Unworthy by Joanne Armstrong

A new review was posted on Amazon this morning, from a writer who I both respect and enjoy reading. Reviews such as this one make me want to keep working towards a fabulous Book 2!

"4.5 Stars - First, I'm not usually drawn to YA novels, but I picked up the book because I'm intrigued by dystopian or alternate worlds. This story is driven by two main characters (although it has a strong plot) Arcadia and Alex. There is a secondary character, Bastian, who I assume will return in the sequel to Unworthy.

I recently discovered this is the author's first book and...I'm impressed by that. I had no idea whether I'd enjoy the story after discovering in the initial chapters a wide-sweeping illness had devastated the world and left survivors with a new set of rules and a system based on survival of the fittest. The heroine is strong with 'grit' and backbone even though she is deemed 'unworthy' by a society who has little time for physical (sick) weakness. This society believes in putting all its resources into those they 'know' will survive. Arcadia bests not only the rigid rules of survival, but what she's always been led to believe are her betters. After the death of her beloved Grandfather, who encouraged and loved her through every step of her life, Arcadia is summoned to appear before what she assumes to be the Polis, the elite who rule their lives. She doesn't know why and like anyone would be, is terrified. Enter our other main character, Alex, her escort on the journey. Alex is portrayed as a physically imposing man who rarely smiles. He's all business until Arcadia, with her loving, caring nature carves a path to his heart.

I don't want to give away too much of the story, but on the journey, bonds are formed, masks are removed, and we learn more about the characters than what we originally thought. But then, in Arcadia's life, no one who is they said they were and nothing is at it seems.

If you like YA and dystopian novels, you'll love this book. It's compelling, addictive. Like me, you'll want to find out what Arcadia will discover along the way and what waits for her when she reaches her destination.

Well done, Ms. Armstrong. I'll be on the lookout for the sequel,

Winterblues"

See the original post on Amazon.

Unworthy by Joanne Armstrong

Sandra Richardson of "Jeanz Read n Review" book blog has written a glowing review of Unworthy, and gave it five stars on Goodreads. Here is an excerpt of her review, the rest of which you can find over on her blog.
"This book is so action packed as well as emotionally packed in places too. Arcadia may be marked Unworthy but that doesn't mean she has no morals or standards she keeps and holds others up to. There is a real twist near the end of the book, it really has you saying "oh, wow!" You really couldn't guess at it. I really loved reading this book. I thought the characters of Alex and Arcadia were great, so thought out well and how they react to one another, and their friendship blossoms during the arduous journey they have to undertake.

I could seriously go on and on and on about this book I loved it sooo much! If the next book had been available I would have been asking when I could read it right away. Nearer the end of the book we meet those who "govern" and make the rules for hubbites to follow and see how they react to Arcadia. Arcadia is certainly left with a lot to think about right at the very end of the book. Is she up to the task that lies ahead of her? Can she change how their society works at the moment? I think she can, and I hope Alex will be at her side to help her through it too. There's so many questions still to be answered, as well as others to arise and be answered too.

So did I enjoy the book? I loved it, every chapter, and every word, I loved all the characters, even the nasty ones were great!"

Chasing the Dead by Keta Diablo

About Keta Diablo:

Keta Diablo is a multi-published author of paranormal, historical and occasionally gay fiction (paranormal). In 2009, her erotic romance Decadent Deceptions was a finalist in the RWA Molly contest. In 2010, Keta's entry Phoenix Rising finaled in the Scarlet Boa contest and in 2011 Keta's acclaimed paranormal shifter, Where The Rain is Made, was nominated by Authors After Dark for a BOOKIE AWARD AND by Deep In The Heart of Romance for BEST ROMANCE OF THE YEAR. In 2014 Sky Tinted Water was nominated for a Rone Award.

Many of her books, including her gay fiction series CROSSROADS have won numerous awards: Top Reviewer's Pick, Recommended Read and Best Book of the Month.

About Chasing the Dead

Madrid Arrende is a young woman of Mexican descent who has inherited her mother’s abilities to communicate with the dead. She’s beautiful and feisty, set to inherit the large prosperous ranch which her father has built up from nothing. She is engaged to marry a weak and pasty town boy, but has known love and lust in the past, thanks to a rugged cowboy named Deacon Bannister. A woman with her fire and her future needs a Deacon Bannister by her side; we all know this. But how will they come together?

Chasing the Dead gave me everything I have come to expect from a good western romance: strong, likeable heroines, desert sunsets and palpable settings I could lose myself in, and Most Important Of All, that dreamy lustable male character. Deacon is everything a western hero should be: strong, manly, outdoorsy (he breaks horses), rugged, stubborn, insanely handsome, and ever so swoonfully dedicated to the one love of his life. (Of course, in real life, who could live with a man like this? BUT, that’s why we have book boyfriends. They stay in their books where they belong, forever hot, twenty-something, and forever the ardent lover.)

Now for the rest of the story. I was a little unsure of the ‘communicating with spirits’ bit, but this was very well done. The spirits were sit within the context of Native American beliefs. I am far from an expert in this culture, but knowing Ms Diablo, she will have done her background research and traditional customs will have been drawn on. The Spanish certainly was spot on, except for one instance where it stood out like a sore thumb - and then I realised that a gringo was speaking, and it made me laugh instead.

I loved that the main character came from a Mexican background. I liked reading about a heroine whose skin was not alabaster. She spoke a lot of Spanish and her home had a very strong Catholic influence. It was very substantial, and believable.

There were other likeable characters too. Deacon’s brother and the Apache girl who Madrid becomes friends with are both strong, three dimensional characters with their own back stories and their own motivations.

The story arc is nicely done, and I would expect nothing less from Ms Diablo. Her character introduction is splendid, and the story builds with the usual crests to the climax, and a well-earned happily ever after.

All in all, there is very little that is new here, which fans of this genre will be relieved to hear. Ms Diablo has kept the romance bones in the usual order- ankle connected to shin then knee etc etc - and fleshed them out with an Apache / Mexican / Cowboy overlay. Which I really like. The paranormal thread sews all three together very nicely, and not too weirdly, which I can’t handle (I’m not much into zombies and everyone turning into werewolves).  The finished story is the one we all demand - of love, lust, romance, strength and individuality - whilst also giving us a beautiful underlying story of ethnic co-existence and co-dependence.

And that’s the story I really appreciated here.

 

Read about Chasing the Dead on Goodreads here

Buy it for $3.51 here on Amazon

Read more about Keta and her books on her website

Connect with Keta via Twitter here

Mail Order Tangle by Caroline Clemmons and Jacquie Rogers

Contains two stories by best-selling Western Romance writers

Mail Order Promise by Caroline Clemmons is the first, followed by Mail Order Ruckus by Jacquie Rogers

Clemmons has created a wonderfully real setting filled with three dimensional characters we’d all love to meet in real life.

About Caroline Clemmons

Caroline Clemmons is an Amazon bestselling author of historical and contemporary western romances. Her books have garnered numerous awards. Her most recent novel, BLUEBONNET BRIDE, is a poignant tale of tender redemption. A frequent speaker at conferences and seminars, she has taught workshops on characterization, point of view, and layering a novel.

About Mail Order Promise

Mail Oder Promise unfolds amongst the backdrop of the a-little-bit-tamed Wild West, on a cattle ranch where the cowboys ride armed and the women earn their keep. It sets itself up for a sweet romance between a tough, practical young rancher and a pampered rich girl who has been brought down in the world and in desperation signed herself up to be a mail order bride. They sum each other up pretty quickly, each writing the other off as an unrefined bully and spoiled brat respectively. How will they be persuaded to see past their prejudices?

The characters are beautifully portrayed. Ellie is hugely dislikeable at the start, but still I couldn’t help relating to her. Her greatest sin is the inability to shut up, and I think we’ve all been in the position of putting foot in mouth at the worst possible time. Having been brought up surrounded by prosperity and opulence, she has never worked a day in her life, and her arrival on the ranch is a rude awakening.

Thank God her character is the one who goes through the biggest transformation. It was a little bit of a stretch, but she becomes a more likeable, hardworking ranch woman by the end of the story.

Kage, the male love interest, is hugely likeable. He sizes her up pretty quickly and I have to admit fairly accurately. I think he’s way too good for her, but it’s a mercy he didn’t listen to me because the ending is predictably sweet. Where Ellie’s problem is her big mouth (and inability to boil the jug), Kage’s problem is his stubbornness. They find each other attractive but unsuitable, and the usual misunderstandings follow.

The pace of the story is mostly good. I felt the ending didn’t have the “punch” in the right place, ending with a rather sickly picture of family bliss, which I felt was not necessary to the story. I was wondering if someone was about to jump out of a box. But no, it was just a few extra pages of happiness.

The rest of the book however does some perfect head switching from her to him and back again; just the right amount spent in his for us to know that she is the author’s main focus, but that he doesn’t find her wholly unattractive… just annoying. Which I did too, so she had to get herself over that.

I found the calf burial exceptionally comedic. It wasn’t till I’d finished the scene that I realised I’d found it ridiculous, because I think I expected a different point to it, but when it was over I realised it was all about him showing his softer side. At the time it was telling me that she was soft in the head, and I was seriously rethinking the direction the story was taking. Markers about her “delicate condition” were beginning to make sense, and I started wondering if the story would have a more serious side, falling somewhere among the mental health stars. But no. It wasn’t that she was a bit loony or seriously immature, she was just far too well bred. (A calf burial though? On a cattle ranch? Bless his cotton socks, Kage found it ridiculous too.)

So he is great the whole way through, she is annoying at the start and less annoying at the end, and the rest of the cast are pretty darn good. The sister is an also ran who could have been left out - I got no reading at all on her personality. Not even a blip. Grandpa and Inga are simply gold. They breathe beautifully. I especially I love the scene where Inga doesn’t let the also-ran sister Laura go to help Ellie with the washing. She says it all in that one line.

All in all Mail Order Promise delivers all it promises: well-rounded characters, a slow-to-develop storyline that builds with good pace, dialogue and beautiful scene-setting, and a very sweet romance between two - er, one and a half - likeable characters.

You can find Caroline Clemmons here http://www.carolineclemmons.com/index.html

Redemption: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer by Andrew Joyce

Tom and Huck fans will love it

About the Author:

Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada and Mexico. He wouldn’t return from his journey until decades later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written three books, and a collection of forty-three stories that is comprised of his hitching adventures, written as veiled non-fiction called BEDTIME STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS, and his latest novel, REDEMPTION. He now lives aboard a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

About Redemption:

I’m always a little wary of writers who take on another author’s characters. I’m not a supporter of fan fiction. I assume that all fan fiction is going to be bad - after all, if the writer is good, why not start their own story? Have they no ideas of their own?

Writing the follow up to classics such as Mark Twain’s is dangerous territory. It throws up all sorts of warning flags for me. These are characters who generations of readers have grown up with. Even if it’s not hallowed ground, it’s at least shaky.

All that being said, I was pleasantly surprised by the book. Joyce manages to capture not only the essence of Twain’s writing style, but also the gentle flow of adventure which the boys find along the way. They are now, of course, all grown up and the tone of the adventures takes a great big step forward into adulthood. Joyce remains true to the boys’ characters in a clever and intriguing way. I think the danger could have been to err too heavily on the side of caution, ending up with two bland characters who blend into one generic youth of the 1860s. Joyce avoids this neatly.

I have to acknowledge the courage the writer shows in taking on Twain’s classics. The vision behind the book was grand, and he stuck to it. He took bold risks, and they pay off. The writing is perfect - he imitates the original books to a tee - and it is well edited and easy to read.

For those who enjoyed the original books, this is a must-read. Get set to reacquaint yourself with favourite characters from your past, and to become lost in the world of your youth.

You can find Andrew Joyce online:

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18393873-redemption?from_search=true

Website - http://huckfinn76.com/

Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Further-Adventures-Huck-Sawyer-ebook/dp/B00ENOPHVQ/ref=sr_sp-atf_title_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1405767693&sr=8-1&keywords=redemption+huck+finn

Theodora’s Descent by JE and M. Keep

About the authors:

J.E. & M. Keep are dark fantasy fiends.

With a lust for fantasy and science fiction, they bring you an eclectic selection of works. They write for both male and female readers, with rich detail, developed characters and settings, and explicit sex. All stories are erotic, with many dark romances, and they range from demons and elves that jump into bed at the slightest provocation, to the slow, exquisite tortures of denial. Fall in love with the characters, root for the villain, and always come back for more.

About Theodora’s Descent:

Dante’s Inferno and Hieronymus Bosch - that’s what this book was. I have to admit that I didn’t pick it at first. Prolific as they are, I’ve never read these authors before, and to be honest, I never have any idea what Ingrid Hall is going to throw at me next (hurrah! I love surprises!), so I really had no idea what to expect, and no pre-conceived notions.

Theodora’s Descent started out as a pretty staid gothic novel. Can I say boring? It started out pretty boring. Ho-hum. A young woman inherits her aunt’s estate. Guess what, she’s rich. Guess what, she’s beautiful. Guess what, she’s strong and independent and very modern for her era. And oh, guess what, there’s a dark and mysterious set of stairs leading downwards that she simply must explore.

I’m sorry but my eyes glazed over and I was about to throw it back Ingrid-ward. I’m not sure how many more times I could hear that Theodora was petite. And that her large, pale blue eyes shimmered. And she had a tiny frame. And that she had lustrous golden hair. Gawk.

But then - oh my gosh. How did I ever get past the first few chapters? I have no idea but thank God I did. What an absolutely mesmerising read. Once she does descend those very suspicious stairs, she finds herself in a nightmare. I’m not exaggerating; a nightmare. Creature after sickening creature attempt to kill, devour, enslave or rape her, each more grotesque than the last.

That’s when Bosch’s work sprung into my mind.

I used to pore for hours over his work, the twisted details of his perverse imagination fascinating and disgusting at the same time. And this book was exactly like that. Theodora’s story is so sick it became fascinating. And much as the authors dwelt on their main character’s perfection at the start, so too did they dwell on the horrifying ugliness of the creatures that she found in the world below.

I couldn’t stop reading. It did tend to go on… I think I would have liked the book to have been shorter, and an epilogue about eight chapters before the end did throw me rather, but it was lengthy. But the surprises were well-timed and cunningly laid. Like the traps which Theodora falls into time and again, the reader falls into icky gooey rotting traps too. Clever.

The authors’ hero is a monster. I’m not kidding, he’s gross. But they play with our understanding of a hero most beautifully, presenting us with what we have come to expect from him and yet questioning the need for him to be attractive. Or even - um - human. I found it interesting on so many levels. The story, and especially the characterisation, made me consider quite deeply what is necessary in our protagonists in order for us as readers to find satisfaction. What makes the hero heroic? What makes a villain villainous? (Or in this case, many many villains villainous?)

Think Beauty and the Beast - but the uncut non-Disney version. This is the X-rated version that comes on TV after 11pm. Beast is not just a little fluffy round the ears, he’s actually got extra pairs of arms, triangular eyes and a snake-like tongue. I kid you not.

So, basically, Theodora descends into the bowels of hell where it’s dark and creepy and everything that moves is a threat. Except for one guy (I use the term loosely) who wants to protect her. She spends the rest of the book trying to escape either him or everything else. And most of all to get back to the surface where she came from. Of course he doesn’t want her to leave, but he also wants her to be happy, so it’s a little tricky. Will she fall in love with him? (ew, gross!) Will she ever leave? And what would happen to him if she did?

A simple story. But told in such a fascinatingly creepy and mesmerizingly tangible way, you’ve just got to see it for yourself.

You can find out more about JM and E Keep here on their website http://jmkeep.com/

Where they have an enormous list of novels and novellas for you to browse - there will surely be something for everyone.

Unworthy by Joanne Armstrong

A couple of new reviews of Unworthy appeared on Goodreads over the last few days, and they're really positive. They encourage me to keep writing.

What follows is an excerpt from what the reviewer "Tuxedotwig" wrote:

The author gave me a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This book had definite flow. I read through the whole thing in about an hour and I never mentally-tripped over awkward phrasing or unclear sentences. The writing is the kind that I prefer – very descriptive and sort of rhythmic.

I liked the concept – survival of the fittest and all that. Also, wasn’t that much romance, which I think is a good thing. But if you enjoy a really gushy, romantic book, this might not be for you.

I really liked this book, and I can’t wait to read the second book. There was a really awful cliffhanger at the end, so if you absolutely can’t stand cliffhangers, then I’d suggest you wait until the other book(s) are released so that you don’t have to wait to find out what happens.

You can read the entire review here on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1100410119?book_show_action=true&page=1