#bookreview: Special Agent Francesca by Mimi Barbour

Special Agent Francesca by Mimi Barbour
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Special Agent Francesca Donovan can't wait to start her new life as an undercover FBI agent in Las Vegas. All her life, she's been trying to prove herself to her mother, the Special Assistant to the Director of the FBI, and now she gets the chance to do just that - if only she doesn't mess up her first assignment! Other than that, she just has to pop by and introduce herself to the father she just found out she had... and try not to fall in love with her new partner, Sean Collins, Psychiatrist and LVPD Profiler, who's posing as her fiance.

Mimi Barbour takes you on a wild ride with Francesca and Sean as they work undercover to clean up the gang that has been threatening hotels in the neighbourhood. It's pretty light and funny reading, with Francesca's sass and Sean's reactions providing a lot of comic relief. Special Agent Francesca is definitely not a serious girl, so don't expect anything deeper than an entertaining afternoon read.

Parts of story are steamier than I usually read (this is NOT for the kiddies) and there were times I skimmed through thinking "Am I really reading this?" so that contributes a little to my ambivalence between a 3 and 4 star rating.

Also, some strong swearing involved. Just saying, cause this deviates from my usual fare.

I received a free copy for review from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Snapshots is back with a new look and a #giveaway. #SnapshotsRelaunch

Welcome to the SNAPSHOTS relaunch blitz!

Add to your Goodreads shelf

Buy on Amazon | Smashwords

It's said the eyes are the windows to the soul, but that's a lie. They are snapshots of a time yet to come–the future of the person to which they belong.

Cyclop Blaine stands out in a crowd with his pale skin and mismatched eyes, but it’s his ability to see the future that really sets him apart. The unusual gift makes him an invaluable asset to Tyler, his adoptive father and leader of the Victory Street Gang. It also means Cyclop must hide what he can do from others. Once, a man he knew only as Master controlled him, using him for experiments. Cyclop has no desire to return to that life.

But he may have no choice. A man claiming ownership over him haunts his dreams and waking moments, leaving him no choice but to go back to the past he thought he had escaped. Cyclop must face this man, along with his past, if he wants to reveal his own future.

About the Author

Patricia Lynne never set out to become a writer. In fact, she never considered it an option during high school and college. But some stories are meant to be told and this one chose her. Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo and has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow.

Follow Patricia on Twitter | Goodreads | Google+ | Author Blog

Giveaway

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#fridayflash: The friendless generation

"I have no friends," she whined, as she marked the 30 notifications as read and skimmed through the long list of links and updates in her feed. "Why doesn't anyone want to go out?"
She picked up her mobile phone and stared at it, finger hovering over the dial button of the one friend she was fairly sure might want to go out for a coffee. Oh wait, he's dating Mindy now. He's probably busy. She put the phone back down on the table and scanned through the vapid conversations some of her friends were having in the Whatsapp group. She added a few random comments just to remind them of her existence.
Turning back to her laptop, she opened facebook again and searched through her 2,364 friends, trying to find one who might possibly be physically near her location and also online and maybe willing to hang out. She fired off a few messages only to see them pop offline. She frowned, then decided to ignore the coincidence. A message popped up and she looked at it eagerly:

Sorry, girl. Busy tonight.
Oh, alright. You take care.
See ya.

There went the one person she normally thought she could count on. She sighed and shut down her laptop, put her phone to silent and turned off the light. Her bedside clock blinked 22:30 and she turned it to face the wall so she wouldn't have to see its depressingly early time.
She woke up to 10 messages apologizing for being too busy to hang out, 5 requesting a rain check. She shook her head in despair. "I really have no friends."

---

Theme: Paradox

#bookreview: The Ghost Bride by @yangszechoo

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So I had to read this because it was written by a Malaysian, right?
I'd heard about The Ghost Bride sometime last year, probably through Goodreads, but was always putting off getting a copy because I'm not really a fan of ghost stories/Chinese superstitions. Then I saw it in a bookshop and I was in a book buying spree... so... *shrug*

Seventeen-year-old Li Lan has received a marriage proposal into the esteemed Lim family. However, there are several complications: The groom is dead, and Li Lan has her heart set on another. Set in both the beautiful bustle of ancient Malacca and the terrifying Plains of the Dead, Yangsze Choo weaves a haunting story of a young girl struggling to save herself and protect her family after she is drawn into unseen world of the afterlife.

The book is split into four parts and I would frankly say that I loved parts 1 and 4 the most. The first part of the book draws you into beautiful Malacca, inviting you into the interesting culture of the Straits settlement Chinese in the 1860s. Part 2 and 3 plunges you into the strange world of the afterlife, and though it was very well written, I didn't enjoy it as much (as I said, I don't really enjoy ghost stories). Part 4 brings you back to Malacca again, and its lovely romantic ending will leave you teary eyed.

Excited to read more from Choo! (I believe her next will be set in Ipoh...)

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I don't suppose I'll be on hiatus, but we'll see

Hello from San Jose!

I haven't decided if I'm going to blog more or blog less. I suppose it depends on my mood at night and whether I'm rushing (or not) to complete anything.

Or if I'm lazy.

I owe my editor stuff.
I owe my pastor stuff.
AND I haven't written a few e-mails I was supposed to write.

OH WELL.

And I started a few draft blogs here as well as one on medium.

And I'm supposed to finish that script for Christmas as part of my Camp Nanowrimo challenge (20K words in July)... and I am still at the grand word count of.... ZERO!

*GO ME!*
*waves pompoms*
*dies*

Happy birthday, @yeohjo!

Where do I even start?
I've known you since... forever. Hah. :) I was going to dig out some old photos, but I figured that *I* would probably be more embarrassed about them than you, so... I'm sticking to (mostly) what's already on the internet. (Also I'm lazy. I can't remember where they're kept and I'm a little disinclined to go search. Besides, that's what Facebook is for.)

You've always been the musical one, so it's not surprising that most of my memories with you include music somewhere - singing Disney ballads after watching the cartoons, caroling, firebrands worship team, youth camp...

... and the fasollado singers!

I am blessed to call you a friend. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend," and I believe I have learnt so much just by growing up with you. Where else would I have learnt to be such a perfectionist? (and competitive as well!) I am always encouraged to hear what God has been doing in your life, even if we only meet like... once in six months or so. Haha.

Okay, that picture wasn't on facebook, but, for memories' sake, that was a big part of our history! (At least before everyone started going their merry ways.) Still waiting for the next one... or at least the next album from you. This year, right? ;)

As you enter a new stage of life, may you find greater fulfilment in Christ; may Christ alone satisfy your every need and deepest longings. May His fire and His passion fill your soul; may your mind and your eyes be renewed each day to think as He does, to see as He sees. May your mouth be filled with endless praise and your heart be filled with ceaseless songs; may you be His instrument of worship as you transcribe the songs of heaven, and raise them up again as incense to His name.  

Thank you for being a significant part of my journey so far. This has been us. :)

Happy 30th, Josh.

Mini #bookreviews

A to Z in 10 by 10 [flash fiction compilation] by Donna B. McNicol
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Picked this up from Donna during the 2014 A to Z Challenge.
A to Z in 10 by 10 is a quick read - 26 flash fiction pieces arranged from A to Z which will take you less than half an hour to finish.
I enjoyed most of the pieces - some had rather interesting twists.



Half Way Home by Hugh Howey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After hearing so much about Hugh Howey, I jumped at the chance to pick up one of his novels when it was offered free on Noisetrade Books for a short period of time.

A little ambivalent about this one. I liked it quite a lot until I got to the end and went... "eh?"


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#bookreview: The Depths by Nick Thacker

The Depths by Nick Thacker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jen Adams' boss, Dr Elias Storm, is killed on the same night that her son Reese is kidnapped. Jen and Mark Adams sneak into Dr Storm's office to look for clues - only to find themselves snatched up by the British Royal Marines, Amphibious Task Division and taken to the Agartha station - an abandoned research station deep beneath the Atlantic Ocean.

The Depths is pretty much a classic thriller. I read it in (almost) one sitting; it was a very enjoyable read, despite a few errors (well, I think they were errors - swapped names and such which didn't make sense - either that or I was speed reading too much that my brain fried).

I loved the plot-twist towards the end (*jeng jeng jeng, you've all been looking at the wrong person and in the wrong place!) though what Mark did right at the end threw me a bit. I didn't think it was necessary and I'm not sure it made sense, but oh well.

I received a free copy of this book in return for an honest review.

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How many fronts can you have? Of having too many things to update you about

I've been surprisingly productive for a Monday evening, so I thought I'd keep the momentum going by actually blogging something.

On the writing front, I've gotten feedback from my editor for chapters 1 - 6 of my fairy tale (I really should think of a title!) and so I've been doing more edits. I was really afraid she'd hate it, but she likes it so far and most of her comments are in the line of - YOU NEED TO EXPAND THIS/BE MORE DESCRIPTIVE HERE. (I mean, besides fixing my awkward sentences.) I'm just waiting until she gets to the last few chapters and goes "eh, what? End like that one arr?" hahahaha.
Today's the deadline for submissions for the SEA Steampunk thing as well as KL Noir: Yellow and I haven't written anything. Also, I missed the deadline for S+S Penang scripts and probably S+S KL scripts. Meh. Guess it's just not meant to be.

On the editing front, I agreed sometime back to help edit the Charis Hospice 10th year anniversary magazine and I haven't gotten round to it yet. *halp!* I think it's due in August, so I better get my butt in gear, especially seeing that I am such a loyal citizen of Procrasti. =D

On the drama front, we just had a great workshop over the weekend with Shakespeare Demystified. Observation from these drama teachers: when working with Malay actors you have to work hard to get them to cut back; when working with Chinese actors, the main problem is getting them to express more. Hmm... Anyway, this workshop was for those shortlisted for the Hamlet production by USM that's coming up in October ;) Actual roles will apparently only be assigned in August, I think, so we'll see how that goes.
The funny thing about my brain is that when I'm pretty free, it goes into hibernating mode and refuses to think. And now that I'm busy with a lot of work, it decides to wake up and go hey you need to start planning things NOW! So anyway, I kicked my butt into gear this morning and talked to Alvin Looi about the possibility of him running a workshop for our church team this November. So something is starting to move! *little jig*
Ha, random observation while driving this morning: I figure God is just shaking his head at me and heaving huge sighs of frustration because I keep panicking and saying "I don't know what to do/where to go/how to do it" at the same time that I have all these ideas of things to do, but never get round to doing it because I'm uncertain/unsure/afraid/confused/not sure if these people even remember who I am. And it's kind of like *facepalm* where do you think you're getting these ideas from? Why do you think you even know these people in the first place?
Ah, so yes. One step taken today, more to come. And the way to stop the procrastination is really to NOT READ ALL THE BOOKS.

Which leads to the reviewing front, where some lovely random people have contacted me via my facebook page, website and email to give me free books for review! (Also including the awesome Dan Rix who has been letting me gorge on lovely sci-fi/time travel stuff.) *sighs with satisfaction*
That being said, cos I sometimes have a spotty memory, if any of you feel that you've sent me something for review and I never got back to you, please send me an email to bump it to the top of my erratic, neverending TBR list! I know I'm just horrible sometimes and I don't want to feel guilty for taking a free book from you and then forgetting about it.

And finally, on the music front, a song for the week:

You are more thanMy words could ever sayYou are Lord over allOver all of my daysI will see this season throughI will fix my eyes on YouOnly YouOnly You

The God is Able album happened to be one of those that just didn't cut it, for me at least. The songs are exceptionally underwhelming, but for some reason, one line of this song just struck me and has stuck with me all week: I will see this season through. (Partly because I am too lazy to change the CD in my car player so it has been looping in there for quite a while)

In a dual way, it speaks to me of seeing this current season through, of how it feels like it's time to really work at building the creative arts (or as Alvin says it, the performing arts) in the church, but it also somehow speaks of seeing the end of a season, because something has to end before something new can arise. And I've semi-made up my mind after struggling for at least a year (as you can tell it takes forever to move me - I'm coming to understand my pattern) but something has shifted, just as it shifted when I decided to move on from FGA previously. I'm still waiting though - waiting until I am removed from the situation (at least by physical proximity) enough to see if my thoughts clarify further. But as it goes, I think I'm pretty sure. But no, I'm not saying anything now until I am very very sure.

And to conclude, on the travelling front, I will be going to San Jose again in mid-July! It's a business trip to the HQ (which will be just like, meh, boring, hahaha) but I'm looking forward to a couple of things.
First, reconnecting with my cell group over at Ignite/ROLCC, and secondly, the Writer's Digest Novel Writing Conference! Woohoo!! This will be my maiden writing conference and I'M SO EXCITED. Hahahaha. I am also so noob, I don't know what to expect or prepare. I've registered for the conference and booked my hotel, but I have yet to get my flight tickets from San Jose to Los Angeles!
(Anyone else going?? Anyone have any advice to share?)

Okay. I think that's all the updates I have.

#Fridayflash: The Mirror of Erised

The trolls had it wrong, of course. You can't go through time facing backwards. Nothing would make sense. Although, as it often was, nothing ever did make sense. So maybe they had a grain of truth - just a speck.

Jenny thought that life should be an adventure - something that you jumped into without looking, though maybe looking to see that there were no obvious rocks to knock into was quite a smart thing to do if you planned to continue adventuring. So now she looked sideways at the mirror Erised and wondered what she should do with it. Dumbledore had it wrong, of course, as most people around her did.

An enchanted mirror called Desire might show you what you wanted most in life. But with a backwards name like Erised, it was more likely that it would most likely only give you the thing you feared the most. After all, what was the opposite of desire?

What if - she pulled at her pony tail - she faced the mirror Erised with another enchanted mirror? Would the reflection of what she feared then be reflected back into what she desired? Would it keep reflecting until it was distilled into pure desire or pure fear?

She didn't have another enchanted mirror, so she decided that she'd just take whatever she got. Standing in front of the mirror, she looked at her reflection. There was a  ripple and then it went dark. What did that mean? Either she desired the dark or she feared it and she wasn't sure which. Words suddenly filled the screen.

Error. Too many conflicting desires.
Error. Too many conflicting desires.

There, she knew it was a hoax. She walked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

In her wake, a little mouse creeped out from behind the table it was hiding behind. It peeped into the mirror and saw himself surrounded by chunks of cheese. It sighed happily.

---

Writing prompt: Mirror

#bookreview: Ashlynn's Dreams by Julie C. Gilbert

Ashlynn's Dreams by Julie C. Gilbert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Jillian Marie Antel Blairington (which is a super long name for any kid) is kidnapped and held in a strange facility where she's taught to use her talent of entering and changing people's dreams that she never knew she had. If that isn't freaky enough, she's introduced to a whole new family and is tasked to use her talent to find her missing brother.

The story is written in a series of letters or journals from Jillian and her baby sitter, Danielle, who was kidnapped along with her, with a few letters here and there from other characters.

I kinda liked the story. It wasn't really my kind of thing (I'm increasingly unsure what my kind of thing is now actually). I mean, I've been reading sci-fi a lot more now, but it wasn't as awesome as, say, God's Loophole or Eternity’s End. Maybe it was the style it was written in - the letter/journal type thing isn't normally what I go for. It also takes a way part of the tension of the story (the "kin-cheongness") or the presence of being in that moment.

So I'd give it a 3.5 - somewhere between "yea, I liked it" and "hey it was really good". Maybe if I'd read it when I was much younger I would have liked it better.

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Because I love

God demonstrates His love
That while we were separated, Christ died for us
God demonstrates His love
Through one man's obedience we're bought back in blood

The thought that accompanied my morning walk today (WOAH ANNA WALKS!) was really that in the light of God's sacrifice, all the things we give up or complain about giving up are small sacrifices in comparison.

And so really, all that we do (or are not supposed to do) aren't really a big deal, in the grand scheme of things.
Because He didn't have to.
But he did anyway.
Because, love.

Yet it's not a selfish kind of love which expects a commensurate return, which puts down your love and sacrifice because they are too small, or not worthy enough, or not sacrificial enough.
It's a love that says it's okay if you can only love me that much because your heart is too small. I still love you and I will love you until your heart starts to grow again.
Because, love.

And so he writes his story over and over again in your heart until one day you realise that your narrative has changed. It's no longer I love because, but because I love.

#bookreview: Creation by Kat Mellon

So this girl from the Nanowrimo FB page posts and says that her book is free on Amazon for a day, and would we support her by downloading it? And I was like, sure, why not? It's free anyway.

And then I read it. (Which is what I usually do with books. But usually not that fast).

Creation by Kat Mellon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don't know how to review this book, because to write about what the core of what the book meant to me would be to reveal the ending and be extremely spoilerish. And you wouldn't want that with this book, seriously.

I was fascinated with the world Mellon created, the sense of the surreal in her writing and the way it makes you look at the world with fresh new eyes - a little Pratchett-ish in that sense, only not in a humourous way.

It's beautiful prose. *tears*

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#bookreview: Eternity's End by Dan Rix

This review should probably have come earlier... except that I got caught up in reading Brandon Sanderson's Words of Radiance.

Eternity’s End by Dan Rix
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the gripping sequel to God's Loophole, Dan Rix plunges us into a terrifying time crunch: Gabriel Rockwell has to figure out how to get Raedyn Summers out of the bubble before she runs out of air and water... and before the FBI & U.S. military manage to kill him. Rae was ready to give up - until she inexplicably hears Gabe's voice outside the bubble and discovers that she's not quite ready to lie down and die just yet.

Rix weaves a complex puzzle as Rae circles through the maze of bubbles, trying to maximize the air she has left. (I admit I was too interested in what was going to happen next than to analyse the maze and try to solve the puzzle on my own!) Rae's not the only with a problem to solve - Gabe must learn to control his abilities in order to recreate Rae in the real world. Only, which world and which Rae is the real one now?

There's a cockiness to these two extremely smart teens that, mixed with the vulnerability, stupidity and resilience of youth, makes you start rooting for them and hoping that they'll get through to their happily-ever-after (well, or at least to just stay alive).

Looking forward to the third book, Heaven’s Enigma!

Note: I received a pre-release copy of this book as part of Dan Rix's mailing list.

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My reviews of Dan Rix's other books:
God's Loophole
Entanglement
Triton

I have an editor!

Okay, I probably shouldn't be so excited since I'm the one hiring an editor. It's not as if I found an agent (do we actually have any in Malaysia?) or signed a book deal (long way more to go).
But well, I realised a while back that an old college friend of mine has struck out on her own as a freelance writer, editor and translator and it took me about... a month (or more... yes I am that indecisive and slow and lazy) to decide that YES, I want to do this. I'm going to hire someone to make sure my words are all sparkly and pretty!

Meet the awesome Chin Pei Ling from Word Espress!

Pei Ling has been writing for as long as she can remember. The SMS was never made for her, because her text messages to friends are always long. Mostly because she has too much to say (and she has a strange liking of typing every word fully). From overwriting in her school essays to graduating with a Journalism Diploma and B.A. in English, with over six years of experience in journalism and publishing, you can say that she's where she's always wanted to be. And you can enrich her journey even more.

*wiggles*

Okay. Back to making sure my manuscript does not SUCK SO BAD before she sets her eyes on it. :)

More than enough

And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my border, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it be not to my sorrow! And God granted him that which he requested.

1 Chronicles 4:10

#fridayflash: the voices

Dear Denise,

I hope you get this letter. Casey refuses to let me anywhere near you, and Natasha’s pretty much of the same mind. Even Lex stared at me for a long time and mumbled something about Max and appearances before saying that he’d try.

It really doesn’t look good for me, although I have Lex’s word that they won’t press charges. I understand where they’re coming from, though. What else should they think when they found me standing over you, razor in hand, blood everywhere? Don’t worry. I didn’t tell them and I won’t, unless you want to. Tell them what you need to – I can take it. I can bear this for you until you’re ready.

I hate the voices in your head that tell you you’re not good enough. I hate the voices that keep telling you that you’ll never be loved, that you’ll never be worthy. That you deserve to hurt. They’re wrong. They lie to you in the worst way. It will be a long battle, Denise, but it doesn’t need to be a bloody one.
You don’t have to listen to the voices that tear you down. You have a choice. Listen to me. Keep my words with you, even if you can’t reach me.

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.
YOU ARE LOVED AND TREASURED.
YOU ARE WORTHY OF LOVE.
You can choose to do something different. Make something beautiful.

Every time you forget that, call me and I’ll remind you. Call me, please. Just DON’T DO IT. Please.

You are stronger than you think you are, and this one incident will not break you forever. I wish I had been able to answer your call. It was the worst timing ever for me to have silenced my phone. Forgive me, Denise. Forgive me for being almost too late.

I fought this battle before, Denise. You’re stronger than I was. You can win this.
Remember that even when you hate yourself, I love you still.

Mark

Denise stared at the scars on her hands, remembering Mark's voice. He'd taken the razor from her hands. Held her. Whispered to her the words that still echoed in her head, overpowering her own.
It's okay to cry. Crying is better than cutting. Crying is better than dying. Itsokayitsokayitsokayitsokay. I love you. It's okay. It's okay to cry. 

She gripped the letter tighter as she read his words again.
I hate myself. 
It's okay it's okay it's okay. You're beautiful.

---

Prompt: The Evil Within
Background canon: Would you just listen?, Aloof (Read at your own peril. You may want to gouge your eyes out midway through)

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#bookreview: Exodus 2022

Exodus 2022 by Kenneth G. Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Joe Stanton wakes up searching for his missing daughter - the daughter he knows is dead... the daughter he never had. This bizarre hallucination is only the beginning of a wild ride that Joe and his girlfriend, Ella, find themselves on - one that includes a billionaire weapons contractor, a genius scientist, telepathy, the future of life on the earth and Joe's impending death.

I totally loved Exodus 2022! I'd read it halfway before bed on
Monday night and was intending to do stuff on Tuesday morning, being a public holiday, but partially because I was lazy and also because I really had to know what happened I ended up spending the whole morning finishing the book.

The story has a very strong environmental thrust and some paranormal overtones. I'd hesitate to say fantasy... it has a more "religious" feel to it (i.e. other higher power, good vs evil).

I only had 3 issues with this book, which isn't quite major enough to warrant any drop in my rating, but I figured I would mention them here:
1. Iffy formatting in the kindle version made some awkward line breaks between sentences. It didn't affect the sentences or meanings or anything, but was just a little annoying.
2. Priest with tattoos, long-hair, earrings and on holiday together with his girlfriend? Not something that would normally be tolerated in churches where I'm from, but then again I don't know much about the Episcopal church.
3. The ending (which was happy/tragic for me) raised one... question...

I received this book for review as part of the Novel Publicity Tour.

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About the Book - About the Author - Prizes!!!

About the prizes: Who doesn't love prizes? You could win one of two $50 Amazon gift cards or an autographed copy of EXODUS 2022! Here's what you need to do...

1. Enter the Rafflecopter contest
2. Leave a comment on my blog

That's it! One random commenter during this tour will win the first gift card. Visit more blogs for more chances to win--the full list of participating bloggers can be found HERE. The other two prizes will be given out via Rafflecopter. You can find the contest entry form linked below or on the official EXODUS 2022 tour page via Novel Publicity. Good luck!

About the book: Joe Stanton is in agony. Out of his mind over the death of his young daughter. Or so it seems. Unable to contain his grief, Joe loses control in public, screaming his daughter’s name and causing a huge scene at a hotel on San Juan Island in Washington State. Thing is, Joe Stanton doesn’t have a daughter. Never did. And when the authorities arrive they blame the 28-year- old’s outburst on drugs. What they don’t yet know is that others up and down the Pacific coast—from the Bering Sea to the Puget Sound—are suffering identical, always fatal mental breakdowns. With the help of his girlfriend—the woman he loves and dreams of marrying—Joe struggles to unravel the meaning of the hallucination destroying his mind. As the couple begins to perceive its significance—and Joe’s role in a looming global calamity—they must also outwit a billionaire weapons contractor bent on exploiting Joe’s newfound understanding of the cosmos, and outlast the time bomb ticking in Joe’s brain.

Get EXODUS 2022 through Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

About the author: Kenneth G. Bennett is the author of the young adult novels, THE GAIA WARS and BATTLE FOR CASCADIA, and the new sci-fi thriller, EXODUS 2022. A wilderness enthusiast who loves backpacking, skiing and kayaking, Ken enjoys mysteries, science fiction, action adventure stories and, most especially, novels that explore the relationship between humans and the wild. He lives on an island in the Pacific Northwest with his wife and son and two hyperactive Australian Shepherds.

Connect with Kenneth on his website, Facebook, Twitter,or GoodReads.

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Fridayflash: The Evil Within

She painted with broad strokes, making loud statements in bright colours. Stepping back, she wiped her fringe away from her eyes with the back of her hand and squinted at the canvas. It didn’t feel right. She glanced at the open windows, wondering why the sunlight seemed to have dimmed when it was too early for dusk. The horizon seemed to have blurred – was it her eyesight, or was it the haze? She put down her brush and closed the windows, drawing the curtains before turning on the studio’s lights. In the harsh fluorescent light, the painting looked even more garish.

He watched her pacing from the couch, counting her steps. One, two, three, four, pause. One, two three, turn. Her steps were unsteady, unlike the rhythmic tick of the pocketwatch lying on his bare chest counting down the seconds of his life. How long more did he have? He wriggled his fingers, trying to get blood into them again.

“Why won’t it come out right?” she threw the brush down.

He watched the paint splatter; a bright red that started to streak towards him as the brush rolled across the floor. “What’s it supposed to be?” he asked, his voice cracking a little from disuse.

“My soul.” She turned to him and flushed. The thin blanket had slipped to the floor, exposing his naked form.

“Use more black.”

“As if you’d know. You’re not an artist.” She crossed the studio floor, bending to pick up her brush where it had stopped right in front of him. She leaned over and kissed him, harshly, desperately.

“I’m hungry,” he said sullenly when she finally pulled away.

She rolled her eyes. “All I have is cereal.”

“I haven’t eaten all day.”

“Neither have I and I’m not complaining.”

“You’re not eating by choice. I’m not.”

She patted his cheek, leaving a smear of paint. “You won’t be hungry much longer.” She got up and went back to her painting.

He listened to the tick of the clock as he struggled against the ropes that bound his hands and feet. He was running out of time.

---

This prompt, "The Evil Within", comes to you from The Writer's Tower.

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Why do I keep freaking myself out?

#bookreview: The Daughter of the Sea and Sky

The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky by David Litwack has launched! This fabulous title is available now on all online retailers and in your local book stores. You aren't going to want to miss this new literary journey exploring the clash between reason and faith, and the power of hope and love.

The Book

After centuries of religiously motivated war, the world has been split in two. Now the Blessed Lands are ruled by pure faith, while in the Republic, reason is the guiding light—two different realms, kept apart and at peace by a treaty and an ocean.




Summary: A mysterious nine-year-old from the Blessed Lands sails into the lives of a couple in the Republic, claiming to be the Daughter of the Sea and the Sky. Is she a troubled child longing to return home, or a powerful prophet sent to unravel the fabric of the Republic? The answer will change the lives of all she meets… and perhaps their world as well.
Author: David Litwack
Genre: Fantasy/Speculative Literary Fiction
Publisher: Evolved Publishing

My Review

The Daughter of the Sea and the Sky by David Litwack
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Helena and Jason pull a refugee from the Blessed Lands out of her sinking boat, they didn’t expect that she would turn their lives upside down. Nine-year-old Kailani, who calls herself the “Daughter of the Sea and Sky”, cannot assimilate herself into the lifestyle of reason and logic in the Republic, but neither can she return to the Blessed Lands until her penance is over. In an attempt to rescue her from being sent to a correctional facility, Helena applies to be her temporary legal guardian until her tribunal date and brings her to the Glen Eagle Farm – the artist colony where her estranged mother lives.

On a general scale of things, I’d rate Litwack’s latest offering with 4 stars – the story is not so fast-paced that it makes you lose your breath and yet it’s not so slow that you get bored with it. It’s a beautifully written story, a little vague and dreamy at times, that touches on the divide between faith and reason, love and duty, and how an innocent child can somehow throw your life off-course.

Carlson and Benjamin offer counterpoints to each other – one man trying his best to protect a young girl even though it may cost him his job and his pension, the other with fanatical fire in his heart, doing all he can to use her for his own gain. Litwack’s characters are well-fleshed out, and because of that, easy to identify with – their hopes are sometimes your own, their foibles are often things we are guilty of but try to deny.

And that is also the reason why I would rate this 3-stars for personal enjoyment – because the battles fought felt a little too close for comfort, the questions raised leaving uncomfortable feelings in my chest. With these stirred emotions, the ending, while providing closure to the story, left me with a feeling that there should have been something more. There should have been a deeper meaning to this seemingly simple story. And maybe there is. I just have to discover it for myself.

I received this e-book for review from the author via Novel Publicity.

View all my reviews

Other books by David Litwack:
There Comes a Prophet
Along the Watchtower

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway