RELEASE DAY: "Phantom 2.0" by Leah D.W. (Blurb, Review & Character Diary Entry)

“I am a phantom. Barely human with the duty to get rid of the possessed. That is why beings like me were created, why we were bred.”
In a dying city filled with a deadly plague and even deadlier creatures, Déjà hides from a past drenched in blood and the only family she has ever known. She hates what she is and her cravings to spill fresh blood drives her away from anyone that gets too close. Living out her life wearing lace corsets and working in an underground nightclub keeps her secret from hurting others, until a bounty is placed on her head by a mystery benefactor.
Now she is stalked by an assassin that threatens to steal her heart and discovering a family of powerful beings that hold the key to her past, Déjà has no choice but to embrace what she truly is in order to battle the secrets that the city holds within its shadows.

As a fan of the paranormal, I'm very familiar with phantoms. A lot of people have different opinions on what phantoms are, exactly, but none of them give them such humanity as Leah D.W. did here in Phantom 2.0.
Right off the bat you care about Déjà, even sympathize with her. She cares about people, doesn't want them to come to harm and is forced to do things she doesn't want to to save herself. I love strong female leads like her.
The story gives you chills, it drags you in from the very first page, and it makes you think. You have to wonder who's good, who's evil and what is going to happen before the end of the story.
I definitely want to read more books with these characters! Another great work from Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing!

5/5--excellent!

Purchase Phantom 2.0 on Amazon and add it on Goodreads!

Character Diary Entry:

I love all of the characters in Phantom 2.0, but there is one whose character and backstory is starting to develop more and more the longer I spend time with this tale and I believe he deserves to become the reader’s favourite. Cael is a club owner, sarcastic bad boy and has his own bucket full of mysteries that even shock me! He will make more of an appearance throughout the series and so here are his thoughts that took place during Phantom 2.0 (book 1) that will spark some interest for what is to come and sheds some light on the main character’s dark past:

That waitress is going to be the death of me!
Why did I ever agree to hire her? Oh yeah, her trainer threatened to turn me inside out if I didn’t give her a job that would keep her in the city instead of allowing her to return home. The girl was going to stay either way. She is keeping a secret that I don’t care of to find out, but I can see it like a shadow within those large eyes. Eyes of blue and violet thunder. Eyes that once belonged to a young girl that almost caused my death. Could she be that same little girl that sang up to a thunder storm and danced around in crimson soaked silk? Then she should be older right now. It can’t be her then. But why does she look exactly like that murdering pre-teen?
Same face. Same eyes. Same voice!
Perhaps she is her younger sister or distant cousin…?
No, that isn’t it. This frustrating woman isn’t as annoying as that doppelganger or as mentally insane. Besides…I killed her almost twenty years ago. Didn’t I? My flames charred her skin and turned her into a pillar of ash before she was able to sink her blade into my heart. So…that waitress can’t be her unless that girl was immortal or…
Could it be? I’ve heard the stories but…they are just stories. Right?
Perhaps Kyra is keeping a secret of her own from me and that is one I intend to find out, before that waitress burns down my club!

Find Leah D.W. online via:

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7031888.Leah_D_W_

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Leah-D.W./e/B00E7RYP4E

Twitter https://twitter.com/authorleahdw

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/leahdwauthor

Google+ https://plus.google.com/100881211345988951568

Blog http://authorleahdw.blogspot.com/

BOOK REVIEW: "The Demeter Code" by Russell Brooks

Crack The Code And You'll Save Lives...But Knowing It Exists Could Get You Killed. 

When two American embassies in northern Africa are bombed, CIA operatives, Ridley Fox and Nita Parris, are assigned to track down the perpetrators. However, when their top asset is killed in a failed op, the agents suspect that there may be a new threat. Their search for the truth puts them on a collision course with a powerful multinational--which will go to extreme lengths to bury its criminal activities. However, the agents soon learn that someone with a personal vendetta against that company not only knows their secrets, but will expose them in a way that could result in the largest single-day attack against America.

Spy novels are not my thing. While I watch NCIS and Spooks a lot, I've never been one to really sink my teeth into a spy novel. I find them to be slow and emotionless. Not so Russell Brooks' The Demeter Code.
From page one you're engaged in action, danger and mystique. Attacks with knives, guns and physical force dominate the first two chapters, and it gets better from there.
I love Agent Parris. I love that she's a woman who can kick butt and look good doing it. I think her inclusion will make more women pick this book up. Think Ziva from NCIS played by a young Viola Davis. That's how cool she is.
Agent Fox we met in Mr. Brooks' short story trilogy, Unsavory Delicacies. He's just as much of a badass here as he was in this two unforgettable stories. Reminding me of DC Comics' Deathstroke, he gets the job done with amazing skill and grace. If there can be beauty in violent death, he brings it.
There are moments where the violence is very heavy, like the brutal murder of a white collar worker and his pregnant wife, do if you're unable to handle brutality, be wary as you start to read this.
A nearly flawless attempt. I'm very eager to read more from Mr. Brooks!

4/5--exciting!

Purchase The Demeter Code via:

Amazon

BOOK REVIEW: "Unsavory Delicacies" by Russell Brooks

While I'm more used to short story collections having five or more tales, Unsavory Delicacies by Russell Brooks doesn't need more than the three he included to be worth your time and money.
It begins with an ex-Mossad agent about to assassinate a man giving her sensitive information and ends with the same man infiltrating a Russian Mafioso's club and finding a strange surprise. In the middle, you have a disturbing story about a chef who avenges his honor on the food critic who cost him his job once before.

Revenge. Espionage. Death. What more do you need for a half-hour's worth of entertainment? The stories are well-written and very well planned out. They're actually little unsavory delicacies in themselves! Like I said, they're eerily disturbing, like Rod Serling could have written them.
There are no monsters, there's no sex, nothing that people think they need to incorporate into their work. It's parts humanity in its most animalistic forms: self-preservation, vengeful and secretive.
A great read!

4/5--delightful!

Purchase Unsavory Delicacies via:

Official site

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Maryam Malik

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

For me, writing has always been a part of my childhood. I really started writing stories when I was in the sixth grade and never stopped all through middle school and then high school. It was recently in my junior year of college that I decided to reach out to agents and actually get my work published.

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

Growing up, my teachers were my biggest inspiration. Upon that, truth be told, my parents were very strict and I wasn’t really allowed to go out as much as the other kids my age. Writing sort of became my escape.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel Charlotte's Secrets: Demon's Love?

I’ve always rooted for crazy love that defies impossible odds. Charlotte’s Secrets pretty much soaks up that idea. I wanted to write a novel centered around the fact that a man (or woman, had I chosen my protagonist to be a female) would do anything for the one he loves. As one chapter led to another, I had a paranormal romance ready for readers to enjoy.

4. What can we expect from the sequel?

The sequel is equally focused on all the characters as opposed to just Charlotte and Julian. The book is written in third person so readers actually develop an understanding of the emotions and feelings of all the other characters. Old enemies tag along but new problems arise. The readers also get an inside scoop on each character’s individual struggles, feelings, and details on their pasts.

5. How many books do you plan on writing about these characters?

So far, Charlotte’s Secrets: Demon’s Love is meant to be a trilogy. I don’t have any plans to branch out series on each individual character but who knows. An author’s mind is always working so nothing is ever written in stone.

6. Were any of the characters' personalities or emotions taken from real life?

Definitely. Sometimes, the way Cassandra acts reminds me of myself. Watson is witty and sarcastic and we know a personality like that in a group of serious people is an absolute must. I just wanted to even the odds with my characters. Making everyone tough, emotional, and a sucker for love would make the novel boring. I needed to incorporate personalities and emotions I had come across in real life to make it relatable.

7. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

I actually write across the spectrum of genres and for a variety of age groups. After the trilogy, I plan to take a poke at a women’s fiction novel set in the Middle East.

8. What would you do if you were Julian?

Julian and I share one thing in common: we both are romantics and would do anything for the people we love. I think I based his actions off what I would do myself if presented the scenarios he went through.

9. Why magic in the Dark Ages? What was it about that time period that made you want to set your novel there?

I’ve always had a fascination with the Dark Ages. From the lifestyle of the people, to the art, architecture, grand feasts, festivals…it had always been a time and culture dear to my heart so I decided why not write about it?

10. Would you like to see Charlotte's Secrets as a film? If so, who do you want to see play your characters?

I would be lying if I said I didn’t. I think Charlize Theron would make a grand Charlotte.

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

Hopefully on the New York Times Bestseller list. Mainly, I hope to win the admiration and respect of readers and have several books under my belt by then.

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

I’d be consumed by school which I still am. Though, writing is my passion, I am going to college to be a Speech Language Pathologist. I also find comfort in cooking and if I wasn’t writing, I think I’d have my own cooking channel on youtube or something.

13. Can you tell KSR what you're working on next (aside from the sequel to Charlotte's Secrets)?

I have plans for so many projects it’s hard to keep up. I keep a binder of ideas and when I’m done with one project, I run my finger down the list and try to figure out what I’m in the mood for next or what’s the best thing to put out there for my readers. I’m undecided between a contemporary women’s fiction novel set in the Middle East and a dystopian novel for young adults about fallen angels.

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

I would say Edgar Allen Poe. He’s known for his poetry but he definitely wrote some dark and twisted stories with deep meaning (that’s why I admire him). Working with him would be a dream.

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

It was truly an honor, thank you. Three things about me that may surprise readers:
•I’m a black belt in taekwondo.
•I’m very messy and a horrible organizer.
•I’d sell my soul to Sephora.

Find Maryam Malik online via:

Official site

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook LIKE page

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Bryce Allen

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

I think I caught the bug back in elementary school; I was a big comic book fan all through grade/middle school and got the itch to tell stories around that time. Throughout high school I wrote short stories and had my own comic strip in the school paper about a deranged stick figure that prompted my art teacher to recommend I see a therapist… That’s probably when I knew I was cursed/blessed with a writer’s life.

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

I’d definitely say I was a huge spy fiction junkie when I was in high school/college (Fleming, le Carre, etc.) and I also enjoyed the classic sci-fi writers (Asimov, Verne, etc.) when I was younger. I’m still a fan of those writers but I’ve gotten more into authors like Bukowski, Burroughs and Selby, Jr. in recent years.

3. What was the inspiration behind your novel The Spartak Trigger?

As a big fan of both action thrillers and transgressive fiction, I wanted to write something that effectively fused the two genres, creating something as entertaining as possible with an extra layer of satire that made the work more readable and original while mocking its own shortcomings. In essence, I was wanted to do a self-contained parody of spy fiction with simplistic, straightforward prose that would serve as both a deconstruction of and tribute to genre tropes.

4. Will we ever see any of these characters again?

I am working on a sequel right now actually… It’s a little different structurally/tonally than The Spartak Trigger but retains a lot of the same stylistic elements and overall sensibilities.

5. Why make a lead character as offensive as Shane Bishop is? Was there a particular reason for it?

I’ve always enjoyed anti-heroes in fiction and, particularly in the neo-noir genre, the central characters tend to be naturally unlikeable, which makes their ‘character arcs’ easier to follow/plan out I suppose… I wanted to have Bishop undergo the antithesis of that, becoming even more of a jerk as the story went on, but he ended up being about the same, which I suppose belies the archetype somewhat anyway haha.

6. Were any of the characters personalities or emotions taken from real life?

I’d say certain elements of Bishop’s detached sensibilities come from people I’ve encountered but I definitely don’t know anyone as awful as him in real life thankfully.

7. What other genres would you like to try your hand at?

I recently finished a more straightforward thriller that I’m hoping to find a publisher for in the near future. I wouldn’t mind looking at doing some alternate history down the road as well.

8. What would you do if you were Shane?

Hmmm, that’s a tough one – he’s definitely not a character whose skin I’d like to be in any time soon! I suppose if I were Shane my destiny would be pre-determined by the narrator so I’d just go along for the ride much like he does.

9. Was there any intended symbolism behind the fact that the villains were just as involved in cyber crime as they were in actual, physical crime?

As we’ve seen this year/month, cyber terrorism is most definitely something we’ll be dealing with for quite some time. I didn’t set out to echo what was happening in real life but I originally thought that doing something with hackers/online criminals with grandiose ambitions a la a Bond villain would be unique and, as it turns out, I was completely wrong unfortunately.

10. Would you like to see The Spartak Trigger as a film or TV show? If yes, who do you want to play your characters?

I think Josh Brolin would make a good Bishop; he has that rugged leading man/action hero quality but is also capable of adding depth to seemingly-one-dimensional characters and he conveys a sense of vulnerability in his characters that I think would suit the role well. For Svetlana, I think Milla Jovovich would be great and I’d probably go with Michael Fassbender to play Kirill as I think he could be very funny/effective in a role like that. Luke Edwards would be the obvious choice to play The Wizard haha.

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

I’d obviously love to be able to write full-time but I’m not sure how realistic that is this day and age… As long as I can continue to put out something every year or two and keep the Bishop series going in one form or another, I’d be cool with that.

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

Part of me wishes I’d stuck with music as a hobby (used to play bass in rock bands) but it’s tough to have a more fulfilling side-gig other than this!

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

Right now I’m working on the sequel to The Spartak Trigger, which will see Bishop returning to the U.S. and engaging in more bizarro hijinks.

14. What authors, dead or alive, would you like to collaborate with?

I’d actually have to say Alan Moore for this one. His creative process seems so unique and off-the-wall, it’d be extremely interesting to see him develop something firsthand. 

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

- I was once in a Poison tribute band for almost an entire year
- Even though I’m Canadian, I’m a terrible ice skater
- I still know all the words to the McDonald’s Menu Song from the 80s

Find Bryce Allen online via:

Twitter
Facebook LIKE page

BOOK REVIEW: "The Spartak Trigger" by Bryce Allen

Disgraced cop and degenerate cad Shane Bishop now makes his living as a professional set-up artist, using his unique skillset to frame his clients’ enemies for various criminal offenses. When his latest job goes wrong and his mark ends up in a body bag, the ex-lawman becomes the prime suspect in a high-profile murder investigation – framed himself by a mysterious government agent. In order to obtain a key piece of evidence that will clear his name, Bishop is blackmailed into performing various acts of industrial espionage upon some of the world’s most powerful corporations. He soon graduates to foreign intelligence work and finds himself in Russia charged with infiltrating a radical neo-Bolshevik terrorist group known as ‘Black October’ and retrieving a microfilm they’ve obtained which contains a Soviet-era computer virus that has the power to destroy the world…wide web.

Number one, calling Shane Bishop a degenerate is being oh, so kind to the lead character of The Spartak Trigger. Half the time, I was hoping that somehow, someone would shoit him right where it hurts! His disgusting ways are actually half of what makes this book so great: he's the perfect character you love to despise.
The second thing that makes the big stand out isn't the plot (though it's awesome), or the secondary characters, but the style in which it's written. It's supposed to be from Shane's perspective, yet he keeps taking about a narrator and an editor, changing and talking about his story, as you're reading the story! At first I was confused, but after a while I understood what the writer was actually doing and I applaud him. It is an innovative approach to narration and storytelling that I hope people pick up on and appreciate it for the genius that it is.
As I said, the plot was awesome: fast-paced, mysterious and dangerous. You don't know who's good, bad, alive or dead! Like the nameless and faceless narrator and editor, this is Shane's story and you're just along for the ride!
I do, however, have one criticism, and that's the fact that, though Shane is old enough to have an adult daughter, at times he talks far too young, using current slang that no middle-aged cop would. It is a bit confusing and then seems too pretentious for the character. Most of the time, though, everything is spot on, from dialogue to description.
All in all, a great book. Just not for everyone. Some will definitely be too sensitive to read this, but I think most people (mostly men, unfortunately, no offense to the female readers, but there's a lot if sexism, racism and other various forms of bigotry in here that most likely will offend most women) will enjoy this depraved ride just as much as I did!

4/5--in a league of its own!

Purchase The Spartak Trigger via:

Amazon
Goodreads
Smashwords
Facebook

BOOK REVIEW: "Charlotte's Secrets (Demon's Love)" by Maryam Malik

As the Dark Ages reign over England, Julian an ordinary village boy is condemned for Charlotte's mysterious murder, his wife and to his surprise—a princess of royal blood. Oblivious of the presence of a centuries old demon, Julian is imprisoned in Elijah's inescapable dungeon where he waits for the injustice of a gruesome death. But when the young man is rescued at the hands of an unexpected guardian...he learns of his role as salvatoris liberet—the single truth that will alter his destiny forever. As alliances form, secrets unfold, and enemies reveal themselves, Julian must decide who to trust and how far he is willing to go for the only woman he's ever loved.

Charlotte's Secrets is the debut novel from Maryam Malik, and yet it feels like we've been reading her work forever. The story is visual and enveloping, taking you straight from your living room to the Dark Ages on page one.
The story feels similar to the BBC's interpretation of Robin Hood: the girl is murdered and her lover is accused. The big difference between Julian and Guy of Gisborne, however, is that Julian is innocent. He's a determined character, one whom you root for from the beginning. He's romantic, a hero and very endearing.
The characters he meets along his journey run the gamut from interesting to dangerous to diabolical. Ms. Malik easily weaves magic and paranormal elements into the tale, creating a unique world of death, love and magic.
I loved the desperation in Julian's heart, his deep love for the princess. Love drives this story, and it is that, not the thriller elements, that make this worth reading. I love it when a male lead wears his heart on his sleeve!
My only criticism is that I'd love to have seen it written in the third person, so we could've seen different perspectives from all characters, especially the queen.
An excellent debut; I see a very long career in literature for Ms. Malik!

4/5--a great debut!

Purchase Charlotte's Secrets via:

Official site
Amazon
Goodreads

BOOK REVIEW: "My Little Rabbit" by James DeSantis

What do you do when your biggest enemy is inside your mind?

Jenna is being chased by a crazy clown who wants to kill her, through cornfields, in abandoned houses and most of all, inside her head. When things get really bad after her sister comes to visit, she knows she needs to take down this crazy man once and for all.

Clowns are probably the worst thing on Earth. Put a crazy one in a short story and make him chase you and try to kill you, you pretty much have a recipe for disaster.
In the newest story from James DeSantis, we deal with horrors both real and imagined as we join Jenna on her frightening journey. I can't really say much, because it's so short that I'm afraid to give too much away.
I will say I really enjoyed editing it, being a small part if such a powerful story. A lot of people, by the time they get to the end of it, will be able to relate to Jenna and will probably face a small smile on their faces.
Death comes in all forms: it's our choice of we meet him halfway or fight him off.

5/5--one of the best short stories I've read!

Purchase My Little Rabbit on Amazon and add it on Goodreads!

BOOK REVIEW: "Another Day At The Office" by James DeSantis

On the outside, the main character in Another Day At The Office has a good life. He has a good job, a loving wife, and good friends. But there are secrets. And betrayals. Until he decides, today won't be just another day at the office.

I've always believed that a monotonous life, the "American Dream", doesn't really exist, and those who claim to have achieved that dream are either liars or kidding themselves.
In this story, the American Dream falls apart in front of the reader's eyes. Lies come to surface and it brings a very normal man to the breaking point. Think Michael Douglas in Falling Down on a much more personal level.
It's violent, yes, abd entertaining, but it also makes you think. A definite must read, and it'll only take you about twenty minutes to finish! I was very privileged to be the editor for this story, and I hope you all like it as much as I did the first time I read it.

5/5--thought-provoking.

Purchase Another Day At The Office via:

Amazon

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