tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87952143813669119532024-03-04T23:19:19.522-05:00JOURNAL OF ALWAYSRobert Duperre's Ill-Used BlogRJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.comBlogger125125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-81608089940607070462019-11-02T11:39:00.000-04:002019-11-02T11:39:40.826-04:00Reading time!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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First of all, for those of you who want updates on the status of "God in the Girl" and the end of The Infinity Trials, please hold tight. I'll have a post detailing the progress of that book soon.<br />
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Until then... who loves reading? We all do! So I wanted to take a few moments to rave about the books I've read over the last few months. The first of these I started in April; the last I finished literally last week, in between proof-reading for both myself and others.<br />
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And the whole reason I feel the need to do this is because this has been one of the best strings of books I've inhaled in years. So let's go!<br />
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CDHBS5?ref_=dbs_r_series&storeType=ebooks"><span style="font-size: large;">Refuge in Time</span></a></b></div>
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(by Sarah Woodbury)</div>
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Of course, my reading adventure HAD to start off with the 17th installment of one of my favorite series ever--Sarah Woodbury's "After Cilmeri." I could go into the text and explain what goes on in this fantastic set of novels, but since this is so late in the scope of this epic time-traveling (actually dimension-hopping) adventure, I'll just let you all know that I. Love. Every. Single. Book. It's that good. Wales is that fantastic a setting. Sarah Woodbury is that great of a writer. Start it from the beginning. You'll thank me.</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PB57XF6?ref_=series_rw_dp_labf"><span style="font-size: large;">Wandering Star</span></a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PB57XF6?ref_=series_rw_dp_labf"><span style="font-size: large;">The Luminoso</span></a></b></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PB57XF6?ref_=series_rw_dp_labf"><span style="font-size: large;">Chasm of Fire</span></a></b></div>
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(by Michael Wallace)</div>
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Michael Wallace has long been known to be a genre-hopping artist. I've read his dabbles in science fiction (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CGL8G8?ref_=series_rw_dp_labf">Starship Blackbeard</a>), historical fiction (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074CGL8G8?ref_=series_rw_dp_labf">Wolves of Paris</a>), and cult thriller (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F7P2BLH?ref_=dbs_r_series&storeType=ebooks">The Righteous</a>), and I've enjoyed every one. Which made it an easy decision to jump into this little fantasy trio.</div>
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Much to my surprise, it wasn't traditional fantasy at all. What Wallace presents here isn't your boilerplate sword-and-sorcery, but a kind of futurist-technocrat-maybe-post-apocalyptic take on the genre. Inside I found a world that looked a lot like ours after it had "passed on" (as Stephen King would say), filled with futuristic technology being gradually discovered by a society that seems to have regressed to pre-industrial revolution levels. </div>
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The world Wallace creates is vivid, the mysteries are intriguing, and there are clues aplenty as to what might've happened in the past to bring things to where they ended up. This is a fantastic little series that I can't help but recommend.</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gateway-Trilogy-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0051UBSLE"><span style="font-size: large;">Gateway</span></a></b></div>
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(by Christina Garner)</div>
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Ah, here's some traditional young-adult fare. The typical story of a young girl hilariously named Ember, and her discovery that (of course) she has a secret fate far beyond anything she could've ever imagined.</div>
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I kid about this book being "typical," because in truth, it's anything but. That glossy veneer disguises what is actually a quite intimate and harrowing exploration of mental illness and the effects it has on those closest to you. It also includes possibly the most accurate depiction of a bipolar manic episode that I've ever seen put down in writing. The action scenes are very well done, the leads are all likably flawed, and the mythology Garner has created is unlike any I've seen in this type of fiction. Anyone who enjoys urban fantasy should find a lot to like about this book.</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Saving-Mars-Book-ebook/dp/B008SULWZ6"><span style="font-size: large;">Saving Mars</span></a></b></div>
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(by Cidney Swanson)</div>
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Who's up for some hard sci-fi with a fresh young edge?</div>
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I loved every little detail in "Saving Mars." From the vivid descriptions of life in a human settlement on Mars to the plucky young heroine who's doing all she can to protect her home planet to the sociopolitical intricacies that led to the Mars colony being abandoned to the super-creative (and super-creepy) depiction of what society on Earth evolved into, there's something in this book for everyone who appreciates speculative fiction. Another hearty recommendation from me here.</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Irreparable-Sasha-McCandless-Legal-Thriller-ebook/dp/B004XDACV2"><span style="font-size: large;">Irreparable Harm</span></a></b></div>
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(by Melissa F. Miller)</div>
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Out of all the books on this list, "Irreparable Harm" was probably the most surprising for me. Not because I didn't think it would be good, but because I don't usually enjoy legal thrillers.</div>
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I did enjoy this one. <i>Damn </i>did I enjoy it! Sasha McCandless is one hell of a kick-ass protagonist. She might be only five feet tall and thin as a rail, but Miller does a great job of showing why--and how--she's able to kick the butt of the men who underestimate her. But this isn't an action-adventure story! No, it's actually a pretty effective mystery that also successfully dives into some really interesting nuances of the legal profession. Never again will I be able to hear a cell phone go off while on a plane and not feel a moment of panic.</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Descent-Complete-Collection-Descentverse-Collections-ebook/dp/B07L98FKVN"><span style="font-size: large;">The Descent Series</span></a></b></div>
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(by S.M. Reine)</div>
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No offense to any of the others on this list, but everything begins and ends with the epic saga of Elise Kavanaugh, monster killer and dedicated yet troubled young woman.</div>
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It is truly NOT hyperbole for me to say, in all seriousness, that this is the most I've ever enjoyed reading a book. Though to call it "a book" would be wrong, because "The Descent" is actually an entire collected series, encompassing seven novels and three short stories. When I'd started reading, I'd intended on only reading the first book and then moving on to the next on my list. But SM Reine wouldn't let me. She sucked me in so damn hard that I couldn't help but devour every last goddamn page. I even hemmed and hawed about picking up the next series starring Elise, but eventually succumbed to giving other writers a chance.</div>
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This series is everything I've ever wanted. Harrowing. Heartfelt. Violent. Complicated. Mysterious. Intimate. All set within a world of shadows, where messed-up things lurk in the dark corners where most normal people are just too afraid to look. Every character Reine creates is fleshed-out and lovable in their own damaged ways. I was able to connect with almost every single one of them on a personal level, even though they're all so different, which shows some out-of-this-world talent. Even as the tale goes from relatively small--a woman trying to make ends meet in Reno while milking her demon-hunting skills to eek out a living--to unbelievably huge--a literal showdown in heaven--these people you've been following for nearly three-thousand pages retain their grounded natures. Again, everyone, that takes oodles of talent.</div>
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So yeah, buy this book. Shoot, buy all of SM Reine's books. I know I'm gonna end up with a rather huge collection of them by the times I'm dead.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfjDWSbf5QTyYpK-PEAwsxSS1mtErVJ2yyojDi20-OhAe9lj7BSE1l_9nxF5rGVVv6CIewHi4kYPTyoTPGMr46k8zFptx-tveBaUaVQO3RWVXuoCuSKgUNaTEb_FJfk1CXCXg5LuFzjM5/s1600/Line+Break.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="600" height="41" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfjDWSbf5QTyYpK-PEAwsxSS1mtErVJ2yyojDi20-OhAe9lj7BSE1l_9nxF5rGVVv6CIewHi4kYPTyoTPGMr46k8zFptx-tveBaUaVQO3RWVXuoCuSKgUNaTEb_FJfk1CXCXg5LuFzjM5/s320/Line+Break.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTw_DsWvEAKJ0jGuZSLFHIvOiseunrewXMMmNgpoH8SXtS5Mgi8vkyaR5kR7gXfyzOCh77KTlEgTjSA3yHdMmwof863YdzMbBPz1DXc7pOjSzHR7PPkhihx5tCtzmEXWJcbs6dGeJMkUOP/s1600/Blaze.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTw_DsWvEAKJ0jGuZSLFHIvOiseunrewXMMmNgpoH8SXtS5Mgi8vkyaR5kR7gXfyzOCh77KTlEgTjSA3yHdMmwof863YdzMbBPz1DXc7pOjSzHR7PPkhihx5tCtzmEXWJcbs6dGeJMkUOP/s320/Blaze.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Blaze-Tranquility-Book-Krista-Ball-ebook/dp/B00GG6AFS4"><span style="font-size: large;">Blaze (Tranquility Book I)</span></a></b></div>
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(by Krista D. Ball)</div>
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And now, some traditional fantasy fare struts into the house!</div>
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A little bit of world-building, a little bit of female empowerment, a little bit of prophesy, and a whole lotta elves describe this book pretty accurately. It's a fun start to a journey about a powerful half-elf named Lady Bethany, who has to deal with a long-ass life, training hapless humans soldiers, an upside-down prophesy, an insane sister, and her own mommy issues. A really fun read. So fun, in fact, that I went out and bought the rest of the series before I'd even finished reading the first installment.</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Smugglers-Tales-Golden-Solar-Clipper-ebook/dp/B01L32AUZ8"><span style="font-size: large;">Milk Run</span></a></b></div>
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(by Nathan Lowell)</div>
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I've heard good things about Nathan Lowell for years, but for some reason, I never bought any of his books. After reading "Milk Run," I wish I'd dived in sooner.</div>
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This isn't typical science fiction, as Lowell doesn't focus so much on huge, galactic-level stakes. He seems more interested in the mundane, steering us toward a smaller story of a young heroine (sensing a theme here?), fleeing some sort of conspiracy, trying to make a living doing what she does best--helping fly a spaceship. The stakes might be relatively small, but the amount of interesting things that happen in the story aren't. There's intrigue, mystery, and some pretty clever problem solving. Yet another series that I'll be picking up again soon, because I can't wait to see what Lowell has in store next for these interesting characters.</div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Brave-Hearts-Wild-Romance-Book-ebook/dp/B01BLUB4ZW"><span style="font-size: large;">Brave Hearts</span></a></b></div>
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(by Phoenix Sullivan)</div>
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Man, do I love myself a good romance. I'd call it a guilty please, but that would suggest there's something to feel guilty for. Well, there isn't.</div>
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This is one hell of a book. It's short and to the point, and filled with what feel at first like stock romance caricatures. Until you dive in, that is. Sullivan is able to pain an EXTREMELY vivid portrait of two damaged people finding solace in not only the pleasures of their bodies, but the love of creatures as innocent and empathic as elephants. Nicky and Peter become very real people dealing with very real issues, and watching their bond develop was exhilarating. The sex scenes are wonderfully graphic, full of hot and steamy details, the few action sequences are exciting. A wonderful little book.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1P0XrU3trNfieFbiobiB2P98BsHrsdQxmZIBETIs5wEp_sTBNjevcqfE_cfB6m_0dZ3hk6FoeaHhOIviV5QGhN3EDM90XgMWjIRXPSdbr4-cmbFIkhEg1UfsUobny4qhtkbk0JUf89t5/s1600/Ashwin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="308" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1P0XrU3trNfieFbiobiB2P98BsHrsdQxmZIBETIs5wEp_sTBNjevcqfE_cfB6m_0dZ3hk6FoeaHhOIviV5QGhN3EDM90XgMWjIRXPSdbr4-cmbFIkhEg1UfsUobny4qhtkbk0JUf89t5/s320/Ashwin.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Ashwin-Gideons-Riders-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01N6ECB83"><span style="font-size: large;">Ashwin (Gideon's Riders Book 1)</span></a></b></div>
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(by Kit Rocha)</div>
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Another romance! This one with an insane post-apocalyptic-sci-fi twist!</div>
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Let's just say this book was a revelation for me. I've never before read a romance novel set in such a detailed, fully-realized, fantastical setting. It was like a dream come true!</div>
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I mean, EVERYTHING in this work of art is crafted with so much nuance that it's almost intimidating. The world Rocha has built is obviously lived-in (the fact this series is the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07F7KCK6X">second set of books set on this version of Earth</a> proves that), helping to frame everything in a sense of grounded realism despite the fantastical setting. And the characters! They seem so very real-to-life as well, even if they're an emotionally stunted trained warrior straight out of Kurt Russel's "Soldier," a brilliant and overly empathic doctor, and a bunch of biker-punks-slash-holy-warriors. I know, sounds strange, right? It is. But it isn't. Everything just fits together perfectly. Including the long, involved sex scenes around which the plot is constructed. It was a wonderful experience overall. I heartily recommend.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfjDWSbf5QTyYpK-PEAwsxSS1mtErVJ2yyojDi20-OhAe9lj7BSE1l_9nxF5rGVVv6CIewHi4kYPTyoTPGMr46k8zFptx-tveBaUaVQO3RWVXuoCuSKgUNaTEb_FJfk1CXCXg5LuFzjM5/s1600/Line+Break.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="77" data-original-width="600" height="41" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfjDWSbf5QTyYpK-PEAwsxSS1mtErVJ2yyojDi20-OhAe9lj7BSE1l_9nxF5rGVVv6CIewHi4kYPTyoTPGMr46k8zFptx-tveBaUaVQO3RWVXuoCuSKgUNaTEb_FJfk1CXCXg5LuFzjM5/s320/Line+Break.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Liberty-Boy-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01JASKII6"><span style="font-size: large;">Liberty Boy</span></a></b></div>
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(by David Gaughran)</div>
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And finally, we reach the last book populating this leg of my reading journey. Appropriately, it's a tight little novel of historical fiction, which brings everything full circle.</div>
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"Liberty Boy" brings us to late-nineteenth century Dublin, where revolution lingers just beneath the surface, a powder keg ready to explode. Gaughran does a bang-up job of showing us what it's like to be a poor local under English rule of Ireland by giving us two distinct point of view characters--down-and-out Jimmy O'Flaherty, who only wishes to make enough money to escape the violence and constant hangings and make it to America, and Kitty Doyle, a virulent young woman whose patriotism for her country and her love of her fellow Dubliners overrides all else.</div>
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This novel succeeds in presenting what life in those turbulent times might have been like, sprinkling in little historical facts throughout the narrative that had me jotting stuff down to research later. So very much needed when writing this kind of fiction. But the plot itself is interesting too in how mundane it is. Not much happens. There are no great stakes, other than Jimmy's quest to make money for himself and his mother. But it WORKS. I was enraptured every step of the way, right up until an ending that's far more bitter than sweet, and sets up a second installment that I can't wait to dive into.</div>
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And... that's it! Hope you got something out of this breakdown of some really great little books. And considering I actually had a good amount of fun putting this post together, I just might make this kind of thing a twice-yearly endeavor.</div>
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Until the next time!</div>
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RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-43464113518941988432019-04-16T10:05:00.000-04:002019-04-16T10:11:10.453-04:00JESS, RISING by DM Guay Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Tu11ClGcxwdb7BOPTvGWv86ArA52IodEvVolEhFLTpXqYA3whToMdVAbmMsF_XpJ7Oie4TSSBtEauh8hkRKwtj5tByY-__bwfEEXUULkEEzqqgEMkLn55ichLFuDEr47M-anE2Vh0Lzy/s1600/jess%252C+rising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Tu11ClGcxwdb7BOPTvGWv86ArA52IodEvVolEhFLTpXqYA3whToMdVAbmMsF_XpJ7Oie4TSSBtEauh8hkRKwtj5tByY-__bwfEEXUULkEEzqqgEMkLn55ichLFuDEr47M-anE2Vh0Lzy/s320/jess%252C+rising.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Rating:
5 out of 5</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">About
four months ago, I picked up this little book on a whim, a friend having
suggested it, and figured that it’d be a good backup just in case I ran out of
material to read and I was away from my precious WiFi hub. It was a young adult
fantasy novel, after all, which I’m always game for, so long as it’s decently written. Other
than that, I really gave the book no thought. Hell, I never even read the description
before buying it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">And
then, I forgot all about it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Then
the day came a couple weeks ago where I found myself at work, having just
finished a fantasy novel by Michael Wallace that ended on a cliffhanger and
salivating to read more. I’d told myself at the time that I’d get the second
book in that series as soon as I got home, but until then, since it was still
my morning break and there’s no way I could even consider going the rest of the
day without reading something, I needed to scour my Kindle library. And there
it was, “Jess, Rising”, sitting front-and-center as the only unread material on
my device. So I opened the book and dove in, not remembering when I’d gotten it
and with no expectations at all as to what might be inside.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">By
the time I finished my lunch break, I was kicking myself for not starting it
sooner.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Wow.
Just… wow. This little unassuming book should’ve been anything but. It’s a
typical story for the genre—a teen girl in a new town that has a dark past who gradually
realizes she has untold of abilities and a greater destiny—but that rote
description hides so much narrative depth, so much emotion and
personal exploration, that it’s like a sneak attack, creeping up at you when
you least expect it and shoving a thick, meaty fist right into your gut.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Not
since <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wizard and Glass </i>by King and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Cost of Betrayal </i>by Dalglish have I
read a work of fiction that so accurately and succinctly depicts what it’s like
to lose a loved one, that so perfectly illustrates the empty space where that person
used to be and the questions of what life should mean now that they’re gone. And
that’s just the starting point in this little gem! DM Guay does just as
fantastic of a job of carrying the reader through the healing process, and all
the bumps and heartache and doubt that implies. Just as with the best works of
fantasy, the supernatural is used as a proxy for real-life pain and torment, as
well as a way to bring about an emotional climax that makes sense and allows
the story to continue onward without lingering for an extended period on misery;
because, let’s face it, if we linger on loss, we stagnate and die too, in certain
regards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">That’s
not to say this book is nothing but pain and healing. Oh, it’s totally fun and
exciting too. Popular tropes are played with, shifted, perverted, with some
playing up to expectations and most completely skirting norms and coming out on
the other side as something completely different. We get to know Jess, our
protagonist, intimately, with all her faults and hang-ups and desires, and through
that tight point of view we’re just as much in the dark as she is. In fact, Guay
does such a fantastic job of hiding the truth in plain sight that I was
legitimately shocked by what happens at the end. She’d turned the tables on me, someone who usually can guess an outcome pretty easily, and did so in a way that was obvious in retrospect. So, so fantastic. I really wish that I could go into
more depth here, but doing so would be plenty SPOILERY, and part of the joy in “Jess,
Rising” is in the not knowing, so you’re gonna have to take it at that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">This
is a novel that has everything I’d ever want in a work of fiction. Super
powers? Check. Emotional weight? Check. Young love fraught with angst? Check. Unexpected,
graphic violence? Check. An unexpected ending? Super-check. I loved every freaking
minute of the experience, so much so that I grabbed the second and third books
when I was only halfway through the first. And I plan on spending all of my
reading time for the next couple weeks fully immersed in DM Guay’s world, with
Jess and her friends, until there’s no more story to tell.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Honestly,
I think you should too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Jess-Rising-Guardians-Salt-Creek-ebook/dp/B06ZZD2P2S">Buy “JESS,RISING” on Amazon now.</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-73875940588768368282019-01-15T11:50:00.000-05:002019-01-15T11:50:14.584-05:00"Death Devours All Lovely Things" Released, Plus Infinity Trials Updates <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lEFp9clLAeZxE4W_dUyuNpKN4l4S34qGrNI8AXXl9ouU1Vo8j3uW9xtdxXtUysFrhDdXy-bNb20Ktt4A16D0O2J3H4NwOe9aS1E4LfvS0vVwvZoG3aCdejgb2pYgahdLvoxMdndcc6Um/s1600/Death+Devours+All+Lovely+Things+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5lEFp9clLAeZxE4W_dUyuNpKN4l4S34qGrNI8AXXl9ouU1Vo8j3uW9xtdxXtUysFrhDdXy-bNb20Ktt4A16D0O2J3H4NwOe9aS1E4LfvS0vVwvZoG3aCdejgb2pYgahdLvoxMdndcc6Um/s400/Death+Devours+All+Lovely+Things+2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">For anyone who's just <i>dying </i>to delve deeper into the backstory of <i>The Infinity Trials</i>, I just released a 100-page novella that focuses on the history of Edwin, the grumpy vampire introduced at the end of "Boy in the Mirror," who acts as Jacqueline's guide for the remainder of the series. It's a story that goes from 19th century Ireland to America in the near future—or at least one of the many futures that are possible in the overarching world I've created. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I'll post the blurb now, but please read on after the buy links for updates on how the final <i>Infinity Trials </i>volume is progressing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>DEATH DEVOURS ALL LOVELY THINGS</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Edwin Vyse has never found the balance between being a man and a monster. For all of his unnaturally long vampiric life, he's been alone, never felt the sun on his skin, and been forced to kill to survive. His life, if that's what it can be called, has been a persistent dance along the edges of reality, a fever dream he cannot awaken from.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">When fate brings him into the orbit of a beautiful graduate student, however, things begin to change. Maybe love can, indeed, kill the beast. So long as his monstrous nature doesn’t ruin everything.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Robert J. Duperre presents an epic novella of love, loss, and murder, chronicling the life of one of the major supporting characters in his urban fantasy series, The Infinity Trials.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Ebook available now at:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MMHP64K">Amazon</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/death-devours-all-lovely-things-robert-j-duperre/1130201670">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/death-devours-all-lovely-things">Kobobooks</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Robert_J_Duperre_Death_Devours_All_Lovely_Things?id=WW2DDwAAQBAJ">Google Play</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">iTunes (Coming Soon)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/917675">Smashwords</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Now, on to how the final book in the series is progressing.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Let me just say this—I've had far more difficulty with "God in the Girl" than any other book I've written. Personal tragedies and the subsequent depression have made me put the book on hold for long stretches, which has led to me having to re-familiarize myself with the story whenever I've gone back. This is a complex story, with many moving parts, and tying together all the different plot threads in a satisfactory manner can be mind-numbing at times.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">However, it's starting to flow a little more freely now. I'm roughly halfway done, and I'm confident that once the momentum of the end starts rolling, so will the speed (and competence) of my writing. I'm not going to give a time frame for when the book will go live. When it's finished, it's finished, and I refuse to rush it. "God in the Girl" will be the culmination of my vision for an entire shared world, so I have to be careful with it, which includes being diligent with edits so that it flows well and tells you, the reader, everything I wish for you to know. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So please don't worry. It'll get done, probably more sooner than later.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">'Til next time!</span>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-39092024175461928392018-11-13T16:37:00.000-05:002018-11-13T16:41:16.617-05:00After Cilmeri: The Series That Saved My Creativity<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">In the middle of this past summer,
I was in a huge rut. I was depressed, feeling raw and emotional, and I couldn’t
write to save my life. When I tried to either read or watch television or movies,
I would get this weird sense of anxiety whenever anything dark or violent
happened. Which is tough, because most of the stuff I’ve read and watched over
the years tended to be, well, dark and violent. And the same goes for my
writing. With the weightiness of real life coming down on me, I just didn’t
have the stomach for it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">All of which left me longing for
some way to escape. I thought of the last time I’d felt like this—way back in
2001—and remembered how, through happenstance, I’d picked up Diana Gabaldon’s “Outlander”
at an airport bookseller. The feel of that book, the romance, and the depth of
its world helped distract and heal me during a trying time when I was dealing
with not only the fallout of a divorce, but the innate terror that came with the
September 11<sup>th</sup> attacks. I decided, right then and there, that I
needed that sort of escape again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I’ve been lucky enough over the
years to be involved in a sort of support group of fellow authors, and among
those included in this group is Sarah Woodbury. I’d been aware of her for years—a
given as we’re in the same group—but I’d never even given consideration to her
work. But seeing as she writes time travel fiction that seemed to me to be
quite similar to Outlander, I decided to take a peek at the initial volume in
her <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">After Cilmeri</i> series, a
perma-free novel called “Daughter of Time.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daughter-Time-After-Cilmeri-Book-ebook/dp/B004SQSMV6" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="230" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRaGfeSzg2JucodYQibqMeBqEqzSfq3eUFv-_b09iiEk1IKHgDVsUY3zHLfOP8dmyzBXLeD6ECiV-bvNAbChLqtjYqAAW7B6IbvcwyUwdxr65Tnjid3aegMNzMzYYaYcACULRYJZBU4rdg/s320/Daughter+of+Time+Cover.jpg" width="212" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To say I was blown away by what I
read would be an understatement. I devoured every word of “Daughter of Time”—a book
that revolves around a modern young woman named Meg, her accidental transportation
to the 13<sup>th</sup> century, and the beginning of her relationship with
Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last prince of Wales—in less than two days. I fell in
love with the pacing, the plot, the characters … absolutely everything about
the book, I loved. So I immediately bought the next book in the series, “Footsteps
in Time,” and away I went.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">(Note to add that “Footsteps in
Time” is actually the first book in the series; “Daughter of Time” was written
as a prequel, after Woodbury’s fans expressed interest in how the whole saga
started in the first place. Which makes anyone who comes into the series late
the lucky ones, since the character work in “Daughter” is superb, and the
information disclosed is quite helpful in understanding the narrative of later
books.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">What impressed me most about these tomes
was as much what they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">weren’t </i>as what
they <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">were</i>. I was expecting some Gabaldon-type
time-travel romance when I first began, but as I read, I discovered that Woodbury’s
books are only similar to “Outlander” in the way that the main characters find
themselves displaced in time. (Well, actually, in another dimension, but let’s
not split hairs.) Sure, the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">After Cilmeri
</i>books have their share of romantic themes, but they’re secondary to what I
find to be series’ main points—to teach the readers some little-known facts
about medieval Wales, and to act as a sort of exploratory thesis on the nature
of leadership, the effectiveness of governing principals, the importance of
history, and the virtue of integrity.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Each of these books are told from
different viewpoints, alternating first person and third person narration with
every other installment, which helps keep the tone fresh and immediate and,
well, different. All the characters we meet, both from medieval Wales and the
modern world—from Meg and Llywelyn to David and Anna and Callum and Bronwyn and
Ieuan and Math and Lily—are complicated, flawed, driven, yet wholly decent
people. I had no choice but to root for, and fall in love with, each and every
one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">There’s an innocence to the narrative
that I appreciated wholeheartedly, and a sort of hopeful optimism that some
might call naïve drips off every word Woodbury writes. In the end, it was this
optimism in the face of some rather harrowing events (war is a near constant
threat in this series, as are kidnappings, betrayals, assassinations, and
familial discord) that caused me to devour all fifteen books of the series in
the span of about forty-five days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To say I adore Woodbury's work would be
an understatement. <i>After Cilmeri</i> might be my favorite series ever written, bar none. It’s
almost like I got to grow along with the author, as some of the earlier books
in the series display the telltale flaws of a young writer, one who grows and
improves and perfects her craft with each published work. In the end, I found
it to be my own version of literary nirvana—a series of comfortable yet
intellectually challenging reads that not only wholly entertained me, but had
me analyzing my own craft, wondering what, if anything, I can do to honor these
novels, and their message, in my own published works to come.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I can honestly say that Sarah
Woodbury and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">After Cilmeri </i>has
rescued my own creativity. While my writing isn’t coming as quickly today as it
has in the past, the words are indeed coming, and that is due in large part to
what one particular author had to say, and how she chose to say it. So thank
you, Sarah, for the wonderfulness you’ve given the world. You have a fan for
life in me, and for however long you decide to further explore the lives and
adventures of King Daffyd and his merry crew, this one man will be right there
to go on the journey with you, wherever you choose to take them, whenever those
words arrive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;">If you want to explore the
awesomeness that is Sarah Woodbury’s works, you can see write-ups on each
installment, as well as links to various outlets, at this link: <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.sarahwoodbury.com/the-after-cilmeri-series/">http://www.sarahwoodbury.com/the-after-cilmeri-series/</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Go. Read. Enjoy. I did. You will too.</span>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-61139333284423998452018-04-17T09:35:00.001-04:002018-04-17T09:35:58.800-04:00Release Day: Lost in the Shadows is now live!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYnyri2uinLy8S1p6Hix89rBdqgY5O8D0ZK5RR4yJ4lRzjjl6b5UJ_JMElD9-ZqdkApcOuYDAsJDhnsu1InDVvf__hghyphenhyphengcL2Eo9xSXXiqig3ee2nol5yNiLJ1y3r1RnMn_YA5HbXAR6B/s1600/LostintheShadowsCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1028" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPYnyri2uinLy8S1p6Hix89rBdqgY5O8D0ZK5RR4yJ4lRzjjl6b5UJ_JMElD9-ZqdkApcOuYDAsJDhnsu1InDVvf__hghyphenhyphengcL2Eo9xSXXiqig3ee2nol5yNiLJ1y3r1RnMn_YA5HbXAR6B/s640/LostintheShadowsCover.jpg" width="410" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">After an extended delay, I'm happy to announce that the third volume in the ongoing saga of Jacqueline Talbot, "Lost in the Shadows," is now live! This has been many months in the making, and is, without a doubt, my favorite book in this series. Alright, enough about me. How about some promotional info?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>In the shadows, you can even hide from yourself…</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When Jacqueline Talbot was in foster care, she often dreamed
of being reunited with her father. Now she sees him every day, along with her
long-dead mother. Together, they protect a world on the brink of collapse by
fighting monsters from neighboring dimensions. Despite this harrowing
existence, Jacqueline is actually happy. So happy, in fact, that she doesn’t
realize she doesn’t belong here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Back in the real world, Mitzy Sarin and the Otakus face
problems of their own. Not only are Jacqueline’s friends dealing with the fact
that she’s up and disappeared, they also seem to each have developed
awe-inspiring new talents. They’ll need them too, because in Jacqueline’s
absence, reality is starting to fracture. More and more creatures are slipping
through the cracks. Natural disasters abound.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The only way to set the world right again is to get
Jacqueline back home. But her friends need to act quickly, because the
Nightwatch aren’t the only ones looking for her.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Now available at most outlets:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Shadows-Infinity-Trials-3/dp/198567601X">Amazon (Paperback)</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Shadows-Infinity-Trials-Book-ebook/dp/B07C7P1Q38">Amazon (Ebook)</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lost-in-the-shadows-robert-j-duperre/1128513053">Barnes & Noble</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/lost-in-the-shadows-7">Kobo</a></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Robert_J_Duperre_Lost_in_the_Shadows_The_Infinity?id=g8VVDwAAQBAJ">Google Play</a></b></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-422093989689509172017-09-25T16:52:00.000-04:002017-09-25T16:52:00.200-04:00REVIEW: Grim (Reaper's Redemption Book 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6qJVbm4-Bvll66ltDbJAntTEBYA4WCiJzUUnwEdc_wo7RvxifiA2parOR2a2ChRCp-lC8ByZsAi7ymQUq4-vf2yy7aMY46SDl37Z-2puqRxisHMekipec8rNbKAb3lpkVetDn_wKnqkT/s1600/Grim+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT6qJVbm4-Bvll66ltDbJAntTEBYA4WCiJzUUnwEdc_wo7RvxifiA2parOR2a2ChRCp-lC8ByZsAi7ymQUq4-vf2yy7aMY46SDl37Z-2puqRxisHMekipec8rNbKAb3lpkVetDn_wKnqkT/s400/Grim+cover.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: red;">Rating: 5 out of 5</span></div>
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A while back, I reviewed a fascinating literary novel titled
“Anomaly” that chronicled a few days in the life of a tortured gender-fluid
character named J. The book completely surprised me, and I fell in love with
it. (Unfortunately, that particular title is no longer in print, so the world
has lost out on reading it…for now.) So when I found out that the author of
that little gem, one Thea Atkinson, had pivoted her peculiar talents toward
Urban Fantasy, I just HAD to pick up a copy of “Grim” and see for myself how
someone with a unique voice such as hers would tackle the genre.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And let me tell you, she tackled it perfectly.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“Grim” is a gem of a book. It is the story of Ayla, a young
girl on the cusp of womanhood whose life has been anything but easy. As a child
of the foster care system, she has all the insecurities and hang-ups of someone
who’s shuffled from home to home. Her distrust lingers even now that she’s
found relative safety living with her grandfather in the town of <st1:city>Dyre</st1:city>
(great naming there). She’s a contradiction, as most real people are—flawed yet
idealistic, fragile yet brimming with inner strength.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Atkinson doesn’t waste time, as the story starts with a
bang, an encounter with a strange, tattooed killer in an old gothic church. It
is this initial confrontation, and all the horror that goes with it, that
begins a breakneck two days for our young, ornery heroine. There are secrets
revealed almost immediately, both supernatural and otherwise. The author sure
knows how to frame a fight scene, and the action is excellently paced. When
reading this book, there really is not time to stop and catch your breath,
which only adds to the urgency of the tale.</div>
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As with “Anomaly,” Atkinson shows off her biggest talent:
the depth of her characters. The story is told through Ayla’s eyes, so
obviously she is very well developed, but the rest of the cast, from her
grandfather, to Callum the young and seemingly conflicted firefighter, to
Ayla’s witchy friend Sarah, leap of the page in real-time. All three of them are
complex individuals disguised as genre tropes, which makes them at once
relatable and utterly mysterious.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And oh, the mysteries! One of the areas that I’ve seen most
authors struggle with when creating any fantasy world is makeup and definition
of the world itself. World-building, if you will. Here, Atkinson shows an
almost saintly amount of patience. Even though we learn almost immediately of
what Ayla’s big secret is, the functionality around that secret, the rules of
engagement, and the underlying mythology are doles out bits and pieces at a
time, sprinkled here and there throughout the narrative, slowly building the
universe like a puzzle.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Being the first book in a series, of course that puzzle
isn’t completed by the time the last chapter comes to a close. But what’s
revealed up until that point is more than enough to have the reader pining to
get to the next book. Which, really, is what the opening volume of a series is
all about.</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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So yes, “Grim” is a great little book, and way more than it
seems at first blush. The earnestness that drips like viscera just below the
genus of the common is more than enough to make me honestly say, “More, please,
and right freaking now.”<br />
<br />
Purchase "Grim" at the following outlets:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Grim-Reapers-Redemption-Book-1-ebook/dp/B01MRCHHNM"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Amazon</span></a><br />
<a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grim-thea-atkinson/1125551944"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Barnes and Noble</span></a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/grim/id1199784000"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">iTunes</span></a><br />
<a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Thea_Atkinson_Grim?id=OOG9DgAAQBAJ"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Google Play</span></a></div>
RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-67733170522156950502017-05-08T15:55:00.000-04:002017-05-08T15:55:49.406-04:00NEW BOOK RELEASE: INFINITY TRIALS #2It's finally here. The 2nd book in the ongoing story of Jacqueline Talbot, "Wolves at the Door," is now available across most platforms. Here's a little about the book:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8phqCo0dP3C99Y-b2F-7VekLMaKzIB9yUGdE0m8ss1LSkp5Cxb7Xiy3vgr7y6Q5KCNvEO43RxTUWMrxyieKgG6kQ4kp64IA5L9fqY1_VXVEVMoQcWR6AQ-M1X7ZYSyJGY7i80yKZBChkM/s1600/WolvesFrontCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8phqCo0dP3C99Y-b2F-7VekLMaKzIB9yUGdE0m8ss1LSkp5Cxb7Xiy3vgr7y6Q5KCNvEO43RxTUWMrxyieKgG6kQ4kp64IA5L9fqY1_VXVEVMoQcWR6AQ-M1X7ZYSyJGY7i80yKZBChkM/s320/WolvesFrontCover.jpg" width="205" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">WOLVES AT THE DOOR</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Sometimes, a girl just wants to be a girl...</b><br />
<b><br /></b>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Now that the cat’s out of the bag, the other secrets regarding Jacqueline Talbot’s past—and future—begin to come clear. It’s a lot for a sixteen-year-old girl to deal with, especially when she’s told that the fate of the world rests on her shoulders. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Jacqueline now must prepare herself to take on the rest of the Trials; the only problem is, no one’s really sure what they are. Not even her aunt, who seems to know a little too much about everything. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">At least she has her support system to help her through it all. But that system is as fragile as everything else in Jacqueline’s troubled life. Just one small misstep and it could all be over…for everyone.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Purchase now at the following outlets:</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wolves-Door-Infinity-Trials-Book-ebook/dp/B072HQVGCB">Amazon (Ebook)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wolves-Infinity-Trials-Robert-Duperre/dp/1544781482">Amazon (Paperback)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wolves-at-the-door-robert-duperre/1126348110">Barnes & Noble</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/wolves-at-the-door-5">Kobo</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Robert_J_Duperre_Wolves_at_the_Door_The_Infinity_T?id=PuvMDgAAQBAJ">Google Play</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">iTunes coming soon!</span>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-60268048170218329592017-04-15T11:59:00.000-04:002017-04-15T12:04:09.776-04:00PROJECT UPDATES: April 2017<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s a wonderful season here in rural <st1:state>Connecticut</st1:state>.
Spring is in the air; the days are getting warmer, the trees are starting to
bud, chipmunks and squirrels are skittering about, and the grill’s been broken
out on more than one occasion. Also, this is the most productive time of year
for me, so allow me to fill you all in on what I’m currently working on, what’s
steamrolling down the pipeline, and what’s still to come.<br />
<br />
Let’s start with a biggie.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">SOULTAKER</span></b><br />
<br />
The first book in my planned <i>Knights Eternal</i> trilogy, slated to be
released by <a href="https://www.ragnarokpub.com/" target="_blank"><b>Ragnarok Publications</b></a> in July of this year. Since the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Soultaker-Knights-Eternal-Robert-Duperre/dp/1945528044" target="_blank"><b>pre-order for the paperback is already up over at Amazon</b></a>, this is a good time to reveal the splendid cover that <a href="https://pablofernandez.artstation.com/" target="_blank"><b>artist Pablo Fernandez</b></a> created:</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1tq4cqt0aIjZOPq3EJaguO54-tuGABbWEbQPl8g1irmXs6DrPEV3JBKRu5sfURkIIhFEE-iRzfIljKWD0eHiDE4Pxco1995dIUsjzwzQQZuzKczCDryB-UzMUdDr5frriOm-WSuhJSJR/s1600/Soultaker-eCover900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig1tq4cqt0aIjZOPq3EJaguO54-tuGABbWEbQPl8g1irmXs6DrPEV3JBKRu5sfURkIIhFEE-iRzfIljKWD0eHiDE4Pxco1995dIUsjzwzQQZuzKczCDryB-UzMUdDr5frriOm-WSuhJSJR/s400/Soultaker-eCover900.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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Amazing, right? I’m pretty damn excited about this tale finally seeing the
light of day. I’ll have more on the project as we move closer to the release
date.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">WOLVES AT THE DOOR</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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The 2<sup>nd</sup> book of <i>The Infinity Trials </i>is finished, coming in at a brisk 344 printed pages. Editing is done, proofing
has been completed, and formatting is mostly all set. All I’m waiting on now is
a cover, which <a href="http://www.epilogue.net/gallery/ruined" target="_blank"><b>Jesse Young</b></a> is currently slaving over and should be finished with…soon-ish.
As soon as said cover is done, all it will take is a short amount of
workshopping—perhaps two, three days, tops—along with finishing the formatting,
and then it will be available for purchase. So get ready for more dark
adventures from Jacqueline Talbot and her band of misfits. It’s gonna be a good
one.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">
LOST IN THE SHADOWS</span></b><br />
<br />
The 3<sup>rd</sup> <i>Infinity Trials </i>book is also finished, from a pure
writing perspective. I’ll be sending the manuscript out to my editors and
proof-readers some time in the next two weeks. Of course, I’ll also need a
cover for this one too, which means I’ll be putting Jesse to work again very,
very soon. No rest for the wicked, eh?<br />
<br />
Right now, we’re looking at a mid- to late-July release. Hopefully, that’ll
come to fruition, but I can say, with a smidge of confidence, that we won’t be
pushing too far past that time. This is, so far, my favorite of the Jacqueline
books, one where I got to experiment a little bit. It's also by far the longest, coming in at a sizable 460 printed pages. I hope you’ll all be as
happy with the outcome as I am.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>
QUEEN OF THE DEAD</b></span><br />
<br />
As of this moment, I’m approximately 33% finished with the rough draft of this
novel, which will be the 4<sup>th</sup>—and penultimate—volume of <i>The
Infinity Trials</i>. This one has been proving slightly problematic, but in a
way that will end up being positive for the reader. I’ve had to keep myself
honest, beginning the process of tying up all the loose ends I’ve created over
the previous three installments. It can be a painful process, but the payoff
will be spectacular. That much I can guarantee.<br />
<br />
My soft prediction is that this book will be released a week before Halloween,
a good time for something called <i>Queen of the Dead </i>to see the light of
day. I’ll certainly keep you updated as progress moves along.<br />
<br />
And finally…<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: x-large;">
WIE<st1:stockticker>DER</st1:stockticker>GEBOREN: THE ETERNAL RETURN OF EDWIN
VYSE</span></b><br />
<br />
As <i>Boy in the Mirror </i>is the only <i>Infinity Trials </i>novel to
have been released as of this moment, readers have only just briefly been
introduced to Edwin Vyse, who is rather important to the plot moving forward. The
character is based on a short story I wrote many years ago. He has a rich
history, and I feel that history needs its own outlet, as it’s a little too
involved to include fully in the scope of Jacqueline’s story.<br />
<br />
My plan is to take the next two months and completely rewrite that original
story, lengthening it and turning it into a novelette/novella. I’ll be doing
this using what is normally my “reading time,” aka the free moments available
to me at my day job. Therefore, the book I’m reading right now—<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Husk-D-P-Prior-ebook/dp/B00NB4251Y" target="_blank"><b>the indomitably awesome Husk, written by old favorite D.P. Prior</b></a>—will constitute the
last review to appear on this blog until this story is finished.<br />
<br />
Once completed, I plan on releasing <i>Wiedergeboren </i>as both a cheap read
and a freebie gift for those who sign up for my newsletter. For those who’re
longstanding fans (I know who you are), I’ll gladly send out a complimentary
copy if you so desire.<br />
<br />
And…that’s about it for today! We’ll chat again soon, folks. Until then, I’ll
keep my nose down, and keep on workin’.<o:p></o:p></div>
RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-16694831226881737072017-04-09T12:22:00.000-04:002017-04-09T12:26:27.627-04:00REVIEW: Queen of the Void (The Void Queen Trilogy Book 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgvbEZpdW3MMHbQ6iwPWCo_PdFMooLFtsJBpvTaDDAl_Ier1WmyD44WNv6GDGilNTaZCvLrdv7FNu6BParfqGc4oTsywGZjtp9-dzKqB0T5U5Pxs22nMKLp6epPXISsWdW9Uo7WPI1F7d/s1600/void+queen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgvbEZpdW3MMHbQ6iwPWCo_PdFMooLFtsJBpvTaDDAl_Ier1WmyD44WNv6GDGilNTaZCvLrdv7FNu6BParfqGc4oTsywGZjtp9-dzKqB0T5U5Pxs22nMKLp6epPXISsWdW9Uo7WPI1F7d/s400/void+queen.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red;">Rating: 5 out of 5</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Michael Wallace is an author who cut his teeth on fantasy, then
made a name for himself writing gothic contemporary thrillers, and moved on to
finding even more success in historical fiction.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So obviously, when I went to dive into science fiction again
after years of ignoring the genre, he’s the author I chose.</div>
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<br /></div>
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It ended up being a very wise choice.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A positive aspect of authors who find success in multiple
genres is that the aspects of those different genres bleed into, even precept,
their current projects. In <i>Queen of the Void</i>, the first novel in the <i>Void
Queen </i>trilogy, Wallace uses this to great success. What the author has
created is a universe hundreds of years in the future, where space travel is
the norm and alien races have both been discovered and warred against, that reinvents facets of his vast knowledge of fantasy and history.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a space opera that borrows from our real, earth-time
history. It’s a reimagining of the height of the <st1:place>British Empire</st1:place>,
set on starships in the middle of the inky blackness of space instead of the
Celtic, North, and Norwegian seas. The various cultural sects directly correlate
to the players of 11<sup>th</sup>- to 15<sup>th</sup>-century European history:
Albionese are the Britons at the height of their colonialism; the Landino
represent Spain, Britain’s sometimes-ally and explorers of the high seas; the
Singaporians call on the Song Dynasty’s ingenuity and technological
advancements; and finally, the Scandians, the Vikings of lore, only here
Wallace subverts expectations—instead of a plague bringing an end to the
constant raiding and occupation of a hyper-aggressive people, it instead serves
as the reason for their burgeoning bloodlust. Rather brilliant, if you ask me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The story itself is rather simple: Catarina Vargas, the
youngest daughter in a longtime pirate family, has decided to settle her own
isolated nook of the galaxy. Only her plans are thwarted by the Albionese Royal
Navy, who then bring her on to help set up an outpost in Scandian space, to
allow for the Navy to build a supply line for a continuation of a war with aliens
(bird-like beings called Apex) that is sure to come. Of course, wackiness
ensues, and it’s all rather glorious.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wallace has done a lot of work to invent a concept of space
travel and warfare that is believable, and again based on very real history.
The concept of traveling through jump points to different sections of the
universe is an old one, but the author does a bang-up job of making it not so
easy of a proposition. The prospect of space-warfare-as-naval-battle is another
tried and true model, used here to an effect that almost borders on
hyper-realism. I really can’t say enough about how expertly these battle scenes
are put together, how well they flow, and how gripping they feel. It all just
seems so <i>real</i>, even the parts you know are logically impossible, which
is the highest praise you can give to a work of science fiction.</div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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In closing, let me say yes, this book is awesome. I’ll be
checking out the rest of the series soon, and then likely dive into the set of
novels Wallace published before this, titled <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Starship-Blackbeard-Complete-Michael-Wallace-ebook/dp/B018ZSRBKA">Starship Blackbeard</a></i>, which
takes place in the same universe. So get this book, people. It’s a hell of a
smart, enjoyable ride. You’ll have a good time, no matter what genre you
prefer.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LZKU357">Purchase this book on Amazon, or read for free with Kindle Unlimited.</a></div>
RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-60203391683321070652017-04-01T12:45:00.000-04:002017-04-01T12:45:02.622-04:00REVIEW: Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu: A Tale of Atomic Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmIfd3tziKqaVnCcfxb4Xk1C2RlpAtefnbTUB-RiicQJdzn9fBwTVDhCzjDOR0oKgUEcgez6pKi_lMaP5b5jEIfbsobkHrPbBMNkjQ9_S5rOi-OC_OxWYeLg8kUQBnSvQIcpF6gYogTaQ/s1600/montessa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZmIfd3tziKqaVnCcfxb4Xk1C2RlpAtefnbTUB-RiicQJdzn9fBwTVDhCzjDOR0oKgUEcgez6pKi_lMaP5b5jEIfbsobkHrPbBMNkjQ9_S5rOi-OC_OxWYeLg8kUQBnSvQIcpF6gYogTaQ/s400/montessa.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;">Rating: 5 out of 5</span></div>
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Life isn’t always cut-and-dry. Sometimes, the most terrible
of circumstances can directly lead to the most wondrous acts of creation. A personal
tragedy can spur an artist to craft their life’s seminal work. Addiction can result
in the addict steering an otherwise ill-fated existence onto a path of hopefulness.
Society can rally around a national catastrophe, bringing people together,
opening up pathways to communication and goodwill. This is true even on a
cosmic scale, when something as violent as the Big Bang leads to the creation
of life, itself.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And sometimes, an abused woman and a serial killer can find
love, because existence can be the darkest of jokes, whose punch-line is hidden
beneath layer after layer of human frailty. It is a play in ten thousand
disjointed acts without an ending. A contradiction that is at once both
alluring and terrifying.</div>
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<i>Apocalyptic Montessa and Nuclear Lulu </i>is all of this,
and so much more.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Mercedes Yardley, as an author, is herself a contradiction.
Her work is darkly whimsical, gorgeously macabre, optimistically cynical, and outwardly
aloof, with a dash of cheerful angst thrown in for good measure. Her gift with
prose is magical; she’s very nearly creating long-form poetry, channeling every
bit of darkness you could imagine, stuffing it into a black hole, churning and
squeezing and choking the emotions for all they’re worth, and spitting out
something absolutely breathtaking on the other side.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I really cannot say enough about this book. Sure, you can likely
find many antagonists as depraved as Lulu the serial killer. Yes, there have
often been Fallen Woman heroines that are as lonely, pathetic, and cursed as Montessa.
But you would be hard pressed to find another work of fiction that could
demonstrate as much dreadful wonder in their mutual discovery of each other.
One is evil, the other tortured; together, their story is somber, ugly, and yet
eye-mistingly wonderful.</div>
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And yes, there is a message lurking within the beautiful
prose, hidden in the glint of Lulu’s First Kill Knife. Buried beneath the
layers of Montessa’s abuse. Lingering inside the suffocating miasma of ambiguity
that governs both of their thoughts.</div>
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But what that message is, is up to you to decide.</div>
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That is the last contradiction Yardley has given you.</div>
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Damn, how I love this appallingly beautiful book.</div>
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I think I’ve found a new favorite.</div>
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Purchase this book at:</div>
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<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01C66KZ4G">Amazon</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/apocalyptic-montessa-and-nuclear-lulu-mercedes-m-yardley/1124784167">Barnes & Noble</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/apocalyptic-montessa-and-nuclear-lulu-a-tale-of-atomic-love">Kobo</a></div>
RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-77513759019663173662017-03-26T17:15:00.001-04:002017-03-26T17:15:42.599-04:00REVIEW: Shadow Sight (Ivy Granger, Psychic Detective Book 1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUDYiVWNNaX0PC4sigBB2zr4NDxXBRRvYxiNjuyix6R4inBMqx-TL4e-iDoGMIaH9yDFETzOZuhr_VcRdfldT_PU7yYIdBQ4hUiPM5ByUuOInnNzD1bO-6J5OSSQwBhs7BrTA9Am7wCS0/s1600/shadow+sight.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUDYiVWNNaX0PC4sigBB2zr4NDxXBRRvYxiNjuyix6R4inBMqx-TL4e-iDoGMIaH9yDFETzOZuhr_VcRdfldT_PU7yYIdBQ4hUiPM5ByUuOInnNzD1bO-6J5OSSQwBhs7BrTA9Am7wCS0/s320/shadow+sight.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b>RATING: 4.5/5</b></div>
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It’s been quite a long time since I’ve written a review of
any sort, so I figured that diving into a sure thing would be the best possible
way to reacquaint myself with the process. So I chose a book by E.J. Stevens.
Why?</div>
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<br /></div>
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Because for me, E.J. Stevens is pretty much the definition
of a sure thing.</div>
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I’d read Stevens’ <i>Spirit Guide </i>series years ago, and
given how much I appreciated the furthering adventures of young Yuki Stennings
and her odd penchant for smelling the things dead people wanted to show her, I
figured that <i>Shadow Sight </i>would offer me more of the same.</div>
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I was only sort of right about that.</div>
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<i>Shadow Sight</i>, which follows Ivy Granger, another
quirkily-named and supernaturally-gifted protagonist, wasn’t totally what I
expected. It isn’t stereotypically Young Adult—all the main characters being
are in their mid-twenties, and there are many very adult references that snuck
their way into the text—yet still carries that prevailing “innocence of
discovery” that marks a lot of YA literature. Only is goes way further.</div>
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Ivy’s a psychic detective, you see, operating (with the help
of her assistant/best friend Jinx) out of the fictional coastal city of <st1:city>Harborsmouth</st1:city>.
The location itself is where we find the most separation from traditional YA
fare. Harborsmouth is chock-full of fantastic creatures, a veritable fae
nesting ground that every mythical beast, from hobgoblins to vampires to
succubi to kelpies and selkies, call home. Myths are effortlessly blended from many
different areas of the world, and many religious/spiritual beliefs, as well. This
is some epic world-building, with Stevens seemingly calling on the Lovecraftian
constructs of Innsmouth, Arkham, and Dunwich—places where the barrier
separating the real world from the fantastical one is thin at best.</div>
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The painstaking way Stevens builds her world does tend to
bring with it the one and only fault I can see in this book, in that
descriptions placed in the middle of character interactions can occasionally
make the communication feel clunky, full of stops and starts. However, this is
really a minor critique, as, just like with <i>Spirit Guide</i>, the author
demonstrates an adept talent for dialogue, and these instances are the
exception rather than the norm.</div>
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The plot itself was surprising to me, much grander than I
expected, with far more at stake. The action is descriptive and raw. When there
is loss and horror to be seen, the reader does indeed see it, though there is
care demonstrated here as well, a sort of sensitivity that would allow even a
sensitive booklover reach the end without becoming revolted.</div>
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But the place where Stevens really shines is her characters.
Ivy is front and center, of course, a somewhat hesitant heroine who, because of
the volatile nature of her “gift” (she sees visions of the past whenever
touching an object—any object—with her bare flesh), has become riddled with
phobias and prone to irritation. Which makes her both fresh and very
believable. Every character Ivy interacts with, from Jinx, to her ancient
witch/mage-friend Kaye, to the unfortunate juvenile troll Marvin and Kaye’s
house goblin Hob, has their own distinct personality and way of speaking. Each
is a joy to read, and made turning the page that much more of a pleasing
experience.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
Overall, this is a truly entertaining bit of fiction, with
high stakes and a ton of heart, and which sets the stage for what promise to be
exciting adventures to come. Count me among those who’ll be diving into Ivy’s
next adventure very soon.<br />
<br />
Click on the following links to purchase <i>Shadow Sight</i>:<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Sight-Granger-Psychic-Detective-ebook/dp/B008GN32I0">Amazon</a><br />
<a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-sight-ej-stevens/1111925934">Barnes & Noble</a><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/audiobook/shadow-sight-ivy-granger-psychic/id640852049">ITunes</a><br />
<a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/shadow-sight">Kobo</a><br />
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<br />RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-46616984867020474002015-12-06T20:28:00.002-05:002015-12-06T20:31:19.631-05:00The Great Glitterbeard ChallengeIn 2011, I was feeling in a rut. I had a book to write, and the idea was solid in my head, but for whatever reason, my inspiration failed me. In order to remedy the situation, I called a good friend of mine and challenged her to a writing competition. The details of the challenge aren't necessarily important; what <i>is </i>important is the fact that simply being engaged in a challenge that <i>I could actually lose</i> spurred me onward. I put my head down and worked, and in forty-eight days later, I put the finishing touches on a little book called <i>Silas</i>.<br />
<br />
So here we are, almost five years later, and I find myself in the same position. I've been putting off writing the third book in the <i>Covenant </i>series, and it's time for me to find a way to kick myself in the ass. That means I had to get back in contact with my old friend and together cobble together another challenge that will help put our production into overdrive.<br />
<br />
So hey, <a href="http://abrokenlaptop.com/">Mercedes Yardley</a>...<i>I CHALLENGE YOU!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pSPGY1DkYXTu_zZwOBdiY0D_RI-hGG3D90-e7miqve3JMCnz7-KlYvBSqLiseMRiSrMyYeG6th9bQsV1stzIkMbu27hXGoS1h4L3nptnQichaRnZD5Ro230QUO-56b6Vr5mi_4DlMuUC/s1600/Sadie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-pSPGY1DkYXTu_zZwOBdiY0D_RI-hGG3D90-e7miqve3JMCnz7-KlYvBSqLiseMRiSrMyYeG6th9bQsV1stzIkMbu27hXGoS1h4L3nptnQichaRnZD5Ro230QUO-56b6Vr5mi_4DlMuUC/s200/Sadie.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>
<i><br /></i>
Yup, that's her. And okay, she was the one who actually put forth the challenge to me when I complained about not feeling motivated, but hey, let's not split hairs, okay?<br />
<br />
So this is the way this challenge will work: Once the starting gun sounds tomorrow morning, the first writer to reach 90,000 words combined in their various projects wins. It's simple, right? That's the beauty of it. And you know what else is beautiful? The fact that winning pretty much means you're the awesomest awesomesause in awesomeland.<br />
<br />
But for the loser...ah, the loser. Here's the catch. Public embarrassment is always a great motivator, right? Of course it is. Which is why Mercedes proposed that the loser has to dress themselves up in a glitter beard, take a picture, and use that as their public profile picture for a whole month. A WHOLE DAMN MONTH! And in case you don't know what such a thing as a glitter beard might look like, well...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ks9lVj5rwHvJeOELwo68nHseoVF5CnuQMfwnjlLKPvhUHMBEbA1wA2GszlPguu7d0IJ_LespF7y5fz4lm0fEJS_1uUNpMWDTibSQCZa6OvyYte79Dsd5Bb88RbrOEWwZluKvyMt-glHU/s1600/glitterbeard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Ks9lVj5rwHvJeOELwo68nHseoVF5CnuQMfwnjlLKPvhUHMBEbA1wA2GszlPguu7d0IJ_LespF7y5fz4lm0fEJS_1uUNpMWDTibSQCZa6OvyYte79Dsd5Bb88RbrOEWwZluKvyMt-glHU/s320/glitterbeard.jpg" width="318" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Or something like that.<br />
<br />
As you can plainly see, this is not a challenge either of is will be keen on losing. Oh the humanity! And to keep myself honest, I'll be sure to post regular word-count updates. When? Not entirely sure. It's a work in progress, I say with a shrug.<br />
<br />
So there you have it. Once again, the gauntlet has been thrown, Mrs. Yardley.<br />
<br />
Let the best alien being win!<br />
<br />
(And I'll likely be greeting everyone glittered up in a few months. Dammit.)<br />
<br />
Check out Mercedes' blog, <a href="http://abrokenlaptop.com/"><span style="color: red;">A Broken Laptop</span></a>, or visit her <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mercedes-M.-Yardley/e/B006B9MFA2/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_2"><span style="color: red;">Amazon Author Page</span></a>. Trust me, it's worth it.RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-39380402047692999352015-04-06T10:05:00.000-04:002015-04-06T10:05:34.193-04:00Spring Sale & Pre-Order NewsTaking a break from writing today to tell everyone that until Sunday, April 12th, the first Covenant book, <i>The Mirror of Souls</i>, is on sale across all venues. Mostly it's listed at 99<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">¢, though there might be a slightly higher price on Google Play. Below is the list of venues. Just click on the name to obtain your copy:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Souls-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00R9PCV7Y/ref=sr_1_3_twi_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1428328205&sr=8-3&keywords=robert+j+duperre">Amazon</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mirror-Souls-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00R9PCV7Y">Amazon UK</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-mirror-of-souls">Kobo</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mirror-of-souls-rj-duperre/1121090895?ean=9781505564150">Barnes & Noble</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://play.google.com/store/books/details/RJ_Duperre_The_Mirror_of_Souls?id=nms9BgAAQBAJ">Google Play</a></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;">Also, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that the 2nd book in the series, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Chalice-Sorrows-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00V12MAT0">The Chalice of Sorrows</a></i>, is currently available for pre-order on Amazon, with a firm release date of June 20th. Here's the cover:</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Chalice-Sorrows-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00V12MAT0"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZdtGc6efisNMsCWypjPsHvdEEVmGOI1rx6VL40hck7icDzwvlKvbQhpte7Nem-h4GPKVDL-Pnr4dlySG3Ei0vW9Jj5FW3_kRJixn59MvXrTQuwP2RR5RvCrDQMNsH8RimGqEqjNprHIuU/s1600/RJ+Duperre_TheChaliceOfSorrows_1400px.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;">For those who're curious...yes, that's Jordan!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;">Unfortunately, gaining readership for this series has proven a bit difficult. With this in mind, I'm offering up this second book for the same 99</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;">¢ that the first book is on sale for. The only difference being, this book will be 99</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;">¢ <i>UNTIL THE DATE OF PUBLICATION! </i>After that, however, it will be raised to the standard price of $3.99.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;">In other words, for the next six days, you can get both these books for less than two bucks. And for the next two-plus months, you can pre-order the second book for less than a dollar. It's a win-win all around, people!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 24px; text-align: center;">Here's the link to the pre-order: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Chalice-Sorrows-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00V12MAT0">THE CHALICE OF SORROWS</a></span><br />
<br />
And the blurb:<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: white;">Now that the cat’s out of the bag, the other secrets regarding Jacqueline Talbot’s past—and future—begin to come clear. It’s a lot for a sixteen-year-old girl to deal with, especially when she’s told that the fate of the world rests on her shoulders. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">Jacqueline now must prepare herself to take on the rest of the Trials; the only problem is, no one’s really sure what they are. Not even her aunt, who seems to know a little too much about everything. </span><br style="background-color: white;" /><br style="background-color: white;" /><span style="background-color: white;">At least she has her support system to help her through it all. But that system is as fragile as everything else in Jacqueline’s troubled life. Just one small misstep and it could all be over…for everyone.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">So peace, everyone, and happy reading!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">RJD</span>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-39572600831169295442015-01-25T11:28:00.000-05:002015-01-25T11:28:39.662-05:00Goodreads GiveawayI'll be handing out four copies, so get on this now!<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/" target="_new">Goodreads</a> Book Giveaway
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24306090"><img alt="The Mirror of Souls by R.J. Duperre" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1420482768l/24306090.jpg" title="The Mirror of Souls by R.J. Duperre" width="100" /></a>
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24306090">The Mirror of Souls</a>
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by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12038017.R_J_Duperre" style="text-decoration: none;">R.J. Duperre</a>
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<div class="giveaway_details">
Giveaway ends February 05, 2015.
<br />
See the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/121667" style="text-decoration: none;">giveaway details</a>
at Goodreads.
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<a class="goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink" href="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/enter_choose_address/121667">Enter to win</a>
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<script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/121667" type="text/javascript"></script>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-68878744798603295322015-01-22T10:00:00.000-05:002015-01-22T10:00:06.932-05:00RELEASE DAY! The Mirror of Souls<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Guess what day it is? That's right, it's Thursday!</div>
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Er, wait a sec...</div>
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Oh, that's right. It's actually the day "The Mirror of Souls", the first book in the new <i>Covenant </i>series, is released! To say I'm a little excited about this series is an understatement. I've been thinking about this plot, and these characters, for so long that it's a little surreal that there's finally words on a printed page for everyone to read. It's been a labor of love and pain, but well worth it. Jacqueline Talbot's live, people!</div>
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The book can be purchased in e-book form at <u><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Souls-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00R9PCV7Y">Amazon</a></u>, <u><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mirror-of-souls-rj-duperre/1121090895">Barnes & Noble</a></u>, and <u><a href="http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-mirror-of-souls">Kobobooks</a></u>. Google Play is in the process of uploading, and let's just call ITunes a work-in-progress. For the time being, the paperback is only available at Amazon (all countries).</div>
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So please, read and enjoy, and make sure you write a review! As always, I can be contacted via email at rjduperreauthor@gmail.com.</div>
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LONG LIVE BOOKS!</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">THE MIRROR OF SOULS (COVENANT BOOK 1)</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fifteen-year-old Jacqueline Talbot's boyfriend Mal lives in the mirror of her makeup case. But then there's never been anything normal about Jacqueline, nor it seems her new hometown of Mercy Hills.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">With rumors of actual monsters in the woods, the popular kids taking an unhealthy interest in her, and the revealing of her own dark past, all Jacqueline wants to do is run away forever with Mal. Too bad he's trapped in the mirror.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">But when she learns the ancient forces of the town want to destroy everything she loves, the race is on to free the boy in the mirror, because he just might be the only one who knows how to stop them.</span></div>
RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-17861778903147770112015-01-01T15:16:00.000-05:002015-01-01T15:18:05.249-05:00Request for reviews: ARCs now availableAs I wrote in my previous blog post, <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Souls-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00R9PCV7Y">The Mirror of Souls</a> </i>will be live in a scant 21 days. With that in mind, and having received a good number of betas back from my proofreaders, it's about time for me to start sending the call out for reviews.<br />
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If you would like an Advance Review Copy of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Souls-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00R9PCV7Y">The Mirror of Souls</a></i>, please email me at rjduperreauthor@gmail.com and write "ARC Request" in the title. In the body of the email, tell me whether you require a .mobi (Kindle), .epub (Nook), or simply a PDF of the book, and I will send it on its way.<br />
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All I ask in return for these giveaways is a fair and honest review on Amazon (or whatever platform you use, aka Barnes & Noble or Kobo) when you are finished. Even though the release date for the Kindle isn't until January 22nd, it will be available at most other outlets ten days before that date, and the paperback will be live as well. Any words there, even if it's just a couple, would be greatly appreciated. This I beg of you.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyzKvq1G5y01QZJdF9lEouIig52-FxduXM31OoY6LLEe-afKozgqsVoYNvQWv6gTLavN2sQ6Ggnz7tREWJT0qPKhHVN0e8JYIHh9NBGBkB_1unA7ScZfnCdtR4TGjS347BIi6EBWgczsz/s1600/begging.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyzKvq1G5y01QZJdF9lEouIig52-FxduXM31OoY6LLEe-afKozgqsVoYNvQWv6gTLavN2sQ6Ggnz7tREWJT0qPKhHVN0e8JYIHh9NBGBkB_1unA7ScZfnCdtR4TGjS347BIi6EBWgczsz/s1600/begging.jpg" height="243" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thank you in advance, and I look forward to hearing from you.<br />
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Rob DRJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-5378014035306298802014-12-20T13:41:00.003-05:002014-12-20T13:43:16.017-05:00COVER REVEAL: THE MIRROR OF SOULSThree years ago, I wrote a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Silas-Supernatural-Thriller-Robert-Duperre-ebook/dp/B0053NYMVC"><i>Silas</i></a>. In that book was a young girl named Jacqueline Talbot, whose character I've been thinking about for a long, long time. I said then that I would one day write her story, and a few months ago, I began to do just that.<br />
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That's right, folks. The first book in the <i>Covenant </i>series, <b><i>The Mirror of Souls</i></b>, is soon to be published. For the first time ever, here's the cover:<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Souls-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00R9PCV7Y"><img alt="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Souls-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00R9PCV7Y" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCCwdbGU50K-WSydDxNIJrPT_MCicJMDNjkjeezLuabJylXXiVrsNMqGcYXj2UMLmw_vRi5S-gYWbyaSMhyIXhIqNE9Nrl5_kr6TmU2Z7CtDsMXlAZm1BYrqtXtlkSV59KT-ZzX1aCXllZ/s1600/RJ+Duperre_TheMirrorOfSouls_2500px.jpg" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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Product description:<br />
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<b>Fifteen-year-old Jacqueline Talbot’s boyfriend Mal lives in the mirror
of her makeup case. But then there’s never been anything normal about
Jacqueline, nor it seems her new hometown of Mercy Hills.
<br />
<br />With rumors of actual monsters in the woods, the popular kids taking
an unhealthy interest in her, and the revealing of her own dark past,
all Jacqueline wants to do is run away forever with Mal. Too bad he’s
trapped in the mirror.
<br />
<br />But when she learns the ancient forces of the town want to destroy
everything she loves, the race is on to free the boy in the mirror,
because he just might be the only one who knows how to stop them.</b> <br />
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The book is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Souls-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00R9PCV7Y">currently on pre-order over at Amazon</a>, and I plan on making it available across most platforms come its January 22nd release. This book (and series) is Young Adult with a horror slant. It'll be my first solo new release in over two years, and I'm quite excited about it. (Writing all those books with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=the+breaking+world+david+dalglish&rh=n%3A133140011%2Ck%3Athe+breaking+world+david+dalglish">David Dalglish</a> sure took a lot out of me!) Currently, I'm working on the 2nd book (<i>The Chalice of Desire</i>), with a tentative publication date at the end of April.<br />
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In the meantime, there will be another announcement coming in the next few weeks to add even further excitement! I will also be posting the prologue to <i>The Mirror of Souls</i> shortly. So until then, read a good book, dammit! Preferably one of mine!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mirror-Souls-Covenant-Book-ebook/dp/B00R9PCV7Y">THE MIRROR OF SOULS PRE-ORDER (CLICK TO PURCHASE)</a><br />
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<br />RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-804471507344676282014-02-25T21:19:00.000-05:002014-02-25T21:20:13.646-05:00All about me!<style>
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</style>Would you look at that. I haven’t posted anything to this
blog in over a year. To think I used to post three or four times a week. And
almost none of them were about myself. Madness!<br />
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Well, to keep with the theme, I guess I have to write about
myself again. A lot of stuff has gone on since I announced the sale of<i> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/98716-the-breaking-world">The Breaking World</a></i> to <a href="http://www.apub.com/imprint-detail?imprint=5">47North</a>, and I should really get all
those who’re interested updated.</div>
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First off, all three books in the initial run of the fantasy
series Dave and I wrote are now complete. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Swords-Breaking-World-David-Dalglish-ebook/dp/B00CL0FAR0"><i>Dawn of Swords</i></a> was
published in January, while <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Wrath-Lions-Breaking-World-Dalglish-ebook/dp/B00F3MKEEW"><i>Wrath of Lions</i></a> is set to be
released on April 22<sup>nd</sup>. Add to that the fact that<i> Blood of
Gods</i> is perilously close to being sent to copyediting, and you can
tell how busy of a year it’s been for me. That’s 620,000 words of fiction
written in 15 months. Something I never thought would be accomplished, has
been. And I couldn’t be happier.</div>
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In other news (and this should’ve been posted a long while
back), over the course of two months, from August until October of this past
year (and while writing the rough draft of <i>Wrath of Lions</i>), I
went through and did a complete re-edit of the entire <i>Rift</i>
series. That was something I’ve been pining to do for a very long time. There
were just certain things about the series that wore on me, from typos to style
to an ending that I (and a number of reader) felt was rushed. So I dove in and
made over three thousand corrections, as well as added an extra 10,000 words,
most of which come at the book’s climax. Hopefully, the added material will
make the final battle feel much more real, and add some much-needed closure for
characters that had been unfairly ignored by me. Personally, I think it enhances the story
greatly.</div>
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As it stands, the revised version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Rift </i>is only available in the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rift-Complete-Robert-J-Duperre-ebook/dp/B00AQDOFXE">four-book omnibus</a>. For now, the individual books remain the same as they were
when they were originally published, though only available in e-book format.
The print version of the series is now offered in two separate volumes. Also,
unlike when I first put the omnibus together last year, the digital version
contains all of Jesse’s awesome artwork. Yay for progress!<br />
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Oh, and now <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Rift-Book-I-ebook/dp/B003OQUNEA">The Fall</a> </i>e-book is permanently available for free, so there's that as well. </div>
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So we have the <i>Breaking World</i> books and <i>The Rift</i> news. To add to that, there’s a short story I wrote
coming down the pike any day now. The story’s called <i>Silence</i>,
and it will be included in <a href="http://www.shocktotem.com/"><i>Shock Totem</i> </a>issue 8.5, which is a
collection of love stories told with a horror slant. The story I submitted
might be my favorite ever, so I can’t wait for the day that gets released. Oh,
and there’s also another short I’m writing for an invite-only anthology called <i>My Peculiar Family</i>. The story’s not finished yet, but it will be in the next day or so, and it’ll be
another good one when it is. Thanks, <a href="http://kristipetersenschoonover.com/">Kristi</a>, for inviting me! That anthology should see the light of day
sometime at the end of the summer of 2014.</div>
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All of which begs the question: where is Rob going from
here? Well, Dave and I still have three more books to write
together—<i>Kings of Ruin</i>, <i>Prince of Beasts</i>,
and <i>Queen of Lies</i>—in order to finish off our tale of Dezrel’s
beginnings. To be honest, after writing the first three books in that series so
damn quickly, we’re both suffering from a bit of burnout, so we’re going to put
off starting those for a little bit. In the meantime, I’m going to go ahead and
write the rough draft of <i>The Mirror of Souls</i>, which was
placed on the backburner when the opportunity to work with Dave came about.
That story’s all I’ve been able to think about for a couple weeks now, and I
can’t wait to dive in. Jacqueline Talbot is calling out to me, folks. <i>Tell my story,</i> she says, and rather creepily at that. I’m
getting the shivers just thinking about it!</div>
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However, just because I’m writing that book doesn’t mean
it’s going to be released anytime soon. I’m still not sure what I’m going to do
with it. I haven’t decided if I want to self-publish or find a home with an
actual publisher (if that’s even an option). Another thing to take into
consideration is books 4-6 of <i>The Breaking World</i>. Should the
pressure mount to dive into that world once more, that’s something I’ll have to
do. If that happens, any public sighting of Jacqueline’s first solo effort
would be delayed indefinitely. While I do plan on having the rough draft
finished by the end of April, I couldn’t justify putting out a single tome of a
four-book series, only to let the readers sway in the wind for a year or two.
Nope, not gonna happen.</div>
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In other words, everything’s still up in the air. All I do
know is that I have two short stories and two more books coming out in the next
eight months. And that, in and of itself, is something to be excited about.</div>
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Thanks for stopping by and listening, and hopefully I can
start keeping this blog a little more active than it’s been.</div>
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But no promises. <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:-)</span></span></div>
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Rob D</div>
RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-19398793709936435382013-03-01T17:07:00.001-05:002013-03-01T17:07:57.998-05:00Announcing "The Breaking World"First of all, I would like to take this moment to announce
the big news of the day. My good friend David Dalglish and I have signed a
publishing deal with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/ref=amb_link_363192102_3?ie=UTF8&docId=1000715991&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=auto-sparkle&pf_rd_r=0028C3A1D8C740599759&pf_rd_t=301&pf_rd_p=1369706702&pf_rd_i=47north">47North</a>, an arm of Amazon Publishing. The deal is for three
books, all co-written by Dave and myself. The series will be titled <i>The
Breaking World</i>, and will chronicle the birth of humanity upon Dezrel,
the world in which all of Dave’s many, many novels take place, and the war
between the two brother gods around whom a great number of his plots center. To
say we’re both quite excited about this would be an understatement. For
information’s sake, the books will be as follows:<br />
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Dawn of Swords (sometime in January, 2014)</div>
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Wrath of Lions (TBA)</div>
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Blood of Gods (TBA)</div>
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It really is quite fitting that I post the announcement on
this particular blog, which has gone criminally underused for the past year.
Because it was in this very space that the groundwork for the friendship that
would eventually result in a rewarding collaboration was laid.</div>
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Three years ago, after much frustration, I decided to take
the plunge and begin self-publishing <i>The Rift</i>, a series of
post-apocalyptic novels I’d been working on for years. I entered the Kindle
publishing world, which had just begun to make headway and gain a name for
itself. Reviews were difficult to come by, as I was one of thousands to take
the plunge at about the same time. I saw many of my brethren having the same
difficulties, and so I dusted off this blog, which had been languishing for
some time, and decided that I would pitch my services as a reviewer to the countless
self-pubbers who frequented a site called Kindleboards. A great many authors
added their names to the list, and my side career as an amateur reviewer began.</div>
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This is where Dave Dalglish enters the picture<i>...</i>but first, a
bit of background. As far as being a reader goes, I’m really not as well read
in genre fiction as a lot of folks out there. I dabbled in the classics a lot
when I was younger, but as I grew older, I ended up limiting my reading
material to pretty much horror and horror only. In fact, as far as genres go,
the one I pretty much ignored was fantasy. I hadn’t read a book featuring
swords and sorcery since I picked up RA Salvatore’s <i>The Crystal
Shard</i> back in high school. (Which, trust me, was a long time ago.)
That was about to change.</div>
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So on this list of books to be read and reviewed appeared <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Weight-Blood-Half-Orcs-Book-ebook/dp/B0036R4JU6/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362174439&sr=1-1&keywords=the+weight+of+blood"><i>The Weight of Blood</i></a>, a dark journey starring a couple disenfranchised
half-orc brothers written by a lithe redhead named David Dalglish. I absolutely
fell in love with the book. Was it perfect? No, of course not. However, there
was <i>so much there</i>, deep stuff, philosophical stuff that
I just couldn’t overlook, whether Dave intended them or not. It was
the second work of fantasy I’d read since starting the reviews, and I was
hooked. A new love affair had begun.</div>
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Every book Dave wrote, I devoured. (In fact, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cost-Betrayal-Half-Orcs-Book-ebook/dp/B003E486GO/ref=pd_sim_b_1"><i>The Cost of Betrayal</i></a>, the second Half-Orc book, I still consider to be one
of my favorites ever, in any genre.) We began chatting online, and a friendship
was struck. During his later books, he would call me to discuss plot ideas, and
I’d like to think that I was able to be of some help. I became enraptured by
his world, almost to a scholarly level. So immersed was I that I began to
understand Dezrel and what happened within it as much as I understood what was
happening in my own writing.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One thing that always intrigued me was the Gods’ War, which
many of his books reference. I’d often ask him if he was ever going to write
it, and he said he had no plans to. (In the interview linked at the bottom of
this post, Dave himself describes his feelings on the subject.) I thought that
was a shame, as the storyline had so much potential, but at the same time a
writer’s gotta do what a writer’s gotta do. If he didn’t feel inspired by the
material, best not to pen it or you’ll come out with a substandard product.</div>
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</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Fast forward to 2012, when I was putting the finishing
touches on <i>The Summer Son</i>, the last of the Rift books. Dave
asked me what project I planned on doing next, and I told him I was wavering
between ideas at the moment. “Why don’t you write the prequel books with me,”
he then said. “You know, the war between Ashhur and Karak.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I just about fell out of my chair.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Full disclosure here: For a long while, I had actually <i>hoped</i> this offer would be made. During my many hours spent
reading Dave’s novels, I’d developed a mental picture (and even quite a few
written notes) of what life would be like in early Dezrel, hashed out a few
storylines that needed telling, and stashed them away as maybe something to
give my friend if he ever decided to start the project, or, gasp, maybe wanted
me to help write them. And then there it was, falling right into my lap—the
opportunity to not only write in a world I loved, but write with a man I admire
and who has come to become one of my closest of friends, one with whom I share
a great deal of values and beliefs, though we come from vastly different backgrounds.
Not only that, but I <i>knew</i> we would work well together, since
probably the best short story I ever wrote, <i>The One that
Matters</i>, which appeared in his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/A-Land-of-Ash-ebook/dp/B004AYD6MG/ref=la_B003AUKAI4_1_6_title_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1362174531&sr=1-6"><i>Land of Ash</i></a>
compilation, was a tale I had no confidence in until Dave cleaned it up, removed
unnecessary filler, and helped make it what it became. That’s when I knew that
the two of us working together could create something great.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had an outline ready for him almost immediately (an easy
task given my previous note-taking), and after his enthusiastic approval, it
was off to the races. I worked on the rough draft, constantly calling Dave to
keep the storyline consistent and fix quite a few aspects of the plot that I
couldn’t find resolutions to. Then, when the hulking manuscript was finished,
Dave took it and began a round of heavy edits. What ended up coming out when
all was said and done is a book that is far and away the best piece of
literature I’ve ever had my name attached to. See, that’s the thing with this
collaboration; areas I struggle in Dave is expert at, and visa versa. Balance,
people. Celestia would be quite proud. (Anyone who knows Dave’s work will
appreciate that statement.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
And in the middle of all this, something wondrous
happened. Dave got out of a bad representation deal and, all of a sudden, he had
a deal with big-six publisher Orbit for his <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Shadowdance-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B007C5GK5A/ref=la_B003AUKAI4_1_1_title_1_kin?ie=UTF8&qid=1362175342&sr=1-1"><i>Shadowdance</i></a> novels and our
collaboration was going to have Amazon’s mighty sword behind it. A book that
had been a labor of love, that had been slated to be self-published, was now
going to find a home with a real, live publisher. Now, I will freely admit that
just having Dave’s name on a project pretty much guarantees it success (and I
lucked out greatly there), but this was beyond my wildest dreams. I even got
hooked up with uber-agent <a href="http://www.veritasliterary.com/about.shtml">Michael Carr</a> because of this, one of the nicest and
hardest-working men I’ve ever come across, who obviously deserves a great
amount of<i> </i>credit for these deals being completed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So there you have it. Really, though I put a ton of work
into the project, it’s Dave who deserves the lion’s share of praise here. He
was the one who believed in what I had to offer, his rewriting skills were on-point, and hell, he was the one who
created this whole wonderful backdrop in the first place! Without Dave
Dalglish, there’s no Dezrel, there’s no Half-Orcs, there’s no Shadowdance, and
there sure as hell isn’t any Breaking World. I owe him so much, not the least
of which is being a great friend when I needed one most.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So thanks, Dave! Not like you don’t know this already, but
you’re the greatest, as a man as well as an author. And thanks to 47North as
well, for taking a chance on these books. We’re going to do awesome things
together, I guarantee it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To read a fascinating interview with Dave on this subject
and a whole lot more, visit the following link: <a href="http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/from-pizza-hut-to-easy-street-the-david-dalglish-story/">http://davidgaughran.wordpress.com/2013/02/28/from-pizza-hut-to-easy-street-the-david-dalglish-story/</a></div>
RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-50710749790132472212012-02-22T00:19:00.010-05:002012-02-25T08:31:31.165-05:00Review: Epitaphs: The Journal of the New England Horror Writers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAelUUhQETKGpxEiCQNeOqAjlJULeYBWFSw_EYXiTUmoAohhfxnV4FCwqbL1AQcedQTMx4GQsvVLjp_JNWAamWxDPibzsrVJtYC-fAgbnYn0CAOpazvBRg4VwWjbLugIgC4tDWyrdynpZv/s1600/Epitaphs.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAelUUhQETKGpxEiCQNeOqAjlJULeYBWFSw_EYXiTUmoAohhfxnV4FCwqbL1AQcedQTMx4GQsvVLjp_JNWAamWxDPibzsrVJtYC-fAgbnYn0CAOpazvBRg4VwWjbLugIgC4tDWyrdynpZv/s400/Epitaphs.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711826590923785602" border="0" /></a> <style> <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:.5in .5in .5in .5in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-gutter-margin:.25in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">Rating: 4.5 out of 5</p> <p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">I love short stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I love to read them, I love to write them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But you know what’s better than a short story?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">A whole freaking collection of them!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></i>And someone recently shipped me over a copy of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Epitaphs</i>, a Stoker-nominated collection of tales and poetry from the New England Horror Writers, a group that is very close to my heart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Of course I had to dive right in.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Okay, enough banter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Let’s get down to the daunting task of looking at the stories themselves.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">To Sleep, Perchance to Die<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></b>by Jeffrey C. Pettengill: Well, let’s just say the collection didn’t start out so well for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Here we have a tale of a CPAP machine gone horribly wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The tone just seemed to lag, and honestly the ending seemed a bit campy, though without the fun that camp implies.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">The Christopher Chair </b>by Paul McMahon: And here we go!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>One of the better stories in the collection, about an antique wheelchair blessed by St. Christopher that can supposedly heal the sick…for a price.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Atmospheric and full of confliction, McMahon really packs a punch with this one.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">A Case of the Quiets </b>by Kurt Newton: The first poem in the collection, and a doozy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It brings to mind horror poetry of old, with a very Poe-esque flow, and comes very close to matching the former master’s penchant for nailing the dark side of human nature coming from within the mundane.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Build-A-Zombie </b>by Scott T. Goudsward: This one was quirky and fun, telling of a boy assembling an unusual gift from a new sort of gift shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It made me want to know more about the world in which it takes place, which is a good thing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Not An Ulcer </b>by John Goodrich: Wow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This story, to me, was far and away the best of the bunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In it a man who hates everything about the world, including himself, literally separates himself from his emotions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s “Be careful what you wish for,” taken to the extreme.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Tremendous, and the ending gave me chills.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">The Possessor Worm </b>by B. Adrian White: A quaint little tale told through emailed correspondences between characters, kind of an updated take of Lovecraft, if you will.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In the end the payoff fell a little flat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Still pretty good, however.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Make a Choice </b>by John M. McIlveen: Truly haunting, telling the story of a madman who torments a family for a night, forcing the parents into a decision that no parent would ever—or should ever—have to make.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s a fantastic exploration of the human condition and how <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">survival of the fittest </i>might not be completely erased from our cellular memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As an added bonus, the end is shocking because of what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">doesn’t </i>happen, which surprisingly makes it all the more disturbing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">The Death Room </b>by Michael Allen Todd: Another poem, this one not nearly as good as the first, but I still appreciated the creepy undertones.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Perfect Witness </b>by Rick Hautala: Now <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">this </i>is a twist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A murdered man is brought back to a sort of pseudo-life for a short time in order to testify at the trial of his murderer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The interplay between his thoughts and what might actually be happening in the world outside his rotting brain was really well done.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Also, the author hints that this experiment might have grave repercussions down the road.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Do I smell a novel coming?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Given the author’s enjoyable style, I hope so.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Stony’s Boneyard </b>by Glenn Chadbourne and Holly Newstein: Atmosphere, sorrow, and forgiveness rule the day in this excellently (and traditionally) crafted short.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It deals with a tattoo artist and the biker whose back represents the greatest achievement of her life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Unlike a lot of stories in the collection, this one actually ends on a bittersweet note, equal parts solemn and hopeful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Really well done.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Kali’s Promise </b>by Trisha J. Wooldridge: The third poem, and another traditionally-inspired example of getting exactly what you ask for.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s quite entertaining and told in a repetitive way that added to the tone of dread.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I knew it was well written because I guessed the ending after the very first stanza and it still had me captivated.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Sequel </b>by David Bernard: Not my favorite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I’ve seen this sort of plot—about a horror writer who takes his inspiration a bit too literally—many times before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s well written, but predictable.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Malfeasance </b>by David North-Martino: This was perhaps the most maddening story in the bunch.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Just as with the previous story, I knew how it would end very early on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And yet it was crafted so intricately, I kept thinking no, I’m wrong, there’s a twist here I’m not seeing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>But then…it ended just how I thought it would.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Disappointing in that regard, yes, but it was still very much worth the read.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Private Beach </b>by Stacey Longo: A fun little romp that harkens back to the pulp horror era, about two beachgoers who of course ignore a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">No Trespassing </i>sign and pay the price for it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">All Aboard </b>by Christopher Golden: The second-best story in the collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>A disquieting tale of a mother and father’s struggle to come to grips with the death of their child, with a dash of the supernatural thrown in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It really is a heavy-hearted story that thankfully doesn’t come across as heavy-handed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>By the end I was on the verge of tears—and I couldn’t tell if they were happy or sad, which is a first for me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Holiday House </b>by L.L. Soares: This was a decent offering, about a pair of old sisters who live in a ramshackle estate (think <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Grey Gardens</i>) that might be haunted, or might conceal other, more frightening entities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I particularly liked the ambiguity at the end.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Lines at a Wake </b>by Steven Withrow: A very short poem that brings about one hell of an eerie vibe using an economy of words.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">A Deeper Kind of Cold </b>by K. Allen Wood: This one was interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>On a space station, a woman frets while the love of her life, who is in a rather odd state, struggles to survive a mysterious sickness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The tone was fantastic, and it asks the question of what it is we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">actually </i>love about a person.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Though the ending was fantastic in its grim earnestness, I couldn’t help but think the setting wasn’t used nearly enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The metaphor of the emptiness of space as compared to the emotional distance between the woman and her mate just never materialized, which I thought was a missed opportunity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That being said, it’s still a wonderful tale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That ending alone is worth the time it takes to read it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Alone </b>by P. Gardner Goldsmith: A <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">very </i>creepy and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">very </i>short story of a man wiling his hours away, isolated in his home, as the world may or may not be ending outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It had a very <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Twilight Zone </i>vibe to it, which was cool.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Pandora’s Box </b>by Roxanne Dent: I wasn’t the biggest fan of this story, about a woman who suspects her husband is having an affair and gives into her impulse to follow him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The opening sequence completely gives away the twist at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If only that had been cut, it would’ve been a much more enjoyable experience.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Chuck the Magic Man Says I Can<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"> </i></b>by Michael Arruda: This was a really fun and idiosyncratic little tale of two sisters staying at their parents’ friends house while they’re away on vacation, friends who just may hold a secret that only the precocious younger daughter can handle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I really enjoyed it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Burial Board </b>by T.T. Zuma: Very moody period piece about a man and a burial board that does some rather…strange things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Well written, but for some reason it didn’t feel complete to me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Windblown Shutter </b>by John Grover: A kid sees his mother murdered and is haunted by the memory and the fact he never saw the killer’s face.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I found this to be a fabulous study of the cyclical and never-ending effects of grief and guilt, even if the murder mystery fell a little flat.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Cheryl Takes a Trip </b>by Stephen Dorato: Even though it wasn’t my overall favorite, this story, to me, was perhaps the most inventive of any in this collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When a woman’s spirit is cast from her body after her mysterious death, she decided to go and do the one thing she’d always wanted to do but had never done—take a trip to Bermuda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s really a self-exploration piece, focusing on the way fear can rule our lives, and maybe even our deaths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I thought it was great.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Legend of the Wormley Farms </b>by Philip Roberts: A haunted farm draws a trio of brothers into its sticky, legendary web.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It lagged a little in the middle, but in the end I was actually quite shocked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I also thoroughly enjoyed how the author delved into the ways familial pressures and support (or lack thereof) can damage young minds.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style=""><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">The Church of Thunder and Lightning </b>by Peter N. Dudar: An interesting choice to end the anthology, about a reporter and her cameraman on a mission to document the odd rituals of a Jim Jones-type cult.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The cost of ambition without regard for human decency was certainly on display, and the function of the cult itself was a truly original creation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;" align="center"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:center" align="center">---</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">And that’s it!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Maybe the longest review I’ve ever written, too.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">Overall, I have to say I loved this collection.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>While every story didn’t ring true to me, the vast majority of them did, and most of those that didn’t were still expertly crafted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There are a variety of unique voices, and in a lot of them you can certainly sense the slightly Puritanical undertones that most people who grew up in New England are saddled with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It’s an anthology well worth your time and money, and the authors are worth keeping an eye on.</p><br />You can buy the paperback of <span style="font-style: italic;">Epitaphs</span> here:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Epitaphs-Journal-England-Horror-Writers/dp/0982727593/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329888069&sr=1-2"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 106px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1nX2_YmEeJzgL5CvvyMWznne-f7hbQ89UTnvYe82Q5JPum6-Wty3Mqdt6KpeEWyy3nyW0v5SlU5BM_tX8Mor0B2pWHVfsAjSSna5Cb1LwBYdbcOvLydyPjfbVHtoR-rQoqeoq64wbD0Ca/s400/Screen+shot+2010-11-25+at+10.15.54+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711826505178044274" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/epitaphs-christopher-golden/1036586314?ean=9780982727591&itm=2&usri=epitaphs"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 105px; height: 32px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFpfNuLP9IsG1PNoWthieGYcc7qIRZF8Mdtx49iywr4agWLLamLtaMLaKk0aT8Dp7I7Bwkzy_Bw2iepYLcwlgv5ioMOAZLlUD814RVXBjqcTe5UlWeQ_tSvK7es0hqcp-9dan3AnQx9SXP/s400/Screen+shot+2010-11-25+at+10.16.47+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5711827259925459154" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />And the E-book:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007CPL8YS"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 106px; height: 31px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_17Cruaaen0fZkyDOHS08cPzGOgzn40UP1Y-MADynpstq5ks7wyQtVX5Q07XqapFE6VcR1ksaaEpakzPcfYv9lK5iGREJLgTkrmhmH4Gjko3MJ-n6U7f-G0pX4BEA62GY6mkIL3yDiI26/s400/Screen+shot+2010-11-25+at+10.15.33+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5713064945469839234" border="0" /></a>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-72977588300143589252012-02-16T19:50:00.007-05:002012-02-16T19:57:32.658-05:00Review: The Old Ways (Paladins III) by David Dalglish<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhJlS0A-ABuuDjxC18-CwZrFyCBYSDnSaLVnc5c9LFA4iCL3tjYjhHIVZ0Sj6UtLe4puPQcjQGZVCW0ioFotf7rH9iZ4b7jQhxFigDEr2mk3Le2vpF2UAo-7eC-FpQEREe8qFRYlgvq0U/s1600/oldways1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhJlS0A-ABuuDjxC18-CwZrFyCBYSDnSaLVnc5c9LFA4iCL3tjYjhHIVZ0Sj6UtLe4puPQcjQGZVCW0ioFotf7rH9iZ4b7jQhxFigDEr2mk3Le2vpF2UAo-7eC-FpQEREe8qFRYlgvq0U/s400/oldways1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709901441045098594" border="0" /></a> <style>p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">Rating: 5 out of 5</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">No one’s perfect, but sometimes everything comes together, especially in literature. It’s fascinating to watch an author grow and grow, slowly improving over time, fixing faults in their writing, finding new ways to explore tired old plot devices, coming to grips with their weaknesses and making them strengths.<span style=""> </span>It’s not all that rare in the world of books, but it’s still special.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">And this brings us to <i style="">The Old Ways: Paladins Book III </i>by David Dalglish.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I, for one, am a huge fan of the author’s work.<span style=""> </span>(Surprised?<span style=""> </span>Look through my archived reviews and you won’t be.)<span style=""> </span>I’ve read every book Dalglish has come out with, and either loved or really liked every one.<span style=""> </span>But this one is something special.<span style=""> </span>Gone is his penchant for rushing, for occasionally taking the easy way out and brushing aside important internal conflict.<span style=""> </span>Instead, what the author has given us in this book is a pace that moves slowly, fluidly, that gradually builds the tension and grows the characters until they explode off the page in the last act.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">The Old Ways </i>continues with the struggles of Jericho, paladin of Ashhur, and Darius, former paladin of Karak.<span style=""> </span>The story picks up where we left off in <i style="">Clash of Faiths</i>, with Darius being converted to the side of light in his trial-by-fire (and unnecessarily rushed) clash with his old friend.<span style=""> </span>He’s a man isolated even when he’s surrounded by people.<span style=""> </span>He’s haunted by his past deeds, both inwardly and outwardly, and the fact that many of those past deeds hurt a great many people does nothing but make life much more difficult for our poor antihero.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">But he’s learning, changing, determined to become a better man, even if it kills him.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">On the other side of the coin we have Jericho, the sometimes too-good-to-be-true goodie-goodie.<span style=""> </span>While I loved his character when he first appeared in <i style="">Half-Orcs</i>, truth be told he can be a bit one-note with how honorable and loyal he is.<span style=""> </span>But then again, his purpose in this story is to act as foil for Darius, for Darius is the true star of the show, the character that grows and experiences pain and redemption and acts like a living, breathing human being.<span style=""> </span>He is the backbone of this novel—the backbone of the <i style="">series</i>, really—and in this book he really shines.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Along with Darius’s redemption, Dalglish also pushes the envelope with his new cadre of villains.<span style=""> </span>We have Valessa, the Grey Sister who died in <i style="">Faiths</i>, only to be reborn as something dark and complex, a being of shadow that cannot rest until her mission (killing Darius) is accomplished.<span style=""> </span>The scenes involving her were brilliantly done, full of contradiction, self-loathing, and doubt.<span style=""> </span>If there’s one character that I hope future books explore deeper, it’s her.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Then we have Luther and Cyric, priests of Karak who start up the journey toward changing the world to fit their god’s image.<span style=""> </span>The complexity of each character is fantastic.<span style=""> </span>They’re literary interpretations of different ways of obtaining political power—subterfuge cunning, and force and tradition.<span style=""> </span>Both are effective in their own ways, and to watch their respective plans unfold on the page was awe-inspiring.<span style=""> </span>Especially with Luther, who offers a surprise at the end that literally left me speechless.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So yes, I can say that David Dalglish has done it again.<span style=""> </span>He’s written a book full of trepidation and turmoil, full of violence and self-discovery, a book that I fully ingested with aplomb.<span style=""> </span>I may not be someone you really want to listen to in regards to my opinion on this book, since I’m a little more than biased toward him, but in my humble opinion he has created a work that goes far beyond simply being a third book in a series.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">And that’s because <i style="">The Old Ways</i>, while not perfect, is just about as close as any writer can get to that unreachable ideal.</p> <br />Purchase <span style="font-style: italic;">The Old Ways </span>in Ebook format:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Old-Ways-Paladins-ebook/dp/B006RWUCEE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329439922&sr=8-1"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 106px; height: 31px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPB1tECGGtnPcZcwUyQVnxslTHgmiiu74Vdl0mr1LT70SDKc-7Mrexm3B2DKpHc5XGYplOMBY80Y1q0SAX6yCcOvYHpXYuKYKiSnQdBU3uG3ppL9RHneuhk7h-cRU5MS2WIQaAAYpQ0Mje/s400/Screen+shot+2010-11-25+at+10.15.33+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709901314240895122" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Old-Ways-Paladins-ebook/dp/B006RWUCEE/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329440145&sr=8-2"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 109px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEea967DlMbmZ4bvjAxIRrEjVxHBZq-eCdw-w1u-kgjuS9Ct2SmicdaAAFGU_8p_p9aywsLDR_Nk-zqeSApSVoRDWacIaelT_msHzyFvYIcYcVUGVqKC20ng11IjgkLQDvbr3xQW3haNGl/s400/Screen+shot+2011-02-10+at+6.03.22+AM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709901213098209490" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-old-ways-david-dalglish/1108117294?ean=2940013686373&itm=2&usri=the+old+ways"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 105px; height: 32px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_bEywFaob7BD8A8IMZW5yNdpdfVVsRt-mUEQoB9HjVqsUod6cOhRc4c4FkXIuVitzk5GniRCmyHqIBompnRTlNFT3giZmJtDykEqESoBNCEb1i0wwyBZOwQVl4XVr7U2pSDVmZ69-7wC/s400/Screen+shot+2010-11-25+at+10.16.47+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709901159854874242" border="0" /></a>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-59712545751791405192012-01-25T21:33:00.005-05:002012-01-25T21:42:41.971-05:00Review: Best Laid Plans (Shader Book II) by D.P. Prior<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfZUxBaQI65Ko1wtW5CqFo9CU2zn1g4rOQtCkLKjKZrwfWroD1WPyLyu0XX1ljXJZGz94LL_Lb0sjOCgYguXJhL61QrTPtKwffCN9RlmY6oy1ktlnaggMBMzKL1ZAcCTEO_WBZg0gotla/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-25+at+9.36.28+PM.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOfZUxBaQI65Ko1wtW5CqFo9CU2zn1g4rOQtCkLKjKZrwfWroD1WPyLyu0XX1ljXJZGz94LL_Lb0sjOCgYguXJhL61QrTPtKwffCN9RlmY6oy1ktlnaggMBMzKL1ZAcCTEO_WBZg0gotla/s400/Screen+shot+2012-01-25+at+9.36.28+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701764351599311762" border="0" /></a> <style>p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">Rating: 5 out of 5</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Sequels are a tricky business. I consider it a rarity when books actually get <i style="">better </i>after a fantastic opening volume.<span style=""> </span>Off the top of my head, I can only think of three series that hold this distinction: King’s <i style="">The Dark Tower</i>, Dalglish’s <i style="">Shadowdance Trilogy</i>, and of course the <i style="">Harry Potter </i>books.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In other words, with <i style="">Best Laid Plans: Shader Book II</i>, D.P. Prior has joined some pretty select company.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="">Best Laid Plans </i>picks up the story of the events on Sahul (and in other, more surreal locales) with the characters in dire straits.<span style=""> </span>The undead army of the liche Dr. Cadman has overwhelmed Sarum, the Templum fleet is approaching Sahul, and Deacon Shader, our hero, is, well, dead…none of which will stay true for very long.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">To say this book has a busy plot would be an understatement.<span style=""> </span>At my count, there are at least nine storylines going on at once: Deacon’s experience in the afterlife, the struggles of the White Order, the survival of those trapped in Sarum, Cadman’s angst and rise to efforts to retain power, Maldark the dwarf’s guilt over his past, the dreamer Huntsman’s continuing education of Rhiannon’s brother Sammy, Sektis Gandaw’s quest to assemble the statue of Eingana and begin the unweaving, Shadrak’s growing importance to the whole (possibly) preordained events unfolding, Shader’s resurrection and subsequent quest, and Emperor Hagalle’s double-handed dealings.<span style=""> </span>Throw into this mix vast battle sequences, and you have a piece of literature that could very well have become disjointed and confusing in a lesser author’s hands.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yet Prior is up to the task in this opus, and the narrative he builds is a fascinating one.<span style=""> </span>There is mythology and philosophy, questions as to the nature of reality and time, scathing observations on government and religion, and even a few references to modern-day events and objects that bring this beyond the realm of just a great epic fantasy adventure.<span style=""> </span>All of these tropes and points meld together, creating a work that is exciting while at the same time thought-provoking.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">This book questions everything.<span style=""> </span>While there are certainly protagonists and antagonists, these characters are as far from being cardboard cutouts that you can get.<span style=""> </span>Perhaps the greatest achievement is the way Prior allows us, through differing points of view, to see inside the minds of virtually every major character and allows us to develop at least an inkling of empathy for them.<span style=""> </span>Even the despicable Cadman and the perhaps more-despicable Gaston (who performed a virtually unforgivable act in the first book) are given time to show they’re real, flesh-and-blood people with doubts and fears and even remorse.<span style=""> </span>It allows them, the characters, the move the plot forward rather than the plot moving them, which for a work that deals a lot in fate and preordination is a feat in and of itself.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">The battle sequences were well thought-out and exciting—much more so than in the first book—and particularly the scenes that take place at sea, while Deacon is attempting to find the albino who stole his pieces of Eingana, are captivating.<span style=""> </span>They’re a mixture of new and old, a melding of science fiction and Tolkien-esque fantasy that is truly original and awe-inspiring in scope.<span style=""> </span>There were very few times where I became confused, and even on those rare occasions all it took was a small step backward to realize that I’d simply missed a sentence or misunderstood the usage of a certain word or phrase.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In conclusion, I can say that <i style="">Best Laid Plans </i>not only matches <i style="">Cadman’s Gambit</i>, the first book in the series, but enhances it.<span style=""> </span>This is a book chock full of imagery both beautiful and hideous, with a mixture of genuine comedy in places to break up the despair and tension.<span style=""> </span>It was a beast of a story to read, one I didn’t want to put down.<span style=""> </span>And by the time I reached the cliffhanger ending, I wished more than anything that I had the third book on hand so I could get right to it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">That’s right, folks, D.P. Prior has crafted a wonderful mythology that goes perfectly with his spot-on writing.<span style=""> </span>This is a series that should be savored like a fine scotch, one whose sweetness lingers in your mouth long after you’ve swallowed.</p> <br />Purchase <span style="font-style: italic;">Best Laid Plans </span>in E-book format from:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Best-Laid-Plans-Shader-ebook/dp/B005UOIAGW/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327545286&sr=1-2"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 106px; height: 31px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ8pSoSt4eR-sDzah0o_I6liUrD9uZpKFF34uEuSSswxRLGD5siKBJmruli6Sp5vbGfWKnonYyhfpdntEFHe2T9NgQZWZj5oVODvo4saRVf8r0Q-Wgw0WPhmfvf7qwHojv5c8KRGvP4yZD/s400/Screen+shot+2010-11-25+at+10.15.33+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701764274007027986" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Laid-Plans-Shader-ebook/dp/B005UOIAGW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327545341&sr=8-1"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 109px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLRW3z33vF8ejyJaQPl5CB49tyhH7xcSRV5J72Mhx5i81Dg7PwcOj_eE2daKRZoAp5GI5yM3w0JeAjlpmkhVkZcTeZ_BLl7gQ5y33DCm4dtD6aD2Ah_s7xBAVELMSFjFtVnBTdaJeI5uTL/s400/Screen+shot+2011-02-10+at+6.03.22+AM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5701764198585748290" border="0" /></a>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-312878667601380062012-01-11T10:14:00.005-05:002012-01-11T11:02:40.013-05:00Top 15 Books of 2011Well, I'm a tad bit late to the game here, but better late then never, right?<br /><br />Once again, I looked over a great deal of outstanding fiction over the past year, and here are my top 15 (well, sort of 16) in ascending order.<br /><br />(Disclaimer: All of this is according to me, of course. Obviously there are many books I haven't read.)<br /><br />#15 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-spirit-storm-by-ej-stevens.html">Spirit Storm</a> by E.J. Stevens (4.5) - Lighthearted but meaningful, the second book in Stevens's <span style="font-style: italic;">Spirit Guide </span>series came <span style="font-style: italic;">this close </span>to being much higher on the list.<br /><br />#14 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-statis-powerless-book-3-by-jason.html">The Stasis: Powerless book 3</a> by Jason Letts (4.6) - The best book of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Powerless </span>series, full of despair and dark emotion.<br /><br />#13 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-miracle-inspector-by-helen-smith.html">The Miracle Inspector</a> by Helen Smith (4.7) - A fantastic literary exploration of dystopian Britain. Darkly comedic and unsettling.<br /><br />#12 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/08/review-draculas-by-jack-kilborn-blake.html">Draculas</a> by Blake Crouch, Joe Konrath, Jeff Strand, and F. Paul Wilson (4.7) - Quite simply, this was hilariously gory fun.<br /><br />#11 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/06/review-anomaly-by-thea-atkinson.html">Anomaly</a> by Thea Atkinson (4.7) - Heartwarming and disturbing at the same time, a fascinating (not to mention revealing) look at addiction and the nature of sexuality.<br /><br />#10 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-freeze-by-daniel-pyle.html">Freeze</a> by Daniel Pyle (4.8) - A short, powerful story that left me breathless.<br /><br />#9 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/02/review-gods-of-dream-by-daniel-arenson.html">The Gods of Dream</a> by Daniel Arenson (4.8) - This hallucinatory look at the world of our sleep is meaningful and full of wonderful description.<br /><br />#8 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/03/review-ryel-saga-by-carolyn-kephart.html">The Ryel Saga</a> by Carolyn Kephart (4.9) - A work of epic fantasy that is almost poetic in its prose and pace.<br /><br />#7 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/12/review-jenny-pox-by-jl-bryan.html">Jenny Pox</a> by J.L. Bryan (4.9) - In the first book of his <span style="font-style: italic;">Paranormals </span>series, author Bryan creates a work that very much stands up to the likes of <span style="font-style: italic;">Carrie </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Weaveworld.</span><br /><br />#6 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-dance-of-death-shadowdance-book.html">A Dance of Death</a> and <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-dance-of-blades-by-david.html">A Dance of Blades</a> by David Dalglish (5.0) - Okay, so I'm cheating a little, but since these two books are the 3rd and 2nd in a trilogy, and are both now available in an omnibus, I figured I'd combine them here. Let's just say that Dalglish's <span style="font-style: italic;">Shadowdance </span>books are so well-written and plotted that he'll have a hard time topping them in the future.<br /><br />#5 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-dismember-by-daniel-pyle.html">Dismember</a> by Daniel Pyle (5.0) - A truly compelling journey of horror into the broken mind of a man who only wants his family back.<br /><br />#4 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-dismember-by-daniel-pyle.html">Cadman's Gambit</a> (Shader Book I) by D.P. Prior (5.0) - With a compelling mix of science fiction and hard-boiled fantasy, this book captured me from the first sentence and wouldn't let me go.<br /><br />#3 - <a href="http://www.shocktotem.com/12/19/2011/the-infection/">The Infection</a> by Craig DiLouie (5.0) - I'm a sucker for zombie fiction, and let's just say that DiLouie's opus is a new take on the end of the world and just about as good as it gets.<br /><br />#2 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-sliver-of-redemption-by-david.html">A Sliver of Redemption</a> by David Dalglish (5.0) - Sure, his later series may be tighter and more refined, but as far as emotion goes—and I'm a sucker for emotional threads—Dalglish has never been better than in the final novel of his <span style="font-style: italic;">Half-Orcs </span>series.<br /><br />And finally...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">drumroll<br /><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);font-size:180%;" >#1 - <a href="http://journalofalways.blogspot.com/2011/12/st-review-burying-brian-by-steven-pirie.html">Burying Brian</a> by Steven Pirie (5.0)</span><br /><br />My favorite author over the last 20 years doesn't disappoint with his follow-up to <span style="font-style: italic;">Digging Up Donald. </span>It's a hilarious and poignant journey of one inept man's attempt to save humankind, and heaven, from themselves.<br /><br />And that's it, folks! Here's to a great 2012, to great books and great writers, so go out there and <span style="font-style: italic;">read!</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-74105579869830315702012-01-09T19:26:00.005-05:002012-01-09T19:38:18.869-05:00Review: The Legend of Witchtrot Road (Spirit Guide #3) by E.J. Stevens<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHK7ppT62e1FAxSBw59IYYTdvNV-94J6xAdltAFKZXwN6A95NszCjwDs95n36f7YEWsC5G_tspqFZLFqFeZ6hyphenhyphenxZDzK0fHBZRwG3X8RiQFdyyJbUO6NlIyDJzb_FrxJ-0pmFcoGBpR2BY/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-09+at+7.28.16+PM.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzHK7ppT62e1FAxSBw59IYYTdvNV-94J6xAdltAFKZXwN6A95NszCjwDs95n36f7YEWsC5G_tspqFZLFqFeZ6hyphenhyphenxZDzK0fHBZRwG3X8RiQFdyyJbUO6NlIyDJzb_FrxJ-0pmFcoGBpR2BY/s400/Screen+shot+2012-01-09+at+7.28.16+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695794758801132322" border="0" /></a> <style>p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">Rating: 4.7 out of 5</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Man, do I love E.J. Stevens. She has such a pure innocence in her prose, as if she’s capturing just what it means to be young and in love and also, at the same time, have the weight of the world on your shoulders.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In <i style="">The Legend of Witchtrot Road</i>, the third installment in her <i style="">Spirit Guide </i>series, Stevens steps back a bit. The far-reaching story arch that encompassed the first two books is still present, but it is allowed to linger in the background, to heighten naturally. As a storyteller she reins herself in, focusing on the tale at hand rather than building her world outright.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">In many ways, <i style="">The Legend of Witchtrot Road </i>is very similar to a midseason “event episode” of <i style="">Buffy the Vampire Slayer. </i>Yuki, our main character who smells the dead, has her own Scooby gang, and together they must solve the mysterious death of a classmate, whose untimely end came on the Witchtrot Road of the title. The road itself is steeped in myth, superstition, and dark history, and if the always stalwart Yuki is going to have a semblance of peace from her classmate’s lingering ghost, the answers to the mystery need to come quickly.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is a tale of social conscience and, just like the great television show I mentioned earlier, takes some of the more pressing concerns facing our nation’s youth (bullying, eating disorders, the proliferation of drugs in the community, etc.) and presents them in a fantastic manner. It’s a type of storytelling that’s pure in intention and beautiful in message, especially when presented in a professional manner, which E.J. Stevens does with every book she puts out.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Now, even though the specifics of Yuki and company’s world aren’t explored in-depth, as I already stated, they are still there. There are some interesting developments when it comes to Simon (perhaps the best character in the series), and also certain events that made me, the reader, question whether or not Yuki and werewolf boyfriend Cal will indeed have the <i style="">happily ever after </i>they’ve seemed, until now, destined to live.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yes, <i style="">The Legend of Witchtrot Road </i>is a fantastically naïve, touching, and thoughtful novel. Stevens continues on her journey as a writer, and you can plainly tell when you read the words she puts on the page that she continues to grow. The author has a wonderful story to tell, one that I thoroughly enjoyed and will certainly be passing down to my own daughter. To me, this is a coup of the YA genre, one that shouldn’t be missed.</p> <br />Purchase <span style="font-style: italic;">The Legend of Witchtrot Road </span>in Ebook format:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Witchtrot-Spirit-Guide-ebook/dp/B005OL0Q9U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326155226&sr=8-2"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 106px; height: 31px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeO0yUKWwysugVXOl5aQyzttc3c3-Cw3ZVqMLVIhDjz0zlbbswJxQFQLRubHSrkT-P8RSkMjS7tS_Zmx_kUDfNtK9_t3FrIqo58mt8KW6wN929TZSqx9K35fXbUl8DbLmgrpMQGpCLzuE/s400/Screen+shot+2010-11-25+at+10.15.33+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695794621829062050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Legend-Witchtrot-Spirit-Guide-ebook/dp/B005OL0Q9U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326155830&sr=8-1"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 109px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcr6z6U62eeWGJGUucLPSSka0ZrFBOXx7hqwTkhaz7vk2c2HgZxGSyJVGUR428Vy21ogjrYSXh-NKOqalWiXmqpu-th2uRYfww2MDzulaZ-RaMAUeVP2F6szG6idE0Hh6FkwoZ76gqCAw/s400/Screen+shot+2011-02-10+at+6.03.22+AM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695794562620051698" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/legend-of-witchtrot-road-ej-stevens/1105860969?ean=2940013396579&itm=1&usri=legend+of+witchtrot+road"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 105px; height: 32px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigextzhsoghSGd362gZBwVmoOGXLrsJ7PPXpY8X8apGVGSg1bbqm1_icp7qQkpFT7yn6fOMLeSUwUz6x16DKe0GcL_GGxWv3hW8IvL3tnlVq3t9M-bEVCKKb0iYMocr3f3W4j278itQ6no/s400/Screen+shot+2010-11-25+at+10.16.47+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695794498531053570" border="0" /></a>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8795214381366911953.post-42374997867947188132012-01-08T22:02:00.006-05:002012-01-08T22:13:07.254-05:00Review: Livin' La Vida Papa by Louis Mack<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreE_tUfvw63fC8v5MKg6QoqQ2hsRF314aEoZDGYyfP8KoCUr7WG7srKA_1ebk1L4n3PRbH6iksEu-T67SrWzZTg6M993-p_dI08-PQFue-Zg6aueocg7kLtJBkuMU2N6IvbGP_BrYamoP/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-01-08+at+10.06.56+PM.png"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 241px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreE_tUfvw63fC8v5MKg6QoqQ2hsRF314aEoZDGYyfP8KoCUr7WG7srKA_1ebk1L4n3PRbH6iksEu-T67SrWzZTg6M993-p_dI08-PQFue-Zg6aueocg7kLtJBkuMU2N6IvbGP_BrYamoP/s400/Screen+shot+2012-01-08+at+10.06.56+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695463817175829378" border="0" /></a> <style>p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" class="MsoNormal">Rating: 4.5 out of 5</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Being a father, I understand the parental duty. However, given the fact I’ve always had a job, I don’t have a clue what it would be like to be a stay-at-home dad.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">And now here comes Louis Mack, in his hilariously real <i style="">Livin’ La Vida Papa</i>, to fill in those gaps.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">This is a tight and amusing read, as the author—who is himself a rather well known horror novelist writing under a pseudonym—intersperses bits of his personal experience in raising his daughter and infant son between offering advice to young parents that is surprisingly sincere despite its mirth…or perhaps because of it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Each personal anecdote is humorous and sometimes gag-inducing, while at the same time imparting a sort of innocence and sense of self-exploration that is refreshing. It’s a short read as well, one you can read in perhaps a couple hours. This briskness allows the words to pack an even greater punch than they would have if this was some four-hundred page magnum opus.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p> <p class="MsoNormal">So yeah, <i style="">Livin’ La Vida Papa </i>is a darn good experience. I recommend it to young fathers, to writers who falsely assume that if they were just able to stay home all day they’d get that much more accomplished, and, well, just about everyone else. It’s funny and heartfelt, and no matter what, you’re guaranteed to come out of the experience with at least one story you can rest assured no one else will have heard of. </p> <br /><br />Purchase <span style="font-style: italic;">Livin' La Vida Papa </span>in Ebook format:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.com/Livin-La-Vida-Papa-ebook/dp/B006MFGGK0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326078275&sr=1-1"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 106px; height: 31px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY8Jm1xrwoIE-gu8My1TqaJg8dgu-ZnCO258RHUJL3lFHNxwxcuGxpHXRi4gKWeaFhN5Hm9HXUSB02aa1IhDsmxxhyQ1cP0I7aqM6gE5L8HnqtweqRW3rpfntuVe7uhCrFCupXmHbHUiO5/s400/Screen+shot+2010-11-25+at+10.15.33+PM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695463713561394594" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Livin-La-Vida-Papa-ebook/dp/B006MFGGK0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326078693&sr=8-1"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 109px; height: 30px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpEMR1GilUo5ANTbG6PQh4IlsIR6ZrGghnNfrXWN8hiDcLvV9WRiQHfprEzv0RvVBde1vV4RDbKGRRzlD0eiBP70L3vZ-S57J6LkZUh1qq5dG6xHprOh1xAbIDGfMGz6W01YUK5ZfQODhJ/s400/Screen+shot+2011-02-10+at+6.03.22+AM.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5695463615184193586" border="0" /></a>RJ Duperrehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07299722680644616295noreply@blogger.com0