The Book of Paul review!

The Book of Paul
Richard Long
Publisher: Open Eyes
Publishing Date: June 7, 2012
ISBN: 97806156486414
Genre: Horror/Thriller

 

 

Book Description:

 

“Never alive…and never dead.”

In the rubble-strewn wasteland of Alphabet City, a squalid tenement conceals a treasure “beyond all imagining”—an immaculately preserved, fifth century codex. The sole repository of ancient Hermetic lore, it contains the authentic alchemical rituals for transforming thought into substance, transmuting matter at will…and attaining eternal life.

When a lusty, East Village tattoo artist has a torrid encounter with a battle-hardened loner, they are overwhelmed by the intensity of their feelings. Rose and Martin soon discover they are unwitting pawns on opposing sides of a battle that has shaped the course of human history. At the center of the conflict is Paul, the villainous overlord of an underground feudal society, who guards the book’s occult secrets in preparation for the fulfillment of an apocalyptic prophecy.

The action is relentless as Martin and Rose fight to escape Paul’s clutches and Martin’s destiny as the chosen recipient of Paul’s sinister legacy. Science and magic, mythology and technology converge in a monumental battle where the stakes couldn’t be higher: control of the ultimate power in the universe—the Maelstrom.

The Book of Paul is the first of seven volumes in a sweeping mythological narrative tracing the mystical connections between Hermes Trismegistus in ancient Egypt, Sophia, the female counterpart of Christ, and the Celtic druids of Clan Kelly

My Thoughts: 

‘The Book of Paul’ was the best dark horror novel I have ever read, and I say that in all honesty. No book has ever blown my mind quite like this one and I must warn you before you read this novel; you will never look at literature the same way again. ‘The Book of Paul’ was such a brilliant masterpiece that I literally could not put it down I was consumed in the story, the characters and the pure utter darkness of this book. Talent like this only comes around every once in a great while and I feel like I have stumbled upon gold. I can very well say anything that Richard writes I will rush to buy, it is such a rare talent he has as a writer.

 

                I feel so lucky to have been asked to review this amazing novel, I found it to be stunning, creative, with such detailed precision in the way the story was told. It was a mind bending story that you absolutely have to read! I have not read a book with such talented, detailed writing in so long, if ever. Richard Long really sets the standards high in the horror/ thriller genre. I mean Paul makes the baddest of the bad look like sheep. Paul is so sick and twisted but you can’t stop reading it, you have to have more of Paul. ‘The Book of Paul’ is such a dark, seductive tale of things you couldn’t even begin to imagine. Take your sickest thought and multiply it by a thousand and you may have just stumbled upon the very tiniest hint of what goes on in Paul’s brain. You really have to read this brilliant masterpiece, I cannot even put it into words how stunning I believe this book is. I believe it will be a classic one day.

 

 I am so much more thrilled to find out it is the first book in a series. I will definitely be reading all of them. The characters and the story are addicting. You can go ahead and try to say they are not, you are flat out lying! ‘The Book of Paul’ is by far the best novel I have read all year!  I am addicted to this series now and I will read everything Richard Long writes from here on out. I believe this man is a genius with words and storytelling. I will be a fan for life. If you have not read ‘The Book of Paul’ you are missing out, I tell you! What are you waiting for? Go, now! Get it! Read it and see for yourself what I am talking about! I assure you, your eyes will be opened to a very new world.

 

*I recieved this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

 

Interview with Paulette Mahurin and Giveaway!

Today I am interviewing the wonderful Paulette Mahurin, author of 'The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap'.
First off I would like to say thank you so very much Paulette for joining me here today! It means a lot to me to have you featured on my blog. I think your book will make a huge impact on the readers and the way they think of the how society functions today compared to back then. I know it did with me.

1. So I have to ask what inspired you to write this book?

First let me say, thank you to Chasity for the invite. You've been
a delight to get to know, love your blog, and hope we stay in
touch.

My basic inspiration for writing this story started with a photograph,
that was the seed, but the deeper motivation that watered that seed
and grew the story, moved the it through me was the injustice of
Oscar Wilde's imprisonment for doing something that was as natural
for him as any other of us here, or anywhere for that matter. I can't imagine falling in love, making love, and because of my preference of who I chose to
be with, I land in a prison of hard labor. For me, this was mortifying.


2. Would you say you have a specific writing style?

I don't write from a "should" perspective or formulaic place. I've seen
comments that the scene description in my book really resonates
historical but that some of the dialogue doesn't sound historical. I
was aware of that when writing and with creative license stuck
with what sat right with me, while reading it. I didn't try to
keep it stilted or confined which might resonate more with the
late 1800s, when my characters spoke to me I wrote their
words down. When I was into the rewrite and re-read it had
to flow and keep me interested, if the narrative was too
didactic (me trying to show off what I learned or my
research) or like I was trying to do something, instead
of the story just flowing along, that part was cut. Cuts to
to honor the flow of the story, which is why it's probably
only 202 pages. Other readers told me to pad it, make
it longer, put in more of the historical research, make
the dialogue more time appropriate, and when I fiddled
around with that, that's exactly what the story became--
someone else's opinion and pulled attention off of the
action. My style is to step out of the way, for the sake
of the story and reader, in hopes it will hold interest,
keep the pages turning, and then ultimately perhaps
resonate with the reader new ways of seeing things.

3. Will you continue to write books on deep issues such as the ones touched on in 'The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap' or will you write a different genre?

I'm open to most genres. The next story I'm writing (into Chap 7) is a love
story, about a couple that met in an Oncologist's office, both with advanced
metastatic cancer, fell in love... It's based on an award winning non-fiction
short story I wrote in College. I've also got a couple of murder mysteries
on the back burner, fully complete but need editing and rewrites. I
guess I'm a vehicle for whatever flows through me, seeing that
my job is to get it down in some reasonable fashion so it's readable,
(laughing here) because honestly I couldn't say what all this writing
is about and why one story pops and we write and another just
sits there. So many mysteries, perhaps divine intervention does
the writing and I'm just the secretary. Not trying to get deep and
heavy here, just what's coming up. There's a famous statue of
David, carved by Michelangelo, incredibly perfect in every
aspect: artistically and anatomically, and when asked how he
did such a masterpiece he replied (and I paraphrase) It was
already there, I just carved away the excess stone. I doubt
he said this because hubris was a high crime back then, he
saw something from a bigger perspective. I can't compare myself
with the greatness of the Master Michelangelo, but I have a sense
of what he was talking about which sits on the table of the answer
to this question.

4. Is there anything that you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Getting out of the way, lol. It's hard to let go. I spend hours, months
researching, and there's an inclination to want to show off, like
the student raising her hand, screaming out, pick me pick me,
but I know that would be a story stopper. How to pick out what will
fit, what will be that one sentence of value that the reader will
somehow see in it months of research, is a killer! The editor
edits, but the writer has to cut and we don't always see our
writing, or even ourselves, from a perspective that another
will see us from, all we're left with is our intuition and hope
that it isn't a mental detour. Hard to write on faith but that's
what any good story teller, artist, right brain activity relies
on, probably is also at the base of left brain activity too, I'd
guess.

5. Are you currently working on another project right now?

I'm spending an enormous amount of time tying to promote
this book, because profits are going to the first no-kill animal
shelter in Ventura County, CA. where I live. (The Santa
Paula Animal Rescue Center: they have a facebook
page if anyone cares to visit and like them). It kills me
to see the sad faces of dogs and cats behind bars on
death row and for what? What did those poor fury
ever loving friends do to deserve that. I plough on putting
in time promoting this book every day. It's exhausting, but
I love animals and so it motivates me. My passion for
rescuing dogs, in particular drive and and sits up top
of my daily to-do lists. I'm also a Nurse Practitioner,
specializing in women's health in Ojai, where I live with
my hubby, Terry, and our two rescue doggies (from a kill
shelter), Max & Bella (they sit atop my facebook page so
if anyone wants to meet them, feel free to friend me).
And, I continue to write, read, review/edit other's work,
on and on.

6. Who's your favorite author and what makes you like their work?

I think Steinbeck. Not just saying this because he won the Pulitzer
for Grapes of Wrath, but more because I read that book and when
it was over it haunted me. How did he write that, with such
conviction, that I felt for the characters. I cried and hungered
with them, like no other book I've ever read. Still to this day,
years later, I can taste the dryness of that dust bowl. That
said, there are so many brilliant and talented authors that
amaze me, that I look forward to reading and don't want their
stories to end, too many to really comment on.

7. What was the hardest part about writing your book?

I think I addressed this with question #4, challenging part of
writing was also the hardest part about writing.

8. Do you have a specific message that you want to get across to your readers?

The absolute bottom line, aside from the passion and motivation on my part
to bring more tolerance into this world, is this: I hope you enjoy the read. I
hope it brings something new and enjoyable to your life, that you pick up
the book and when you start you don't want to put it down. Life is too
short to not enjoy, and so for everyone reading a book, any book, my wish
is that it's something you'll enjoy, that you'll love. It's all really for and about
the reader, isn't it?

9. What book are you reading now?

So glad you asked, The Afflicted Girls by Suzy Witten. She is a masterful
writer. It's a historical fiction that addresses the Salem Witch debacle.
I got interested in her book when I read the synopsis and had been
so fresh off researching mine, which has teen touted as a Women's
Brokeback Mountain vs. Arthur Miller's The Crucible (which is about
the Salem witch trials). I'm into the first part but it is exceptionally well
written that I can only imagine it will grow on me as a favorite.

10. Who designed the cover of your book and how did they come up with it?

I worked with my friend who has her own publishing company and does
design work plus editing. We used a photograph of my husband's grandfather
and grandmother, because it fit with the three main characters in the story
and looks to be that time period.

Again, thanks so much for the invite and allowing me to blab on here.
Hope everyone will visit the book's page on facebook and visit its
blog:

https://www.facebook.com/ThePersecutionOfMildredDunlap

http://thepersecutionofmildreddunlap.wordpress.com/

For anyone interested in purchasing it: there will be a giveaway on
Goodreads from Monday August 20 through September 25.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14061559-the-persecution-of-mildred-dunlap

It's sold on Amazon (the kindle is free for Prime members):

amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+persecution+of+mildred+

Happy reading everyone!

About the Author!

Paulette Mahurin is a nurse practitioner, specializing in women's health in a rural clinic in where she lives with her husband and two rescued dogs. She also taught in several college level nursing programs, including UCLA, where she had a Master's Degree in Nursing from their nurse practitioner program. Her two passions are writing and rescuing dogs.

GIVEAWAY!

Paulette is being kind enough to gift one print copy of her book and 5 pdf copies to six lucky winners! Fill out the rafflecopter to enter! The print copy is open to the US, the pdf's are international!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Never Slow Dance With A Zombie Review

Never Slow Dance with a Zombie

E. Van Lowe

Tor Teen

Publishing Date: August 18, 2009

ISBN: 9780765320407

Genre: Paranormal/ Fiction

 

Book Description:

Principal Taft's 3 Simple Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising:

Rule #1: While in the halls, walk slowly and wear a vacant expression on your face. Zombies won't attack other zombies.

Rule #2: Never travel alone. Move in packs. Follow the crowd. Zombies detest blatant displays of individuality.

Rule #3: If a zombie should attack, do not run. Instead, throw raw steak at to him. Zombies love raw meat. This display of kindness will go a long way.

On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later, they haven't accomplished a thing!

Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky Principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize that this is the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. All they have to do is stay alive....

My Thoughts:

I have never a zombie book before this one. Zombies never really stood out to me as interesting but my thoughts may have changed after reading ‘Never Slow Dance with A Zombie’. I am definitely looking at zombies in a new light. I loved this book; it was a great YA read. It was so fun and adventurous. It has a great moral of the story for the teenagers who wish they were someone else. There is nothing wrong with being you and loving your indivuality and E. Van Lowe really captures that.

This book was a quick read; it was funny, action packed, and a great read. The writing was brilliant and I may even read more zombie books now.

I loved the characters they were your high school kids with spunk and great personality and their own little quirks. I really like Sybil and Baron the best. They were pretty classic characters. The ending was pretty genius, I never seen it coming.

I would recommend this book to everyone, even if you don’t like zombies. It is an exceptional read and I can’t wait to read more of E. Van Lowe’s work.

*I recieved this book from the author as a gift and decided to review it. All opinions are my own. I did not recieve any compensation for this review.

Dead Perfect Review

Dead Perfect

P.G Shriver

Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Publishing Date: February 13, 2012

ISBN: 9781469970547

Genre: Paranormal

Book Description:

MEL My lifelong dreams never included falling in love. Graduating top of the class, going to college somewhere far away and starting a life in a place where my alcoholic mother could never find me were the first three goals on my list. Then the unexpected auto accident with Mother, after her regular doses of vodka, altered all of that. With her gone, my life and my perspective changed forever. DAVIS Desperate to find Joanie so I could break free, I returned to my old school. The search led me to her, my Aphrodite, a familiar lost look in her soulful eyes. Fantasies of her forced reasoning from my mind. I had to meet her! Once fallen, would her love for me survive the ghostly secrets haunting us?

Sho

My Thoughts:

‘Dead Perfect’ was such a unique read. I really enjoyed the story this book told. ‘Dead Perfect’ totally threw me for a loop at the end. I definitely was expecting a different ending and then what happened was so brilliant and unexpected. I loved the characters so much in this book. It told a very emotional story from two different times.

The only down side I really have about this book is how it jumped from Mel’s point of view to Davis’ without any indication that it was switching. You had to read a few more sentences to realize it had switched. In the beginning of the book it showed two chapters, one labeled Mel and the other Davis, that would have been great if that continued throughout the book, and then it would have been a lot easier to read.

Other than that minor downside I really enjoyed this book. It had a unique theme and that is so refreshing for me because believe me books begin to repeat themselves once you read so many. ‘Dead Perfect’ was a wonderful captivating read and I would highly recommend it.

*I won this book in a giveaway and decided to review it. All opinions are my own. I did not recieve compensation for this review.

Awakened

P.C Cast and Kristin Cast

St. Martin’s Griffin

Publishing Date: June 5, 2012

ISBN: 9780312387976

Genre: paranormal/ vampire

Book Description:

 

Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey. Dominion over Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z. But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there. Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it? Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same—and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either…

And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim? The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship? Does he betray his father or his heart?

In the pulse-pounding eighth House of Night Novel by PC Cast and Kristin Cast, how far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties that bind one girl’s heart?

 

 

My Thoughts:

 

So this is the eighth book in this series and I have to be honest I don’t really see where else this series can go. I cannot just stop in the middle of a series. I have no idea why I can’t just let it go but I can’t, I must know what happens to these characters, so I will continue to read these House of Night novels no matter how many they come out with.

                In this book we see Zoey has returned from the Otherworld and is hesitant to return to all the evil that she has to fight back at the House of Night, even though all her friends have returned and so has Neferet. Eventually after Neferet pulls out her evil claws and goes to some extremes to get Zoey to come back, Zoey does return to the House of Night in mourning. When the group finally gets all back together it’s time to figure out what the next step to take is to defeat this evil that never seems to diminish in these books.

                However now Rephaim and Stevie Rae are now in quite the predicament now that everyone is back in Tulsa, will they separate for good and break their imprint or expose themselves to everyone?

                I did enjoy this book, mainly because of Stevie Rae’s story. Her and Rephaim’s story was a nice departure from the normal House of Night drama. I really do love this series and the characters but I really think someone needs to win at this point. Or something big and unexpected needs to happen where it changes the course of the story or eliminates Neferet or Kalona. I mean I am starting to get bored with Neferet getting away with everything. Come on everyone can’t be that blind forever! Have Kalona destroy her and Kalona be the main enemy or something. As far as I am concerned he is a much more entertaining villain. You never know what he is going to do.

               

                Other than the Rephaim and Stevie Rae story most it was just filler for the story. I wish there would have been more of a battle at the end of the book. I felt like it led up to this big ending but the ending came up short for me, especially when it comes to fighting Kalona and Neferet.

                Overall I was definitely sucked into this book just like every other book in this series and I like ‘Awakened’. I just can’t seem to get enough of these characters. I will have to read ‘Destined’ for sure.

*I bought this book and decided to review it. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.

The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap Review

The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap

Paulette Mahurin

Publisher: Blue Palm Press

Publishing Date: March 23, 2012

ISBN: 9780977186617

Book Description:

A women's Brokeback Mountain. The year was filled with memorable historical events: the Dreyfus Affair divided France; Booker T. Washington gave his Atlanta address; the United States expanded the effects of the Monroe Doctrine in South America; and Oscar Wilde was tried and convicted for gross indecency under Britain's recently passed law that made sex between males a criminal offense. When news of Wilde's conviction went out over telegraphs worldwide, it threw a small Nevada town into chaos. This is the story of what happened when the lives of its citizens were impacted the Wilde news. It is a chronicle of hatred and prejudice with all its unintended and devastating consequences, and how love and friendship bring strength and healing.

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My Thoughts:

                This book is a historical bombshell. I loved the plot and the story line, and the ending I never seen coming. I totally expected something else to happen.  ‘The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap totally blew me away.’

                The writing in this book was great and the story captured me from the first page. I really couldn’t put it down. It was such an involved story that you just had to know what happened. I mean there was so much ignorance in that time it was interesting to read about two lesbians living in secret because of what was thought back then.

                The time and society that they lived in was a very strict and almost inhumane one. There was a very small amount of open minded people in that time. If you were caught doing things that society looked down upon there were dire consequences. I think we take for granted how far things have come in our society today. Granted people are still targeted unjustly but this story shows how severe it was back then. These two women lived in fear of their lives because of the love that they had for each other.

                This book was not my normal type of read but I was very captivated by this book, the characters really spoke to me and the plot really stuck out. I enjoyed this book thoroughly and would recommend it. The writing was amazing and I loved this book so much! Such a great job and I would read anything else from this author!

*I recieved this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I did not recieve compensation for this review.

Forbidden Magic Book Review

Forbidden Magic

(Wing Slayer Hunter Novels)

Jennifer Lyon

Self-Published

Publishing date: April 10, 2012

ASIN: B007TC89VE

Genre: Paranormal/ Romance

Book Description:

Wing Slayer Hunter, Ram Virtos, must find his soul mirror witch and convince her to mate with him before his Thunderbird tattoo kills him. But while that witch might be able to save Ram’s life, it is the mysterious Ginny Stone who inflames his passion.

Ginny has been deeply fascinated by Ram for months, but dared not act on it or she’d be torn from her mortal life on earth and thrust into her dreaded destiny as a half-breed angel. But when her beloved brother’s soul is at stake, she must do the one thing she both fears and desires…

Take Ram to her bed.

My Thoughts:

                ‘Forbidden Magic’ is the first self- published e-novella by the wonderful Jennifer Lyon, continuing her Wing Slayer Hunter novels. This one tells the story of Ram and Ginny and let me tell you it’s hot, hot, hot. Lyon did not disappoint on this one. Even though it’s a novella, it reads like a full novel. The story that is told is complete and just as insanely passionate as her other four novels.

                The ending left craving more, I have to admit I was a tad bit angry when I read the ending. Not because it was bad, oh no but because I didn’t want it to end. I wanted more and I wanted to read it now. So I need to know what happens to them because I will literally be on the edge of my seat until I read some more and that will not be the most comfortable thing.

                I cannot and I mean cannot get enough of these books. These characters and their stories have become one of my favorite series, if not my favorite. I think this series is very underrated, and I cannot believe more people have not picked up these books and flocked to them. They should be on the bestseller’s list. They should be right up there with the mainstream books like the ‘Twilight’ series, yes I said it. Honestly I like these men and their stories one hundred times more than those, and I did like those. These books should be bigger though, add them to you TBR right now if you have not read them yet because you are missing out. The writing is amazing, the stories are beautiful, and the characters are phenomenal. Jennifer Lyon is a genius and deserves a much bigger following and I am doing my part to make sure that happens. J

‘Forbidden Magic’ is a MUST READ!

*I recieved a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. I did not recieve compensation for this review.