First off, I LOVE THE COVER! I have been indulging in my need for an apocalyptic fix and The Infected by Perry Prete was a great addition to my binging. The Infected is an original take on a zombie apocalypse.
John awakens, not even remembering his name, as one of The Infected.
We meet Carrie Jordan when she is alone. She is a badass. She does what is necessary to survive. I thought I knew where this was going, but….
The humans rule the day, the zombies the night. I knew John and Carrie would have to come together at some point, seeing they are the main characters, but I didn’t anticipate how. Perry Prete is not afraid to kill any of his characters off, so, even though I came to like a couple of others and thought they might join up with Carrie, it was not to be.
We do have all the grossness of zombies, attacking and eating most anything they can get their hands on. Even mice, fox, and other animals became zombified. One of the grossest moments to me, was when Perry Prete had a zombie with their lip ripped off, and as the zombie attacked another, they didn’t realize they were eating their own lip. LOL People travel miles alone, sometimes meeting up in small groups for the protection it offered. Big groups did the normal, used and abused others they considered beneath them and disposable. Of course, The Walking Dead came to mind and made visualizing Carrie’s dilemma easy.
I had many notes in my ereader, but because I was surprised by the ending, I didn’t want to share too much. I didn’t see it coming and I want you to enjoy finding out for yourself. The ending deserves a star of it’s own and I LOVED IT! I could see it playing out in my mind. I was sad, angry, may have even cheered when….I love an author who writes with such mastery that the book comes to life right before my eyes. If you are looking for some zombies that are a little bit different, The Infected by Perry Prete is a must read.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Infected by Perry Prete.
4 Stars
GOODREAD BLURB
A virus infects the world, altering human DNA. The Infected live at night, humans during the day. Each group avoids the other, as humans search for an area free of The Infected until an unlikely bond occurs between the two.
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Science Fiction, Zombies
234 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 4, 2022 by Sands Press
ABOUT PERRY PRETE
Perry Prete is a Canadian crime writer and paramedic. His first novel, All Good Things, introduced us to Ethan Tennant, a City of Ottawa paramedic who looks at crimes from the medical perspective.
Perry continues to work full-time as a paramedic and uses his thirty plus years of life changing and sometimes dramatic experiences to bring realism to his gripping medical novels. His other works include, The Things That Matter Most and All Good Things.
He is also a business owner, specializing in the pre-hospital care field. His company sells medical equipment across North America, primarily to EMS agencies.
A native of Sudbury, Ontario, Perry, graduated from Fanshawe College in London but now lives and works in Brockville, Ontario.
I had to stop when I saw the vibrant yellow cover and see what The Genes Of Isis by Justin Newland was about. Then I saw angels and grabbed it. The Genes of Isis by Justin Newland wasn’t quite what I though it would be and it took me a while to get into it, but it is worth a read if you are into science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction. I love when I can recommend a debut novel.
My name is Akasha. I am mother of you all. You are the children of angels. And this is out story.
The Helios is a tribe of angels that, like I have seen before, think they have all the answers. They came to Earth to move humans to a new stage of evolution by delivering the Surge.
Horque comes to Earth with the Solarii, another tribe of angels to fix what the problem the Helios created when they made the hybrids.
Akasha has a premonition that foretelsl of all their extinctions with a great flood. So many moments reminded me of a religious and an Egyptian story.
I am not a church goer, but I have enjoyed some Christian books and those with a religious tone. The Genes of Isis by Justin Newland is one of those. Many things sounded familiar, especially the polluting of religion for personal reasons. Political intrigue and revenge are alive and well. Is this where pyramids came from? I would think they would be more aware of Karma. 🙂
Issa made a deal with the devil and, at first, I though she was just a nice person. As the story comes together, I find she is so much more. Who knows what would have happened without her.
The Genes Of Isis by Justin Newland is hard for me to rate. I wasn’t very far into the book and wondered if this would be one of those I wouldn’t finish. I was confused. Not just by the names, which I create my own way of pronouncing them in my head, making the reading easier, but figuring out what was going on…Is it Gods and angels? Is it aliens? A third or half of the way through, the religious tones emerged and things were coming together. All in all, I would recommend if this is your type of story and like immersing yourself in a fantasy world of fantasy.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Genes Of Isis by Justine Newland.
3 Stars
SYNOPSIS
Akasha is a precocious young girl with dreams of motherhood. She lives in a fantastical world where most of the oceans circulate in the aquamarine sky waters.
Before she was born, the Helios, a tribe of angels from the sun, came to Earth to deliver the Surge, the next step in the evolution of an embryonic human race. Instead they spawned a race of hybrids and infected humanity with a hybrid seed.
Horque manifests on Earth with another tribe of angels, the Solarii, to rescue the genetic mix-up and release the Surge.
Akasha embarks on a journey from maiden to mother and from apprentice to priestess then has a premonition that a great flood is imminent. All three races – humans, hybrids and Solarii – face extinction.
With their world in crisis, Akasha and Horque meet, and a sublime love flashes between them. Is this a cause of hope for humanity and the Solarii? Or will the hybrids destroy them both? Will anyone survive the killing waters of the coming apocalypse?
“The novel is creative, sophisticated, brilliant! I couldn’t ask for a more Egyptian-esque book!” —Lauren, Books Beyond the Story
“The book is exquisitely written, with good characterization and a compelling plot… Thoroughly recommended.” —Jennifer’s Reviews
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JUSTIN NEWLAND’s novels represent an innovative blend of genres from historical adventure to supernatural thriller and magical realism. His stories explore the themes of war and religion, and speculate on the human’s spiritual place in the universe.
Undeterred by the award of a Doctorate in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, he conceived his debut novel, The Genes of Isis (Matador, 2018), an epic fantasy set under Ancient Egyptian skies.
The historical thriller, The Old Dragon’s Head (Matador, 2018), is set in Ming Dynasty China in the shadows of the Great Wall.
The Coronation (Matador, 2019) was another historical adventure and speculates on the genesis of the most important event in the modern world – the Industrial Revolution.
The Abdication (Matador, 2021) is a supernatural thriller in which a young woman confronts her faith in a higher purpose and what it means to abdicate that faith.
His work in progress is a two-book series, The Island of Angels. Set in the Elizabethan era, it’s an epic tale of England’s coming of age. The Mark of the Salamander (to be published September 2023) takes us across the open seas of discovery with Sir Francis Drake while The Midnight of Eights culminates the series with the repulse of the Spanish Armada.
Author, speaker and broadcaster, Justin appears on LitFest panels, gives talks to historical associations and libraries and enjoys giving radio interviews and making podcasts.
Born three days before the end of 1953, he lives with his partner in plain sight of the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England.
ASIN: B0C7DQ18TW Publisher: Dropship Publishing (July 11, 2023) Publication Date: July 11, 2023 Language: English
Blade Runner meets Judge Dread and The Running Man in this no-holds-barred cyberpunk thriller from Dragon Award Nominee Stu Jones. Start this neon-soaked thrill ride today!
In a tech-addicted dystopia, a young cop struggling to survive is forced into a high-octane gladiatorial grudge match, where sinister corporate overlords pull the strings and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance.
ONE WAY IN. NO WAY OUT
In the super-city of Neo Terminus, millions of tech-addicted fans surround a walled-off inner-city wasteland to watch nano-boosted gladiators called Enforcers fight to the death in the Conglomerate-controlled event known as The Zone. Enforcers are promised wealth and celebrity—if they survive.
Officer Chance Griffin fights to clean up the mean streets of Neo Terminus, and scrape together enough money for his infant son’s vital surgery. Driven by his family’s need, Chance signs on as an Enforcer for The Conglomerate.
As Chance rises to the top of the Enforcer ranks, The Glom’s mysterious Founders coerce him into competing in the greatest Zone trial ever conceived. Chance knows he’s the favorite to win. He believes his family is safe. He believes his son will get the medical care he urgently needs.
Chance is wrong.
Too late, he uncovers a plot by The Glom to rig the trial and enslave the citizens of Neo Terminus, ensuring obedience—forever.
Blinded by fame and fortune, and used as a pawn by the corporate machine, Chance resists. But he is about to discover that every deal with the devil has its price…
You can purchaseThe Zone at the following Retailers:
MY REVIEW
I haven’t read a lot of cyberpunk, but I have read some of Stu Jones work and loved it. The Zone sounds like something different for me, maybe a little bit scifi, a little bit techno, and a little bit superhero? Either way, if Stu Jones wrote it, I’ll read it.
I love the wonderful illustrations and quickly immersed myself in the wold of Neo Terminus. A world that had me, at times, thinking of The Hunger Games, for its gladiator sports, and The Walking Dead, for its have and have nots and what the haves will do to keep it and the have nots do to survive. Even though I knew some of what is to come, I still found myself sickened and disgusted, rallying behind those who want to change their world for the better.
The cast of characters is phenomenal, and even those who passed quickly, I enjoyed my time with, even the baddies. Not much enjoyable about them, but they do supply their share of chills and thrills. After all, can there be good guys without bad guys? And, when I say guys, I mean both males and females.
When I began The Zone by Stu Jones, I never thought of it being a series, but we have more to come for The Zone, and I hope to be there for it. It has all the things I love about a book: mystery, danger, darkness and light, evil villains, inspiring heroes and heroines, romance, the struggle for survival in an apocalyptic/dystopian world…with more to come.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Zone by Stu Jones.
4 Stars
Photo Content from Stu Jones
A veteran law enforcement officer, Stu Jones has served in patrol, narcotics, criminal investigations, as an instructor of firearms and police defensive tactics and as a team leader of a multi-jurisdictional SWAT team. He is trained and qualified as a law enforcement SWAT sniper, as well as in hostage rescue and high-risk entry tactics. Recently, Jones served for three years with a U.S. Marshal’s Regional Fugitive Task Force – hunting the worst of the worst.
A Dragon Award Nominee, Jones is the author of multiple sci-fi/action/thriller novels, including the multi-award-winning It Takes Death To Reach A Star duology and Condition Black, written with co-author Gareth Worthington (Children of the Fifth Sun, A Time for Monsters).
Known for his infectious storytelling and blistering action, Jones strives to create thought-provoking reading experiences that challenge the status quo. When he’s not chasing bad guys or writing epic stories, he can be found planning his next adventure to some remote or exotic place.
Jones is represented by Italia Gandolfo of Gandolfo Helin & Fountain literary. He lives in Alabama with his wife, two children, and a golden-doodle who thinks he’s human.
How have I not read any Ross Harrison novels, or heard of the Nexus series? After reading Forge of the Assassin, I grabbed the FREE copy of the first book, Shadow of the Wraith.
I came across Forge of the Assassin by Ross Harrison by scrolling through NetGalley. The cover and the word Assassin in the title made me grab it, more so than the blurb. I mean, look at that badass protagonist holding the child’s hand? What’s not to like?
OMG! I had never read any of Ross Harrison’s novels or the Nexus series, but the cover and title drew me in and I had to have it. It is a long read, but every chance I got I was picking it up. I had to know about Ares. Because I was new to the Nexus world, it took me a moment or two to gather the necessary facts, but, once I did…
She became a character that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. Most believed she was a ghost, buried in rubble. We know they are wrong. So wrong. And she will wreak her vengeance on them all. Never believe everything you are told. Things are not always as they seem.
Juni, a five year old girl thinks of Ares as her mother. In all sense of the word, she is.
The action is brutal, intense, catastrophic. Bodies fall, I mean, literally fall, only to rise again. I love the science fiction aspects and Ross Harrison took me deeper into the story than I thought I would go. I had moments when I thought, OMG, she is really dead. Then, I would think, no, she can’t be. What will happen to the little girl that someone is determined to make her an assassin at seven years old, like Ares.
Imagine a five year old girl saying:
I fell on it and now I’m wounded because you let go!”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Juni stole my heart and the dialogue and her thoughts made for some sweet, yet heartbreaking moments. Her belief that Ares would always be there kept her moving forward, trying to do the right thing. At times, I thought things were too grown up for her, but we have to remind ourselves where she comes from and the lessons Ares has taught her. They move constantly, barely staying ahead of those that want to kill them both. Ares has instilled in her the necessity of being aware of her surroundings at all times.
She felt a warm little hand on top of hers, and her hearts fluttered. “It’s not about the destination,” Juni said earnestly. “it’s about the journey.”
Isn’t that real life?
WOW! Forge of the Assassin by Ross Harrison wasn’t what I expected and I love it. Even though it took me a while to figure out all the players and what was going on, the constants were Ares and Juni. If anything happened to me I would love having either or both of them at my side. Just because Juni is a child, don’t count her it.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Forge of the Assassin by Ross Harrison.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Codename Ares. A legend. A ghost story. They say that seven years ago, she rained down hell from the stars, cutting through everyone in her path: cops, intelligence officers, assassins. All for a baby girl. They say that if she really was just one person, she died under a thousand tonnes of rubble.
They’re wrong.
Alexiares has kept Baby safe for seven years, staying one step ahead of assassins and hunters. But one step isn’t enough. Not when their new enemy reveals himself. Her worst nightmare becomes reality: Baby is ripped from her. Taken to be made into the perfect assassin – something Alexiares promised she wouldn’t allow.
The clock’s ticking and her failure is almost complete. She must work out why she’s still alive while staying ahead of the assassins, a government task force, and the malevolent whispers of her own broken mind. She must find a way to rescue Baby. And she must remind them all of one thing…
She is the only thing they fear.
Genre: Fiction, Science Fiction, Series, Stand Alone, Suspense, Thriller
580 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication July 15, 2023 by Shadow Archer Publishing
ABOUT ROSS HARRISON
Ross Harrison is the author of novels and short stories in the realms of science fiction – specifically space opera and science fantasy – thriller, noir, and steampunk. He has been writing since childhood, and occasionally likes to revisit those old stories for a good cringe and nervous laugh. He also talks about himself in the 3rd person because it seems more professional.
Ross lives on the UK/Eire border in Ireland, where he moved from England in 2001, hoping the rain will help his hair grow back.
Warrior. Doctor. Spy. I am Commander Helion, a heartless terror, relentless and unforgiving. Merciless.
My destiny is not to claim a female, to have a family, to be rendered helpless by love.
Despite this, I am matched. A beautiful human female is now mine. Despite my warnings, she is determined to leave her mark on me, body and soul.
Honor demands I resist. I tell her the truth. I will not place a mating collar around her neck. I cannot protect her—especially from me—my choices—the horrors I face every day.
Just one moment of weakness and she gets under my skin, makes me want things I cannot have. She is everything I am not—and the most dangerous creature I have ever faced.
Claiming her—keeping her—is not possible with my pivotal role in this never-ending war. There is no place in my duties for desire. For need. Too many innocents count on me for protection. Too many lives are at stake, including hers.
The enemy is always ready and waiting, but I never expected her to be among them.
For the first time in my hardened life, I question my sanity. My dark soul. I begin to understand exactly what my enemies have stolen from me—and realize there is no limit to what a heartless warrior will sacrifice for love.
Oh, heck yes. I was ready for lots of mind-blowing private time with two hot mates. Sooooo, ready. My body had been willing for a while. My mind had taken its sweet time catching up.
Now every part of me was fully on board. Heart. Mind. Body. Two mates? So very, very naughty. I squirmed, just a bit. I couldn’t keep the restless need from escaping. I hadn’t been touched by a man in so long. I tried to recall the last time—before the—before that. I couldn’t remember clearly, but I was pretty sure it had been years.
“The transport window is closing, my lady. If we wait much longer, I will need to delay your departure.” The Prillon warrior in control of the transport pad interrupted our long goodbye.
“Of course. So sorry.” I gave Makayla one final, super-tight hug, and walked up the few stairs to join my soon-to-be transported suitcase so we could be flung across the galaxy.
The officer nodded, his large hands moving competently over the controls.
Would my mates touch me with that level of intense concentration?
Were their hands that big? That skilled?
What was wrong with me? I was thinking like a horny teenager.
“Are you ready, my lady?” The transport officer had kind eyes. He knew where I was going. And why. I nodded. The hum of the transport pad rose up from the floor like an electricity bath. The extra energy building up for my jump through space made me squirm like a shelter puppy about to be released from its cage. Finally free.
Oh, yes. I was ready to meet my new mate.
Commander Zarren Helion.
Even his name sounded formidable.
I just knew he was going to be one hundred percent perfect.
***
Commander Zarren Helion, Intelligence Core, Black Fleet, Sector 438
The Prillon warrior sitting before me bled from multiple wounds, none fatal, each strategically placed to inflict maximum pain. Lieutenant Oberan Arcas of Prillon Prime.
I have to break him.
Author Bio:
Grace Goodwin is a USA Today and international bestselling author of Sci-Fi and Paranormal romance with nearly one million books sold. Grace’s titles are available worldwide in multiple languages in ebook, print and audio formats. Two best friends, one left-brained, the other right-brained, make up the award-winning writing duo that is Grace Goodwin. They are both mothers, escape room enthusiasts, avid readers and intrepid defenders of their preferred beverages. (There may or may not be an ongoing tea vs. coffee war occurring during their daily communications.) Grace loves to hear from readers.
I fell in love with these covers and Ken La Salle, along with the Miblart team of Ukraine have done an outstanding job creating a brand for the Breakthrough series, a science fiction series sure to capture your imagination. It did mine and I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series, The Deaths and Life of Arturo Delgado.
Ken La Salle left it up to me to title his guest post. What do you think? Did I do it justice?
BREAKTHROUGH BUCKET LIST IS A WORK IN PROGRESS
Do you have a bucket list?
I do.
Strange as it may seem, however, my bucket list has little to do with things I didn’t accomplish in the real world so much as it is about the stories I have not, yet, told and really want to. Every book takes a little more time from my life and I realized, sometime ago as I neared my mid-50s, that I should get to those stories I really want to tell before another month or another year or another decade passed.
You don’t put tiny excursions on your bucket list, though, so I decided to turn those tales into a series as grand as possible, one that would be “bucket list worthy.”
I began by writing a novel about Max Dedge, a guy who basically just wants to help. But he was put behind a gun, paid to kill people, instead. Years later, having put down his gun and taking his own path, he finds himself hired to solve some bombing only to end up with a wizard on his arm and the fate of a world in his hands.
This first novel in the series that I call “The Breakthrough” was Max Dedge in the Time of the Uniborg. Being an independent author spurred by inspiration, I slapped on a cover, released the novel, and moved on to the next book in the series.
That next book, which has just been released, is Sue Jorgensen: Queen of Space. Sue’s just a small-business owner, a single mom, who is thrust into an unscrupulous galaxy when her son is taken from her by aliens. While Max’s story focused on the fantastic, Sue tried to keep hers down to Earth… or, at least, in this solar system.
This is when I began to realize that The Breakthrough, filled with offbeat characters and otherworldly adventures, is a story about regular people saving what little of their lives they can from a cruel universe. If they’re lucky, they’ll save a bit more. And all of this happens as a terrible force is coming to destroy the solar system. They can see it coming. They know what’s going to happen. But is it too big for them? Can they possibly stop it?
But I couldn’t just slap a cover onto Sue. Sue, Max, and The Breakthrough demanded better. A story this big needed cover art just as expressive. I was fortunate to work with the Miblart team from Ukraine, who turned my covers from snapshots into murals that display the expansive story before you.
The third novel in this series, The Deaths and Life of Arturo Delgado, will be coming soon with more books to follow and I hope you join me for the rest of The Breakthrough, my personal bucket list.
Mr Wonderful kept me motivated and on the move for so many years, that now I am older I find myself content spending a lot of time at home, in our little piece of Paradise. I do have one thing on my bucket list that I have never done. I want to go down the Gulf side of Florida, from home, Pensacola, to the tip of the Florida Keys: air boating through the Everglades, swimming with the Manatees at Crystal River, visiting the mermaids at Wicki Wachee Springs State Park and seeing the green flash at the tip of the Forida Keys.
Ken La Salle has done an excellent job of creating a brand for The Breakthrough series with his covers. They are gorgeous and hint at the action and adventure inside…so, prepare yourself. Sue Jorgensen will definitely be a bumpy ride.
Sue Jorgensen’s worst day did not begin when the Golden Gage Bridge was destroyed….
“…you’re going to regret ever getting in this car if you don’t get out this second.”
And that is how the story begins. Sue and her son getting into her own ‘car’ and ending up on an alien ship. They take her son and Sue will not quit until she gets him back. When the car took off, I thought of Back To The Future and ET, with a little something extra
Ken La Salle has a twisted sense of humor that I love and it shines in Sue Jorgensen. Half the time I didn’t know whether to be pissed off or laugh out loud.
Sue Jorgensen does have sex with an alien. Do they do it different? Well, she does wonder if that explains the thing he does in bed.
Sue Jorgensen recruits help to rescue her son:
“A pirate can be a fighter, but also a lover, the kind of guy who rescues a maiden, steals her purse, and uses the money to save a puppy.”
We have Abrogines, who want to destroy our world and everyone in it, Stinkers, who are a people from…well, I think you can guess what their planet is made of, and more. The Collective is an amalgamation of the other species. They are nonviolent.
I love when Pod, a sentient machine, puts her on a spaceship full of virgins. They talk like the Fonz and the simplest flirtation has them swept off their feet. When Sue kissed Zanks cheek, she never could have predicted what would ‘pop up’ and I did laugh out loud. OMG! I won’t tell you because it is so good and so funny, you need to be as surprised as I was to get the full enjoyment of Sue’s situation. Ken describes Zanks as a walking Muppet.
Aliens know that we are a violent species and the ‘idiots of the galaxy. Earth is in danger and it won’t end in Sue Jorgensen, so be ready for Book III.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Sue Jorgensen by Ken La Salle.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Sue Jorgensen never imagined she’d find herself standing on the deck of an alien ship, escaping the chaos on the Earth below, ascending in a heavily modified Plymouth – when aliens take her son!
She started her morning as she always did as a restauranteur in the wilds of Washington, making the coffee and cleaning the countertops when a stranger happened by and sat at the counter. He showed her news clips of a shattered Golden Gate Bridge, destroyed by aliens and a man named Max Dedge, a private investigator who he claims has brought doom to the world. All at once, the reality she has known is replaced with space-faring Plymouths, gravity drives, and a mad dash into space.
Somewhere between space and terra firma, Sue Jorgensen finds herself in a new galaxy – one that is being taken apart for scrap by interstellar corporations with no interest in human life. Now, she will have to find a strength she never knew existed, to pick herself up when she’s thrown back to Earth and find her son in the vastness of space.
With the help of semi-sentient machines, mind-controlled dreamers, and an iron will, Sue Jorgensen will travel to the farthest reaches of sanity drawn by the power of her love for her son – to find the Queen of Space within herself, to discover that nothing is what it seems.
And that we all need rescuing.
Book One of The BreakThrough took readers to a whole new world. Sue Jorgensen returns them to Earth, and nothing will be the same.
Genre: Action and Adventure, Aliens, Fiction, Science Fiction
Born on an 18th century mining ship, Ken La Salle is not his name. He just likes it. He writes about whatever he damn well pleases, hoping to build more of a cult following than a readership just for a cut on the robes. Looking for the mainstream but sticking to the shore, you can find out more about Ken La Salle at the imaginatively named www.kenlasalle.com.
I’m always curious where Kathryn Meyer Griffith can take the Dinosaur Lake series and she does not disappoint. Like the tag line says, The aliens are coming in force…but for a malevolent or a benevolent reason? I think they may make us an offer we can’t refuse. Kathryn Meyer Griffith has a vivid imagination and I love her Dinosaur Lake series so much, I would hate for it to ever end.
Humanity…we go about our daily business as if there will always be a tomorrow. What if aliens came to visit and gave us an ultimatum. I, for one, don’t believe we would be able to hold up our part of the bargain. There are those that put their life on the line and those that only think of themselves, not caring what they do to others or the environment as they please themselves.
Henry has retired from his ranger job at Crater Lake, lost much and still suffers, but he has loyal friends who will jump to his aid when called.
Oscar, I love him. He has saved many human lives and will be called on again.
The first part of the book reminds us of what has already happened, leading us into what is coming. I do like when an author refreshes my memory, reminding me of what has come before, bringing the heartache and loss back to mind. We do have many feel good moments and that is important to me too. I want to smile and laugh while wondering if the world is going to end.
I wonder…what would humanity do if it was all real?
What do you think? What would you do?
From beginning to end, I devoured the words. I had to know what Kathryn Meyer Griffith created in Dinosaur Lake VII. Every time I think this series and Kathryn can’t surprise me, they do. I couldn’t stop reading. Even though the ending seemed abrupt, I think that was me wanting more. I don’t know what more she could have said or done to create a better experience for me.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dinosaur Lake VII by Kathryn Meyer Griffith.
4 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
Ex-Park Chief Ranger Henry Shore has had his share of adventures and trials. But for many years he had a good life with his wife, Ann, and his daughter, Laura, being Chief Ranger at Crater Lake National Park. His life was perfect. Then the dinosaurs came. With his rangers, he fought the prehistoric beasts for years in his park; while outside the world also battled the malevolent creatures. He had one friend among the dinosaurs, little Oscar, who helped him, and the other humans, to fight and survive the dinosaur wars; during them he lost his daughter. These days Henry is recovering from the loss of his beloved wife, Ann, and trying to find purpose in his new lonely life. The year before he’d been temporarily rescued from that sorrow by being drafted, as a renowned dinosaur hunter and expert, to help track down some of the last remaining rogue dinosaurs in the country, and then later, two of the wilier creatures loose and causing havoc at the government’s secret Area 52. Area 52, where two mysterious ancient alien spaceships were housed and examined by a team of our scientists. Alien ships somehow suspected of being connected to the world’s previous dinosaur scourge because of the ancient dinosaur DNA discovered in their labs. That assignment ended abruptly for Henry when the two alien aircrafts mysteriously vanished. Now Henry is home again, and at loose ends. But when so many new menacing extraterrestrial spacecrafts begin to appear in Earth’s air spaces, and the alien abductions multiply, Henry is drafted yet again to help. For fear has rapidly spread across the world as more and more alien airships are sighted everywhere. Why are so many alien ships suddenly harassing our planet, and what do they want? It won’t take long before the world, with Henry and an old friend’s help, find out. Then they have to figure out how to appease the aliens, or the Earth could be doomed.
ABOUT KATHRYN MEYER GRIFFITH
Since childhood I’ve been an artist and worked as a graphic designer in the corporate world and for newspapers for twenty-three years before I quit to write full time. But I’d already begun writing novels at 21, over fifty-one years ago now, and now have had thirty-six (romantic horror, thrillers, SF Thrillers, horror novels, romantic SF horror, romantic suspense, romantic time travel, historical romance, and murder mysteries) novels, and thirteen short stories, published from many traditional publishers since 1984. But since 2012 I’ve gone into self-publishing in a big way; and upon getting some of my older books’ full rights back for the first time in 36 years, self-published all of them along with my newer novels. My seven Dinosaur Lake novels and nine Spookie Town Murder Mysteries (Scraps of Paper, All Things Slip Away, Ghosts Beneath Us, Witches Among Us, What Lies Beneath the Graves, All Those Who Came Before, When the Fireflies Returned, Echoes of Other Times, and Waiting Beyond The Veil) are my best-sellers.
I was married to beloved Russell (who passed away on August 27, 2021) for over forty-three years; have a son, two grandchildren, and a great granddaughter, and I live in a small quaint town in Illinois. I have a quirky cat, Sasha, and live in an old house in the heart of town. Though I’ve been an artist, and a folk/classic rock singer in my youth with my late brother Jim, writing has always been my greatest passion, my butterfly stage, and I’ll probably write stories until the day I die…or until my memory goes.
2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *Finalist* for her horror novel The Last Vampire ~ 2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS * Finalist * for her thriller novel Dinosaur Lake.
Novels and short stories from Kathryn Meyer Griffith:
Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart of the Rose, Love Is Stronger Than Evil, Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire (2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS*Finalist* in their Horror category), Witches, Witches II: Apocalypse, Witches plus bonus Witches II: Apocalypse, The Nameless One erotic horror short story, The Calling, Scraps of Paper (The First Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Things Slip Away (The Second Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Ghosts Beneath Us (The Third Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Witches Among Us (The Fourth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), What Lies Beneath the Graves (The Fifth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), All Those Who Came Before (The Sixth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), When the Fireflies Returned (The Seventh Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Echoes of Other Times (The Eighth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Waiting Beyond The Veil (The Ninth Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Egyptian Heart, Winter’s Journey, The Ice Bridge, Don’t Look Back, Agnes, A Time of Demons and Angels, The Woman in Crimson, Human No Longer, Spooky Short Stories Collection, Haunted Tales, Forever and Always Romantic Novella, Night Carnival Short Story, Dinosaur Lake (2014 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS*Finalist* in their Thriller/Adventure category), Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs Arising, Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation, Dinosaur Lake IV: Dinosaur Wars, Dinosaur Lake V: Survivors, Dinosaur Lake VI: The Alien Connection, Dinosaur Lake VII: The Aliens Return, Dinosaur Lake VIII: For Love of Oscar…coming soon. Memories of My Childhood (short story collection) and my Christmas Magic 1959 non-fiction autobiographical short story.
Book Title: INFALL (A Science Fiction Novel) by Herb Hughes Category: Adult Fiction (18 +), 365 pages Genre: Science Fiction Publisher: Books From The Pond Release date: January 2023 Content Rating: PG. There is some mild language and sex. The sex is stated, but not explicitly detailed. There is also some mild sexual innuendo and sexual jokes. One of the lesser characters is a noted ladies man.
Book Description:
What would you do if a naked alien materialized in front of you amid a ball of swirling winds and colored lights? Would you freeze, run away, scream, hit it, or try to communicate?
And what would you think if you discovered these aliens not only come from a different universe but are also far more intelligent than humans and vastly superior technologically?
Martin O’Brien leaves his native Ireland to chase the dream of love, but things go awry. Before he can return home, he becomes involved with the sudden appearance of aliens. This strange anomaly begins with a few “lightshows,” as the press dubs them, but quickly becomes a flood of millions.
The aliens call themselves Embrians. Human reactions range from murdering them for sport to using them for slave labor to worshipping them as gods.
Martin meets Jennifer Daniels, a pregnant young lady struggling to deal with her alcoholism. Together, they treat, harbor, and befriend a wounded alien named Vanya, but their kindness puts them at risk of being arrested.
Not all Embrians are docile and cooperative. Their leader, Vahlion, threatens to conquer America if his demands are not met. Because Embrians are so advanced, the threat is more than real. It is a certainty!
Martin, Jennifer, and Vanya are on a mission to save Earth, but how do you fight against aliens who have mastered entire fields of science that humans did not even know existed?
I knew I was tackling an epic read when I began The Phoenix Project Compendium by M R Pritchard, but I eagerly ‘cracked open’ my ereader and never quit until the last book was read. I will break them down, book by book, but I highly recommend the Compendium for the value. It is worth every penny.
Book I, The Phoenix Project:
The Phoenix Project, Book I, lays the foundation for the series. I quickly became involved in the character’s lives. Andie Somers worked in genetics, but left to become a nurse. Her family includes her husband, Ian, and a five year old sweetie pie, Lina. When her world falls apart, Andie finds out she is considered special, indisposable. She meets Adam, who at times I couldn’t decide if he was good or bad. The more I read, the more involved I became. I love apocalyptic/dystopian novels and I am eager to see where M R Pritchard plans to take me. Utopia? Or is a madman making the world in his own image?
Book II, The Reformation:
“It’s starting. I thought we had more time.”
“It’s the Reformation.”
“They’re overthrowing the United States.”
“Someone is hellbent on starting the human race over and they’ve found the means to do it…”
“The Districts are the only safe havens for those who were lucky enough to be chosen.”
Andie has been chosen. She is special, because she is the only way that knows how to perform the genetic engineering that the Districts require. But….
The book follows the normal pattern of an apocalyptic/dystopian novel with a special science fiction twist and a drastic and grotesque form of population control. Earth is fighting back and this is the solution. We have the struggle to find supplies, avoid people that want to kill you, and find a safe haven.
Crane is the man of the hour and his cruelty knows no bounds. I hated him and wanted to see his demise. He uses Andie’s love of Lina to control her. Could there be a method to his madness that is required for the survival of humanity? How far is too far?
I love that Andie’s daughter, Lina, reads her a story, instead of the usual, mother reading to daughter. Lina is a sweetie pie and when M R Pritchard shares her moments, they put a smile on my face. The children are the future and I am eager to see what she will become in the future books.
Andie is romantically torn between her husband, Ian, who has been drugged and taken from her, paired with another, or Adam, the Volker soldier that puts his life on the line to keep her safe.
I love the Guardians, genetically altered dogs.
Andie had tried to escape the District and paid a heavy price. I thought WTH…Now, she is being sent to travel the country, visiting the five other Districts. It turns about to be something other than what both Andie and I thought, and I love it.
By the end of The Reformation, things become clearer and my heart is broken.
Book III, Revelation:
The characters struggle to find their place and there is always a plan running in the background, that the higher powers refuse to share.
We have a lot of action as Andie is forced to leave the safety of Phoenix.
A surprise pops up, but my spidey senses told me that would happen. Things are not as they appear to be and by the end of Revelation we will find out why and I did not see that coming.
Revelation, Book III of The Phoenix Project by M R Prichard had me gobbling up the words, each chapter leading me deeper into the story, wanting….no…having to know what comes next. I couldn’t stop reading. At times I thought of The Walking Dead, without zombies, other times I thought of The 100, because of all the scientific angles, other times I thought of The Stepford Wives, because of what they have done to the Residents. It’s still a case of the have nots wanting what the haves are determined to keep for themselves.
Revelation does provide a lot of food for thought.
Book IV, Inception:
We bounced from one point of view to another in Book IV of The Phoenix Project: Inception by M R Pritchard. Each book is filled with tension and action with a pace that pulls me along, never wanting to stop reading, having to know what happens next to who. M R Prichard is not afraid to kill off her characters. I knew not all of them could make it, even thought of one or two who would be lost, but couldn’t be sure until it was in front of my eyes. The characters are growing, changing, struggling to survive, facing insurmountable odds that will test them to their very limits. There is an underlying current of danger throughout, wondering who to trust and who will betray them. I have devoured one book right after the other and won’t quite until the last page is turned and the last word read.
Book V, Origins:
We have learned the Origins of the principal characters, how they came to be what they are, their superpowers included. Each has a gift, or a curse, it depends on how you look at it. I was surprised by many things and it seems no one is all good or all bad, but playing God can backfire. Manipulating people and nature to get the result you want may not work out the way it was planned.
The more I read, the more lost I become in this epic story of science fiction and an apocalyptic/dystopian world. I am invested in these children’s lives as they grow into adulthood, along with all the other characters I have been with throughout The Phoenix Project, and am curious to see how M R Prichard will end the story.
I was able to visualize some of the action and characters and, I must admit, Norah and Jill stole my heart in this one. Imagine a two year old child, riding a goat, talking like an adult….and so much more. She is just the latest character that I have become infatuated with.
The end is near as I crack open the sixth book, Resurrection, in this compendium.
Book VI, Resurrection:
I have loved every step I took with the characters of The Phoenix Project and read the sixth book in the series, Resurrection, with feelings of regret. I have spent so much time with them, I will miss them dearly.
Much of the book is like a synopsis of the previous books, filling in the blanks with more details of what has happened to the characters, explaining how they got to where they are now. I learned a lot about their motivations and the horror that they have been put through because of those who wish to play God, thinking they know what is best for the world and how to accomplish their goals. They will use whatever horrendous methods they can create to make man in the image they wish, and they don’t stop there. Want a Pegasus? A flying pig? How about a child that can fly? Want to live forever?
Through all the angst, torture, terror and struggle to survive, there were light moments of sweetness and laughter. How about Andromeda and Adam:
She picks up a large stick and throws it at the shadows….She hears a thud and a grunt…
“That was not nice….”
I laughed out loud and it is something that you may have had to be there to enjoy. Talk about push/pull, these two have had a hellacious relationship and I am curious to see how it will all pan out, seeing they are immortal.
“No one has ever come back for me,” his voice is weak. “Not once.” His voice is breathless. “Not in all of my time on this earth…”
“No grave can hold me. I’ll crawl back to you. Always.
How far do you believe man should go to change the world for the better? Are there no limits?
“…to build a new world you’ve got to tear the old on down.”
And they did.
I loved the ending and never saw it coming. I am sad to say goodbye to the characters I have come to know and love. I want to commend M R Pritchard for a job well done!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Phoenix Project Compendium by M R Pritchard.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
*The Phoenix Project complete six book series*
Love, deception, and conspiracies in a post-apocalyptic America, this is how dystopia is created.
Andie is searching for her family. The Reformation is blocking her every move. She must alter the populations genetic code or never see them again.
Expected publication June 13, 2023 by Midnight Ledger
ABOUT M R PRITCHARD (from Amazon)
M. R. Pritchard is a two-time Kindle Scout winning author, her short story “Glitch” has been featured in the 2017 winter edition of THE FIRST LINE literary journal, and her short story “Moon Lord” has been featured in Chronicle Worlds: Half Way Home (Part of the Future Chronicles). M. R. Pritchard holds degrees in Biochemistry and Nursing. She is a northern New Yorker transplanted to the Gulf Coast of Florida who enjoys coffee, mint chocolate, cloudy days, and reading on the lanai.
Visit her website MRPritchard.com and sign up for her newsletter. You’ll get a monthly newsletter with updates, day to day shenanigans, and book deals.
Cara Winter has laid the foundation for the Evolution series in Sacrifice and I am thinking, if Book II, Quest, continues in this vein, it may be a mind blower. I quickly got caught up in this apocalyptic/dysopian, debut novel.
We are in the future, 2080 to be precise. Scientific advancement may have taken place, but humanity is still the same, with all its foibles and climate change has done its damage.
“Mental Spectrum Disorder: Humans 2.0.
I love diverse characters and have been reading more and more books with them in it. Thomas Novak is autistic, but there is so much more going on than his disability. He is labeled MSD. Him and others like him are not looked at as human. They are an anomaly, only to be enslaved and suit the purpose of those that enslave them.
Thomas is the Leader of Project 587. Really, it is a surveillance software, enabling everyone to be spied on and tracked, and it is food for thought of what our future could become…or already is. After all, think of all the cameras we have now, all the software programs we use, how dependent we are on technology that has already taken away our privacy.
His begins to question his world, when a ‘friend’ and coworker commits suicide. He is the fifth that Thomas knows of and is charged with covering up, acting like they were assigned another task. THEN, he meets Eve Brighton, an empath, and his world is forever changed. He is awakened and sees the possibility of a different future. A future where he will not be watched every second of every day. Could there be freedom and love in his future?
I think we may find out in Book II, Quest and I want to know. Everything about Evolution has captured me, from the storyline to the characters, to Cara Winter’s ability to leave me wondering… what if…
We end with Thomas saying:
“Thank you, Ms Brighton. Regardless of what happens next..I am forever in your debt.”
Doesn’t that make you want to know what happens next?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Evolution: Sacrifice by Cara Winter.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The Year is 2080. London is flooding. And 23-year-old Thomas Novak feels certain he’s cursed.
Each of Thomas’ idiosyncratic quirks – even his next-level intuition with technology – are the result of Mental Spectrum Disorder (“MSD”), a genetic condition akin to Autism.
Like Thomas, MSD live and work apart from the rest of the population. MSD is the reason Thomas hasn’t seen his family in over 17 years. It’s the reason he doesn’t hear from them, doesn’t know where they are, and barely even remembers them.
And, it’s also the reason the love of his life just took his own life.
After his lover’s death, Thomas’ ability to work and carry out his duties as MSD Leader declines rapidly. Even with the “P” he’s given daily, it’s impossible to focus, impossible to think. Everything – his position, his status, his relative freedom – hangs on whether or not the project he’s been developing, Platform 587, can be released on time. But who can focus, who can work… when they’re heartbroken?
But, a chance encounter with a mysterious woman who can feel Thomas’ pain – an Empath, named Eve – changes everything.
The Evolution Series is their story; that of Thomas, and Eve, and the ongoing evolution of the planet, of human beings, and even Love, itself… in a world that will do anything and everything (even annihilate itself) to remain the same.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 15, 2021
ABOUT CARA WINTER
Cara Winter has been a writer, actress & director for over two decades. Cara has penned a number of essays on TV, theater, food, and more for such outlets as BroadwayWorld.com, TVWriter.com, and GrokNation.com. In 2021, Cara’s original TV pilot TWIRL was optioned by Bohemia Group Originals and is now in development. EVOLUTION Vol. 1: Sacrifice is her debut novel.
