Science fiction/fantasy writer.

Website: http://martinandsmall.com
Twitter: dlmartin6

• dlmartin6: Interview with the Ravenous Neil Anthony Smith http://t.co/5zInhTcj via @LVeraWrites
• dlmartin6: Review: Forgotten by Cat Patrick http://t.co/0P7Z7GHd via @MissyFrye
• dlmartin6: [Review] Sebastian and the Afterlife by William J. Barry http://t.co/apRPZBsL via @Reading4Relief
• dlmartin6: One Insular Tahiti http://t.co/qcBtTLAt via @TheaAtkinson
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Blog: http://twoendsofthepen.blogspot.com/

• Review: FIGURES IN SILK by Vanora Bennett
• Quick read for the weekend, LOVE BY CHANCE
• Review: GENTLE WIND'S CARESS by Anne Brear
• Interview with Jayce Grayson
• Was Merlin from the planet Otharia?

action adventure    apocalyptic fiction    apocalyptic science fiction    apocalyptic series    dream visions    dysotopian    dystopian    fantasy    fantasy action    fiction fantasy urban life    freedom fighters    lady of the lake    love letters    memory weapons    merlin    military    naivete    portals    postapocalyptic fiction    regency romance    science fiction    survival against all odds    telekinetic    telepathy    twins    visions    war    ya   

• The Zagzagel Diaries: Forsaken on Sep. 10, 2010
  
  I love to read short stories, but tend to prefer novelettes and novellas. Word counts of 10,000 to 40,000 words gives the author room to unveil a story and introduce the characters with all the plot twists and turns. My own short stories tend to be 10,000-12,500 words and I need all of those words to tell my story. All of this is a preface for my review of “The Zagzagel Diaries: Forsaken.” Author Bryl R. Tyne unveils a powerful and moving story in only 3200 words; definitely a gift. I was blown away by it. This story focuses on a young man contemplating suicide because of his parent’s reaction to his announcement of being gay. We find Brett standing on a roof top ledge and he is being observed by his guardian angel Zagzagel, Zag, for short. It is Zag’s inner thoughts watching the turmoil rolling through Brett that draws the reader in. Zag has his own pain, his own regrets and, of course, he’s has very strict guidelines from “Big Pappa” on how much intervention he can have in Brett’s decisions, but Zag has feelings for Brett and he disregards his orders and crosses the line. Without giving anymore more of the plot away, all I can say is that my heart went out to Zag first of all and then to Brett. Their brief connection redefines both of them. In only 3200 words, Bryl has created a masterful story that will stay with you long after you finish reading “Forsaken.”
  
• Postmodern Medicine on Oct. 22, 2010
  
  This quirky story opens with Yusuf duping his Turkish cousin, Mr. Mardin, into traveling to England to take a position with a fledgling company, FromBirth Ltd. Yusuf is sketchy with the details about what exactly the position will be, the pay, the accommodations and this avoidance of details sets the stage for the rest of the book. FromBirth Ltd harvests human organs, which is not a new idea, but FromBirth Ltd takes it one step further. With the introduction of new immuno-suppressants from a partner company, they can now literally use every part of the donor body. Mardin is delegated to be the PR guy although he has no PR experience, and he must make a promotional video about a recent donor, Ayeshia Smith, on a shoestring budget. In fact, everything about the company seems to be on a tight budget. Mardin finds this out first-hand when his living arrangements turn out to be a cot in his office. Trevor Price speeds us along from one crazy situation to another mostly involving interviews with the recipients of the donor organs to a trip out to the Glynnebourne Organic Farm, a new “green” company. The author has a flair for dialogue and I found myself chuckling at some of these interviews. The story is filled with an interesting cast of characters including the kind of creepy, Dr. Groome who harvests the body parts, Mr. Stewart Wymer, the business partner who makes decisions on the fly no matter what the consequences, Yusuf, the cousin who isn’t exactly helpful to Mardin, and Debbi, the overworked, moody receptionist. Mr. Price presents us with a satirical commentary with this story, but it made me think about the state of modern medicine and perhaps that was his purpose all along or maybe it’s just a dark fantay.
  
• Cameo the Assassin on Nov. 21, 2010
  
  If you’re looking for a classic good vs. evil book, you won’t find it here. What you will find is a story full of action, surprising twists and turns and a cast of interesting and complicated characters. The story opens up with horrific attack upon Cameo when she was a young girl. While she lay dying, a mysterious stranger, Haffef, comes upon the scene, heals her in his own unique way and her life is forever changed. Fast forward years ahead and Cameo the Assassin has become a legend in her own time. She is a ruthless killer, accepting jobs from the witch, Wick, head of The Association. She moves from job to job with ruthless efficiency while consuming large amounts of alcohol to dull her own inner demons. Her life takes another dramatic turn when her coach is stopped and she is robbed by a pair of highwaymen, Opal and Bell. Against her better judgment, she develops a relationship with these two instead of killing them for stealing from her. This is where the story ramps up the action because everything Cameo does has consequences not only for her, but for everyone she associates with. My favorite character was Opal, the flamboyant dandy. His decisions and interactions with Cameo keep you turning the pages to the very last page. Throughout the book, Cameo is forced to make decisions that are not in her best interest, but she can’t help herself because she finds that after all the years spent alone, she now craves the company of others especially Opal. Haffef comes back on the scene in the last third of the book, compelling Cameo to do a job for him. Because of her bond to him, she cannot refuse his request. Needless to say, a lot happens, relationships change, people die and Cameo must bear witness to it all knowing that all the suffering can be laid directly at her feet. I enjoyed this book, but I do have a complaint about the constant shifting of POV throughout the book. It took me awhile to figure out who was talking during some of the dialogue.
  
• Forbidden The Stars (The Interstellar Age Book 1) on Dec. 23, 2010
  
  3.5 stars out of 5 This book is an ambitious story weaving multiple storylines at once. There is Michael Sanderson, President of Canada Corp’s Space Mining Division; Justine Turner, the first female astronaut who pilots Orcus 1 to Pluto; 10 year-old Alex Manez; the criminal base of operations on Luna and the legend of Kulkulkan, the Mayan god of the sun, the oceans, the earth and the sky. Maybe, a little too ambitious. Alex Manez travels with his parents on a survey mission to the asteroid Macklin’s Rock in the Sol System. This should have been a routine mission, but tragedy strikes and his parents are killed in an explosion. This is no ordinary explosion, but one that will change space exploration for mankind. The asteroid disappears only to reappear four hours later in a Plutonian orbit; the first instance of FTL aided by a mysterious element named Kinemet. Young Alex survives the FTL travel, but his exposure to kinetic element fundamentally changes him. Justine and her crew who were currently serving on a mission to Pluto rescue him. She must abandon her mission on Pluto to bring Alex back to Earth. I wanted to bond with Alex and everything that he must be feeling, but the author keeps Alex at bay keeping him distant and aloof from every overture that Justine makes to befriend him. We do get to know Justine better, a woman who lost everything in her personal life, because of her unfailing dedication to her career. From the moment Justine rescues Alex, however, she develops an over protectiveness toward the young boy. This is where Mr. Daniels gets it right. I felt that I knew Justine and could understand the reasons why she made the decisions she did in her life. Not being a scientist, I found myself skipping over many of scientific descriptions and explanations. These don’t interest me, but this is in no way a reflection on Mr. Daniels who obviously did an enormous amount of research for this book. I prefer to know more about people in the story – their motivations, desires, and dreams. Without giving away any spoilers, there are many events in this book that keep the action moving. All of the storylines came together and I finished the book within a week. It was an enjoyable read and I have no problem recommending this book to fans of science fiction. I received a review copy from the author.
  
• The Zagzagel Diaries: Desperate on Dec. 27, 2010
  
  DESPERATE is the third story of the Zagzagel Diaries. Once again the author packs a punch with so few words. In this story, Zag, our resident guardian angel, must stop Nick, a teenage boy who may or may not be gay, from doing something that will forever change his life, and not in a good way. Being from a religious family and living under the roof of a racist, Nick understandably suffers inner turmoil. Zag takes direction from Big Papa and the number one rule is not to interfere. Humans must be allowed to make their own choices, however stupid they may be. This is where Zag has a serious problem. He can’t always follow his directive and sometimes intercedes directly on his human’s behalf. It is not always pleasant when Zag has to report to Big Papa and endure the severe tongue-lashing heaped upon him. The author interjects humor in all of the Zag stories, but for the first time, I noticed something else. Zag is experiencing a human affliction. I don’t want to spoil anything for the next reader, but suffice it to say, I found this intriguing. Is something changing for our resident guardian angel? If you’re looking for short stories that pack a wallop, then start with FORSAKEN, the first story in the Zagzagel Diaries and work your way through them. You will not be disappointed.
  
• Death Has a Name on April 29, 2011
  
  DEATH HAS A NAME is a smart inventive story that puts a unique spin on The Truth, not my truth or your truth, but THE TRUTH. For Brodie Wade, The Truth is something he can see and must obey unquestioningly or suffer the consequences. And suffer he does—from traumatizing physical abuse to being declared insane in his childhood. The author does an excellent job of slowly revealing Brodie’s back-story throughout the book and it only makes you root more for this damaged young man. Brodie has channeled his psychic abilities into a semi-permanent job with the local police department. His contact, Detective Phil Dawson, believes in Brodie and his ability even though he doesn’t understand it. Brodie cannot reveal how he knows the things he does because frankly, who would believe him—“oh, by the way, I see phantoms who speak to me and wisps of gray fog everywhere demanding I listen to its whispers.” The whole situation reminds me of the famous Jack Nicholson line in ‘A Few Good Men’, “You can’t handle the truth!” When Detective Dawson calls Brodie in on another gruesome murder scene, Brodie gets his bad tingling feeling about it. When the investigation takes a horrible turn and another body turns up, Brodie finds himself the prime suspect for the murders and lands in jail. What The Truth reveals to him next is something far worse than two dead men. If Brodie cannot follow the clues and solve the murders, a lot more than his freedom is at stake. If the Angel of Death is freed, life on Earth as we know it will be destroyed. The story is fast-paced and kept my attention throughout. I would have loved for the author to reveal some back-story on how Phil and Brodie met, but I suppose that’s more material for another novel. The copy I received, however, could use the eyes of a good editor. There were a few typos that jarred me out of the story. All and all, this is a very good book and I highly recommend it.
  
• From a Far Land: Jaben's Rift book 1 on Aug. 18, 2011
  
  Whenever a book starts out with the sentence, “The others will not know,” I am immediately intrigued. Not know what? Who are the others? FROM A FAR LAND sets up this premise to draw the reader in, and boy, was I drawn into this story. The protagonist, Jason Bennett, is an 18-year-old American visiting his relatives in Scotland. Bored with the conversation around the dinner table about his ancestors, he goes off on his own to explore the countryside. What he finds, however, will change his life forever. Buried deep within an ancient stone building on his great-uncle’s property, a light shines in a doorway and draws Jason to it. When he steps through, everything changes and he finds out that he is a pawn in a centuries-old battle between supreme beings in the Land of Teleria. The author does a fantastic job of keeping the action moving. Just when I thought I had figured everything out, another plot twist is thrown into the mix. We learn about Reyga, the Emerald Loremaster, and Jason’s guide in this strange land, the other Loremasters of the High Council, magical powers called dimsai, a Shanthi girl named Lenai, strange warrior beings and an event called The Devastation that somehow helped create the supreme beings. Through half-truths and misunderstandings, Jason is plunged into a battle of words and wits between the High Council and the strange outcast Bodann. He must somehow make sense of each side’s accusations about the other before it is too late and Teleria is catapulted into a full-scale war. Who is telling the truth? Which side should he trust? Lenai does her best to guide and instruct Jason, but even she is not immune to the effects of the conflict between the supreme beings. To make matters even more complicated, Jason finds out that the High Council believes him to be Jaben, the one cited in an ancient prophesy; the being who has the power to either save or destroy Teleria. Not too much pressure for an eighteen-year-old. The characters are well fleshed out, the action is non-stop, magical mysteries abound and there is a great battle. Really, what else would you expect from one of the best fantasies I’ve read this year. Highly Recommended.
  
• NO REST FOR THE WICCA on Sep. 04, 2011
  
  Morgan Hawkes, a PSI investigator, spends her time helping ghosts cross over to the next plane although daemons don't always want to leave. Some jobs are harder than others and Morgan takes her fair share of lumps. When she is asked to join a Special Forces investigation into the killing of witches, she turns it down. She doesn't want to work Cole St. John, the hunky sexy Inheritor Vampire in charge of the case. However, when her cousin Xia is attacked, Morgan changes her mind and joins the investigation. The race is on to catch a serial killer bent on targeting full-blooded witches. The story is predictable--tough, cynical Morgan who's angry at the world because of a mistake she made that cost her partner her life is romanced by the gorgeous vamp while they continually snipe at each other during the investigation. There are some nice twists in the story, but I knew who the bad guys were half-way through the book. I also found the term half-wicca that Morgan used to describe herself annoying and unhelpful. What's half-Wicca? You only follow half the practices? I would have preferred to see the term half-witch instead. Combining the voodoo and wicca practice kept my interest throughout the book. The author did a decent job with Morgan's character, but I would have loved to see more depth to Cole's character. There were a few teasers about his past that piqued my interest. Unfortunately, the book was filled with typos and wrong names during crucial scenes which jarred me out of the story. This book could definitely use the eyes of a good editor. Also, not sure what the author was thinking about in using this cover image. In my opinion, it does not convey what the book is about. Readers of paranormal fiction should enjoy this story. It's a quick and easy read.