Blog Archives
Eyes of Blue
In Eyes of Blue, author S.M. Sykes crafts a riveting tale set in a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by a catastrophic plague. The protagonist, Ava Caroline Washington, is a survivor in a secluded Delaware state park. Her relative peace is shattered, thrusting her into an uncharted and dangerous world outside. Here, she encounters enigmatic beings with unnerving blue eyes, setting her on a quest to uncover their mysteries before they threaten the remnants of civilization.
Sykes takes a unique approach to the zombie genre, introducing ‘Deaders’ who break from traditional undead narratives. The story delves into the human spirit’s resilience and the complexities of moral dilemmas, echoing current societal concerns and the impact of technology. The narrative is skillfully woven, balancing intense action with reflective moments that mirror the pace and pauses of contemporary life.
Ava Caroline Washington stands as a compelling character, a symbol of humanity’s struggle to adapt in a fractured world. Her attachment to a lost phone is a touching metaphor for our dependence on technology and the challenges of maintaining human connections amidst turmoil. Ava’s journey prompts readers to contemplate their own ties to technology, identity, and the delicate nature of societal structures. The novel also innovates within its genre by reimagining the zombie archetype. The Deaders in Eyes of Blue do not propagate their kind through victimization, shifting the focus from physical survival to the psychological and ethical challenges faced by survivors. This thematic evolution mirrors contemporary fears of existential threats, whether biological, environmental, or societal, lending the story a multi-dimensional and pertinent quality.
Eyes of Blue resonates as a cautionary narrative reflecting real concerns about bioengineering and pandemic preparedness. In a world grappling with global crises and rapid technological change, the story’s exploration of a society undone by a deadly disease is both timely and thought-provoking. It prompts readers to ponder the ramifications of unchecked scientific endeavors and the fragility of established norms.
Sykes’ debut work transcends genre constraints, providing a narrative that is both entertaining and intellectually stimulating. It showcases the potential of speculative fiction to shed light on enduring aspects of the human condition in a rapidly evolving world. Eyes of Blue is not just a survival story; it is a reflection on what it means to be human in an era of profound change.
Pages: 239 | ASIN : B09X546562
Spoiler (The Healer Chronicles Book 3)
Fresh off a chaotic battle, Colonel Walker and his band of superhuman kids, created through government-sanctioned experiments, realize that the world is in more danger than they thought. There’s a breach in the barrier separating earth from the dimension housing demons, and dark entities are slowly seeping into our world. Even worse, Ms. G, a strange but powerful woman, is bent on opening the gates between both worlds to let demons into ours. Once again, Alex the healer, Colonel Walker, and the group, with help from the Pentagon, the Vatican, and others, must stop Ms. G before she causes untold darkness to overrun the world and end the human race.
Spoiler, by Michael J. Bowler, is the third book in a gripping series that is brimming with adventure and imaginative science fiction elements. It’s a compelling coming of age story of camaraderie, exploring what is means to be human, and the evils that are lurking on the fringes of the world as we know it.
The book sounds a tad spooky, right? It is, but only when it has to be, otherwise it has an adventurous spirit overall. The author finds a great balance between the dark themes and the refreshing fantasy ones. Frankly, reading Spoiler took me back to the description of Netflix’s Stranger Things which once caught my eye: “hair-raising and heartwarming.”
There are no flowery words or complex descriptions. The writing is simple and evocative as Bowler relies on the strength of his plot and characters to keep you spellbound. It’s been a while since I read a book that had me wondering, “how have I read 100 pages already?” Spoiler reels you in with the promise of chaos, drama, and twists and delivers massively.
The author has a fantastic ability to create gripping tension. He expertly teases several possibilities and leaves a few crumbs of evidence here and there, just enough to heighten your suspicion without giving too much away too soon. I think the book moves along at a good pace. Bowler nicely builds up to the inevitable chaos and uses that buildup to connect readers with the characters before everything devolves into chaos.
Spoiler is a real page-turner and an occasional tear-jerker. If you’re looking for an exciting young adult urban fantasy story with imaginative paranormal elements then you’ll heartily enjoy The Healer Chronicles series.
Pages: 377 | ASIN: B0B2V5J6C4
I’ve Always Felt Empathetic Toward Others
Shifter has the two main characters grappling with some big moral decisions. What was the inspiration for putting them into this position?
I like stories where characters, especially teenagers, have to grapple with more than just who to ask to prom because it’s when we’re faced with serious issues of right vs wrong that we show what we’re made of and who we are inside, and most of us will face tough choices throughout our lives. As a reader, I can ask myself the same questions I pose to my characters and consider which way I might go. My hope is that other readers will do the same. I’ve also thought about the ramifications of having such a power that I could decide who lives and who dies. As pointed out in the book, would it have been moral to kill Hitler before he got very far in his bid to take over the world? Even now, with what we know of history, some people would still argue no and others would say yes.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your characters of Alex and Andy?
I’ve always felt very empathetic toward the pain of others, even as a child and a teen, and wanted to “cure” those people of what ailed them, so I created this character of Alex to do that for me. I just don’t like seeing people unhappy or suffering, which is one reason I could never have become a doctor. Alex’s skills with his wheelchair and his innate tenacity were based on a boy I taught in high school. Despite his wheelchair, that boy could do whatever he put his mind to, sometimes with help from his friends, but mostly by himself. For Andy, I used much of the pain I absorbed from incarcerated kids I worked with who told me horrific stories of being locked in closets for years on end or about how some despicable adult slaughtered their pets in front of them. I sought to depict how hard it might be for such a child to accept love and friendship once released from such an evil upbringing, and I hope Andy comes across as believable in the minds of the readers.
What do you think were some of the defining moments in the development of Alex and Andy’s relationship?
Neither knew of the other’s existence until shortly before they met at the conclusion of Spinner (The Healer Chronicles 1), so I tried to imagine what it would feel like to meet a twin brother I never knew I had. Given the respective backgrounds of the two boys, I felt they could relate as outcasts and that might be the beginning of a friendship and even familial ties. The small moments they shared—when Andy would learn something new from Alex, or when they were washing dishes or working out in the fitness center—these moments helped cement their relationship. Learning how to combine their power and work together defined the growing connection between them, not just because their minds were linked, but because they needed to trust each other, and that must’ve been hard.
Will the next book conclude the story of Alex and Andy or is there more to tell? When will the next book be available?
The next book will conclude this particular storyline, but I have opened enough doors to tell other tales involving these characters and hope to return to them in the future. Spoiler (The Healer Chronicles 3) releases on July 12, 2022.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Alex’s wheelchair has never stopped him from doing what he wants, but his supernatural power to heal every human ailment known to science has put him in the crosshairs of a dangerous doomsday cult that will stop at nothing to capture him and his long-lost twin, Andy, who can shift illness from one person to another. When the boys combine their “gifts,” they unleash the power to control life and death.
Now Alex, Andy, and the others have been kidnapped by the U.S. military. On a creepy Air Force base in the remote Nevada desert, they must decide who to trust and who to fear while uncovering secrets this base wants to hide from the world. Who is the young boy with unusual abilities who’s treated like a soldier? What is hidden in an ultra-secret hangar that no one can access? And what unnatural experiments are conducted in that closed-off laboratory?
As Alex unravels these mysteries, he strives to bond with his twin, but Andy is distant and detached, trusting no one. He’s also more attracted to the dangerous power they wield than Alex would like. When misplaced faith in science ignites a hidden lust for supremacy, rescue can only come from the most unlikely source, and Alex must confront a terrible truth.
The Healer Chronicles continue…
Shifter
Twin brothers with the power of life and death – will they choose the path of good or evil? In Shifter, the second book in the Healer Chronicles, Michael J Bowler brings us back to the world of Alex and Andy and all the characters revolving around them. Having survived the events in the first thrilling book, the brothers begin to get to know each other and test the limits of what they can do together. But with secret organizations and military operations vying for control of their power, they have to make difficult choices that could save people… or leave them dead. The story takes twists and turns that make you question everything and everyone, from well-guarded fortresses and secret military labs in the desert.
Early on, we’re taken back to Andy’s horrific childhood, which explains his character to the reader and his brother Alex. The reader also gets some recaps and explanations of events in the first book, allowing those that have not read the first novel to understand this one. The author expertly balances dialogue, description, and action, creating incredible tension. A few scenes in the military lab had me literally at the edge of my seat! The author also created a rich and relatable world by adding small details between big moments.
There were plenty of everyday things that we take for granted highlighted in these extreme circumstances. For example, Alex’s experiences with his disability, not being able to reach a shirt in a closet that wasn’t made for someone in a wheelchair. Alex’s human existence gave us a closer connection to a character with incredible power. I loved so many of the characters in the novel. They were unusual heroes, abandoned or scorned by society because of who they are, mistakes from their past, or circumstances beyond their control.
There were also plenty of more important questions of ethics and morality in the choices the main characters have to make, as exemplified in the passage below: “And you would be, Alex. You two could save more lives than anyone in history.” “By killing,” Alex said, his voice barely a whisper. “How is that good?” “Because some people need to be killed so others may live.” Without giving too much away, you can see the dilemma Alex faces when he learns about how some powerful forces would want him to use his power.
However, conflict in the book doesn’t touch only upon questions of morality but also on adolescent insecurities and friendship. Many characters grapple with complex feelings of jealousy or fear of a new person joining the group and taking your place, wanting to prove their strength.
Shifter (The Healer Chronicles Book 2) is a suspenseful young adult thriller. With strong and memorable characters, non-stop action, and high tension, readers will not want to put the book down and anxiously await the conclusion of this exciting trilogy.
Pages: 372 | ASIN : B09R2K41L7
A Truth Wizard
Heroes of Afflatus follows a group of friends on a dangerous quest in the land of dwarves to bring peace to the land by recreating the Circle of Trust. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling story?
Initially, my intent for Circle of Trust, was to start a new series in the Afflatus world. I have 3 previously published works told from the perspective of Avery Noble. In Heroes of Afflatus, I changed that perspective to Jared Swagger. But the story unfolded itself, as I watched the political milieu in the United States in Canada, where I saw people who in all rights should have seen what brings them together, versus what drives them apart. As a Canadian watching American news, I was enthralled that people who were similar in so many ways, were so divided in others. And so, as a fantasy author, I thought, what if there was an evil power that thwarting a people’s unity. Thus, Noir and the Molpen were born.
Jared and Avery are intriguing and well developed characters. What were some driving ideals behind their character development?
Jared Swagger and Avery Noble are my main characters, and they have developed over the course of the first three novels. They started as enemies that hated each other, but I found immediately, that they were actually interested in each other, and so Jared eventually asked her out and now they are going steady (this is after numerous adventures in Afflatus together). Initially, the concept of Avery as a Truth Wizard reflects my own journey in understanding the truth about life. I was raised religious, but reality clashed with those beliefs, which is also why I incorporate LGBTQ+ themes in my writing.
I appreciated the depth of the lore in your world. What were some sources that informed the worlds development?
Initially the concept of Deep’en Realm, was an imagination of what Hades might be like. I don’t like the depictions of hell and the afterlife, and so in my imagining of an underworld, I developed this concept of Deep’en Realm. Most of my ideas are sparked from the notion that there can be any number of dimensions or worlds that have their own rules, and are totally foreign to our rules.
This is book one in The Circle of Trust series. What can readers expect in book two?
Book 2 takes our adventurers into the Fairy World, an “sky” world, where your heroes need to prevent Depravity, the evil Lord, from destroying the Blue Butterfly, the last talisman that seals Depravity’s power from entering the palpable world (our earth).
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Heroes of Afflatus
The peaceful existence between the factions of Dwarves and Molpens in the Deep’en Kingdom is disrupted by a despicable elemental being. He possesses a Molpen, Militch, and makes him destroy the Circle of Trust, which has kept the dwarves bonded for ages. Avery Noble, the Truth Wizard, is summoned from earth to help salvage the situation. She’s the only one who can restore peace. But things take a sour turn when she goes missing on her mission. Carson, the crown prince of Afflatus gets Avery’s boyfriend and knight, Jared Swagger, to help find her. In a nerve-racking race against time, Carson, Jared, and his friend Garon must rescue Avery in time for her to restore the Circle of Trust and end the war between the Dwarves and Molpens.
Author C.R Endacott’s Circle of Trust is a riveting adventure novel in the fantasy genre that cuts across two worlds –earth and a fictional setting. C.R Endacott plunges readers into the Deep’en Kingdom, where some trees survive on dust and waterfalls heal wounds and replenish people’s energy stores.
Amidst the fast-paced adventure, Endacott slips in relevant themes apart from the clear ones of bravery and camaraderie. The standout ones for me include a message on the rigid expectations society has on how people should live their lives. Also, the book alludes to how the evil we commit is simply a result of unrestrained weaknesses. In other words, the people who perpetrate great evil are those who fail to keep their weaknesses under control. Similarly, good people aren’t absolutely devoid of sinister tendencies. They’ve just kept them on a leash.
I think we all enjoy twists and turns that are shocking enough to make us gasp. But we relish them more when we can recollect previously overlooked hints or clues foreshadowing those twists. That moment where it all makes sense, and we nod our heads or think, “ooh, so that’s why that happened”. Endacott evokes reactions like this by expertly sprinkling clues, which add up when the author finally introduces twists in some of the subplots.
While the book’s subplots had a few twists, I felt the main plot was a little too linear. It could have done with a few pleasant or unpleasant curveballs. In any case, the central conflict was enough to keep me quickly flipping page untill the end.
Circle of Trust is only the first in the Heroes of Afflatus series. This is an excellent start to what is sure to be a thrilling series. If you’re looking to get lost in an otherworldly adventure for a while, you can let C.R Endacott take you on a fantastical ride.
Pages: 108 | ASIN: B08GJZ9XG1
Rise: A Blood Inheritance Novel
![Rise: A Blood Inheritance Novel by [M. Ainihi, Allister Thompson]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Xs2m6XYYL.jpg)
Rise: A Blood Inheritance Novel by M. Ainihi is the first novel from the “Blood Inheritance” YA dark fantasy series. It follows the story of Amanda Garrett, a fifteen-year-old girl who lives in a small town with her father. The book starts off with a prologue set hundreds of years before the main story takes place, where we learn of the imprisonment of Erol, a jinn(genie), and the reason behind it. Hundreds of years later, while on a day trip in the woods with her dad, Amanda stumbles upon an ancient artifact she discovers contains a jinn(genie), which is Erol, that will change her life forever. Amanda’s life soon spirals out of control as she is sucked into a fantastical world where she’s orphaned, kidnapped, and forced to work for a powerful wizard who seeks a mythical talisman. All the while, Amanda harnesses dark powers unbeknownst to her. And as she sets off on her journey, Amanda learns about the creation of the universe, different mythical creatures, realms, and her own demonic ancestry. She has to deal with unwanted feelings and make decisions that will harm those she loves, some of which leave both her and the reader shocked.
Rise is an incredibly fast-paced novel, one-second you’re following the story of a joyful girl, completely unaware of the journey she’s about to begin, and the next you’re reading of genies, evil wizards, gods, and the creation of the universe. Although it is 160 pages it is extremely detailed and provides the reader with a good understanding of the characters and the realms they reside. As for the language used, it is fairly simple to understand, which makes it a suitable read for anyone. I did find a couple of spelling mistakes and redundancies but really nothing to fret over. The main character, Amanda, is very believable. She starts off as a naive young girl, happy to spend time with her father and worried over trivial matters. But as the story develops, so does she, as she becomes a troubled young woman trying her best to understand and control the dark powers and impulses within her.
Throughout the book, we get to see two sides of the same character and that makes it a lot more interesting. Other characters, such as Erol and Aden, also provide a refreshing break from what you might expect from a genie, for even though they want to do good with their powers, they also have secrets and desires that add complexity to what could otherwise be bland and predictable characters. M. Ainihi does a great job creating a beautiful setting, making you feel like you’re actually visiting the realms described. The theme is very fun and original. the author provides a different concept with the genies, as opposed to your typical vampires and werewolves. I very much enjoyed reading about these mythological creatures and all the lore behind them.
Pages: 162 | ASIN: B075PX97CK
Feeling the Pressure
Bob Moseley Author Interview
Choker follows Mark as he grapples with the pressures of high school along with the pressures of sports and family. What was the inspiration that made you want to write this book?
I was always fascinated with the idea of “choking” in sports or feeling the pressure. It can be extremely burdensome for any athlete. I set out to write an authentic sports book that captures the true feelings and thoughts of young athletes.
Mark is an interesting and well developed character. What were some driving ideals behind his character?
I wanted to portray a young athlete who comes face to face with his worst nightmare while playing the sport he loves but eventually overcomes the stigma through perseverance and summoning the courage to be different. As a biracial boy in a suburban high school Mark feels like an outcast at school for several reasons, and like so many of us, he just wants to fit in.
There were some very specific sports details in this book that made this book realistic. Did you use anything from your own life in this book?
Hah! Some people jokingly wonder if it’s an autobiography. I did miss a free throw once that may have cost my high school team a game, and I was broken up for weeks. No athlete wants to be known as someone who buckles under pressure. But my background as both a high school and college athlete, plus years as a sportswriter, helped lend authenticity to the novel.
What is the next book that you are writing and when will it be available?
Nothing planned right now. “Choker” is my second book, following national-award winner “Out of Bounds.” I’m trying to build my brand as a YA sports author.
Author Links: Website | Twitter
![Choker by [Moseley, Bob]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41A4UbL%2B-eL.jpg)
Be careful of what you wish for. Sixteen-year-old Mark Chamberlain always dreamed of playing in a state championship basketball game. But he never envisioned a nightmare performance that would bring utter humiliation and scar him as an outcast at school.
Classmates begin to call Mark “Wilt” Chamberlain because he melts under pressure.To top it off, Mark’s father won’t come to his games. When it feels as though the world is against him, with the support of a beautiful girl, Mark tries to summon the inner strength and courage to be different — just like legendary basketball star Wilt Chamberlain.
LITERARY TITAN 