Wandering Stars Reviewed on Romancing the Book!

Hey everyone, Wandering Stars just got an excellent review at Romancing the Book. They also interviewed me as well as posted a brand new excerpt from the book.

Enjoy!

Book Review: SOULLESS LIGHT, horror novella by Joan H. Buchanan

The following is a review of Soulless Light by fellow World Castle author Joan H. Buchanan. 

Soulless Light brings you the cohabitation of sorrow and joy in all its visceral detail. With intense, mournful descriptions of suffering and the bleak reality of Dark Age society in the midst of plague existing side by side with tender romance and the celebration of life, I found myself riding an emotional roller coaster as I went through the pages of this novella.

Joan H. Buchanan's narration is bombastic, making you feel as though you're right there alongside Julia, the main character whose life – and death – are laid out in a pacing that builds from a quaint hum to a dramatic rush. While I am trying to keep this review spoiler free, I will say this much about the story's contents: throughout Soulless Light you will see a young girl who goes from assisting in the most miraculous event we humans are capable of experiencing, the purity and wonder of childbirth, to snuffing away life upon life as she becomes one with death itself by her actions.

This transformation is stunningly described. I would recommend Soulless Light to anyone looking for fiction that will keep you wondering – and keep your stomach churning – even after the last page has been turned.


Buy the SOULLESS LIGHT eBook for $2.99: From the publisher, Kindle, Nook Book, Smashwords

REVIEW: Detective Fiction and Horror for People Who Don't Like Detective Stories

The following is a review of Symphony of Blood: A Hank Mondale Supernatural Case by Adam Pepper.

Although I am a writer (and almost exclusively a reader) of romance, I do occasionally venture out into another genre – namely, horror. With only a few works of horror flash fiction under my belt, when I do read this genre I do so only in my capacity as a lover of fiction.

If you're looking for a book to quicken your pulse and raise your heartbeat faster than a double-shot espresso, Symphony of Blood, A Hank Mondale Supernatural Case by Adam Pepper is for you. An urban fantasy with an otherworldly twist that the author weaves seamlessly into the plot, Symphony immediately establishes itself as a gritty, witty detective story by introducing you to the character of Hank Mondale, a luckless private investigator with a small drinking problem and a large gambling problem – or is it the other way around? - who combs through bars, police stations and wherever else he needs to go when hired by a client with deep pockets and a deeply disturbing problem on his hands.

Some may say that the book leans on too many clichés from the troves of detective fiction. This is true as far as it goes, but Pepper gives fresh air to this journey into the familiar by employing quite a unique take on the novel's monstrous antagonist as well as making his characters into genuinely likable people rather than the cardboard cut-outs too often seen in dark fantasy. Though the story is light on sensory detail, this can be forgiven owing to the never-a-dull-moment pacing and the engaging dialog.

While flawed, on balance Symphony is a page-turning read both sexy and scary, with sections featuring the elusive monster giving me the same chills I felt while enjoying Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box. Adam Pepper's novel is a strong showing in modern horror and detective fiction – even for those like myself who don't normally care for the latter.

Buy Symphony of Blood, A Hank Mondale Supernatural Case in eBook for $2.99 for your Kindle, Nook or from SmashWords or click here to read a sample from the author's website.