Review: Hunted By The Others

Hunted By The Others
by Jess Haines

They are the Others—the vampires, mages, and werewolves once thought to exist only in our imaginations. Now they’re stepping out of the shadows, and nothing in our world will ever be the same again…

In a Town Like This, Being A P.I. Can Be Murder

Shiarra Waynest’s detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm—if it doesn’t kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York’s most powerful vampires.

As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend—a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing—and a nerdy mage with surprising  talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren’t always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil—whether she likes it or not… From www.jesshaines.com

I bought this book at Authors After Dark in 2010 and decided to sneak in the read before 2011. I am so glad I did. Jess Haines is exceptionally kind and her writing is so refreshing. One of the unique things about Hunted By The Others is that the reader gets to follow along as the heroine changes from an ordinary woman to an extraordinary champion.

Ever wonder when a heroine changes from wearing a simple jacket to a leather duster? As Shia struggles to make the best of her circumstances she starts acquiring her kick-ass arsenal and allies. The secondary characters are diverse and entertaining. Most of them veiled with a hint of mystery and promised thrills. Jess tells it all and never misses a beat. Right down to equipment discomforts and awkward accessories. Shia is just a normal small-time business owner who ends up in the middle of a paranormal power struggle albeit well armed.

In addition to a fresh look at how characters come to be, Jess also braved writing a world where the paranormal characters are not only known but defended by law. In many cases, "The Others" have more rights than full-blooded humans. I was intrigued at the world Jess created and the amusing but sometimes alarming consequences of this world. From rouge anti-Other groups to criminal law, Jess does a fantastic job of addressing social intricacies without detracting from the story and character development.

I have always been fascinated by detailed story telling and I thoroughly enjoyed Jess's character development and introduction into Shia's world. Hunted By The Others drew me in and kept me anticipating till the last page. I was so engrossed in the story that I was shocked when it ended. As I turned the last few pages I literally shivered with chills. Hunted By The Others was a delight to read and I cannot wait to start Taken By The Others!

For more information and reviews on this book please visit Jess Haines website!

Now Available: I AM NUMBER FOUR: The Lost Files: Six’s Story

NOW AVAILABLE:

I AM NUMBER FOUR: The Lost Files: Six’s Story
By Pittacus Lore

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorians; nine who scattered on Earth and went into hiding; nine who live among us and look like ordinary teenagers, but who have extraordinary skills. The Mogadorians found and killed Numbers One, Two, and Three. Then they found Number Six. They followed her, they hunted her down—and they caught her.

Taking place before the adventures of the New York Times bestseller I AM NUMBER FOUR, I AM NUMBER FOUR: The Lost Files: Six’s Story is the riveting story of Six’s harrowing capture and eventual escape from the Mogadorians. Perfectly timed to get fans excited for THE POWER OF SIX and custom-made for the those who loved the I AM NUMBER FOUR ebook, I AM NUMBER FOUR: The Lost Files: Six’s Story is a novella-length digital original available exclusively as an ebook.


For more insight into Sarah's mind, sign up for Pittacus Lore's AuthorTracker at http://iamnumberfourfans.com/ and get entries from her journal sent to you each week leading up to the release of THE POWER OF SIX on August 23rd.

COMING AUGUST 23rd:

The Power of Six
By Pittacus Lore

In the beginning they were a group of nine. Nine aliens who left their home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack by the evil Mogadorians, who scattered on Earth and went into hiding, who look like ordinary teenagers, but who have extraordinary skills. The Mogadorians killed Number One, Number Two, and Number Three. They tried to kill Number Four, John Smith ...and failed.

Following a massive battle at the end of I AM NUMBER FOUR that proved that the Mogadorians have found him at last, John joined forces with Number Six. Now the fate of Lorien—and Earth— rests in the hands of these two teens.

Already John and Six have inspired a fellow Lorien—Marina, Number Seven—who has been hiding in Spain. She’s been following the news of what’s happening in the US, and she’s certain it’s the sign she’s been waiting for.


Check out the OFFICIAL FACEBOOK PAGE!

Winner Announcement!

Thank you to everyone who entered my Lisa Beth Darling Giveaway!

 Special thanks for following my blog, tweeting and posting the contest.

Winners: Temperance and Lexi

Almost Time for AAD

I am so excited that Authors After Dark 2011 is right around the corner. So many fantastic readers, bloggers and authors are attending this year. I cannot wait to see everyone from last year and meet new friends. Since I cannot get my mind off of the impending date, I thought I would share some tips for those attending. These are not rules, just opinions - so use your best judgement...

What to bring:
1. Comfortable jammies but not to comfy. You might be asked to join others at a night party and yah, last year my jammies were great for sleeping, but not for gallivanting around hotel hallways *blushes*.

2. CASH! You will need cash for raffle tickets, some workshops, books, drinks and snacks.

3. Bring ROOM! You WILL have a ton of goodies and books by the end of the convention. Make sure to pack an empty bag or bring money for shipping boxes. I shipped two boxes home last year and I swear my carry-on still weighed 40 lbs. When my husband picked it up he almost tipped over.

4. If you want books or body parts signed *giggles*, you may want to bring a good marker. Authors are busy, busy and there to have fun. So help them out.

5. Bring a small camera, larger ones can take too long to get the shot and Stella is like a shadow wraith. If you want a picture of an allusive author I find the run and jump technique to work best!

6. Your sense of humor! Everyone is there to have a good time and the event is very relaxed. Be ready to laugh, cry and smile like damn fool. If you have PMS or the-thing-men-get, just forget it at home.

7. A mobile, internet accessing device thingie. JoJo had one and I did not. So she kept up with all the convention happenings and I was lost in the DARK! It was all I could do not the tackle her every time her phone chirped. 

Don't Bother:
1. Swimsuit... *snort* As if I had time to swim.

2. Books from home. Really!? I brought 3 last year and read about 10 pages. This may be a "book" convention but do not expect to read.

3. A cape! It seemed like a good idea for the ball. But both me and JoJo ended up with messy, damp, cape-like-blankets to bring back home. And seriously, when will I ever wear that again!? Sorry JoJo, was a bad idea on my part. Not to mention I could not figure out how to hold the front and looked like a flasher!

Tips:
1. NAME TAG! Wear it! Make sure it is facing outward *slaps head* and is not upside down. There will be a ton of people and most are new to each other so make sure you make yourself known!

2. Notepad and pen? At times I wanted them and other times I was glad to avoid the commitment of taking notes. Not like I am a blogger... errrrr... crap!

3. Make an effort. Some of the attendees may be shy, reclusive, tired or lost. Invite others to your corner, table, group, bed, or short walk outside for air.

4. I know, I know. I DID THIS! And me and JoJo will most likely be like glue again this year, but TRY to sit with different groups at meals. So grab your MUST HAVE friend and pick a new spot. Try and find Stella. It's kind-a like the Waldo game only much harder!

5. Know the books or at least know of the books. A little late for this tip, huh? Last year I had not read many of the authors at the convention. Which was awesome because they were all new and we LOVE new authors. BUT, I also found a couple conversations hard to contribute to. So if you have not read an author, at least ask them what they write about or ask a friend.

Well, I think that sums up the basics! See you all in Philly!

Its all in the numbers...

I thought I would do a quick post to share some fantastic numbers with all of my wonderful followers and visitors! I was shocked the other afternoon when I realized how many people have befriended, followed, liked and connected with me. So here are some numbers:

GFC followers: 513
Email subscriptions: 27
Twitter followers: 1,014
Facebook friends: 450

Want to join in!?
Facebook | Twitter

And I just started a new Twitter and Facebook account dedicated to book cover design. So far my followers are small but I welcome anyone who loves design to join in! 

CoverByRobin
Facebook | Twitter

I also recreated a new DeviantArt gallery!
Please check it out here: http://coversbyrobin.deviantart.com/ 

In celebration of all my fantastic numbers I will be holding a very special contest when I return from Authors After Dark in August! Please keep following for more information.

Review: Changling Dream

Changeling Dream
by Dani Harper

In times of stress Jillian Descharme has always found calm in her dream of a great white wolf with haunting blue eyes. But she is startled when the visions return and this time seem so  real. Late at night he comes to her, speaks to her, touches her.

Thirty years ago James Macleod lost his wife and unborn child to a killer bent on destroying the Changelings. Though he longed for death, his animal instinct fought for survival and
James has been a wolf ever since. Yet now a woman has reawakened the man in him, taming wild  instincts but arousing still wilder needs. With his ancient enemy hunting the legendary white wolf, James must fight for new life, new hope, new love. From www.daniharper.com

Sometimes I want to read a book just to read. With no obligation, timeline or commitments. After I finished Changeling Moon (review here), I could not wait to get started on Changeling Dream. But I was not necessarily going to review it. *gasp* I just wanted a leisurely read while on vacation. As most vacations we take go, I had no time to read. But I devoured this book once home.

So here I am giving a quick review of one of the best books I have read this year. Dani stepped up her game and wrote an even more astounding book in Changeling Dream. I was hooked from the start. The characters are so incredibly real, painfully honest and raw. I was completely absorbed in their lives from the start.

Unlike Changeling Moon, Changeling Dream was filled with sweet, agonizingly slow love. The kind that keeps you on your seat and perhaps occasionally shaking the book. These two characters needed each other. NEEDED. I needed them to find each other. The story unravels with beautiful grace. Like a ribbon falling almost impossibly slow to the ground, fluttering with twists and turns. Shimmering with newness.

Both the heroine and hero have engaging back stories and lives. I truly enjoyed living the story through their eyes and hearts. The anticipation of love, hate and evil was all encompassing. I knew things would be fine, but I also KNEW that the characters were going to be tested again. I was completely invested in this book and story by the end.

I know a book is outstanding when I cannot wait to share about it, when I write a review just because It MUST be said. When I wipe an errant tear off my check and smile like a fool at the book. When I have an almost overwhelming urge to hug the book. This book was that good, that spectacular.

I cannot wait to read the next book by Dani, Changeling Dawn, which is due out in January.

Author Bio
Dani Harper, author of Changeling Moon, writes paranormal romance, blogs about the paranormal, watches paranormal TV and movies, and reads paranormal books of almost any kind. So it's only natural that werewolves, faeries, ghosts and other supernatural creatures populate her stories. She lives on an island in Southeast Alaska with her fisherman husband. Her stories get written on land or at sea with the help of her executive secretary, Fiona the Pug. For more information please visit http://www.daniharper.com/  and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter.

This book was received from the promoter to read and/or review. No compensation given.

Family Road Trip... Come Along!

Well we took our first family road trip in early July. First off, let me say that we would definitely do things differently next time. The main destination was Orlando, Florida. The main purpose was to go to Florida to see if it is somewhere we would be interested in moving.

So we left early and went to a water park hotel in Des Moines, IA. What can I say about Iowa... *yawn*. Yup, that sums it up. The water park was PACKED. Apparently it is the only water park, or perhaps hotel with a pool, in Iowa. The whole town was there. It was Thursday at 8 PM, what the hell. The water was so chlorinated that both kids eyes were bright red... hello vacation. *sigh*

The next stop was the St. Louis Zoo in Missouri. FANTASTIC and FREE! Best penguin exhibit ever! But hot as the 7th ring of hell. We also forgot the tennis shoes in the car and like hell if we were going back to get them. So poor baby girl had 4 band-aids by the end of the day. Oh well... they went well with the red eyes. The rest of St. Louis seemed fine... we just drove through. I cannot say how many times we thanked the techno-gods for GPS.

Onward to our hotel in Brentwood, TN. The drive in Tennessee is beautiful. In fact, the most scenic drive we had. The hotel was unremarkable, and the management was simply frightening. We had to sign a waiver that the manager had a super nose and would smell smoke if we smoked... SHE WOULD KNOW. Ummmm, yah, neither of us smoke... but if the threats from the front desk did not make an impression the multiple notices in the room were great reminders *rolls eyes*.

Next stop, was in blistering hot Montgomery, Alabama. I swear the pavement was steaming or perhaps crying. We took a break here to visit the zoo. Yes, husband was thrilled. But they had giraffe feeding! Not as nice as St. Louis, but the zoo boasts some fantastic animal enclosures with a mixture of plains animals. This to me was cool and it rained a little, also coooool :)

The rest of Alabama had me checking the door locks. Now, do not get me wrong, I am sure there are perfectly wonderful places there, but we did not pass them. I saw a home being reclaimed by nature, that was neat. I also started counting dead armadillos.

Finally, FLORIDA. Tallahassee to be exact. But it was too dark too see what looked to be a very lovely city. The hotel was UNBELIEVABLE. The best we have ever stayed in. I should have taken pictures. So modern and posh, we all felt like movie stars. We left early the next morning to drive the Gulf coast and see the cities along the way. We drove from Tallahassee to Cape Coral. Unfortunately, we were not impressed. Of course, Mr. Man picked a road with stop lights every two blocks. Then we crested a hill and yes, the words out of my mouth were, "What fresh hell is this!?". So into the road construction we went. We did stop breifly to check out the Gulf of Mexico. No waves... cigarettes in the sand. Ewwww and moving on.

From Cape Coral we traveled to Orlando. Now this we knew. One wonderful day in Sea World and two days at Universal Studios. Heat, people and coasters. *gags* Sea World is always one of our favorites. But the trainers did not get in the water with the whales, that was sad. We did sit in the splash zone... and yes, everyone get soaked. Thanks Shamu. Universal was all about Harry Potter, which was awesome and the longest waiting line ever. But worth it. Both kids bought wands and we got to see a couple short acts featuring the students! FUN! There was even a line for the gift shop in Potters world. Good times.

From sunny Orlando we drove up the Atlantic coast to Jacksonville. This was more our speed. Waves, shells and soft, squish-between-toes sand. We checked into our hotel and drove to Jacksonville beach. Free parking, score! Since it was drizzling and stormy we were the only ones there. Was fantastic and peacfull. Little man vomitted salt water. Now that is a memory :)

Off to Savannah and Tybee beach. Now we have all heard that this is the most beautiful area/city in the US. Perhaps we saw the wrong part. Busy, slow and congested. I am more of a wide open spaces gal and it was soooo crowded. Tybee beach was even worse, and much farther then we imagined from Savannah. We parked, paid the meter, looked and left. Our next destination was the aquarium in Atlanta, GA. Atlanta is a remarkable city. The aquarium was extraordinarily. Husband had already seen enough animals and spent the time mocking all the product placement, but the rest of us loved it. They had the biggest Manta Rays! I wish I had pictures, but all the fish were behind glass, in water. Who knew?

On our way home we stayed in St. Louis after a fantastic meal at a mall in Chattanooga. Again, Tennessee was so fun to drive in and lovely to see. No to mention, going down a mountain at 80 in a 55... no big deal, everyone else was doing it! This side of St. Louis, not nearly as nice. In fact it was literally falling to pieces and our hotel was awful. Thankfully we were almost home.

One more trip thru..... *yawn*.... Iowa and home sweet home. What would we change, we would go farther and stay in less hotels. Just GET there. We did have a lot of family time and a ton of laughs. We will most likely not be moving to Florida, but that just means more road trips till we find our place in this big world.

Winner Announcement!

Thank you to everyone who entered my BlogFest 2011 Giveaway!

 Special thanks for following my blog, tweeting and posting the contest.

Winner: Holly
Who said: Thanks for the giveaway!

Please check out my current contest (below) for eBook copy of The Heart of War.
There will be 2 winners and the contest is international!

Guest Post/Giveaway: Lisa Beth Darling

What Inspired Me to Write "The Heart of War" 
by Lisa Beth Darling
Website | Blog | Facebook | GoodReads

I'd like to start off by saying that I've had a very voracious interest in Greek Mythology since the 7th grade when my English teacher, Mr. DePeter, introduced us to the Greek Pantheon.  I was lucky enough to have Mr. D again in my senior year of high school when we did the Greek Pantheon and the Greek Tragedies.  That was it- I was hooked.  I loved everything about Greek Mythology and I still do, the ritual, the pageantry, the drama, the trials, the loves and the losses. Let's face it, it's really got everything.

The main thing it's got is Ares.

Secondly, I want to say that I've always felt Ares God of War was the most misunderstood and outright dumped-on character in Greek Mythology.  I never saw him as being inherently evil or anything like that but, instead, I see him as the Yang to Aphrodite's Yin. The Goddess of Love truly represents femininity in its most beautiful, loving, and nurturing form. The God of War, to me, has always represented masculinity in its rawest form.

Over the years, I came to use the character of Ares in several fan fiction based novels and short stories revolving around Stargate SG-1.   Ares didn't start out as major character within that series, he was never supposed to be a major character, but he stole the show in the end. In "Daughter of the Gods" Ares was the guy that you either 1-HATED or 2-LOVED to hate.  There was no middle ground with him. When the time came to end the series and to leave fan fiction behind I didn't want to lose him. Of all the characters I'd created in this massive off-shoot world from SG-1 I couldn't bear to leave Ares behind with the rest.  Truth be told, instead of 'Daniel Jackson', Ares became the driving force behind the whole thing from the second novel through to the end.

I wrote a mainstream romance novel "Dream Weaver" with no sci-fi, no fantasy, and no Ares. It's a good book, a nice story if you like things on the darker side.  It wasn't me. I wanted to go back to doing what I do best which is dark stories for adults; no fluff, no frills, just a wild rollercoaster ride.  Ares popped up and said; "Hey, what about me? Did you forget me?"

Nope, I had not forgotten but couldn't see where a novel with Ares actually in the hero role would be read by anyone.  If he were the 'bad guy'-which he would be typically, and Apollo were the hero then that would be better. Or so I thought. In my heart, I really wanted to give Ares a shot at being the hero he always wanted to be throughout "Daughter of the Gods".  The idea rolled the idea around in my head for a few weeks.  To help me decide and give a little inspiration I always love to go to Google and looks for pictures.

Like this one….

 

Yeah, if that picture doesn't knock your socks off nothing will!

See, quite a long while after I graduated from high school, two little TV shows made their appearances. They were "Hercules the Legendary Journeys" and "Xena Warrior Princess" respectively.  I loved those shows for many reasons, chief among them being they didn't do a half-bad job with most of the mythology. They were just plain FUN. They were campy and they didn't take themselves too seriously and…they had this awesomely hot hunk to play Ares God of War.  RIP, Kevin Smith, you are missed so very much.

Anyway, that picture me my eye and "The Heart of War" was truly born in about 30 seconds.  That picture gave me the entire novel from beginning to end and, from that point on I didn't care who thought Ares couldn't play the hero!  That looks like hero material to me!  I put my fingers on the keyboard and about five months later the Muse and I had a 500 page novel headed for its last edit. The novel is very proudly and rightly dedicated to Mr. Smith's memory.

Yep, even now whenever I need a little inspiration I just pop that pic and suddenly I'm smiling!

Gee, I wonder why?

The Heart of War

Inside the Heart of every Warrior breathes the Soul of a Hero--even within The Heart of War. Meet Ares God of War, the greatest Warrior the world has ever known. He's moody, grumpy, dominant, ravenously sexual, and above all, built like a Greek God.

Suspected of killing his Daughter in-Law, Psyche, and long in exile from Olympus, the solitude of Ares' secluded Greek Isle is interrupted when Magdalena MacLeod a plucky little Fey washes up on his shore after believing she's been shipwrecked. It's not mere fate that has brought the unlikely couple together yet it may be what tears them apart.

Branded with a golden chastity belt bearing the mark of Cernunnos, Celtic God of the Forest and Death, Alena has been on the run from her husband the Great Horned God for 200 years.

When the Olympians discover her presence on Ares' island, they send Apollo to the island while Ares is away with orders to bring her to Olympus. With nowhere to run and strikes a bargain with the God of War--her virginity for his protection.

Ares sees a sweeter deal; her in his bed and himself back in his rightful place on Olympus among the Gods. If it means turning Alena over to Zeus afterward, well that's of no consequence to him...is it?

After Alena proves herself to the God of War in battle and in his bed, the Ares must choose between his Divinely Dysfunctional Family, his pride, and Alena.

Get lost in this sweeping dark saga of lust, rage, revenge, and redemption. Battle Ancient Gods while falling in love with Ares God of War and Alena MacLeod. They share a love that will rock the world from the heights of Olympus to the Celtic moors.

You can find out more about this novel by visiting the trailer or

http://www.moonsmusings.com/lbdarling/heartofwar

Available at: Amazon ($9.95 until July 31, 2011) | Kindle | Nook | iBooks | Smashwords | All Romance EBooks

Lisa is offering TWO lucky winners an eBook copy of The Heart of War. Winners can choose between the following formats: Adobe, Nook, Kindle, iBooks, Sony, or Palm.

To enter please leave a comment for Lisa on this post as well as your email address. Make sure to encode your email address to avoid spam, exampe: book (at) domain (dot) com.

This contest is international and ends July 22nd.

BlogFest 2011 Giveaway

Welcome to my BlogFest 2011 Giveaway!

Hosted by A Journey of Books!

I am thrilled to be taking part of BlogFest 2011.

Please make sure to visit all of the participating blogs!

One commenter will win 3 books and swag... 

• Belong to the Night by Laurenston, Eden and Quinn (signed)
• Dane by Elizabeth Amber (signed)
• Montana Glory by RC Ryan (ARC)

Th enter FOLLOW this blog and comment on this post. It is that simple!

Please make sure to include your email address (name AT domain DOT com).

Contest ends July 17th. Contest for USA addresses only.  

The fine print: Only one comment will be counted toward entry per household. Reply must be made within 48 hours of the winners announcement. Each entry will be assigned a number and random.org will be used to generate the winner.

I am blog number 77 of the BlogFest! Please check out the next 5 blogs:

78 It's a Romance Thing . . . Ryssa Edwards
79 J. F. Jenkins Writes
80 J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer
81 Jennifer DeLucy's Blog
82 jennifer k jovus

Visit http://www.ajourneyofbooks.com for a full list of participating blogs from July 15th to 17th!
You can also track your visits here: http://blogfest.ajourneyofbooks.com/

Guest Post: Robert Clear, Flawed Characters

If there’s one thing I look for in a story it’s a cast of flawed characters.
 I’ve often seen this term deployed by reviewers against writers who have failed to give the necessary three dimensions to the men and women of their novel, or whose expectations of psychological complexity have been thwarted by the use of literary cardboard cut-outs. For me, however, ‘flawed character’ is something that nicely sums up most of the friends, neighbors and acquaintances we deal with in everyday life, and even, dare I say, us. (And as for that man who stands at the traffic lights, swearing at the pigeons, well…)

Suffice to say I’m rather enthusiastic about giving characters the very flaws that make us human. In fact I’ve always been a fan of the ‘warts-and-all’ approach to depicting fictional individuals; so much so that when I come face-to-face with them between the pages of a book I expect to see a literary profile that resembles pizza with all the toppings.

This inclination, however, presented me with a peculiar problem when it came to writing a book whose main characters are the Greek gods. After all, you need only trot down to the nearest museum to find marble depictions of toned, perfectly proportioned beauties whose chiseled faces exude serenity itself. Naturally they could be wrathful, and weren’t averse to the odd smiting. As a rule, however, they’re depicted as blissfully untarnished by the petty human flaws that afflict mere mortals like us, and which I’m so keen on seeing in literary characters.

I’m not one to bow to convention at the best of times, and in my writing least of all. So when I wrote The Cambridge List I decided that in order not to make a farce of my warts-and-all policy I’d create a cast of divinities that had more flaws than you could shake a stick at. In other words I resolved to make the Greek gods a little less… godly.

The first step on my blasphemous journey was to remove them from the rarefied heights of Mount Olympus. In fact I removed them from classical antiquity altogether. After deciding that they’d be much happier in the modern world I re-housed them in the mind of a former student at Cambridge University with a grudge against his professors. This seemed like a good compromise. After all, not only did it strip them of some of their grandeur, but it provided them with a ready-made epic campaign to satisfy their sense that they were still the center of the cosmos. By forcing James Connor, their unfortunate human vessel, to murder his professors one-by-one they could reclaim a smidgen of their former glory. (Granted, as far as epic campaigns go it’s no Trojan War, but when the universe throws you lemons you might as well make lemonade. And then kill a few mortals.) James isn’t too happy about it of course, but that’s a story for another blog post. The gods, at least, can sit back and bask in their own sense of aloof divinity. Or at least they could if they weren’t so irritatingly flawed. Unfortunately two goddesses in particular amongst the pantheon living in James’s skull are afflicted with an impulse that’s the scourge of workplaces across the mortal world: the desire to be the leader of the pack. Their names are Aphrodite and Hera, and they couldn’t give two figs for collective divine glory. As far each of these alpha-goddesses is concerned, James’s mission to kill his professors is just a cosmic PR campaign. Each will stop at nothing to stamp her mark on the killings and claim glory for herself. Who cares if the mortal doesn’t survive the game? Mortals all die in the end anyway.

That, in a nutshell, is how I have approached my quest for imperfection in my book’s characters. Hopefully it offers some insight into the construction of the story (and acts as a disclaimer for some of the distinctly un-divine antics of the angry deities).

As a side note you’ll probably be glad to hear that I stopped short of making the gods stand at traffic lights, swearing at pigeons. There is, after all, too much of a good thing.

The Cambridge List
Robert Clear

James Connor thinks that murdering his former professors in cold blood is rather a bad idea. Unfortunately his head has been commandeered by a bloodthirsty family of Greek gods, so he doesn’t have a say in the matter. With Hera and Aphrodite at each other’s throats and Dionysos failing to keep order, James’s brain has become a cosmic conflict zone, and he’s worried they’ll leave it in ruins. There’s only one way out: he has to go from socially inept young man to slick sociopath fast. If only he wasn’t so squeamish about mass slaughter.

Follow the world’s least menacing serial killer on his awkwardly murderous journey through the little town of Cambridge, where ancient rituals, scheming academics and divine politics collide. And where murder has consequences unforeseen even by the gods themselves…

The Cambridge List is available on Amazon Kindle for $1.12 or amazon.co.uk for 70p.

And if you think the idle musings of a personage such as myself are likely to amuse you,

they can be found in agonising detail on my blog: www.the-cambridge-list.blogspot.com

Winner Announcement!

Thank you to everyone who entered the Skyrockets In Flight Giveaway!

 Special thanks for following my blog, tweeting and posting the contest.

Winner: Michelle Bledsoe

Skyrockets In Flight Giveaway

Skyrockets In Flight Blog Hop Delight Giveaway!

Hosted by Bells of HangingWithBells, Tigris of TigrisEden's Garden of Books,
Danielle of Lush Book Reviews and JoJo of JoJo's Book Corner!

I would like to wish all of my followers and

guests a safe and happy Independence Day!

One commenter will win 2 books and swag... 

• Bring on the Night by Jeri Smith-Ready
• Mind Games by Carolyn Crane 

Th enter FOLLOW this blog and comment on this post with your favorite thing about summer.

Please make sure to include your email address (name AT domain DOT com).

Contest ends July 10th. Contest for USA addresses only.  

The fine print: Only one comment will be counted toward entry per household. Reply must be made within 48 hours of the winners announcement. Each entry will be assigned a number and random.org will be used to generate the winner.

Please visit all of the participating blogs from July 4th to 10th!