Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal. Show all posts

Monday, June 30, 2014

*BOOK BLITZ* Dark Days Remy Broulette by: Hargrove Perth + Giveaway!


synopsis

The constitution of a man is not always defined by his destiny but occasionally by the circumstances of the life he has lived. Part Choctaw Spirit Walker and part French, Remy is born into two worlds belonging to none. Such is the life of Remy Broulette. An unfortunate series of events leads to his eventual demise and rebirth - a rebirth which resulted in his immortality. Condemned to feed on the souls of others for all eternity, Remy lives a life of uncontrollable, wanton lust and debauchery without regret, and is bent on destruction over what he cannot forget and what he cannot forgive - until the young Revel DeMarquis enters his life. What will happen when immortal becomes pitted against immortal when the fight for Remy's soul begins and who will be left standing in the aftermath as the immortals of New Orleans are forced to choose sides?

excerpt

The constitution of a man is not always defined by his destiny but occasionally by the circumstances of the life he has lived. Revel DeMarquis stood watching as the waves lapped against the shore depositing copious amounts of shells and seaweed now that the storm had lessened. The sun was beginning to rise as he lifted the window allowing the salty scent of the ocean to fill his room. The air was heavy and dense as it rolled through Royal Street and into the French Quarter, nearly so thick it was difficult to breathe. The heaviness of the waves had ceased and was replaced with the placid rolling of the inward bay. Beams of the breaking dawn shed their light across the caps coloring them with tinges of red, crimson, and orange.

His moment of bliss, enjoying the city as it was meant to be enjoyed, was broken by the harrowing screams of Remy Broulette. It was common and occurred every morning with the same result. Revel hastened his pace, picking up a towel before exiting his room, to walk the long corridor to the room of his friend.

Remy stood in the corner gasping for air. His eyes were wild, nearly feral, as they swept the room. The full length of his hair was dripping with sweat. It was a scene Revel DeMarquis had witnessed a million times before. Remy seized the towel from his hand and stormed out of the room, slamming the door to the lavatory behind him. The sound of water was not enough to drown out his angry screams.

Revel walked to the end of the corridor and stood at the top of the spiral staircase looking at the fortune they had amassed during their lifetime.

“It means nothing without your happiness and peace remaining elusive,” Revel whispered before descending the staircase and meeting their butler at the base of the stairs.

“Ambrulle, please make Master Remy his usual breakfast.”

“Yes, sir, and what do you wish for breakfast this morning?”

“I will have the same as Remy, if you please.”

“Certainly, Master Revel; do you wish me to bring it to his room or will you be serving Master Remy this morning?”

“I will accompany you to the kitchen. It is not necessary for you to bring our morning meal upstairs.”

“As you wish sir,” Ambrulle replied courteously.

Revel followed closely until they reached the kitchen where he choose to sit at the small table that was usually reserved for the servants. “How long have you been with us now, Ambrulle?”

“I cannot say I have tallied the years, sir. My life with you and Master Remy has been a pleasant one. The years only need be counted when the memories are unhappy ones, sir.”

Revel reached across the table, laughing loudly, and set the percolator on the silver breakfast tray.“Is it French Roast this morning?” He asked.

“No sir, given how much alcohol Master Remy consumed last evening, I made the choice to brew coffee that is a bit more robust. It is recently arrived yesterday from Jamaica.”

The aroma filled the kitchen with a hearty bouquet that was somewhat pungent and slightly sweet. Royal Street was beginning to bustle as the city awoke. The sounds of women chatting as their laundry was hung on the balconies filled the air along with the scent of fine cigars being smoked by their husbands as they stood outside.

Ambrulle placed two linen napkins on the tray before handing it to Revel.

“Thank you, Ambrulle, I do not know if it is said enough, but you are our family.”

“Thank you sir, I shall be along with Master Remy’s suit in an hour.”

Revel’s thoughts drifted while ascending the stairs, considering how much longer they would remain in the French Quarter. It seemed they had outlived their welcome in the heart of New Orleans and were now nothing but relics. Few of the people they had once known were still alive, even fewer had stayed on in the city since the outbreak.

book info & buy links


Title: Dark Days Remy Broulette (Dark Days, #1)
Genre: Paranormal, Horror
Release Date: 19th June 2014

Buy Links:


about the author


Hargrove Perth writes dark romance, horror, and young adult horror. Her inspiration comes from the classic authors of the Victorian era who pushed the borders of writing through their semi-erotic dark novels. With a penchant for writing all things dark, her novels are an unusual blend of historical and fictional characters set in the past where her creations come to life in ways un-imaginable. A resident of the Mid-West, she refers to herself as a bit of a gypsy, never residing in one place too long to get bored. She currently has two books published with four more due to be released in 2014 and is an Amazon Top 100 Seller as well as an Award Winning Author.

Connect With Hargrove Perth

Giveaway

Enter for a chance to win a signed print cover of Dark Days Remy Broulette + an ecopy of her previously published novel Memoirs of an Immortal Life (under her author name Candace L. Bowser) US Giveaway ONLY. Ends 7/8. *note* Click HERE to read more about Memoirs of an Immortal Life.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

good luck,mia

Thursday, May 29, 2014

*REVIEW & AUTHOR INTERVIEW* Dead Man's Drive by: Michael Panush + Giveaway!


Title: Dead Man's Drive (Rot Rods, #1)
Author: Michael Panush
ASIN: B00IJH8ZEO
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban-fantasy/paranormal
Length: 242 pgs
Binding: E-book, Paperback
Published: 20 February 2014; Curiosity Quills Press
Buy: Amazon, Amazon UK, B&N, KOBO

Synopsis:

La Cruz looks like an average Southern California small town, but it has some dark secrets – and it has its guardians. They are the supernaturally adept drivers of Donovan Motors, including zombie greaser Roscoe. With the help of former Okie bank robber Wooster Stokes, Zoot Suiter and part time shaman Angel Rey, college girl and burgeoning sorceress Betty Bright, the drivers stand between La Cruz and chaos with only their wits and some fast hot rods to help them hold back the darkness. But an onslaught of demonic attacks heralds a new danger. Reed Strickland, a ruthless tycoon with unholy assistance, seems intent on making La Cruz his. Only Roscoe and the drivers can stop him.

But Strickland's allies stir painful memories in Roscoe - and even an undead gearhead is no match for his own past. Roscoe will need to overcome his memories, stand with his friends and keep his motor as the battle for La Cruz begins in a tale of white hot vehicular action, arcane Noir, and Hollywood horror that reveals the rotten heart of California's Golden Age.

My Rating:

Dead Man's Drive by Michael Panush is perhaps one of the most originally entertaining novels I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Set in La Cruz, California in the 1950's, it was a time of hot rods, zoot suits, cool music, zombies, demons, werewolves, yetis---yes, you read that right! The book definitely has a magical realism feel-- the author pays such close attention to details-- the clothing, cars, even the language of the characters read authentic. And at the heart of the story is Roscoe, a zombie driver and mechanic at Donovan Motors. But that's more of a disguise, for his real job, along with his team of eccentric misfits, is to protect and defend the town of La Cruz from evil entities and things that go bump in the night.

There is so much to love about Dead Man's Drive, but the lively, colorful characters were what drove this story. There's Angel, Roscoe's loyal Mexican best friend. Wooster, the gruff ex-bank robber who has one explosive secret. Betty Bright who serves as a kind of mother figure to the rough bunch. Let's not forget Basil Barrow, the undertaker at the local cemetery that helps the drivers at Donovan Motors dispose of bodies. With any novel, you always have your favorite character. In this case, I absolutely loved the Deadbeat, a DJ that uses his radio show as a way to inform Roscoe and the others of any suspicious occult activities.

The Deadbeat's voice oozed back across the airwaves."Evening, cool kids and ghoul kids. That was Zap Telford and the Boo Babies with a real hot number called My Phantom Girl. Now here's your La Cruz news update." He cleared his throat. "Dig it--there's a new power coming to our little town and his name is Strickland.'"

I also found Eldgridge Swann, the Negro crime lord who controlled Butcher's row, very interesting. There have been a few reviewers that complained at the author's use of the word "negro" when describing Eldgridge Swann. I find that annoying because in the 50's that is EXACTLY what they called African Americans. I'm half black and didn't find it the least bit offensive. I think people need to stop being so sensitive and focus on the literature, the setting, etc. I appreciate that Panush stayed true to the time period in which he was writing about.

Michael Panush is not only great with creating charismatic characters that seem to come off the pages, but it is quite clear he knows how to write. His use of figurative language really helped create images in my mind as I read along. Here are a few of my favorites:

"He remembered speed, the sensation of zooming down an open highway with an engine roaring and the wind battering your face like the flailing strikes of a boxer about to be defeated."

"He kept it hot, boiling enough so that the steam billowed out of the pot like an impatient ghost."

"His tie was loud, with geometric designs, and he had a fat, golden ring."

Dead Man's Drive is also filled with humor which was a pleasant surprise. It's been a long time since I've read a novel that has made me laugh out loud. There are two scenes that I thought were hilarious. The first one is when Roscoe cuts off his ear and throws it at a table full of villains, hoping it will help him "hear" their conversation:

"I thought hearing comes from those holes on the side of your head--not the ear itself." [Angel says]

"It's called magic." Roscoe wiggled the severed ear in Angel's direction. "It doesn't have to make sense."

Then he tossed the ear across the bar. It was a light, underhanded throw. The ear landed under the table where Torrance and Mr. Roach were talking. Nobody noticed. Roscoe sat back up, covered the ear remaining on his head and did his best to listen.

You know it's the 50's when the boys are fighting in suits:

"You okay?" Roscoe called to him.
"Yeah." Angel glanced down at his zoot suit, now splotched with black marks from dead gore. "Ah, no," he muttered. "Got my threads dirty. Brains-- they never come out in the wash. He grabbed one of his pistols and started shooting again.

The most unique aspect of this novel is Panush's ability to weave in other historical milestones, such as Hitler and the Crusades. I'm not going to get into detail here to stay away from spoilers, but I was blown away that the author was able to add in all of these elements without making it feel too busy or confusing.

The only issue I had was with the vague zombie mythology. Roscoe is a walking dead, but nothing like what we have been taught to believe. I am absolutely okay if an author wants to switch things up and Roscoe was a breath of fresh air. But it felt like Panush didn't address the why and the how. How did he luck out and not turn into the zombies that were in Strickland/Roach's army? Is there more zombies like Roscoe out there? He can eat anything, so zombies eating raw meat is just a myth in the world of the story?  Does he smell? I just wish the author had spent a little more time on this.

Dead Man's Drive is an action packed, thrill ride that keeps you in a constant state of suspense until the very last page. With plenty of humor and a colorful cast of characters, I can totally see this book being turned into a tv series. But don't let the funny parts fool you. Roscoe is quite a complex character, plagued with amnesia and spends the majority of the story struggling to remember his past and the reason for his reanimation. If you are looking for some thrills and chills, I highly recommend this unique zombie tale!

best wishes,mia

Author Interview


1. Dead Man's Drive's has an interesting assemblage of characters, but at the heart is a zombie named Roscoe. What inspired you to write a zombie tale/character?

I've always been interested in zombies and they seem like a pretty good goon to get hurled at the hero en masse. Zombie apocalypse stories are fun and popular, but also a little played out, so I wanted to try something else. Zombie hero stories are a little less popular, but they do exist (Hessius Mann is one I became familiar with after writing Dead Man's Drive), so that seemed like a good way to go. Taking a zombie hero, making him drive hot rods and heals himself with fast food seemed much more unique, so that's the route I ended up taking. A lot of characters in my stories are sort of human, but not quite. They're isolated from the world around them and in a world as obsessed with conformity as the 1950s, that's a big deal. I wanted Roscoe to be isolated by his condition of being a zombie as well as his personality. He's a greaser, with a love of black leather jackets and rock and roll, and that alone makes sets him apart. The zombie stuff is just a bonus.


2. Your novel is set in the 1950's which seems like a daunting task alone, but then you touch upon Hitler and even The Crusades. What kind of research did you do in order to help the reader feel like they were taking a walk in history?

I didn't really need to do too much research, as I already knew a lot about that time and place from reading period fiction. I'm a huge James Ellroy fan, and reading his entire catalogue gives you a good idea about how nasty Golden Age Hollywood was. I try to work as much history into the Rot Rods series as possible (a lot more pops up in the sequels) by making characters distorted versions of historic people. For instance, the villain in Dead Man's Drive, Red Strickland is a mix of Howard Hughes (in that he has a goon doing his dirty work and is weird), and Henry Ford (in that he was best pals to the Nazis). The Nazi stuff also came together pretty easily. Nazis and the occult go together like peanut butter and chocolate, so it was just a small leap. And the Crusades came in when I was looking for an origin to La Cruz. All in all, it felt very organic and natural and I hope the reader feels that way too.


3. I originally thought that Dead Man's Drive was a stand alone novel, but I read somewhere that there was a plan for a series. True? Not true? If the rumor is true, what can we expect in book 2? Will there be a new central character or will Roscoe reprise his role?

The rumors are true! Dead Man's Drive is part one of a four part series. Books two and three are already written (and book two will be out soon) and I'm just about to start part four. They all follow Roscoe but there are major changes to the line-up of his friends. Here's the lowdown – part two is Detour to Apocalypse and is about aliens, the atomic bomb, Area 51, and Las Vegas. Part three is Southern California Gothic and is about a Black Dahlia-esque murder in Hollywood, mad science in Tijuana, and a gang war. Part four is called Ghosts of Camelot, and is about the Kennedy Administration, the Civil Rights movement, Santeria and Voodoo, and more.

About the Author


Twenty-Four years old, Michael Panush has distinguished himself as one of Sacramento’s most promising young writers. Michael has published numerous short stories in a variety of e-zines including: AuroraWolf, Demon Minds, Fantastic Horror, Dark Fire Fiction, Aphelion, Horrorbound, Fantasy Gazetteer, Demonic Tome, Tiny Globule, and Defenestration.

He is the author of Clark Reeper Tales, his first novel. Michael began telling stories when he was only nine years old. He won first place in the Sacramento Storyteller’s Guild “Liar’s Contest” in 2002 and was a finalist in the National Youth Storytelling Olympics in in 2003. In 2005, Michael’s short story entitled, Adventures in Algebra, won first place in the annual MISFITS Writing Contest.

In 2007, Michael was selected as a California Art’s Scholar and attended the Innerspark Summer Writing Program at the CalArts Institute. He graduated from John F. Kennedy High School in 2008 and has recently graduated from UC Santa Cruz.


Connect With Michael

Giveaway

Enter for a chance to win 1 paperback AND 1 e-book copy of Dead Man's Drive! Worldwide Giveaway! Ends 6/26. a Rafflecopter giveaway

good luck,mia

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Book Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Title: Lies Beneath
Author: Anne Greenwood Brown
ISBN: 0385742010
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Theme(s): Mermaids/Merman, revenge
Binding: Hardcover
Length: 320 pgs
Published: 12 June 2012; Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Buy: Amazon.com


Synopsis: Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistible good looks and charm on unsuspecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

My Rating:



My Review: First, let it be known how much I love mermaid mythology. Yes, I started out like most young girls, fascinated with Disney's The Little Mermaid and falling in love with Splash starring Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. As an English major in college, I had the opportunity to take a Legends, Fairytales, & Folklore course and was exposed to all kinds of mer tales from around the world. Some tales were sweet while others showed a very dark side to these sea creatures. It is no secret that mermaids have recently become popular in Young Adult literature and it has been exciting to read different authors' perspectives. But just like the overabundance of vampire and werewolf novels out there, it's getting harder to find a mer story that stands out from the rest. Maybe that is why I was so psyched when I came across Lies Beneath. It's just a shame that the book didn't live up to my expectations.

Here's what I liked. If you've read any of my reviews before, then you already know how much I enjoy reading books from the male perspective and how hard they are to find. I give Anne Greenwood Brown kudos for writing Lies Beneath entirely in Calder's point-of-view. Not only that, she nailed it.

I also liked the author's writing style. The chapters were not overly long and I enjoyed the poetry that was weaved throughout. It was also nice to see each chapter labeled with a title. I find it kind of fun when authors do that because I like to see how a title connects within that chapter.

One of the biggest things that drew me to this book was knowing that the author was taking what we think we know about mermaids/mermen and giving us a completely different mythology. Mermaids that survive by absorbing human emotions and energy? Cool! Cold blooded killers? Intriguing! I really liked what the author brought to the table, such as Calder not being born a merman, but being turned into one. The silver ring that appears around their necks when they are in their mer form. The depths that they will go to exact revenge and the consequences of not keeping your word if you should break a mer promise. So much potential that somehow just gets...lost.

Here is where I had issues with Lies Beneath. The story absolutely starts off strong. Calder tells us from the very first couple of pages that he is a killer, that's how he survives, but he hasn't made a kill in several months (9 months I think, right?). His three sisters, Maris, Tallulah, and Pavati, lure him to Michigan to exact revenge on Jason Hancock, the man responsible for the death of their mother. I say lure because while Calder feels bonded to his sisters, he desperately wants to be free from them. Maris, the ring leader, reluctantly agrees to cut the ties that binds him to them if he helps finish what they have set out to do. So far so good, right?

But once Calder gets to Michigan, that is sort of where the story falls flat. They decide the best way to get Jason Handcock is through his daughters. They at first think it's best to go for the youngest girl but Calder becomes fascinated with Lily, the eldest daughter of Hancock...and the story becomes boring. Seriously! The majority of the book is Calder watching, following, and...stalking Lily Hancock. He sleeps in the hammock outside her house at night. He gets a job at the same place she does. I've seen the "stalker" technique used before (for lack of a better term or phrase) and while in some books it works (Twilight, for example), it fails epically in Lies Beneath. Why you ask? I wish I could give you a good reason why. I tried going back to find some examples as to what bothers me about Calder, why I didn't feel myself swooning for him like I have for many other male lead characters. Maybe it's because he just doesn't seem fully developed, which is odd considering the book is in his point-of-view.

This also leads me to my dislike for his love interest, Lily Hancock. It's really rare for me to dislike BOTH the male and female main lead characters of a story. Actually, this may be a first. I thought Lily was going to be this rebellious, no nonsense kind of girl by the way she was first described. She annoyed me with all of the mermaid poetry and the blatant disregard for the "killing" parts. I guess I have to give it to Calder since even he was a bit annoyed that she had this romantic image in her head and no matter how he tried to redirect her back to the truth, she refused to see it. I'm not stupid, I get that in order for us to have a happily ever after, she has to forgive and come to terms with the things he has done. But to completely IGNORE it? Yeah, I have major issues with that.

Here is also a major mistake I found that became distracting. It's revealed early that Calder was born human and was made into a merman. When he was a small child, he was on a boat with his parents. A mermaid, later to become his "adopted" mother, capsized the boat and killed his parents. She showed mercy by turning him. But later in the story Calder thinks to himself, "They were out there somewhere. They might have even loved me. Did they search for me still, all these years later?" (page 241). HUH? Didn't she kill his biological parents??? If anyone has read this book and is reading this review, please feel free to let me know if I am wrong. Maybe I didn't read it correctly, but I could have sworn Calder said early in the story that they were killed.

Another thing that bothered me is how Calder and his sisters' mermaid mother died. I know she was caught in a fisherman's net. And I am assuming the fishermen never saw her? Or did they? If they did, then mermaids would be out of the closet, right? This isn't exactly a mistake but this is the kind of thing that happened a lot throughout the story. The author throws out some great ideas but doesn't fully explore them or give us enough details.

While I absolutely loved the structure of the novel such as the male point-of-view, the edgy, dark mythology, and writing style, there really wasn't a whole lot of substance to hold it together. The story focused too much on Calder spying on Lily. The characters weren't fleshed out enough. I get there is going to be a sequel but there could have been way more character development without giving away too much story. In any case, I am thankful to NetGalley and Delacorte Books for Young Readers for giving me this opportunity to read and review Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown.