Syndrome Wild Child Publishing

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Author: James Patrick Riser
Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

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The latest in a string of murders ensures Fred Peters is kept in employment. A crime scene photographer, you’d think his job would wear him down, considering the pictures he has to take. But you’d be wrong. Fred takes macabre pleasure in snapping murder victims. He takes loving your job to a whole new level. Creepy and strange, Fred has something more sinister awaiting him. He’s about to get closer to the victims than he ever thought possible…

Cid and his girlfriend, Shay, move in together—alone. Living with Shay’s mother has been testing. Cid has a habit that he has hidden from Shay—one he can’t seem to break. Cid is a “cutter”. How is he involved in the recent killings?

Malevolent forces join to orchestrate the lives of Fred and Cid, bringing them together in an exciting climax. If you like horror, Syndrome will slake your thirst for the macabre. Well enjoyed by this reader. My only gripe is that I wish it had been longer.

Under the Stone Wild Child Publishing

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Author: Matthew Babcock
Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

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They Were Kids Who Played with Dolls

A family outing ends in tragedy, but can little Ian work out exactly what’s happened? Told from a child’s perspective, They Were Kids Who Played with Dolls deals with how we see things as children. Listening to snatches of conversation and seeing glimpses of events only tell us half the story. Just as well, for the tragedy would be too much for Ian to bear at such a young age. A well-crafted tale that explains all as well as giving reader a peek back into childhood, where boys race toys down the stream and breathe in the warm summer air.

An enjoyable tale that brought nostalgia, a smile, and a longing to shove away the trials of adulthood and become a child again—just for the day.

Pizza Joint

Mickey receives a phone call from a girl asking him to meet her. Her voice captivates him, and he jumps on his bike and pedals like a professional rider to the meeting point. The bike ride scene portrays a balmy American day, showing the neighbours, the sights, the nostalgia of childhood, where only your dreams and destination is important.

At the school dance, a new boy makes an appearance. Feelings of inferiority are dealt with here with good skill. I remember feeling like that! Mr. Babcock not only shows the dance setting, but also adds small touches that zipped me back to my youth with startling speed.

Under the Stone

A plague of crows descend on the town, wreaking havoc. On this day, Wyatt promises his fiancée, Maggie, that he will tell her father of their engagement. Wyatt goes to the arranged meeting place, but Maggie’s father doesn’t appear to have shown.

Weaved throughout are snippets of other townsfolk and how the crow plague affects their life. I felt a sense of intertwining here; of how our lives are linked to others, even if only by gossamer threads. A good look into the human psyche. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Reservations

Wade takes his daughter, Lindsey, out for a road trip. He hasn’t done this before—not without his wife. Lindsey needs to pee, and Wade is left with a dilemma. Can he take her into the men’s room, possibly scarring the little girl for life? Or should he stop somewhere and ask a female to help him out?

Wade stops, and the story unfolds. He encounters a strange shutterbug and an Indian. Both unnerve him, and Lindsey still needs to pee. Pressure mounts. Will Wade accept the assistance of the sinister Inidian?

A good look into the human mind here. The lives of others interweave with Wade’s. Mr. Babcock has a great way of showing how one person’s actions affects others. So far, the tales have deeper meaning than is first apparent.

Meer, Tarn, Water, Fell

Once again, Mr. Babcock has penned a tale that encompasses many people. The actions of one woman lays down the basis for the lives of others. Who knew that years later her secret would return?

Vincent has the urge to tell his ex wife how she made him feel all those years ago when she left him.

Hilde, Vincent’s ex wife, wants to smooth things over, to explain, to…

And Tilde—just who is she? She travels far to find out her true identity, not knowing that her appearance will send shock waves through the people that she seeks—for very different reasons.

I especially liked the scene on the bus where Tilde converses with the bus driver. I was transported right along with her. A gripping tale that flicks between each character, Meer, Tarn, Water, Fell is my favourite out of a very good bunch of tales.

Summary

There are writers that can write. There are writers that can write but also have a flair for it, a talent, an obvious love of the written word. Mr. Babcock has the latter. Highly recommended.

Dreams and Desires: Volume 2 Freya’s Bower

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Authors: Various
Publisher: Freya’s Bower

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Regrets – C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp

Cathy’s car overheats, forcing her to find a garage—fast! With little money to spend on broken vehicles, Cathy takes her small son to wait in a restaurant while her car gets fixed. She meets a friendly fellow, who shows her a picture—one that shows a woman who looks just like Cathy.

Regrets is a tale that allowed me to see that fate is indeed a wondrous thing. And very much at play in our lives.

The Best Day – Jenna Bayley-Burke

Sometime during her marriage and having two children, Gail has lost her purpose, her identity. When did that happen? And how come she has only just noticed that she seems surplus to requirements? I felt for Gail as she comes to terms with how things have panned out, and her determination to re-establish herself is something I identified with. The last two lines of dialogue sum up the whole tale—the whole meaning of what Gail has experienced. Brilliant.

Dancing Cheek to Cheek – Amanda Brice

Kelley has always wanted to be a dancer. Life and its winding turns manage to veer her away from her dream until, later in her adult life, she opens a dance class. People seem intent on helping her find the elusive man in her life and, although she wants a stable relationship, those aiding her search for a man aren’t quite getting it right.

With a great voice, Ms. Brice has penned a smile-inducing read that most women will identify with, I’m sure.

Under the Tupelo – Shannon Canard

Rowan is searching for an inherited treasure on her family’s land. With shovel in hand, she digs, unearthing more than she bargained for. So I don’t give away the plot, I’ll refrain from saying what she finds, but rest assured, this is one tale you don’t want to miss.

With rich wording, great imagery, and a riveting plot, Ms. Canard has penned a tale that I won’t forget in a hurry. I loved the concept, the ‘time’ theme, and, well, the whole story. A really good tale, in my opinion. One of my favourites.

Let’s Dance – Sela Carson

Lori wanted to try dancing. However, upon entering a dance class, her confidence deserts her. What had given her the insane idea that she could flounce around in a glittery dress and master the art of dance? Hastily, she leaves the class. However, Duncan, a kind man, speaks with Lori. Does he make her see that she can, indeed, learn to dance?

A tale that I related to with the self-confidence theme, one that inspired me to try something new myself.

To Kill a Thief – Rachelle Chase

Crissy has landed her dream acting role. Her mind isn’t on her part, though, and she envisages getting intimate with the leading man—one who has fuelled her fantasies for quite some time. Fate lends a hand and, after the director yells “Cut!”, Crissy explains how the scene could fare better. Cringing at her own audacity, she’s more than surprised when the director agrees with her. New scene set, Crissy gets her heart’s desire.

Well written and well enjoyed by this reader, To Kill a Thief is entertaining, cheeky, and smile-inducing.

Epiphany – M.E Ellis

Millie Proust works as a TV show make-up artist. Her dream of being a star is unsuccessful, and her current job is as close to the stars as she can get. She knows their secrets and as long as she keeps her job, vows to keep those secrets safe. One female star asks Millie out for the night and, after the star doesn’t show up, Millie gains entrance into a posh restaurant with a male star—Gerald—who bores her senseless.

She views the stars in a different light while alcohol-riddled. How had she got it all so wrong?

Epiphany is a quirky tale that made me laugh out loud on more than one occasion. I cringe at actually identifying with Millie in some ways—and if you read this tale, you’ll understand why I used the word ‘cringe’. Millie isn’t the nicest woman you could meet…

There’s No Place Like Home – Jenny Gardiner

Julia finds herself at yet another family gathering—one she wishes she wasn’t at. Poor Julia is ridiculed by her family with below-the-belt barbs that would make any female upset. However, Julia is made of strong stuff and bounces the underhand comments away from her like a tennis pro. I immersed myself in this great tale, enjoying Julia’s personality and quick wit.

A fab story that made me laugh out loud. With a great voice—one that endeared me to Julia immediately—There’s No Place Like Home is a must read for anyone who despises spiteful women; there is one in this tale that needs taking down a peg or two… Join Julia while she does just that! Great reading, folks!

Mark of a Bond Girl – Gemma Halliday

Maya has been sent to set up a client’s husband. However, the ‘mark’ isn’t who she thought he would be. She didn’t realise she would already know him so intimately. How can Maya go through with the set up now?

As I don’t want to spoil the plot of this one, rest assured that Mark of a Bond Girl will not disappoint. With an eye-opening twist that made me, well, widen my eyes, Ms. Halliday has penned an enjoyable tale. Great!

The First Date – Candace Havens

After the death of her husband, Dee is left to bring up their children alone. She has worked hard by going back to school so she can get a good job to provide for the children. She’s surprised and nervous when Kevin, a neighbour, asks her out on a date.

Can Dee combat her nerves and go on the date? How will it feel to go out with a man again? Dee’s emotions are palpable throughout The First Date, and I felt like I knew this woman—that she was a friend of mine. An enjoyable story that made me smile. Well recommended.

Entertaining Murderous Thoughts – Zinnia Hope

Alec has trouble attracting the opposite sex. He’s a little tired of being overlooked, and to top it all, he owns a flatulent dog and loses his job as a comic book artist. How much more can a man take? With a day that starts out like it can only get worse, Alec’s fortunes take a surprising change for the better when he stops by a café and doodles on a napkin.

At times an amusing tale, Entertaining Murderous Thoughts shows that just when you think you’ve hit the bottom of the crappy day well, someone comes along and offers you a ladder.

Ashes to Ashes – Babe King

Grant works for a company that has no regard for how chopping down trees affects the environment. Intent on doing his job and doing it well, Grant has somehow lost sight of the important things in life. Well, according to his sister, Kate, anyway, who is hell bent on saving the environment her brother is so flippantly helping to destroy.

Kate orchestrates a cunning plan, one designed to show her brother how wrong he has been of late. Will she be successful? Or will her brother continue to help his employers unnecessarily chop down trees?

Though the theme of our declining environment is prevalent in Ashes to Ashes, it didn’t seem forced or shoved in my face. The tale itself is fun, well written, and made me think.

Evening in Paris – Susan Lyons

Leslie has had a voice in her head ever since the owner of that voice—her mother—passed away. While out to dinner with the man she hopes is ‘The One’, Leslie tells him about the voice. After all, if he really cares for her, he won’t laugh at what she has to say or run away with fright in his eyes, will he?

Thankfully, Antonio listens to what Leslie has to say and helps her come to terms with certain things. Antonio is a true gentleman, one many a female will wish they were going to marry.

An enjoyable tale, Evening in Paris shows that just because we are adults, it doesn’t mean that childhood insecurities miraculously vanish with age. I really liked the theme in this one.

The Danger Inside – Sarah Salway

At night, ‘She’ receives regular visits from a wolf. However, the visits cease, so She immerses herself in her job—a cab driver—and ponders. Ponders on life and things in general. Missing the wolf’s visits, She takes herself off to the local zoo. And bumps into a cab customer, a man she has taken from A to B a couple of times. Things don’t turn out quite like I had imagined they would, for She is a charmingly odd character, and her actions are somewhat strange to say the least.

The voice is the key in this one. At first, it didn’t ‘sound’ right to my ears. But—upon reading further, I realised that The Danger Inside is a finely crafted tale. As a reader I was disassociated with ‘She’ from the off, but at the same time I wanted to get under her skin, learn more about her purely because of the disassociation. The fact that the voice is so…distant is what made this tale for me. You’ll see what I mean when you read it. Weird, a little ‘off’, and a tad creepy, Ms. Salway has penned an intriguing tale, in my opinion. One I won’t forget.

Greek God – Rhonda Stapleton

Karen wakes to find herself in a man’s bed—with no recollection of how she got there. And to top it off, he isn’t just an ordinary man. He’s a Greek god. This kind of thing just doesn’t happen—especially to Karen, who leads a mundane life of working, eating microwave meals, and going out for runs.

As things reveal themselves to Karen, I found myself totally believing that this kind of event occurs all the time. I enjoyed the voice, the concept, and especially loved the use of the words ‘man parts’—the first chuckle of many in this crazy, quirky tale. Well recommended.

Free – Bebe Thomas

Parts of Verna’s life have been appalling. Though very short, Free expertly shows the concept of liberty from an abusive man. With a couple of wonderfully well-placed sentences, Bebe Thomas brings Verna’s sufferings to the page with intense clarity.

I loved this tale. LOVED IT.

Maze Bright – Emily Veinglory

Jerome’s rat experiment isn’t going to plan. After painstakingly trying to teach the rats the difference between left and right, one of them bites him. Though he enjoys his job in the lab, the need for a break is obvious.

Jerome wants a stable relationship, and working with a man who he desires and who doesn’t appear to feel the same way is wearing Jerome down. However, things aren’t always what they seem, and his workmate, Ben, appears when Jerome least expects it…

An interesting tale, one that had me rooting for Jerome.

Portrait of Love – Lois Winston

Amelia’s husband acted fraudulently without her knowledge, and, after his death, she was left paying his massive debts. She uses her remaining available funds on a last ditch attempt at getting people to notice her talent and earn herself some money. She paints of portrait of a rock star and sends it to him in the hopes that he’ll use it on his next CD cover.

Things don’t quite happen as she had planned, though…

I enjoyed Portrait of Love and related to Amelia and her dilemma in more ways than one.

When Only Memories Remain – Shaunna Wolf

Anna and Sam look back on their time together as a couple. Though time has flown, their relationship has strengthened with every passing year. I related very strongly to how quickly time disappears; how, as we plod through our lives bringing up the kids, paying the mortgage, keeping heads above water, our ages creep into the higher numbers almost without our knowledge.

I really did enjoy this tale. It made me want to enjoy my life now, so I don’t look back and ponder on the things I didn’t do and wish I had.

Lovely. Just lovely.

How to Avoid Writers’ Hell: Vols 1 and 2 Wild Child Publishing

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Author: Faith Bicknell-Brown
Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

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Faith Bicknell-Brown has shared some of her knowledge of the world of publishing and writing. With concise points on how to spruce up your manuscript, send it to publishers, and her sharp wit, Ms. Bicknell-Brown’s How to Avoid Writers’ Hell vols 1 & 2 gave me an insight I had previously been unaware of.

As a reader, I had always thought writers sent out their books and if they were good enough they got published. Only recently have I become aware of how much editing goes into books. After reading Ms. Bicknell-Brown’s books, I have also had my eyes opened to just how complex—said from a reader-only point of view—the publishing industry is. I found learning about how to format manuscripts interesting. The tips on what to include (or not) in your manuscript enlightened me further.

I learned some interesting things—and I don’t write. So if you’re serious about the craft of writing, I would strongly recommend buying these How-To books. They could just save your blushes!

Tennessee Waltz in the Park and Visiting Donna Dee Wild Child Publishing

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Author: Zinnia Hope
Publisher: Wild Child Publishing

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Tennessee Waltz in the Park

Lily has pined for the love of her life, Jason, for many decades. Cruelly parted at the beginning of their relationship, the two lovers went their separate ways and lived their lives as best they could. Lily’s present life—a life living quite rough—as an elderly woman is shown beautifully. Rich imagery and a vivid sense of being in Lily’s world enveloped me as I read—to the point that I forgot I was reading.

Zinnia Hope spins a poignant tale, one that made me think about life and how it can pass us by from the spiteful actions of another. The ending made my eyes well up, and the writing itself is stunning.

Visiting Donna Dee

Arnold Cuttshaver has spent most of his life behind bars. But did he commit the crime for which he was imprisoned? Upon leaving jail, he starts work at a small book store, living in one of the apartments above.

Regina lives in the other apartment and also works at the store, showing Arnold the ropes and learning much about the old man as their relationship gains a more stable footing. Regina learns not to take people at face value.

The town gets flooded, forcing the prickly Arnold and the forthright Regina to spend time with one another, trapped inside the book store. Arnold opens up and shares some of his life with the young woman.

With a sad ending—again, my eyes welled—Zinnia Hope has a unique way of transporting this reader right into the world of the characters. I love the images she produces, her exceptional way with words.

A great e-book—even greater because it contains two stories.

Blood Game eRedSage

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 and a half!

Author: Rae Monet
Publisher: eRedSage

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Byron Sangerian, a vampire, is captured by Rurik, the enemy of his Coven. For months he’s tortured by Rurik, who keeps calling him ‘brother’; for months he withstands this treatment by creating a safe dream-world inside his head where he can escape when the torture gets too much.

Sara Weston is a cyber-technician assisting Byron’s brothers in an attempt to free him from Rurik. Her expertise leads to a successful escape, but her skills are called on further when she’s asked to connect herself to the unconscious Byron via brain waves. Entering his dream-world, she gets to know the vampire and they begin to fall in love.

When Byron wakes, he’s desperate to find the woman who saved him. But Sara is afraid of meeting him in the real world – because she’s in a wheelchair. But Byron’s not ready to give her up so easily, no matter what his brothers, the Coven and Rurik say or do to stop him…

Blood Game is an erotic futuristic paranormal set in the near future. It’s the second book in a series entitled Blood Squad (the first book is available through Cerridwen Press rather than eRedSage), although it can be read on its own without too much backstory confusion.

I liked the detailed set-up - I particularly enjoyed the various rules governing vampire-human behaviour that headed each chapter - and the world-building, although many of the ‘futuristic’ items mentioned were standard contemporary objects given another name, which seemed a bit pointless.

The dream sequence where lovers meet may be one of the staples of the (erotic) romance genre, but here it’s presented with a medical twist. The growing relationship between Sara and Byron is nicely handled and well paced, managing to be both sweet and sexy.

This is the third book I’ve read from eRedSage and I’ve got to say I’m not particularly impressed with the quality of this publisher. A number of editorial errors were obvious in the other two books; Blood Game is twice the length and unfortunately contains twice the amount of errors.

However, the story is much more memorable than its stable-mates. I liked the universe in which it was set, and there’s a lot of potential here. The characters are interesting and sympathetic; backstory from the previous book is explained coherently and without infodump. I enjoyed the progression of Sara and Byron’s relationship and found their romance believable and satisfying.

What I didn’t like was the lack of resolution to the main story arc. While I can appreciate that this is Book 2 in an on-going series, I felt a bit robbed by the ending. Overall, this is a nice read to pass an hour or so, but it’s not a keeper for me.

A Damsel in Distress eRedSage

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Author: Brenda Williamson
Publisher: eRedSage

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Irisa, the daughter of a nobleman, is running away from an arranged marriage when she’s kidnapped and thrown on the back of a dragon. She manages to escape, only to be rescued by Sir Ware Pembroke, a knight who rides dragons. At first he thinks Irisa is a thief who stole one of his beasts, but by the time he’s accepted who she is and has delivered her safely home to her father, Ware has a more pressing interest – he wants to marry her.

But Irisa’s intended groom, Tulane, doesn’t plan on giving her up. He’s wanted her for years, and plots to seize her father’s lands as soon as possible. Ware is a threat and must be removed – just as soon as he’s bought Irisa to heel…

This erotic historical fantasy novella feels a little rushed as well as contrived. The plot is one well-trodden, and there’s little to single this book out from the others. I didn’t particularly like the writing style, which often bordered on purple prose. Perhaps it was intended to convey a sense of Ye Olden Times, but it really didn’t work for me. However, I liked the interaction between Irisa and Ware – their flirting and taunting at the beginning of the story was enjoyable to read.

Fans of Ms Williamson’s work will probably enjoy A Damsel in Distress, but for me it fell short of the mark.

A Christmas Cara eRedSage

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Author: Bethany Michaels
Publisher: eRedSage

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Workaholic Cara hates Christmas. If she could, she’d ban it entirely. No more stupid carols, no more gift-giving, no more goodwill to all men. Rejecting an invitation to an employee’s wedding and giving her handsome neighbour the brush-off when he asks her on a date for the sixth time, Cara is happy with her ordered, controlled life.

Or is she?

As she’s checking the stock market, the ghost of her dead boss, Marley Jacobs, appears in her laptop screen. After a few wisecracks…

“Why did you hold all those shares of Enron? I’d told you to sell.”“I didn’t have time. I was attending your funeral,” Cara said defensively.

“No excuse. No excuse at all.” She rolled her grayish eyes. “You never could take orders.”

…Marley reveals the purpose of her visit. Three more ghosts will appear to Cara before Christmas Day. Will the ghosts convince Cara to change her ways, or will she continue to be a miserable Scrooge for the rest of her life?

Most people are familiar with the classic A Christmas Carol, and Ms Michael’s sexy updated version of the tale doesn’t deviate from the original plot. The ghosts, of Passion Past, Present and Future, take Cara on a journey of awareness, showing her past lovers, would-be lovers and a grim future that only she has the power to change.

Considerably more light-hearted than the original, A Christmas Cara is a fun, undemanding read with a timeless message.