Alchemy: The Magic Of Words

Some of the best reads:

Author: Nicholas Forristal

I've read three of the 'M' series so far - fantastic, quirky and different.

Chronicles Of M - Book 1

Blurb:

The short version:
Samuel is a retired Hollywood Agent who is offered a unique opportunity - join an ex-governmental agency who's tasked with handling an unconventional and unpredictable maniac named M as he battles the paranormal.

Their first task is to investigate the strange murder in a small town where nothing is what it seems.

The long version:
A retired Hollywood agent finds a surprising new career with an unnamed ex-government facility, dedicated to handling those cases that the police can't handle - including those involving the supernatural.

Another problem for the agency is M, the worlds only currently living super hero. He is their primary weapon for stopping these events from getting worse. The only problem is: M also causes far more death and destruction than is necessary, because he can.

Will Samuel stay on and risk life and limb for a pay check, or will he get out before it's too late?

This is the first book of the first trilogy and nothing is what it seems. Don't believe me? Read the reviews.

My Review:

I was sent a copy of this story by the author for a review, and I really enjoyed it. I liked the way it was so different and unexpected - and very well written.

Although a quirky and offbeat novel...and fantastical in many ways...the storyteller had a wonderful way of making it believable, with many twists, turns and surprises - just great.

I don't give spoilers, but will say that this book is definitely worth reading if you like the unusual - highly recommended.

I look forward to reading the next one in the series.

UK link to Chronicles of M - Book 1
USA link to Chronicles of M - Book 1

Chronicles of M - Book 2 - Ammit

Blurb:

Thomas and Samuel race to find a way to expel the demon that controls M and fail. It escapes, disappearing in broad daylight. With Thomas unable to track it down, magically or with science, he's forced to do the one thing he hoped to not do. Thomas has to rely on the advice of a all-powerful being that he wants nothing to do with and use it's 1400 year old demon slayer to hunt down the demon in M.

Will Thomas be able to purge the demon inside M? Even if he can, Thomas has to tell him why he was possessed in the first place. Will M be able to accept Thomas's twisted, tainted and sad past, or will their 100 year old friendship be destroyed, leaving Thomas to deal with yesterdays problems alone.

My Review:

As a reviewer as well as an author, I was given this book for review - it was fantastic!

Beginning where book one left off, it throws us immediately back into this wonderful story, the characters, old and new, ready for the adventure.

It's quirky, it's unique and brilliant!

I never give spoilers but I will say that it a fantastic story, well-written with immense imagination.

Highly recommended - I'm truly looking forward to the next installment.

UK link to Chronicles of M - Book 2 Ammit
USA link to Chronicles of M - Book 2 - Ammit

Chronicles of M - Book 3 - A'loc

Blurb:

A serial killer is on the loose. With no clues, no witnesses and the bodies piling up, the local police call for the only people who can help. What the police don't know is just how full Thomas and M's plate already is. Time is running out. It's been ten months since A'loc showed up and challenged M to a duel to the death.

For him to even have a chance against A'loc, M must learn a lifetime's worth of magic, but Thomas's brother Amit is missing. Without him, M can only hope to learn what Thomas is physically able to show him. M also has to learn how to handle himself in a fight from Mai and discover the extent his mutant powers can go, but how can he do that when he can't even beat her? It's been a long hard road for everyone and it's not even close to over yet.

Amit is the third and last book of the first trilogy in the Chronicles of M.

My review:

As a reviewer as well as an author, I was given this book, as I'd read the others in the series - it was fantastic.

It carries on the story from book 2 and I loved its twists and turns and the 'not quite knowing' what will happen next.

I love this series, it's quirky, fun, humorous, clever and 'out there' - absolutely genius.

I don't give spoilers, so it is difficult to say too much, however, this saga filled with fantasy, science-fiction and mystery in the extreme, plus wonderful characters and, despite its off-the-wall feel, believable...such is the brilliance of its author.

Highly recommended - but the first two should be read first for complete enjoyment.

UK link to Chronicles of M - Book 3 - A'loc
USA link to Chronicles of M - Book 3 - A'loc

This trilogy also comes in an omnibus edition

UK link to trilogy
USA link to trilogy

Nicholas Forristal's Author Page

*

Author: Seb Kirby

I've only read one of his books so far - Double Bind - and am currently reading another - Take No More - both are excellent.

Double Bind

Blurb:

In the sci-fi thriller Double Bind, successful writer Raymond Bridges must unravel a mystery that goes to the heart of his being and face apparently irresolvable doubts about his identity, set off by encountering a perfect double of himself. It's a thrilling journey that leads him to question so much of what he finds in the world around him - even the loyalty of those he knows, including his love, Victoria. What he uncovers is a conspiracy that shakes the world he knows to its foundations and asks key questions about how we live now.

My review:

What a fantastical sci-fi told as a cautionary tale - I loved it! This story is fast-paced, extremely well-written and extraordinarily different - one that gripped me from the beginning to the very end. The problem is that I don't give spoilers, so it isn't easy to say much, however, despite its 'off the wall' feeling, it's believable and the plot is one that you never quite know what will happen next, demonstrating the wonderful talent of this author. It is also thought-provoking and inspiring. Highly recommended for those who love a fabulous story told with perfection.

UK link to Double Bind
USA link to Double Bind

Seb Kirby's Author Page

*

Author: Alan Tucker

Although I've only read one of his books so far, I loved Knot in Time.

Knot in Time

Blurb:

My name is Darius Arthur Heisenberg, but most people call me Dare. If my last name sounds familiar, it’s probably because of my great-great uncle Werner Heisenberg. He was a physicist who came up with something called the Uncertainty Principle. But listen, Uncle Werner had no idea how uncertain things really are.

I work for a group, called the Keepers, that label themselves the custodians of time. And, believe me, time is a mess. It needs all the custodians it can get. Which is, of course, why the Keepers selected me, a nineteen-year-old high school dropout, to join them. I recently worked as a janitor for a couple months. Perfect fit, right?

Okay, it didn’t make much sense to me either, but I wasn’t in a position to turn down a steady job and a roof over my head. Besides, all I’m supposed to do is travel through time and save the universe as we know it, how hard could it be?

Yeah, better hold on. This could get ugly.

My review:

From the beginning of this story I knew it was going to be different, and yes, quirky. The writing style hooked me and I loved the humour threaded throughout.

This is a wonderful science-fictional tale of time travel, which may seem impossible in many ways, and certainly crazy in others, and yet, it rang true due to the talent of this clever author.

I loved it and would recommend it as a must read.

UK link to Knot in Time
USA link to Knot in Time

Alan Tucker's Author Page

*

Author: M. E Lorde

This is the first in a series and I loved it.

Tolomay's World and The Pool of Light

Blurb:

If you enjoyed Hunger Games, Lord of the Rings, and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe, you will LOVE this book. There is no swearing or sex in this series. Due to adult theme, it is Not intended for young YA readers. Genre is NEW ADULT/FANTASY/ROMANCE FANTASY

Author M.E. Lorde creates a gripping story set in the earth’s future, where the youth of the world have the privilege and burden of saving humanity from extinction.

Years before an apocalyptic event, a new means of travel is discovered. The modern technology comes just in the nick of time. Though none can return to a past-time in order to fix what men have destroyed, some candidates can now move forward to begin anew.

Highly intelligent, Tolomay Ramey was trained since birth to do one thing… to lead others into the future of the ‘clean earth’ where both nature and mankind are given a fresh start. Leaving the pod community behind, she arrives as the only living ‘Original’ from the first team of candidates. The clean world, abundant with plant and animal life, is covered in green for the first time in hundreds of years.

Unfortunately for this young girl and despite the beauty of the replenished earth, nothing she experiences from the moment she arrives is as expected. Alone for three years, until others finally join her, she learns to survive off the land, but that will not be what she finds most challenging. What will happen when a strong-headed young man arrives with the mindset that he should have been the first in this paradise? Can independent Tolomay and fiercely confident Kenter meet in the middle? Can the clean world become what it was intended to be for the new community, or will all thoughts of peace be left a thousand years in the past?
The first of a series, the second novel (TOLOMAY'S WORLD and The Mountain of Tegi) will be released March 2013.

My review:

As a reviewer as well as an author, I was lucky enough to be given this book to read - and I loved it.

It is a cautionary tale of sorts (I don't give spoilers), a fantasy mixed with romance and an amazing insight into a 'clean world', where the talent and imagination of the author abounds.

The story is filled with wonderful descriptions and 'fitting' language that intertwines English with a twist...a mix of future and past and a dash of how communication and beliefs could evolve.

The characters are believable, although Kenter may have to 'grow up', but as the story continues, we do see his possibilities. Tolomay is fantastic, and I look forward to finding out how she continues on her 'journey'. Kenter's sister, too, has great potential. The males do seem to be far weaker than the females - so far :)

A fabulous read, although my 'problem' is having to wait for the next installment.

Highly recommended.

UK link to Tolomay's World and The Pool of Light
USA link to Tolomay's World and The Pool of Light

M. E. Lorde's Author Page

*

These are just a few of the wonderful books I've had the pleasure of reading - I highly recommend them all.

I was recently interviewed by Fantastic Books for their CRIME SPOTLIGHT

Here is the answer to one of the questions:

This was answered with A Murderer's Heart in mind.

Q -

Have you ever found yourself in a dodgy situation as a result of your field research? (Be creative if necessary)

A -

Hmm, now if I tell you about the time I needed to know about knives...their length, shape and so on....what kind was needed for instant death, I have to be sure that it remains confidential. Although nobody knows my real name, so I don’t suppose it matters.

My immediate thought was the Internet, but I wanted to actually ‘feel’ the knife, get under the skin of the killer, so to speak. I felt I couldn’t go the police because...well, you understand, I didn’t want to be put onto any ‘watch’ list. And in Britain it’s not easy walking into a shop that sells such things without too much curiosity.

I asked around – you’d be surprised how many people know where and how to obtain such information – and soon had an address, scrawled on a beer mat, amongst accumulated unidentifiable stains (except for the beer).

Of course it had to be in the poor part of town, and yes, the spooky dark alley with only one door at the very end. I’d worn trainers, just in case I’d have to run, although my sprinting days are far in the past.

I knocked on the scabby door, the peeling green paint hanging in strips, like curving stalactites, within the glow of the small light, which looked as if it’d been stapled above the door it leaned so badly, but at least I could see.

Within a couple of heartbeats, the door juddered inwards, after grating stiffly wood on wood, seemingly opened by a gorilla.

Sorry, no of course it wasn’t, but that was my first impression...and my second and third.

“Yeah,” he grunted.

Barely able to swallow, I croaked, “I er, um...”

The gorilla sighed and pulled the door wider, allowing enough gap to let me through, as if he’d become used to babbling idiots in all his years as henchman.

What could I do?

Run in the opposite direction, you say.

But why would I act sensibly? I am an author, and my art is everything to me. And besides, it would give me a feel for the underworld...how a killer might feel.

The door would have slammed if it hadn’t been for the way it jammed onto the door frame. I wanted to tell him that the weather would only make it worse, but thought better of it.

He grunted for me to move forward, the door finally shut again.

It was surprisingly light through the passage and I was shortly standing before another door; the gorilla squeezed around me to open it.

Not even a creak this time.

I tried not to stare at the figure in the shadows but concentrate on the man seated behind a large desk, so large in fact that I’m sure it could have housed the host of vagrants I’d seen on my way here.

The door clicked shut. I glance behind; the gorilla was gone.

Puffing on a cigar, the man glared at me within the muted light, the source of which came from the desk lamp, and stated, “You’re here for the knife?”

“Yes, well, um, actually I...”

The man sat back in his chair, reminding me of the clichéd Bond villain (without the cat), blew a smoke ring and grinned.

And there it was; the gold tooth...wrong villain.

I knew he was waiting for me to speak without the ums, so I coughed, wiggled my shoulders and said, “I’m an author and I need a knife to...”

“What, you gonna see what it’s like to kill then write about it?”

Nobody laughed, so I knew he wasn’t expecting me to chuckle.

“I...no...I mean...”

Mr Shadow didn’t move and I wondered for a moment if he were a figment of my fear.

Then he shuffled, as if he’d read my thoughts and my belly churned. I was going to be sick.

Unexpectedly, the man, his bald head bobbing, as if agreeing to a silent conversation, said, “Nah, I’m only messing with ya. Nobby told me you were coming. Something about you wanting to ‘feel’ the thing – here!” he said, either with laughter or because something had caught in his throat from lunch.

The knife was long, slim and sharp. It glinted at me, as if it too were laughing.

“Go on, then, pick it up!”

I shuffled forward, daring my hand to grab it and feeling like Indiana Jones about touch a snake.

The handle felt warm in my shaky hand, my other itching to finger its point.

“That do it?”

“I’m not sure.” I looked at him and asked, “Would this kill easily?”

“Now that would be telling.”

“Sorry, I...”

“No offence taken. But in the right circumstances, yes it could.”

I put the knife down, wondering what on Earth I was doing here. How could I have been so stupid? “I’d like to leave now.”

“I bet you would.”

*****

How I got out of there is a whole other story.

*****

For the full interview please see: Fantastic Books Crime Spotlight 2

Thank you very much for this opportunity.

Alchemy: The Magic Of Words

Monday, 29 April 2013

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