As darkness falls after sunset, the corelings rise—demons who possess supernatural powers and burn with a consuming hatred of humanity. For hundreds of years the demons have terrorized the night, slowly culling the human herd that shelters behind magical wards—symbols of power whose origins are lost in myth and whose protection is terrifyingly fragile. It was not always this way. Once, men and women battled the corelings on equal terms, but those days are gone. Night by night the demons grow stronger, while human numbers dwindle under their relentless assault. Now, with hope for the future fading, three young survivors of vicious demon attacks will dare the impossible, stepping beyond the crumbling safety of the wards to risk everything in a desperate quest to regain the secrets of the past. Together, they will stand against the night.
Source: Info in the About The Painted Man was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3322866-the-painted-man on 03/01/2016.
My Thoughts:
It took me a bit of time to get into this story. The first couple of chapters were hard going. But the worst thing about it is the story telling style of the book. The story has multiple threads and jumps from thread to thread every couple of chapters or so. Like for example I was reading about Arlen for the last couple of chapters. Then the next chapter jumps to Leesha. I have to go back to the last chapter where Leesha left off because I had forgotten what had happened to her last while being immersed in Arlen's story. The continuity of the story is broken. This story telling style feels jarring to the reading flow. I really didn't like it! It also drags down the reading pace despite the convenience of the audiobook format. However, I like this author's story telling quality and the world building. It is just simply beautiful! I also do not agree with all of the narrator's interpretations, but I can live with it. All in all, I enjoyed this book and, of course, am now reading Book 2.
Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 3
Ending = 3
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = 3
Plot = 4
Narration = 4.5
Raised on a steady diet of fantasy novels, comic books, and Dungeons & Dragons, Peter V. Brett (“Peat” to his friends) has been writing fantasy stories for as long as he can remember. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature and Art History from the University at Buffalo in 1995, and then spent over a decade in pharmaceutical publishing before returning to his bliss. He lives in Brooklyn.
Lacy Dawn is a true daughter of Appalachia , and then some. She lives in a hollow with her worn-out mom, her Iraq War disabled dad, and her mutt Brownie, a dog who's becoming very skilled at laying fiber optic cable. Lacy Dawn's android boyfriend has come to the hollow with a mission. His equipment includes infomercial videos of Earth's earliest proto-humans from millennia ago. He was sent by the Manager of the Mall on planet Shptiludrp (Shop 'till You Drop): he must recruit Lacy Dawn to save the Universe in exchange for the designation of Earth as a planet which is eligible for continued existence within a universal economic structure that exploits underdeveloped planets for their mineral content. Lacy Dawn’s magic enables her to save the universe, Earth, and, most importantly, her own family.
Source: Info in the About Rarity From The Hollow was from the press kit from the publicity team.
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Excerpt:
.…Jenny (the mother) walked up the hill to Roundabend. She called Lacy Dawn's name every few yards. Her muddy tennis shoes slipped and slid.
I hear her voice. Why won't she answer me?
“Sounds like she’s talking to someone,” Jenny said to the Woods.
Nobody responded. The trees weren't supposed to since Jenny was no longer a child. Her former best friends had made no long-term commitment beyond childhood victimization. They had not agreed to help her deal with domestic violence in adulthood. She hugged the closest tree.
I will always love you guys.
Jenny quickened her pace, stopped, and listened for human voices. A few yards later, she stopped again.
Now it sounds like she’s behind me instead of in front.
Jenny looked to the left of the path.
There ain't no cave Roundabend, but there it is.
She walked toward the entrance. The voices grew louder and she looked inside. Lacy Dawn sat on a bright orange recliner. Tears streamed down her face. Jenny ran to her daughter through a cave that didn't exit and into a blue light that did.
“All right, you mother f**ker!”
“Mom!” Lacy Dawn yelled. “You didn’t say, ‘It’s me’ like you're supposed to (a traditional announcement mentioned earlier in the story)."
DotCom (the android) sat naked in a lotus position on the floor in front of the recliner. Jenny covered Lacy Dawn with her body and glared at him.
"Grrrrr," emanated from Jenny. It was a sound similar to the one that Brownie (Lacy Dawn's dog) made the entire time the food stamp woman was at their house. It was a sound that filled the atmosphere with hate. No one moved. The spaceship’s door slid shut.
“Mommmmmy, I can’t breathe. Get up.”
“You make one move you sonofabitch and I’ll tear your heart out,” Jenny repositioned to take her weight off Lacy Dawn.
“You been messin’ with my little girl you pervert!” Jenny readied to pounce.
“MOM! Take a chill pill! He ain’t been messing with me. He’s a good person, or whatever. Anyway, he’s not a pervert. You need to just calm down and get off me.”
Jenny sat down on the recliner. Her face was less than a foot from DotCom’s crotch and she stared straight at it. It was smooth, hairless, and odor free.
“Mrs. Hickman, I apologize for any inconvenience that this misunderstanding has caused. It is very nice to meet you after having heard so much. You arrived earlier than expected. I did not have time to properly prepare and receive. Again, I apologize.”
I will need much more training if I'm ever assigned to a more formal setting than a cave, such as to the United Nations.
“Come on, Mommy. Give him a hug or something.”
Jenny's left eye twitched.
DotCom put on clothing that Lacy Dawn had bought him at Goodwill. It hung a little loose until he modified his body. Lacy Dawn hugged her mother…
…(scene of Dwayne, the father, overheard by those in the spaceship while talking to himself)… “Besides, the transmitter was part of Daddy’s treatment. There're a lot of other things that he did to help fix Daddy. DotCom is like a doctor. You can see that Daddy has gotten better every day. And no, there ain’t no transmitter in you. DotCom figured you out like a good doctor and the only things wrong are a lack of opportunity and rotten teeth that poison your body. You don’t need no transmitter. He just gave you a few shots of ego boost. I don’t know what medicine that is, but I trust him. You ain't complained since the shots started -- not even with an upset stomach.”
"He's a doctor?" Jenny asked.
“What's your problem anyway?” Lacy Dawn asked. “I know. You’re prejudiced. You told me that people have much more in common than they do that's different -- even if someone is a different color or religion, or from a different state than us. You told me to try to become friends because sometimes that person may need a good friend. Now, here you are acting like a butt hole about my boyfriend. You’re prejudiced because he’s different than us.”
“Honey, he’s not even a person – that’s about as different as a boyfriend can get,” Jenny said.
“So?”
Mommy's right. Maybe I need a different argument.
A fast clicking sound, a blur of motion, and a familiar smell assaulted them.
"What's that?" Jenny asked.
She moved to protect her daughter from whatever threat loomed. Brownie, who had been granted 27 / 7 access to the ship, bounded over the orange recliner, knocked DotCom to the floor, licked DotCom’s face, and rubbed his head on Jenny’s leg. He then jumped onto the recliner and lay down. His tail wagged throughout. Jenny sat down on the recliner beside Brownie and looked at Lacy Dawn.
“But, you were crying when I first came in. That thing was hurting you.” Jenny shook her finger at DotCom to emphasize a different argument against him.
“Mommy, I'm so happy that I couldn’t help but cry. My man just came home from an out-of-state job. I didn't talk to him for a whole year. Before he left, he told me that he wasn’t even sure if he'd be able to come home. I still don’t know what happened while he was gone. We ain't had no chance to talk. All I know is that he's home and I'm sooooo happy.”
“Your man came home from an out-of-state job?” Jenny patted Brownie on his head, some more and some more….
It's unusual for a man to promise to come back home and ever be seen again. Brownie likes him and that's a good sign. Maybe she's right about him helping Dwayne. Something sure did and it wasn’t me. It is a nice living room. They've been together for a while and I ain't seen a mark on her. That's unusual too. He ain't got no private parts and that's another good thing. Hell, if I get in the middle, she’d just run off with him anyway. I'd better play it smart. I don't want to lose my baby.
“What about his stupid name?” Jenny asked.
“I’ve got a stupid name, too. All the kids at school call me hick because my last name is Hickman.”
“My name was given to me by my manager a very long time ago. It represents a respected tradition -- the persistent marketing of that which is not necessarily the most needed. I spam…,” DotCom said.
They both glared at him.
"Dwayne is sure to be home. I don’t want him to worry. Let’s go,” Jenny said.
“Okay, Mommy.”
“I love you, DotCom,” Lacy Dawn stepped out the ship’s door, which had slid open. Brownie and Jenny were right behind her.
“I love you too,” DotCom said.
Lacy Dawn and Jenny held hands and walked down the path toward home. The trees didn’t smile -- at least not so Jenny would notice. On the other hand, no living thing obstructed, intruded, or interfered with the rite.
Jenny sang to the Woods, “My little girl’s going to marry a doctor when she grows up, marry a doctor when she grows up, when she grows up. My little girl’s going to marry a doctor when she grows up, marry a doctor when she grows up, when she grows up….”
Robert Eggleton has served as a children's advocate for over forty years. He is best known for his investigative reports about children’s programs, most of which were published by the West Virginia Supreme Court where he worked from 1982 through 1997. Today, he is a recently retired psychotherapist from the mental health center in Charleston , West Virginia . Rarity from the Hollow is his debut novel and its release followed publication of three short Lacy Dawn Adventures in magazines: Wingspan Quarterly, Beyond Centauri, and Atomjack Science Fiction. Author proceeds have been donated to a child abuse prevention program operated by Children’s Home Society of West Virginia. http://www.childhswv.org/
Is your destiny determined by what the future has foretold? Or is fate deemed in the hands of what you behold?
The Royal 4 are now back on their home territory of Nazari, determined to get things back to normal. Syira’s forbidden love is being held captive. She is hell-bent on fighting for him despite the immense obstacles. She must find a way to convince her race that Kadeem is not dangerous. Their threat lies from deeper within.
Shiray has accepted her past and is moving forward with her life, but it comes back to haunt her tenfold. That all changes when she stumbles across the truth. Now, she must pick up the pieces of her shattered life.
They are in the calm but know when they approach the dirty side of the Cyclone storm, terrible things will unravel. The future is revealed and they get a glimpse of Fate’s course. Time is not on their side. They must attempt to change their destiny or their world will be doomed.
Source: Info in the About Sonar The Cyclone was from the press kit from the publicity team.
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Chapter 12:
* * * Shiray * * *
The door flew off the hinges across the room. The sirens blazed. Juda went in first with Zephra on his heels. Then Conan ran inside, followed by Cessar, Syira, me, and Bryan. As I entered, Kadeem was surrounded by a mass of his people. He hadn’t made it to Melanie. Kadeem seemed dazed as he stared straight into the eyes of a red headed male. Kadeem had his laser raised, but didn’t fire. The red head smirked. They must know each other. Kadeem’s hesitation gave red head time to react. A bright glow emerged off him and slammed into Kadeem. The surge sent Kadeem flying backward. Syira was on the red head before he could breathe. She wasted no time and blasted red head dead in his heart. Zephra and Juda helped to take out the rest of the group.
Plan B was already in action. Bryan was attempting to get to Melanie’s cell. I’m sure we didn’t have long before more Polars came in to help. Melanie looked confused and scared. She was at the far wall of her cell. When she saw Bryan, she ran to the cell bars. Her blond, wavy hair was tangled and a lot shorter. It fell to her shoulders. She had some bruises, but other than that she seemed okay. Bryan quickly made his way to her while shooting his gun. I followed behind him, watching for Polars. Zephra and Juda were double teaming a male Polar. Zephra kicked him in the knee cap and he fell. Then Juda knocked him out cold.
A woman Polar was about to fire at Juda and Cessar jumped in and conjured lightning bolts from his hands. The woman shook rapidly and hit the ground with a thud. Juda thanked Cessar with a head gesture.
Kadeem, who was unharmed by the earlier energy blast, executed two Polars with his laser. Then he ran and jump-kicked another in his chest. Syira was brawling with two males. One attempted to punch her. She extended her hand without even touching him and he slammed into a wall. The force of impact cracked his head and blood gushed from it. The other male twisted Syira’s arm behind her. She slung her head back and head-butted him. He tried to shoot her and she threw her force field up. Then zapped him with her gun. Now he was dead.
Once Bryan got to Melanie’s cell, her green eyes were wide. I crouched down not far from him, keeping guard. So far no one had noticed him. They were all occupied with fighting.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” Bryan told her.
“You actually came for me,” Melanie said.
“Of course! I would never leave you here to fend for yourself. Step back. I need to get the door open.”
She backed away and he started to melt the lock. A male Polar saw him and headed our direction. I shot my laser at him, but he managed to dodge the beams. So I mind-warped him with pain and that took him down. Several more Polars had come to the rescue. Two engaged me. I began fighting them. I hoped Bryan got her out fast. I grabbed a woman by her hair and flipped her over. I kicked her in the ribs and blasted her. The male Polar kicked the laser out of my hand. I mind-warped his ass and he fell to his knees. Two more were on me within a matter of seconds, for Sonar’s sake.
Bryan had gotten Melanie out and he had her positioned behind him. He was moving forward, but Polars were coming out of the woodwork. It was hard to judge how many because I could only glance quickly, still fending for myself.
“We have to get out of here!” I heard Bryan yell.
Then Melanie screamed, “Bryan, look out!”
Four males jumped Bryan. I needed to help him, but a woman had gotten hold of me. She punched me in my stomach twice. I recovered and warped her. The other woman took me by surprise and used her telekinesis to strengthen a powerful kick to my chest. I hit the wall, hard. She attacked before I could get up. She tried to kick me again, but I caught her foot with my hand and threw her back. She attempted to use her power, but I was faster. I mind-warped the tramp with pain and she cradled her head. Blood poured from her nostrils.
I turned my attention back to Bryan and was shocked. Melanie was brawling with a male and kicking his ass. Impressive! She socked him in the groin and he staggered. Then he extended his hand and black smoke seeped from it. The smoke began to spin rapidly and he was about to plunge it at her. Bryan was still battling with three Polars. I was about to mind-warp Black-smoke, but I felt a sharp pain in my head. Someone clocked me. I gripped my head and went down. The male was about to shoot. But I was able to put a warp on him so fierce, blood gushed from his eye sockets.
By the time I looked up, Melanie had thankfully escaped the smoke’s path and was on the ground. The black smoke landed on his comrade and killed her. Bryan snapped one of the male Polars’ necks. Then the other got a shot off. I don’t know how Bryan moved so quickly, but he dodged the beams. He dove to the floor, retrieved his laser, did a turn-spin, and executed him.
Black-smoke was after Melanie again. Bryan got wind of him about to use his power on her, and spewed flames on him. That was all I saw, because three more attacked me. I kicked the laser out of a female’s hand who was about to fire. A male jabbed me in the ribs. He tried to do it again, but I blocked him with my hands. He threw a right hook, and I delivered a left. I grabbed his head and slammed it into my knee. Another male caught me from behind and lifted me in the air. I flung my head backward and head-butted him. The first male came at me again and I did a thrust move to his throat. The female retaliated and put me in a headlock. The other male aimed his laser. Oh! I had enough of this street fighting shit. I leaped back and dug from deep within. I conjured up a massive warp of agony. All three of them went to the ground, holding their heads. One male was yelling, and the other lay flaccid. Blood was running profusely from the woman’s nose. Several others were also screaming. Bryan was spurring flames on all of the remaining Polars. We were running out of time. We needed to get out of here before we were outnumbered to the point where we were trapped.
“Let’s move now!” Bryan yelled.
Syira ran out of the opening where the door had been, followed by Kadeem. Bryan grabbed Melanie’s hand. I took off through the opening next, and they were behind me. The sirens were roaring. I was running full speed, trying to get to the elevator shaft. I glanced back and saw that we were being pursued. I slowed down because Bryan and Melanie were several feet behind me. He couldn’t run at full capacity because Melanie wouldn’t be able to keep up. The elevator came into view. Kadeem and Syira shot three Polars who were blocking the way. I dashed inside with the others. Bryan and Melanie made it in a few seconds later. The pursuing Polars were headed toward us. Melanie stepped back and I got completely in front of her. Bryan hit the button repeatedly, attempting to get the door to come down. My heart beat rapidly.
“We’re not going to make it,” I stated point blank.
A truckload of Polars began firing their lasers. Syira lunged in front of us and put her hand out. A clear transparent shield covered us and deflected the beams. They bounced off of her shield instead of plowing into us. That was close. Bryan was talking on the com in his ear, letting Kumar and Nazar know we were on the way. The glass door lowered and we shot up like rocket. When the elevator stopped Bryan went out first. Kumar and Nazar were already heading toward us. We immediately formed a circle. I grabbed Melanie’s hand and Bryan took her other hand.
“What’s going on?” she asked Bryan.
“I’ll explain later,” he told her.
Melanie glanced up at Kadeem. When she saw his eyes, she freaked, and tried to break out of our grasp. I held her hand tighter.
“Relax, he’s with us,” Bryan said. “Hold steady. We are about to move.”
I heard the elevator coming to a halt. They were on our tail, I really concentrated. Then I felt a surge of energy radiate through me. Everyone disappeared, but I still felt Melanie and Zephra’s hands. I saw the lightning storm, and several seconds later we were back at the palace. I breathed a sigh of relief that we all made it back safely. Melanie gazed around; her eyes were full of questions.
“Where are we?” she asked Bryan.
“My home, Kadan. Come inside, and I will explain.”
We went through the courtyards and into the palace. Several Kadanans were roaming about. I’m sure they were trying to figure out who Melanie was. I thought no one but King Julius, Nile, Syira, Kadeem, Rachelle, and our seconds knew about Melanie. But I was beginning to wonder. The entire palace would be buzzing about who this mystery woman was with Bryan. It was embarrassing, but what could I do about it? At least no one besides my family and close friends would dare ask me questions. People stood around staring and whispering. The best thing to do was to act normal. I went up to Bryan; he was standing with Melanie.
“We need to debrief your father. I’ll meet you in the dining room shortly.”
“All right, Shi.”
He sighed and I walked toward the conference room, not giving them a backward glance.
B Truly has wanted to be an author since she was fifteen years old and is grateful to have accomplished this dream. She has very vivid dreams and a wild imagination. She likes to read, watch tons of TV shows, and movies. She's addicted to romance and gets a thrill out of action and suspense. She writes New Adult Fantasy, Sci-fi, and Paranormal-Romance.
In the Sonar series, B Truly said, “It was fun to explore different elements of Sci-fi romance and create various realms of powers for my characters. I want to show my readers that Sci-fi can be fun, but also traumatic. I hope you guys enjoy the Sonar Series.”
B Truly has three wonderful children and a husband who defines the person she today. She works full-time as an Ultrasound technologist in Sugarland, Texas.
Book Tour Grand Finale for The Howling Heart
By April Bostic
Did you enjoy diving into a world with mythical werewolves? If you missed any of the posts about this paranormal story-book world, go back and check them out now...
1. What is your motivation behind The Howling Heart? Why did you want to write it? I was inspired from watching the unfortunately cancelled TV series Wolf Lake and the movie Blood and Chocolate. I enjoyed both of them immensely and I liked how the werewolves were portrayed. I’m a big fan of werewolf movies and shows, and these are two of my favorites. I decided to write my own werewolf-themed story and give my werewolves a unique origin that I’d never read or seen before, including the addition of Norse mythology. I also liked the idea of wolves turning into humans instead of vice versa.
Werewolves take center stage in my aptly titled paranormal romance novel The Howling Heart. I think my werewolves are unique, because they’re descended from a 13th century Scandinavian wolf that was blessed with the ability to shapeshift into a human by Máni, the Norse god of the moon, and Freya, the Norse goddess of love...
Riley Gray is the hero in my paranormal romance novel The Howling Heart, and is somewhat of a storyteller. I thought it would be fun to quote him when he shared the magical story of his werewolf ancestry with Paige, the love of his life and heroine in the book. The history has been passed down from generation to generation....
I blushed under his steady gaze and looked away in an attempt to ignore him. For some reason, I couldn’t control myself. My gaze kept finding his. A smirk played on his lips—the color of a summer peach—and I wondered if they tasted as sweet.
When writing fiction, there is no limit to the author’s imagination. Oftentimes, we ask our readers to suspend disbelief. But being a book reader as well, I know sometimes there is a limit to the suspension before the story is just too unbelievable. Some readers want to be grounded in a little reality, so I think it’s ideal for an author to find a balance between the two.
"Plus there is a touch of the Viking in here too and oh man…I loved it!"
"No worries. I don't mind," he soothed. "You can borrow whatever you want. What's mine is yours, love."
Cover2Cover - The Howling Heart Main Character Spotlights
Today I’d like to shine the spotlight on the main characters in The Howling Heart. First, I’ll introduce Paige Donovan, the heroine and story narrator. She has provided the following hand-written list on a piece of loose-leaf notebook paper. She revealed to me that she wished she could’ve typed the list on a tablet, but is no longer afforded such a technological luxury...
I didn’t sleep peacefully, because the sound of whimpering awakened me. I opened my eyes to see Riley suffering a nightmare. He panted rapidly. His wolf body twitched, and his head jerked against the pillow. I propped myself on my elbow and touched him gently to rouse him.
Hello Everyone! I’d like to introduce you to Riley Gray, the hero in my paranormal romance novel The Howling Heart, as told by Paige, the heroine and narrator. These are just some fun facts about him which makes him an interesting man---I mean, an interesting werewolf.
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.
Source: Info in the About The Howling Heart was from the press kit from the publicity team.
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Meet The Author
About April Bostic:
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 also released her fourth short story in December 2013, a historical paranormal romance entitled "A Dark Scandal".
Rival rising music stars, Skylar and Tony know that the path to stardom never runs smoothly. They both need a seasonal hit to shoot to the top the charts. Nashville record producer, Jack P. Dylan has an idea, but will it be enough? Will they be able to work together to create a winning combination, or will their differences block their way to success and true love?
You won’t want to miss this latest Juliette Hill Christmas short!
Source: Info in the About Country Cabin Christmas was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18475068-country-cabin-christmas.
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Meet The Author
About Juliette Hill:
Juliette Hill is the pseudonym for a creative writer who is passionate about all things vintage, traveling with her husband and exploring family history. She enjoys treasure hunting at local antique markets and estate sales, searching for her next great ‘find’ that will spark her imagination. Her desire to discover the story behind each treasure motivates the writer within. Juliette’s other interests include planning family gatherings, scrapbooking, cooking, shopping and dining out, to name a few. Her stories involve multi-dimensional characters and generational plots which bridge the gap between the past and present. She is currently working on several projects for Annie Acorn Publishing.
About The Painted Man:
