Friday, August 9, 2013

The Ghost (The 13th Floor) / Christine Rains


Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Urban Fantasy

Approximate word count: 20-25,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Christine Rains resides in Bloomington, Indiana and is a member of S.C.I.F.I. and Untethered Realms. This is part of her bio from her blog. “I'm a writer, blogger, and geek mom. I write paranormal romance and urban fantasy. I love a dark and gritty story. I have four degrees which don't help at all with motherhood, but make me a great Jeopardy player.” To learn more about her and her other books visit her at her website, facebook, or her blog.

Description:

“Chiharo Black lives with six supernatural tenants in a haunted building's mysterious thirteenth floor. Of course, no one knows she's there except the cats. Being a ghost can be a bit frustrating and lonely, but it isn't as bad as her mother made it out to be.

Until another ghost intrudes on her territory. Jeremy Emerson wants revenge on the vampire that killed him and won't stop until he has it. To top it off, a nightmarish shade sneaks in and leeches the energy from the building's residents before setting its sights on Chiharo and the thirteenth floor. She can't decide which one is more frightening: the one wanting to eat her soul or the one who might win her heart.

Chiharo must convince Jeremy to stand with her against the hellish parasite. If they cannot work together, the greedy fiend will not only drain their energy but everything that supports the thirteenth floor's existence.”

Appraisal:

Chiharo Black was only eighteen years-old when she died and became a ghost. She has lived a solitary existence for thirty years being unable to communicate with any of the residents of the apartment building until one day a new ghost arrives who is seeking revenge for his death. Jeremy Emerson is convinced that he is in this ghost form because he has unfinished business to take care of and if he can kill Kiral he will be able to move on. Chiharo is torn, she is excited to have someone she can communicate with but she will not allow Jeremy to kill one of her friends. She is a smart, strong-willed girl, but very naive and idealistic in her old-fashioned beliefs. Jeremy is brash, head-strong, and aggressive, but doesn’t have the years of experience Chiharo has had at being a ghost. They seem to be polar opposites, but we all know opposites attract.

This is a unique storyline that has been woven into the previous novellas. The time line gets a little confusing at times, partly because the ghosts experience time differently than the rest of the world. The action has a steady pace and there is an interesting turn of events at the end of this story that I was not expecting. All in all this was a very satisfying read.  

FYI:

This novella is the sixth novella in The 13th Floor Series and they really should be read in order.

Format/Typo Issues:

A small number of proofing errors.


Rating: **** Four stars 

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Wee Danny / Gerard Brennan


Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Crime

Approximate word count: 15-20,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Gerard Brennan lives in Northern Ireland with his family and recently completed an MA in creative writing at Belfast University. Gerard has previously published several other works including the novel, Wee Rockets, a novella, The Point, several short story collections and contributed to a number of anthologies.

You can learn more about Gerard on his website.

Description:

Danny Gibson is in a home for young offenders, in for a stretch after previous bad behavior. He has to prove to his teachers and psychologist that he’s a reformed character before he can be released. But that’s difficult after a lifetime of running wild on the streets of Belfast and when his fellow ‘inmates’ are trying to get him in trouble. Danny knows only one way to act, until he meets Conan that is.

Appraisal:

Gerard Brennan is one of my favourite authors. He writes highly accomplished and gritty crime fiction. However, underneath the vast majority of his stories are softer human elements, the characters often existing in a dog-eat-dog world but fighting to be something more. One example is Bouncer, a short story from the previously reviewed Other Stories…

Danny is one of the main characters from Wee Rockets. His incarceration is supposed to turn him around, but as usual he’s simply revolting against the regime and fighting for position with his peers. Danny is unlikely to ever conform.

Then he comes across Conan Quinlan, who, of course, gets nicknamed The Barbarian. Conan is a gentle giant and displays some distinctly odd behavior at times. Danny isn’t sure whether he’s friend or foe. Whether he’s disabled or not. But they quickly, and unexpectedly (to Danny at least) form an increasingly strong bond.

The boys are offered some community support work at a nearby castle – time outside the institution is very rare – but Danny takes events into his own hands and a really touching and emotional series of events occurs. The element Mr. Brennan handles so well is that another person, loaded with his own problems, is what ultimately begins Danny’s transformation, not the rigidity of routine, law and psychology.

Overall Wee Danny is a powerful and touching story of friendship over adversity and disability. I’m not ashamed to admit I spent the majority of the tale smiling my stupid head off. Excellent writing in a small package that’s brought to a great conclusion with an economy of words. Perhaps Mr. Brennan’s best work to date. It’s no accident that another excellent Irish writer, Colin Bateman, rates him so highly.

FYI:

Adult language

Format/Typo Issues:

None.


Rating: ***** Five Stars

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Running Blind / S.W. Vaughn


Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Young Adult/ Urban Fantasy

Approximate word count: 70-75.000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“S.W. Vaughn is the pseudonym of Sonya Bateman, author of the urban fantasy novels Master of None and Master and Apprentice from Simon & Schuster. Vaughn's work tends to run a bit darker than Bateman's. She lives in central New York with her husband, son, and a lot of cats who are often named after movie or TV show characters -- like Fizzgig (The Dark Crystal), Coda (Brother Bear), Mothra (Godzilla), and Blooregard Q. Kazoo (Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends).”

Vaughn is working on the fifth and final book of the House Phoenix series, Alpha Male, which started with Broken Angel. The House Phoenix series is straight-up thriller -- no romance, no paranormal. The series features a secret society of underground fighters. To find out more about S.W. Vaughn check out her website, her guest post at Books and Pals, or her indieview at The Indie View.

Description:

“17-year-old Grace Carrington is just your average, everyday freak. Her eyes glow, she can read minds, and electronic machines bend to her will. Colored contacts and a self-imposed lack of human relationships keep her safe while she bounces around Vegas, ripping off casinos to survive and avoiding the police -- who want to bring her back to her manipulative mother.

But what Grace doesn't know will hurt her. And what she doesn't know is this: The father she's never met was an angel, and she's a Nephilim -- which makes her a target for something far more dangerous and predatory than any gun-wielding cop or strangely persuasive FBI agent she might be running from...
Because some angels do not suffer their children to live.”

Appraisal:

This story is told through Grace’s eyes, she is a runaway who has been living on her own for four years. She is smart, spunky, and resourceful. After a bit of unusual trouble in Vegas Grace decides to head east hoping to learn more about her father who disappeared before she was born. The problem is she is now being hunted because a new ability has captured the attention of a couple of very nasty angels. On the train she meets Lucas who is also running away and has abilities of his own. Together they try to unravel the mystery of who they are and what their purpose is on earth.

The action is fast paced as Grace and Lucas learn to depend on and trust one another. I had a hard time accepting the fact that the angels in this story were such angry, violent, and mean beings who seemed to have no redeeming qualities. It was never explained why the Nephilim were considered a threat to them or society as a whole. Silver is a Nephilim who the angel Lorin completely controls, he is her assassin, and he quickly became my favorite character as he tries to protect Grace.

This could clearly become a series as Grace and Lucas meet the other teenagers, with abilities, who think they have found a safe haven at a clinic/camp in the Adirondacks. The head of the camp, Michael, thinks he has all the answers and Grace has no problem telling him he is full of BS. (Did I mention she was spunky and strong-willed?) This is a coming of age story that many young adults may enjoy, although I had a problem with the excessive narrative. This is not to say there wasn’t any realistic dialogue, because there was as the story progressed and I did enjoy knowing Grace’s thoughts throughout the story. I am relatively sure any plot holes, which were left open, will be filled-in or completed as the story continues, and I would like to see that happen. I would love to see how the relationship between Silver and Grace develops as Silver becomes his own person. If you enjoy urban fantasy and don’t have a problem with despicable angels you may enjoy this book. 

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant editing issues.


Rating: *** Three stars

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

A Selection of Meats and Cheeses / Danny Gillan


Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Crime/Short Story Collection

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: YES  Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Danny Gillan was raised and still lives in Glasgow, Scotland. His first ambition was to be a musician, but ended up in the pub and hotel trade for a number of years in a wide variety of roles, interspersed with periods in social care.
Danny has written two novels, the most recent called Scratch and a series of short stories which have appeared in several magazines and anthologies.

You can learn more about Danny on his blog.

Description:

Twelve short stories across a variety of genres.

Appraisal:

At first, if I’m being completely honest, I wasn’t taken with Meats and Cheeses… (has there ever been an odder title for a crime / thriller book?). The opening story Awake was well enough written, no doubt about that. In essence it’s about a man attending his wife’s funeral and witnessing a fight, but the conclusion, well that made me sit up. It was very well done and I didn’t see it coming.

The second short, Nothing But Grief didn’t disappoint. It was, if anything, better. Written in the first person it opens with the protagonist Ped getting a beating via a hard man, Steph, who works for the local opposition. The pair end up in a pub and hatch a plan to take out their respective bosses. However all is, by no means, what it seems and there are several twists that make this an excellent tale. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt it the highlight of the series.

It’s Not About You is a thought provoking, clever story about a boy who witnesses an argument between his parents whilst the final episode of Buffy is on TV (there’s a reason for this). It’s a mix of first person (from the boy’s perspective) and third person (Graham Pollok a child psychologist) which gives it an additional dimension. Smart, clever writing.

Johnny Walker is a brief, but also thought provoking story about a tramp and his reasons for being.

Action is a decent story. It steps away from the above because it’s more of a thriller / espionage story with a twist at the end (note, there’s a theme developing here). Well done, which may form an interesting novel length book.

In Stalk and Cheese we meet Colette, a waitress who starts to receive threatening calls and letters. Who’s sending them? Her ex-boyfriend or ex-school mates? Again this steps away from the norm as there are progressive flashbacks from when Colette was at school and had an issue with a group of boys. Again it doesn’t end quite as you’d expect.

In The Mistake Graham Pollok makes a reappearance when his wife is kidnapped by a recently escaped mental patient Graham had put away several years ago. The boy claims he’s Graham’s son. This story had some echoes of recent events heavily covered in the press, but I won’t reveal what these are so as not to spoil the story.

Throughout the dialogue is excellent. The descriptive elements are well balanced, just right for a short story – which illustrates the author’s skill as a writer. Whatever Danny attempted worked well, sometimes brilliantly. None of the tales are quite what they seem and will keep the reader guessing. I’d very happily sit down and read Danny’s other work.

FYI:

Nothing of note.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.


Rating: **** Four Stars

Monday, August 5, 2013

One Lost Summer / Richard Godwin


Reviewed by: Keith Nixon

Genre: Psychological thriller

Approximate word count: 35-40,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

Richard Godwin is a widely published author, with a focus on horror and crime, and a playwright. He has written two full length novels – Apostle Rising and Mr Glamour and has contributed multiple short stories to anthologies.

You can learn more about the author on his website.

Description:
It is high summer and Rex Allen moves into his new house, The Telescope. Barely has he begun to unpack when his attractive neighbor, Evangeline Glass, invites him to one of her regular parties.

Rex finds himself obsessing on Evangeline. He begins to immerse himself in her life, filming her at first, then following her movements, convinced there’s more to her than meets the eye. When Rex discovers Evangeline’s secret he persuades her to visit him for a two hour period each week and to become another person – Coral.

But why?

Appraisal:

Mr Godwin reveals the plot underlying One Lost Summer like a card sharp. He steadily doles out the pack one by one, hiding the trumps with clever sleight of hand, only revealing the complete set right at the conclusion. This is a clever, intelligent psychological thriller.

The characters are all very strong, every one is an enigma; no one is quite what they seem. Even when the reader thinks they have the person figured out the author flips their behavior again, shows a little more of their personality and position.

First and foremost is Rex who doesn’t really know himself. He’s clearly wealthy, but there’s no clue how he’s made his money. He drinks a lot of the best wine and whisky. His behavior is abnormal - recording Evangeline on film, often not washing, hearing things in the house – he’s edgy for some buried reason. And as the tale is told in the first person through Rex the reader is as puzzled as the protagonist.

Then there’s enigmatic Evangeline, who tries to control everyone and everything around her, but actually is the one being contained. She has plenty of secrets herself. And her husband Harry – possessive of his wife and possessing a dubious background. Finally the lesser characters - the hangers-on and party goers such as weak willed Brenda and her husband.

After an initial chapter setting the scene, where Rex moves into his new house (called The Telescope because the previous owner had the instruments all over the house – perhaps to watch Evangeline too?) and meets her, the tension and mystery quickly build. There are plenty of puzzles (and blind alleys) laid out for the reader.

The layout and style of One Lost Summer is interesting. The chapters are short, and the book is broken into sections, each titled to reveal in themselves a little more of the plot. The writing is economical and tightly focused. The attributes of each character are usually strikingly described – such as the clothes they wear, the patterns, the brands (Chanel, Montrachet wine). It all subtly adds to the ambience without being distracting and is key in the psychological process of Rex working on Evangeline.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this work. With summer apparently approaching this would make an excellent holiday read.

FYI:

Nothing of note.

Format/Typo Issues:

None.


Rating: ***** Five Stars

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Boreal and John Grey Season 1 / Chrystalla Thoma


Reviewed by: ?wazithinkin

Genre: Fantasy

Approximate word count130-135,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: YES  Smashwords: NO  Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Chrystalla is Greek Cypriot (hence the strange name) and likes writing about bratty, angsty boys and spunky girls in fantasy and science-fiction worlds. She writes mainly for a young adult public but not only (heed the warnings!)

She's currently preparing a non-fiction book about dragons, because the truth must out, and is juggling two series”

Description:

“Centuries ago, they nearly conquered humankind. But their Gate to our world closed, leaving them out. Now the elves have found a way back.

Ella Benson, agent of the Paranormal Bureau, fights the Shades when they cross into our world, keeping everyone safe. But increasingly dangerous creatures are slipping into her city, her work partner has just gone missing, and a mysterious – and, quite frankly, hot — guy saves her life. His name is Finn and, as it turns out, he’s a natural when it comes to fighting the Shades.

When the Gates between the worlds start opening and the elves make a comeback, Ella needs a new, temporary partner. Enlisting the mysterious Finn is a no-brainer, until she realizes he is guarding dangerous secrets of his own.

Together with Finn, and the fate of the world on her shoulders, what’s Ella to do but grab her weapons and figure it all out, one way or another.”

Appraisal:

This is actually a set of five novellas that make up the complete first season of the series “Boreal and John Grey" (The Encounter, The Gate, The Dragon, The Dream and The Truth).

I was totally drawn into this urban fantasy; Ella Benson is an agent of a secret paranormal investigation team trying to keep her world safe from increasingly dangerous creatures that are slipping into her dimension from another realm. The story is told mainly through Ella so we get to know her character extremely well, as she tries to figure out what exactly is happening, why, and how to stop it. Woven with Old Norse mythology Ms. Thoma has created her own unique world full of oracles, dwarves, elves, goblins, dragons, wolves that are not your typical wolf, huge fly snakes and other fantastical creatures.

It wasn’t hard to slip into this contemporary setting and become invested in the lives of all the characters in this story as they try to puzzle through the mystery of John Grey and the portals as the clues unfolded in a realistic way. The action is fast, furious, and intriguing. The characters are intelligent and strong but flawed with insecurities that are dealt with in a heartwarmingly realistic manner as all of the players stayed true to their own individual selves.

There were a few proofing misses, but not enough to really comment on except perhaps the words “Curioser and curioser”, I believe the words 
“Curiouser and curiouser” were meant to be used, that was a little jarring. I should also mention you will find profanity and adult sexual situations in this book but I don’t believe there were gratuitous. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and if you like urban fantasy or paranormal romance, I think you will also enjoy this. I look forward to following this series and checking out some of Chrystalla Thomas’ other books.

FYI:

Some adult language and situations.

Format/Typo Issues:

No significant issues

Rating: ***** Five stars

The review previously appeared in a different format at Awesome Trilogies and Series.


Saturday, August 3, 2013

Both Sides Now / Shawn Inmon with Dawn Inmon


Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Memoir

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: NO  Paper: YES
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

“Shawn Inmon is originally from Mossyrock, Washington, the setting for his first book, Feels Like the First Time. He has been a real estate broker in Enumclaw, Washington for the last twenty years. Prior to that, he worked as a short-order cook, traveling T-shirt salesman, radio DJ, Cutco Cutlery sales rep, department store buyer, video store manager, crab fisherman, Kirby vacuum cleaner salesman, business consultant and public speaker. He is married to his high school sweetheart Dawn and has five daughters, five grandchildren and two chocolate labs named Hershey and Sadie.”

For more, visit Inmon’s blog.

Description:

“Every Love story has two sides.

Just as she was flowering into her teens, life uprooted Dawn from
the tanned crowds and sunny beaches of southern California. It
transplanted her into rainy, rural Washington, where she strove to
adjust, mature and thrive.

Love came to Dawn--and was ripped from her by events and
manipulations she could not control. But Dawn had a core of steel. An
emotional castaway, she battled grimly through life's trials and
sorrows, safeguarding her heart against further ravages.

Then love reached out to Dawn once more--if she could find the
courage and spirit to grab it with both hands, and this time, never
let go.

This is her story.”

Appraisal:

Sometimes how events are viewed is a matter of perspective. That’s the premise of this book. I previously read and reviewed Shawn Inmon’s book, Feels Like the First Time, which was a memoir chronicling the story of his first love, Dawn, how they were torn apart, and how they eventually got back together decades later. Both Sides Now is the other side of the story, told from Dawn’s perspective.

Besides relating the same true story, Both Sides Now has much in common with Feels Like the First Time. In addition to stealing the title from a hit song of the era (Joni Mitchell or Judy Collins, for those keeping track), and chapter titles done the same way, this book is also written to read more like a novel than a typical memoir. I’ve heard recently about authors of fiction telling the same story in two books, revising the story the second time around to tell their tale using a different character as the protagonist. To be honest, I’m not sure how I feel about this trend, but in this instance I wanted to know how Dawn viewed some of the events.

It’s a new experience to read a book that you not only know how it is going to end, but also know the complete story in some detail. I can imagine a reader who hasn’t read the first book might prefer hearing the story from the female perspective (either first or maybe exclusively). For me, I found myself comparing notes between the two, and got some insights into the female mind (a lifelong pursuit that is unlikely to ever be completed) as well as how misunderstandings between people happen. I’m also impressed by both Shawn and Dawn, in that they could easily be bitter about some of the events in their respective lives, but instead seem thankful for all the good things.


Rating: **** Four stars

Friday, August 2, 2013

Just Add Spice / Carol E Wyer


Reviewed by: BigAl

Genre: Chick Lit

Approximate word count: 70-75,000 words

Availability    
Kindle  US: YES  UK: YES  Nook: NO  Smashwords: YES  Paper: NO
Click on a YES above to go to appropriate page in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Smashwords store

Author:

A regular contributor to The Huffington Post and Indies Unlimited, UK author Carol E Wyer is the author of three other books, the novels Surfing in Stilettos and Mini Skirts and Laughter Lines as well as the non-fiction humor (with a bit of relationship counseling and self-help thrown in) guide for older wives, How Not to Murder Your Grumpy.

Find out more from Carol’s blog.

Description:

“Dawn Ellis needs to escape from her painfully dull existence. Her unemployed husband spends all day complaining about life, moping around, or fixing lawnmowers on her kitchen table. The local writing class proves to be an adequate distraction with its eccentric collection of wannabe authors and, of course, the enigmatic Jason, who soon shows a romantic interest in her.”

Appraisal:

Reading fiction can be a way to put yourself in the life of someone unlike you as way of understanding others better. If a fictional character has similarities to you and you’re prone to introspection, it might help you understand yourself better. Just Add Spice goes one layer deeper. A fictional character who creates another fictional character, and it helps working through her own issues. It’s not as convoluted as I make it sound.

Our protagonist Dawn is bored with life and, if we’re completely honest, a touch boring herself. But aspiring author Dawn’s work-in-progress has a kick ass heroine, Cinnamon. As Dawn’s novel progresses the line between the two layers of fiction slowly blurs. Not just a clever idea, but a fun and entertaining read.

FYI:

Author is from the UK. Spelling conventions and vocabulary reflect this.

Format/Typo Issues:

Review is based on a pre-release copy of the book so I can’t comment on this area.


Rating: ***** Five stars

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Hope is my Wingman, a guest post from Stacey Voss

Michael Antcliffe
Michael Antcliffe had a profound effect on my life months before I ever met him in person.

My first encounter happened when a friend from elementary school shared a note that Michael had posted on his wall. It was titled, “You’ll Never Guess Who’s Dying From Cancer.” I immediately started wondering which of my friends had been stricken and it was in near-panic that I clicked on the link.

I quickly discovered that I had never met Michael before, but his note was so eloquently written, and contained surprising bits of humour despite the tough subject, that I quickly hit the add friend button.  That was in April 2011.

For the next eight months I read all of Michael’s notes as they popped up, going back to catch up on any that I’d missed periodically. By December I was thoroughly amazed by his eloquence and writing style and after reading a note he posted on December 11, 2011, I found myself wiping away tears and saying out loud to myself “Man, this guy can really write.”
Here’s an excerpt from what he wrote that day that I read out loud at this year’s Relay for Life, held by the Canadian Cancer Society on June 14th of this year:

I’m pretty much done with expectations. Expectations, I’ve found, can be greatly built up and then dashed with a single dose of reality. Expectations can be basic falsehoods from their inceptions. Expectations can predict greatness and joy, and then disappear with the most minuscule amount of knowledge. Expectations, once they are laid bare in their essential nature, often amount to no more than smoke and mirrors. Hope, on the other hand, I have found to be far more durable and resilient. Hope is never false when had with good intentions. Hope flies in the face of reality and often in the face of objective truth. Hope can predict the return of greatness and joy long after they are gone. So from here on in . . . I’m with Hope, my de facto wingman. We showed up together and we’re leaving together. Because once you manage to find it, once you learn how to appreciate it, and once you learn how to squirrel it away for when you need it you realize that’s the kinda stuff Hope does for you . . . I hope that my words and this Facebook page can become a place, a community if you will, where people can come and share; a place where people can both give and receive support from one another; a place where questions can be openly asked and answered. I hope that many of you can find strength and solace in this, as I have. I hope for a greater appreciation of family and friends, and all the truly important things in life we pay attention to after the bills are paid. And, of course, I hope we can still find a bunch of people to owe me ten bucks. When you really get down to it . . . I Hope. That’s it; that’s all I’ve got.

After I realized that Michael was a true writer and philosopher at heart, I also realized that I had the power to help him get his words out into the world. I had self-published a novel in 2009 and I knew that putting Michael’s words into book format would not only give people something tangible to look back on after he was gone, but also help him in his goal.

Michael had a goal to raise $1 million dollars to help people who were walking their own paths with cancer.  He was asking people to not only add him as a friend on Facebook, but to also pledge to owe him ten dollars after he died. The ten dollars would go to either the Northern Cancer Fund or the Canadian Cancer Society.  It seems like a no-brainer. Who wouldn’t want to help with such a worthy cause?

The thing is, I’ve never dealt well with death. By offering to publish his book, I was crossing the line from having Michael as a virtual friend online, to someone I would get to know and care about in person. I really did put a lot of thought into it. I wondered if I would be able to handle it if Michael died (it took me a very, very long time to use the word when). I decided that it was something that I had to do because it felt right.

My journey with Michael was amazing. I was devastated when his journey ended, but I will never say that he lost his battle. Michael gave me Hope. He gave me hope that people will realize how important family and friends are and how invaluable the time is that we spend with them. He taught me not to sweat the small stuff and that there is always someone else out there with bigger problems than my own. Michael taught me how to love my friends unconditionally and how to tell them how much I value them at every opportunity.

Michael’s book is going to be launched on August 19th, a day after the anniversary of his death. It will be available through all major bookstores and online in both paperback and eBook formats. Profits are going to the Canadian Cancer Society to help Michael to reach his goal.

To help with promotion, his publisher is giving away a free paperback and two free eBook versions of Michael’s book. You can enter below.  They are also giving away a Kindle on launch day.



You can find more information about Michael's book at the following links:






a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Free for your #Kindle, 8/1/2013

The author of each of these books has indicated their intent to schedule these books for a free day for the Kindle versions today on Amazon. Sometimes plans change or mistakes happen, so be sure to verify the price before hitting that "buy me" button.


Bays End by Edward Lorn




Streets of Payne by Jeff Bracket




It's Just A Dog by Russ Ryan



Author's interested in having their free book featured either here on a Thursday or a sister site on a Monday, visit this page for details.