REVIEW: Eric J. Gates - Outsourced

Genre: Mystery / Thriller

Publisher: Amazon

Publication Date: 18^th Sept 2014

Pages: 302

MY REVIEW:

A copy of Outsourced was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author Eric J. Gates in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Amazon.

Eric J. Gates. Another one I have to confess never reading before but I enjoy a good thriller and it sounded right up my street so I thought why not? I love it when my instincts are right.

Nic Stiles is an author going through a rough patch. His relationship with his wife is on the rocks. He is suffering from the cursed writers block. His arch rival and stable mate with his publishers, Grayson Fallon is amassing success story after success story.

During a retreat to his cabin to try and rectify the writer’s block and keep up with Fallon, he receives a strange package in the post. A pen. Not just any old ordinary pen, according to the letter enclosed with it.

Polanksi is a mass serial killer. He knows he is guilty, his lawyer knows he is guilty, but he has just walked free. He has decided to go straight after he tidy’s up a few loose ends. He was the previous owner of the pen.

Stiles discovers the pen has certain “qualities” that can give the owner huge benefits if used correctly. Unfortunately that isn’t what he has done. He must now try to set things straight by teaming up with an unlikely ally while trying to escape the clutches of every government agency in the country and beyond.

The only other issue is the fact Polanksi would like his pen back.

REVIEW: David Dubrow - The Blessed Man And the Witch

Genre: Apocalyptic Thriller

Publisher: David Dubrow

Publication Date: 6^th March 2014

Pages: 392

MY REVIEW:

A copy of The Blessed Man And the Witch was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by David Dubrow himself.

Hector Shaw is a former soldier trying to deal with PTSD. His relationship with his wife Reyna is strained to say the least. Especially since his return from a “fugue” state, where he completely disappeared for exactly one year and he has no idea where he was or what he did during that time. He has recently been recruited by a private security firm with no idea of their hidden objectives.

Siobhan Dempsey is an average young girl getting her life in order and preparing for whatever it throws at her. She has always been interested in magick. After trying her hand at some rituals she discovers she is good at it. Really good at it.

Armageddon is coming. Forces of Hell and evil are amassing an army right under the noses of every person living on the earth. The forces of Heaven and good must band together to be ready for the fight. There is no guarantee which side will be the victor.

Is Hector the Blessed Man? Is Siobhan the Witch? What will their roles be in this fight to the end? No one knows. Not even themselves.

REVIEW: Tamara Jones - Spore

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Publication Date: 2^nd June 2015

Pages: 301

MY REVIEW:

A copy of Spore was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author Tamara Jones in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Samhain Publishing.

I seem to be saying this a lot lately, but, I have seen the name Tamara Jones floating around but I never read her stuff before. I can only ask myself why the hell not. I will be rectifying that mistake by adding more of Mrs Jones to my ever growing “To Be Read” pile.

Sean Casey is an artist. He draws the pictures for a comic called Ghoulbane. On a normal day he takes a break from his sketching and goes to his back yard for a breather. One after another, ten random people appear out of nowhere and walk onto his property. They are all naked and confused.

It transpires these people are all dead and have been for varying amounts of time. Something has happened to the water by the local cemetery and they have all “Spored”. Brought back from the dead in perfect condition, better, in fact, than they were when they died.

Sean has to try and deal with this phenomenon the best way he can. He finds fame from television interviews he gave. He finds scorn when he allows Mindy, one of the Spore’s to move into his house until she can get settled and rebuild her “life”. He finds violence when Mindy’s ex tries to put her back underground. He finds constant torture from his nightmares about his troubled childhood. Old evils come to life again. Quite literally. Who will survive? The living or the dead?

INTERVIEW: TAMARA JONES: PART TWO

Welcome to the interview with Tamara Jones, Part Two.

In tonight’s section, Tamara talks about her new novel Spore due out on 2^nd June from Samhain and what is coming up in the future for us fans.

As always on Confessions, Tamara will also be taking on The Ten Confessions. As with last night, Tamara gives us very honest answers to some mediocre questions making this one of the most interesting interviews I have done to date.

As always grab a drink, some nibbles and most of all, enjoy!

COAR - Moving on to Spore – what’s it all about from your point of view?

TJ - It's about how abuse and trauma send ripples through families and lives. Pretty much everyone in the book has an abuse or trauma back-story they're trying to overcome. Of course the story is a lot more complicated than that - there's a lot of second chance and rebirth aspects as well, but that's the geek point for me.

INTERVIEW: TAMARA JONES: PART ONE

Tamara Jones. A name many of you may not be familiar with. To be perfectly honest neither was I until Tamara contacted me to see if I would be interested in a review copy of her new book due out next week, Spore.

One thing I have taken out of this contact I have had with Tamara, and reading Spore is that I intend to rectify that and I will be looking out for anything else she writes in the future.

She is a lovely person who has been only too happy to put up with my questions/demands throughout this interview and has provided a very candid insight into her world of writing and her life in general.

We ended up with so much content that I have decided to split the interview over two nights. In Part One tonight, Tamara will be answering some general questions about her previous books and her life in general. Part Two tomorrow night will be all about Spore and of course The Ten Confessions.

Grab a beer and burger and enjoy!!

COAR - I quote "For a nice, Mid-West housewife, Jones is a sick lady. I mean that in the nicest way." Care to put the record straight and tell us all a bit about yourself?

TJ - I'm a delightfully married middle-aged housewife from Iowa, with one daughter, a granddaughter, too many pets and a very patient and supportive husband. I just happen to slaughter people on paper for money. By 'slaughter' I don't mean there's a body barely visible under a bush ala a cozy mystery. Nope, I eviscerate the bastards and fling entrails about. I also make quilts. A LOT of quilts.

I am fascinated by dichotomy, mostly because I live it every day.

ANNOUNCEMENT: UPCOMING INTERVIEW AND REVIEW: TAMARA JONES

I am very happy to announce that as part of her virtual promotional tour to promote the release of her new book Spore, housewife, quilter and killer of people on paper (read: massacring people to be honest, no messing about here!) – Tamara Jones will be appearing on the blog next week!

Monday 25^th will see a very candid interview with Tamara where she talks about her life, her writing and of course the new novel Spore, being released by Samhain on 2^nd June. Tamara proves in this interview that not only is her writing a thing of beauty but she can also turn some very mediocre questions into an extremely interesting interview.

I will be publishing my review of Spore the following night, Tuesday 26^th.

Please pop along to the blog and show your support for a lady who makes her debut on Confessions of a Reviewer after a debut in my reading pile. I can assure you though, it will not be the last.

REVIEW: Kristopher Rufty - The Lurking Season

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Publication Date: 3^rd February 2015

Pages: 339

MY REVIEW:

This review of The Lurking Season by Kristopher Rufty is the result of a copy sent to Ginger Nuts of Horror in exchange for an honest review.

I have previously read The Night Everything Changed by Mr Rufty. This is a short which introduces us to the Haunchies. I loved it, so jumped at the chance to read and review this one.

I have seen some people complain that this is a sequel and is not advertised as such. I didn’t know that either. You don’t need to. It stands up very well by itself without reading the previous one.

Whispers have been in the air for decades about the little people that live in the woods surrounding Doverton. They are supposed to be vicious beyond belief. Some of the stories are horrific nightmares. Outsiders don’t tend to know them though.

A group of people are renovating an old house in the area. They are planning to use it as a retreat for people who have suffered abuse of many kinds. A place of sanctuary. A place to recuperate. A place surrounded by evils they have no idea exists. The house they have bought used to belong to the “queen” of the Haunchies. They don’t like the idea people have moved in. They want to claim the house back. At any cost.

REVIEW: Todd Keisling - Ugly Little Things: Volume One

Genre: Horror

Publisher: Precipice Books

Publication Date: 3^rd Feb 2015

Pages: 150

MY REVIEW:

A copy of Ugly Little Things: Volume One was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author Todd Keisling in exchange for an honest review. This is said review. This book is published by Precipice Books.

I have read one other short story by Todd Keisling in the past so I was delighted when he asked if I would like to review Ugly Little Things: Volume One

This is a collection of four of his short stories. The stories in this book don’t follow a common theme. They are totally different styles and that to me makes it even more interesting. You get a true picture of depth of talent this man has. I have included my feelings of each story in this collection.

RADIO FREE NOWHERE

Conrad and Ashley are on a road trip. Ashley left the IPOD at home and the music on the radio is pathetic. Conrad doesn’t know but she did it on purpose. His music is pathetic as well.

When they stop for gas, Ashley is entranced by a song she hears playing inside the station. The attendant tries to give her some ear plugs so she can block out the music. She doesn’t understand why and refuses them.

She should have listened to him.

REVIEW: J.D. Barker - Forsaken

Genre: Horror / Witchcraft

Publisher: Hampton Creek Press

Publication Date: 14^th Nov 2014    

Pages: 388

MY REVIEW:

Forsaken by J.D. Barker has been on my Goodreads “wish list” for a long long time. Other things just kept getting in the way of me acquiring it and reading it. When a friend of mine and fellow blogger/reviewer, Maxine Groves, messaged me to let me know she was helping with the promo for the book and would I be interested in a review copy, I decided enough with the waiting and let’s get it in the “near future” to be read pile. Why the hell did I wait so long! Thanks Maxine (she knows her books people) you have just reminded me why I need to follow my gut when it comes to a book.

Thad McAlister is an author. He struggled to begin with but now he is at the top of the New York Times bestsellers list. He has just finished his latest book. It wasn’t very hard to write. In fact it sometimes felt as though he didn’t write it at all. It is based around the witch trials in Salem in 1692. Is it fiction? Is it fact? Is it something completely different?

As he leaves for New York to meet his agent to pass over the manuscript, His wife Rachael and daughter Ashley stay at home waiting on the birth of their second child. Unbeknown to Rachael, her husband is in grave danger when he arrives in New York, being hunted by an ancient evil. Unbeknown to Thad, his wife and daughter are in grave danger in their own home, threatened by the same ancient evil.

She has been banished since 1692. She wants to come back. She intends to use Thad and his family for just that purpose. Suddenly Thad’s work of fiction becomes reality.

REVIEW: Stephen Kozeniewski - Braineater Jones

Genre: Horror / Noir / Zombies / Fantasy

Publisher: Red Adept Publishing, LLC

Publication Date: 14^th Oct 2013

Pages: 234

MY REVIEW:

A copy of Braineater Jones was sent to Confessions of a Reviewer by the author Stephen Kozeniewski in exchange for an honest review. This is said review.

Another new one on me. Never heard of Stephen Kozeniewski before he sent me this through Confessions, for a review. I love it when new authors (to me) take the time to contact me and push their stuff for a review. You sometimes get stuff that, to be honest, I put down after a page or two. Sometimes you get stuff like this. Looks a bit bizarre and maybe not in your normal reading piles but worth a shot. Imagine my surprise when I noticed Mr Kozeniewski’s name in an anthology I started to read at the same time. Coincidence? I think more fate. After reading Braineater Jones I’m going to jump straight to his story in the anthology. He is rather bloody good.

A man awakes face down in a swimming pool. Well, he doesn’t really wake up. That’s because he is dead. The huge hole in his chest sort of points to that. He has no idea where he is, who he is, what happened to him or where he needs to go. He adopts the name of Braineater Jones and sets about tracking down his killer. His only friend, it appears, is an “undead” like himself. Problem is, he is only a head with no body and pretty useless in a bar brawl.