Location: United Kingdom
Member Since:
Oct. 07, 2011
Rachel Hadley
Smashwords book reviews by Rachel Hadley
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Boneyard 11
on June 08, 2012
Boneyard 11 is written by Linton Robinson and published by Adoro Books. The novel is approximately fifty two chapters and 123 pages in length including contents, author bio and bonus chapters. Linton Robinson was born in Japan but has lived in Latin America for over twenty years of which he has worked as an English and Spanish journalist. Linton has also written Sweet Spot, Imaginary Lines, and Mayan Calendar Girls amongst other titles, he is also a screenwriter and has a TV series currently in development. Rudely awoken at a ridiculous hour call girl Nan is about to be handed her next job. A job that asks something big of her. Accustomed to the life and world of whoring Nan is adept at knowing what men want, how to treat them as well as how their minds work. Not only that but she is knowledgeable of the drugs and arms world. Always treating clients the same Nan never expected that when she met Gasper in prison she would actually like him and she certainly wasn’t expecting the job to be to marry Gasper and meet with him on a regular basis in prison for their intimate encounter in Boneyard 11. However, if Nan is to prove her loyalty to her husband and if she is to gain the trust and respect of her husbands men then she is going to have to play the part of dutiful wife to the Godfather. A Kickass, no shit, kinda gal Nan is going to face a number of obstacles including a cop who fancies the hell out her and pushes every one of her buttons, not to mention betrayal in the ranks, and the gun totting Syco with a rather short fuse. When Gasper is attacked in prison and Nan’s own life is put in jeopardy she decides to up the game, alter the contract and take charge of her husband’s estate. Does she love him? Can she handle the world she has walked into? Or will she leave it all and go back to work? With a territorial fight brewing with Gasper behind bars ‘out of the way’ will Nan adapt to her situation and run with it or fall at the first hurdle? Boneyard 11 is described as a cross between the movies Pretty Woman and The Godfather, and to some degree I would have to agree. The action never stops and the characters and locations are all colourful and aid in the progression of the story. However what I did find quite daunting was the fact that the story was fifty two chapters in length and there were no margins which meant the text was stretched to the limits of the page, this made the story feel much longer than its 123 pages even though some of the chapters are only a paragraphs length. Although the pace of the story is quite fast moving, between scenes I would say slow it down when reading in order to get your inner voice around some of the language used especially for the likes of the character named Syco. Being someone who knows little of the language and culture of Latin-America I would have to say unless you are comfortable and capable to adapt to this type of writing where culture is a huge influence if you still choose to read-on then take in every word whether you understand or not because the story itself is not just about the culture for there is an underlying current of hope to find that which was thought unattainable as well as loyalty and trust. Although I did not understand some of the language used you do get an idea as to what is being said by what is being described. I did enjoy reading Boneyard 11 and would recommend both it and Linton Robinson to any reader over 18 years of age. I give Boneyard 11, 4.5 stars. By R.N. Hadley www.rnhadleybookreviews.blogspot.com
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Under The Cover of Wicca
on Aug. 23, 2012
Under the Cover of Wicca is written by Darke Conteur and is published through Smashwords. The novel is 7 chapters in length and 157 pages including excerpt from book 3. Darke Conteur is a stay at home mum who is at the mercy of her muse writing anything from the paranormal to science fiction. Darke lives with her husband, son, two cats, one kitten and a ghost dog. She runs her own blog where she aids other writers to be heard posting interviews and news from the writing world, as well as updates on her own work and hobbies. Darke’s passion for writing began in her mid-teens. At 16 she completed her first novel but the manuscript was lost, she hopes to one day re-write the story with a “more scifi feel”. Book 3 Covens and Packs is due out Summer 2012. Janet Weiss is a student and one determined on seeing the spirit of her dead mother even if it means summoning her herself alone in the cemetery at night. But when her spell doesn’t work she finds herself witnessing a human sacrifice. It has been some time since the Brosnie attack and Martin Cunningham is enjoying his flexi- hours however it only takes one call from the office to get him hot on his heels heading in. With a case of human sacrifice Martin and the others are about to discover not everything was completely sorted out back at The Embassay like they thought it was. With more bodies popping up there isnt just the balance of good and evil to be concerned about but whether the secret of their world is revealed. With a young girls freedom, innocence and life on the line it seems they are about to discover yet another coven. Who or what are The Spire? Does Jezryall answer to someone higher? Is Janet a sensitive? And are sensitives lives in danger? Is Martin willing to give up his independence for a life of danger? Or is a life of independence danger enough? Can Terin Global maintain the balance between good and evil and keep their world hidden at the same time? Under the Cover of Wicca is a very quick read flowing from page to page. I am still fascinated as to where this story will go in the future as it is suggested there are many other creatures. The ending gives a sneak idea as to where the story will be heading next and as dark as things became in the first book, things can only get darker. One thing I have come to notice and enjoy about this series of books is that it shows everyone’s experience with magic is different, how you come across it and how you interpret it differs from person to person. Another thing is that nothing is ever entirely good or evil there can be grey areas. With evil growing with every death I am keen to see what happens next for Terin Global now that they have a cop to worry about. I like the fact this book is more fleshed out than the first but I do still feel as if something that I haven’t yet been able to identify is missing. If you’re after a book where the dark and sinister are just another day at the office, then this is the book for you. Darke Conteur has done a marvellous job continuing the story of Terin Global’s fight against evil, I look forward to reading the third book and learning something new about their world and the creatures who inhabit it. Again as with the first book I still feel a little like this novella should be longer however I would recommend this book and give it 4 out of 5 stars. By R.N. Hadley