Category: Book review

Book Review: Dael and the Painted People

Posted on by writermike in Allan Schickman, Book review, Contest, Dael and the Painted People, NaNoWriMo, Prehistoric, young adult
If you are looking for the rules of the NaNoWriMo Contest, please visit this post: http://www.writermike.com/2011/10/ring-out-one-contest-ring-in-another_17.html#.TqBg5aCImU8
The entry form is at the end of either this post or the post with the rules. 

Hello readers! Today I am reviewing the third book in the prehistoric Zan-Gah series by Allan Schickman: Dael and the Painted People.

 In this third installment, Shickman diverts the narrative from Zan-Gah and instead focuses on his warlike brother Dael. It tells the story of Dael’s sojourn among an ancient people who paint their entire bodies red. You get a close look at their way of life, their customs and how Dael and his companion integrate themselves into the society and in the process ruffle a few feathers.

The imagery is vivid and beautiful and the author’s imagination shines through, as with the previous volumes. It is a very approachable text and a quick read that takes a refreshing new direction from the other books in the series.

If I have one complaint about it, is was that sometimes I felt the author went over the head of his audience. The writing style is very simple, and is obviously geared at younger readers. However, once in a while, a great SAT word will appear like ‘ accouterments’ or ‘ululated’ that would probably leave younger readers stumped.

This volume has more of a standalone feel so that you could read it in conjunction with the other Zan-Gah books or by itself. I recommend it to young adult readers looking for a captivating world to escape to.

You can learn more about Allan and his books at http://earthshakerbooks.com/. To purchase a copy of Dael and the Painted People, visit this link: http://amzn.com/0979035767 

NaNoWriMo Contest Update: 
 I’m so glad that people are already signing up for my NaNoWriMo contest. I have one person put that they had already “won” NaNoWriMo, so I feel I need to clarify. NaNoWriMo runs from Nov 1st – Nov 30th, and to ‘win’ you have to write 50,000 words in that time and get it verified by the official word counter at http://www.nanowrimo.org.

Since NaNoWriMo has not started yet, it is not possible to win it yet. Actually, it is not possible to officially win until November 25th. If you do finish your 50,000 words (that you start on November 1st) before that time, feel free to mark that you have ‘won’ NaNoWriMo. I will then email you and ask you to send me a copy of the manuscript so that I can confirm its length.

In summary, I will delete any “I won NaNoWriMo” entries that happen before November 1st and I will confirm them all of that time if they are before the 25th. Please spread the word about the contest, and post here to let us know what sort of projects you are planning. From now until the end of the contest, the entry form will always be at the bottom of the most recent post.

Orem Authorpalooza:
Join me and many other authors this weekend at the semi-annual Orem Authorpalooza. Here are the details.

October 22nd: Authorpalooza at Orem, UT Barnes and Noble, 1pm – 4pm. 


RafflecopterSettings = { raffleID: ‘ZGM1OTRjYmFhNjUwNGM1OWE3ZTQxMmE4NzQ5MTc3OjY=’};<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

October Blog Hop and Book Review

Posted on by writermike in Andrea Pearson, Blog Hop, Book review, Michael Young, The Key of Kilenya, The Last Archangel
NOTE: Due to a glitch in Blogger, the post got deleted and the comments were lost when I redid the post. If you posted a comment on the old post, please comment again. Sorry for the inconvenience..

Hello readers! I’ve got a double header today. First I’ve got a feature about a new fantasy novel called “The Key of Kilenya”. Then I’ve got a contest for my October Blog Hop, where you can win a signed copy of “The Last Archangel”.  Please have a look at both parts of the post. 


First a little about the plot: 
When two vicious wolves chase fourteen-year-old Jacob Clark down a path from our world into another, his life is forever changed. He has no idea they have been sent by the Lorkon—evil, immortal beings who are jealous of powers he doesn’t know he possesses—powers they desire to control.

The inhabitants of the new world desperately need Jacob’s help in recovering a magical key that was stolen by the Lorkon and is somehow linked to him. If he helps them, his life will be at risk. But if he chooses not to help them, both our world and theirs will be in danger. The Lorkon will stop at nothing to unleash the power of the key—and Jacob’s special abilities.


My take: 
Andrea is a debut author with a promising start. The book is highly imaginative, which is the greatest strength as a fantasy author. Her ability alone to come up with exotic-sounding names is impressive. The pacing is good and keeps the reader engaged, with plenty of surprising twists. The author did a good job of providing an interesting beginning to the story that did not drag down the pace.  Andrea has set the readers up well for additional books and, I’m sure based on the first installment that the following installments will only be even better. 


Purchase your copy here: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/68856  


Visit Andrea’s site here:  http://www.kilenyaseries.blogspot.com

RafflecopterSettings = { raffleID: ‘ZGM1OTRjYmFhNjUwNGM1OWE3ZTQxMmE4NzQ5MTc3OjU=’};<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.Welcome to the October Blog Hop, where you can visit new blogs, enter to win prizes, and have a great time! At the bottom of this post, you’ll see a list of participating blogs. Just click on each link, check out the prize, and follow the easy instructions to enter. You can enter on each blog, so it’s possible to win multiple times. It’s frighteningly easy. On this blog, you can win a signed copy of “The Last Archangel”.

 To enter, all you need to do is: 1. Become a follower of my blog. 2. Leave a comment on this post and tell me why you’d like to win this prize. (There are a few additional options on the entry form as well)  If your e-mail address isn’t visible through your Blogger profile, please also leave it with the comment so I can notify you if you win. You can enter until midnight MST on Saturday night, October 15th. That’s it! You are now entered. Now please go visit all my friends on the list below. It’s almost like trick or treating!

October Blog Hop Participants

1. Tristi Pinkston
2. I Am a Reader, Not a Writer
3. Bonnie Harris
4. Michael D. Young
5. Misty Moncur
6. Debbie Davis
7. Mandi Tucker Slack
8. Mary Ann Dennis
9. Deanna Henderson
10. Laura Bastian
11. Kristy Tate		 12. Kristy Wilson
13. Jennifer Debenham
14. Jenny Moore
15. Elizabeth Hughes
16. J. Lloyd Morgan
17. Close Encounters with the Night Kind
18. Billy Boulden
19. Scott Bryan
20. Maria Hoagland
21. Shirley Bahlmann
22. Shelly Brown		 23. Marcy Howes
24. Lynnea Mortensen
25. Jaclyn M. Hawkes
26. Diane Stringam Tolley
27. Gail Zuniga
28. Betsy Love
29. iWriteNetwork
30. Canda’s InkBlast
31. Stacy Coles

<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.

Review: The Unwilling by C. David Belt

Posted on by writermike in Book review, Books about Vampires, C. David Belt, Paranormal Romance, The Unwilling
Today I would like to introduce you to debut author C. David Belt. He has just come out with his first novel, “The Unwilling: Children of Lilith Volume 1”. 

Now, I’ve got to admit, I’m not usually a fan of vampire books, but I was surprised by this one. I really feel that David did something different with them. In speaking with him, he’s been working on this series long before those such as Stephanie Meyer made their mark on the Vampire world.  Here is the synopsis to give you a better idea: 

In all the 6,000 years that the Children of Lilith have walked among us, there has never been an unwilling vampire . . . until now.

Carl Morgan has lost everything. His wife and children were killed in a senseless accident. Then he witnesses the murder of his sister at the hands of a beautiful and mysterious woman named Rebecca. When the police cannot locate the killer, Carl takes matters into his own hands. But his search for justice costs him everything he holds dear.

Carl is unknowingly transformed into the world’s first and only unwilling vampire. He is cut off from the light, damned to an eternity of darkness, barred from heaven and any hope of a reunion with his family.

Moira MacDonald, a repentant vampire, has roamed the earth alone for centuries seeking redemption. The very existence of an unwilling vampire, something she thought impossible, changes everything. Has she finally found a path to redemption . . . and an end to her loneliness?

Carl and Moira discover that Rebecca’s vampire Master, Michael, plans to unleash a plague of vampires on the city. Can Carl and Moira stop the slaughter of countless innocents?

Now here are my thoughts: 

The Unwilling is a great new take on vampires that comes as a breath of fresh air among many such stories. The characters are immediately likable and the story grand, stretching over the centuries though still managing to feel relevant to today. The action and the emotions feel real and the journey that the two main characters make towards redemption and towards each other was an exhilarating ride. A satisfying reading experience that made me thirsty for another installment.

The Unwilling is now available in eBook format from Smashwords.com or Amazon.com, but will be coming in paperback format from Parables Publishing. You can read more about David and his work at the official site: http://unwillingchild.home.comcast.net/~unwillingchild/.

New Features and Book Review: The Hidden Sun by J. Lloyd Morgan

Posted on by writermike in Book review, Fantasy, J Lloyd Morgan, Michael D Young, New features, The Hidden Sun

New Features on my Blog
Now that I have a few more followers, I wanted to add a little more structure to how my blog posts run. I’m going to try going to the twice a week posting schedule, once on Mondays and once on Thursdays.  On Mondays, I will run a personal post about writing trends, the craft of writing, etc. On Mondays, I will also give an update on what I’m working on that week.  On Thursday, I will run a feature, such as a book post, a website review, etc.  If something really great happens in between, I’ll post about then whenever.

I’d like to start off this schedule with a book review of “The Hidden Sun” by J. Lloyd Morgan.
(Note: I’m trying out a new review format. My reviews will have two sections: What I Liked as a Reader and What I Learned as a Writer.  For the first part, I’ll put on my reader’s hat (a nice casual panama hat) and give a traditional review about what I thought of the book. In the second section, I’ll put on my writer’s hat (a dapper top hat) and will talk about what I noticed either good and/or bad that we all can learn from.

What I Liked as a Reader

The first thing that impressed me about “The Hidden Sun” was that it walks a path that few books these days do: it has a medieval setting, but does not rely on fantastical elements to tell the story. “The Hidden Story” is a wonderful story of political intrigue and family legacy.  I genuinely cared about the characters and the action kept me hooked on the story. 
The reader might find the names a little difficult, but the author has provided a helpful pronunciation guide at the beginning to help you out. When reading, be sure to keep the characters straight as the story sometimes jumps around quickly from one character’s story to another.
One thing I noticed about the names was the theme of sunlight throughout the book, which is reflected both in the actual weather and in the names of the characters.  I can’t say much about the names without giving the plot away, but I feel that this was elegantly done and added both depth and beauty to the story.
“The Hidden Sun” was just released in its second edition, with a beautiful new cover.  It will be continued with “The Waxing Moon”, another exciting installment in the story. 

What I Learned as a Writer
Sometimes the best way to draw the reader in is to do something a bit unexpected.  When I saw the medieval setting, I thought “Where’s the wizard?” and “There are bound to be some elves showing up any time now.” Instead, it read a lot more like historical fiction, which I also really love, and instead focused on the political intrigue and family legacy. That resulted in a satisfying read.
You can order the book by following this link: (Make sure that you get the book with the new cover that matches the one at the beginning of this post.  That’s the newest edition.) http://stores.handcartsinthevalleybookstore.com/-strse-1304/The-Hidden-Sun-by/Detail.bok
You can also visit Jason online at: http://jlloydmorgan.com/

Blog Tour Day 13: Poster Day and Two Great Posts

Posted on by writermike in Book Dreaming, Book review, clean books, Good books for teens, Michael D Young, The Great the Good and the Bad, The Last Archangel

Latest Post: Two great new posts!  Only two days to go until the release date and I’m getting psyched.  I just got these huge promotional poster from my publisher for the launch party and book signings, which are going to be great. Enjoy the posts and don’t forget to enter the blog tour giveaway.
_________________________________________
July 12th:  Review on Book Dreaming:
http://shannonkodonnell.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-tour-last-archangel.html
and
The Great the Good and the Bad:
http://thegreatthegoodandthebad.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-michael-young.html
_________________________________________
July 11th: Guest Posts: Five Attitudes to Bring to Writing and Book Review by Theresa Sneed
Guest Post Books R Us Online:
http://www.booksrusonline.com/2011/07/guest-post-by-michael-young-author-of.html
and
Review by Theresa Sneed:
http://bestauthorsread.blogspot.com/
_________________________________________
July 10th: A Great Double Play: Review and Guest Post
Burning Impossibly Bright: http://burningximpossiblyxbright.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-blog-tour-review-last.html
and
Guest Post on LiveToRead: http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/2011/07/guest-post-featuring-michael-young.html
July 9th: Review on The Book Blogger Experience:
http://thebookblogexperience.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-blog-tour.html
_________________________________________
July 7th and 8th: Review and Interview from ReaWrite:

http://www.books.4ish.net/2011/07/08/the-last-archangel-michael-young/
and
http://www.babsbookbistro.net/blog/
and
http://imaginaryreads.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-book-tours.html
July 6th: Review from Lisabookworm

http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-tour-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html
July 5th: Interview with Eden: http://www.joramsey.com/?p=690
and


Guest Post: http://thereadingfever.blogspot.com/2011/07/writing-certified-fresh-fantasy-guest.html
July 4th: Giveaway at: http://jenbigheart.blogspot.com/2011/06/freedom-giveaway-blog-hop.html
And


Interview at: http://wp.me/p18Ztn-m4
July 3rd: My Life in a Laptop: The Last Archangel by Michael Young
July 2nd: http://fayeflamereviews.blogspot.com/
And


http://jlloydmorgan.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html
July 1st: http://franklewiscole.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-of-last-archangel.html


June 30th: http://habeyondworlds.com/2011/06/welcome-michael-young/

Blog Tour Day 12: Five Attitudes to Bring to Writing and A Glowing Review

Posted on by writermike in Book review, clean books, Five Attitudes to Bring to Writing, Good books for teens, Guest Post, Michael D Young, newest novel, The Last Archangel, Theresa Sneed

Latest Post: A great new review that draws some comparisons with Greek drama (maybe hundreds of years from now kids will have to read me in AP English) and a guest post where I talk about picking up the pace in your story.  Also don’t forget to enter the blog tour giveaway.

_________________________________________
July 11th: Guest Posts: Five Attitudes to Bring to Writing and Book Review by Theresa Sneed
Guest Post Books R Us Online:
http://www.booksrusonline.com/2011/07/guest-post-by-michael-young-author-of.html
and
Review by Theresa Sneed:
http://bestauthorsread.blogspot.com/
_________________________________________
July 10th: A Great Double Play: Review and Guest Post
Burning Impossibly Bright: http://burningximpossiblyxbright.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-blog-tour-review-last.html
and
Guest Post on LiveToRead: http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/2011/07/guest-post-featuring-michael-young.html
July 9th: Review on The Book Blogger Experience:
http://thebookblogexperience.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-blog-tour.html
_________________________________________
July 7th and 8th: Review and Interview from ReaWrite:

http://www.books.4ish.net/2011/07/08/the-last-archangel-michael-young/
and
http://www.babsbookbistro.net/blog/
and
http://imaginaryreads.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-book-tours.html
July 6th: Review from Lisabookworm

http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-tour-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html
July 5th: Interview with Eden: http://www.joramsey.com/?p=690
and


Guest Post: http://thereadingfever.blogspot.com/2011/07/writing-certified-fresh-fantasy-guest.html
July 4th: Giveaway at: http://jenbigheart.blogspot.com/2011/06/freedom-giveaway-blog-hop.html
And


Interview at: http://wp.me/p18Ztn-m4
July 3rd: My Life in a Laptop: The Last Archangel by Michael Young
July 2nd: http://fayeflamereviews.blogspot.com/
And


http://jlloydmorgan.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html
July 1st: http://franklewiscole.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-of-last-archangel.html


June 30th: http://habeyondworlds.com/2011/06/welcome-michael-young/

Blog Tour Day 11: Greek Drama and Picking Up the Pace

Posted on by writermike in Blog Tour, Book review, good books for young adults, Guest Post, Michael D Young, The Last Archangel, urban fantasy books


Latest Post: A great new review that draws some comparisons with Greek drama (maybe hundreds of years from now kids will have to read me in AP English) and a guest post where I talk about picking up the pace in your story.  Also don’t forget to enter the blog tour giveaway.
_________________________________________
July 10th: A Great Double Play: Review and Guest Post
Burning Impossibly Bright: http://burningximpossiblyxbright.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-blog-tour-review-last.html
and
Guest Post on LiveToRead: http://livetoread-krystal.blogspot.com/2011/07/guest-post-featuring-michael-young.html
_________________________________________
July 9th: Review on The Book Blogger Experience:
http://thebookblogexperience.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-blog-tour.html

July 7th and 8th: Review and Interview from ReaWrite:


http://www.books.4ish.net/2011/07/08/the-last-archangel-michael-young/
and
http://www.babsbookbistro.net/blog/
and
http://imaginaryreads.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-book-tours.html
July 6th: Review from Lisabookworm


http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-tour-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html
July 5th: Interview with Eden: http://www.joramsey.com/?p=690
and


Guest Post: http://thereadingfever.blogspot.com/2011/07/writing-certified-fresh-fantasy-guest.html
July 4th: Giveaway at: http://jenbigheart.blogspot.com/2011/06/freedom-giveaway-blog-hop.html
And


Interview at: http://wp.me/p18Ztn-m4
July 3rd: My Life in a Laptop: The Last Archangel by Michael Young
July 2nd: http://fayeflamereviews.blogspot.com/
And


http://jlloydmorgan.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html
July 1st: http://franklewiscole.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-of-last-archangel.html


June 30th: http://habeyondworlds.com/2011/06/welcome-michael-young/

Blog Tour Day 10: Review on The Book Blogger Experience

Posted on by writermike in Book review, Michael D Young, New Release Young Adult, The Book Blogger Experience, The Last Archangel, YA Urban Fantasy
Latest Post: A new review on The Book Blogger Experience. Also don’t forget to enter the blog tour giveaway.

_________________________________________
July 9th: Review on The Book Blogger Experience:
http://thebookblogexperience.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-blog-tour.html
_________________________________________

July 7th and 8th: Review and Interview from ReaWrite:


http://www.books.4ish.net/2011/07/08/the-last-archangel-michael-young/
and
http://www.babsbookbistro.net/blog/
and
http://imaginaryreads.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-book-tours.html

July 6th: Review from Lisabookworm


http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-tour-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html
July 5th: Interview with Eden: http://www.joramsey.com/?p=690
and


Guest Post: http://thereadingfever.blogspot.com/2011/07/writing-certified-fresh-fantasy-guest.html
July 4th: Giveaway at: http://jenbigheart.blogspot.com/2011/06/freedom-giveaway-blog-hop.html
And


Interview at: http://wp.me/p18Ztn-m4
July 3rd: My Life in a Laptop: The Last Archangel by Michael Young
July 2nd: http://fayeflamereviews.blogspot.com/
And


http://jlloydmorgan.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html
July 1st: http://franklewiscole.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-of-last-archangel.html


June 30th: http://habeyondworlds.com/2011/06/welcome-michael-young/

Blog Tour Days 8 and 9: Triple Header at ReaWrite.com and Others

Posted on by writermike in Author Interview, Book review, Michael D Young, reawrite.com, The Last Archangel, YA Urban Fantasy

Latest Post: A triple header!  I got both a book review and an interview at www.reawrite.com, and other great posts from Babs Book Bistro and Imaginary Reads.   Also don’t forget to enter the blog tour giveaway.

_________________________________________

July 7th and 8th: Review and Interview from ReaWrite:


http://www.books.4ish.net/2011/07/08/the-last-archangel-michael-young/
and
http://www.babsbookbistro.net/blog/
and
http://imaginaryreads.blogspot.com/2011/07/last-archangel-book-tours.html
_________________________________________

July 6th: Review from Lisabookworm

http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-tour-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html

July 5th: Interview with Eden: http://www.joramsey.com/?p=690
and

Guest Post: http://thereadingfever.blogspot.com/2011/07/writing-certified-fresh-fantasy-guest.html
July 4th: Giveaway at: http://jenbigheart.blogspot.com/2011/06/freedom-giveaway-blog-hop.html
And

Interview at: http://wp.me/p18Ztn-m4
July 3rd: My Life in a Laptop: The Last Archangel by Michael Young
July 2nd: http://fayeflamereviews.blogspot.com/
And

http://jlloydmorgan.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html
July 1st: http://franklewiscole.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-of-last-archangel.html

June 30th: http://habeyondworlds.com/2011/06/welcome-michael-young/
.

Blog Tour Day 7: Review by Lisa Bookworm

Posted on by writermike in Blog Tour, Book review, Fantasy, Immersing Yourself, Lisa Faber, Michael D Young, The Canticle Kingdom, The Last Archangel, Tristi Pinkston, Young Adult Fiction
Latest Post: Enjoy a great review by Lisa Faber.  I got a kick out of the end of the post where she says that she realized that she already had “The Canticle Kingdom” sitting on her booshelf and she wants to read it right away after reading “The Last Archangel”.  I’m also on author Tristi Pinkston’s blog today with a guest post about gaining creative inspiration through immersing yourself in good art. Also don’t forget to enter the blog tour giveaway.
_________________________________________
July 6th: Review from Lisabookworm
http://lisaisabookworm.blogspot.com/2011/07/blog-tour-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html


and


Guest Post at Tristi Pinkston’s Blog: 
http://networkedblogs.com/k3Ebd
_________________________________________
July 5th: Interview with Eden: http://www.joramsey.com/?p=690

and

Guest Post: http://thereadingfever.blogspot.com/2011/07/writing-certified-fresh-fantasy-guest.html

July 4th: Giveaway at: http://jenbigheart.blogspot.com/2011/06/freedom-giveaway-blog-hop.html
And

Interview at: http://wp.me/p18Ztn-m4
July 3rd: My Life in a Laptop: The Last Archangel by Michael Young
July 2nd: http://fayeflamereviews.blogspot.com/
And

http://jlloydmorgan.blogspot.com/2011/07/review-of-last-archangel-by-michael.html
July 1st: http://franklewiscole.blogspot.com/2011/06/book-review-of-last-archangel.html
J
une 30th: http://habeyondworlds.com/2011/06/welcome-michael-young/