Dinétah Dragon (Phantom Squadron #2)

Dinétah Dragon (Phantom Squadron #2)
By: Don A. Martinez
Published February 23, 2011 by CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781456431075
Available Format: Paperback, ebook

My Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis: In 2015, the author discovered by accident a budget accounting for a mysterious Special Forces team operated solely by the CIA. In questioning its origins, he was put in contact with Ariel Sharpe, one of the team's members, who agreed to meet with him in a secret location to share the story of the team and that of her own life. Ariel's life is one of isolated existence, both physically in the Arizona desert and emotionally from her surrounding peers. The isolation becomes even greater when she volunteers to become among the first wave of the nation's new Super Soldiers, only to wind up bound to a genetically-engineered dragon, complete with the scaly complexion and beastly abilities.

When she escapes this sinister project, she crosses paths with a Navy man who steers her into Special Forces. This team of professional soldiers, all of which embody legendary archetypes, becomes her new family, a place where she truly feels welcomed among people for the first time. The team's adventures in the shadowy supernatural world, though, hold the fate of the entire world in the balance, culminating in their final mission to stop Armageddon itself from commencing in the place where Ariel's story first began, the deserts and mesas of the American southwest. Through pain and joy, through suicide attempts and vicious fighting, Ariel survived to tell her tale. Learn how she not only reached a peaceful existence...she truly earned it.

This book has a little bit of everything! Native American life, college, military operations, supernatural soldiers, terrorists, religion, demons, angels, magic, and a sweet love story or two. Phew! Martinez does a fantastic job of weaving such a diverse story together to make sense and above all, entertain. I was very impressed.

I haven’t read the first book of the series, so I cannot compare. The writing was smooth and perfectly descriptive. All of the scenes and characters were easy to picture and follow. I love the way the story was told by Ariel through the author with his little notes here and there.

My favorite part was near the end where the team essentially prevents Armageddon, led by “Gabe.” I don’t want to give anything away, but having a certain someone call on the cell phone and perform a miracle—priceless! I was a little surprised that it took a more religious turn toward the end. It worked, but earlier in the book, the tone isn’t quite the same. They are fighting evil, but it’s not necessarily a demon/angel sort of thing. It didn’t bother me; the shift just struck me.

I definitely recommend this one for anyone who is into the supernatural, especially mixed in with military themes. It might get off to a teensy bit of a slow start, but it is well worth the read!

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The Angels Are Here (Paradox Book 1)

This review is a little different than usual.  Patti requested some specific feedback from me, so I thought I'd use her questions to help format my review.  I've tried to be careful to answer her questions without any spoilers, so I hope she and you all can get enough information here! :-)

Paradox:  The Angels are Here

By:  Patti Roberts

ASIN:  B004QTOQQ0

Published October 18, 2010

Available Format:  ebook, Paperback

My Rating:  ★★★★☆

In the blink of an eye, it seems little Grace’s world has fallen apart.  Her father is gone and her mother isn’t coping well at all.  If it weren’t for the sensitive, quiet Officer Wade or her new neighbor friend, Grace might not find her way through the grief and sadness that threatens to suffocate her.  There’s more to Grace than meets the eye, more than she even knows.  What ties does she have with an ancient, timeless world?  What role do the angels, good and evil, play in her life?

Did you have a favorite character and if so why?

It was really hard to choose.  There are so many great characters in this story.  I have to go with Grace because we get to spend the most time getting to know her.  In no time, I was completely wrapped up in her life, her grief, everything.

Who was your second favorite character and why?

Officer Wade.  He’s the perfect guy, and there is obviously so much more than we know about him.  I love the way he takes care of the family, and then the way he relates to Grace and especially Angela—the way he guides her along.  Angela is a VERY close third.  Her awkwardness is endearing.

What part of the book did you enjoy the most?  The Angel parts (The ancient world) or Grace (today's world).

I love the Angel parts, but I want to know so much more about them.  So, I related more to Grace’s world. 

What parts or chapters did you enjoyed reading about the most?

I love the beautiful writing style.  It was so poetic and flowed so nicely.  The descriptions were extremely well-written and easy to follow.  I could feel everything Grace was feeling—even what her mother must have been feeling.  Each character had their own unique voice and mannerisms, making them all stand out in my mind. 

What parts did you like the least?

I think I wish the “evil” characters had a bit more depth to them—more layers.  I want to connect with them on some level, but they are just so unlikable.  There is nothing to make me feel anything for them or give them any dimension. 

What aspects of the story would you like to know more about?

I’d like to know why Grace has the flashbacks and what they mean.  She obviously has these angels in her life protecting her, but we don’t really get to see exactly why that is necessary.  Why did her father have to die? 

If you could change one thing about the story, what would it be?

While I think Ms. Roberts has a beautiful, poetic writing style, I felt the story needed a bit more meat.  There wasn’t a truly clear plot line throughout, at least to the reader.  I know this is the first of a series, and I am certain more questions will be answered as we move further, but I just wanted more of an arc and more of a solid ending.  It took me a while to really get into the groove of the book, to get to know the characters a bit more, and to start to understand what was really going on.  There are fantastic elements to the story; there’s just too many things left unexplained and unanswered in the end.  That’s really the only complaint I had!

What are you hoping to read more about in book 2?

Who is Grace, really?  What does the other realm have to do with her life?  What really happened to her father?  Was he really her father in the first place?  I hope the story really comes together and we see how all these different elements fit together.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.  I am looking forward to continuing the series, enjoying more of Patti’s gorgeous writing, and getting all these questions answered!! J

Learn more about Patti Roberts and the Paradox series at her website:  http://theangelsarehere.wordpress.com/

Feature: The Moon Coin by Richard Due

The Moon Coin

By:  Richard Due

ISBN:  9780983886723

Published August 25, 2011 by Gibbering Gnome Press, A Division of Ingenious Inventions Run Amok, Ink

Available Format:  ebook

My Rating:  ★★★★★

Lily and Jasper’s Uncle Ebb is full of mystery and fabulously imaginative tales—uh, stories packed with dragons, merfolk, giants, and faeries.  But, it is all just fun and bedtime stories or so they believe.  When Uncle Ebb vanishes, Lily and Jasper stumble upon something much more powerful than they could have imagined.  Lily is swept into a world she knows so very well but could not have believed truly existed.  There’s no denying it now.  Not only do she and her brother have to find their uncle, they must also help unite the moons of the Realm and bring prosperity and peace once again. 

This book is one of the reasons why I absolutely love my “job”; I get to read these incredible (all too often undiscovered) gems and share them with all my friends and family!  I never turn down a good children’s/YA book, so I immediately told Richard I would certainly love to read and review his book.  I cannot express to you how impressed I have been! 

If I had to compare The Moon Coin to any other work, I’d say it is a cross between Chronicles of Narnia and Lord of the Rings.  It reads very well for middle grade and younger YA, like Narnia, with the immense fantasy of LOTR.  The imagery is so captivating, Lily is so mature, and the reader is swept along her adventure as if we are riding the Rinn or facing the dragon ourselves.  It is everything you want a great fantasy to be and then some. 

I shared this book with my six-year-old as our bedtime story this week.  I would read to him until he went to sleep, then continue reading ahead.  The next evening, I would condense the parts I had read and then continue on with the next chapters.  He was always full of fantastic questions about the story and the characters involved.  He loved the illustrations and, of course, wished there were more.  I actually do too, but everything is told so well, I had no trouble whatsoever imagining the story for myself.

The Moon Coin most certainly rates up there with my absolute favorite books and is in the top three of my favorite children’s books.  I hope Richard will publish a print version!  Everyone must give this one a try; you won’t be disappointed.  Mr. Due, PLEASE don’t take long getting the next in the series ready for us J... There are so many mysteries to be solved, I may simply burst with anticipation!

In case you missed it yesterday, Richard provided us with a lovely guest post/interview with his amazing illustrator.  Go HERE to have a look at all the goodies including the incredible book trailer his twelve-year-old daughter created for him!!

Feature: Guest Post/Interview by Richard Due, author of The Moon Coin

Sometimes, incredible things just fall into my life...and The Moon Coin is one of them! Richard contacted me last week about checking out his book, and of course I couldn't pass it up.  I'm just over halfway through at the moment (I WILL finish today! :-)), and it is absolutely amazing!!!  Come back tomorrow to see my review...

Today, Richard has provided us with a guest post/interview he did with his outstanding illustrator, Carolyn Arcabascio.  Enjoy!!

From Sketch to Chapter Art, an Illustrator at Work

By:  Richard Due

For me, getting to work with Carolyn Arcabascio was a dream come true. On The Moon Coin, we worked from a master list of scene options, with Carolyn picking out scenes she liked and making sketches. For the prologue, Carolyn drafted three options. All three were great, but two in particular were spectacular. I first went with option 3 (one of my scene suggestions). I think we spent more time on this sketch and subsequent color drawing than on any other piece. But it never seemed right. At the eleventh hour, I asked Carolyn how hard she’d hit me if I suggested scrapping the thing and instead going with the pinky promise scene you see below (one of her scene suggestions).  Carolyn responded: "There would be no hitting involved!" and told me it wouldn't be a problem. You sure can't ask for better than that.

From the Prologue:  Bedtime Tales

Click to Enlarge

Richard: Did you make all these sketches in the same location, Carolyn?

Carolyn: Yes, I do all of my work at a drafting table that's situated in a little nook of my apartment in Acton, Massachusetts. There's a bookshelf to my right and a wall of "inspiration" to my left, where I hang prints of other artists' and illustrators' work. On either side of my drafting table are drawers of supplies, and stacks of sketchbooks and old paintings. The drafting table faces a window overlooking a quiet street and the woods beyond it.

From Chapter Two:  A Coin of the Realm

Click to Enlarge

Richard: Do you use models when you're sketching?

Carolyn: I use a combination of models and photo references. If I need to work out the nuances of a character's posture and really understand the perspective of it, I'll ask whatever friend or family member is handy to pose for a sketch. Often, I'll get into the position myself or mimic the facial expression I want to portray in order to get the feel of it. And sometimes, if there's a character being portrayed multiple times across scenes, I'll make a rough model of their head out of clay so I'll have it to refer to.

From Chapter Four:  To Barreth

Click to Enlarge

Richard: When drawing fantastical creatures, do you use bits and pieces of real animals for inspiration, or have you actually seen a wirtle and you're just not telling us? ;)

Carolyn: No wirtles native to Massachusetts, fortunately! When figuring out the look of fantastical creatures, I use photo references of different animals to understand the way the anatomy might work, and then combine features as I see fit and as the story calls for. To understand the wirtle's legs and paws, for example, I referred to a series of photographs of show dogs leaping over hurdles. The severely arched, scruffy back was influenced by photos of hyenas on the prowl. The bone-structure of the face ended up being something of a cross between a cow and a warthog, and I wanted the snout to be bare—kind of gross and raw-looking. Add it all up and, voila! We have a wirtle.

The Moon Coin, by Richard Due, is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the iBookstore for $2.99.

❍

..

Copyright © 2011 by Richard Due. All rights reserved.

..

Gibbering Gnome Press, A Division of Ingenious Inventions Run Amok, Ink™

The Moon Realm™

Uncle Ebb in the flesh??? :-)

Richard Due (pronounced “Dewey”) first imagined the Moon Realm while telling bedtime tales to his children. He makes his home in Southern Maryland, where he and his wife own and operate Second Looks Books, an independent used bookstore. The Moon Coin is the first novel in the Moon Realm series. Visit TheMoonRealm.com for more information on the series.

JournalJabber Recap October 11, 2011

Tuesday snuck up on us again!  This week, we welcomed Angela Yuriko Smith, the author of No Money Marketing:  All You Need Is Like and End of Mae.  Angela is not only extremely talented and beautiful, she is loads of fun.  Fun is exactly what we had on the show!

Listen to internet radio with JournalJabber on Blog Talk Radio

Angela's Books (click on the title to see my review):

No Money Marketing:  All You Need Is Like

By: Angela Yuriko Smith

ASIN:  B005IDAHA2

Published August 20, 2011 by Ember Press

End of Mae

By: Angela Yuriko Smith

ASIN:  B0053CPO1U

Published May 29, 2011

Examples of Angela's previously published work around the web:

Birth of a Military MOPS Group at the Mops.org

The Dacyczyn Decision at The Dollar Stretcher

The Dacyczyn Decision at Just Frugal Site

Wanted: Cessna Caravan for Important Missions at Kingdom Flight.org

Best Selling Author, Reservist, Takes Patriotic Stand at John Nance Productions

Yahoo! Contributor

When I Committed Suicide short story at Yahoo! Associated Content

Internet Moonlighting: Ways Your Internet Can Pay at The Dollar Stretcher

Angela's Links:

Website:  http://dandilyonfluff.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/angel.cato  and  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angela-Yuriko-Smith-author/191532050896373

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/#!/AngelaYSmith

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5044741.Angela_Yuriko_Smith

Angela played our Three Facts game, but she switched things up a bit this week.  Instead of having one true fact and two false ones, she has two true facts and one false one.  So, you have to decide what is the FALSE fact!

1. Lived as an an illegal alien in Canada for nearly two years.

2. Traveled by electric car along Route 66

3. Has hitchiked across the entire US by width and length.

Email the fact that is NOT TRUE to Amy at amy@journalstone.com...  You could win an ecopy of both Angela's fantastic books!

Thank you so much Angela for hanging out with us!  We can't wait to have you back!

Contest Update:

Can you believe no one guessed Regina's correct fact from last week?  Her true fact was that she was married at the age of eighteen!  Better luck next time, folks!

The winner of the Lovecraft Trivia contest is:  Ken Lillie-Paetz 

The answers are...  

1. What is written on Lovecraft's tombstone?  "I am Providence"

2. In the HP Lovecraft Historical Society's newly released film, The Whisperer in the Darkness, from what planet do the "living fungi" originate?  Yugoth

3.  Complete this quote, "'The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown."

Thanks for all the entries and congratulations Ken!  Ken gets a $25 Amazon gift card AND a signed copy of Brett J. Talley's That Which Should Not Be!!  Woohoo!

Don't forget to send in your Halloween costume photos!  We will be putting our favorites on our show banner.  We cannot wait to see what crazy costumes you guys can come up with!  All photos should go to Amy at amy@journalstone.com. 

Coming Up...

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 at 9PM EST

Next week, Stephen M. DeBock, author of The Pentacle Pendant will be our super special guest.  Stephen has written a fantastic werewolf novel, that should make Cambria at least partially happy :-)!  Tune in to see if there are hairballs in the bed...

Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 9PM EST

Halloween Spectacular!!!  Join us and our favorite guest host, Brett Talley, for our spookily fun Halloween show!  You never know what kind of crazy we'll come up with...

Links you should know:

www.journalstone.com

http://journalstone.com/journaljabber/
www.blogtalkradio.com/journaljabber

amy@journalstone.com

Cassie’s Blog:  www.gatheringleavesreviews.blogspot.com

Cambria’s Blog:  www.theunlockeddiary.blogspot.com

Goodreads Group:  http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/46156.Creative_Reviews

Until next week..... :-)

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

Rise of the Planet of the Apes
Directed by: Rupert Wyatt
Released in theaters August 5, 2011
Rated PG-13 for intense and frightening sequences of action and violence

My Rating: ★★★★★

Will Rodman (James Franco) is on a quest to perfect a cure for Alzheimer’s. Not only is this his life’s work, it is personal—Rodman’s father (John Lithgow) is suffering from the degenerative disease. When laboratory chimps begin to show remarkable improvements, even enhancements, from the virus/cure, Rodman is excited to share his research with a company that can put it on the shelves. Unfortunately, his prize chimp suddenly becomes aggressive and destroys all hope he has for any outside funding, essentially shutting down his program. Afterward, Rodman and his chimp handler (Tyler Labine) find the reason for Bright Eye’s aggression—she was protecting her infant hidden away in her cage. Unable to destroy the precious life, Rodman smuggles the baby chimp home, names him Caesar (Andy Serkis) and continues his research. After a protective outburst reminiscent of his mother’s final behavior, Caesar lands himself in a primate habitat where he works to lead his peers to true freedom.

I was a little hesitant to go to the theater (drive-in) to watch this one. First of all, I wasn’t sure the content would be suitable for the kids, but we watched a couple trailers together and they wanted to go. Also, I didn’t care much for the last “revamp” of the Planet of the Apes film. I am thrilled to admit I was extremely impressed with this movie!

This was so incredibly well-written, directed, and acted. From James Franco down to Andy Serkis (who we already know is extremely talented with CGI projects), everyone was spot on. The special effects were seamless. The plot was both entertaining and thought-provoking. Every emotion that the characters, especially Ceasar, experience is felt through and through. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Just like a good book, we all want a good movie to move us—to bring us completely into that world for a couple hours of our life. Rise of the Planet of the Apes does just that, brilliantly…