Michael F. Stewart - The Terminals - Review & Giveaway

About the Book

- Sometimes the dead don’t want to talk.
You need Terminals to make them. -

Terminals solve crimes in this realm by investigating them in the next.

Lt. Col. Christine Kurzow, fresh from a failed suicide attempt after she cost 11 of her soldiers their lives, is recruited into the covert unit of Terminals as a handler. It's an easy sell. If she's really determined to die, it’s a chance to give her death meaning.

But her first case—convincing a monk to chase Hillar the Killer into the afterlife to find the location of a missing bus and the children it carried—has her wondering how to make a dead psychopath talk.

Christine must follow the clues sent back by the shotgun-toting monk, who tracks Hillar through the seven deeps of hell, so she can find eleven kids before it’s too late.

Maybe this time killing a man will give Christine a reason to live.

**The Television and Film production rights have been sold to Jim Donovan (Best Director 2013, Canadian Screen Awards) and on to his partners of Sudden Storm Entertainment.

My Review

It's rare to find an author with a finger on the pulse of popular culture, yet imaginative enough to give a new spin on things. Michael F. Stewart is in the world, but not of the world and I love that about his writing. The paranormal is so hot right now. From TV shows like GHOST HUNTERS and GHOST ADVENTURES to movies like THE CONJURING and INSIDIOUS, it's safe to say that most of us are intrigued with the concept of communicating with the dead.

But in THE TERMINALS, Stewart takes it one step further. He turns this fascination into a covert unit of the government where terminally ill patients are euthanized in order to interrogate criminals in the afterlife. Kind of like combining a death penalty lethal injection with Dionne Warwick's Psychic Network. A plunging needle is the gateway into immortality. Crystal doorknobs serve as walkie talkies. A descent into the bowels of hell is the likely destination when hunting down murderers. Yet there are eager volunteers (a.k.a. Terminals) lined up in the hallway, awaiting their turn to serve, ready to leave this realm and explore the next. Whether or not it's for the good of humanity is hard to say.

I've never read a book quite like THE TERMINALS. It's gripping, yet emotionally taxing. There's a lot of twisted behavior going on. Children's eyelids are sewed back. Unsuspecting cops are immersed in a bath of sulfuric acid. Rats run rampant over dead body parts. And that's just the stuff here on Earth. That doesn't even get into the tortures that await the poor souls who willingly give up their lives to enter the devil's playground.

There's a quote from one Terminal that is telling of the book's premise, "Listen, don't fixate so much on death. It doesn't matter. When we are alive, we are not dead, and when we are dead, we are no longer alive. There is no in-between. No dying. It is the dying that most people fear."

Are these willing victims (Terminals) just after a compassionate death? Free of pain and the misery of lingering too long. They want to cross over and do so with a purpose. They've been recruited for these missions. They seek to help complete strangers, who they've never even met before, obtain some answers and find some closure. Even if it's not a guarantee for themselves.

It's a heady concept. Like taking organ donation to a whole new interactive level. The only thing required is sharing the same religious philosophy as the recently deceased. That stamps a Terminal's passport for the right region of the afterlife. Once the intended destination is clear, they're able to track down the criminals and hopefully bring them to justice by making them talk. It's a divine mercy squad that aids the living from the depths of the beyond.

Stewart's novel is bold. It's not for the faint of heart, but I think it has a wide crossover appeal. Science fiction fans will relish in the creature-ladden slog through hell. Paranormal readers will devour the clairvoyant possibilities of lifting the veil between life and death. Lovers of suspense thrillers will salivate over the clues dropped in a scavenger hunt leading to various apocalyptic crime scenes. Devotees of military mysteries will ponder the scope of the coverup and how this top secret operation is being hidden from the public.

But above all, if you want something original, Stewart's your guy. He's a truly talented indie writer, making a name for himself on his own steam. Even if parts of the book make you uncomfortable because they veer toward the overly graphic, he always reels you back in with his high level of storytelling. No one ever wants to go to hell, but if you're going to go, go with Stewart. He makes a destination we all think we know so well come alive in a way that will leave you marveling at his creativity.

***

The Terminals can be purchased at:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Formats: ebook, paperback
Pages: 310
Genre: Paranormal, Thriller, Mystery
Release: April 15, 2014
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About the Author

Michael F. Stewart is the author of the Assured Destruction series, which sprawls across 3 books, 2 websites, 1 blog, 7 Twitter accounts, tumblr, Facebook, and 6 graphic origin stories. He likes to combine storytelling with technology and pioneered interactive storytelling with Scholastic Canada, Australia and New Zealand’s, anti-cyberbullying program Bully For You. He has authored four graphic novels with Oxford University Press Canada’s award winning Boldprint series. Publications of nonfiction titles on Corruption and Children’s Rights published by Rubicon Publishing as well as early readers with Pearson are all forthcoming in 2014 and 2015.

For adults, Michael has written THE SAND DRAGON a horror about a revenant prehistoric vampire set in the tar sands, HURAKAN a Mayan themed thriller which pits the Maya against the MS-13 with a New York family stuck in the middle, 24 BONES an urban fantasy which draws from Egyptian myth, and THE TERMINALS—a covert government unit which solves crimes in this realm by investigating them in the next. This series has already been optioned for film and television.

Herder of four daughters, Michael lives to write in Ottawa where he runs free writing workshops for teens and adults.

Links to connect with Michael:
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A.F. Ebbers - Dangerous Past - Review & Giveaway

About the Book

Senior Airline Captain Frank Braden is being stalked in his home town of Austin, Texas, by unknown assailants who must arrange his death to look like a suicide or an accident before a specific deadline. The assassins almost succeed several times, in the air and on the ground. In fact, Braden’s surgeon wife, Nicole, saves his life twice from ground assailants. Both of them don’t know why people are trying to kill him.

Later, he receives a message warning him not to attend a forthcoming Senate hearing in Washington. If he agrees he will receive a million dollars and his wife’s life. When Braden turns to the FBI and local police for help, they doubt his stories since they have been led to believe he is schizophrenic and suicidal, exactly what his assailants want the authorities to think.

Dangerous Past is a story of a man who must choose between doing what ought to be done or keeping his family alive by allowing a murderous and powerful Washington VIP to escape his past.

My Review

MISS SAIGON, THE BOURNE IDENTITY or A FEW GOOD MEN? In my mind, I kept shuffling through freeze frames of these different different stories when perusing the pages of this book. Not that that's a bad thing. DANGEROUS PAST has a little something for everyone. Flashbacks to the Vietnam War. A man and woman running for their lives. A military cover-up of mammoth proportions. It's all in there and then some. If there's one thing I can say about this novel - it may have a multiple personality disorder - but it's certainly not boring.

It moves, or better yet, it flies. The pace is non-stop from beginning to end. The only time it hits a little bit of a speed bump is when it delves into the inner workings of a prostitution/drug smuggling ring in Southeast Asia. This extemporaneous foray into the backstory provides the crux of the whodunit, but it could have been alluded to in a few paragraphs instead of multiple chapters, but really that's my only complaint. Otherwise, the drama is action packed.

Plane bombings. Car crashes. People hurled off waterfalls. People thrown into flood-swollen rivers. Lethal packages sent in the mail. Congressional hearings with surprise foreign guests. Assassins gunning people down in front of the Lincoln Memorial. FBI agents falling like flies. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Usually, I'm not a fan of so many subplots, but for some reason for this particular book it works. It's an entertaining mixture of superfluous details and head scratcher moments that somehow add up to a cohesive whole. It's all about taking the best parts of each genre and mashing them together for maximum enjoyment. There's a tragic love story between a hooker and a G.I. There's a husband and wife trying desperately to stay alive while being hunted by a powerful adversary. There's a conglomeration of high ranking military men trying to cover up their illegal activity by spilling even more blood. Conspiracy theories abound.

If you're in the mood for something completely different, try this. It's off the wall, yet captivating. A.F. Ebbers throws everything in but the kitchen sink, but his writing style makes you want to tag along on a wild and crazy ride. He's good at laying a trap to get you to keep reading. It's all about hooking the reader and he definitely knows how to do that. Man, I can't wait to see what he comes up with next.

***

Dangerous Past can be purchased at:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, Nook

Prices/Formats: $0.99 ebook, $10.00 hardcover
Pages: 240
ISBN: 9780978948238
Publisher: SilverHawk Books
Release: May 1, 2007
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About the Author

A. F. Ebbers, a journalism graduate of Ohio University was a reporter/writer for major newspapers, ad agencies, and in public relations for Cessna Aircraft Company. He also graduated from Army Flight School and flew for the Ohio and Kansas Army National Guards. Later he was called to active duty and served two flying tours in Vietnam. After retirement from the military, he flew for corporations and for regional airlines. A dual rated ATP pilot, he has written for numerous national magazines, Sunday supplements and trade and travel magazines and has written screenplays and short stories. Today he lives with his wife in the Austin, Texas area and, when not writing, enjoys tennis, flying and piano. Dangerous Past is his debut novel.

Links to connect with A.F.:
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Jerome Charyn - I Am Abraham - Review and Giveaway

About the Book

Narrated in Lincoln’s own voice, the tragicomic I Am Abraham promises to be the masterwork of Jerome Charyn’s remarkable career.

Since publishing his first novel in 1964, Jerome Charyn has established himself as one of the most inventive and prolific literary chroniclers of the American landscape. Here in I Am Abraham, Charyn returns with an unforgettable portrait of Lincoln and the Civil War. Narrated boldly in the first person, I Am Abraham effortlessly mixes humor with Shakespearean-like tragedy, in the process creating an achingly human portrait of our sixteenth President.

Tracing the historic arc of Lincoln's life from his picaresque days as a gangly young lawyer in Sangamon County, Illinois, through his improbable marriage to Kentucky belle Mary Todd, to his 1865 visit to war-shattered Richmond only days before his assassination, I Am Abraham hews closely to the familiar Lincoln saga. Charyn seamlessly braids historical figures such as Mrs. Keckley—the former slave, who became the First Lady's dressmaker and confidante—and the swaggering and almost treasonous General McClellan with a parade of fictional extras: wise-cracking knaves, conniving hangers-on, speculators, scheming Senators, and even patriotic whores.

We encounter the renegade Rebel soldiers who flanked the District in tattered uniforms and cardboard shoes, living in a no-man's-land between North and South; as well as the Northern deserters, young men all, with sunken, hollowed faces, sitting in the punishing sun, waiting for their rendezvous with the firing squad; and the black recruits, whom Lincoln’s own generals wanted to discard, but who play a pivotal role in winning the Civil War. At the center of this grand pageant is always Lincoln himself, clad in a green shawl, pacing the White House halls in the darkest hours of America’s bloodiest war.

Using biblically cadenced prose, cornpone nineteenth-century humor, and Lincoln’s own letters and speeches, Charyn concocts a profoundly moral but troubled commander in chief, whose relationship with his Ophelia-like wife and sons—Robert, Willie, and Tad—is explored with penetrating psychological insight and the utmost compassion. Seized by melancholy and imbued with an unfaltering sense of human worth, Charyn’s President Lincoln comes to vibrant, three-dimensional life in a haunting portrait we have rarely seen in historical fiction.

My Review

I liked this book for what it's not - a timeline of dates, a stuffy account of battles, a dry historical tome more dissertation than entertainment. Jerome Charyn certainly surprised me with I AM ABRAHAM. It was nothing like I expected, and that element of surprise turned out to be a very good thing. It takes an author with a deft hand to strip away a reader's expectations and replace them with his own, and Charyn delivers in spades. This isn't the Honest Abe schoolchildren grow up reading about. This is the man, the myth, the legend seen through the eyes of a literary genius. A welcome treat, indeed!

Being a historical fiction novel, Charyn takes some liberties. Not with the facts, so much as his interpretation of them. He does an excellent job of throwing the reader into the hardscrabble existence Lincoln eeked out when he was saved from drowning at the edge of the frontier. Conditions were horrendous and unsanitary. Livestock resided indoors and dirt floors opened up during the rainy season. To think that such a man as Lincoln climbed out of this cesspool of civilization to reign supreme is truly remarkable.

After running away from an abusive father, Lincoln claws his way through disease, Indian raids and heartache to begin his political career. He clings to the written word, assured that it will bring him salvation from his bouts of depression and the sting of poverty. He canvases the greater Springfield area as a traveling lawyer, lending his talents of persuasion to local farmers seeking justice. He just doesn't make a lot of money doing it, certainly not enough to court a noteworthy bride.

But Mary Todd doesn't give a hoot about his limited circumstances. She believes in his potential, forsaking her affluent Southern belle lifestyle to settle down with a man who considers her an intellectual equal. Even though the two couldn't be more different. She's loud and dramatic. He's quiet and introspective. She wants their oldest son, Bob, to be a sophisticated Harvard scholar among the upper crust of society. While he can't relate to a boy he views as a confounded stranger. They battle through the sorrow of losing two of their four children, growing apart as they try to make sense of their life in the White House. Mary enjoys being the queen bee, even if living on the public stage becomes more than she can handle. Abe isn't about winning approval ratings. He's content to let things sort themselves out, instead of stirring up trouble. But even isn't immune to living in a fishbowl as he tries to calm his wife's frayed nerves.

Yet this somewhat reluctant commander in chief holds the nation together even though his home life is basically ripping apart at the seams. He sinks into a more frequent state of melancholia, plagued by the specter of death that surrounds him. The Rebel Yell sounds on the banks of the Potomac. Union firing squads execute attempted deserters within earshot. Wounded troops flood the Capitol, dragging their mangled bodies over his front lawn. Generals take to the air in hot air balloons above his roof. Spies hover around his wife's private parlor. The man is literally surrounded by chaos.

But he doesn't crack, he perseveres, even when he doesn't want to. He's tired, sad and alone but he does his duty for his country. He leaves the fighting to his troops, depending on those he's placed in power. He trusts their judgement and doesn't interfere in areas outside of his expertise. But he's not afraid to shake things up by promoting people like Ulysses S. Grant or by getting his wife's biracial seamstress out of prison. He goes about his business, swatting down one problem after another. It's no wonder he gets right to the heart of the matter in the Gettysburg Address, even when he's criticized for its brevity. By that time, the poor man is so exhausted that the fewer words the better, when it comes to getting his point across.

Overall, the plot is engaging and follows a linear structure right through to the end of the war at the surrender at Appomattox. The book chillingly concludes with Lincoln walking the streets of a conquered, war torn Richmond, the very seat of Confederate power. He tours the home of his counterpart, Jefferson Davis, along with his young son, Tad, looking to find any apparent similarities between him and his rival. Instead, Tad prophetically talks to his father about seeing angels through the smoke of the burned out town. Not knowing that he has just days to live before meeting an assassin's bullet, Lincoln looks back and examines his life, wondering if such things as angels exist anymore. After the death and destruction, he's witnessed he's no longer sure. Little does he realize, the whole country is about to view him as one throughout all of history.

***

Excerpt

Click this link to read an excerpt.

***

I Am Abraham can be purchased at:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble

Prices/Formats: $12.99-$14.99 ebook, $26.95 hardcover
Pages: 464
ISBN: 9780871404275
Publisher: Liveright
Release: February 3, 2014
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Jerome Charyn is an award-winning American author. With nearly 50 published works, Charyn has earned a long-standing reputation as an inventive and prolific chronicler of real and imagined American life. Michael Chabon calls him "one of the most important writers in American literature." New York Newsday hailed Charyn as "a contemporary American Balzac,"and the Los Angeles Times described him as "absolutely unique among American writers." Since the 1964 release of Charyn's first novel, Once Upon a Droshky, he has published 30 novels, three memoirs, eight graphic novels, two books about film, short stories, plays and works of non-fiction. Two of his memoirs were named New York Times Book of the Year. Charyn has been a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction. He received the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and has been named Commander of Arts and Letters by the French Minister of Culture. Charyn was Distinguished Professor of Film Studies at the American University of Paris until he left teaching in 2009. In addition to his writing and teaching, Charyn is a tournament table tennis player, once ranked in the top 10 percent of players in France. Noted novelist Don DeLillo called Charyn's book on table tennis, Sizzling Chops & Devilish Spins, "The Sun Also Rises of ping-pong." Charyn lives in Paris and New York City.

Links to connect with Jerome:
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Michael J. McCann - The Rainy Day Killer - Review and Giveaway

About the Book

A man in a business suit offers the protection of his umbrella to an unsuspecting woman, and several days later she turns up dead on a river bank, raped and strangled. The terrifying serial killer known in the press as the Rainy Day Killer is now hunting new victims in the city of Glendale ... whenever it rains.

Homicide Lieutenant Hank Donaghue leads the investigation as the killer begins to communicate directly to him through phone calls and grisly packages containing body parts of his victims. Assisted by FBI profiler Ed Griffin, Donaghue and Detective Karen Stainer pursue an elusive predator who leaves no physical evidence behind.

The timing couldn't be worse, however, as Karen Stainer's attention is divided between the investigation and preparations for her upcoming wedding. Distracted and uncertain about her future, Stainer is furious when she learns that the Rainy Day Killer has followed her to Virginia, where the wedding will take place, and that he intends to make her his next victim!

My Review

I judge a thriller by how fast it zips along. And I can happily report that I flew right through this one like a speeding bullet. I've never read anything by McCann before and I was delightfully surprised by how this indie author thoughtfully crafted a superb thriller. The level of detail was impressive. It felt like an insider's look at a criminal homicide procedure and I was shocked to read in his bio that McCann had no previous background in law enforcement. The amount of time he spent on research truly paid off. The writing felt real, authentic. No hack job here.

A large cast of characters is weaved through a pretty intricate plot. But what helps the reader through all the different names and technical terms is the sense of building tension throughout. The momentum is always moving forward. It never stalls. The pace is rapid, aided by date stamps at the top of each chapter. The killer first strikes Glendale in April (how apt, April showers, etc.) and wraps on the first day of June. There's never a dull moment as the killer repeatedly reaches out to personally taunt those who are hunting him.

Once the killer is identified as being a white male, dark hair and short of stature, I immediately started zeroing in on every physical characteristic that McCann dropped about his characters. At least twice, I thought I had it figured out, but I was surprised at the reveal. The Rainy Day Killer wasn't who I thought he was. McCann pulled one over on me, having the character make a significant change to his appearance and throwing a major red herring into the mix right before the unveiling. But that's what I expect a mystery writer worth his salt to do. Throw me off balance. Keep me in the dark until the very end.

Bravo, McCann. You duped me. Thank goodness The Rainy Day Killer isn't real (and I'm not blonde), or I'd be toast.

***

The Rainy Day Killer can be purchased at:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBookstore, Sony, Kobo, Smashwords, Powells, Amazon UK, Amazon CAN, Fishpond AUS, Fishpond NZ

Prices/Formats: $8.99 ebook, $19.99 paperback
Pages: 290
ISBN: 9780987708786
Publisher: Plaid Raccoon Press
Release: August 30, 2013
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Michael J. McCann was born and raised in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. He earned a B.A. (Hons.) in English from Trent University and an M.A. in English from Queen's University. He has worked as an editor and a project and training consultant and manager with the federal government. He is an author of crime fiction and supernatural thrillers. His Donaghue and Stainer Crime Novel series includes Blood Passage, Marcie's Murder, The Fregoli Delusion, and The Rainy Day Killer. He is also the author of the supernatural thriller The Ghost Man and is currently working on another supernatural novel.

Links to connect with Michael:
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Michael J. Bowler - Children of the Knight - Review and Giveaway

About the Book

According to legend, King Arthur is supposed to return when Britain needs him most. So why does a man claiming to be the once and future king suddenly appear in modern-day Los Angeles?

This charismatic young Arthur creates a new Camelot within the City of Angels to lead a crusade of unwanted kids against an adult society that discards and ignores them. Under his banner of equality, every needy child is welcome, regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation, or gang affiliation.

With the help of his amazing First Knight, homeless fourteen-year-old Lance, Arthur transforms this ragtag band of rejected children and teens into a well-trained army—the Children of the Knight––where even gay boys and gangsters work side by side. Through his intervention, they win the hearts and minds of the populace at large, and gain a truer understanding of themselves and their worth to society. But seeking more rights for kids pits Arthur and his children squarely against the rich, the influential, and the self-satisfied politicians who want nothing more than to maintain the status quo.

Can right truly overcome might? Arthur’s hopeful young knights are about to find out, and the City of Angels will never be the same.

The Knight Cycle begins . . .

My Review

I appreciate an author who has the courage to take a classic and make it his own. Michael J. Bowler tackles the Arthurian legend of old and gives it an American, inner city twist in CHILDREN OF THE KNIGHT. This time, the king doesn't reside in a castle, he lives in a sewer. His knights aren't men of nobility, they're destitute teens. His goal isn't to rule over a vast dominion, it's more like the ultimate urban renewal project. His dialogue is still laced with words like henceforth and perchance and his wardrobe still consists of suits of armor and flowing tunics, but he's a different man this time around. He knows how jealousy and in-fighting allowed his fabled Camelot to fall, and he's determined not to repeat the same mistake again.

However, he never factored homosexuality into the equation. He rescues Lance, a fourteen-year-old boy from the hands of two drug-dealing thugs, making him his First Knight. What he doesn't expect is the boy's confusion when it comes to accepting love and affection. He doesn't like to be touched. He's afraid to open up. Arthur senses that Lance has a good heart, but it's yet untested. The boy is yearning for attention, but Arthur only gives it to him in small doses once he starts recruiting other teenagers to his cause. He keeps Lance at arm's length, even though he wants to draw him close.

Arthur, himself, is not gay, but Lance isn't sure what he is. He views Arthur as more of father figure, but he's terrified to tell him that he loves him. He holds back, afraid that Arthur will reject him for being weak and unworthy. Based on the homophobic nature of the macho street culture he grew up in, he fears Arthur will think less of him because he's attracted to other boys. It hurts Lance deeply to think that he's letting Arthur down. He mistakenly feels that being himself just isn't good enough.

Bowler doesn't shy away from these gender confusion issues, instead he addresses them head-on. There has always been a homoerotic undercurrent to the King Arthur tale by uniting a group of men under one banner. It has been discussed by numerous literary critics throughout the years, but Bowler gives it a fresh perspective so that the Arthur-Lance dynamic has more of a father-son feel. It's through Bowler's depiction of the other knights of the Round Table that Lance experiments with his burgeoning sexuality, not in a graphic way, but in a tender, searching quest for acceptance and belonging.

This retelling broaches many complex social issues and breathes new life into one of the greatest stories of all time. Bowler succeeds in making King Arthur relevant for a whole new generation, and provides gay teens with a number of characters they can relate to and admire. He doesn't shy away from what's uncomfortable or confusing, instead he seamlessly weaves those discordant feelings into the tapestry of a much-beloved story.

***

Children of the Knight can be purchased at:
Amazon

Prices/Formats: $6.99 ebook, $17.99 paperback
Pages: 344
ISBN: 9781623806552
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Release: June 20, 2013
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Michael J. Bowler is an award-winning author of three novels - A Boy and His Dragon, A Matter of Time, and Children of the Knight - who grew up in San Rafael, California.

He majored in English and Theatre at Santa Clara University and earned a master’s in film production from Loyola Marymount University, a teaching credential in English from LMU, and another master's in Special Education from Cal State University Dominguez Hills.

He partnered with two friends as producer, writer, and/or director on several ultra-low-budget horror films, including “Fatal Images,” “Club Dead,” and “Things II,” the reviews of which are much more fun than the actual movies.

He taught high school in Hawthorne, California for twenty-five years, both in general education and to students with learning disabilities, in subjects ranging from English and Strength Training to Algebra, Biology, and Yearbook.

He has also been a volunteer Big Brother to seven different boys with the Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters program and a thirty-year volunteer within the juvenile justice system in Los Angeles. He is a passionate advocate for the fair treatment of children and teens in California, something that is sorely lacking in this state. He has been honored as Probation Volunteer of the Year, YMCA Volunteer of the Year, California Big Brother of the Year, and 2000 National Big Brother of the Year. The “National” honor allowed he and three of his Little Brothers to visit the White House and meet the president in the Oval Office.

He has already completed the two continuations of Children of the Knight that complete the trilogy - Running Through A Dark Place & And The Children Shall Lead. Both will likely be released in 2014.

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Scott A. Lerner - Ruler of Demons - Review and Giveaway

About the Book

Only eleven shopping days till Christmas. And less than a week to save the world.

Three nuns—in Chicago, Paris, and Jerusalem—have been killed in a religious ritual. The choice of victims and the macabre details of their deaths indicate that someone is following a recipe provided on an ancient text—a recipe to unleash the forces of hell on earth. The final sacrifice must occur on the Winter Solstice.

Samuel Roberts, a small-town attorney in Urbana, Illinois, knows a bit about the supernatural, having triumphed at least once over the forces of evil. Thanks to a friend who is aware of Sam’s little known previous efforts on behalf of mankind, Sam is hired by a big Chicago law firm to take on a sensitive case. His mission? Nothing less than halting the impending apocalypse.

Sam and his good buddy Bob travel first to Jerusalem then Paris in a desperate race to save mankind.

Link to read an excerpt.

My Review

Nothing gets the pages turning like a showdown between good and evil, and mystery author Scott A. Lerner pens a battle royale starring none other than God vs. Satan. It turns out there's a secret formula written on an immortal piece of human flesh that was uncovered with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was under lock and key at the Vatican until someone stole it. The problem? No one knows if conducting the ritual sacrifices (a.k.a. the sick and twisted killing of nuns) will bring Jesus back to earth or release the devil from hell. Who could possibly stop either of these epic catastrophes from happening? Sam Roberts, a small town defense attorney from Urbana, Illinois, is charged with the task. But is he up to the challenge?

Roberts seems to be singled out by supernatural forces for these kind of assignments. He dreads getting involved, but he does so anyway. This time, he's backed into a corner when he finds a chopped off human tongue on his table. So he calls his friend, Bob, and hops a plane to Israel to begin the investigation. The plot weaves through a variety of foreign locations from Jerusalem to Paris before setting up the climatic conclusion in Chicago. Sam and Bob chase a trail of breadcrumbs given to them by scholars, cab drivers and religious fanatics only to end up right back where they started. It's a wild goose chase that explores the background of the world's three major religions - Christianity, Judaism and Islam - through the eyes of a main character who doesn't profess affiliation to any of them. Sam is the secular man trying to uncover the logical truth behind the spiritual superstitions embedded in the various cultures.

The journey takes some twists and turns along the way from a murderous fire demon attack in a hotel lobby to the appearance of a beautiful woman who somehow takes a liking to the sci-fi loving, Bob. Not to mention, the HOME ALONE style escape from a basement dungeon and a homeless man with cockroaches crawling all over him issuing prophetic words of doom. The novel is jam-packed with details from TV and movie references to mouth-watering descriptions of local cuisine. Lerner has a keen eye for the world his characters inhabit making it come alive for the reader in all three dimensions.

Overall, the mystery aspect is intriguing, but it's the banter between Sam and Bob that holds the book together.

***

Ruler of Demons can be purchased at:
Amazon

Prices/Formats: $4.95 ebook, $13.95 paperback
Pages: 202
Publisher: Camel Press
Release: December 15, 2013
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Author and attorney Scott A. Lerner resides in Champaign, Illinois. He obtained his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and went on to obtain his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. He is currently a sole practitioner in Champaign, Illinois. The majority of his law practice focuses on the fields of criminal law and family law. Mr. Lerner lives with his wife, their two children, and their cat Fern. Lerner collects unusual antiques and enjoys gardening, traveling, reading fiction, and going to the movies. His first novel, Cocaine Zombies, won a bronze medal in the mystery/cozy/noir category of the 2013 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Awards.

Links to connect with Scott:
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April Bostic - The Howling Heart - Review and Giveaway

About the Book

Paige Donovan is an ambitious college graduate who aspires to reach the top of the corporate ladder. She’s climbing fast when given the promotion of a lifetime at a prestigious fashion magazine in New York City. Her bright future comes to an unexpected halt after news of her father’s death. She inherits his old cabin in the Colorado Rockies, and just when she thinks her luck couldn’t get any worse, she has a car accident in the mountains and awakens in the small, remote community of Black River.



Soon, she’s engulfed in the mystical world of Varulv---wolves descended from 13th century Scandinavia and blessed by Norse gods with the ability to appear human. Paige is desperate to return home, but never expects to fall for her rescuer, Riley Gray, a charming young werewolf from England who offers her an alternate future with his pack.

Now, she must choose between the career she’s always wanted and the love she’s always dreamed.

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My Review

This paranormal romance took me out of my comfort zone in a way I wasn't expecting. I've read a lot of stories about wolves and humans falling in love, but this rendition takes it one step further. What if the furry, four-legged creature with razor sharp teeth wasn't able turn back into a man after having the girl fall in love with him? Would their relationship continue? That's the gray area that April Bostic explores in THE HOWLING HEART.

Paige Donovan is a girl in her early twenties who reconnects with Riley Gray, the guy who's been secretly pining for her for years. They met briefly as children when Paige was vacationing with her parents in their cabin in the Rocky Mountains. Back then, Paige didn't know Riley was a wolf, but when she comes back to the cabin for the first time after her father dies, Riley immediately recognizes her scent. Sure, she's attracted to him, but she doesn't immediately share the same level of intense devotion that he has for her. In fact, she's a little creeped out by it.

Riley admits that he hasn't dated anyone his entire life, while she's had her heart broken on more than one occasion by guys who have cheated on her. Riley goes on to explain that wolves mate for life and if she agrees to let him mark her with his teeth they'll be bonded for eternity. These animal tendencies of Riley's personality are usually brought to the forefront. He walks around in public naked. He climbs through her bedroom window. He howls when she tries to leave him.

And then, Paige faces a FIFTY SHADES OF GREY-like dilemma when Riley starts questioning just how far she's willing to go with him. At first, she's appalled and won't even consider what he's asking. But little by little, he begins to chip away at her reluctance. She starts to imagine different scenarios with him, open to the possibility of taking things in a different direction. The subject matter delves into areas that are meant for mature audiences and reader discretion is strongly advised. The participants don't actually go there, but the innuendo and foreshadowing are highly suggestive and should come with a warning label. I found parts of the book to be quite graphic in detail, and high in shock value. I was taken by surprise by such passages and wasn't anticipating them based on the synopsis.

This novel works best for readers who are open-minded when it comes to their tastes for the erotic. For a more general audience of romance lovers, it might come across as controversial and disturbing. It all depends on the comfort level of the individual in regards to explicit content and deviation from the basic romantic formula found in most love stories. Regardless of personal preference, Bostic succeeds in describing sexual situations you won't soon forget.

***

The Howling Heart can be purchased at:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBookstore, Books a Million

Prices/Formats: $6.95 ebook, $17.62 paperback
Pages: 234
Publisher: Eternal Press
Release: August 8, 2013
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

April Bostic is a New Jersey-based, Adult Romance author who enjoys unleashing her creativity and letting her imagination run wild. Her love of romance books inspired her to become not just a reader, but also a writer. In December 2008, she self-published her first novel, a contemporary romance with a supernatural twist entitled "A Rose to the Fallen".



Her first short story, "Right Here, Right Now", released in January 2012, is an erotic romance with a dash of S&M. The following year, she released two more short stories: a romantic urban fantasy inspired by the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche entitled "Eros, My Love", and a sexy romantic comedy entitled "Love Addiction".



After five years, she released her second novel, "The Howling Heart" in August 2013, a paranormal romance that delves into the mystical world of werewolves and Norse gods. To end her busiest year in publishing, April will release her fourth short story in December 2013, an 18th century paranormal romance entitled "A Dark Scandal".

Links to connect with April:
Web Site
Goodreads
Blog Tour Site


About the Giveaway

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