Cover Reveal: The Last Degree by Dina Rae
I’m not huge on thrillers, but I adore conspiracy novels. The dirtier the conspiracy, the more I relish it. The Last Degree promises to be a good read and there’s a bonus! For two days, it is FREE to download. Nothing wrong with free, right? Try out this book and if you like her or love her, check out her other works. Let me say it again:
The Last Degree will be FREE July 14th & July 15th only!
Title: The Last Degree
Series: Book #1
Author: Dina Rae
Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime, Paranormal, Political, Suspense, Thriller, Christian
Publisher: Dina Rae
Ebook format only
Words: 93000
Purchase for only $1.99: Amazon
Summary:
The Last Degree is a fictionalized account of how Freemasons and other secret societies set up the world for takeover. Ancient writings foretell a ‘Shining One’ who emerges as the world’s prophet. A murder of a Most Worshipful mason resembles a secret oath. A cop gets too close to solving the crime. Paranoid preppers go underground, preparing for war.
Headlines such as the Norway massacre, meltdown of the European Union, unscrupulous media, animal die-offs, Middle Eastern unrest, andU.S.shrinking power make the plot relevant to present day. This book is an ode to Christians, Birthers, 2012ers, Truthers, preppers, and/or other conspiracy junkies who enjoy Dan Brown, Jesse Ventura, Brad Meltzer, Alex Jones, Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye.
Excerpt:
Dwight took off his crown, signifying he was no longer playing King Solomon.
“Sacrifice is expected for ones that you love. Do you love me?” Dwight shouted. “Then bow down before me and offer praise!”
Everyone knelt and laid their head down to the floor, chanting ‘Most Worshipful,
Most Worshipful’ several times before Dwight commanded them to get up.
In a manic energetic state, Dwight vociferated, “Et vitam impendere vero!” All repeated, with the three new pledges joining in. Minutes later, he began to calm down. “To sacrifice life for truth – that is what we must always do! You must trust me as your Most Worshipful and sacrifice at my command! Are you prepared to do this?” All three pledges nodded.
Dwight pulled the content baby out of Arthur’s arms and threw it high into the air. As the baby began to descend, Dwight took his sword and hacked through its neck, decapitating it before it hit the floor. Only the three pledges shrieked in horror. He sinisterly smiled as he picked up the head and body, revealing it was only a doll.
“Don’t believe with your eyes, but believe with your knowledge. We are his chosen and will soon be exalted.”
The three men looked down at their hands and tried not to scream. They were covered in blood.
“Sacrifice, my brothers, sacrifice. I will teach you well. You are all Chiefs of the Tabernacle! Let us go and celebrate!” Dwight gleamed.
Check out The Last Degree Prequel as well—Be Paranoid Be Prepared! Currently .99 cents.
About the Author:
Dina Rae is a new author here to stay. As a former teacher, she brings an academic element to her work. Her two novels, Halo of the Damned and The Last Degree, weave research and suspense throughout the plots. Her short story, Be Paranoid Be Prepared, is a prequel of sorts to The Last Degree, focusing on the James Martin character. Dina also freelances for various entertainment blogs.
Dina lives with her husband, two daughters, and two dogs outside ofChicago. She is a Christian, an avid tennis player, movie buff, and self-proclaimed expert on several conspiracy theories. When she is not writing, she is reading novels from her favorite authors Dan Brown, Anne Rice, Stephen King, Brad Thor, George R.R. Martin, and Preston & Childs.
Find the Author:
Read MoreBook Review: Fire Kissed by Erin Kellison
Fire Kissed (Book #4 in The Shadow Kissed Series) by Erin Kellison
Publisher: Kensington
Available in ebook or paperback on July 3rd, 2012.
Although Fire Kissed is technically the fourth novel in the series, it is completely a stand alone book. There are hints of previous novels for earlier fans, but Erin Kellison keeps it from feeling like an information dump.
There are three main POVs in this novel: Kaye, Jack, and Grey. Kaye is a shadowmage, who was brought up thinking that angels will kill her. So imagine her surprise when she finds an angel in her basement who saves her life instead of kill her. His dying wish is for the other angels in the Order to protect her. Jack is chosen to recruit Kaye to betray her own kind and help the angels. He disregards his attraction to Kaye, as a side effect to her temptress nature. He fights against his feelings for much of the novel. Actually, most of the men are spellbound by Kaye, especially Grey. Normally I’d consider this a turn-off, but Kaye has so many obvious personality faults that this perk fits. Above all else, Kaye is selfish and driven. She will manipulate anyone to achieve her goals. Her faults, for me, made her all the more real and loveable.
I’m also a sucker for a well-developed villain and the added bonus of being able to know the world from Ferrol Grey’s side made me giddy. Although he is evil, I couldn’t help but secretly wish through parts of the novel that things would turn out well for him. Kaye absolutely tortures and exploits Grey. She manipulate him for her own goals and at parts I wonder who is in fact the evil one.
I did have some issue with some of the minor POV characters. Some parts are shown from the perspective of humans who see the effects of Kaye, Jack, and Grey’s actions. It confused me because I had no connection with these humans and I still don’t know which humans were related to who and by the time they appeared again, I’d forgotten what happened the first time.
The pacing of the novel was spot on and with the constant switching of POVs, I wasn’t prepared for many of the plot twists. By the last page I truly wasn’t sure what would happen. And then the novel ended, and I wanted way more. I hate cliffhanger novels and this book leaves quite a bit open for future novels. A little too much in my opinion, but I suppose technically much of the main plot in the novel was resolved. Reminding myself that this in part of series, the ending was fine…as in OMG Snape killed Dumbledore, what the hell happens in the next book…fine. I will be reading the next book when it comes out.
Characters 4/5
Concept 5/5
Pacing 5/5
Grammar 5/5
Ending 2/5
Summary:
Fae Fire
It is Kaye Brand’s power to wield. But outcast from her kind, she’s been selling herself to the highest bidder—money for her survival in exchange for a magic glimpse into the flames of the future.
Angel Ice
One of the angelic Order, Jack Bastian has no use for a female like Kaye, as provocative and unexpected as her blazing beauty. Yet he has no choice but to hire her to uncover the secrets of his sworn enemy and her former fiancé, Ferrol Grey.
Magekind
War is inevitable between the defenders of the Order and the mage Houses who threaten to engulf the world in Shadow. For Jack, mage-born Kaye is off limits, no matter how hot the impossible attraction between them. But in the coming darkness, beset by danger and desire, everything is about to change…
Grade: A -
This book will appeal to fans of paranormal and will not disappoint earlier fans of The Shadow Kissed Series.
If you’re interested in purchasing this book, you can buy it July 3rd, 2012 from Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Check out more reviews at Goodreads.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Read MoreBook Review: Vida Nocturna by Mark Diehl
Vida Nocturna by Mark Diehl
Publisher: Self published
Available in ebook or paperbook.
Never before have I loved, pitied, and hated a character more than Sara. As soon as the story begins, Sara is in trouble. She’s failing all of her college courses and tries to hide this from her father, who both pays tuition and expects only the best from his daughter. And then we find out that she’s involved in a vampire club. Then the books flashes back to a younger Sara and we get the first glimpse of her childhood. The first flashback is a happy one. Most of the ones that follow are not. At first, the non-lineral narration is confusing, but about a quarter into the book I was thankful for it. The present Sara is falling deeper and deeper into a fantasy world of addiction and Vampires. Some of the scenes are so intense that I want to scream at the book and the characters. Sara isn’t your typical heroine. She makes very bad decisions, but worse are the people that surround her.
I think that Sara’s parents are the most developed and intriguing set in any YA novel. Any child of divorced parents can vouch for the constant back and forth hatred and jealousy. Sara’s father is jealous of her seemingly happy relationship with her mother and vice versa. Her parents have a huge impact on the decisions she makes and had either one of them acted like an adult, Sara might not have chosen the path she did.
Overall, this is a story about addiction. The powerlessness of addiction. This is a psychological horror in the fact that Sara loses control over herself and her life chapter by chapter. There are sections where the only relief to the darkness is the flashbacks.
The only escape for hardcore druggies is rehab, jail, or death. At different parts of the novel, I was hoping for a different one of these things. I hoped that she’d get better. I hoped that she’d get caught. I hoped that she’d find peace in death.
As for the ending, I firmly believe that she deserved it. And it scared me that I felt that way.
Characters 5/5
Concept 5/5
Pacing 5/5
Grammar 5/5
Ending 5/5
Summary:
Only the need will last forever.
Sara has always escaped her real-world fears by reading fantasy and horror stories. Now, as a social-phobic college freshman, she enters a dark world where horror is not supernatural and fantasy is a trap.
Evil is contagious.
Victims become predators, and every predator was once just like Sara. Imagining she’d be different was her first step toward them. Now, draped in the decadent 80s subculture, she’s rendered helpless by powers she never imagined.
Grade: A+
Fans of Horror and Addiction novels will love this book.
If you’re interested in buying this book, check it out at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. More reviews and information available at Goodreads.
Read MoreBook Review: The Soul’s Mark: Found by Ashley Stoyanoff
The Soul’s Mark: Found by Ashley Stoyanoff
Publisher: Self published
Available in ebook or paperback.
Although this book left me frustrated while reading, after I finished I thought how great of a story it was. Not much happened in the first half of the book and it isn’t until the halfway point that the book catches up with the blurb description. And the other downfall was that despite having 19 and 20 year old characters, the book is written like a MG. No sex scenes. PG kissing and violence. That said, if Amelia and her vampire soulmate were twelve or thirteen years old, I would rate this book a solid FIVE stars. I love MG books like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson. But with older characters, most of the reading audience is late teens or adult. It’s too sugarcoated to be a YA novel. I would strongly suggest the author try a MG novel as her second, because that seems to be a better fit for her writing style.
The relationship between Amelia and her Vampire soulmate was a breath of fresh air. They had a very dynamite love/hate relationship and as a reader I was constantly going back and forth on whether or not I wanted them together in the end. Not until the last chapter did I know if they ended up together.
I loved the concept of the novel. The fact that Amelia was tied to a vampire without any say or possibility of escape. It was like an arranged marriage but with a paranormal twist.
I also thought that the minor characters were unique and well developed. The only one that felt cliche was Fiona – the bad girl. All the others kept surprising me with how they behaved towards the main couple and evolved with the main characters by the end. Speaking of the end. There was one part with Madam Crystal that I thought was completely out of the blue. I wish there was some foreshadowing towards that twist in the plot.
Characters 5/5
Concept 5/5
Pacing 1/5
Grammar 4/5
Ending 4/5
Summary:
Anxious to leave her destructive past behind, Amelia Caldwell moves to Willowberg, excited for a fresh start. Once there, she discovers that her birthmark is more than it seems. She has been marked by a vampire’s soul. Not only does she hold his soul, but Amelia is also his soulmate.
After almost a century of searching for his soulmate, Mitchell Lang fears the worst—he is going to lose Amelia to another man. His heart takes over, and his impulsive decision to take away her free will and to intensify their bond quickly turns her growing love into hate.
When they become trapped in the emotional rollercoaster of their souls’ bond, open conflict erupts. Amelia has no intentions of belonging to anyone, not even her soulmate, and Mitchell refuses to let her go.
While she frantically searches for a way to escape his grasp, Amelia unlocks the painful memories of her past and uncovers a powerful secret. But before she has a chance to explore her newfound edge, she finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly game of revenge and is forced to realize that YOU CANNOT RUN FROM DESTINY.
Grade: B
Fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and the Paranormal genre will enjoy this book and its twist on vampires.
If you’re interested in buying this book, check it out at Amazon or Barnes & Noble. More reviews and information available at Goodreads.
Read MoreWriting Tip #2: What’s for dinner?
Reading a great book is an experience to remember.
Just like enjoying a meal at a restaurant with loved ones. The process to get customers, wow them, and keep them is the same.
Another sign on the road:
First impressions of a restaurant often dictate whether or not you will eat there. A lot of it begins even before you step in the door. First off is sales. More people will visit a restaurant if the parking lot is full rather than empty. Likewise, if a book is on the Bestseller list more people will check out the book. The way to get sales is to advertise. For authors that means to promote your book on blogs, in giveaways, and through word of mouth. I own City of Bones by Cassandra Claire because I saw it on my friend’s coffee table. Likewise, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is in my Amazon cart after reading great reviews on several blogs I visit. I can’t even remember what it is about but I’m psyched to start reading it.
Price:
A free book or a 99 cent book gives your readers the expectation of dining at McDonalds. A $2.99 or $3.99 book is like a dinner buffet. A $9.99 book is a gourmet meal. If you can’t live up to expectations of a high-end dinner, charge less. If you’re not charging enough, than you’re losing profits and attracting the wrong crowd.
Atmosphere:
Once you get customers in the door, you need to keep them. If the place is in disrepair or dingy, then people will walk back out. A book cover needs to look professional. Don’t skimp. If it looks like it came straight from MS Paint, than people will assume you spent just as much effort on the inside. Dirt and roaches can ruin the best restaurant. Hire an exterminator. If a customer sees even one bug crawl across the floor, he will not return. In books, we know roaches as ‘grammatical errors’. Spelling mistakes, typos, and comma misuse distracts from the story and makes even a well-plotted book appear amateur. Hire an editor or someone fluent in the rules of grammar to revise your book before publishing.
Waiter/waitress:
This is your main character. He will guide us through the entire book keeping our drinks full and our food coming. Your waiter has to be likeable, but not perfect. A Mary Sue waitress is one that hovers over you and won’t give you any breathing room. You’re (hopefully) not the only customer and they have to give you less than 100% of their attention. Your characters, likewise, can’t be without faults. They need to fail at some point, reminding you that your main character is just another human being. A great waiter can overcompensate for minor problems in the restaurant. A horrible waiter makes you nitpick every detail. The drinks you order at dinner are the minor characters. A one-dimensional character is like a flat soda. The reader will be repulsed by every sip/mention of this character. The waiter also manages pacing: order, drinks, appetizer, dinner, and desert. Too fast pacing would be having the appetizer and dinner out at the same time or too soon after. The guests are overwhelmed. Too slow and the guests starve and consider going somewhere else.
Food:
The food is your plot. The guests know what sort of food you serve (genre) and they place an order based on a one or two line description and maybe a picture. This is your first chapter. This is the text that appears in the Click to LOOK INSIDE on Amazon. You need this to be so appealing that your readers are drooling to taste the rest of your book. The appetizer is your first quarter of the book, the beginning, where things start getting hairy for your main character. Eating the dinner is the climax, but you need to build to it. You can’t serve it too soon after the appetizer. You need time to let the appetizer digest and the guest has the opportunity to converse with love ones and the waiter. To get comfortable with the world you built. You should drop hints of what is to come. Let the guest see the delicious plates of food served to the other tables. Make his mouth water in anticipation. When the dinner finally arrives, make sure it lives up to expectations. No burnt food. Don’t over or under season. If a guest wanted a well-done steak, make sure it isn’t bloody. This is genre expectations. Horror is suppose to horrify. Romance is suppose to romance. And erotica is suppose to – well, let’s keep this PG.
Dessert:
And this is your ending. Make sure that you tie up most of the loose ends to your plot. If you are planning a sequel, leave enough open so that your readers can guess the basic plot of the next book. Don’t do cliffhangers. That’s like saying we’re out of fudge sundaes.
Read MoreStalk me…
Tattoo Your Love for Me
Follow Another Way
What’s on my mind
Rating System
Hauntingly Beautiful
Near Perfection
Couch Companion
Red Pen Alert
Better Left Buried