br />
<br />
Elizabeth Moon delivers plenty of creepy factor in “A Greener Future,” where an entertaining troop of little green men are more trouble than they appear. Then in “Rule the World” by Jody Lynn Nye, we get suspiciously charismatic aliens who just want to sign a peace treaty with us, but psychic cats object.<br />
<br />
“Stuck in Buenos Aires With Bob Dylan On My Mind” by Ken Scholes is an escapist piece with a beatnik feel (beatnik because... Bob Dylan) in which the narrator is stranded on Earth with the ability to play Bob Dylan songs and speak Spanish, which isn't quite as helpful as one would think in France.<br />
<br />
Kristine Kathryn Rusch gives us a wonderfully cynical essay from student to teacher in “Little (Green) Women," because in a universe where little green men might exist, maybe they're bizarre enough to like Little Women.<br />
<br />
Martin L. Shoemaker's “Meet the Landlord” is a tale of one-upmanship that zips along with clever dialogue and running jokes after invisible aliens demand back-payment for humanity's use of the moon.<br />
<br />
Little green men can be quite belligerent in “The Little Green Men Take Their Hideous Vengeance, Sort Of” by Mike Resnick. In “Good Neighbor Policy” by Dantzel Cherry, bad attitudes are met with good ole Texas hospitality, which includes pie--the fire ants aren't nearly so accommodating. “Little Green Guys” by K. C. Ball brings us another goofy tall tale in which aliens with attitude demand help in recovering their ship.<br />
<br />
Closing the anthology out is “The Fine Art of Politics” by Robin Wayne Bailey, an appropriately over-the-top riff on enthusiastic military who like to shoot every thing out of the sky. “Day of the Bookworm” by Allen M. Steele earlier in the line-up offers the opposite approach, where librarians handle the aliens before the military even knows about them. “First Million Contacts” by Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Alex Shvartsman take the idea of appeasing aliens in another direction--what if your first alien tried to french kiss you...in Walmart?<br />
<br />
Also included is “Hannibal's Elephants” by Robert Silverberg, a classic 1988 reprint from Omni.<br />
<br />
From psychic cats to french-kissing aliens, Baen's <a href="http://amzn.to/2neizDl">Little Green Men--Attack!</a> offers up a variety of laughs from seasoned story tellers and editors. <a href="http://amzn.to/2oRiFij">Get it now!</a><br />
<br />
<b>Full Table of Contents:</b><br />
“The Little Green Men Take Their Hideous Vengeance, Sort Of” by Mike Resnick<br />
“Little (Green) Women” by Kristine Kathryn Rusch<br />
“Good Neighbor Policy” by Dantzel Cherry<br />
“Stuck in Buenos Aires With Bob Dylan On My Mind” by Ken Scholes<br />
“Rule the World” by Jody Lynn Nye<br />
“School Colors” by Seanan McGuire<br />
“Meet the Landlord” by Martin L. Shoemaker<br />
“Big White Men—Attack!” by Steven H Silver<br />
“The Green, Green Men of Home” by Selina Rosen<br />
“A Fine Night for Tea and Bludgeoning” by Beth L. Cato<br />
“The Game-a-holic's Guide to Life, Love, and Ruling the World” by Peter J. Wacks & Josh Vogt<br />
“Day of the Bookworm” by Allen M. Steele<br />
“A Greener Future” by Elizabeth Moon<br />
“A Cuppa, Cuppa Burnin' Love” by Esther M. Friesner<br />
“Little Green Guys” by K. C. Ball<br />
“The March of the Little Green Men” by James E. Gunn<br />
“First Million Contacts” by Bryan Thomas Schmidt and Alex Shvartsman<br />
“Hannibal's Elephants” by Robert Silverberg (1988 reprint from Omni)<br />
“The Fine Art of Politics” by Robin Wayne Bailey
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tangentonline.com%2Fimages%2FLittle-Green-Men-Attack-3-17.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEgmkFoB2MzplHQauWh-4oyPr8Af56I47EYXbm39aBu2xNnFtQ9DSJskasA7834Fy4hK_kPruNHjljFRoeFvroTjVdudxJKFkOX5BaqP_yQNThFJXFwxMxPmyTlwE4TfjFVjmbp6yXgP8HNn9SuhZUGVvSPE7BGUIEdXx-vPXViRopFunnU=" -->Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5628249165248179457.post-65776364026051816482017-04-05T14:16:00.000-04:002017-04-05T14:16:05.789-04:00Cover Reveal: Unleash by Lauren Harris<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Craving a gritty, kickass heroine?</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Coming in May from Lauren Harris, a Contemporary Fantasy for those who love guns, magic, & romance...</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLHvg26SgZFRrRXl07Pf6HO1zXqLvNIWEOZihyphenhyphen5_JEDegTI46IQ_fTqvjG5fzY5u_e_68MBzQ-vHNkQGwyU5nvmP_uIfCno6wZKLfalBNdHtTYeLJdjyoEyE0i1lJlt52mu_nCPRuE9o/s1600/Unleash5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLHvg26SgZFRrRXl07Pf6HO1zXqLvNIWEOZihyphenhyphen5_JEDegTI46IQ_fTqvjG5fzY5u_e_68MBzQ-vHNkQGwyU5nvmP_uIfCno6wZKLfalBNdHtTYeLJdjyoEyE0i1lJlt52mu_nCPRuE9o/s320/Unleash5.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<b>A deadly price for freedom. A power she can't control.</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Helena Martin doesn't know who she hates more, the sorcerers who fired the magic-laced bullet or the gang-lord master who used her mother as a shield. Both hunt the remnants of her pack and the only way Helena can protect them is using her newly-unleashed magic to lead the two factions away.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
With a coveted book of spells as bait, she flees Miami and heads for her mother’s Minnesota hometown. There, salvation comes in the form of a dog rescue willing to take in a different kind of stray. The illusion of a peaceful life is seductive but with sorcerers and bounty hunters sniffing around every corner, Helena fights to keep her past, her pursuers, and her unstable power a secret.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Then she discovers it’s not the spell book her enemies are after, but Helena herself, and the strange power she can barely control. When her master’s bounty hunters threaten her new home, Helena realizes that protecting the people she’s grudgingly come to love leaves her with one option: join the sorcerers who killed her mother.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixL2nvAUjWYL04mizZXKzBHaCJoV-upev9LiaG0pbHmUsD73BbplkrYscMitRp91pznZuo7JQ9ncdMigmZ1IeIsqGVyjYRczUjIg_1Zs2Wim0Ky5czAR4sETShXPVrpvGqWpTtyVbmpM/s1600/LassiNiko+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgixL2nvAUjWYL04mizZXKzBHaCJoV-upev9LiaG0pbHmUsD73BbplkrYscMitRp91pznZuo7JQ9ncdMigmZ1IeIsqGVyjYRczUjIg_1Zs2Wim0Ky5czAR4sETShXPVrpvGqWpTtyVbmpM/s320/LassiNiko+%25281%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<b>PREORDER NOW</b></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<i>Amazon</i>: ( <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XWZKP8Z/ref%3Das_li_tl?ie%3DUTF8%26camp%3D1789%26creative%3D9325%26creativeASIN%3DB06XWZKP8Z%26linkCode%3Das2%26tag%3Dlaurenbharris-20%26linkId%3D680701ce1c0145642258cb7b4a728be3&source=gmail&ust=1491145488163000&usg=AFQjCNGSEhTX_yCfLCjaSX_mf1lYd8Yv8Q" href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XWZKP8Z/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B06XWZKP8Z&linkCode=as2&tag=laurenbharris-20&linkId=680701ce1c0145642258cb7b4a728be3" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.com/gp/<wbr></wbr>product/B06XWZKP8Z/ref=as_li_<wbr></wbr>tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=<wbr></wbr>9325&creativeASIN=B06XWZKP8Z&<wbr></wbr>linkCode=as2&tag=<wbr></wbr>laurenbharris-20&linkId=<wbr></wbr>680701ce1c0145642258cb7b4a728b<wbr></wbr>e3</a> )</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<i>Kobo</i>: <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/unleash-1&source=gmail&ust=1491145488163000&usg=AFQjCNHSBFFSeQORtNqS0deK8hutCNMdjA" href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/unleash-1" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.kobo.com/us/<wbr></wbr>en/ebook/unleash-1</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
Join Lauren's mailing list to for an exclusive excerpt and a reminder when the book is out! <span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> here: </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://eepurl.com/CB6Pv&source=gmail&ust=1491145488163000&usg=AFQjCNEM0sSDMFE2pwhrD4vjOur7fx_OxA" href="http://eepurl.com/CB6Pv" style="color: #1155cc; font-size: 12.8px;" target="_blank">http://eepurl.com/<wbr></wbr>CB6Pv</a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
<b style="font-size: 12.8px;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR</b><br />
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-size: 12.8px;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskuHi5fwZcAOPYUBF59Ct5-MTO8REqx3S99gLtRAzY6hsBMCEfTGeR0tZYdsJ7IKKG1bE4ZfBOjkKvcpX3AA_uHFfqNsqz0QnV4ULKRspPwFcjaefVUO2uK6W0hWA7LYKFgCEkxWHVGI/s1600/51kB%252BBnmksL._UX250_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskuHi5fwZcAOPYUBF59Ct5-MTO8REqx3S99gLtRAzY6hsBMCEfTGeR0tZYdsJ7IKKG1bE4ZfBOjkKvcpX3AA_uHFfqNsqz0QnV4ULKRspPwFcjaefVUO2uK6W0hWA7LYKFgCEkxWHVGI/s400/51kB%252BBnmksL._UX250_.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 14px;">Lauren was raised by an impulsive furniture mover and an itinerant TV News professional in a string of homes up and down the East Coast of the United States. Eventually settling (sort of) in Raleigh, NC, Lauren befriended a band of whimsical nerds who found themselves de-facto beta readers for her scribblings.</span><br />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="color: #111111; font-size: 14px;">After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she studied English and Classics, Lauren moved to Tokyo, Japan for three years. While there, she studied Japanese, taught English, and fell in love with the hot drink section in the vending machines.</span><br />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="color: #111111; font-size: 14px;">Now, Lauren balances a day-job of Cardiac Ultrasound with her passion for writing and other creative persuits. She is the author of The Millroad Academy Exorcists novella series and an Assistant Editor at Orson Scott Card's Intergalactic Medicine Show. Her narration and voice acting can be heard on Audible.com, EscapePod, and various short fiction podcasts.</span><br />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #111111; font-size: 14px;" />
<span style="color: #111111; font-size: 14px;">Keep up with Lauren on the Words of a Feather podcast, her Patreon ( </span><span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=https://www.patreon.com/laurenbharris&source=gmail&ust=1491145488163000&usg=AFQjCNFezQYNth3hfbaG9GhEXCEkhylY7Q" href="https://www.patreon.com/laurenbharris" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.patreon.com/<wbr></wbr>laurenbharris</a>)</span></span><span style="color: #111111; font-size: 14px;">, or her website,<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?hl=en&q=http://www.laurenbharris.com&source=gmail&ust=1491145488163000&usg=AFQjCNGZu9BNsJA21xYTkV9La1Zew8tKlQ" href="http://www.laurenbharris.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.laurenbharris.com</a></span></div>
</div>
Michelle Ristucciahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12859642062078760861noreply@blogger.com0