Book Review: Hollowland

Book Review: Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

Let me preface this by saying that I hate zombie movies.  I tried watching that English zombie movie, 28 days later…or maybe it was weeks…either way, I made it through the initial scene and still to this day have nightmares about it. Needless to say Zombies are not my thing.  But…

Amanda Hocking is brilliant when she promotes the release of new books.  Since Hollowmen was about to be released she gave away a free eBook copy of Hollowland and who can pass down a free book?  Not me apparently!

So there I was.  New book and the thrill of meeting new characters, even though I highly doubted many of them would survive long in a zombie horror book.  I dove in, cringing I might add, with both feet.

Two things I noticed right away. 

1. Amanda Hocking’s books are flowing better now that she has more writing under her belt.  Well done Amanda!

2. It wasn’t nearly gruesome as I’d thought it would be.

That being said I made the enormous mistake of reading a good portion of the middle late at night.  Not even the gentle snores erupting from my husband could calm my nerves.  The lights went out…and that’s when the magic began.

My mind went berserk.  Every creak in the house, howl of the wind as it buffeted against the siding or the obnoxious groan of my dog sent my imagination into hyper drive.  It was a long night!  That’s when you can confidently say that you’ve read a good book.

But did I enjoy Hollowland?  Hard to say really.  Probably best to answer that after I’ve had a good nights sleep!

I did enjoy that for the first time Amanda Hocking created a kick butt kind of heroine.  Remy is bold, confident and ready to survive.  I liked that!

The characters were engaging, wording flowed far better than previous books and only a couple typos! 

Overall I would rate this book as a 4 out of 5 stars because I’m sure if you like zombies this would be a great book.  For me it was entertaining…and I might even take a peek at the sequel. 

Note to parents: PLEASE preview this book before allowing your children to read.  It does contain some disturbing scenes.

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Book Review: Vanish by Sophie Jordan

The sequel to Sophie Jordan’s Firelight did not disappoint.  The tales of forbidden love have always been a favorite of mine and the Firelight series has been a favorite of mine since the day I stumbled across it a year ago.

The idea of Draki, a dragon/human shape shifter was certainly a nice change from the norm.  Throw into the mix a destiny that  would force Jacinda into the arms of her people’s prince and a mother who will risk at nothing to save her daughter from being used to breed other fire breathing dragons and you get a very interesting turn of events.

Jacinda is forced to leave her people behind and hide out in the desert where her mother hopes her Draki will wither and die.  The hot dry temps nearly succeed until Jacinda meets Will, a Draki hunter and her lifelong enemy.

The forbidden love triangle progresses with thrilling events and skillful prose on the part of Sophie Jordan.  The end of Firelight is a huge cliff hanger and leaves you begging for more.  Enter Vanish.   

After a rare turn of events, Jacinda is forced to leave Will behind, with the doubt that he will even remember her.  Jacinda’s return to her people is filled with trouble as punishment after punishment is handed out.  Her life becomes not only miserable but complicated as her people’s prince, Cassian, reveals his feelings for Jacinda. 

She almost tricks herself into believing she can start over until Will walks right into the heart of her village.  Events race with furious speeds all the way until the end.  Another cliff hanger and more groans at the reality of having to wait for the next book to be released!

Love the writing, love the characters and love Sophie Jordan.  A must read for any teen looking for a good romantic story!

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Should you pay for a book review?

This is a question that I have asked myself quite a bit.  Should book bloggers/reviewers charge authors to review their books? 

My honest opinion…no.  But that’s just me.  I write for the same reason I read.  I love doing it!  It’s an escape and I know many of you feel the same way.

On my blog www.self-published-authors.blogspot.com I offer free book reviews to anyone who writes in genres that I enjoy.  The only charge is that you give me a free copy of your ebook.  Not bad eh?  I thought so!

Why am I writing about this?  Because this subject has been broached a couple times recently.  Self published authors fight tooth and nail to get their name and books out there.  It’s rough…especially when sales are slow and editor/book cover costs keep rising.  How are we to earn a living to help support our families when we have to pay for book reviews too?

That is why I offer free book reviews.  Because it’s the right thing to do to help my fellow authors.  I’m always in need of someone willing to give me a fair review just as so many others are.  To charge just seems wrong to me…but that is for each person to decide.  Is it worth $200 dollars to get a single book review that may or may not go in your favor? 

You decide.

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Book Review: One-legged Seagull

Book Description:

Did you ever wonder what specific steps you can take to transform your life, so you can experience more inner peace? Have you ever thought that books about self-transformation are too vague to be helpful, filled with pie-in-the-sky platitudes and difficult-to-follow instructions? Take a journey with Ehud and Simon, as they discover strategies and techniques that help them change frustration and anger into peace of mind. Ehud, a young teenager, meets Simon after a terrible personal disaster--failing his green belt test at the local dojo. Together they learn how to handle life's ups and downs with more grace and patience. Discover how Ehud and Simon are linked in a mysterious, behind-the-scenes way. Their connection points up the way that all of consciousness is a part of one whole reality, a reality defined by compassion and the unfolding potential for joy. Decipher these and other mysteries, in an easy to read format outlined in my new fictional story, One-Legged Seagull, a Warrior's Journey to Inner Peace.

About the Author:

Joey Avniel is passionate about helping people to find their own inner peace. As a former officer in the army he mastered the way of the warrior, but was missing the essential components of peace and happiness. After his service he started to search his own path to inner peace. He received self-improvement training, and then trained others through several different self-improvement programs. Eventually he developed what he calls "The Artist Path," a path that guides anyone, even a warrior to find his own inner peace.
Joey's training includes energetic healing, self empowerment teaching, and first aid for suicidal people. Today he's an author and a speaker on the subject of inner peace. He is the co-founder of the publishing house - Barefoot Mind Inspiration and the co-creator of the website - mysuicidalthoughts.com - which helps people deal with and overcome suicidal thoughts.

My Review:

One-Legged Seagull
By: Joey Avneil

A well written book that deals with real life situations that each of us face at some point during our lives.  The book flows well and is easy to read.  Although the subject matter is not something I agree with, I am sure it will help many who are looking for ways to find peace within themselves.  This inspirational self help story would be entertaining for teen and adult.
Rating: 4 stars 

About the Author:

Joey Avniel is passionate about helping people to find their own inner peace. As a former officer in the army he mastered the way of the warrior, but was missing the essential components of peace and happiness. After his service he started to search his own path to inner peace. He received self-improvement training, and then trained others through several different self-improvement programs. Eventually he developed what he calls "The Artist Path," a path that guides anyone, even a warrior to find his own inner peace.
Joey's training includes energetic healing, self empowerment teaching, and first aid for suicidal people. Today he's an author and a speaker on the subject of inner peace. He is the co-founder of the publishing house - Barefoot Mind Inspiration and the co-creator of the website - mysuicidalthoughts.com - which helps people deal with and overcome suicidal thoughts.

My Review:

One-Legged Seagull
By: Joey Avneil

A well written book that deals with real life situations that each of us face at some point during our lives.  The book flows well and is easy to read.  Although the subject matter is not something I agree with, I am sure it will help many who are looking for ways to find peace within themselves.  This inspirational self help story would be entertaining for teen and adult.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars