NEW RELEASE/BOOK REVIEW: "Haven Lake" by Holly Robinson

Sydney Bishop hasn’t returned to Haven Lake, her idyllic childhood home, since a pair of shocking, tragic deaths shattered her family when she was only sixteen. Now a child psychologist engaged to marry a successful surgeon, Sydney has worked hard to build a relationship with Dylan, her fiancé’s teenage son, so she feels nothing but empathy when he runs away—until she discovers that his hitchhiking journey has led him to Haven Lake and her mother Hannah’s sheep farm. Sydney returns to Haven Lake for the first time in twenty years to coax the boy home. Against her daughter’s wishes, Hannah offers to take Dylan in until he’s ready to reveal his own troubling secrets.

I received an advance copy of Haven Lake from the publisher for an honest review.

First of all, let me say that while I read everything, if I went to a bookstore right now, this would not be my first choice. In fact, had I not been asked to review this, there's a chance that I might've never read it, and that would've been a real shame, because Haven Lake is an excellent book with the deepest emotions running through it like a river.
What's funny is, though the plot is driven by the characters, the plot was better than the characters.
Dylan and Sydney are very normal people, you might live next door to them. Hannah is a bit more unique and outrageous, and she was very enjoyable. I think it was the mix of normalcy and mystery that really brought this story together as a cohesive whole. You had Sydney's story, Hannah's storyband Dylan's story. Each would've made an excellent individual novella, but somehow Ms. Robinson managed to tie them all together into one beautiful book.
The story starts out strong, levels out for awhile and then you get hit with a shocker even I didn't see coming. Don't let the women's fiction part get you: this is, in every way, a mystery. It just happens to have a little more heart than your typical mystery novel.
An excellent book, and one you'll want to share with your loved ones!

4/5--a great read!

Purchase Haven Lake at your local bookstore, or online via:

Official site (has all international purchase links)

BOOK REVIEW: "Acts Of Violence" by Ross Harrison

- My name’s Jack Mason. I made a mistake. Took home the wrong girl. Now she’s dead. Cut up. And they’re telling me I did it.
It’s the same cop that tried to take me down ten years ago. Now he’s coming at me hard. And he’s not the only one. Cole Webster, the city’s crime lord, thinks I stole from him. Broke me out of custody just to ask me about it. Then I killed his son. Now he really wants me.
Add to this equation a government agent, and I’m a real popular guy right now. Pretty much everyone I meet wants me dead, lawfully or otherwise. There’s nowhere to run. Nowhere to hide. I’ve got till morning to uncover Webster’s trafficking operation and take the heat off me. And all I’ve got to go on is a pissed off homeless girl with a thirst for revenge.
Guess it could be worse. Can’t quite figure how. -

Jack hates violence against women, but he winds up standing up for the wrong girl, and gets wrongfully arrested for her murder. The murder itself is a very bloody affair, a bit of shock in an already fast-paced novel. You don't see it happen, but the description of the body is delightfully gory.
This book takes you inside Jack's head, you read his thought process as if you were psychic. But you really don't get to know him. It takes the course of the entire novel for you to accurately put together a good mental picture of him, both physically and mentally. He's enigmatic, even with himself, and that makes this story that much better.
Another thing I noticed, is that you don't realize you're reading a sci-fi novel until he mentions that it's a planet called Harem. And you don't care if it's sci-fi or not. You just care if Jack will succeed. Hardcore fans of sci-fi might not like this lighthearted approach to the genre, but I think Mr. Harrison did it quite well. He brought sci-fi to people who might not read it otherwise.
The book is a fast, three hour read, filled with mystery and suspense. The narration is very unique and very realistic. When I finished, I had one question, "When is the movie coming out and please tell me Richard Armitage is available for the lead role!"

4/5--A great take on sci-fi and crime noir!

Purchase Acts Of Violence via:

Official site (has links to Amazon, Amazon UK, NOOK and more!)

COMIC BOOK REVIEW: "Spring Heeled Jack #2"

Writer: Tony Deans
Artist: Martha Laverick
Letterer: Joshua Cozine
Publisher: Alterna Comics

In the second installment of the horror/mystery comic Spring Heeled Jack, which centers around Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, we find Doyle and Bell trying to get an arrest for Jack, but their plans don't exactly go as planned...

Horror. Vampires. Mystery. The man who created Sherlock Holmes. Personally, I don't need anything else to know that this comic is going to be awesome. Seriously, vampires and Doyle. There can't be anything more interesting and riveting!
The story reads like a movie. Your eyes move smoothly across the pages, effortlessly and with a sense of urgency to know what's next. The characters are similar (probably purposely) to Holmes and Watson, but with a little extra bite to them (no pun intended).
In addition, there is a small steampunk element to this issue. It passes quickly, but it intrigues me to know of they'll include more of it in the future.
There's also nepotism, favoritism, and political connections that make things even more interesting.
I can't say much, because this is only twenty-three pages long, and giving too much away is the exact opposite of my intentions. Just let me say this: you need to read this comic! Even if you don't like comics in general, that's okay. If you like Doyle and Stoker, you're good!

5/5--Leaves me wanting more!

Purchase Spring Heeled Jack at your local comic shop or from these online retailers!

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Mary McCoy

(NOTE: This interview was originally supposed to take place at Long Beach Comic Expo today, but due to personal unforseen circumstances on my end, I could not attend. Ms. McCoy was kind enough to finish these today via email and get them to me in time to start my biannual Long Beach Comic Con week! Enjoy!)

1. When/why did you decide to become a writer?

I've wanted to be a writer since I was 8, but didn't really get serious about it until a few years ago. And by "serious," I mean "a person who finished things." I did National Novel Writing Month in 2010, wrote a crappy, but complete 50,000 word book, then rode that daily writing momentum into finishing Dead To Me seven months later. I haven't stopped writing since.

2. What authors inspired you when you were younger? What books do you enjoy reading today?

Some of my favorite authors when I was younger were Lois Lowry, Ellen Raskin, Betty Smith, and Anne Tyler. Today, my favorite writers are Jennifer Egan, Kate Atkinson, and Maria Semple.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel Dead To Me?

I used to write for the 1947 project, which was a crime-a-day blog about Los Angeles history. And L.A. history is insane. You don't have to look very far to find stories about cults and gangsters and police corruption and madams and murder plots. You hear these stories and you think they have to be made up, but then it turns out they're true. Between that and my love for detective novels, film noir, and Veronica Mars, I had to write Dead To Me.

4. Who are your favorite actors from old-time Hollywood?

Bette Davis, Montgomery Clift, Betty Hutton, and Humphrey Bogart are my favorites.

5. The cover tagline, People who live in the nicest houses have the dirtiest secrets, rings very true for most people. Why do you think there is so much truth behind that statement?

Rich people get away with things. It's not fair, and it's not right, but it's true.

6. Why decide to make this a young adult book instead of an adult novel?

I always wanted it to be YA instead of adult fiction. Not only is Alice trying to find the person who attacked her sister, she's also investigating what her sister has been up to for the four years since she left home. During that time, Alice has become a very closed off person, and she's finally forced to take a good hard look at herself, her relationships, and the fact that she might not be a very nice person. It's the way Alice deals with those things that I think makes the book YA.

 
7. One of the things you said you'd read recently was the comic book C.O.W.L. by Kyle Higgins. What other comic books do you enjoy?

I really like crime comics. Some of my favorites are 100 Bullets by Brian Azzarello, Gotham Central, Criminal by Ed Brubaker, Tumor by Josh Fialkov, and Incognegro by Mat Johnson.

 
8. Has working with the Los Angeles Public Library helped or influenced your writing career?

The two biggest ways it's influenced me are its amazing collections and my brilliant colleagues. When I was writing Dead To Me, I referred to the library's online Photo Collection, Map Collection, and newspaper databases all the time. And the librarians I work with are wonderful and inspiring people. Two of my colleagues have written LA history books of their own: Christina Rice's Ann Dvorak: Hollywood's Forgotten Rebel and Glen Creason's Los Angeles in Maps.

 
9. Would you like to see Dead To Me as a film? If so, who do you want to see play your characters?

Of course I would! My friend and fellow 2015 debut novelist Michelle Levy (Not After Everything) is also a casting director, and she helped me cast the book. Here's what she came up with - I think it's brilliant:

Alice (the main character): Abigail Breslin
Annie (the big sister): Saoirse Ronan
Jerry Shaffer (the tough-talking private eye): Joel Edgerton
Vivian and Nicky Gates (the Hollywood insider wannabe parents): Jennifer Connelly and Bradley Cooper
Ruth (one of Annie's shady acquaintances): Jennifer Carpenter
Conrad Donahue (the psychopathic movie star): Chris Pine

10. Where do you see yourself and your career in the next ten years?

I have no idea what I'll be writing in ten years but I know I'll be writing. 

11. What would you do if you were Alice in your book?

I don't know if I could be as brave as Alice is. I am also much worse at cryptography than she is.

 
12. Will we ever see these characters again in the future?

One of the rules of noir is this: no sequels. If I ever did, I know what it would be about, but I feel like I left my characters exactly where I wanted to leave them.

 
13. What would you be doing if you weren't writing?

Probably baking.

14. Can you tell KSR readers what you're working on next?

I'm working on another YA novel. It's not historical fiction, but I still manage to cram a lot of history in to it. 

15. Thank you for participating in the interview. Can you please leave the readers with three things that may surprise them about you?

Thing 1: I used to play bass in an all-girl punk band.
Thing 2:  My best celebrity impression is of Civil War historian Shelby Foote.
Thing 3: I have an astonishingly large collection of vintage cookbooks.

Find Ms. McCoy online via:

Official site (has all social media links AND purchase links for Dead To Me)

BOOK REVIEW: "Never Say Die" by Bill Carson

Nick Harland has teamed up with Andy Ryan, a special forces/ MI5 operator and the pair are tasked with tracking down a rogue SAS soldier who is on the loose and creating havoc across London in revenge for his unjust imprisonment. But the destruction that he is causing is all part of an elaborate deception which is designed to mask his true intentions. Harland and Ryan are now in a race against time to find him before he carries out one of the most daring, outrageous and audacious crimes of the 21st century. 
Along with all the mayhem and tension created by the hunt for the SAS man there is a secondary story running parallel with the main one and this part of the story is unconnected to the main theme and remains so until the last chapter. Who is the mysterious unknown man found in a field in Essex with a gunshot wound to his head? The unconscious man is barely alive and is rushed to hospital where he undergoes emergency brain surgery and after a long period of recuperation he wakes from the coma. 
The police are anxious to interview him as in the field where he was found were a dozen dead bodies riddled with bullet holes. They don't get the chance to interrogate to him as he decides to abscond from hospital. The stranger has near total memory loss and has no clue who he is or why he'd been shot and the search is now on to find his past life? And he's anxious to find out why someone wanted him dead?

As an avid Doyle reader and NCIS watcher (not to mention the BBC's MI:5 starring Richard Armitage), I love mysteries set around a lot of action and suspense. Never Say Die by Bill Carson delivers a whole lot of suspense and danger within these pages.
Nick Harland is a likable character, Andy I could go either way. This is not really a character-driven story, but rather a plot-driven story. I mean that as a compliment. Rarely can you find a great spy novel driven more by plot than by the spies themselves. Carson wrote a great thriller with interesting components not usually seen together in the same book.
The reader is enthralled and intrigued by the mysterious man who has no memory. The reader is appalled yet can't help but be sympathetic to Steve Dark, the assassin gone rogue. And you certainly will wonder what on Earth one has to do with the other. A great mystery keeps you guessing and o  your toes, and Never Say Die does just that.
A great plot, well-written with enough mystery and action to keep you reading well into the night make Mr. Carson a writer you HAVE to check out!

4/5--a page-turner!

Purchase Never Say Die via:

Amazon

Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW: "The Mirror Stage" by J.J. Stone

When Ada Brant was a little girl, she witnessed the murder of her mother by her father's hands and has never been the same. She still bares the emotional scars twenty-five years after the incident.
She's a crime novelist and professor when her uncle, an ex-FBI agent, brings in two colleagues who need Ada's help as a local analyst. A serial killer is on the loose in Seattle, and if Ada doesn't face her demons and do something, who knows why might be next?

In J.J. Stone's first novel, The Mirror Stage, you're immediately tossed into Ada's messed up world of hurt and death. You meet Ada, and she seems like a pitiable character...until you get to know her. She's strong, stubborn, resilient and deeply scarred...but also deeply clever. She's a leading lady with a brain instead of great boobs, and that's what I liked most about her.
Then you've got Agent James Deacon, who's the biggest jerk you could imagine, but he has his own demons, which you'll learn about as the book goes on. He's a jerk, but he's a kind, good-looking jerk, and that makes him an unlikely but excellent male lead.
Even the killer has a story, one you'll have to read to understand.
The supporting characters, like Brenda and Dade, are great. Even the dog, Tiny, is likable. There's also a character that only makes a small appearance, Janice, that I think we need to look out for in the next two books.
The plot is straightforward, at first. It then begins to take a road so winding you'll need a map to follow. No one is safe, and the killer is on the run. I love thrillers and crime novels, and this one is one if my favorites now. The cliffhanger at the end will keep me on my toes till book two is released.
While there were some editing errors, I loved this book. A great, fast-paced read!

5/5--you need this on your TBR list!

Purchase The Mirror Stage via:

Amazon

Barnes And Noble

iBooks

COMIC BOOK REVIEW/PREVIEW: "San Hannibal #5" (out 12/17/14)

Writer/Artist: Dan Schkade
Letterer/Colorist: Jesse Snavlin
Cover: Dan Schkade/Jesse Snavlin
Editor: PJ Perez
Publisher: Pop Goes The Icon

Throughout the course of San Hannibal’s five issues, writer/artist Dan Schkade and colorist/letterer Jesse Snavlin have put their protagonist, hard-luck private detective Ira Avery, through the ringer: He’s been shot at, beaten up, bombed, drugged and nearly buried alive in his search for Loy. And in the final issue of the “neon-noir” mini-series, the truth behind her disappearance is finally revealed—and so is the true face of power in San Hannibal.
San Hannibal #5 will be available on Dec. 17 in comic book stores and via popgoestheicon.com for $2.99, as well as through digital platforms such as Comixology, DriveThruComics and ComicsPlus for just $0.99 cents. To find a comic store near you, call 1-800-COMIC-BOOK or visit comicshoplocator.com.

After many long months, readers of San Hannibal will finally get the answer to that infamous question: "What's the story, Savannah Loy?"
With murders, conspiracy, elections, sex rings and deep thoughts in hospital rooms, the final issue of San Hannibal ends with a LOT of bangs! I've never read a comic book so fast in my life!
You might not believe it when you read it.
Throughout the series, I've said that the colors and art tell just as much of the story as the writing, and in the final issue, we are given an array of colors to dazzle the eyes. The writing and art are simplistic, but Jesse Snavlin's colors are anything but! They are as bright and enjoyable as the many layers Dan Schkade wrote into this miniseries. I see big things ahead in both of their respective careers!
Like I've said before, I would still prefer more narration from Ira in the book, and I think that in this final issue, that would've done well in summing up the story, but don't get me wrong: the ending was excellent and I will be rereading this over again soon!
A great comic choice if you're new to the comic book fandom and don't think superheroes are your cup of tea. And if you like mysteries, you'll gobble this up. Finally, if you just like a great story and great art, please buy this miniseries. You won't regret it!

5/5--one if today's best in the industry!

COMIC BOOK REVIEW: "Spring Heeled Jack #1)

Tony Deans (writer), Martha Laverick (artist), with lettering by Joshua Cozine.
Spring Heeled Jack is being published by New York Times Best Selling Publisher Alterna Comic and can be purchased online via Comixology and Drive Thru Comics.

There is panic and fear on the streets of London as more and more victims are claimed by Spring Heeled Jack, a figure supposedly able to breath fire and leap buildings in a single bound. The police are left stumped and so call on a young Arthur Conan Doyle and his mentor Joseph Bell to take charge of the case and to bring the culprit to justice once and for all. However, they'll find that Spring Heeled Jack is unlike any man they've encountered before and that they'll have to push themselves to the extremes to be able to stop a threat that may just be unstoppable...

Vampires and Arthur Conan Doyle. What could be better? Combining them in a comic book? Yes, that's better!
Spring Heeled Jack is a great comic, and the first issue will hook you and drag you in whether you want it to or not!
The art is very simplistic and perfect for the type of comic this is. It's light, feathery and the colors catch your eye, duller tones with vibrant red in spots.
The writing is superb, and makes you feel like you're reading something that was actually written in this era, not the 21st century. It's part horror and part mystery; nothing like your typical comic book. I really enjoyed reading this and am excited for issue two!

5/5--a great first issue!

Find Spring Heeled Jack online via:

Official site

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