Essence of Betrayal by Damien L. Malcolm

Release Date: August 24, 2014
Publisher: Damien L. Malcolm

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
When Allison Becker went missing, an entire town searched for her, including Jack Mullens. Handyman by day and secret P.I. by night, Jack found himself in the midst of the search after a late night phone call dropped the case squarely in his lap. It was from that moment that his entire life shifted.

Between conflicting stories, lies and false leads, Jack soon realized that not everything was what it seemed. He followed each lead and often found himself faced with danger. Not something he couldn't handle himself, but when the lives of his loved ones were on the line, Jack must act quickly to solve the case. Will he find Allison Becker or those responsible for her disappearance before it's too late? Will there be anyone he cared about left to greet him when the dust settles?

Review:
In exchange for an honest and fair review, I received a copy of this book from the author. Previously writing only science fiction novels and stories, this book marked the author's debut in the mystery section of fiction. There was a little apprehension as I began reading the book. A few chapters into the book confirmed my feelings that the book was going to be a good one. In fact, there were many events and characters that made the book enjoyable.

The book was written from the point of view of the main character, Jack Mullens. His thoughts and emotions were front and center throughout the novel. Though he was a bit slow at times, it was evident that he truly cared about the individuals in his inner circle. As the story progressed, the cast of characters increased in number, but I was happy to see that they each had their own personality and way of doing things. It's quite easy to lose that with a large number of secondary characters. Between those who had a hand in the main action like Walter and Sara to those who lent a helping hand when it was needed like Mrs. Johnson, there's a character for nearly everyone. I do have to admit that I have a favorite among the fringe characters. There's a cheeky, older lady who wasn't ashamed to announce what she liked in a man. I could almost see Jack blushing during that exchange. It was just one of the many interesting people in Jack's town.

Action and intrigue drove this story from point to point, whether it's following a lead or finding a place to clear his head. Once the first bombshell was dropped, the pace was quickly set. There weren't a lot of places where I found a lull in the action or plot. In fact, it seemed to me like this was twist after twist. When I thought I had a handle on where the book was going, another bombshell was dropped. Before the ending I didn't know what to think about who was on which side. Even the setting of the book provided a few twists of its own. The dialogue and clues didn't give much away before it was time and made the book enjoyable to read.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and was glad the author contacted me. There were a lot of head-scratching moments that made it a treat to read. The author did a great job of putting subtle clues and major reveals in the story without making it a heavy read. Only small drawback to the novel was the distinct Australian flavor throughout the book including the descriptions of items to the slang used in the dialogue. Let me be clear, it didn't take away from the story as a whole. For those unfamiliar with the terminology, it may be a little difficult to get used to at first, but should ease as the story progress. Nevertheless, it was a great story with tons of "what the heck" type of moments. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone who loves a multi-twisting mystery or an action-packed thrill ride through an Australian town.

Essence of Betrayal by Damien L. Malcolm is currently available at many online retailers in either paperback or digital formats including Kindle. Click the link below to visit the book's Amazon page.
Essence of Betrayal by Damien L. Malcolm

Currently Reading

This next week will be an exciting one for the readers of CoWA! Why? Because we have a contest for the first in a new series by author, Michael R. Underwood!

So many deadlines coming closer this month has made it a very busy one for me. I like to be busy, but whew! This is the busiest I've been in a while. Not going to keep me from going forward. You all know I'm much too stubborn for that. Story ideas are popping into my head faster than I can log them. I cannot wait for November this year. I will beat that 50k limit in NaNoWriMo!


On top this week are;
The Saeshell Book of Time, Part 1: The Death of Innocents (Children of Sophista #1) by Rusty Biesele
Jackfish Reborn by Rejean Giguere
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Say You Will (Summerhill Book 1) by Kate Perry
The Herald: The Sundering, Book VI by Ed Greenwood
The Younger Gods (Younger Gods #1) by Michael R. Underwood


Adios, libros!
Essence of Betrayal by Damien L. Malcolm


Contest details time!

Summary

The first in a new series from the author of Geekomancy (pop culture urban fantasy) and Shield and Crocus (New Weird superhero fantasy).

Jacob Greene was a sweet boy raised by a loving, tight-knit family…of cultists. He always obeyed, and was so trusted by them that he was the one they sent out on their monthly supply run (food, medicine, pig fetuses, etc.).

Finding himself betrayed by them, he flees the family’s sequestered compound and enters the true unknown: college in New York City. It’s a very foreign place, the normal world and St. Mark’s University. But Jacob’s looking for a purpose in life, a way to understand people, and a future that breaks from his less-than-perfect past. However, when his estranged sister arrives in town to kick off the apocalypse, Jacob realizes that if he doesn’t gather allies and stop the family’s prophecy of destruction from coming true, nobody else will…

About the Author 

Michael R. Underwood is the author of Geekomancy, Celebromancy, Attack the Geek, Shield and Crocus, and The Younger Gods. By day, he’s the North American Sales & Marketing Manager for Angry Robot Books. Mike grew up devouring stories in all forms, from comics to video games, tabletop RPGs, movies, and books. He has a BA in Creative Mythology and East Asian Studies, and an MA in Folklore Studies. Mike has been a bookseller, a barista, a game store cashwrap monkey, and an independent publishers’ representative. Mike lives in Baltimore with his fiancée, an ever-growing library, and a super-team of dinosaur figurines and stuffed animals. He is also a co-host on the Hugo-nominated Skiffy and Fanty Show. In his rapidly vanishing free time, Mike studies historical martial arts and makes homemade pizza. He blogs at MichaelRUnderwood.com/blog and Tweets @MikeRUnderwood.

*From today until Tuesday (10/14), I will be opening up the comments.
*Leave a comment with the title of your favorite childhood title.
*Winners have a chance to win one of two free ebooks of the featured title - The Younger Gods by Micheal R. Underwood.
*Contest open to US residents only.
*Winners will be chosen at random and announced next Wednesday (10-15).


So, what are you waiting for? Leave those comments!
Until next time,
Kay B

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

Release Date: July 29, 2014
Publisher: Random House


Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
In the midst of turmoil between WWI and WWII, Eva Acton was dropped off on her father's doorstep after his wife passed away. She soon learned that all the illusions she held about her father were simply those - illusions. Combining her love of literature and her half-sister's acting talents, the girls struck out for Hollywood. It wasn't long before they find themselves on the wrong end of the stick and back to the East Coast.

As the years passed the family's paths diverged and left each in a different part of life as well as the world. Eva did whatever she could to survive in years following WWII when her little area of New York changed with the flood of returning soldiers and immigrants looking for their own better life. Trials and tribulations came in all shapes and sizes, but it's sweetness and kindness of life's moments that made it worth continuing.

Review:
NetGalley had this title for request. I decided to step out of my comfort zone a little and requested the title for review. From the outset of the story, it was evident that this wasn't going to be your usual coming-of-age story set in the time period between the WWI and the end of WWII. Much of the novel followed the lives of Eva Acton and her rag-tag family through the years. When I said her family wasn't the typical family of that generation, I meant it. Her father had two families, keeping Eva's a secret until the moment his first wife passed away. Even after she joined the family, her true identity was kept away from inquests for fear of shaming Iris, her half-sister.

In my opinion Eva was the main character of the book despite the letters from other characters or portions of chapters from another character's point-of-view. She may not have been in the middle of all the events that took place in the book, but they definitely impacted her life. These events had more of an impact on her than those directly involved. For every person that left her, another came along with the love, support, or whatever she needed at that time. The reader was shown what happened to the other characters including Iris, her half-sister; Edgar, her father; Fransisco, make-up artist extraordinaire; and Danny, her one saving grace.

There were lots of descriptions about the time, place and events in this book that brought the era to life for me. The opulence of Hollywood came through the author's words as Iris and Eva struggled to make Iris a movie star. Just as striking was the poverty and hard climb back to middle class that the family endured when they moved to New York in order to start their lives over. As wonderful as those parts were, I felt some of the story was slow moving, although they moved the entirety of the story along. At times the passages seemed a bit disjointed but ultimately came together in the end.

Overall, I liked this story more than I thought I would. There are a number of layers in this story from a girl who struggled to find her true place in a world trying to do the same to the harsh reality of a country frightened by war and spies. I was a little surprised to find so many characters present in the story that would be considered "outsiders" during this particular generation. From being black, Jewish, lesbian, or from German heritage, there were a lot of differences that still managed to bring people together in the end. If you're looking for something a little out of the ordinary or want to read about a girl's unique journey to womanhood and beyond, I would recommend putting this book on your TBR list.

Lucky Us by Amy Bloom is currently available online and local bookstores. It can be purchased in either hardcover or digital versions. Clicking the link below will take you to the book's page at Amazon.
Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

October's Hopes and Dreams

My favorite month has finally arrived! The crispness of the air, longer and cooler nights, and change in foliage makes me smile. It's the time of year when I find my imagination more ready to work than any other time of year. I'm not exactly sure as to why. Maybe it's how the night seems darker than usual. Maybe it's the drop in temperatures that make those nights perfect for snuggling - with a good book, of course. Either way, I'm so very happy to be entering this month with a spirit of anticipation and acceptance to whatever my imagination brings my way.

This month is so crammed full of books, projects and real life events. I'm happy to say that I have a lot of wonderful books from each genre ready to go on the TBR pile. I can't wait to dig in to each and every one of them. My crochet project for the Brown-Brooks Project will be coming to a close toward the end of the month. We're still collecting granny squares until the very end of the month. These squares will then be turned into afghans or lap-blankets for the residents a local nursing home.

And my writing - well, I'm hoping that my muse will be back from vacation soon. I actually miss writing very much. I still find myself with the beginnings of stories or individual scenes written on scraps of paper. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to turn those into anything novel-length as of yet. I've edited the first half of NaNoWriMo2012. There's now an issue where the beginning chapter can't be the first chapter because it throws the story off more than helps. That means there's definitely more to be done in the coming days - if my muse plays nice with me.

This is my October in a nutshell. What do you look forward to the most this time of year? Is it something pumpkin-spiced? Let me know in the comments below.

Until next time,
Kay B

Night Shitf: Romantic Comedy by L.L. Fine

Release Date: May 25, 2014
Publisher: Createspace

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
Moses had been a part of the hospital staff for over two decades. He'd seen a lot of things and heard much more. Every tidbit was filed away in his memory and allowed him to move quickly, efficiently through the hospital as he worked the dreaded night shift. His nights at work were normally a little crazy, but this one night put all the others to shame.

In the midst of a chaotic ER being manned by a fresh-from-school doctor, Moses found himself a victim of the pickpocket who'd terrorized the hospital for months. Continuous calls to visit the morgue and losing the amputated leg of another patient didn't help his mood either. The series of events lead to an explosive conclusion that made this night in the hospital one that everyone would remember.

Review:
In one of the main lists sent to my from OHFB, I noticed this book and thought the description sounded interesting. Having stayed one too many nights in a eerily quiet hospital while family were being treated, it was a treat to read something on the craziness that went on behind the curtains. Now, I'm not saying that the story within this book was a truthful account. I did suspect that there's a kernel of truth in there somewhere.

The central character of the story was an orderly named Moses. He'd worked for this particular hospital for over two decades and knew all there was to know about the hospital and the people therein. While the book did follow him on this crazy night in the hospital, the author introduced a number of characters that worked within the hospital as well as some patients who had a definite impact on the story. One of the interesting things I noticed in the book were the little illustrations just after the new character was introduced. Not only did it give us an inkling what the person looked like, but the description also gave us the gossip about him or her. It helped to get to know the personalities of the characters a little better.

For me, the flow of the story was a little weird at first. It seemed the story was playing out in real-time at the beginning, but then it slipped into the past to show the timeline of events to the present situation. It would have small sections of action in different parts of the hospital within the same chapter. These were separated by a small notation. I missed those a few times and had to reread the passages in order to figure it out. However, the pacing of the story moved steadily toward the conclusion while building up the laughs and suspense. Once we reach the end of the night, the events rejoined the tale at the beginning and went from that point forward into a hilarious ending. I just feel sorry for that roll-on!

Overall, this was a fairly short but complete book. It did have a number of interesting characters, both working in the facility and those needing the treatment. I was a little upset with one of the characters who seemed to lack any empathy. Now, I don't do spoilers but the woman I'm referring to is very easy to find in the book. I sincerely hope karma pays her a visit! The book had a bit of everything - romance, friendship, adventure and action. If you're looking for a book with an almost never-ending chain of unlucky events or filled with quirky, yet likable characters, then I'd suggest you look at getting this book!

Night Shitf: Romantic Comedy by L.L. Fine is currently available at many online retailers including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It can be purchased in paperback or digital formats. The link below will open the book's Amazon page.
Night Shitf: Romantic Comedy by L.L. Fine

Currently Reading

And it's October!

My favorite month of the year is now upon us and I'm so happy. I love the way October seems to usher in the shift toward darker nights while giving us a hint of magic that anything may be possible. No, I'm not talking about Halloween. I mean, the whole month seems magical to me. There's something about the way in which night stretches out its arms to keep us closer than the daylight.

This month also signals the countdown to NaNoWriMo. I'm excited to get back in the saddle, so to speak, when it comes to writing. I've gotten so far behind in a number of things and my writing is one of them. I have declared it time to begin anew. So we'll see what happens as we go forth together! In the meantime, these lovely books have gotten my attention. 


Pushing my way through these books;
The Saeshell Book of Time, Part 1: The Death of Innocents (Children of Sophista #1) by Rusty Biesele
Jackfish Reborn by Rejean Giguere
Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
Say You Will (Summerhill Book 1) by Kate Perry
Essence of Betrayal by Damien L. Malcolm
The Herald: The Sundering, Book VI by Ed Greenwood


All done with these;
Spear Hunter (Northland Chronicles #2) by Henry J. Olsen
Night Shitf by L.L. Fine 
Lucky Us by Amy Bloom


Later this month I get to celebrate the wedding of a wonderfully good friend of mine. I also get to mark off another month in the time my kiddo has left in his service. Then we'll get to know whether he's coming home for good or if his life has taken a different direction. Seems 2015 may be a year of change. It will be much better than this one. I'm calling it now. Hope you all have a great week!

Until next time,
Kay B

Spear Hunter (Northland Chronicles #2) by Henry J. Olsen

Release Date: July 30, 2014
Publisher: Unbound Adventure Press
Series: Northland Chronicles, Book 2

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

Synopsis:
More than a decade after the Desolation virus ravaged North America, John Osborne had more questions than answers about his current situation. Keen on finding information one way or another, he set out to Mallard Island in the Minnesota Territory alongside Nathan, a young man with questions of his own.

They soon found others along the trail who weren't so happy to see them. Members of a new militant power scouted the area for new recruits and old possible enemies as well as some unexpected surprises. John must know how he came to be more than human - even if it means facing a trap on the island  he only knew by rumor. With time running out and his health fading fast, will he find the answers waiting for him?

Review:
I was contacted by the author and asked if I would do an honest and fair review of his work. I have to admit that I hadn't heard of the Northland Chronicles before the release of this book, which is the second in the series. Because of that fact, I was a little apprehensive to read the books out of order. As I began to read, it became clear that the novel would do well as both part of the series and a stand-alone novel. There's enough background information throughout the novel that made me curious enough to check out the first book without dumping a huge amount on me all at once.

The central focus of the book appeared to be centered on John Osborne and his quest for answers about his arm. He wasn't alone in his quest as both friend and foe were interested. On the friend side of things, John enlisted the help of Nathan, a young man who had needed help finding loved ones in the previous tale and who was also pretty book smart. The complex network of villainous characters was also revealed as I turned the pages. The secret militant force and its general were determined to grab hold of as much of the world as it could now that no one was around to stop them. Each of the characters had their own distinct personalities and I was glad to see a variety of dialect, race and intelligence come together as well as it did.

There were a few surprises along the way that added more to the world the author shaped in the first book. Without giving any spoilers, you will have to read until the end of the book to see what happened to the various characters. Each of them has a sort of resolution to their journey in the book. The pacing of the story was steady from the beginning. Action scenes kept the story moving while the dialogue helped the movement without revealing too much of the plot. With well-fleshed out characters, intriguing history about the area and beautiful land descriptions, it was easy for me to keep turning the pages.

All in all, I enjoyed this book. It was a bit creepy to think that what happened in the book really wasn't too far removed from the realm of possibility. I think that's what made it so interesting for me. Without reading the first one, I was able to gleam some of the events without feeling overwhelmed or distracted from the current story. There was an ever-present feeling that something much larger was at play in the former state of Minnesota. Not only would it impact the remaining lives there, but the world. I'm now curious to know whether the answers will be found in the next book because of the unanswered questions left in this one. I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a bit of dystopia mixed with sci-fi and a dash of adventure.

Spear Hunter (Northland Chronicles #2) by Henry J. Olsen is currently available at many online retailers and can be purchased in digital formats including Kindle. Clicking the link below will take you to the book's Amazon page.
Spear Hunter (Northland Chronicles #2) by Henry J. Olsen