Blog Archives
Crow: Episode Two Now Available (New Adult Fantasy Series by Alex Owens)
It’s early, even. Check it out!
About the Crow Series:
Cassiopeia “Pia” Alexander is just your typical college student. She can’t pick a major, her love life is virtually non-existent and the only thing good in her life seems to be her job as an Animal ER Nurse. Even that doesn’t feel like enough, though.
Beylin Callaghan is one of the Brotherhood tasked to give souls a winged-ride from one life to the next, and to remove the memories from each soul so that they can start with a fresh slate in their new incarnations.
But he’s keeping a secret– a secret that when exposed, will bind Pia’s fate to his own. For better or worse.
Links:
Crow: Episode One (5/19/2013)
Crow: Episode Two (5/23/2013)
About the Author:
Alex Owens is a woman with little free time, which means she stays up all hours of the night putting pen to paper. By day she’s June Cleaver in jeans, and by night she writes. Somewhere in the middle of all that she finds time to tend ‘dem babies, fry up the bacon and curl up with a good book (or ten), much to the chagrin of her family. She’s currently at work on her paranormal Blood Chord Series and the New Adult fantasy series, Crow.
Related articles
- New Series by Alex Owens – Crow (New Adult Fantasy) (quirkygurl.com)
Quickie Book Review – Bedlam Maternity by Morgan Gallagher
Bedlam Maternity by Morgan Gallagher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Very well done. The writing was tight, yet evocative in the “chills up your spine” kind of way. Definitely recommend for fans of classic horror stories. The setting (hospital) and cast of characters amped up the ghastly tension even further too.
I read this as an ARC a while back, and I can still recall the details with enough clarity to re-goosbump myself. So that’s saying something about the power of the story, for sure!
Quickie Book Review – Out There Bad by Josh Stallings
Out There Bad by Josh Stallings
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I read the first novel by Stallings (Beautiful, Naked & Dead) and loved that one, so I don’t know why I was surprised to find myself deeply engrossed in Out There Bad as well. Maybe it’s because I never love books in a series equally– they’re a bit like children in their own unique way with good points and mediocre points.
But Stallings hit another grand-slam with this one. I finished it well over a week ago and bits of it still haunt me, and my heart breaks all over again for Moses and everything that haunts him so. I don’t know how Stallings does it; he turns readers inside-out, flips them around and drops us on our tails with a thud. And we beg like children, “Do it again!”
Damn fine writing.
Fast, gritty and real is this novel. Don’t dawdle. Read it.
Out There Bad is just bad, man.
Quickie Book Review – The Eclective: The Apocalypse Collection
The Eclective: The Apocalypse Collection by Emma Jameson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a fabulous sampler of some of the most creative, talented indie authors on the market right now. Each story was inventive and wholly captivating. And I loved the way multiple genres were represented in the collection– having a little bit of something for everybody.
On a side note, the way each author approached the theme with such different techniques really jump-started my own creativity, so I’d highly recommend reading short stories in this format in order to get your own creative juices flowing 
Get your copy of The Eclective: The Apocalypse Collection today
Quickie Book Review – Spirit Horses by Alan S. Evans
Spirit Horses by Alan S. Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
What was Great: The plot, characters, emotions, scenery and plight of the horses.
What I had a problem with: the chunks of “story teller” passages.
I understand the need to condense larger amounts of information for the sake of book length, but I didn’t care for the longer voice-over type of narratives toward the beginning of the novel. I felt like a really good editor would have pruned and condensed these areas for better readability. Had it not been for the things that were great about this novel, I wouldn’t have been able to overlook the parts that irked me.
Now, with all that said, this is a book that I could see some Hollywood big-shot making into a fabulous movie. It has it all– heartache, tragedy, a man on a mission, second-chance love, beautiful scenery, historical references, and an ending that you won’t see coming.
Quickie Book Review – Outcome by Edward W. Robertson
Outcome by Edward W. Robertson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’ve read (and loved) the first book in the Breakers series, finding it extremely well-written and creative to the Nth degree. So it’s no surprise that I was sucked into this novella with such force that my neck feels a little stiff
While the series starts out during the tail-end of the viral outbreak, this novella goes back to the beginning and shows the reader exactly how mankind fell so quickly. I adored the characters and the plot. Robertson paints a vivid picture of just how wrong things can go, and how basic liberties can been taken away in the blink of an eye, and without one’s knowledge even. And it’s all in the name of the Greater Good.
Worth reading. But don’t stop there– go on to read the series as well!
Quickie Book Review – Cool Shade by Theresa Weir
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Interesting book… part mystery, part off-beat romance, with a dash of steamy goodness. I particularly like the way certain quirks of the main characters were handled by the author. I’m a fan of Weir’s, and this book fit in with what I’m used to reading with her. Recommend whole-heartedly!
Quickie Book Review – Give Me by L.K. Rigel
Give Me: A Tale of Wyrd and Fae by L.K. Rigel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have so many good things to say about this book. First, it’s a very well written novel and the intricate weaving of a couple of timelines was done very well. The characters, while not always likeable, rang true and clear. The setting and descriptions made it easy to transport myself to this strange land as I read along.
The author’s take on the Wyrding and spells was a breath of fresh air, as was her take on fairies. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes their fantasy/ paranormal to have a creative flair.
Book Review – Death’s Hand by S.M. Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Like my review for other books in this series, I loved the non-stop, pulse-pounding action in this book. The characters are flawed (human, working on their own issues and emotions)and compelling, the author’s knowledge of weaponry and fight scenarios is A+ and I can’t get enough of these books!
Book Review – Sin and Sacrifice by Danielle Bourdon
Sin and Sacrifice by Danielle Bourdon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved just about everything about Sin and Sacrifice. The premise was something I’d never seen before, the characters diverse and interesting, and the pacing was spot on. The writing was tight and often vivid and concise.
I felt the surprise, betrayals, anguish and fear just like things were happening to me. I was soooo sucked into this book. And the guys… yum
Well worth the time to read and I’ll bet most people go on to reading the rest of the series after putting this one down!
Quickie Book Review – Death’s Avatar (#0.5) by S.M. Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Kick-*ss heroine, race against the clock to save the world, and a brilliant way to showcase the series (by offering readers a prequel novella). Def. will be reading book one in the series very soon. In fact, it’s already on my ipad, patiently waiting for me!
Book Review – The Sin Collector by Jessica Fortunato
The Sin Collector by Jessica Fortunato
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The title caught my eye, the blurb pulled me in, and the book itself did not disappoint. Overall The Sin Collector is a well paced, inventive paranormal-type novel. I found the premise especially unique and worthy of mention.
(Disclaimer – I’m horrible with names, so Main Char. is what you’ll usually get out of me for review purposes
Only a minor nit-pick… for some one who’s been around the block for a while, I found the main character to be slightly naive when it suited the plot and the rest of the time she was spot-on. Perhaps in the next book the character will be more uniform in her behavior, but it’s wasn’t that big of a deal. Certainly not enough to detract from the rest of the story.
I was very surprised by the ending… certainly didn’t see that one coming! Not sure how I feel about part of the plot resolution, so I’m anxious to read the next book to see where the author is taking it!
Book Review – Butterfly by Kathryn Harvey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After I finished this book, I felt as if I’d spent an entire weekend watching several seasons worth of an addictive TV show. The passage of time and watching characters grow, react and morph tends to stick with me more so than reading a novel condensed down to a few days.
But that’s not the only reason I’ll remember this novel for a while. It’s that good too. Butterfly has heat (but not too much), a smattering of mystery, complex characters (some of which I hated and loved at the same time), compelling narrative and a patiently-waiting-to-dole-it-out dose of revenge. And how sweet that was!
