Reading Links…4/17/18

daisies

Reading Links…4/17/18

Traci Kenworth

Fantasy/Dystopian/UF/Paranormal/SF:

https://legendsofwindemere.com/2018/04/07/chaos-before-the-storm-spring-break-meets-book-release/
https://phsolomon.com/2018/04/07/interviews-with-tordug-part-1-the-bow-of-destiny/ This evening was disturbed by turmoil around Marston’s Station which roused this reporter from sleep. Reports are coming in this evening of a troll attack when travelers approached this very way-station. Events are unclear at the moment, but trolls becoming so bold as to attack as far as the station are ominous.
http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2018/04/12/catherynne-m-valente-five-things-i-learned-writing-space-opera/ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets the joy and glamour of Eurovision in bestselling author Catherynne M. Valente’s science fiction spectacle, where sentient races compete for glory in a galactic musical contest… and the stakes are as high as the fate of planet Earth.
http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2018/04/women-in-sff-month-peng-shepherd/ It’s my pleasure to welcome Peng Shepherdto the blog today! The Book of M, her upcoming debut novel, is partially inspired by Zero Shadow Day, during which peoples’ shadows temporarily vanish in certain parts of the world due to a combination of the current angle of the sun and their latitudinal location. Though this absence of shadows usually lasts only a few minutes, The Book of M features a near-future scenario in which some mysteriously lose them for far longer and gain a power—but at the cost of their memories. I’m looking forward to The Book of M releasing on June 5!
http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2018/04/women-in-sff-month-rowenna-miller/ Today, I’m delighted to welcome Rowenna Miller! Torn, her recently-released debut novel and the first book in the Unraveled Kingdoms series, was largely inspired by her research on women’s fashion during the late eighteenth century, particularly apparel created in the midst of the French Revolution. It’s set in a historically-inspired fantasy world featuring a city on the brink of revolution—and a seamstress who literally sews magic into clothing!
https://teripolen.com/2018/04/12/atonement-immortal-soulless-3-by-tanith-frost-bookreview-paranormal-tanithfrost/ Among the dregs of vampire society, there’s no safety in numbers.
https://coldhandboyack.wordpress.com/2018/04/12/technological-angel-on-lisaburtonradio/ Heartbreak is an eye-opener.
https://teripolen.com/2018/04/13/the-writers-reading-corner-teagan-riordain-geneviene-indieauthor-fantasy/ My upcoming novel is Atonement in Bloom.That’s the sequel to Atonement, Tennesee*. Book-2 continues the misadventures of Ralda Lawton and her friends in the quaint (but far from peaceful) town of Atonement, TN. Her old house and cemetery are still there, along with Lilith the cat, quirky townsfolk, and assorted supernaturals.
https://legendsofwindemere.com/2018/04/10/dirty-dozen-character-interview-mab-winthrop-vampire-fantasy/ First of all, I really don’t like my last name, so let’s pretend it doesn’t exist from this point forward. Now, let’s get to the real information such as I’m a vampire and a highly skilled burglar. My partner and I used to run one of the most infamous crime gangs on the continent until the Great Cataclysm hit, the idiot got sucked into the ground, and the mortals declared war on my entire species. So, I’ve been more of an assassin and spy for one of the nobles since heists are a little too dangerous now. I still swipe things that my targets won’t have any use for after I kill them, so I get my kicks that way. Now that Clyde, he’s the idiot and partner, is back, I’m hoping to return to my roots. I mean…
http://owlnpussycatbookpromo.blog/2018/04/09/caged-earth-shadows-of-an-empire-book-5-by-ne-riggs/ Illera and her friends have surpassed many obstacles and come out stronger for it. But most of the south still suffers from imperial subjugation. On their own, Illera and her allies cannot win. With help from some Banof’s allies, they can, but the south will never ally with diemthe, even traitorous ones.
http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2018/04/women-in-sff-month-renay-from-lady-business-6/

Romance/Women’s Fiction:

http://owlnpussycatbookpromo.blog/2018/04/07/this-one-is-ryannes-best-effection-playnise-series-by-ryanne-anthony-3/ Escaping her drug-addicted mother to the comfort of a better life with her paternal grandparents, Kaia worked her way through college and became a success before the age of thirty. Along the way, she fell for Bobby E., lead singer of the rock band, Stone End. Knowing he only saw her as a kid sister, she turned her energy toward achieving success.
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/04/10/womensfiction-the-girl-i-used-to-know-by-gerhogan-tuesdaybookblog-brookcottagebks/ The Girl I Used To Know is women’s fiction set in Dublin. It tells the stories of Tess and Amanda through triple time lines. Tess is a sitting tenant in the basement flat of Amanda’s Georgian house.

Christian:

Historical:

http://awriterofhistory.com/2018/04/08/my-dear-hamilton-by-stephanie-dray-and-laura-kamoie/ The last line of chapter one in Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie’s latest novel, My Dear Hamilton, sets the stage for this compelling novel about the forging of America: “But how, I wondered, could a daughter make a difference?” And what a difference Eliza Schuyler Hamilton made.
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/04/09/newrelease-my-bookreview-of-histfic-daughter-of-war-by-sjaturney-canelo_co/ Daughter Of War (Knights Templar #1) is historical fiction set in 1198. It revolves around the mysterious Templar Knights. The book opens with a battle in the Aragon area between Spanish Lords and a raiding group of Moors. Arnau de Vallbona is among the Spaniards, fighting alongside his Lord. But Arnau is unsure of his future when Lord Berenguer de Santa Coloma is killed . Berenguer’s heir is his fifteen year old daughter; however, straight after her father’s funeral, the king’s representative orders her betrothal to the vile Ferrer della Cadeneta, a treacherous man who did nothing to save Berenguer when he had the opportunity.

Scary:

https://authorsteveboseley.wordpress.com/2018/04/07/serial-saturday-die-blossom-bloom-5/ Ted is troubled by dreams of his wife’s death and struggles to come to terms with what he has done. He needs to keep his secret against questions from nosy neighbour, Geraldine Butler-Thompson, who looks to belittle Ted at any opportunity.
http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-one-of-us-will-be-dead-by-morning-by-david-moody/ “Moody has created a brilliantly tense novel that, while sharing DNA with John Carpenter’s seminal The Thingin that it’s effectively a single location exercise in paranoia and mistrust, is very much its own tale.”
http://horrornovelreviews.com/2018/04/10/book-review-for-parasite-life-by-victoria-dalpe/ The book is separated into four parts. The first part, Ars Moriendi, introduces a girl named Jane, who has to care for her sickly mother. She meets a girl named Sabrina, and while she begins to slowly build up a shadow of happiness, she discovers that she is something not wholly human. In Imago, both Jane and Sabrina must find her father in order to determine how she could coexist with normal society. In Momento Mori, Jane realizes just how deep a mother’s love can really be, as well as what it means to finally let go. Finally, in the Epilogue, Jane finally understands who she is, and accepts herself, despite the death that will come with it.
http://horrornovelreviews.com/2018/04/12/chad-lutzke-stirring-the-sheets-review/ Chad Lutzke has given us such a beautifully written story dealing with the most grotesque of events and the saddest of circumstances. Stirring the Sheetsdeals with grief, loss, and the way one comes to terms with life after the death of a loved one.
http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/look-out-for-compulsory-games-by-robert-aickman/ “While all Aickman’s stories are excellent, it’s high time for a volume containing the best of the best.”
http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/look-out-for-godfall-and-other-stories-by-sandra-m-odell/ “If you’re on the hunt for a fresh voice on the scene that’s a little different from the ordinary, Godfall and Other Storiesby Sandra M. Odell is probably an excellent place to start. “
http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-one-of-us-will-be-dead-by-morning-by-david-moody/ “Moody has created a brilliantly tense novel that, while sharing DNA with John Carpenter’s seminal The Thingin that it’s effectively a single location exercise in paranoia and mistrust, is very much its own tale.”
http://thewarriormuse.blogspot.com/2018/04/horror-list-book-review-bridge.html I’m not new to splatterpunk, but I am new to eco-horror. Oddly, eco-horror is not my favorite sub-genre (I say oddly, because it’s just a different type of apocalypse, and I enjoy those). However, I enjoy the way they wrote enough that being brow-beat about the environment (not that I disagree, but I tend to be turned off when it feels like I’m being preached to) couldn’t put me off the book.
https://teripolen.com/2018/04/09/a-quiet-place-sneakypete-writing-and-giveaway-amwriting/
http://www.thisishorror.co.uk/book-review-cry-your-way-home-by-damien-angelica-walters/ “Tackling the ‘difficult second album’, Walters gives us a collection which builds on the talent and imagination she brought to Sing Me Your Scars, reaching further in scope, voice, and technique.”

MG/YA:

http://middlegrademafia.com/2018/04/10/mg-book-launch-turn-this-book-into-a-beehive-by-lynn-brunelle/ Most of the books we receive from publishers and publicist are fiction. Occasionally, we will receive a great non-fiction book teaches MG readers about historical events or people. Then there is the rare gems that are creative activity books for kids of all ages. Recently, we received Turn This Book into a Beehiveby Lynn Brunelle and illustrated by Anna-Maria Jung. Buying this book won’t only educate children about the importance of bees, or give them a fun activity to do on a rainy day, but it could also make a difference. Here is more about this great book…
https://amytruebloodauthor.com/20-in-2018-celebrates-the-release-of-the-diminished/ As their sixteenth birthdays approach, Bo and Vi face very different futures—one a life of luxury as the heir to the throne, the other years of backbreaking work as a temple servant. But a long-held secret and the fate of the empire are destined to bring them together in a way they never could have imagined.
http://www.talesoftheravenousreader.com/2018/04/briefing-note-interview-w-amie-kaufman.html Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion?
http://middlegrademafia.com/2018/04/10/book-launch-the-orphan-band-of-springdale-by-anne-nesbet/ My mother’s extended family all come from a small town in rural Maine,
and we would go back there in the summer and camp on the farm. And
whenever we drove down one particular back road, my mother would gesture
in the direction of one particular old house and say, “Now THAT’s the
orphan home I used to live in sometimes when I was a kid! My grandmother
ran it.” Well, we asked a bunch of questions, and the story we got was
that my mother’s immediate family didn’t have much money (she went to 11
different schools in twelve years, because her family could never pay the
rent), and when things got especially tough, my mother would be shipped
off to live in this children’s home run by her grandmother in Maine. And
that’s the seed of this story!

Mystery/Thriller/Suspense:

http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/latest-reads-the-other-couple-sarah-j-naughton/ A five-star beach resort in Vietnam, with white sands, private villas and world-class cuisine.
A chance for newlyweds Asha and Ollie Graveney to recover from a tragedy that has left them on the verge of collapse.
http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/review-catch-up-the-astonishing-colour-of-after-emily-x-r-pan/ Leigh Chen Sanders is sixteen when her mother dies by suicide, leaving only a scribbled note: ‘I want you to remember’. Leigh doesn’t know what it means, but when a red bird appears with a message, she finds herself travelling to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time.
http://themilitantnegro.com/2018/04/07/running-away-by-rebecca-barber/
https://rebeccahowiebooks.wordpress.com/2018/04/07/the-netflix-book-tag/ This was a recommendation after I finished Silence is Goldfishby Annabel Pitcher, and sounds like it would be just as good a read. I’m yet to try it, but I’m hoping to get round to it eventually.”
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/04/08/rosies-bookreview-team-rbrt-austen-style-mystery-lovers-knot-by-jenettajames/ I have recently read and reviewed several books that take place in Jane Austen’s universe, from sequels to versions transplanted to modern times. One of them was The Elizabeth Papersby Jenetta James. I was so impressed I could not resist getting an ARC copy of this book before its publication.
http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/my-little-eye-blog-tour-with-rod-and-steph/ A young woman is found dead in her bedroom surrounded by rose petals – the latest victim of ‘The Lover’. Struggling under the weight of an internal investigation, DI Dominic Bell is no closer to discovering the identity of the killer and time is running out.
http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/not-that-i-could-tell-jessica-strawser-blog-tour-review/ As a police investigation launches, the women will band together and ask whether they should have noticed that something was amiss. But how well can you really know your neighbours, when appearances can be so deceiving?
https://culturevultureexpress.wordpress.com/2018/04/04/promise-me-by-harlan-coben-review/ In this book, Bolitar is trying to find out where and what happened to missing teenager Aimee Biel who is the daughter of his friends. He has made a promise to Biel that he will be there for her any time day or night whenever she needed help without any questions asked. And she takes him up on his gesture of good will putting the book into action.
http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/latest-reads-guess-who-chris-mcgeorge/ A waitress. A cleaner. An actress. A lawyer. A student. Everyone is a suspect.
http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/latest-reads-legendary-stephanie-garber/ A heart to protect. A debt to repay. A game to win.
http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/friends-and-traitors-john-lawton-tour-review/ London, 1958.Chief Superintendent Frederick Troy of Scotland Yard, newly promoted after good service during Nikita Khrushchev’s visit to Britain, is not looking forward to a European trip with his older brother, Rod. Rod has decided to take his entire family on “the Grand Tour” for his fifty-first birthday: a whirlwind of restaurants, galleries, and concert halls from Paris to Florence to Vienna to Amsterdam.
https://culturevultureexpress.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/second-time-around-by-mary-higgins-clark-review/ In this book, Nicholas Spencer who is at the helm of a medical research company called Gen-stone goes missing while he is in the middle of helping to find a vaccine to cure cancer after his plane crashes while he is going to Puerto Rico. Spencer’s body is not found which sets up the question for the rest of the book wonderfully: is Nicholas Spencer alive or dead?
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/mild-thriller-my-bookreview-of-girl-without-a-voice-by-chrisbridge313/ Girl Without A Voice is a suspense thriller set in Yorkshire. It opens with a past scene: a family picnic with a traumatic event that caused nine year old Leah to stop talking.
http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/resurrection-bay-getting-to-know-you-with-emma-viskic/ Resurrection Bay is the first novel in a series featuring Caleb Zelic, a profoundly deaf investigator. When his best mate is murdered, a sense of guilt and a determination to prove his own innocence sends Caleb on a hunt for the killer. But he can’t do it alone. The investigation takes him places he’d rather not go, including his hometown and estranged family. As he delves deeper into the investigation, Caleb uncovers unwelcome truths about his murdered friend – and himself.
http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/black-water-cormac-okeefe-blog-tour-review/ I killed the boy . . .
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/04/14/rosies-bookreview-team-rbrt-psychological-thriller-hiding-by-jmortonpotts/ Hidingfollows two main characters from different countries, both well-rounded and many layered: Rebecca, the protagonist, brought up in the Scottish Highlands with her siblings by her grandparents. It’s a bleak seemingly loveless household according to the narrative from Rebecca’s point of view. But there are many unanswered questions, especially about the death of here parents; killed in a car accident. And Keller Baye, the antagonist; an American youth, and son of a murderer. His narrative is revealed slowly and is, initially, more difficult to grasp. But what is obvious is the lack of love in his upbringing, and explains his total absence of empathy for anyone in his world. (I use the word ‘world’ on purpose, rather than his ‘life’; right from the start his character is portrayed as distanced from any other character in the story – he seemed to me to be more of a spectator). The most unsettling is his graphic, almost internal narration of his presence at his father’s execution.
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/04/12/rosies-bookreview-team-rbrt-nz-mystery-the-maori-detective-by-crossmanda/ Carlos Wallace spent thirteen years in Australia, eight of them as a police officer in New South Wales. When he kills a man in the line of duty and his wife is subsequently murdered, he comes under suspicion and he’s dismissed from the force. He’s devastated and decides to return home to Christchurch and become a private detective. He arrives shortly after the earthquake of 2011, which leveled the city’s business district, and the reality of the devastation is a grim backdrop to his depressed mood. An absent and mysterious Mr. Prince sets Carlos up with a PI business office and funds to continue cases that Prince left behind. A blood relative deeds him a house, asking only that in return, he look after his cousin Miriama (a beautiful matakite or seer to whom he is attracted) and his whānau or family.
https://teagansbooks.com/2018/04/09/marvelous-monday-review/ It’s really a challenge for me to work on my novels, as well as all the technical aspects of producing them, as well as blogging, along with my “real job.” So I can’t project dates — but I want you to know that eventually I’ll be publishing the third of Pip’s adventures, A Ghost in the Kitchen — Three Ingredients 2, and a collection of short stories and vignettes from the “Pip-verse.” And if I’m on this planet long enough, my various draft novels: The Guitar Mancer, The Dead of Winter, Tatterdemallian — the Electric Zucchini, Copper the Alchemist and the Woman in Trousers, The Skull of the Alchemist. As well as Atonement in Bloomwhich is currently in the editing process, and hopefully a third book in the Atonement series… and the short stories and vignettes. That should keep me busy for about a hundred years.
http://mysterysuspence.blogspot.com/2018/04/author-guest-post-marni-graff.html Trudy now has that job and the first book in the series, Death Unscripted, took place on the set of soap opera filmed for the internet in the studio where I worked with the cast and crew of One Life to Live. When I decided the next mystery would revolve around Trudy’s work on a television movie, I needed a gothic building for the setting that would evoke that sense of mystery just by its very presence.
http://lizlovesbooks.com/lizlovesbooks/a-breath-after-drowning-alice-blanchard-blog-tour-review/ Child psychiatrist Kate Wolfe’s world comes crashing down when one of her young patients commits suicide, so when a troubled girl is left at the hospital ward, she doubts her ability to help. But the girl knows things about Kate’s past, things she shouldn’t know, forcing Kate to face the murky evidence surrounding her own sister’s murder sixteen years before, bringing Kate face to face with her deepest fear

Short Stories/Anthologies/Novella:

https://vivdrewa.me/2018/04/07/rot-6-filling-time-by-aidan-j-reid-book-review/ The plot in this one ties everything together. We’re at the pique and while things have been tense, this is the final showdown. Ray has Lena back and together they go to get rid of the Fairy Godmother once and for all.
https://teripolen.com/2018/04/10/the-hat-by-c-s-boyack-tuesdaybookblog-bookreview-fantasy/ Lizzie and the hat don’t exactly hit it off right away, but when her best friend’s newborn is kidnapped by a ring of baby traffickers, Lizzie turns to the hat for help. This leads her deep into her family history and a world she’s never known.
https://kriswrites.com/2018/04/09/free-fiction-monday-the-impossibles/
https://smorgasbordinvitation.wordpress.com/2018/04/14/smorgasbord-short-stories-tales-from-the-gardenthe-goose-and-the-lost-boy-by-sally-cronin/ In the summer I will be releasing Tales from the Irish Garden.. stories of magic and fantasy. It is the sequel to Tales from the Garden published in 2015 and I am going to share the stories from that collection with you in the next few weeks.

Poetry:

Indie:

Craft:

Other:

https://psychwriter.com.au/2018/02/25/narcissistic-abuse-and-codependence-for-writers/ Have you ever met someone you instantly connect with—someone who seems to know who you are, and what you need? A narcissistic sociopath is charming and magnetic, they appear to be perfect—the answer to your prayers. They are emotional vampires—the ones who use manipulation to seduce their victims. They have a keen ability to quickly identify your inner wound, your vulnerabilities, and appeal to your vanity and fears to bind you to them. They make you feel a part of them, something larger and somehow more alive.
https://rosieamber.wordpress.com/2018/04/05/familysaga-my-bookreview-of-her-mothers-daughter-by-alicefitzwrites-allenandunwinuk/ The book opens with Josephine as she eagerly leaves her Irish home for the opportunities she hopes await her in London. At home she was expected to run the household and care for her siblings; London offers her freedom to live her own life. At times secrets from per past make her fearful, but she marries a man who adores her and they raise a family together.
https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/a-journal-of-the-plague-year/ The plague of 1665, was the worst outbreak of plague in England since the black death of 1348. The earliest cases of the disease occurred in the spring of 1665 in a parish outside the walls of London called St Giles-in-the-fields. The book gives statistics of the deaths from the plague over this year, which are really fascinating and frightening. The death rate rose over the summer months and peaked in September when 7 165 Londoners died in one week. The great plague killed an estimated 100 000 people during an 18-month period.
https://nicholasrossis.wordpress.com/2018/04/13/blog-tour-been-there-going-again-by-stephen-geez/ Greetings, friends! Welcome to the last stop on my 4WillsPublishing Blog Tour celebrating the re-issue of my memoir-shorts, Been There, Noted That: Essays in Tribute to Life.It has updated cover, new graphics, new book trailer, and now a first-ever jacketed hardcover edition. The book’s ruminations range from light and humorous to heartbreakingly poignant, but all spring from my own experiences. Thanks for visiting, trying this sample, and commenting!
https://storyempire.com/2018/04/13/april-friday-book-share/ When I read this for the first time, it had a huge impact on me personally. It has become one of those books that changes the course of a life for the good. Not only that, but it is immensely engaging.
https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/2018/04/14/blurbs-for-non-fiction-books-guest-post-by-jaq-d-hawkins/ “Jaq D Hawkins was the first chaos magician to write of the history and elements of chaos magic for a widespread audience. Now, in this new volume, that history is expanded and the concepts, specialist terms and culture associated with chaos magic are clarified for a new generation of magic users.