Theoretically, anyone who pays notice to my online existence will probably have noticed that I haven’t been around much lately. Anyway, regardless of whether anyone has noticed, it’s true.

There have been a number of reasons for this, the first and most important being my ongoing health and personal issues. I’ve been sick for quite a while now and although the cause is being treated (it’s nothing life threatening, just persistent and unpleasant) and I’m a lot better than I was, it has taken a lot longer to sort out than I had hoped. Mostly this is because I’ve had to swap medications a number of times as I have had trouble tolerating them. The first few I trialled (each for at least 3 months) made me just as sick as the condition they were meant to treat...

In the mood for a good old haunted house monster fest? Good news. Michael West’s latest novel, Spook House has just been released by Seventh Star Press and promises to be all that and more!

Blurb

There are some places in this world that go far beyond any normal definition of “haunted.” These places are so evil, so diabolical, that they become gateways to Hell itself. The Fuller Farm is one such place.

It is said that old man Fuller conducted unspeakable acts, blood rituals and human sacrifices, all in an attempt to gain the ultimate knowledge, the ultimate power. And then, he was killed–horribly murdered on his own lands, leaving the house to stand as a vacant monument to his wickedness. But once a door is opened, it can never really be closed.

Now, the stars are right...

Seventh Star Press are currently running a blog tour to celebrate the release of Traitor Angel the second book in H. David Blalock's Angelkiller Triad. 

As part of the festivities David agreed to be harassed by me answer some questions regarding himself and his writing. Here is the result!

Hi David! Thanks very much for your time. To start off could you tell us a little about yourself? What’s one thing few people know or would expect about you?

Thanks for having me. I write stuff. From non-fiction to fiction, but preferably speculative fiction. Flights of fancy. Ridiculous tales. Nightmare imaginings. All fascinating stuff to me and things I love to share with others.

So, Traitor Angel is the second book in the Angelkiller Triad. Can you give us a quick rundown on the series?

The Ange...

I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t read that many young-adult books. I didn’t really read them as a teenager (I pretty much skipped straight to adult books) except for the few notable ‘classic’ exceptions, and these days I tend to have more than enough adult books to take up my time. In addition, I tend to be a bit picky and prefer books that have romance as a sub-plot instead of the main focus, which rules out a fair few of the popular series aimed at the young adult market.

Now and again however, something in particular catches my eye or I receive a YA review copy that sounds interesting. So it happens that I have read a few young adult books this year (or late last year).  So here are some brief reviews of three notable releases that I’m glad to say I quite enjoyed.

             ...

Light Touch Paper, Stand Clear is loosely themed speculative fiction anthology, edited by Edwina Harvey and Simon Petrie, two of the editors involved with Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine. An eclectic collection containing stories from a variety of Australian and international authors, Light Touch Paper, Stand Clear is an engaging body of work that contains a number of excellent stories, quite a few memorable ones, and should have something to suit almost anyone.

Sparks that fly in many directions.

The title, Light Touch Paper, Stand Clear, references the instructions given for lighting fireworks. The anthology itself operates on the concept of a literal or figurative spark and the various possible results of its unleashed potential...

Kingdom is the debut novel of Anderson O’Donnell and the first in the Tiber City Trilogy of dystopian science fiction thrillers.

As part of the blog tour to celebrate the book’s release, the author has kindly provided six copies of Kingdom (one paperback and five kindle ebooks) to be given away to six lucky readers. The giveaway is open internationally and all you have to do to enter is fill in the contact form at the bottom of the page.

Sound good? Here is the blurb for the book:

In a secret laboratory hidden under the desert, a covert bioengineering project—codename “Exodus”—has discovered the gene responsible for the human soul.

Somewhere in the neon sprawl outside the nation’s collapsing economic core, a group of renegade monks are on the verge of uncovering a secret that has...

An epic fantasy series is, without question, an epic undertaking if done right. It can involve a mountain of research and many years involved in the writing and publishing of the entire series. From trilogies like Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and the Fionavar Tapestry of Guy Gavriel Kay, to series with a larger number of installments such as Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth Series (12 titles) and Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time Series (14th title coming out in 2013), epic fantasy series come in various sizes, but none of them are what can be deemed as small writing projects.

I know intimately what this process is like, with both my Fires in Eden Series and my Rising Dawn Saga, two concurrent epic-scale series that I have been developing and writing since the mid 1990’s...

Hello there,

You may have noticed I have been somewhat absent from the blogosphere of late but, contrary to rumour, I still live and intend to continue terrorising you all with my opinions!

So here is my latest news. There is a bit of explanation for my absence, then much more interesting things such as publication news, upcoming events and a slight change of review policy.

Firstly, where have I been and where are your reviews? 

I realise I am quite far behind on reviews, and there are many books I promised to read and review that I haven’t got around to yet. I know that it is bad form to promise reviews and not deliver, although I do have what I consider a valid reason for it...

Germline, T.C. McCarthy’s ambitious debut novel, is the first installment in his Subterrene War trilogy.  While it is ostensibly labeled as work of near-future military science fiction, that description barely scratches the surface of the true scope of the novel: Germline is, in essence, a gritty and confronting coming-of-age story featuring a deeply flawed protagonist. The result is intense, uncomfortable, and more than just a little bit brilliant.

A grim, believable future, and a protagonist to match

Germline is set in a decidedly bleak near future where U.S. and Russian troops battle for the Earth’s few remaining mineral deposits. Foremost in the Americans’ arsenal are deadly squads of all-female, genetically engineered super-soldiers...

 Sela is the second instalment of the Leland Dragon Series by award winning author Jackie Gamber. While the books are aimed at young adults, they can also be read and enjoyed by older readers (as demonstrated by the lovely Stephan who apart from adoring Redheart, the first book in the series, also designed this site).

Blurb for Sela

Peace was fleeting. Vorham Riddess, Venur of Esra Province, covets the crystal ore buried deep in Leland’s mountains. His latest device to obtain it: land by marriage to a Leland maiden. But that’s not all.

Among Dragonkind, old threats haunt Mount Gore, and shadows loom in the thoughts of the Red who restored life to land and love. A dragon hunter, scarred from countless battles, discovers he can yet suffer more wounds.

In the midst of it all...