Review: The Contaminants by Devin K. Smyth

A nutty conspiracy at the top level of America’s elite and politicians causes the end of the world. In an effort to eradicate those who are deemed unworthy, the earth has been decimated by nuclear war and into a nuclear waste. Those deemed worthy are up in space, orbiting, waiting for the earth to regenerate by a new engineering process. Soraj’s father is creator and in charge of the process to create the new “earth” and is friends with Jessil, the main character.

After finding out some disturbing truth, Jessil jumps ship with her brother, friend Soraj, and others to see if they can find any survivors in the wasteland. She leaves hoping to find her father and any other survivors, also leaving the safety of one of the only known space craft left in existence. After crash landing, they face insanely dangerous animals and plants that have evolved in their new ecosystem created. Barely escaping with their lives, they encounter other beings that have undergone change, once human, and are eking out an existence.

Contaminants is a good novel to read in one sitting or off and on. The content in the novel flows easily and the characters and their events are easy to follow. Containment focuses more on the sci-fi and fantasy elements in the story and what brought about the end of earth and society, rather than focusing deeply on the characters. The plot is straight forward and easy to follow. A fun sci-fi read to waste away an afternoon.

 

  



From Amazon.com:

Biography

When Devin Smyth isn't wrestling the English language into submission to get a story just right, the southern Wisconsin native works in the field of children's entertainment.

 

Review: Old World (The Green and Pleasant Land) by Oliver Kennedy

Are you a fan of creepy, macabre, and totally crazy horror? This short book is for you. The Locklear family flees with thousands of others as the dead rise after nuclear war. They find refuge and build a life as much as they can. Mother, father, sister, and two brothers eke out a living in a pleasant cabin with access to the basics needed for life, occasionally chopping up zombies that roam around.

One day, their daughter gets sick. After dealing with a creepy abomination, fishing up a zombie from the river, and other horrors, the family now faces the death of their beloved daughter. A creepy radio signal that repeats one phrase and saving a dying old man lead them to a supposed hospital.

Okay, up until now the book was fairly your average zombie whacking fiction. After they enter the hospital and face the totally insanity and ickiness inside, my mind was reeling from the creepy and horror. If you’re squeamish with death and torture by madmen, might want to skip this book. To be honest, I felt like the description didn’t given any hint of the total insanity at the end. What the hell? My stomach twisted and I felt light headed with all the murder and torture, but the hero at the end was totally unexpected, and made me want to read more. This book is not for the faint of heart. But if you can stomach some descriptive horror, your mind will be intrigued.



 

 



From goodreads.com:

I was born in Hertford, UK. When I was young I did much that was creative. I used to write and draw, I used to imagine castles beneath the sea and all the odd monsters living beneath the ground.

Then I hit a certain age. And I lost about fifteen years to angst, alcohol, gaming, girls, unhappiness, stupidity, debt and a general lack of direction.

Five years ago my daughter was born. The light which had grown dim at the back of my mind lit up once more, within its light I rediscovered the castles beneath the sea where I played as a child, I fell once more beneath the shadow of the monsters. I started writing. And I have not looked back.

Review: Dangerous Desire by Annie Seaton

Gracie is the quintessential schoolmarm who is actually sexy… and Jake is the broken cop with a chip on his shoulder. Gracie is trying to find her wild sister who has disappeared. One night she descends on the docks to scout out her sister’s last location dressed … well… not like a schoolmarm. Jake is doing some investigating on his boat when she pops in trying to get away from some bad guys. Just so happens that they are both interested in the same bad guys.

Jake whisks her away to his swanky house and they proceed to argue and get in on for most of the book. The characters were likeable, but there were times I wanted to roll my eyes at both of them. Jake treated her nasty quite a few times, and Gracie kept being obliviously unaware of putting herself in insanely dangerous situations. The action was a little slow, but toward the middle to end of the book, it really picks up. When both characters get over themselves and realize their feelings, Gracie is put in a life or death situation, and Jake races to save her.

The attraction between both characters was interesting and the end had a nice twist. An okay romantic read for an evening or two.



  

 

Biography

Annie lives in Australia, on the beautiful mid north coast of New South Wales. She sits in her writing chair and gazes at the tranquil Pacific Ocean while she dreams up romances.
Her debut novel Holiday Affair hit the best seller lists on both Amazon US and Amazon UK within a month of release! The sequel, Italian Affair is now available and is getting fabulous reviews. The third book in the series, Outback Affair, will be released on 14th October.
Dangerous Desire, Annie's first foray into romantic suspense is now available.
She has more books under way and will keep you posted through her website re publication dates.
Annie has recently published a book of promotional tips and tricks for aspiring authors.

Review: Secrets and Sins: Malachim (A Secrets and Sins Novel #2) by Naima Simone

So, Danielle’s life kinda sucks. Her first husband is a controlling and abusive nut job. She’s on the run with a new identity after putting his nasty self behind bars, but is barely surviving with a new job as waitress at a diner. Though she was once a successful lawyer, she meets up with yummy Malachim one night applying for a job as paralegal at his firm. A secret from Malachim’s past has his license suspended and his client’s and employees are dropping like flies. He hires Danielle reluctantly and they spend the next few weeks fighting their attraction with each other while Danielle is repeatedly attacked by an unknown assailant(s).

I appreciated that the author took the descriptive time to give Danielle’s background and did not sugar coat it. It explained her awkward and timid tendencies. At times, I still wanted to shake her shoulders when she runs away for the hundredth time! Ah! But it’s understandable given the sequence of events leading up to her and Mal’s intense relationship with each other.

Poor Mal has already been taken advantage of by an ex fiancée and his back-stabbing father. Danielle’s vulnerability awakens his beaten heart and his sole purpose is to protect her from those who would do her harm.
I continuously rooted for their romance and the evolution of their relationship was enjoyable. I look forward to reading about the other guys in his crew of best friends in the following sequels.



 

Review: Hot Redemption by K.D. Penn

I normally snicker when people talk about “book boyfriends.” Yeah, well, eating crow now. Epic is my book boyfriend and I will not share! This is my first dip into a cyber/futuristic/erotic tale. I typically steer away from erotic due to no story line and all sexy time. The erotic sexy times were definitely hot and my marriage was greatly improved while I read this book (wink wink). But what really drew me into the story were the damaged pasts, but sweet futures of the main characters.

The world building was great and details made it easy to imagine the worlds Epic and Nix lived in. I totally adored Epic’s family (especially the three little cretins- his three twin sisters), and my heart broke with the sacrifices his parents made. Epic is struggling to keep his family afloat and eventually off planet to a better future. Robbing strip clubs with his brothers has been frugal and in one of their robberies, Nix pops in and steals the show. Literally. Nix was a take no crap heroine who is both likeable and totally insane. I wanted them to succeed in their illegal Robin Hood capers.

The attraction and banter between the main characters is electric. The action is non-stop from the beginning. I loved the switching between character’s viewpoints. Some authors fail to transition between different viewpoints, but these differing voices in the story made it all the better.

Read the book but keep your hands off Epic. He’s mine!



 

 



K.D. Penn is the pseudonym for the writing team of Kenya Wright and D.T. Dyllin.

Review: Dead Sexy Dragon (Dragon Heat, #1) by Lolita Lopez

Okay! I admit it... I thought this book might fall into the rather full genre of paranormal romance with no plot but lots of sexy time. Whoo! I was pleasantly surprised. The author does a great job of minor world building, mythology, and introducing warring factions.
Stig Wyvern served and deployed with Cora Cardenas’s older brother over sea. Coming home, he establishes himself in a gorgeous home safe with old magic, and surrounded by forests. One night when he is about to start an agonizing cycle in which he has to keep himself locked away from others, Cora bangs on his front door. Due to poor choices made by her brother before his death, Cora has herself in a tangled mess and is running for her life. Keeping his attraction under control with codes of honor (you don’t sleep with a friend’s kid sister), Stig finds himself housing Cora in the guestroom while he locks himself in the basement during his dragon cycle.
Drawn by curiosity and a very lusty dream, Cora creeps down and eventually finds Stig’s secrets and becomes entrapped in his world. Due to a centuries old feud between Knights and Dragons that started with a forbidden love, the Knights are hot on the trails of Stig and using Cora as bait.
This story was a very fun romp and I enjoyed that storyline and action that kept the story moving quickly until the end. I enjoyed both Stig’s and Cora’s characters and their love for each other. Looking forward to the next in the series.


 

Biography

While browsing bookstore shelves as a teenager, Lo discovered the erotic writings of Anaïs Nin and A.N. Roquelaure. Certain her mother would not approve, Lo smuggled the books home and squirreled them away in the most likely of places: under her bed. Late at night, she delved into the sensual worlds both writers created.

As a co-ed studying biochemistry and genetics at Texas A&M University, Lo dabbled in creating naughty tales to entertain her friends. Study for a midterm or pen a deliciously dirty story to delight her small band of fans? Not surprisingly, Lo is now on an extended sabbatical from college.

Luckily, Lo stumbled onto the world of erotic romance publishers. She realized there were other readers and writers who loved and craved breathtaking romance with the spiciest of love scenes. She took a chance and submitted her first novella. The rest is history.

Review: Wonderstruck (Young Adult Anthology) by Clean Teen Publishing

Based on their unique view of different pictures, the authors in this anthology penned whatever inspired them. Some are short; some long; some just a few sentences.
This was a fantastic anthology of blended short and long stories in young adult fantasy. Any reader will easily get swept into the engrossing array of writing styles, characters, and story lines. A perk is getting to meet old authors read before, but mostly new and unknown indie authors. My absolute favorite story was Heartkeepers by B.T. Lyons.
My past experiences with anthologies have been hit or miss. This was a definite win. I enjoyed the majority of the stories. Given the amount of stories and their various lengths, this book was easy to pick up and enjoy one short story or sit and read awhile with a longer novella. Another great aspect of this book is how long it is! Not just a quick jumble of stories brought together, but instead, a bunch of stories available in one long book. The editors did a lovely job of mixing genres and writing styles to make the flow of the anthology unique and to continually grasp the reader’s interest.
I encourage anyone who enjoys young adult fantasy or paranormal to check out this book and find some new authors to read in the future.

As of this posting, this anthology is currently $.99 and be borrowed from the Kindle Lending Library for Amazon Prime Members.



 

 

Review: Taming Cross (Love Inc., #2) by Ella James

Aha! Once again Ella James has crafted an edgy new adult romance featuring the darker side of human nature and their consequences. The story starts with a broken Cross moping in his bike shop, and ends with a literal couple of bangs at Love Inc.'s head quarters with his unexpected, steamy love interest.
Cross has some serious baggage. His father is a dirty rotten politician and his mother an apathetic bystander. Trying to get a semblance of his life together after his injures, Cross goes on an across the country mission to rescue the woman wronged by her choices and his father.
Cross is inhibited by some of his emotional baggage and physical damage, but still manages to bust some butt and save the girl in the end. Having unknowingly killed a major drug cartel leader, Cross and Merri are hunted out of Mexico and into Las Vegas. Taking refuge at Love Inc., they continuously go back and forth in their fierce attraction to each other and getting lost in their own hang ups.
This is not a fluffy or sweet love story. Ella James's characters are hot, raw, and gritty. The book is not overwhelmed with sexy time scenes or boring details. Her books suck the reader right in. I buckle up for the ride and get no sleep until I know the end.
I love the characters and hope we get some more of Love Inc. Please? Pretty please, Ella?





 

 

Biography

Ella James is a Colorado author who writes teen and adult romance. She is happily married to a man who knows how to wield a red pen, and together they are raising a feisty two-year-old who will probably grow up believing everyone's parents go to war over the placement of a comma.

Ella's books have been listed on numerous Amazon bestseller lists, including the Movers & Shakers list and the Amazon Top 100; two were listed among Amazon's Top 100 Young Adult Ebooks of 2012.

To find out more about Ella's projects and get dates on upcoming releases, find her on Facebook at facebook.com/ellajamesauthorpage and follow her blog, www.ellajamesbooks.com. Questions or comments? Tweet her at author_ellaj or e-mail her at ella_f_james@ymail.com.

 

Review: Been Loving You Too Long (DuChamps Dynasty, #1) by Seraphina Donavan

This novel follows the popular storyline of rich dude and poor chick falling in love... sort of? Ophelia Broulliard and Vincent DuChamps have loved and lusted after each other for many years. The story follows their rather roller coaster ride into marriage. After the patriarch of the family dies suddenly, his will dictates the three DuChamps siblings to complete certain tasks to get access to their inheritance. Throughout the story, Vincent is trying to resolve the scars left from a childhood witnessing his parents' murder suicide by car. While Ophelia cared for the ailing Thomas, Vincent tries to keep the family hotel business from floundering and being corrupt by another family member.
Forced not unhappily into marriage after a one night affair together, Ophelia and Vincent are married within a couple days of the will reading. After lots of graphic scenes of sexy time (involving the nice girl not being nice), Ophelia learns some possibly disturbing results, and Vincent is battling to trap the relative who is corrupting the business.
The story ends with another sexy time sequence and the happy couple vowing to make it work. Story was predictable and an easy romantic read filled with lots of sexy time scenes. To be honest, I ended up skipping over those scenes after the first/second one so I could continue the story. Not a mind blowing read, but simple romantic read to keep the reader entertained.

Note: I was provided this book by I.O. Book Tours for a honest review.



 

 

Biography

Seraphina Donavan is a hopeless romantic with a wicked & oh-so-dirty mind! Those things, combined with her love of writing, prompted her to take the leap and transform those fantasies into written words on a page. As a curvy girl herself, Seraphina has made it a point to celebrate those women with delicious curves with her work through writing and the hot men who love them.
She currently has 11 published books & is working on many more..
Living in Central Kentucky, Seraphina spends her time rescuing stray animals, working for a non-profit agency and dreaming of becoming a best-selling author. She lives in a home that has more character than working parts and enjoys spending time with her fur babies. Feel free to contact her with any questions or thoughts on your mind.. She loves connecting with her readers & hearing from anyone!

Review: Revenge Wears Prada: The Devil Returns (The Devil Wears Prada #2) by Lauren Weisberger

The Devil Wears Prada was one of the first books I read that introduced me to chick lit. I enjoyed all the drama and series of events that Andy went through. I about jumped out of my seat when I saw there was a sequel. By the time I finished the last chapter of the book, I was ready to jump out of my seat and return the audiobook edition back to the library. Ugh, there were little snippets of the first book that kept me listening and just wanting to get involved. Andy, to me, was extremely whiny, flighty, and a door mat. In turn, there were a few moments of redemption in regards to her being a mother and facing the betrayal in the end. This sequel wasn't really much of a sequel. Usually these types of stories tie up past story lines in a neat package. It was wrapped up.. sort up... with duck tape.

I would only recommend this book if you feel loyalty to the first novel and want something of a continuation of the main character from The Devil Wears Prada.



 

 

Biography

Lauren Weisberger is the author of The Devil Wears Prada, which spent more than a year on the New York Times hardcover and paperback bestseller lists. The film version, starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway, won a Golden Globe Award and grossed over $300 million worldwide. Her second novel, Everyone Worth Knowing, was also a New York Times bestseller. She lives in New York City with her husband.

Review: Games of Fate: A New Adult Urban Fantasy (Fate ~ Fire ~ Shifter ~ Dragon #1) by Kris Austen Radcliffe

Life is tough and a little crazy for Rysa Torres. Her dad bailed when she was a child, and her single mother suffers with depression. Throw in a heady case of ADD, Rysa has had to struggle relentlessly to fit in socially at school and in home. In a tutoring session with a guy friend (one of those would-be-a-boyfriend-but-isn’t cases), Rysa health and reality start altering with no explanation. Protecting her friend, she faces down a group of ghastly burners (alive, but undead monsters who walk, talk, insult, and blow stuff up with fire and acid). In swooshes immortal Ladon and his companion, Dragon. Fighting ensues and she is whisked away into the crazy and dangerous world her bloodline belongs to.

Rysa is now an activated, but rare Fate who can see the past, future, and present; and she thought her ADD was difficult to concentrate with. One sequence of action leads to another and those Rysa loves are placed in one episode of danger after another. Stuff in an eons old political power play, Rysa has to make the ultimate choice to save her or those she loves.

Throughout the novel, there are some twists and turns I had to reread to follow to grasp their meaning. Going into the novel knowing the main character has ADD, and the novel was written to accommodate this, helped me figure out the unique writing style and chaotic scenes.

I enjoyed the author’s world building and the shaky romance between Rysa and Ladon. Dragon was by far my favorite character and I appreciated their shared bond.

This was a unique novel for those who enjoy complex and mixed plot lines and a different style of character and writing.



  

 



        

BIO:

As a child, Kris took down a pack of hungry wolves with only a hardcover copy of The Dragonriders of Pern and a sharpened toothbrush.  That fateful day set her on a path traversing many storytelling worlds—dabbles in film and comic books, time as a talent agent and a textbook photo coordinator, and a foray into nonfiction.  After co-authoring Mind Shapes: Understanding the Differences in Thinking and Communication, Kris returned to academia.  But she craved narrative and a richly-textured world of Fates, Shifters, Burners, and Dragons—and unexpected, true love.
Kris lives in Minnesota with her husband, two daughters, an Handsome Cat, and an entire menagerie of suburban wildlife bent on destroying her house.  That battered-but-true copy of “Dragonriders”?  She found it yesterday.  It’s time to pay a visit to the woodpeckers.

ONLINE LINKS:

·         Website:  http://www.sixtalonsign.com/novels/

·         Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKrisAustenRadcliffe or my profile account, if you want to see the snarkier me:  http://www.facebook.com/kris.austenradcliffe

·         Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KrisRadcliffe

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/krisradcliffe