Ink of Blood

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The Birth of Death

Posted by cat2002116 on July 20, 2014
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: books, reviews. Leave a comment

The Birth of Death

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

This was a book that I was really drawn to from the front cover and the blurb.

I liked the use of the articles throughout the book, but especially at the beginning. When I first started reading the book, I knew straight away that this was one I would like.

The characters were interesting and easy to relate to. I liked the relationship that formed between Artimus and Savannah, but I think Tel’shira and Casandra were my favourite characters – though I didn’t see a lot of Casandra. I would have liked to know a bit more of her history and abilities.

It was also interesting to see the different kinds of races in the world in this book. A lot of them were quite original – and I especially liked the felite. (But then, cats are my favourite animals).

I did struggle a bit to understand the motivations of the main bad guy. Although some parts of the story were from his POV, I still didn’t see him as a well-rounded villain.

I felt the fight scenes in particular were really well-written. I could see a lot of the events happening inside my mind and although the action was a little disjointed at times, I felt that worked for the fighting.

I liked the alliances that had formed between the characters by the end of the book. I’d like to see more of the inter-species friendships in later books.

I did notice quite a few errors in the writing, but they didn’t really detract from my enjoyment of the story. I was a bit disappointed not to see more of the dryads, too – I was quite intrigued by their role in the whole thing.

At some point in the future, I’d probably read the next book in this series. I cared about what happened to the characters and the world.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Posted by cat2002116 on July 19, 2014
Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: movies, reviews. Leave a comment

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

(This review may contain spoilers).

I remember seeing this film when it came out at the cinema. Since I recently watched the sequel to this, I watched this film when it showed on television today.

One of my favourite things about this film was Caesar’s relationship with his human family. There were some really sweet moments in this film and I felt James Franco in particular did quite a good job in the character he played.

It’s not too far of a stretch that human experiments would cause potential destruction of the world. That’s probably already happening now.

I recognised some of the apes from the sequel that I didn’t remember seeing the first time I watched this film. It was good to see the characters – and I felt the effects worked well enough to give the apes their own personality.

This was a good build-up to apes running Earth. I’m still curious to see how things develop so completely that humans are seen as little more than cattle in the original films.

The Circle Complete

Posted by cat2002116 on July 19, 2014
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: books, reviews. Leave a comment

The Circle Complete

(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).

(This review may contain spoilers).

When I originally entered to win a copy of this book, I actually had no idea what it was about. But I was drawn to the title and the pretty cool front cover.

I found this book really easy to read. Although I hadn’t read the preceding books, I was able to understand everything that was going on. I liked the two main characters and it was interesting to see how their relationship developed over the course of the book.

One thing I particularly liked about this book was the fact that it used God and religious values so much, even going so far as to have the characters wait until after they were married to sleep together.

The differences between people from Earth and people from Sentria were quite interesting, though it meant that parts of the book were quite heartbreaking when I knew what was eventually going to happen.

Eve was an intriguing character. There were hints of her own justification of her actions, but by the end of the book, I felt that what happened to her was deserved. I also found her daughter to be quite an interesting character and someone I would have liked to see more of.

I liked that there was some use of politics in this book. It was good to see how things were going on Sentria at points in the book.

Towards the end of the book, there were quite a lot of sad things happening, but the very last chapter provided a lot of hope. I felt this was a fitting end to the story and, although sad at turns, it was well-written and definitely worth reading.

Coming in Hot

Posted by cat2002116 on July 18, 2014
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: books, reviews. Leave a comment

Coming in Hot

(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I did like the idea behind this book, but although it was a quick, easy read, I couldn’t give it four stars.

Mack was an interesting character, but Jenna did irritate me at times. I’m all for a strong heroine, but not one who disregards common sense just to show how independent she is. I felt she didn’t understand the potential danger she’d put the other team members in.

I also wasn’t too keen on the twins’ obsession with her. I loved Charlie and Willie, but I have serious issues when more characters than just the hero has feelings for the heroine. Still, Charlie in particular was especially awesome. By the end of the book, I felt he’d definitely proved himself an invaluable member of the team. Willie was good, but his skills weren’t explained with the same kind of detail as Charlie’s.

I liked the other members of the team in the book, too, and I would have liked to see more of them and their past. I liked the banter between the teammates and I thought they played off each other well.

I felt there was a good mix of action and romance, though there was a bit of… kissing while involved in a dangerous mission. Towards the end of the book, Jenna showed a bit more intelligence, too.

I think I’d be interested in reading the next books in the series at a later date. It would be nice to see more of the secondary characters.

Everlasting

Posted by cat2002116 on July 18, 2014
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: books, reviews. Leave a comment

Everlasting

(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I have a few mixed feelings about this book, but the main character was interesting and the plot of the book was engaging enough to keep my attention throughout.

I found quite a lot of the characters in this book to be really interesting, though I did have some mixed feelings about Faye. I was a bit concerned about her abilities and I was also quite unsure about her relationship with Jaxen.

I would have really liked to see more of Katie and Chett. I found their relationship as Witch and Hunter to be one of the most interesting and it would have been nice to see things from one of their perspectives.

The world in this book was quite an intriguing one. It was an interesting idea about the pairing of Hunters and Witches and how the different characters handled it.

Jezi and Cassie were both really interesting characters and I did really like Cassie’s relationship with Gavin.

The different abilities of the Witches and Hunters were quite unique, though I would have liked to see more of the bond between them.

I liked that Faye did get hurt and that not everything came easy for her. There were lots of things I would have liked to see further explored, but those did make me want to see what will happen in the next books.

The book was mostly well-written, though I did notice a few errors. I really liked Weldon as a character, but the bad guys were just… pure bad. They weren’t the interesting types of villains who feel that they’re justified.

At some point in the future, I will probably read the other books in this series.

Cover Reveal: The Other Lamb

Posted by cat2002116 on July 17, 2014
Posted in: Cover Reveal. Tagged: Cover Reveal. Leave a comment

E-cover 1000

 

The Other Lamb, by Katie Young

 

Genre: fantasy, paranormal-horror

 

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

 

Date of Publication: August 28th, 2014.

 

Cover Artist: Polina Sapershteyn (https://www.behance.net/PolinaS)

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22709423-the-other-lamb

 

Description:

 

Incarcerated on Earth as punishment for breeding with humans, the Watchers found a way to escape. Zach is living proof of that…even though someone has cut out his heart.

 

When Zach turns eighteen he develops an insatiable thirst for blood, but he tries to bury his fears and go on enjoying his birthday. His best friend Kim has scored them tickets to the hottest gig in town. But a charged encounter with his idol, the enigmatic rock star known as Grigory, leads to a revelation that shatters everything Zach thinks he knows about himself and the world, and places everyone dear to him in grave danger.

Zach is a Naphil, the forbidden offspring of a mortal woman and a Watcher. When those who seek to destroy him snatch Kim, Zach is forced to embark on a journey of discovery spanning continents and ages. With the help of a mysterious stranger named Sam, Zach must unearth the truth about his parentage, find Kim, and discover who has stolen his heart…before he triggers the apocalypse.

 

 

About The Author

Katie Young

Katie Young is a writer and occasional zombie movie ‘supporting artiste’. She also works in kids’ TV but wishes she were a rock star. She has various shorts available for download from Ether Books, and features in anthologies from Collaboration of the Dead Press, Angelic Knight Press, Indigo Mosaic, Song Stories Press, Static Movement and Fox Spirit Books. Her story, Atelic, was shortlisted for the 2010 Writers’ & Artists’ Year Book short fiction prize, and she is a regular contributor to the Are You Sitting Comfortably? story-telling events run by White Rabbit. Katie also writes TV reviews for The Cult Den. The Other Lamb is her first novel. She lives in South East London with her partner and a second-hand cat. She is not a natural redhead.

Find Katie Young Online:

Website (http://katieyoungauthor.wordpress.com/) | Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Young/160179424124913?ref=hl) | Twitter (https://twitter.com/Pinkwood) | Goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4392314.Katie_Young)

Friday The 13th 2009

Posted by cat2002116 on July 17, 2014
Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: movies, reviews. Leave a comment

Friday The 13th

(This review may contain spoilers).

I think this is the second time I’ve seen this particular installment of the Friday the 13th franchise. It’s not a brilliant horror film, but then, I’ve found that most slasher films are more about the violent deaths than true character development.

I recognised some of the actors in this film, though Jared Padalecki is one I really struggle to see as playing any other character than Sam Winchester; though a lot of what he said and did didn’t really help.

Although there wasn’t much in the way of character development, there was good use made of lighting and I couldn’t help feeling some sympathy towards Jason, though he was a killer.

The use of the original scene at the beginning was particularly effective, but with the characters being stereotypical, it didn’t really affect me much to watch the film and I didn’t find myself really focused on/caring about their safety. This is the kind of film that’s good to have on in the background when you’re doing something else.

The Book of You

Posted by cat2002116 on July 16, 2014
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: books, reviews. Leave a comment

The Book of You

(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I found this book quite a difficult one to read. Although it was well-written, there was a lot about it that made me angry, as well as various other emotions – so by the time I finished reading this, I actually felt exhausted.

It was interesting how Rafe’s actions were ones that were seen as so different to people outside of Clarissa. Seeing things from her perspective, it was obvious he was stalking her… but people outside wouldn’t necessarily see the reality, as was made quite clear.

Although the trial Clarissa was witnessing added a new dimension to the storyline, I didn’t think the case was at all similar to Clarissa’s. When I originally read the blurb, I thought the storyline was going to be somewhat different.

The use of the diary entries worked to an extent, but there were times it got confusing. I think the book would have been better if it had been written in first person diary form throughout, rather than switching between first and third person.

I felt that the police and lawyers weren’t portrayed particularly well throughout. Even when they actually listened, they didn’t come across as competent and especially not towards the end. Sadly, I felt that the attitudes during the trial were really realistic.

Although this book did evoke a lot of strong emotions, it was exhausting to read just once. I don’t think it’s one I’ll read again.

Interview With Dr. Shawn Phillips

Posted by cat2002116 on July 16, 2014
Posted in: Interviews. Tagged: interviews. 1 Comment

Dr. Shawn Phillips is the author of The Doppler Affect

 

1) What originally inspired you to get into writing?
As a kid I creating my own small newspapers on alien invasions and fantastical events, but left it behind as my interests turned toward science. Honestly, it dropped completely out of sight and mind for over two decades. Then in 2004 I transferred into a management position outside my technical field. I had a two-hour commute along desolate desert roads and needed a way to unwind from a high stress job. It started slowly, like a pleasant mental illness, where random thoughts of a fantasy world based on chi festered. It then grew tendrils that seemed to spread throughout my body, and character’s developed with their conversations springing forth (and those who passed me on the road must have thought I was ill, as I often acted out the scenes in an animated fashion). The complexity of the story built to a point where I couldn’t keep it all in my mind, so I began to write down the scenes after my wife and kids went to bed. That was when my childhood passion for writing was reborn. Now, a day doesn’t go by where I don’t satisfy my writing addiction.

 

2) Where did the idea for The Doppler Affect first come from?
The original idea came from my first book, Dillon’s Dream: Water & Earth. In the Young Adult novel, which The Doppler Affect definitely isn’t, there is a chapter where mythical doppelgangers play a key role. When I decided I wanted to write a paranormal adult fiction novel, I asked myself what modern-day, scientific-based shapeshifters would be like. How would they gain their ability, what would separate them from the mythical doppelgangers, and would they have weaknesses? But it wasn’t enough for a novel, as doppelgangers have been written about in thousands of stories. It took another year before I was able to integrate it with a spirit walker idea I had been toying with. From there it only took ten months to write (it sounds like a long time, but I also have a 60-hr a week job).

 

3) Did you like or dislike any characters in particular?
Hmm, I hadn’t thought about my feelings toward the characters before you asked. Let me see…I guess my favorite character was Mors, the male dole (dole is the name I gave doppelgangers who were born without the shape changing ability). He had a quiet confidence and reputation that was respected by the entire doppelganger society, even though he held no powers. He started as a page character (limited character traits, and meant to have a small role), but became an integral part of the novel.

Now, who did I hate? It was definitely the lead villain, Theresa. Every time I sat down to write about her, I had to delve into a character who inflicted pain on others just for pleasure. She was an incredibly sharp character, a visionary leader, but sadomasochistic. Readers will love to hate her.

 

4) Were there any scenes that were hard to write? Or any that were particularly easy to write?
Actually, it wasn’t one particular scene but rather the concept behind the science-based doppelgangers (or dopplers, as I call them), which caused me to walk a line that wouldn’t cross with my personal beliefs. The dopplers are a matriarchal society, and feed off the sexual desires of men to advance their race. Because of this premise, I was afraid that readers might falsely interpret the story as an extension of my beliefs about women. So I worked hard to stress that the dopplers were an alien race, and not akin to human women. The first thing I did was to call them females, instead of women. I drew on the differences between calling your place of residence a house instead of a home, with a home evoking emotions. There’s a lot more in the book, and I’ll leave it to the reader to judge whether I was successful.

 

5) Were any of the characters inspired by real people?
Great question! There were only two characters that I molded from real people, and it turns out that one is a retired Air Force colonel, and the other is a retired senior master sergeant. The prison librarian used the catch phrase, ‘What do you mean?’ in a high-pitched squeal. That was taken from Col (ret) Greg Reynolds, who owned that phrase like no one else I ever met. However, it should be noted that Greg is not in prison nor has he ever done anything illegal…that I know of.

I added in SMSgt (ret) Richardson just as he left the Air Force and joined the civil sector. In the story, he encounters a doppler during his first day on the job with the FBI, and it doesn’t end well. In real life, Richardson loved the character and felt it fit him to a tee.

On a side note, Christopher Sands’ wife is of Mexican descent, like my wife. I have lived in a Mexican family for two decades and wanted to capture part of the culture, and an important part of California culture. However, I made sure that the two were nothing alike. Hopefully she agrees, else I may be in trouble.

 

6) Do you intend to write any more books following on from this one?
Absolutely! I’ve really enjoyed the overall doppler story, and promised myself to see it through to the end…regardless of the popularity. The follow-on title is Picture Perfect. I’ve completed the outline (~twenty pages) and already written the first 20,000 words. My goal is to be two-thirds of the way done when 2014 is in the rearview mirror.

 

7) Have there been any particular books or authors that have inspired you?
Ender’s Game. As a teenager I related to the main character, and loved how Orson Scott Card wove the story. So far, all my main characters have some part of Ender inside, as I just can’t get away from it…yet.

The other is Piers Anthony. His style is simple, but every book of his pulled me in and kept me dreaming long after I put it down. That’s my goal with writing; I want to pull readers in and make them dream of or believe in the world I created.

 

8) Do you have any advice/pearls of wisdom for budding writers?
I don’t have any advice for writers who followed a traditional career path (they are way ahead of me), but rather for those people that called out by The Gotham Writers’ Workshop book. Meaning, the hundreds of thousands who come from different careers, but are unified in a passion for writing. My first piece of advice is to finish what you’re writing, whether it be a shorty story, novella or novel. It seems like every day someone tells me that they have wanted to write a story, and often that desire has been a dream for decades. Your dream will never succeed or fail until you take action, and failure is just a starting point for success.

The other piece of advice is to do everything possible to get honest reviews. In my professional career, I teach people to be self-reflective as it is the key to personal and professional growth. However, if you are starting a new career then it is hard to baseline where you are. You need others to help point out your strengths and weaknesses, and you need to be open to their critiques no matter how much they hurt. With my first novel, it took many months before I found a way to get honest reviews (Goodreads & book giveaways are a great start), but through persistence I learned the things I needed to work on. In fact, I think I have a good decade of work ahead of me.

 

(Amazon buy link)

 

www.amzn.com/B00L0I56AU

 

 

(social sites, including blog & website)

 

website:  www.drshawnphillips.com

 

blog:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5173944.Shawn_H_Phillips/blog

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

Posted by cat2002116 on July 15, 2014
Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: movies, reviews. 1 Comment

Dawn of the Planet of the Apes

 

(This review may contain spoilers).

I went to see this film at the cinema today with my sister – it was actually a secret unlimited showing, but considering how soon this film was coming out, I was quite surprised that this ended up being the film that was shown.

I had seen the prequel to this film when it came out at the cinema – and I’ve seen at least part of one of the original Planet of the Apes films. I was a bit surprised at how much I remembered of the previous film while I was watching this.

I felt this film portrayed the apes as having their own personalities extremely well. Although the apes weren’t human, the relationships formed between them and their interactions with each other came across really well. I particularly liked Caesar’s relationship with his son, Blue Eyes, though it was difficult to tell them apart at times. And the baby ape was particularly cute.

I wasn’t too surprised by a lot of the reactions of the humans in this film – I felt that was portrayed fairly realistically. It was quite difficult to hate the bad guys in the film, because the creators made an obvious effort to give them realistic reasons for the way they acted.

Quite a lot of the scenes in this film were really tense. My sister and I kept grabbing each other, worried about what would happen with the characters.

The ending of the film was quite good and although my sister said it wasn’t the sort of film she would have chosen to see, she still liked it as much as I did. I think this is a film I’d definitely like to watch again and buy on DVD when it comes out.

 

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