BOOKS READ
Ares' Temptation by Aubrie Dionne
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Restore by Susan Kaye Quinn
The Lost World by Michael Crichton
Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing by Libbie Hawker
BOOK REVIEWS
Ares' Temptation by Aubrie Dionne
A curse will turn Kaye's and Ares' worlds around in Aubrie Dionne's Ares' Temptation. When Hekate curses the God of War, only love can give him his powers back. I'm a sucker for Greek myths, and I loved seeing the softer side to Ares. Kaye is a sweet yet clumsy mortal who really needed Ares' boost of powers. The two balance each other. Grammy is a hoot, and I enjoyed the parts with her, Kaye, and Ares. The romance is light and sweet, and the action and danger in the last third of the novel was so exciting. If you enjoy sweet romances and Greek gods, then look no further than Ares' Temptation by Aubrie Dionne.
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Genetically engineered dinosaurs placed in a budding theme park island, what can possibly go wrong in Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park? If you believe Ian Malcolm, life will find a way and screw up what illusions of control we think we have. What I love about Crichton's books is that the science makes the reader believe what is happening in the novel could really happen. The book makes you think. I love the nearly philosophical musings on Ian Malcolm. The dinosaurs are majestic and fearsome. The action and danger are real and immediate. Even though I have read this book several times throughout the years, it captures my imagination and takes my breath away. The book is quite different than the movie in many places, although both are spectacular. Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton has remained one of my all-time favorite books since I read it the first time in the mid-1990s.
Restore by Susan Kaye Quinn
Restorative Human Medical Care Unit 7435 may only have a sentient level of fifty, but its love is unconditional in Susan Kaye Quinn's Restore. The human-like qualities of Unit 7435 pulled me into this short story. Its happiness levels are linked to how it can help its masters, legacy patient and ascender. The unfairness of this post-Singularity world brought tears to my eyes. My happiness became linked to Unit 7435's as it desperately tried to restore health to its patient master. A heartbreaking story, Susan Kaye Quinn's Restore will make you rethink AIs and robots.
The Lost World by Michael Crichton
The dinosaurs on Site B can't be contained forever in Michael Crichton's The Lost World. Although I've read this book at least two times before, I must admit the movie version had warped my memories of the book, so there were many scenes I felt like I was reading them anew. Crichton expands upon the dinosaurs and their presumed behaviors. I loved that Ian Malcolm was back, although for me, Sarah Harding quickly took over. She's intelligent and fearless, and I doubt anyone would have made it out alive if she hadn't decided to come on this adventure to Isla Sorna. Although not quite as fantastic as Jurassic Park, The Lost World by Michael Crichton is an exciting read.
By the way, I wish the movies had made use of the chameleon-type dinosaurs. They were really cool in how their skin changed to match their surroundings and would have been visually stunning in one of the movies.
Take Off Your Pants! by Libbie Hawker
Plotter or pantser, a writer can learn a thing or two about outlining in Libbie Hawker's Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing. Several writer friends recommended this book, and I'm glad they did. As a plotter, I already outlined my stories into chapter beats, but what I learned here has given me the confidence that I knew what I was doing but can outline even more purposely. Hawker expounds upon a clear-cut method that works for her and gives plenty of examples. I'm looking forward to applying what I've learned in Take Off Your Pants! by Libbie Hawker in my next manuscript.
EXCERPT AND PROMO
Until he knew for certain whether he dealt with one genocidal alien or two, Lepsi couldn’t think right. His thoughts refused to stand still, stuttering and churning.
The hatch slid fully open. He sprang off the cargo ejector, sailing two kilometers into the ether. He tumbled in the black for precisely twenty-three seconds then engaged his thrusters to journey the remaining twenty kilometers over to a spacecraft-sized mass of debris. The bits clumped together forming a weird metallic planetoid.
He traced along the char marks and the mangled pieces of hull. The answers he needed wouldn’t be found in this trash, yet he was closer to them here than anywhere else, unless he joined up with the horrid alien again. His limbs shuddered and his lungs struggled for breath. He never wanted to see the cloud-like ship again. He couldn’t. He’d crack into a billion unrecoverable pieces. Just like the rubble of the Fo’wo ship around him.
In the far future, humanity settles the stars, bioengineering its descendants to survive in a harsh universe. This is the sixth book in the science fiction series, The Backworlds. A space opera adventure.
The Backworlds hang by a Quantum string, a thread about to snap. Annihilation is coming if Craze can’t stop it.
The genocidal alien he had trapped breaks free, destroying a ship belonging to the Backworlds’ oldest enemy, the Fo’wo’s. The murderous alien wants to overtake the galaxy. The Fo’wo’s want another war.
The Backworlds’ best chance to survive is to overcome a century of hate and forge an alliance with the Fo’wo’s. Because of his history with the alien, Craze is recruited to represent his people. Now he’s the most hated man in the galaxy.
The looming war will be a holocaust unless Craze can stop it, knowing salvation comes at a price.
The Backworlds hang by a Quantum string, a thread about to snap. Annihilation is coming if Craze can’t stop it.
The genocidal alien he had trapped breaks free, destroying a ship belonging to the Backworlds’ oldest enemy, the Fo’wo’s. The murderous alien wants to overtake the galaxy. The Fo’wo’s want another war.
The Backworlds’ best chance to survive is to overcome a century of hate and forge an alliance with the Fo’wo’s. Because of his history with the alien, Craze is recruited to represent his people. Now he’s the most hated man in the galaxy.
The looming war will be a holocaust unless Craze can stop it, knowing salvation comes at a price.
Buy links: Amazon / Nook / iBook / Google Play / Smashwords / Kobo / Other
About M. Pax: Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons to her, and
she blames Oregon, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at Pine
Mountain Observatory in the summers, and one of her cats has a crush on Mr.
Spock. You can find out more by visiting her website: mpaxauthor.com.
BOOKS RELEASING IN MAY
Apparent Wind by Dallas Murphy
A Perfect Man by Cecilia Dominic
The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
A Good Killing by Allison Leotta
A Change of Mind and Other Stories by Nick Wilford
Made You Up by Francesca Zappia
The Fangirl’s Guide to the Galaxy by Sam Maggs
The Death Code by Lindsay Cummings
Undertow by Michael Buckley
Mañana by William Hjortsberg
Consumption by Heather Herrman
Disintegration by Richard Thomas
Crossfades by William Todd Rose
L.A. Rotten by Jeff Klima
Ryder: Bird of Prey by Nick Pengelley
Iron Warrior by Jay Noel
Material Girls by Elaine Dimopoulos
Ice Kissed by Amanda Hocking
End of Days by Susan Ee
Day Shift by Charlaine Harris
The Shadow Cartel by Layton Green
Go Down Hard by Craig Faustus Buck
Memphis Ribs by Gerald Duff
Yesterday is Dead by Jack Lynch
Precipice by M. Pax
Fifteen Minutes to Live by Phoef Sutton
Scarlet Undercover by Jennifer Latham
Five Night Stand by Richard J. Alley
Behind the Clutter by June Saruwatari
A Long Time Until Now by Michael Z. Williamson
Boundary Crossed by Melissa F. Olson
The Altar Girl by Orest Stelmach
Trail of Broken Wings by Sejal Badani
This Thing Called Love by Miranda Liasson
Uprooted by Naomi Novik
The Field Trip by R.A. Andrade
Writers of the Future Volume 31 by David Farland
Ruins by Joshua Winning
Witch of Death by Chrys Fey
The Teller by Jonathan Stone
Traitor’s Gate by Charlie Newton
#Selfie by Cambria Hebert
Blanche Cleans Up by Barbara Neely
A Witness Above by Andy Straka
A Killing Sky by Andy Straka
Susannah Screaming by Carolyn Weston
Hail Storme by W.L. Ripley
The Fall by John Lescroart
Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton
SEAL Team Six: Hunt the Fox by Don Mann and Ralph Pezzullo
House of the Last Man on Earth by Robert B. Marcus, Jr. and Ryan B. Marcus
Blown by Chuck Barrett
Footsteps in the Sky by Greg Keyes
Beautiful Sacrifice by Jamie McGuire
Nothing but Shadows by Cassandra Clare
I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest
The Artisans by Julie Reece
The Telling Stone by Maureen Doyle McQuerry
Rogue by Julie Kagawa
Constant Fear by Daniel Palmer
Restore by Susan Kaye Quinn
Ocean City Cover-Up by Kim Kash
Saving Grapes by J.T. Lundy
Murder at Beechwood by Alyssa Maxwell
Layers of Lace by Christine Rains
Cold Moon by Alexandra Sokoloff
Paris Ransom by Charles Rosenberg
The Last Moriarty by Charles Veley
The Field of Blackbirds by Thomas Ryan
Dead Woods by Maria C. Poets
Gray Vengeance by Alan McDermott
Cold Fire by Dustin Stevens
Only the Brave by Mel Sherratt
Drop Dead Perfect by Rick Murcer
Trident Code by Thomas Waite
The full covers of Reborn and People of Foxwick and Their Neighbors have been nominated at Cover Cafe in their Two-Image Covers category. Voting runs from May 5-25. If you have a few minutes, then I'd really appreciate a vote. By the way, you must vote in three categories for your vote to count. Thank you!
And thank you so much to all who voted for Reborn in the 2015 RONE Awards - YA Paranormal category! I appreciate it!
28 comments:
Good luck with both contests!
Congratulations to Mary.
And Jurassic Park is an excellent book. I'm a slow reader, but I read that one in less than a week.
Congratulations to Mary, I love the Backworlds series!
Lots of great stuff here, fun post! I haven't read any of the books that you've mentioned, but my brother is a big Jurassic Park fan. I'll have to check it out, I really liked the movie.
Good luck in the contests. And congrats to Mary on her new book. Glad you learning about plotting better from your reading.
I read Jurassic Park a long time ago—probably after the first movie came out. I remember liking it, but not being as impressed with The Lost World.
Congrats to Mary on her new release!
And best of luck to you in your contests!
Sounds like you read some great books. Congrats to Mary and to you on the nominations. :-)
Ha! I feel like I need to read a book called "Take Off Your Pants"! (Seriously. I do. I can't outline ...)
I keep hearing about that Take Off Your Pants book - I may have to get it to help with my plot process.
And, super congrats to Mary and Craze!
Congrats to Mary. I've seen her all over today.
That's a lot of books coming out in May. o.O
As you know, I loved TOYP. I've not read Jurassic Park. I should remedy that. It's one of my favorite movies. That T-Rex steals the show.
Oh PS, thanks for the post. :D
I like tragic romance. Better fits the personality of the gods :)
Congrats Mary.
OMG to that list of books releasing in May. That's a LOT of books!
Look at that list!
So happy for M.Pax!Precipice seems action packed. Great excerpt!
It sounds like you read some great books recently. I have Jurassic Park and The Lost World and enjoyed them.
~Jess
Best of luck to Mary! I need to get the book on outlining. I'm just now finishing Bird by Bird...I am so far behind the times!
I've seen a few people mention "Take off your pants!" so I picked up my copy. I'm looking forward to digging into it!
"Take Off Your Pants" - what a fantastic name for a book. But I love writing by the seat of my pants - the joy of seeing the story unfold on the screen like magic - so I'll keep my pants on... for now. :-)
Good luck with the contests! And yay for Mary! Wow, those are a lot of books releasing this month.
I already voted for those covers. They are so gorgeous!
Best of luck with the contests. Those are stunning covers.
Huge congrats, Mary. And best of luck in the contests:)
I just voted.
I read Jurassic Park, but can't remember if I read The Lost World.
Congrats to Mary.
that is one cool suit armour on Pax's new cover!
Holy cow, that's a lot of books. It would take me the rest of my life to read all those. Are you looking forward to Jurassic World?
I need to finish Jurassic Park and The Lost World. They've been on my list for too long.
I remember staying up till 4am when I read Jurassic Park so many years ago. It was much easier to do that in my 20s. Now, I'm thrilled if I stay up past nine.
Milo, I'm definitely looking forward to Jurassic World. That's why I'm re-reading the books and re-watching the movies to prepare for all the dinosaur goodness!
It's been a long time since I've read the Jurassic Park series. LONG time. Will have to go and read them again.
Thanks for the shout out!
Congrats Mary Pax!!!!
Post a Comment