Christmas giveaway

I've reviewed several titles over the course of the past few months, and I think it's time for a giveaway. 

Starting today and running through Dec. 22nd I'm going to gift a copy of one of these ebooks.

To enter:

1) Read through my reviews and select a title you would like to have. 

2) Post a comment on the particular review, make sure you leave a way to contact you. Ensure that you put "contest" in the title of your comment to seperate it from other comments.

3) at 5pm Eastern standard time on the 22nd I will write down all the names and selections, put them in a hat and select one name.

4) if I get over 10 entries i will select 2

5) multiple entries are discouraged but in this case I am going to allow 2 entries per person. 

*Make sure to leave your comment on the book you'd like to win

** Feel free to leave a comment on other books as usual, just do not include "Contest" in your comment.

*** Any person that enters more than 2 times will have their last entries pulled out of the drawing.

Finally if you have any questions please feel free to contact me via email at ssgttyo@gmail.com

Seeking Dr. Magic by Scott Spotson



     What would you do if you were endowed with the power to do anything you wanted? Now, what would you do if you were the only person on the planet with these abilities?

     I'm sure some of you just thought about the wealth you could amass; others may have thought about the good you could do for the world. Maybe some of you would be content with hiding in the shadows while the world passes you by, or maybe you'd want to be in the limelight. My story for this week, Seeking Dr. Magic by Scott Spotson, is a take on that very ordeal.

     The story opens up on a world that has been turned upside down for everyone. In cities all across the planet a strange figure is seen standing on the edge of some of the tallest buildings. All the stories confirm that the man then leaps from the various buildings, landing safely on the ground. Even more impressive the man jumps from the ground back to the top of the buildings in a single bound.

     While the world debates and searches for the strange men dressed in ninja suits a lone man, an ex-FBI agent, Tony Hetfield, sees something that others don't. He begins entertaining a theory about the phenomena being created by a single entity, This theory is tested once a second event occurs, this time a colorful group of super-human street runners blanket cities in a rainbow of multi-colored light.

     With no further leads, besides what he already discovered, Tony makes a grand gesture and even gives a name to the entity. Utilizing a sky-writing service, he has a message written to "Dr. Magic" that includes Tony's name and business number. The resulting tidal wave of phone calls forces his secretary into a mental break, but the elusive man finally appears to Tony.

     After a brief conversation Dr. Magic waves his hand and the two are transported from Chicago to New York, where the man puts Tony into a perilous situation dubbing him the unofficial liaison between the world and the elusive Dr. Magic. As the U.S. government pursues Tony he begins searching for the man based on incredibly vague clues. The world wonders what Dr. Magic wants, Tony wonders what Dr. Magic wants with him.

     Seeking Dr. Magic was unlike any book I have read, not just including the short time I've been officially reviewing. It's hard for me to lump it into one particular genre, but I think my pros/cons will give any potential reader a better idea. As always, I'll start off with the pros:

• The story flows very well. From a combination of writing style and great transitions its hard to put down once you get started. 
• The character of Dr. Magic feels real, and for me hit the nail on the head how a person with the amount of power he wields would possibly act. 
• The story, while being hard to place in a specific genre, is a light-hearted, fun read that fits the weekend read bill perfectly.

     There are a couple of cons that I feel merit a mention, though they are pretty minor:

• The character of Tony, though he was an ex star FBI agent, seems to be a little to much of a "super detective". While there is a mystery element to the story, Tony's deductions at time seem to be nothing short of clairvoyance. This ties directly into my other 'con'.
• One of the main sells for this book is the mystery aspect. There is an element of fun in trying to figure out who possibly Dr. Magic could be; however, as I mentioned above Tony's super detective skills pulls some of the fun out as his wild hunches and deductions hit home with little to go on. 

     Overall I'm going to give Seeking Dr. Magic by Scott Spotson a 7/10 based on:

     8/10 for readability - As I mentioned above the story flows very well, and Spotson's writing is easy on the eye. This, alone, makes for a great read and turns the story into a real page turner.

     7/10 for characters - I found myself a bit torn over exactly how to rate this particular category. On one hand you have a few weak ancillary characters, and a super detective whose personality is larger than life but whose detective abilities are almost supernatural. On the other hand you have Dr. Magic who is a wonderfully emotional character that pushes this category up a few notches by himself.

     7/10 for story - The story itself has its strong and weak points. The one thing I feel that it was missing, from this category in particular, was a little more detail. While a big selling point for the story is the fact that it is a great weekend read, a little more into Tony's hunt would have been beneficial.

     7/10 for Dr. Magic - The stories title character is, for me, what sets this story apart. I know I have a specific category for characters, but I feel as though Dr. Magic becomes so much more than just the physical young man he is. The emotion and realism that comes from him speaks of a young man that has grown up 'different' and alone. If you've ever felt alone in life I can tell you he will bring that feeling back in a real emotional response.

     A big thank you to Scott Spotson for reaching out to me, and allowing me to review Seeking Dr. Magic. It really was a great, well written read that I would recommend to anyone looking for something that is uniquely its own.

     If you'd like to pick up a copy of Seeking Dr. Magic click here.

Sparks by R.S. McCoy

Sparks
by RS McCoy
New Adult Paranormal Fantasy Romance


Blurb:

"Everyone in the world has a spark, a light inside that guides them, keeps them alive.”

Myxini School for Children specializes in training young men and women who have powerful sparks. Strikers are taught to manipulate fire. Trackers learn to find animals in the most formidable terrains. Handlers are instructed in communication with large predators. But forty years have passed since the last time they had a Reader – a student with the ability to read minds.

When Lark Davies enrolls at Myxini, he knows there aren’t many like him, but he doesn’t realize just how rare his abilities really are. He thinks nothing of being asked to keep his spark a secret; after all, he can barely control it. Thoughts and emotions flood unbidden into his mind until he can scarcely walk or hold a conversation. But just when he needs it most, his ability fails him.

Larks meets Khea, a small frightened girl who mysteriously insights his protective nature. He has no explanation for the curious strength of their relationship, and it doesn’t help that she is one of the few people in the world whose thoughts can’t be read. As he struggles to get to the root of their unique bond, Lark begins to unravel more power than even his mentor expected, but in the process makes himself a target to political leaders eager to take control.

Buy Sparks on Amazon for $3.99:

Teaser:

Wearing only my loose brown pants, I crawled into the most comfortable bed I had ever known and sank into the soft down pillows. I had just started to drift off when I heard a knock at the door. I’m going to kill Avis.

“What do you-“ I started until I realized it wasn’t Avis. It was a stunning blonde with blue eyes. Khea.

“I’m sorry to wake you. I just- I had to see you.” Her arms moved to wrap around my waist and hold me tight as I questioned if I was really sleeping or not.

“Uh, do you want to come in?” We both knew the rules about being in someone else’s room after hours, so I pulled her in and sat down on the edge of the bed, still a little surprised she was there.

In the dim light her hair looked a little darker, but her face was still sweet and there was no denying that the last two years had done her well. Who would have thought such a beautiful young woman would come from that skinny little girl in Lagodon?

“How’d you know I was back?” I asked her, trying to appear less tired or shocked than I was.

“A friend told me.”

“I didn’t think you-“ Cared? It wasn’t the right word, but I was beyond amazed that she was interested in my whereabouts. I hadn’t seen her since that night at the Moonwater and it had changed everything for me since then. But for her, I wasn’t aware that she had been affected in any way.

“Ride with me tomorrow?”

“Uh, yea, of course.” It was a struggle to cover how little I wanted to wait. I would have given anything to have her stay.

A wide smile erupted across her sweet lips as she said, “meet me at the lake at noon.” With a lingering kiss on my cheek, she walked back through the door and disappeared into the dark stone corridor.

What just happened? I hadn’t seen her in person in years, and we were hardly close before that. And now she arrived in my room in the middle of the night and kissed me on the cheek. Was it a kiss like a friend would give another? Or more? I couldn’t make any sense of it, but there was only thing I was sure of. I would be at the lake at noon if it was the last thing I did.

Praise for Sparks:

"...spellbinding..."

                "...fantastic characters..."

                                       "...imaginative and creative..."

                                                                    "...simply could not put it down..."

Connect with RS McCoy

About the Author:

RS McCoy didn’t ever plan on being a writer. With a career teaching high school science, writing is the last thing she expected. But life never goes the way you think it will. While battling cancer, she picked up her laptop and let the words flow out. One year later, her first published fantasy novel has been released on Amazon and her second novel is in the works. She is a wife, mother of one with another on the way, a scientist, baker, gardener, and life-long science fiction and fantasy addict.

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MURDERED by James Schannep

     If you've been following my reviews then you may have read my Halloween review that featured a book titled Infected. It was the first "Choose your own Adventure" style book I'd read in years, and the first I'd ever read that was geared towards adults and I gave it a pretty solid review.

     The same author, James Schannep, wrote the story I'm reviewing today Murdered. This story is yet another "Click your Poison" book that allows the reader an interactive experience that is a comical, thrilling and all around wonderfully written read.

     Murdered follows the reader and friends on a trip to Rio during Carnival, particularly during the parade to kick the celebration off. Surrounded by thousands of people, locals and fellow tourists, you become lost while snapping photos. Its once you go down a seedy alleyway to photograph some graffiti art that your descent into the rabbit hole begins.

     The first choice you have happens fairly quickly, and your instantly thrown in the middle of an investigation involving a murdered American federal employee, drugs, and a multi-national energy summit. Each choice brings you closer to finding who is behind the woman's murder, and why she was murdered.

     It would be near impossible to do a real synopsis like I normally do, the multitudes of choices you must make as the story progresses ensure that no two people will play the same way. Instead I'll give a little bit of a 'what I did' synopsis for my first run.

     After refusing to follow the instructions left behind at the crime scene, I bumped into a mysterious stranger before being taken into police custody. A couple decisions later I was deputized by the embassy and officially became and unofficial detective.

     Following my 'gut' I examined the case with two separate agents, both having their own distinct styles we began moving in on our man....then things got interesting.

     Shortly after an encounter with a suspect, that I foolishly lose we're splitting up into two teams. My team, unfortunately, winds up in the jungle with an anaconda and a sniper and two choices later I very much fail my first big case.

     I must admit that I was worried this story would lack the things that made Infected such a great read. Instead, however, Schannep delivered a story that is full of 'pros':

• The shear fun of an adult 'choose your own adventure' is a pro to this story on its own. Getting to make your own decisions and see the outcomes of your choices is nothing short of wonderful.
• There is a little less of a comedic undertone in this one when compared to Schannep's Halloween release, but instead of taking away it actually allows you to focus on the mystery and the thrills more. 
• The mystery behind the story is very intriguing. It mixes so many elements and possibilities that it really keeps you guessing throughout your adventure. 

     There are several elements that I haven't touched on yet, from the quality of the writing to the organization and several other characteristics that mark this as a must read. I honestly can't think of one con that takes away from this story in any way. 

     Overall I'm going to give Murdered by James Schannep a resounding 10/10 based on:

    10/10 for readability - Writing a novel is hard, that's no secret. Even with my own novella I've struggled in places to keep the story readable throughout. I can't imagine trying to organize multiple stories in a way that is fun and relaxed, but at the same time well written, concise, creative and most of all entertaining.

 

    10/10 for characters - Everyone from the lowliest extra to the more prominent character is as real as you and me. Each one as an identifiable and individual voice that you can recognize immediately, even the way each character talks and acts is fitting to his or her own position. On my, relatively, short journey I can recall each encounter, and each conversation. 

     9/10 for story - International murder mystery that mixes elements of drug trade, espionage and the biggest advance in 'green' energy known to man. Each possibility that exists is well thought out, and the consequences of each decision are all realistic and you'll regret half of the ones you make. 

     10/10 for creativity - Though this isn't Schannep's first trek into the 'Click your Poison' line, it is a creative home run. Combining an original story with branch after branch after branch that takes you to very different places and outcomes is no easy task, and it takes a special mind to be able to put everything together. So for me the thing that sets this story apart is the incredible amount of creativity it took to write and organize this piece. 

     A big thank you to James Schannep for contacting me about Murdered, I can honestly say I enjoyed every page; even my demise was entertaining. A concern that all authors have, particularly when their previous work was a hit, is whether or not they will be doomed to be 'one hit wonders' or will they be able to follow up. I know James had this same thought, but I can honestly say he hit another home run with this story and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a fun and entertaining read that can keep you busy for days. 

     If you'd like to pick up a copy of Murdered simply click here.