Salvation

Reviewed by: Demetrius Svette

*This book was provided for an honest review

I have been called upon to read Salvation, as I was intrigued to read something about zombies. Unfortunately, I could not finish this. Why? Well it is just not my forte as it reminded me too much of The Walking Dead.  Yes, I do not like the Walking Dead– it has way too much drama and not enough gore to be zombies. That being said, it does not take away from what I have read from Salvation.  The story from what Veronica Smith has given to the readers in the zombie follower community, is based on the game Survive – an apocalyptic horror game created by Helheim Games Studio LLC.

It all starts on April 24^th, 2016- this was the day to end all days.  Patient zero, Jonathan Hamilton, was indentified with the virus known as the HHF- short for the Hamilton Hemorrhagic Fever- more commonly known the Blistering Fever by people and reporters alike.  With the world at the end of days, the civilians have made crime skyrocket and crash the rest of the world from returning into its normal status. By May 29^th, General Kevin Fowler will be known as the first true zombie who gave birth to the progress of the end of the world- as the virus continued to attach itself to any living thing it could find a host in, including wildlife; yes, the animal kingdom is targeted for infection, which is so unique and creative it kept me in for a few more chapters. Salvation is filled with surprises and keeps you cringing your face for more.

You will find that not only is this world created by Helheim Games Studio disturbing and creative- with the writing styles so deeply detailed by Veronica Smith, it will make any Walking Dead fans happy to the fullest- Salvation not only brings zombies, but it also brings in the Neo-US which has taken over the government at its weakest points in 2022. By 2027, The Neo- US realized they could no longer fight the growing zombie population and they formed a special detachment called the Z.E.D (Zombie Eradication Detachment). The Z.E.D will become powerful, killing hordes of zombies and having the ability to strike fear into the very people they were supposed to be protecting. The Raiders will be compared to the Indian Warriors that defend their lands, with tensions growing between them as the years progressed.  You will learn between the infected, Z.E.D wanting to rule the world, and the Raiders only wanting to survive, that they will be faced with challenges along the way between cannibals, mutant zombies, and who knows what else. Join this journey that Veronica Smith has provided for the fans of the zombie world and, as I compare, The Walking Dead on crack.

Veronica Smith is very dedicated to putting the realistic terms and in detail with her craft in her writing skills. She managed to make me disgusted through the chapters that I have read. She is definitely someone to keep your eye on, bringing forth the post- apocalyptic worlds and civilian communities- as well as her detail to her characters- within the magnitude of where zombies are going.  I am disappointed about how much the zombies in today’s society have turned into a drama and, for better or worse, have turned away from a mass gore fest; but with Veronica Smith, she has created a post apocalyptic world based on a video game- which shouldn’t stop anyone from experiencing the hell and magnitude of this journey.  Throughout the inside of her story, people will rise to follow her as if they followed The Walking Dead.

Journeys in Time: The Necklace: Part 2

 

Reviewed by: Jetana Mutter

*This book was provided for an honest review

Journeys in Time: The Necklace: Part 2 is a continuation of Arlene Foster’s part one.  In part one, we got to follow Dorrie as she switched lives with her great-great grandmother after receiving a family heirloom necklace that is passed down to each generation on the twentieth birthday of the women in the family.  Upon receiving the necklace from her grandmother, Kathleen, Dorrie inexplicably finds herself transported to not just another time, but in another’s body and having to adjust to being back in the past and dealing with being pregnant and alone in a time where it was socially unacceptable to be a single mother.  Part 2 follows the life of Dorothy around until the time of the switch with Dorrie; when the family necklace is given to Dorothy by her grandmother Sarah on her twentieth birthday, she is magically transported into the future and now has to navigate being an old-fashioned woman in modern times.  How difficult would it be to catch up with modern times when everything you know is in the past? Will Dorrie and Dorothy ever be able to switch back to their normal lives?

Arlene Foster does an amazing job with researching the time periods that her novels are set in; the details on social and financial aspects of the past are intertwined in a way that makes you believe you could be right there in the early nineteen-hundreds, experiencing everything first hand yourself.  Though this is not a typical book that I would have read, I’m glad to have been able to read this as is a refreshingly good find.  Books that take place in certain time eras have to be done to be believable, and Arlene Foster is one of the few authors, that I have come across, that has achieved that goal- from the mannerisms described to descriptions of how things are done shows how much time and effort she puts into her research to making it as authentic as possible.

Marigold Bakes a Cake

 

Reviewed by Jetana Mutter

*This book was provided for an honest review

Marigold Bakes a Cake by Mike Malbrough is a fun children’s book that takes us on a journey with Marigold, an orange tabby cat from the looks of it.  Marigold is very particular about his stuff, he likes things a certain way and certain days of the week are meant for specific things.  This book takes place on a Monday- Marigold’s favorite day.  It is his favorite because Mondays are baking days which is time to be alone with no distractions nor exceptions; except this isn’t a normal Monday for Marigold.  This time, there are birds that want to bake with him but they come in at the worst possible time and each interaction leaves him a little more frazzled.  By the end of the day, Marigold decides to try to teach the birds how to bake, but how well can that turn out?  The illustrations in Marigold Bakes a Cake are done in watercolor so it adds a uniqueness to the pictures that children will love to look at.  I read this book with my 3 and 4 year olds and they love it- so much so that we must read it multiple times a day.  It’s always fun to see the shenanigans that the birds pull on poor Marigold.

Who is Birdy Rivers?

Going from being self-published to having a company backing your books is something that a lot of authors want.  Many choose to be self-published for the freedom that comes along with it- being able to pick where you sell your books to having your story stay the way you wrote it; but for others, having access to a team that is there to help on any points that you may overlook is great.  Finding a company that will back you and still let you have your creative freedom is the best of both worlds- especially for our guest today, Birdy Rivers.  Birdy is the author of the Shattered series which gives us the ability to follow Emmy- a young girl that upon turning seventeen, learns that she not your average teenage girl; she discovers that she is a witch.  We follow her on this journey of self-discovery and where her love falls into her life as well.  Today, we get to know a little bit more about the author behind this coming-of-age story with a twist.

 

DS&JM Reviews: I see that the Shattered series recently got picked up by a publishing company- in your opinion what would be the best and/or worst aspects of being self-published versus being published under a company?

Birdy Rivers: I think it depends on what works for you. I happen to have a great publishing company where I have a lot of creative freedom- which I know is why many authors prefer to be independently published, because some publishers will limit your creative freedom (or so I’ve heard.)  For me, the best thing about being published with a company is having a team around you to help you with your writing; I’m not great at editing so having a team with someone who is, really helps.

 

DSJM: Has the process going from self-published to being picked up by a company changed things for you and your writing?

B.R: It hasn’t really changed much for me other than it gives me a bit more motivation to keep at writing.

 

DSJM: Have you always been interested in the supernatural realm? When or what was it that made the supernatural appeal to you?

B.R: Yes, I have always loved the paranormal/supernatural world, along with fantasy and sci-fi. I have to say it was Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings that made me fall in love with the supernatural/paranormal and fantasy worlds.

 

DSJM: So, is the Shattered series your first book(s); if so, how does it feel to have accomplished that?

B.R: This is my first published series and I’m beyond ecstatic. Being a published author has always been a dream of mine, so for it to come true feels amazing.

 

DSJM:  In the first book, Shattered: The Awakening, it is about a 17 year old girl who finds out her life is nothing like it seems; can you relate to that and how?

B.R: I can relate in the sense that I’ve had so many things happen that I didn’t see coming. Also, at her age, I dealt with depression and so I lied to myself for a long time about what life was; and then when I got better, I realized the lies I had told myself and that life was nothing like what I thought. For Emmy, it’s similar because she’s dealing with the lie she was told her whole life.  Both of us had to face the lies and find our own balance which you will see Emmy do throughout the series.

 

DSJM: Who is your favorite character you have written?

B.R: I’d have to say Emmy because she is based off of me and sort of what I was like at her age. Her emotions, confusion, and trying to find balance is something I’ve dealt with myself so when I was writing her, I poured a lot of myself into her. You will see in the next two books how she grows and truly finds herself. There’s another character I loved writing but I can’t talk about him yet because he doesn’t show up till book two but I’ll touch on him then.

 

DSJM: Sounds mysterious, I love it! What was the hardest scene for you to write?

B.R: For the first book it was the part where Emmy and Carter make love for the first time.  I didn’t want to be too graphic, but I also didn’t want to the scene to feel half assed; it took a lot of rewriting before I felt I had found a balance.

 

DSJM: Would you say writing make you feel energized or exhausted?

B.R:  It depends on why I’m writing. If I’m writing from inspiration, then I feel energized but if I’m writing from emotion, then I tend to be tired after; then there are times it’s a combination of the two.

 

DSJM: Being a newly published author can be hard to handle without support, what kind of support network do you have?

B.R:  I have great support from my friends and family, along with my publishers.  I really don’t think I could do it without them.

 

DSJM: For our last question, do you try to write what your readers want or do you write what you would want to read?

B.R: I’d say it’s a bit of both. I do like to write something I’d like to read because if I wouldn’t want to read my own book then I don’t see how others would want to. I have both my readers and myself on my mind while writing and editing. I try to think about what I want to happen and if it’s something my readers would want as well; it’s really about finding a happy medium. At the end of the day I want to write something amazing, something that I can be proud of, and I only hope that others will love it too.

 

You can get your copy of Shattered: The Awakening for Kindle on Amazon now; click the link below to get your copy today!  For our review of Shattered: The Awakening, visit our Missed a Review page.  Thank you for this opportunity to get to know you a little better Birdy; it has been a pleasure and we look forward to hearing more from you in the future!

 

Get Shattered: The Awakening on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Shattered-Awakeneing-Birdy-Rivers-ebook/dp/B073TM5MSB/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502923041&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=shattered+the+awakening+birdy+rivers

Ashley’s Tale: Making Jake

Reviewed by: Demetrius Svette

*This book was provided for an honest review

WARNING: THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS FROM THE FIRST BOOK, ASHLEY’S TALE! IF YOU HAVE NOT READ ASHLEY’S TALE, I ADVISE YOU TO READ IT BEFORE EVER CONSIDERING READING ASHLEY’S TALE: MAKING JAKE! THESE BOOKS WERE DESIGNED IN AN ORDER TO BE READ CORRECTLY AND TO EXPERIENCE THE TALE TO THE FULLEST!!

Ashley’s Tale is phenomenal in every way you go through a series of events straight from the first page to the end of Ashley’s Tale. Duke presents the sharp terror of Ashley, the main character, and the twisted game that her abductor, Jake, has induced upon her. The struggle from the low succumbed life she has almost messes with your mind and the feelings you feel towards the main characters; this story line leaves you with a sense of defeat giving way to a rise and questioning the bounds of restraint that we face in our normal, pathetic, everyday lives.  Ashley’s Tale brings forth the strongest female character we have seen since Jennifer Lopez in “Enough”, imparting this darkness that surrounds this tale of extreme survival.  Will Ashley rise above the situation at hand and survive?  Will she be the same person if she does?

This is the third book I have read from Mike Duke, the “Master of Horror” himself. Ashley’s Tale: Making Jake takes you on a personal level to learn more about the vivid and realistic domain of Jake himself from the first book, Ashley’s Tale. Again, from start to finish this story is a hellish and bumpy ride.  As you will learn throughout Making Jake, he goes through a lot of events shown through his own eyes; he decides in the end not to resist himself. He changes the outcomes, which are brought forth into his own personal domain, to rise against and take over the hell that is burning before his very own eyes at an early age. His real name is Jack and he has a plan: a game that needs to be initiated. Jack is a disturbed, sweet, and intelligent soul out to see the path that he created is fulfilled; but how will he do it? While thinking of her and it roaring in him for years, like a train of inevitable consequences bearing down on him at last. The unspoken love for her, a love reciprocated in the way he wished. Jack heard a knock on the door; he looked through the peephole. It was April… Are you ready to learn how this all transpired- how the ultimate life changing domain and environment process for changing your everlasting soul began? Will this forever change Jack? Can April be strong enough to be put through Jack’s game like Ashley before? Find out for yourself, you will not be disappointed- let the games begin!

Mike Duke did it again- he is one of those rare gems that will keep you hanging on and continue to push you to new limits with every read. He has constantly surprised me with each book I have read, keeping me engaged with the story every time and taking it further each time. This time I am going to compare him to James Wan the creator of “Saw”. I know what your thinking, ‘Is this book really capable of being like “Saw”?’ Yes! In a very realistic way of the games portrayed by Mike Duke’s Character Jake, it is very much so. In my opinion, it is better than James Wan version because he had potential but never striven to the fullest and got off track; Mike Duke, on the other hand, has the potential James Wan’s movies never had.

Ashley’s Tale

Reviewed by: Demetrius Svette

*This book was provided for an honest review

Ashley’s Tale by Mike Duke is beyond remarkable and perfect for its size- there’s really no need for any more or less.  From the beginning to the end, it is the mortifying tale of Ashley.  This tale teaches you to have the strength and courage to lay down your weak side to gain access to something inside the human spirit that you always push to the deepest, darkest recesses of your mind only to be locked away but never fully forgotten; seeming to never push the boundaries once it is set in motion.  Duke presents the sharp terror of Ashley, the main character, and the twisted game that her abductor, Jake, has induced upon her.

The struggle from the low succumbed life she has almost messes with your mind and the feelings you feel towards the main characters; this story line leaves you with a sense of defeat giving way to a rise and questioning the bounds of restraint that we face in our normal, pathetic, everyday lives.  Ashley’s Tale brings forth the strongest female character we have seen since Jennifer Lopez in Enough, imparting this darkness that surrounds this tale of extreme survival.  Will Ashley rise above the situation at hand and survive?  Will she be the same person if she does?

Mike Duke is officially a force to be reckoned with- he is the master of terror. First, I read his Warm, Dark Places Are Best but this is entirely different in every aspect and still terrifying to the soul.  Duke surprised me again and seemed to make my mouth drop in this page turning success.  He gets to a personal level with his audience and brings forth the realities that most people do not want to see come into physical existence.  I bow down to the craft of his writing skills to say we simply are not worthy.  Duke will rise from the sea of authors as unique, creative and masterful in his craft; it would be a sight to see his books transformed into screenplays and played out for everyone to see.

Warm, Dark Places Are Best….

*This book was provided for an honest review

Reviewed by: Demetrius Svette

Warm, Dark Places Are Best by Mike Duke is outstanding in every way and it really strikes the fear of bugs into your heart. Fear of insects is known as entomophobia or acarophobia.  The word entomophobia comes from Greek entomos meaning insects and phobos which means deep dread or fear; fear of insects mainly includes a disgusted response or aversion to bugs. Insects and bugs often appear “ugly or disgusting” owing to their shape or colors. This type of fear grows in a person from a very early stage of developing and forming of its life, it builds into making the person’s life very uncomfortable. They might even not leave the house in fear of noticing any kind of bug or insect on the person’s way. It also, within the fear, gives birth of “delusional parasitosis” where a person will feel sensations like pricking, itching, creeping, crawling, or burrowing on his or her skin.

When Carl and Jessica move into their new apartment, they know it’s a dump- especially with seeing cockroaches all over the place; they also notice that they are not alone with the intense situation that they are in. With Carl on disability and Jessica unemployed, they had to search for a place to live on their limited means and they are welcomed to the jungle- but they noticed no cockroaches are in their room so this isn’t too bad they think! But with a slumlord as their landlord, could they have just bombed the room before the couple rented it to make it look good for the tenants?  Is there something worse than cockroaches that could be dwelling in their new home? Carl and Jessica go through a journey of their worst fears and are put through a series of tests or is it you the reader going through the tests yourself?  This type of fear conflicts with a large amount of people. You will question yourself throughout this book, from page to page, and ask yourself do you have the fear?  I do now, thanks to Mike Duke.

Mike Duke was inspired to write Warm, Dark Places Are Best by a YouTube video believe it or not- a video that made people throw up, cringe, and face their worst nightmares.  As Duke states, “I kept hearing from people ‘Nothing really scares me anymore,’ or ‘I can’t find anything that scares me, I wish I could.”  As the djinn that he is, he grants the wish tenfold. He masters that craft in a very disturbing and sickening way that entertains you at the same time. I myself have not been this disturbed since Arachnophobia, a film from back in the 90’s. He truly mystified me in every direction, made me paranoid, and made me scratch to every tingle that is presented while reading these pages. True horror of the fear spectrum is Mike Duke.

Mike Duke really knows how to bring the true fear into people’s eyes. Not through a slasher story, a serial killer, or just a heinous or menacing act; but by playing on the fear of what we all fear the most when it comes to bugs.  No one likes bugs and it does not matter if you are the tallest, strongest, or the most profound human being the history of our species. It is the species who lie in the ground, the air, and on/in the wall; I am talking about critters. I will not, however, talk about what type of critter he so desired to choose from but it is guaranteed to make your skin crawl! It will make you stay awake at night and it will have you paranoid even to walk outside to get some fresh air after reading this book.  Are you bold enough to experience the fear Warm, Dark Places Are Best has to offer? Are you strong enough?  Then pick up a copy of this book today but be warned, it will scar your insides!  Mike Duke is a real nightmare writer and I am willing, with both arms out, to read what else he has to offer.

7 Dirty Lies

Reviewed by: Jetana Mutter

*This book was provided for an honest review

7 Dirty Lies is the latest installment in Alexis Anne’s Tease series. I have not read the others in the series and you won’t need to either. 7 Dirty Lies follows Lilly, an actress, who is on a much needed vacation to get her mind off of major things going on in her life- things she can’t let go of temporarily to relax and unwind. That is, until Colt enters the picture. Que the meddling of the best friend and Lilly finds herself finally starting to unwind; too bad it’s almost the end of her vacation. With only two days to spend on a gorgeous private island resort with a very intriguing mystery man, and a promise that they will meet again one year later, it’s sadly back to the real world for Lilly and the grueling problems that await her. When filming of her newest movie starts, she comes face to face with the person she least expected to- Colt. Shocked to see her again so soon, Colt must learn to deal with the lies that Lilly told him; but will he be able to forgive her?

I really enjoyed this book and how Ms. Anne weaves the tale of girl meets boy to make the romance to it seem as if we are experiencing Lilly’s life the way she is. Add to that the real world problems she faces and it’s hard not to like her, even knowing that she lied about everything to the one man she actually fell in love with. The need to protect each other from their darkest secrets because they are guarded from letting anyone in is something I think that everyone can relate to. I grew to love these characters and root for them to be together through all the hardships they faced from beginning to end because Ms. Anne certainly did not make it easy for these two. This book does contain mature content, but the scenes weren’t too over the top- making us feel that unique feeling of falling in love and how being with that special one can feel like we’re home. I look forward to reading more of Ms. Anne’s books in the series.

Just Things

*This book was provided for an honest review

Reviewed by Demetrius Svette

What would it be like to be inside the mind of a serial killer, to know what’s going on in their heads to make them kill? What kind of horrific images would we be able to see and feel as if we are the ones experiencing this first hand? Just Things allows us to do just that. It takes us into the mind of a serial killer and gives you the views inside his head through his personal journal. The dictionary describes the pronoun of thing as an object that one need not, cannot or does not wish to give a specific name to. Things in other people’s eyes could be a collection- from finding rare antiques to something as mundane as stamps- but to Jimmie, his things are more complicated than most; to him, he’s an artist and his things are his masterpieces. But Jimmie is no ordinary artist, he’s the perfect serial killer. Erin Lee has taken what we know about the infamous killers and combined them to form Jimmie- if I were to write a book about what I know about every serial killer I have researched in my past, then Jimmie would be the person I wrote about. The relationship he has with his things is like what you would expect from any normal person, but with a disturbing and haunting twist; he invests everything into his things.

The characters in this book have a similar bond between each other, almost as if their minds work in the same way; one, the killer and the other being the one trying to get justice. Lee’s research and writing skills gives off a non-fiction feeling, as if we are actually inside the mind of a true serial killer, but I assure you, this is a work of fiction. Just Things almost gives off a Dexter vibe but it is very different at the same time and I love it. This book is very well thought out and the research Ms. Lee put into this really shows; everyone who is an enthusiast in all things horror, thriller, and serial killers will absolutely love to see the twisted inner workings of the serial killers mind. So, whatever you are doing, just drop it and go read this book- you need to experience this read from beginning to end! Every fan will respect and honor this as if it were the next Dexter. I also warn everyone that you will crave ice cream during or at the end of reading Just Things– no matter what horrific, disturbing or psychological experience you may have.

Erin Lee is a freelance writer in her free time- with multiple works published already- but she also holds a master degree in psychology and works with at risk families as a court appointed special advocate. Ms. Lee has a brilliant mind to create such a masterpiece and characters as she unfolds in the phenomenal creation called Just Things as Jimmie is remarkable in every spectrum; I bow down to Ms. Lee in her quest in making the perfect serial killer. I do look forward to reading the continuation of this series of The Diary of a Serial Killer.

Shattered: The Awakening

*This book was provided for an honest review

Reviewed by: Jetana Mutter

High school, we all remember it or maybe going through it right now; it can be an awesome experience for some while for others… maybe not so much. That’s the way the protagonist, Emmy, feels; she’s not in the popular circles of school and is looked at like a social pariah by the populars- which is fine with her, most of the time. Her twin half-sisters are part of the popular groups and give her hell both in school and out. The only thing that makes it worth it to her is the fact that she gets to see her crush, Carter, since he’s on the football team and part of the populars. The day Emmy turns seventeen, she finds out a secret from her dead mother in the form of a letter- she’s no ordinary seventeen year old, she comes from a very powerful line of witches. The changes in Emmy’s life is just the prelude of what is to come; from finding love in a most unexpected place to finding out everything she has ever known is not what it seems. Can she piece her life back together or will she be Shattered forever?

Birdy Rivers takes a coming of age story and gives it a twist in the first book of the Shattered series, The Awakening. It fits the typical drama from a seventeen year old girl’s perspective, from low self-esteem to finding that she’s worth more than what she thinks she is. This book does contain a couple of mature content scenes, so readers that may not feel comfortable reading about that may have to skip a couple of pages but the scenes aren’t too long. I think that the story line has a great potential though in the first book you’re struggling with Emmy to figure everything out- the secret of who she really is, the betrayals, finding love and trying to figure out where you fit in with the world when everything seems so out of balance; the ending of book one leaves us on a cliffhanger so you don’t know where she stands within herself but I think that book 2- The Rising– might answer some of those questions that Awakening leaves us with.