Book Review: Kai by Derek Vasconi

Kai 

by Derek Vasconi 

Paperback: 362 pages
Publisher: Derek Vasconi (May 22, 2015)


Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★

Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, Derek Vasconi. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

My thoughts:

Okay, I liked KAI. The way the author describes every scene, uhm very hair-raising. Can't read when I'm alone! If you are following this blog, you know that I only read when everyone is out of the house/sleeping. Reading KAI, well, had to do it when kids are in the house. Too many distractions I know but I really need them with me lol. 

KAI is really good but is complex. Just the kind of story that you should closely follow or you'll be confused. I'm thinking maybe it's the alternating stories of the main characters (Seul Bi and Satsuki), and the rhyming Japanese names. 

All in all, it was a good book. I enjoyed reading KAI, added to my re-read list.

Purchase your copy

About the book: 

The bastard child of Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84 and Stephen King’s CARRIE, KAI explores how one innocent girl becomes the target of enormous rage living inside another girl-who is seemingly from another world. 

Satsuki Takamoto is an invisible otaku teenager in Hiroshima. The only thing she has going for her is the upcoming birth of her sister. No longer will she be alone. But after tragedy strikes her family, Satsuki loses her one chance at happiness. She spirals into a deep depression, shutting out everyone and everything by locking herself inside her bedroom-for good. Her sadness, however, pales in comparison to her uncontrollable anger. It spreads like a nuclear fire, ambivalent to what or who it destroys, and won’t stop until Satsuki accepts her sister’s death. 

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world in Evanston, Illinois, Seul Bi Rissiello can’t sleep because every time she closes her eyes, she relives her adoptive parents’ gruesome deaths. Why is she thinking so much about them now, ten years afterward? As she struggles with working at a clinic for the mentally disturbed, Seul Bi starts to unravel under the weight of living a lonely life and being twice an orphan. Her life devolves into a series of ominous and dangerous hallucinations that threaten not only her sanity, but her very existence as well. 
As both girls struggle to understand what is happening to them, their enigmatic connection comes into focus, raising the question: What if all the suffering in your life was carefully choreographed by somebody you’ve never met?

Thursday (Movie) Trailer: The Boy - Lauren Cohan, Rupert Evans

Release day: 22 January 2016

IMDB

 An American nanny is shocked that her new English family's boy is actually a life-sized doll. After violating a list of strict rules, disturbing events make her believe that the doll is really alive.

Thursday Trailer: Poltergeist (opens in cinemas July 23)

POLTERGEIST IMDb / FACEBOOK

A young family are visited by ghosts in their home. At first the ghosts appear friendly, moving objects around the house to the amusement of everyone, then they turn nasty and start to terrorise the family before they "kidnap" the youngest daughter.

Book Review: Spencer the Spider and the Witch in the Wood by Morgan Kostival

Spencer the Spider and the Witch in the Wood 

by Morgan Kostival

Paperback: 50 pages
Publisher: Picture Books by Morgan (September 13, 2013)
Amazon Paperback Link

Kindle Edition
File Size: 1193 KB
Print Length: 30 pages
Publisher: Picture Books by Morgan; First edition (September 10, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Kindle Link

Note: I received a review copy of this book free from Morgan Kostival. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

My kids (5 and 8 yrs old) love the story! At first they were hesitant in listening to the story as they are not into Halloween theme. The second time I read this to them, they loved it! My kids have at least 30 books (bought moooore this holiday) in the study table and if they liked one book, it would be in the bed. Just a week ago, for one whole week, my eldest kept on checking the book before we sleep. He loves it!

Mom, you might want to pick up this book for your kids! 

About the book:

It is All Hallows Eve and Spencer the spider suddenly realizes that he is no longer alone in his attic.

He is introduced to three enchanted toys and together they embark on a journey that leads them through an abandoned old house where they meet Rumsforth the rat, and a mischievous hobgoblin.

Later that same night, Spencer, and his newfound friends, find themselves deep in the middle of the dark and spooky woods that lie just behind that house. 

They are searching for the withered, old, green-faced witch that lives there, to ask for her help in ridding the house of its troublesome hobgoblin.

You will also get to see Spencer’s Halloween adventure documented through the dazzling photo illustrations by author/photographer Morgan Kostival.

About the author:

While most of his childhood friends enjoyed their teddy bears, Morgan Kostival was more partial to sword-wielding animated skeletons, and giant monsters of old Hollywood’s special effects. That is why Kostival decided to combine his love of that old art form with the new graphic arts techniques of today to illustrate his children's book. Kostival's process mimics the techniques of special effects artist Ray Harryhausen and other film pioneers of that time. He starts by actually creating the creatures for his story out of clay, plastic and other standard materials, like a master toymaker. Next, he photographs them against custom backgrounds, sometimes editing them into the picture using computer-aided tools. “The photo illustrations I create to accompany my stories do not tell the story by themselves. Instead they support the story and inspire a child’s desire to want to read and find out what is happening in the photographs.” Said Kostival, artist and author of the new children's book ‘Spencer The Spider And The Witch In The Wood’. “So my goal in all of this is to produce books that will fascinate and fuel kid’s imaginations no matter what their age.” Morgan Kostival holds a BA in Motion Picture Production from Point Park University, in Pittsburgh, PA. He has worked on numerous independent stage, film, and television productions as well as professional stage productions. He currently lives and writes in Lake Worth, FL.

Book Review: Legend of the Chupacabra by Micheal Hebler

Legend of the Chupacabra
Chupacabra Series - Book 3
by Michael Hebler

Paperback, 372 pages
Expected publication: July 29th 2014 by Night After Night Publications, LLC
Goodreads Link


Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, Michael Hebler. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★   

My thoughts:

This was again a pretty good horror story I'd enjoyed reading. The story started with how a Chupacabra is made. Yes, it was made through a ritual performed by the Indians to avenge the death of one of their tribesmen. 

Jessie's story started out slooow for me, I didn't like her work in a saloon but with the dramatic reunion of the characters from book one, it became a page turner.  I loved how the story played out for Suzanne and Jessie. Age aside, I thought of them as mother and daughter. Once the chupacabra showed up and killed again, they couldn't believe it. When Jessie learned this is a new creature, she no longer feared it, she was now pissed, extremely angry with the Injun (Indian) who created the new monster. 

This book didn't disappoint and I wish it could be turned into a movie! This is a must read horror book! 

About the book:

Inside a small village within the Great Plains of Montana, a ritual initiated in blood will be performed. This ceremony has been executed only once before and will mark a rite of honor and justice. Commonly, the Assiniboine are a harmonious people with strong pride and passions, but turn to the spirits for vengeance when wronged. The tribe’s chief will summon the Great Spirit on behalf of his people, for no earthly man can make evil suffer like a greater evil.

Legend of the Chupacabra finds Jessie and Suzanne living peacefully in Portland, Oregon, six years after they believed to have put an end to the curse of the chupacabra. But the women come to learn of their failure and the futility of their sacrifices when a remarkable reunion brings horror back into their lives; only this time, what they face will be unlike any creature they've encountered. Legend of the Chupacabra marks the end of a trilogy but the continuation of a saga that will leave this moment of history drenched in blood.

About the author:

In addition to being an author and a Southern California native, Michael Hebler also has a career in film publicity.

Michael's current focus is on a series of dark thriller novels based on the legendary 'el Chupacabra' with Book One, "Night of the Chupacabra", releasing on October 17, 2012. In June 2011, Michael published a short-story prologue to the Chupacabra Series, "Hunt for the Chupacabra", available for free download. Michael is also the author of the children's picture book classic, "The Night After Christmas", available in both ebook and print formats.

Michael enjoys running a blog in his spare time, "My Little Obsessions", where he rambles about all the things he loves, which tends to be a distraction from his work.

Author website: http://www.michaelhebler.com
My Little Obsessions: http://michaelsobsessions.blogspot.com/

Book Review: Darker Side Endings by Kelvin Kettle

Darker Side Endings 


Author: Kelvin Kettle
File Size: 249 KB
Print Length: 104 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Kelvin Kettle; First editon edition (July 9, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Link

Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, Kelvin Kettle. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

The book is a compilation of eight short stories. Loved them especially SPIKES and DATE MISTAKE. It would be better if the author turn those two into full length novel. Husband read' them and thought all had weird/dark endings and then I reminded him of the title and then he was like 'OH!'. LOL. 

If you are into short stories with dark-ish endings... pick up this book! 

Read other positive reviews here.

About the book:

DON'T BE AFRAID. YOUR JOURNEY TO THE DARK SIDE AWAITS (Warning: Adult content. Not intended for young readers)...8 short horror/suspense stories, each with a dark theme. Readers who take themselves on this terrifying journey will be hooked from the first story to the very last.

The stories:  SPIKES--Inspector John Quint is assigned to a brutal murder case in Boston, Massachusetts. The suspect is a beautiful dangerous woman who dresses in black leather. Will Quint be able to capture her before she strikes again?./ SHANGLIN FOREST--A forest ruled by grizzlies, where Shanglin is King. Where many years ago, blood was shed. And where four crazy hunters will soon shed blood in the forest once again./ THE BLACK EGG--Where did it come from? Is it from another world? When the black egg hatches, terror is unleashed./DATE MISTAKE--When Jake goes out on a blind date with his friends sister, it turns out to be the deadliest mistake of his life./ AMANDA IN RED--She is only visible to Robert. Every time he sees her, she gives him a frightening warning. Who is she? And why is she wearing a blood stained white dress?/ THE STUDENT--Carl Stone was accused of murder in the past, and now he is going to be taught a deadly lesson./PRETTY LADY--James must answer the invitation from the pretty lady in white, or lose her forever./ THE DEVILS ALTAR--Five friends who love to party. Five friends who think that the devils altar will be the ultimate partying destination. Five friends who are in for a terrifying night from hell.

About the author:

Hello! I live in Mapleville, Rhode Island with my wife and cat. Mapleville is a quiet little town.

I have been writing short stories for many years and I love to entertain my readers. I always try to think of stories to write that will capture the interest of my readers right away and not want to put it down.

I tend to have a dark side when it comes to story telling. It is just as much fun for me to write a story as it is for my readers to read it. I never know what dark and twisted turns I am going to take.

If you like a variety, then I think you will enjoy my collection. Won't you join me?

Book Review: Curse of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler

Curse of the Chupacabra

Author: Michael Hebler
Paperback: 308 pages
Publisher: Michael Hebler (September 10, 2013)

Kindle Edition
File Size: 1622 KB
Print Length: 196 pages
Publisher: Night After Night Publications, LLC (September 4, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Note: I received a review copy of this book free from Michael Hebler. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

Yay, the author did a wonderful follow-up on the Night of the Chupacabra! After the first book, I've been wondering about what happened with Drake, Suzanne, Jessie, Danny and Norman. Book #1 had a sad ending, especially for Drake. I was truly sad for the father who lost his family and when he finally found his missing daughter, he 'died'. 

Book #2 immediately starts right after the ending of book #1. Even after Drake became something evil, like Jessie, I felt fear when he's around and at the same time happy to have him again. Suzanne met some new people, I initially found them boring, though James and Evelyn became completely interesting characters just past half of the story. It went wild past the third quarter! I couldn't stop reading, it's like I was addicted to the chupacabra *LOL*. This is definitely worth 5-stars! I want more! 

About the book:

They never thought their luck would be their curse. In the months following the onslaught, the extraordinary survivors continue to know no peace, as they are haunted by signs that the relentless creature remains on their trail. However, this fight will be better matched, now that they’ve discovered an advantage that will help protect them from the monster’s bloodthirsty lust. But once faced with the decision to kill the beast, the choice will not come lightly since it is still unclear which loved one the chupacabra possesses.

About the author:

In addition to being an author and a Southern California native, Michael Hebler also has a career in film publicity.

Michael's current focus is on a series of dark thriller novels based on the legendary 'el Chupacabra' with Book One, "Night of the Chupacabra", releasing on October 17, 2012. In June 2011, Michael published a short-story prologue to the Chupacabra Series, "Hunt for the Chupacabra", available for free download. Michael is also the author of the children's picture book classic, "The Night After Christmas", available in both ebook and print formats.

Michael enjoys running a blog in his spare time, "My Little Obsessions", where he rambles about all the things he loves, which tends to be a distraction from his work.

Author website: http://www.michaelhebler.com
My Little Obsessions: http://michaelsobsessions.blogspot.com/

~ PAPERBACK ~

~ KINDLE EDITION ~

Book Review: Snow Day by Dan Maurer

Snow Day

Kindle Edition
Author: Dan Maurer
File Size: 684 KB
Print Length: 100 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Black Rapids Press (April 1, 2013)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Link

Note: I received a review copy (audible) of this book free from the author, Dan Maurer. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★    

My thoughts:

Considering Snow Day is a novella, it should be a quick read. However, I found the book dragging. My copy is in an audiobook format and this is the fourth book I've listened through Audible and didn't like. I honestly can't tell if it was the story or just because I thought the narrator's voice was bad (too old to be a 10-year-old boy). I am truly sorry I have to 'DNF' the book. 

To read what others have to say (positive reviews) about this book click here (Goodreads) and here (Amazon).

About the book:

It happens each winter, and has for over 35 years. Every time the snow starts to fall late in the evening before a school day, the dreams begin again for Billy Stone. They are always the same – there’s a dark tunnel, and there’s blood, lots of blood, and someone is screaming.

In this chilling childhood tale, Billy, recounts the events of one unforgettable day in 1975. On that day, he and his friends played carefree in the snow, until an adventure gone awry left him far from home, staring death in the face, and running from a killer bent on keeping a horrible secret.

Set in a time before Amber Alerts, when horror stories were told around camp fires instead of on the nightly news, Snow Day is a blend of nostalgia and nightmare that makes us question if the good old days were really as good as we remember.

From a new voice in dark fiction comes a thriller about an idyllic childhood turned horrifying; a cautionary tale about how losing sight of the difference between feeling safe and being safe can lead to deadly consequences.

About the author:

Dan Maurer is an independent author, theater producer, director, and digital marketer. He is also a proud member of International Thriller Writers, Inc. and the Horror Writers Association. Throughout his career in publishing and marketing, he has been involved in the publication of bestselling titles such as John Grisham's The Firm, Richard Price's Clockers, and Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger's Lost Moon, which became the film Apollo 13. As a digital marker, he has supported popular publishing brands including Curious George, Peterson Field Guides, and The Polar Express. He has also developed marketing strategies for many corporations, including Citizen, Dun & Bradstreet, RCN and Bristol-Myers Squibb. Dan is a member of an acclaimed New Jersey-based theater company and has won awards for his producing, directing and sound design. He lives with his wife and their daughter in Robbinsville, New Jersey.

Book Review: Red Haze by Adrian Lilly

Red Haze 

Kindle Edition
Author: Adrian Lilly
File Size: 446 KB
Print Length: 238 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Amazon Link

Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, Adrian Lilly. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  

My thoughts: 

Red Haze is the first book in the Toxic Friendship Series. The book opens with the death of one university student - Wes German. According to school officials and police report, Wes accidentally died when he stumbled drunkenly into a well. Case closed. 

Sara Murdock is an article writer for The Thunderbolt, the campus paper. While working on a new article about alcohol consumption on school campus, she discovered something that led her to believe that Wes' might have died on fraternity hazing, before the well accident. With the help of Curt, Wes' brother and her bestfriend, Marne Montgomery, they started investigating the university fraternity. And to make the story more complicated, Marne is dating Brad Rogers, the ringleader of the fraternity. 

The plot was pretty good. Impressed with the twists and turns, I thought I 'discovered the truth' after reading the first quarter of the story but it turned out there was something more in Wes' death. I found the investigation and the narration of the action scenes well-written. The characters are all likable, believable. While I enjoyed reading Red Haze, there was one that's bothering me until now. I was confused about who the main character is. Initially, I thought it was Marne as the book opens with Brad and Marne and the author's given a back story of Marne's past and then came chapter 3 or 4, Sara was introduced. She led the investigation and from there I think the main character here should be Sara. I don't know why the author wrote Marne's past but I have a theory that, maybe, Marne will be in book 2 of the Toxic Friendship series. 

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. Looking forward to reading more from the author, Adrian Lilly!

About the book:

Something sinister is happening at Grove University...

Some nights the woods on the edge of campus glow with a spectral, shimmering red haze. Marne Montgomery knows—she’s seen it.

She also saw a figure in the haze. He beckoned to her and then vanished.

Marne laughs off the incident until her roommate, Sara Murdock, shows her a picture of a student. The one Marne saw in the woods.

But he’s been dead for more than a year.

Suddenly, Marne and Sara are tangled in a secret that threatens their college careers—and their lives. Their only hope is to find the cause of the red haze…

Before someone else dies.

Red Haze is a haunting psychological thriller that hovers between the spectral and the natural, blurring the lines between remembrance and regret, dedication and obsession, justice and revenge.

About the author:

Adrian Lilly is the author of the novels The Devil You Know and Red Haze: Toxic Friendships Book One. His third novel, The Runes, a werewolf-romance-murder-mystery thriller, will be out later this summer.

He is a fan of Gothic suspense movies and novels, which greatly influence his writing. Adrian's writing focuses on strong character development and the nuances of fear that build toward horror. The mansion in his first novel, The Devil You Know, was inspired by the grand mansions in the Victorian neighborhood where he lives.

Adrian writes novels, short stories, and poetry and has spent many years as a copywriter in the advertising industry. In addition, Adrian has directed two short films and co-directed a feature-length sci-fi comedy.

My website / Facebook / Google Plus / Twitter

Book Review: Night of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler

Night of the Chupacabra
Chupacabra Series Book One

Author: Michael Hebler
Paperback: 300 pages
Publisher: Night After Publications (October 17, 2012)
Amazon Link



Note: I received a review copy of this book free from Michael Hebler. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.

Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

I thought the story is great and I was hooked from the very first until the last page of the book. I  first heard stories of the Chupacabra from my grandmother and this brought back childhood memories. Night of the Chupacabra is a western horror novel that tells the story of one family wanting to start a new life in a new place. While in one of their travels, they encountered a chupacabra and only one man survived, Drake.

Drake, the main character of the story, is very much likeable. One would instantly love this character, a strong and tough guy on the outside but softy on the inside. His love and dedication to his family including his dear brother, Gavin, is what I remember the most.

The pacing of the story moves forward smoothly. Considering I was out attending parties the week I'm reading this, I never had a problem remembering the story and the  characters. The story flows just right and the tension stays with me every time I pick up the book. As for the dialogue, usually I despise books written in strange language or dialect, or anything written not in plain English. I am still wondering why despite the author's use of "western dialogue",  it didn't affect the level of my enjoyment of the story. Maybe he was just really good in weaving the whole story that I was never bothered by the strange dialogue. I loved the twists, especially the revelation on the legend of the first chupacabra, that I believe wouldn't bore readers. All in all, loved the book one and I look forward to reading more from the author, Michael Hebler.

About the book:

Post Civil War. Families move west to begin rich new lives, only some never make it. There is a creature that lurks in the vast open deserts of the west. It can only survive on blood and, although it prefers to prey on the weak and young, it will slaughter anyone or anything, once provoked. It is unnatural, deceptive, and difficult to kill. Word about the existence of this elusive beast has not spread since anyone who has crossed paths with it did not live long enough to tell of their account. 

Night of the Chupacabra is one man’s journey to reunite with his missing family, while the lethal creature that separated them, the mysterious and ravenous chupacabra, is never far behind. Night of the Chupacabra is not only a gruesome regale of carnage, but a unique combination of science fiction bloodshed with a more poignant tale of lost love set against a Western backdrop. Night of the Chupacabra is an unflinching look at the impossible choices made for family, while knowing the consequences will ultimately lead to a fate worse than death.

About the author:

In addition to being an author and a Southern California native, Michael Hebler also has a career in film publicity.

Michael's current focus is on a series of dark thriller novels based on the legendary 'el Chupacabra' with Book One, "Night of the Chupacabra", releasing on October 17, 2012. In June 2011, Michael published a short-story prologue to the Chupacabra Series, "Hunt for the Chupacabra", available for free download. Michael is also the author of the children's picture book classic, "The Night After Christmas", available in both ebook and print formats.

Michael enjoys running a blog in his spare time, "My Little Obsessions", where he rambles about all the things he loves, which tends to be a distraction from his work.

Author website: http://www.michaelhebler.com
My Little Obsessions: http://michaelsobsessions.blogspot.com/

Movie Review: Insidious

Insidious (2010)
IMDb





Director: James Wan
Writer: Leigh Whannell
Stars: Patrick Wilson, 
             Rose Byrne
             Ty Simpkins 


Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Synopsis:


Insidious is the terrifying story of a family who, shortly after moving, discovers that dark spirits have possessed their home and that their son has inexplicably fallen into a coma. Trying to escape the haunting and save their son, they move again only to realize that it was not their house that was haunted.


My thoughts:


I've been seeing this movie for weeks in HBO but I never had the chance to actually watch it until last week while I was on leave. Wow! Insidious was really that scary! I did scream more than a few times due to some creepy images of ghosts appearing in almost all scenes matching with terrifying sound effects. I love the story! A ghost story that is so original, ooh I was really scared the whole time and could not sleep without the lights on for days! 


The writer did a great job in weaving a thought-provoking ghost story. I've watched some documentaries about walk-in souls, soul-swapping and astral projection and I can't believe that some people do it because they are curious, they want to try it for fun! Just thinking about it, hell no! I wouldn't do that even if it is only temporary.     

Knowing the twist in the story, I consider Insidious a one-time-scary-movie. You cannot watch it again and be that scary like the first time. Remember the movie by Nicole Kidman, The Others? Finding out the twist in that movie made it predictable the second time I watched it. Overall, this is a great horror movie that could give you nightmares for days! 

Give Away Winners: A World Apart by David Brown

CONGRATULATIONS to:

e-BOOK and $20 Amazon GC giveaway winner:

jwhitus

e-BOOK giveaway:

reneerose~closetgirl

Confirmation emails sent and please reply within 48 hours or new winners will be re-drawn. Thank you to the author for these giveaways!

If you didn't win, you may join another upcoming giveaway this week:

KELLY ARMSTRONG's

"THIRTEEN"

Book Review: Nolander by Becca Mills

Nolander


Author: Becca Mills
Kindle: 508 KB (File size)
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services
Amazon Buy Link


Note: I received a review copy of this book free from the author, Becca Mills. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.


Ratings: ★ ★ ★ ★


My thoughts:


Beth wants to live a simple normal life - go to school, meet new friends, date a guy and eventually have a family of her own. She can't do all these simple things because she has been diagnosed with panic disorder as a kid. She noticed that she is experiencing severe panic attacks only when she's away from her home town. While studying in another town, her panic attacks seem out of control almost on a daily basis and this is making her social life a problem so she decided just to quit school and go back to her home town. One day, she discovers that her panic attack seems to lessen when she's taking pictures. Everything looks almost normal until she sees in her camera that she's taken a picture of what looks like a monster foot. Beth thinks that someone is playing tricks on her so she shows the picture to her friends and right after showing the picture, people suddenly want to kill her.


I like Beth's character. She is simple and very nice to the people around her. I felt bad that she's not getting a normal life because of her panic disorder. I can relate to her character since I have a female friend with epilepsy in high school. Every time she's going through an attack, students would look at her like she's a freak or something. It's not easy to live a life like that. And especially for the main character, Beth, she has no one to guide her except her married brother that she sees only on weekends during Sunday mass. 


The story started out strong with lots of action and twists. It has a good plot, loved the suspense in the story but I had to take out one star because I didn't like where the story is headed.  The monster turned out something else, sci-fi something. Honestly, I'm not really into futuristic theme, especially the story presented in the story, big foot monster turned alien-monster. I was also dismayed with one of the characters in the story. Things went wrong sometime after the character was build up like some great guy. It was such a disappointment for Beth and I felt bad too because I liked that character. Overall, the story has a good plot, twist, and suspense. If you are into monster-alien theme, you might want to pick-up this book.


About the book:


Twenty-three-year-old Beth Ryder is a small-town girl from northern Wisconsin. Diagnosed with panic disorder as a child, Beth experiences symptoms severe enough that she can't go to college or move to a more populous area. They've also made her dating life hell.


As the novel begins, Beth is struggling to make a good life for herself despite the limitations imposed by her illness. She's recently taken up photography as a hobby -- the old-fashioned kind, with actual film.


One day, she takes a picture that show something she can't really explain, something she didn't see with her own eyes -- something inhuman. When Beth tries to find some answers, she makes contact with a dangerous group of people responsible for policing an unseen world of creaturesthat have abilities humans lack. As events spiral out of her control, Beth must leave her restrictive but safe life behind. Thrown into a frightening new world, she struggles not to surrender her family, her identity, and her sense of right and wrong.


About the author:


Becca Mills is an over-educated, under-exercised lover of good coffee, science, and fast cars. And books. Oh yes. She believes the world can be a rough place and that everyone deserves to leave it behind now and then. That pretty much makes books a human right, no?

Book Review: Lost Mojo by Kris Sedersten

Lost Mojo




Author: Kris Sedersten
Paperback: 290 pages
Publisher: Infinity Publishing (October 7, 2011)
Amazon Link


Note: I received this book free from the author, Kris Sedersten. The review posted below is based on my personal thoughts while reading the book.


Ratings:


★ ★ ★ ★ ★

My thoughts:

As usual, the author managed to scare me once again. This book is cleverly written just like her first book, Mojo. I couldn't stop once I started reading Lost Mojo.  The scenes are  really pretty scary and now I could hear dead people whispering "It's calling...". No, I was just kidding with the whispering thing but it still scares me whenever I remember those scenes in the book especially the dead kid in the stairs. Yay!!! Days after I read the book, I still sleep with the lights on. This is one great horror book that could give you sleepless nights. I greatly recommend Mojo and Lost Mojo!

Note to those who have read the first book Mojo: Lost Mojo is the second book to the Mojo series although this one is a prequel. I skipped reading the first pages of this book and only learned that this is a prequel when I was almost past the first quarter of the book. My mistake. And so I have learned that it is important to never skip the first pages of the book especially if it's a series.  

About the book:


Six small-town teenagers decide to make a ghost hunting documentary for a school project. Their exploration throws them blindly into the realm of the paranormalbe careful what you look for.

About the author:

Kris Sedersten is a Nursing Home Administrator and RN Consultant in her home town of Harvard, NE. where she lives with her husband, Paul. Kris has a passion for the unexplained. In her spare time, she leads a paranormal investigations team and occasionally works as a producer on Nebraskas longest running paranormal radio program, Exploring Unexplained Phenomena with host, Scott Colborn. She also enjoys writing fiction and sharing her faith in unconventional forums. Combining her passions has led to a series of books she is working on titled, The Mojo Series. If youve got mojo; watch for upcoming releases.