Tag Archives: post apocalyptic

Masters’ Escape (Angel Eyes #2) by Jamie Schulz-a review

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Masters’ Escape (Angel Eyes #2) by Jamie Schulz-a review

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 1, 2020

He refuses to be tamed. She can’t let him go.

Will they break down their walls and allow love to grow?

Bret Masters thought he’d finally found a glimmer of hope in his nightmarish existence. But after a night of sweet passion, the woman he trusted throws him out of her bedroom and returns him solely to worker status. His ego crushed, a rash escape attempt only results in him being dragged back in chains.

Angel Aldridge hates herself for yielding to her foreman’s cowboy charm. Furious when he runs away, she resolves to keep him on a tight leash as her personal servant. And with a rival due for her annual visit, the frustrated cattle rancher can afford no signs of weakness.

Nursing his injured pride and estranged from his fellow slaves, Bret struggles to balance shame and desire as he endures his punishment. And with trouble brewing with her enemy, Angel must deny her feelings for her handsome ranch-hand if she’s to protect those under her care.

Can Bret and Angel defeat the forces keeping them apart and claim their happily ever after?

•••••••

REVIEW:MASTERS’ ESCAPE is the second full-length instalment in Jamie Schulz’ adult, post-apocalyptic ANGEL EYES dystopian series. This is ranch owner Angel Aldridge, and Bret Masters’ story line. MASTER’S ESCAPE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading book one JAKE’S REDEMPTION for back story and cohesion.

NOTE: Due to the graphic nature of the story line premise including rape, torture slavery and abuse, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Several years earlier a catastrophic war destroyed cities and towns throughout the world, and ‘changed the social order’ between men and women. In the ensuing aftermath, a second civil war between the sexes in America resulted in women becoming the dominant, deviant and controlling sex, while men were reduced to slaves to be used and abused.

Told from several third person perspectives including Bret and Angel MASTERS’ ESCAPE picks up shortly after the events of MASTERS’ MISTRESS wherein Bret Masters struggles as a slave, bought by Angel Aldridge, feeling himself reduced to nothing more than fodder for the woman’s games but following a night of passion with Angel, Bret finds himself on the outside looking in and is once again determined to run from the woman that calls to his heart. Caught and tortured, Bret is returned to Angel only to realize that he is now persona non grata, and a target of the other ‘slaves’ and ranch hands who work on the farm but all is not well with our story line heroine and Bret, along with Jake Nichols (Jake’s Redemption .5) must find a way to keep Angel alive even if it means going against their mistress’ orders.

The relationship between Angel and Bret is acrimonious at best as Bret is determined to run at every opportunity. Refusing to become anyone’s slave Bret, trained as a ranch hand, finds himself at odds with the new world order, and as such is determined to die a free man, regardless of who he hurts in the process. Angel Aldridge, like Angel’s friend Monica Avery (Jake’s Redemption) does not believe that women are superior to men; that men are nothing more than slaves to be tortured and abused, and with it comes the ire of the people in charge but Angel’s past is buried behind secrets that often keep Angel sad and depressed, and with it our heroine is often neglectful of the people working and living at her cattle ranch.

We are reintroduced to Jake and Monica (Jake’s Redemption .5), ranch hands Michelle and Esther, as well as several other indentured slaves who work and run the ranch. The requisite evil returns in an effort to destroy Jake, Bret and Angel.

MASTERS’ ESCAPE is a heart breaking, emotional, violent and raw story of slavery, ownership, torture and abuse. The premise is dark but engaging; the romance struggles in the face of master vs slave; the characters are broken, hollow, angry and abused.

Previous Reviews and Reading order
Jake’s Redemption
Masters’ Mistress

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Facebook / Website / Goodreads / Amazon Author Page

Hi there! My name is Jamie and I’m so glad you stopped by!

I’ve always wanted to be a storyteller and spent countless hours dreaming up tales to entertain myself and my friends. I kept long-running, developing narratives in my head for years and knew someday I would write them all down, not only for myself but also to share with all of you.

I have so many stories still floating around the back of my cluttered mind (and haunting my hard drive as well) and they will be making their way out into the world for your enjoyment soon (I hope)!

I still live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband, my family, and my fur-babies.

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the giveaway.If you have any questions, please contact the author

Click GIVEAWAY and follow the author’s instructions for your chance to WIN 1 of 2 signed paper copies of JAKE’S REDEMPTION (December 6-12, 2020)

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The Mother Code by Carole Stivers-a review

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The Mother Code by Carole Stivers-a review

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 25, 2020

The year is 2049. When a deadly non-viral agent intended for biowarfare spreads out of control, scientists must scramble to ensure the survival of the human race. They turn to their last resort, a plan to place genetically engineered children inside the cocoons of large-scale robots–to be incubated, birthed, and raised by machines. But there is yet one hope of preserving the human order–an intelligence programmed into these machines that renders each unique in its own right–the Mother Code. 



Kai is born in America’s desert southwest, his only companion his robot Mother, Rho-Z. Equipped with the knowledge and motivations of a human mother, Rho-Z raises Kai and teaches him how to survive. But as children like Kai come of age, their Mothers transform too–in ways that were never predicted. When government survivors decide that the Mothers must be destroyed, Kai must make a choice. Will he break the bond he shares with Rho-Z? Or will he fight to save the only parent he has ever known?

In a future that could be our own, The Mother Code explores what truly makes us human–and the tenuous nature of the boundaries between us and the machines we create.

•••••••

REVIEW:THE MOTHER CODE by Carole Stivers is a sci-fi, futuristic, apocalyptic story line focusing on a biological weapon that spread out of control.

In the year 2049, the US military secretly deployed a weapon of biological warfare ( a synthetic nucleic acid nanostructure NAN) in a remote region of Afghanistan. Although immediately deemed a success, the virus quickly mutated, and with the help of mother nature, would eventually engulf the entire world. Knowing that the end of mankind was near, researchers, scientists and bio-engineers built and programmed fifty ‘Mothers’ to incubate and raise the only children expected to survive.

Told from several third person perspectives following three different time lines THE MOTHER CODE focuses on the possibility of a manmade cataclysmic virus; a biological weapon of war that once introduced is unable to be controlled. Years would pass wherein the US military and all of their power found themselves incapable of finding a vaccine, and in the ensuing time, would become the target of revenge. In an effort to ensure some of humanity survived, fifty embryos would be placed in robotic cocoons, where the implanted ‘Mother Code’ would ensure their survival at all costs. Ten years would pass, the children who thrived, along with their ‘Mothers’, would search for any remaining survivors, but in doing so would catch the attention of the few forsaken remnants of mankind, men and women who are hoping to bring home the children who survived.

THE MOTHER CODE is a haunting and thought provoking story of power and control; of possibilities and probabilities; of what ifs and whys; of motherhood, acceptance and love. The stupidity of man to presume he can control that which he does not know, and the betrayal by those in power believing they have the ability and authority to control the world. THE MOTHER CODE looks at what it is to be a mother; the evolution of technology and cybernetics; sentience, self awareness, consciousness; and the ability to evolve, accept, love and protect.

The story line is awash in technical jargon, military lingo, science fact and fiction, as well as futuristic terminology that may be overwhelming to some readers but such is the nature of science fiction and fantasy.

Released during the COVID19 pandemic, the story line may hit too close to home for more sensitive readers.

Copy supplied by the publisher

Reviewed by Sandy

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Winter’s Divide by M. LaVon-Review & Interview

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Winter’s Divide by M. LaVon-Review and Interview

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N (paper) / Amazon.au /Amazon. uk /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 14, 2020

The end of the world didn’t happen with one single event or happen without warning. No, it happened a little at a time, in plain sight, with everyone watching and doing nothing to stop it.

As the pandemic that threatens to end human civilization makes landfall in the United States, Cate Winter’s life is turned upside down. After she and her sons fall ill with the mysterious virus, her husband, Tom, disappears. Weeks later, when Cate wakes up from a coma, she is alone—and the world has been torn apart.

One-third of the human population across the globe is dead and domestic militants and vigilantes are forcing the government into a civil war. And soon Cate begins to uncover secrets, secrets that have shattered her image of a picture-perfect life and entered her into the most heart-wrenching fight for survival. Can Cate uncover the truth—in time to save the survivors?

•••••••

REVIEW:WINTER’S DIVIDE is the first instalment in M. LaVon’s adult, post –apocalyptic series focusing on the aftermath of a viral pandemic that has killed over thirty per-cent of the world’s population in the year 2025.

WARNING: WINTER’S DIVIDE contains scenes of graphic violence, bloodshed and assault that may not be suitable for all readers.

Told from numerous first person perspectives including Cate Winter, Cate’s chief of staff Liz Hutchenson, and Liz’s brother, arms dealer Adam Hutchenson, WINTER’S DIVIDE follows our heroine after she wakes from a six week coma caused by a virus of unknown origins. With her husband missing, and her two teenaged sons by her side, Cate returns to her family owned company WMS (Winter Medical Solutions) in an effort to help contain the fall-out of a pandemic that is destroying the people and country she loves. But all is not well in the world she once lived, as several hundred survivors have gathered at the Winter Estate compound in the hopes of finding a safe harbor in the face of the upcoming war. As Cate and her team battle to survive, the enemy presents itself with an all too familiar face.

WINTER’S DIVIDE is a timely release in the face of the 2020 Coronovirus pandemic. From the inability to contain the virus, to the conspiracy theories surrounding government intervention and a biological weapon used to contain the hordes, WINTER’S DIVIDE is a dark, gritty and oft-times graphic depiction of a world gone mad-think The Walking Dead ™ without the zombies. From anarchy to rogue bands of militia controlled by a faceless, psycopathic enemy who sits in the high tower of power and control, chaos and disorder ensue when the Free Nationalists (FN) declare war against the US government, attacking military bases, research facilities and government organizations. No one is safe: no one can be trusted; family and friendship are just two more f-words to add to the list.

M. LaVon pulls the reader into a raw and startling world of what ifs and whys. A cautionary tale of survival in the aftermath of a civilization gone mad.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC: Hi Mandy and welcome to The Reading Cafe.

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Follow: Amazon author page / Goodreads

Mandy: Personally—I am a mom of two super active school age boys and have a pretty cool husband who supports my ever-evolving artistic passions. I love crafts, including decorating theme cakes, painting, writing, and creating. Professionally—I am a communications professional who loves to help others tell their story. I manage executive level communications, employee engagement, and operations for a tech company. I have a master’s in communications from the University of Washington (Go Huskies!).

TRC:Who or what influenced your career in writing?

Mandy: My mom—She had a passion for poetry and would read to us when we were young. I would try and write poems, short stories and such, attempting to mimic what I had heard. She always loved reading my writing. But I had some challenges, I am dyslexic, and for most of my life I was terrified to put my work out there for people to see. Creative writing has a certain level of inherent vulnerability. You are sharing a part of yourself. So, I focused on technical and formal writing, finding comfort in writing for other people.

My mom really pushed me to write for myself. She battled breast cancer for 17 years. In her final year, I wrote an article about my professional journey as a dyslexic communicator, and she cried and I cried, and she insisted I finally write a book and “show the world…”. As her health began to take a turn, sitting in her hospital room on my birthday, I jotted down the first few lines of Winter’s Divide.

Then the cancer spread, and her eyesight began to deteriorate, I would write a chapter then read it to her. I read her the last chapter a couple of days before her journey came to an end. She was very proud. My mom was my best friend and my biggest fan, it meant a lot to share that experience with her.

TRC:What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing this story?

Honestly, the writing part was exhilarating. It poured out and I loved every moment. It was an escape from my own personal painful reality, imagining life without my mom. As for publishing—terrifying and exhausting. I put it out to a few agents, but ultimately chickened out and published it myself. There are elements of the story that are real and raw, and not as commercially appealing for a broader audience. I felt those elements were important enough to talk about and take a risk.

TRC:Would you please tell us something about the premise of WINTER’S DIVIDE?

Mandy: I am a big fan of the dystopic/post-apocalyptic/end-of-things genre, there are a lot of stories that are really centered around men and young adults, I really wanted to tell the story from a different perspective. Being careful to not share a spoiler—There were certain social undertones I felt were important to dive into, to spark debate and conversation about things that make us uncomfortable, like politics, equality, mental health, etc. I also wanted to write a story where the line between good and evil was harder to define.

TRC:How many books do you have planned for the series?

Mandy: I currently have 3 planned for this series. Book 2 is almost done and will hopefully be out in the fall. It is a continuation of the story and picks up shortly after Winter’s Divide ends.

TRC:What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning WINTER’S DIVIDE?

Mandy: I had the basic idea for Winter’s Divide for a few years, but I did not start writing right away. I am a bit of a nerd when it comes to research, I studied a lot. Mostly around the catalyst for what would be the end-of-things. After the first sample chapter, that defined the tone I wanted, I plotted out the sequential key moments and built from there over the course of a few months.

TRC:With the recent outbreak and pandemic of the Coronavirus, how significant to, or similar in retrospect, is your story line premise to real-life events?

Mandy: I have heard from several of my early readers, asking how I have felt in light of the current circumstances and remarking on the eerie coincidences within my book. Honestly, the timing is not at all what I had imagined for my book launch period. I thought I would be casually reading excerpts, sipping a glass of wine, and chatting with readers about the shocking reality I created. Not living out aspects of my story, isolating in my home and watching life as we know it shift to a ‘new normal’.

Though there are several areas in my book that feel too close to home right now, thankfully, it is fiction. And our current situation is not as dramatic as I depict in the book. As I wrote it, I did know that it was a story on the border of being more realistic fiction, but I think that is what makes it relatable. However, I could not have imagined this level of relatability.

TRC:The story line contains a number of triggers for more sensitive readers. How, if at all, were you affected by your own writing and the imagery presented?

Mandy :  In some spots, it was really rough to get through and there were times I really had to grit my teeth and stop myself from sugar-coating the description. When I first set out to write this book, I had a very long conversation with my sister (super bibliophile), about the story arc, what I wanted to convey, and the tone I wanted to set. I wanted it to be gritty, real, raw, and brutal. Not like anything I had ever written. I wanted to describe the primal side of survival from a female perspective. My sister was my gut check for every twist and turn, making sure I was being true to my vision.
Every challenging moment, positive or not, was intentional and purposely positioned throughout the book. They are meant to be shocking and thought provoking.

TRC:Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Mandy:  Yes! Totally. I actually did a cover survey with some of my early readers, and the high contrast black and white was the favorite. The cover art I chose was intentionally out of the norm for the genre. I wanted to differentiate the book and give it room to breathe in a sea of similar covers. Book 2 has a similar cover to connect them.

TRC:When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Mandy: I love this question! Like I mentioned before, I was very planful of my overall story outline. But when I was struck by something, a feeling, inspiration to dig deeper, to follow the breadcrumbs a character was leaving, it was hard to ignore. There were certain points where I made some choices that would support a future for those characters. The future of the characters really laid the groundwork for book 2.

TRC:The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Mandy: Be there with their characters—I am not going to lie, there were moments where I found myself crying my eyes out, and my husband was like “um… why are you crying? You wrote it”. But when you imagine it, you are there, you are beside them for every moment and you define how they go on. You pick them up and make them go on sometimes. It is hard to ignore those emotions.

I hope people connect with the characters as much as I did. I am an avid reader as well, and I appreciate the books that give me chills, tears, make me laugh out loud, or break me into a million little pieces… Just know if you cry, are mad, or angry when reading Winter’s Divide, I was right there with you.

TRC:Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Mandy: 100%, yes! I love a good climactic movie scores and dramatic instrumentals when I write. Especially, something moody and emotional. When I commute to work, I put on my playlist and use that moment of solitude to get deep in the mood and lost in imagining the story. When I know I am going for a certain feeling, I am very deliberate with the music I listen to. Some of my go to artists for Winter’s Divide included: Paul Cardall, Nick Cave & Warren Ellis, David Tolk, James Blackshaw, Max Richter, Ahn Trio, and Bon Iver. Also, the playlist at the back of the book is true to that character. It is a very unexpected compilation, but intentionally colorful and mood setting.

TRC:What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Mandy: That every writer is 100% just a writer. Many of the writers I know and from my personal experience, have day jobs and families. We write between kids and work. I write with kids running around or late at night after I have read a bedtime story or folded laundry. I work a normal full-time job during the day and write when I can. I have been known to crank out a chapter or two on my phone notepad at a baseball game. Just a normal, average, working mom with a passion to share stories.

TRC:What is something that few, if anyone, know about you?

Mandy: I am super artsy, but have no musical talent whatsoever. I played the flute in Junior high and was so bad they moved me to tuba.

TRC:Who is your favorite author (living or dead)?

Mandy: Ugh! Hardest question! I have a lot of authors that I love for different reasons; for how they made me feel, what thoughts they inspired, what sleep I lost, how hard I cried… If I am not writing, I am reading. Elizabeth Barrett Browning. just because at one point in my childhood I wanted to be her.

TRC:On what are you currently working?

Mandy: Book 2! I am excited to bring the next phase of the story to life coming in the fall.

TRC:Would you like to add anything else?

Mandy: I know these are difficult times for everyone. We will get through this. Be thoughtful of each other. Help your healthcare workers out and social distance, us this time to read a good book. The team here at the Reading Café has provided some amazing suggestions.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food – Spaghetti Squash, with a taco top! (Baked spaghetti squash with turkey taco meat, beans, cheese, salsa… baked until the cheese is melty, then add all the taco fixings, trust me, it is so good!)

Favorite Dessert – I am not a big fan sweets, but I can’t say no to a good tiramisu.

Favorite TV Show – I love Blacklist and the new Lost in Space, and no surprise Handmaid’s Tale

Last Movie You Saw – Harriet, love it, cried throughout

Dark or Milk Chocolate – Milk Chocolate with salted caramel

Secret Celebrity Crush – Tom Ellis or Russell Wilson

Last Vacation Destination – Nashville, TN

Do you have any pets? – Sadly no, but I love animals (especially big, soft, lazy ones)

Last book you read – The Wolves of Winter by Tyrell Johnson, really enjoyed it

TRC: Thank you Mandy for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you all the best and congratulations on the release of Winter’s Divide.

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Master’s Mistress (The Angel Eyes #1) by Jamie Schulz-a review

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MASTER’S MISTRESS (The Angel Eyes #1) by Jamie Schulz

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 1, 2020

A man bound by chains. A woman burdened by regret. Will love set this tortured pair free?

In this nightmarish future where women own men, Bret Masters refuses to serve anyone. But after spending years evading slavers in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest, he’s furious when he’s finally caught and sold. So, although his mistress has a pretty face and deliciously tempting curves, he vows to escape.

Angel Aldridge hides her pain behind fences as sturdy and vast as her ranch. And even though her newly acquired slave is a ruggedly handsome cowboy, she’s not about to let her fantasies endanger the people she swore to protect. But between her always-watching enemies and her wounded heart, she’s reluctant to admit she may need him in more ways than one…

As the two toil side by side, Bret is surprised to discover Angel’s vulnerability and her compassionate nature. And the more time they spend together, the harder she finds it to resist her feelings and to soothe her lonely soul. But when they’re stranded alone together, the barriers between mistress and slave may not be strong enough to withstand their red-hot attraction.

Can Bret and Angel overcome their fears to sow the seeds of lasting love?

Masters’ Mistress is the steamy first book in The Angel Eyes futuristic dystopian cowboy romance series. If you like complex characters, gritty western settings, and slow-burning desires, then you’ll adore this enthralling story.

This is a planned six-book continuing series with cliffhangers and comes with trigger warnings for sexual situations and violence.

••••••••

REVIEW: MASTER’S MISTRESS is the first full-length (and second instalment) in Jamie Schulz’ adult, post-apocalyptic ANGEL EYES dystopian series. This is ranch owner Angel Aldridge, and Bret Masters’ story line. MASTER’S MISTRESS can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading book one JAKE’S REDEMPTION for back story and cohesion.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Several years earlier a catastrophic war destroyed cities and towns throughout the world, and ‘changed the social order’ between men and women. In the ensuing aftermath, a second civil war between the sexes in America resulted in women becoming the dominant and controlling sex, while men were reduced to slaves to be used and abused.

Told from several third person perspectives including Bret and Angel MASTER’S MISTRESS follows the building but acrimonious relationship between ranch owner Angel Aldridge, and Bret Masters. Angel Aldridge doesn’t believe in the workings of the new matriarchal misogynistic system wherein men are nothing more than slaves to be used and abused. At a recent ‘auction’ of slaves and breeders, Jake Nichols (Jake’s Redemption .5) begs Angel Aldridge to buy his best friend Bret Masters, a man he hasn’t scene for close to five years. Angel knowing a desperate man when she sees one purchases Bret Master, only to discover Bret’s physical and emotional frailty is but the tip of the proverbial iceberg for a man who has suffered in his recent imprisonment, and in the past. As Bret’s strength and health begin to return his attitude towards Angel becomes combative and strong. What ensues is the back and forth, up and down, caustic relationship between Bret and Angel, as they navigate a world where Angel is the master and owner of a man who is beyond angry that he is still considered, by outsiders, a breeder and a slave.

In the new world order, Bret Masters is nothing more than a breeder and a slave. Wanted for his handsome looks and knowledge of running a ranch, Bret finds himself a hot commodity on the open market, a commodity that comes with demons from the past. Living and working at Angel Aldridge’s ranch does nothing but add to Bret’s already darkened view of his current situation, a situation he believes to be nothing more that a smoke-screen for slavery and more. Unable to see that his ‘imprisonment’ keeps him safe and alive, Bret refuses to consider or accept the world in which he now lives. Angel Aldridge is a woman whose past continues to control her present but her attraction to Bret is constantly dampened with each encounter with our story line hero. Never one to follow the rules, Angel pushes the boundaries of the current rules and regulations that keep men under the control of dangerous women, as she protects and treats her ‘property’ like family and friends. One of the few women who do not consider her property as slaves, Angel is respected by her workers, but threatened by the women who govern the state of the new world order.

The contemptuous relationship between Bret and Angel is fraught with issues of trust, betrayal, vengeance and lies. Bret is biding his time before he makes his escape but every planned attempt finds Bret having to ‘save’ his master from outside threats. Bret’s attraction to Angel is a battle between head and heart having experienced abuse and assault at the hands of someone he once loved. The back and forth petulant, acerbic and angry interactions between Bret and Angel were a bit much; accusations and threats preceded and ended almost every encounter. The one lone $ex scene was passionate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Bret’s one-time best friend Jake Nichols returns, as well as Angel’s friend Monica Avery. Bret and Monica’s relationship has to be kept secret as they live in a world dominated by controlling women who frown on a loving relationship between a woman and a man. Bret is also ‘owned’ by our story line heroine.

MASTER’S MISTRESS is a heart breaking and emotional story line about a world destroyed by a spiteful few; a world wherein sins of the past control the present and the future; where a number of women are ensuring that men are no longer the dominant sex, or ever in control. The premise is entertaining and captivating; the characters are broken, angry, struggling and depressed; the romance struggles in the face of a world turned upside down. MASTER’S MISTRESS does not end with a happily ever after nor a happily ever after for now, but ends rather abruptly with more story to tell.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one JAKE’S REDEMPTION

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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The Night of Blind Ambition by Malcolm J. Wardlaw-a review

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The Night of Blind Ambition by Malcolm J. Wardlaw-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 18, 2019

No one returns from the Nameless Gone—or do they?

It is 2106. The playtime of the Fatted Masses collapsed long ago. Nations, airliners, governments, traffic jams, bank notes, banks, bankers and tourists are all history. The Public Era is no more.

Cost-Centre Lieutenant Lawrence Aldingford has been condemned for life to the Value System, a slave-labour camp of grotesque barbarity. He is innocent as charged, that is true, but as a glory officer he soaked his soul in the blood of the surplus. Repressed guilt is a time-bomb in his chest, he just doesn’t know it yet. His total fixation is to escape.

But no escape has ever succeeded. The Value System lies in a vast marsh infested with vicious savages. If he is to be free again, he will have to achieve the impossible—or else die trying.

The outside world is changing fast. Actions that used to be praised as best-practice safety theory are now denounced as criminal. Will Lawrence escape back to life, only to be charged with glory crimes?

Take a day in the life of Ivan Denisovich with a dash of soylent green. That is the nightmare world of the Value System.

••••••••

REVIEW:THE NIGHT OF BLIND AMBITION is the second instalment in Malcolm J. Wardlaw’s SOVEREIGNS OF THE COLLAPSE dark, dystopian, post apocalyptic series following in the aftermath of the ‘Glorious Resolution’ of 2038-2040. THE NIGHT OF BLIND AMBITION should not be read as a stand alone as it continues to build upon the events of book one A BLOODY ARROGANT POWER.

WARNING: Due to the graphic nature of the story line content, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers. THE NIGHT OF BLIND AMBITION is not for the faint-hearted-the imagery is dark and disturbing.

Told from third person perspective (Lawrence Aldingford) THE NIGHT OF BLIND AMBITION continues to focus on the aftermath of the Glorious Resolution in which England, and much of the world’s economic and political institutions have collapsed and failed. The year is 2106, andLawrence Aldingford was a Cost-Centre Lieutenant who was tasked with cleaning up the ‘surplus’ at sea, a tasked of which he accepted without question but when Lawrence submitted a complaint against a corrupt senior officer, Lawrence found himself condemned to a slave labor camp where very few ever survived. With his life in the hands of the people in charge, Lawrence will discover the true meaning of evil and atrocity as he is forced to ‘unload and salvage’ from the dead surplus masses.

THE NIGHT OF BLIND AMBITION is a story of brutality and atrocities of ethnic cleansing, genocide, corrupt power and absolute rule. We are witness to the horror and barbarity where humans are treated as vermin and cattle, never to be seen or heard for again. Lawrence Aldingford is an anti-hero, a man who has participated in, and witnessed some of the repulsive cruelty ever forced upon mankind, but a man whose eyes will be opened when he experiences the wickedness, first hand.

Malcolm J. Wardlaw pulls the reader into a dystopian world of what ifs and whys. The possibility of total economic and political collapse is but a few questionable actions away, actions that in real time, are a distinct probability if the oligarchs and powerful elite take total control of the world as we know it.

THE NIGHT OF BLIND AMBITION is a dark, gritty and grim look at a possible future wherein the chasm between the have and have nots is controlled by death and destruction. Focusing on Lawrence Aldingford, the brother of Donald Aldingford (A Bloody Arrogant Power) the reader is up close and personal with the grisly and gruesome results of the ‘Glorious Resolution’.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one A BLOODY ARROGANT POWER.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Blood Cure (New Breed #3) by Melody Raven-a review

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BLOOD CURE (New Breed #3) by Melody Raven-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 10, 2019

He was like nothing she’d ever seen before. Impossibly strong. Impossibly dangerous. Just plain impossible. And also dying.

Mia Bleeker has lived a sheltered life surrounded by her studies and under her father’s watchful eye. But when her father brings home a sick man who seems to defy the laws of physics, everything she thought she knew about the natural world will be tested.

Talon is just another casualty in the war between the Vampires and the Vopura. His pride and impatience got the better of him and because of that not only did he almost die, but he brought death straight to Mia’s doorstep.

He knows Mia will never forgive him for what she’s lost. He knows Mia will never forgive him for what she’s become. But she’s going to have to get over it. Because when all hope is lost, the knowledge inside her mind will be his species’ only chance at survival.

••••••••••

REVIEW: BLOOD CURE is the third instalment in Melody Raven’s contemporary, adult NEW BREED paranormal, post-apocalyptic romance series focusing on a new breed of vampire/alien known as the Vopura. This is twenty-six year old, microbiologist Mia Bleeker, and vampire Talon’s story line. BLOOD CURE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Mia and Talon) BLOOD CURE follows in the wake of an injured man brought to Mia’s father’s lab, a man who was so much more than he appeared to be. Having no idea about her father’s research, our heroine will quickly learn that her father had been experimenting for a very long time. With the Volpura demanding her father’s research information, Mia finds herself on the run with a vampire who wants nothing to do with our story line heroine, a vampire who volunteered to be part of her father’s research. What ensues is the back and forth, building relationship between Mia and Talon, and the potential fall out as more than one faction of the paranormal world is desperate to find the research information.

Mia Bleeker always thought she knew about her father’s research but having her eyes opened by a vampire meant her world was about to change. Having lived most of her life sheltered from the realities of the world, Mia is quickly thrust into a lifestyle she knows nothing about. Talon claims he wants nothing to do with Mia but his attraction to Mia is immediate and intense. Protecting our heroine gets harder as she continues to place herself in precarious situations but Mia is desperate for revenge for everything she lost. Mia is a little bit manic-she is constantly chirping at the people around her including our story line hero.

The relationship between Mia and Talon begins acrimoniously but Mia has no idea what is about to happen or why. Talon struggles with his attraction to Mia but the heart wants something the mind cannot comprehend. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters include Mia’s father Walter, and her friend Amanda, Vopura Dante, vampires, Nicholas, and Stefan; as well as an assortment of witches, demons and more Vopura.

BLOOD CURE is a story of betrayal and vengeance; secrets and lies; family, friendship and hope. The action packed premise is energetic and revealing; the romance is steamy and hot; the characters are colorful, sassy and strong.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Blood Price
Blood Bond
Blood Cure

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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BLOOD PRICE (New Breed #1) by Melody Raven-a review

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BLOOD PRICE (New Breed #1) by Melody Raven-a review

ebook only 99¢ or £0.99 Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

About the book: Release Date May 10, 2019

He saw her. He wanted her. And he paid for her.

Vampires aren’t real. That’s what Tela has always believed. Always known. But everything changes when the violent blood drinkers take over her home of Seattle and cut off the city from any outside help. Without any food or supplies she has only one option: Cooperate with the new regime and offer her blood in exchange for a comfortable life for her and her sister.

John came to Seattle for an escape. For freedom. For the possibility of a future. Policing the humans should be easy. They’re smaller, weaker and, well, prey. But when he Tela is assigned to him, things are different. He isn’t satiated by the taste of her blood. He hungers for so much more. More than she can give him and more than she can ever give him. Not while she’s been bought and paid for by him

•••••••••

REVIEW: BLOOD PRICE is the first novella in Melody Raven’s contemporary, adult NEW BREED post apocalyptic, paranormal romance series. This is human blood donor Tela Beckford, and vampire John’s story line.

Told from dual third person perspectives (John and Tela) BLOOD PRICE follows in the aftermath of the vampire invasion in which the Vopura have placed a barrier around Seattle from which no one can enter, or is allowed to leave. Desperate for money to feed herself and her younger sister, Tela becomes a human blood donor in order to survive. Enter vampire John, a former Vopura slave, and the man with whom Tela would fall in love. What ensues is the building relationship between John and Tela, and the fall-out as the Resistance approaches our story line heroine, asking her to help take down the ruling Vopura.

John is aware that most of his life is out of his control but meeting Tela, a human blood donor sparks something deep within our story line hero something that he battles knowing his vampire lifestyle is a threat to the woman with whom he will fall in love. Tela will do just about anything to feed and house her sister including selling herself to creatures who are threatening their lives on a daily basis. Willing to speak her mind, no matter the cost, Tela battles between head and heart when is comes to freeing the people she loves.

The relationship between John and Tela begins as a business arrangement shortly after John discovers that Tela has been brutally used by another vampire. Never having partook of what the humans offer, John arranges for his next meal from the woman he so desperately will try to save. The sexual attraction is immediate but Tela fears getting too close to a man who could destroy her life. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to John’s former master Dante, as well as the Vopura leader Mikel ; Tela’s sister Dani, as well as resistance fighters Travis and Angelique.

BLOOD PRICE is a quick read; a fast paced story of opposites attract between a human and vampire. The premise is engaging; the characters are colorful and energetic; the romance is fated and exciting. I would have liked a little more background information about the Vopura invasion…but such is the nature of a novella length story line.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Talen by Shay Savage-a review

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TALEN by Shay Savage-a review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 19, 2019

In a world plagued by constant earthquakes and volcanic debris, people in the valley struggle to survive while those on top of the hill want for nothing.

This is where I come in.

I spend my nights plundering supplies in the walled city of Hilltop, and I trade them to the valley people below. I’m not a thief. I prefer to be known as the head of Lost and Found.

When I discover a beautiful but dangerous competitor in my territory, I also learn she knows more about me than she should. Is she a spy sent by my father, or is she a rebel like me? I don’t trust her, but together we’ll discover secrets that may destroy what’s left of our world.

There have always been those with wealth and those without.

My name is Talen, and I’m here to even the score.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: TALEN by Shay Savage is a post –apocalyptic, dystopian romance story line focusing on twenty-seven year olds Talen and Aerin, survivors in a world gone to h*ll.

Told from first person perspective (Talen) TALEN follows a hundred plus years after the ‘Great Eruption’ in which most of North America fell prey to earthquakes, floods, viruses and death, leaving the survivors divided into two warring camps-the Thaves (the haves), and the Naughts (have nots). Talen lives amongst the Naughts and ‘procures’ the necessities of survival for the people he has learned to call family and friends. Segregated in a valley, in a small encampment known as ‘Plastictown, the Naughts battle the elements, the environment and one another in order to survive. As the resident ‘thief’ and ‘lost and found’ expert, Talen ventures into a world many will never experience, in the hopes of finding the tools and necessary implements in order to survive. Enter Aerin, a young woman whose own adventures find her ‘hunting’ in the land of the Thaves, where upon she will come face to face with her future. What ensues is the building relationship between Talen and Aerin, and the potential fall-out as the Thaves descend upon the remaining survivors in an attempt to take everything and more.

TALEN is a story of betrayal, vengeance, survival and loss; power and contol. Talen and Aerin both have secrets that if revealed would deeply affect their precarious friendships with the remaining Naughts. As the government and Thaves put their plans into action, Talen and Aerin must face a possible future alone or not at all. Working together, Talen and Aerin ensure that the people in power pay for the current situation, and the death of their friends.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and broken characters. We are up close and personal with the people who struggle one day at a time-people who never knew the comforts of living a life without the daily battle to survive. The requisite evil has many faces.

TALEN is a thought-provoking and cautionary tale of what if; what if the world as we know it was destroyed by climate change and the fall-out of man’s destruction of the environment? The premise is imaginative; the characters are eclectic and spirited; the romance is passionate and emotional, without the use of over the top,sexually graphic language and text.

I am not sure if the author has plans for a series but there are a large number of characters and open ended plot points that could use some resolution.

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Reviewed by Sandy

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