Book Highlight of the Month: SNAKES (Shaolin Darkness)

SNAKES: A Shaolin Darkness Thriller 

Author: Wesley Robert Lowe
Kindle edition; published Oct 2014


Micah Keating. Son of missionaries. Mentored by a Shaolin Grandmaster. President of three-billion-dollar foundation with funds hijacked from Triad leader, Chin.

Severely burnt and in rehab, Chin commissions his son, King, master and connoisseur of all things connected to snakes, to lead the savage charge to recover the family’s illicit fortune.

King, with clandestine military precision, hounds Micah as he accompanies his mentor on a journey of death and adventure to Heaven, the mystical Kung Fu monastery in the mountains where the aged master learned The Way of the Shaolin.

With a story that moves with the speed of a Ferrari, yet with the breathtaking drama of Star Wars, SNAKES is a rich story of experiences never seen that will entertain even the most adrenaline-charged reader.

INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR

Q. What is unique about the Shaolin Darkness series?

A. There are many talented action and thriller writers out there: Russell Blake, James Patterson and the late Robert Ludlum are three that I particularly admire. I want to write books that have the electrifying action, intrigue and suspense that are hallmarks of their best sellers.
That said, I am a product of East and West, Chinese heritage born in America. I grew up watching Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali, reading Mario Puzo and Amy Tan, and wanted to integrate the “Orient and Occident” into my stories. Shaolin martial arts training, organized crime, Triads, the Tao, Confucius, Christianity, Hong Kong, New York, Shanghai, Portland” novels that show the contemporary world as a multicultural, multi-dimensional, inter-racial society.
The Shaolin Darkness series is like that. The heroes and villains are more than pulp fiction caricatures but have deep, even pathologic personalities. Murder, madness, and mayhem ”” with an on again, off again romance that drives our young protagonist crazy.

Q. There is an extraordinary amount of violence, including brutality against animals. Is this really necessary?

The underbelly of the world does not battle using Gentleman’s Warfare principles or conduct meetings with Robert’s Rules of Order. The lives of humans and beasts are insignificant. Bloodshed and assassination just go with the territory. That being said, none of the violence is gratuitous and are essential story elements.

Q. What order should I read the books in?

A. While each book has its own complete story arc, I suggest reading them in numerical order.

TIGER – Shaolin Darkness 1
SNAKES – Shaolin Darkness 2
CRANE – Shaolin Darkness 3
LEOPARD – Shaolin Darkness 4
DRAGON – Shaolin Darkness 5

The short 10,000 word prequel, UNLEASHED is not necessary to appreciate the series but is a great case study in the making of a psychopath.

Q. You’re a pretty new author. Why should I give you a try?

A. Fair question. I launched the Shaolin Darkness series May 2014 and the first books have hit the Top 50 Bestsellers in several categories of Kindle. I try to make sure that each new release continues with creative action, unexpected twists and turns and riveting stories.

WESLEY ROBERT LOWE

I write what I know and care about.

My work is infused with relentless furious action and/or paranormal charismata. Contemporary worlds infused with mysticism. Breathless, brain-twisting plots. High stakes suspense that churns the psyche.

But ultimately it is knowing and experiencing the lives of people that provide the impetus of Stories that Grip the Soul.

I’ve made music with Kainai First Nations, helped save Russian refugees from deportation, hung with Martial Arts Grandmasters, counseled WWII vets on their deathbeds. Not to mention deep Chinese, cultural participation,

Wesley Robert Lowe is an award-winning writer, filmmaker and composer (including four seasons on Sesame St.).

Book Review: TORTURED

Title: Tortured (Tortured Soul #1) 

Author: Kate Givans
Series: Tortured Soul Series, Book 1
Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Publisher: Kate Givans
Publication Year: 2014

More than a year after the death of his best friend, Josh is still tormented by the past. Everything changes when free-spirited Willow barges into his life. She challenges him, helps him feel something other than the overwhelming pain, sadness, and anger.
There’s just one problem.
Underneath that carefree spirit, Willow is elusive and secretive. Josh believes she may be fighting a few demons of her own, but the harder he tries to uncover the truth, the more she pushes him away.
Can Josh get her to open up before it’s too late? Or will he discover that some secrets are better left untold?

I’ve read quite a number of novels about moving on & Tortured belongs to my Top Ten Favorites! Kate Givans captured the emotions of love, acceptance, trust & hope in Josh & Willow.

Josh thought he’d be forever imprisoned by guilt after his bestfriend Brad died in his hands. He couldn’t work properly, he was getting left behind in his studies, he didn’t want to drive a car, he couldn’t even take a look at one.

Then a bird-girl showed him how to break out, let go, fly away, be free.

Willow, a spirited girl, helped Josh get his wings back, but there seems to be something holding her back to the ground. A secret she never liked to share, even to Josh, after all the good things she’d done for him. When Josh wanted to get intimate with her, she scurried back to her nest and hide.

After reading the last chapter of the book, I was left hanging in the air. What’s the big secret Willow has been hiding?

Now I’m getting tortured guessing and thinking and anticipating the next book!

K A T E   G I V A N S 

Hello! I’m new adult and contemporary romance author Kate Givans. Those closest to me might say I’m quirky, clumsy, and a little off-key . . . but they also know there’s more to me than my oddities and eccentricities. kategivans

I’ve always been a bit of a book nerd, reading almost anything I could get my hands on.
Now I’m fortunate enough to be the one writing the stories. No stranger to the darker and more painful aspects of life, I drag my complicated characters through unimaginable losses and pain–domestic violence, death, sex trafficking, child abuse, and more. But because I’m obsessed with creating more empathy, understanding, and compassion in the world, those same characters often find the happily ever afters that seem to evade us in everyday life.

In addition to my fiction writing, I contribute annually to the End the Silence Campaign. I also blog about parenting at Growing Your Baby, and I provide non-fiction copywriting services. In my “spare” time, I also offer formatting services to other Indie authors.

I’m also a wife and mother of five with a serious coffee addiction. I like to dance for no reason at all, I’m a day-dreamer who loves to play with the voices in my head, and somewhere in the midst of all the fun and crazy, I remind myself to “breathe” and enjoy the life I have.

Review: His Frozen Heart by Nancy Straight

Author Nancy Straight will be touring His Frozen Heart from November 3-14, 2014.

Join us for reviews and more!

Author: Nancy Straight

Publisher: Self-published

Age Group: NA

Genre: Romantic Suspense

For best friends, Candy and Libby, money is tight with hardly enough to cover their living expenses. When they are desperate for grocery money, the girls bet on their pool playing skills to add to their income.A simple wager on a quiet winter evening has devastating results, with a stalker determined to kill them both. With Libby in the hospital after a vicious attack, and Candy being pursued by the same stalker, she vows to find Libby's attacker.
What she finds is Dave, an old friend with a secret past filled with misfortune. Will Dave’s past provide the answer to all of Candy’s problems or will it become Candy’s worst nightmare realized?

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I’m so glad I had the opportunity to read the latest contemporary romance novel penned by Nancy Straight and I am proud to say that I’ve read the whole story twice. I just can’t seem to get enough of Candy Kane, (the character, not the sweet candy treat I usually get every Christmas) and her one-of-a-kind man, Dave. I have indulged myself in this story, even imagined myself as Candy, and made me fall in love all over again.

The premise follows BFFs Candy and Libby breaking in. Actually, it was Libby’s idea to go to her professor’s house (Mr. Brink) and tee-pee the ground (wrap the lawn with rolls of toilet paper) and sneak out. But their plans went awry when an “Intruder Alert” boomed across the lawn. Cut to graduation day, Candy couldn’t take a look at their superintendent’s face while getting her diploma because the house they actually TPed was the superintendent’s house and not Mr. Brinks’. It was actually a cute scene.

Then Candy’s parents had to move to New Mexico and had to leave the house to Candy & Libby who would shoulder the rent. The two struggled financially, to the point that they no longer had anything to eat. So they resorted to sharking pool in a nearby bar, where Candy was awarded chicken wings and Libby hustled off $400 from two brothers. However, things didn’t go well with the guys; the older brother warned Candy & Libby to leave immediately after his younger brother reluctantly and violently paid them. Things got down harsher and dirtier when midnight came, after Candy went to her work at a gas station. She almost died when stranger attacked and shot at her. Good thing she was inside a bulletproof booth, so her life was spared. Before the attacker left, he told her about getting back the $400 that she and Libby had sharked from his friend and he told her that he had gone to their house and made sure Libby won’t be talking soon.

Candy’s life shattered after this. Her bestfriend was in the hospital in a life-and-death situation, her house was broken into and the attacker was waiting for her to come home, but thanks to her elderly neighbor, she managed to escape death again. But the one surprise she didn’t count on was seeing Dave, who was once her high school classmate. Dave had grown into a beautiful man, far different from what he used to be. But one thing that really worried and puzzled her was Dave’s involvement with the thug inside her house and with the brothers that they have hustled off in a pool game. Dave had always been mysterious in high school, and five years later, he still mystified Candy to no end.

I won’t divulge the rest of the story, but one thing for sure, this is one of the best and wonderfully written books I’ve read this year. Candy’s & Libby’s emotional life stories made me cry, Dave’s childhood had me sobbing and the ending really kept me on the edge of my seat. It was a really sweet end that made me believe in happy ever after. Although there were still some questions left unanswered, I was left grinning from each-to-ear and had me dreaming about the characters at night. I seriously thought I was part of the book and I actually yearned to be in Candy’s shoes, except for those brush with death scenarios.

Nancy Straight has done it again! I’ve actually been a fan of hers from her first book, Missing Destiny, up to her Legacy series. Nancy Straight is a pure genius. She knows how to tickle a poor hopeless romantic like me. She describes the characters and the plot with vivid details. From the first page all the way to the last, I never got bored with her writing. The story was something that would stay on my mind for the next weeks or months to come. Those nights that I stayed up late just to be able to finish His Frozen Heart was all worth it.

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Author Nancy Straight Bio: 
I LOVE Starbucks’ White Mocha Latte and Mountain Dew, (but not together). I have a lead foot so I set cruise control when I drive, even in 25 MPH zones. I almost never win when I play Angry Birds, but have my 9 year old close, so he can clear the hard levels for me. I grew up on a farm and am opposed to eating fresh chicken (not opposed to meat - just opposed to any meat that was alive a few hours before lunch). I am a huge fan of the show, Big Bang Theory, on CBS. I share my life with two fantastic sons, three rotten dogs and a husband that I adore. 

Twitter: @NancyStraight
Blog: www.NancyStraight.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-Straight/243616005687882
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4114202.Nancy_Straight

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