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Waves of Reprisal by Malcolm Little

9/30/2015

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Synopsis: Hanyma, a spirited young woman from the remote village of Kepler, is at a crossroads in her life. She wants to explore the unfamiliar, wide-open country outside her croft. But rumblings of dark, inexorable forces terrorizing the sparsely-populated continent dampen her aspirations.

That was before devastation gripped her. Now, driven by a wandering quest for vengeance, the headstrong survivalist struggles to combat a band of vicious marauders while simultaneously trying to comprehend all the strange phenomena discovered amidst ruins of technologically-advanced precursors. 

Before long, Hanyma is thrust into circumstances beyond her ability to control, and she must team with an unlikely ally from a far-gone past who is determined to complete a mission of global importance. Whether that mission succeeds or not may well depend on the callow wayfarer from Kepler. Can Hanyma put aside her bloodlust when the fate of humanity beckons? Will it matter when pitted against the crushing weight of a powerful, inscrutable enemy?

Review: This is a very intriguing story. I haven't really read as much sci-fi stuff lately, been all romance, so this was a refreshing change. Gotta love a post apocalyptic story that isn't totally predictable. The story wasn't hard to follow, so not so technical that it detracts from the story itself. We see Hanyma start off as a young girl approaching the age of marriage before tragedy strike and alters her life forever. She changes, getting her wish to be an adventurer though only because of the death of her family and destruction of her home. There's far more to the story, and it seems there will be more to tell later.  

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Killer Scent (John Twait Mysterys #3) by Tony Rehor

9/27/2015

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Synopsis: Free cruises are always fun with bikinis, booze and hot sex, but for John this one is deadly.


John and Sarah Twait are finally back to
the Caribbean to relax and recuperate after their harrowing return to
Hillsville, Nebraska where they came to the aid of their good friend
Chief Mike Yeager, now the Twaits are ready to retire on the beach and
bake in the sun. First they will embark on a cruise to remember.

Review: So, I'm coming in a bit late in the series, but it's alright. It's easy to pick up here. It starts interestingly enough. John and Sarah having moments that married couples have. It gets a little strange and they end up on a cruise. Of course, this doesn't get to jut be a vacation. A mystery drops into John's lap, one in the form of murder. Gets much larger going into a scheme and I don't like to do spoilers, but it's worth the read. The writing is good, just a bit different for me as I'm not used to first person present tense writing. Once you get used to it, it's a quick and interesting story, and definitely not the end of the series

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The First Life by Laxmi Hariharan Release Day

9/25/2015

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About the Book:
His family is being held to ransom by a deadly mastermind. 

Vikram never should have left his family, but when Vikram's father brings his half-brother Vishal home, life will never be the same. Vikram thinks things will be better now that he's gone. He's met the love of his life, his future looks bright and then everything is shattered. Now, his family's life is hanging in the balance, and only Vikram can do what needs to be done to save them. From the bestselling dystopian fiction author with over 200 reviews and ratings of her dystopia books across Goodreads, Amazon and other retailers. 

If you’re looking for books like Hunger Games, then this dystopia romance series, The Ruby Iyer Series is it.




Book Links:
Goodreads I Amazon


An exclusive excerpt and GIVEAWAY from The First Life of Vikram Roy
The Ruby Iyer Series—by Laxmi Hariharan

I hear the staccato of shots being fired, followed by yells and howls of pain. Then, the sound of something being smashed and everything goes quiet. The TV no longer chatters. I look to the open door. The recreation room is down at the end of the corridor. The sounds of shots get closer. Without giving myself a chance to think I make a run for the door slam it shut, lock it and it’s as if that’s a signal to the rest of the men to jump to their feet. Without a word, the ten of us scram to our bunks, pull on trousers and shoes.We get our hands on whatever weapon we can find. No guns, none of us have guns. So I grab my cricket bat. (As if that’s going to make a difference?)
 Around me the others too are grabbing cricket bats and hockey sticks. Neil grabs an iron rod. An iron rod? Where did he get that from?  We drop to the floor, crouch and wait. 
Should I hide under the bed? Nope, no way. Like, that is going to help. 
And then a crash as the door is broken down, hacked by what looks like an axe till it’s in pieces on the floor and through it step through two men. One holding a machine gun, the other wielding an axe which he drops to the floor and instead grabs the the gun slung over his back. They are both wearing balaclavas, so we can’t see their features. Of medium height, they are muscular and dressed all in black: Black jeans and sweatshirts, their hair covered by the hoods. Their backs are to the door. They point their guns at us, signalling to us to put our hands up. I hesitate, not looking around but sense that the others too are not sure what to do. The first gunman points his gun at the nearest recruit … a boy just out of his teens and shoots him in the head. 
There is a collective gasp from the room. A chill runs through me. Who are they? How did they break through the security measures of the force base? And then they are foolish enough to barge right into the heart of the training facilities of the force and shoot its cadets? Why? Why would they do that? The gunmen gesture to us and this time we follow their orders. We walk to the wall at the back of the bunkhouse and line up, hands on our heads, staring ahead.
An alarm rings out then. Finally! It’s been almost ten minutes since the shooting started. Still, the reinforcements should be here soon. Now all we need to do is keep these gun men distracted enough so they don’t kill us. As if reading my mind, the guy who’d shot the young recruit moves forward, his gun trained on us. I draw in a breath and hold it. The sweat trickles down my back. My heart is racing so fast I am sure if I look down I can see it leaping out of my chest. The gunman passes me, walks to the end of the line; then back to the middle where I am. 
"You have no idea what this is about do you?" He asks.
He sounds young, as if he is barely a man himself. And something in his voice … muffled as it is, it sounds familiar. A faint recollection  grabs the edge of my mind, And then I forget everything because he leans close to Neil who is next to me, and smashes the butt of his gun into his stomach. Neil falls to the ground, moaning, holding his middle. I firm up my stomach muscles. I know I am next, I must be. I want to squeeze my eyes shut, but don’t. The gunman leans to the other side, and shoots another man in the head. 
This chap collapses without a cry. What the fuck? I want to jump him right then, but that would be really stupid of me. I am not going to help anyone if I get killed will I? There are six of us left in the room now. One of the younger recruits lets out a sob, at which gunman no 2 holds his gun at him, so he shuts up immediately.
The gunman asks me, "Where are the plans?’
"What are you talking about?" I reply, trying to stay calm, struggling not to show how scared I am inside. 
He only grins and in response, and without taking his eyes off me, holds his gun up and I know what what he is going to do and I scream. "No!" But it’s too late. This time he’s shot two more guys in succession. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. These guys are desperate, or crazy or both. 
Besides me Neil stirs on the ground.  
The gunman takes a deep breathe, as if trying to calm himself and says, "Don’t pretend to be dumb. If you don’t get me the blue prints of the security arrangements being planned by the force for Bombay; the one that you and your team mates are being trained for, then all the rest of you die too."
Only six of us left now. Four young lives, gone just like that. I feel sick. What the fuck are these guys upto? And … and how do they know about the plans? This is top secret. The only reason I know about it, is because I’ve overheard the training officer speaking with the ACP about it on the phone last week. And only because I happened to be waiting outside his room then. And how does this gunman even know that I know the details?


Want to find out what happens next? Click here


About the origins of Ruby Iyer:
Growing up in Bombay, my daily commute to university was inevitably nightmarish. It's just how public transport is here. The man behind you on the bus will brush up against you. You know you are going to be felt up on a crowded train platform. All you can do is accept it and get on. Or so you think. I did too, until, a young photojournalist was raped in the centre of Bombay in broad daylight.  It made me furious. Nothing had changed in this city in all these years. Then, I had a vision of this young girl who would not back down; who would follow her instincts, stand up for herself regardless of consequences.  Thus Ruby Iyer was born. Make no mistake, Ruby’s her own person. She leads. I follow. You can download the RUBY IYER DIARIES, the prequel novelette in the series free HERE






About The Many Lives of Ruby Iyer
2015 Readers' Favorite (Bronze) YA Action
 YA Finalist 2015 IAN Book of the Year Award
Finalist 9th Annual Indie Excellence Awards

When her best friend is kidnapped, Ruby will stop at nothing to rescue him. 

Criminals run the streets of Bombay. Jam-packed with the worst degenerates. The city is a shell of the pride and joy it used to be. Ruby knows something must be done, but it isn’t until her best friend is kidnapped by the despotic Dr Braganza that she knows that she and she alone must save city, save her best friend, save the world from total destruction. Armed only with Vikram, a cop-turned-rogue they are about to embark on a road they may never return from. If you’re looking for fast-paced books like Hunger Games or dystopia fiction like Angelfall, the Ruby Iyer series is perfect for you. 


DOING MY BIT
All SEPTEMBER earnings from the RUBY IYER SERIES will be donated to SAVE THE CHILDREN: SUPPORT CHILD REFUGEES OF SYRIA. All the RUBY IYER books with their brand new covers, are on SALE all this month at 99p/c & Rs 69/49. Click HERE to buy them. 

YOU can also donate to SAVE THE CHILDREN directly HERE 


About the Author:
She almost died. But when dystopia romance author Laxmi Hariharan had a near death experience, she was told to write. Laxmi is the creator of dystopian romance series, RUBY IYER SERIES (The MANY LIVES OF VIKRAM ROY - FINALIST Indie Excellence Awards, the bestselling The RUBY IYER DIARIES , The FIRST LIFE OF VIKRAM ROY, The SECOND LIFE OF RUBY IYER & VIKRAM ROY, PANKY's FIRST LIFE), and the Amazon bestselling, eLit Gold winner, The Destiny of Shaitan (Bombay Chronicles, 1). If you're looking for books like Divergent and Angelfall, you'll love the RUBY IYER SERIES.

Laxmi writes books similar to Hunger Games while listening to electronica & progressive rock, and downing innumerable cups of extra sweet ginger-chai. She is also an avid photographer of street art and believes she was a tree -- a redwood -- in her past life. London is where she creates. Bombay is what fires her imagination. 

Receive a free copy of THE RUBY IYER DIARIES when you sign up to her Newsletter 


GIVEAWAY
The First Life of Vikram Roy, The THIRD book in the RUBY IYER Series, launches this month. To celebrate the launch of the FIRST LIFE OF VIKRAM ROY I am giving away a $30 gift card. Winner will be drawn, Oct 1, 2015, and announced in my next newsletter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Becoming Brad's by Aubrey Cullens

9/25/2015

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Synopsis: Brad doesn’t believe it’s really out there --

On the surface, Brad is a successful general contractor who has it all together. Inside his restless heart, though, something is missing. At 32, he’s getting tired of hooking up for no-strings sex, but the men he’s attracted to just aren’t interested in anything more.

Resigned to the fact that “more” may not be in the cards for him, Brad is shocked when he finds exactly what he’s looking for… with someone he can never have.

Justin is too young. Too straight. Too tempting. Everything Brad should stay away from… but exactly what he can’t resist.

Justin doesn’t believe he has it in him --

Despite his best intentions, Justin knows he’s a screw up. His sister, Hannah, has loyally picked up the pieces of his out-of-control life ever since their parents died, but his effort to repay her while she’s on her honeymoon ends up backfiring — big time.

He was supposed to feed her dog, not throw a party. He certainly never meant to trash the place. Hannah’s apartment was just too quiet. Too empty. And Justin can’t stand being alone.

Hungover, hurting, and hopeless the morning after, he has no idea how to fix the epic damage before his sister gets. And then Hannah’s neighbor stops by…

One moment can change everything --

“Just so there’s no misunderstanding: I’m offering to make this mess go away in exchange for sexual favors.”

Brad wants to kick himself for giving in to his attraction and blurting out his outrageous proposal. What was he thinking? He knows Justin isn’t gay, and besides, Brad isn’t the type to take advantage of someone who genuinely needs him.

A real relationship could never grow from such an inappropriate beginning… could it?

Review: So, I'm quite glad to have gotten to read this. It's short but cute. Justin is the screw up with way too much baggage that he could really stand to address. The story starts when he's just thrown an unexpected party in his sister's home and there's no way he can clean it up on his own. Brad is his sister's neighbor, and comes in to help, albeit with a price. Brad makes a suggestion in the heat of the moment that does indeed help Justin, but helps Brad too. They both find something they really needed in the long run. They're the kind of couple that even at the end, you wouldn't mind peeping in on from time to time.

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Valor on the Move by Keira Andrews

9/23/2015

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Synopsis: He’d give his life to protect the president’s son. But he never expected to risk his heart.

Growing up gay in the White House hasn’t been easy for Rafael Castillo. Codenamed “Valor” by the Secret Service, Rafa feels anything but brave as he hides in the closet and tries to stay below the radar in his last year of college. His father’s presidency is almost over, and he just needs to stick to his carefully crafted plan. Once his family’s out of the spotlight, he can be honest with his conservative parents about his sexuality and his dream of being a chef. 

It’s definitely not part of Rafa’s plan to get a new Secret Service agent who’s a walking wet dream, but he’s made it this long keeping his desires to himself. Besides, it’s not like Shane Kendrick would even look at him twice if it wasn’t his job.

Shane’s worked his way up through the Secret Service ranks, and while protecting the president’s shy, boring son isn’t his dream White House assignment, it’s an easy enough task since no one pays Rafa much attention. He discovers there’s a vibrant young man beneath the timid public shell, and while he knows Rafa has a crush on him, he assures himself it’s harmless. Shane’s never had room for romance in his life, and he’d certainly never cross that line with a protectee. Keeping Rafa safe at any cost is Shane’s mission. 

But as Rafa gets under his skin, will they both put their hearts on the line?

Review: This was definitely an interesting story, and seems well researched. Rafa is the good boy among the president's children, and the one who has to hide himself from the world because his father is a part of the Republican party. Shane's part of the secret service, which holds no allegiance to either party. There's far more to the story than just Rafa being stuck in the closet and wanting to be a chef against his mother's wishes, and Shane fighting their developing attraction. Though we don't see it til later, there's a plot that endangers both of their lives in the end, one which you can almost sympathize with but I don't want to give spoilers. I like the build up to the happily ever after. It doesn't just happen. They have to work and overcome obstacles within themselves in order to reach their happily ever after.

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The Stolen Life of a Cheerful Man by Dimitris Polis

9/21/2015

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Synopsis: The Stolen Life of a Cheerful Man deals with the contentious yet universal issues of intolerance and understanding, discrimination and acceptance, violence, terrorism and forgiveness. Author Dimitris Politis plunges boldly into the Irish reality but always in equilibrium with his Greek consciousness, creating a unique mirror between Greece and Ireland, where the glittering Aegean waves are crowned by the rainbows of the Atlantic and the west coast of Ireland.
The reader is drawn to the story through its exciting twists and turns, interlinked through a fast cinematographic pace: the book is an excellent contemorary example of “black” fiction with a subtle and delicate deepening of sentiments, feelings and beliefs linked to the human nature. It voices a loud protest against social and historical stereotypes and is a stern warning of how intolerance and ignorance can lead to disaster.
Review: So this is an interesting and well written story, written in first person view. The writing is the type that you have to actually pay attention to. Our narrator and main character is Dimos. We come in as he learns of the loss of a friend, Rory. Dimos seems to be quite the sensitive type, and the death of his friend is a mystery. It's a murder, as he's found shot in a burned car. The story takes many turns and I'm not one to give spoilers. The author's writing style is very sophisticated to me but easy to pay attention to, as long as you are actually paying attention. I can't say that the ending is a happily ever after, but it is a fitting ending to the story. Overall, the story is one that makes you think, a very different read from my norm but a great one. I'd read more from this author
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    Author

    Drako is an author and blogger, writing paranormal romance and LGBT fiction and reading almost any genre to review. 
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