Top Ten Things A Writer Should Never Do.

Faith Hunter posted this on facebook and with her permission, I'm reprinting it here. It seems to fit well with the post I did a few weeks ago about authors commenting on reviews (and, in fact, one FB commenter on Faith's post suggested that authors should not respond to bad reviews), especially since proper author behavior is a hot topic these days. Some of these are humorous, some more serious, but all are good advice for a writer who wants to have the respect of their readers, and their peers too. Honestly, most of it is common sense and good manners; both seem to be in short supply these days.

Faith's List:

10. Video interview with color (or curlers) in your hair
9. Dance the funky chicken -- on camera -- at a con (actually, I think I'd enjoy seeing that - Bea)
8. Pass gas while doing a book signing
7. Throw up in your editor's lap at a fancy dinner (or anywhere, really)
6. Panic because you get a paper cut and your DNA is all over
5. Have your security intimidate rowdy fans with physical violence
4. Cuss out the bookseller because they didn't have your books face out
3. Refuse to sign an old, dogearred book (hey, just sign the dang thing, okay?) (What Faith said. - Bea)
2. Insult an interviewer
1. Ignore fans

Faith's disclaimer from her facebook post:  Not saying that I have done these. (shakes head) But I've heard of them...

Do you have any that you'd add to this list? 

5/8 ETA: Faith also posted the list over at her blog. You can see it here.

Review & Give Away of Sandman by Morgan MacDonald

                                                                                                                                                      

Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: February 2, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon   

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

Beware the SANDMAN he’ll put you to sleep. . .forever.

A serial killer on the loose, a woman being stalked, and a homicide detective who must find the connection between the two before she becomes his next victim.

He collects women. He imprisons them, plays with them, tortures them. Until they bore him. Then he removes a souvenir. They call him the Sandman.
 
Meagan McInnis is being plagued with late night calls, yet when she answers, no one is there. Then one night she makes a grizzly discovery in her own backyard.

The caller is silent no more.

Homicide Detective, J.J. Thomas, realizes Meagan is the key to finding the Sandman. Now not only must he protect her, but he must find the connection between Meagan and the killer before she becomes his next victim.

WARNING: This is a Romantic Thriller that contains adult language, explicit sex and graphic violence.

Teaser:

He was stalking her. Just how far would he go?

That’s when Meagan decided to get a dog. She added dead bolts to her doors. She kept her curtains closed at all times. She spent every evening huddled in her cocoon, wondering when he would come in after her.

Afraid of becoming a star in her own Lifetime movie, Meagan asked a client of hers who was a sheriff’s deputy about what she should do. He told her that legally there was nothing unless Brad threatened bodily harm. But, off the record, he could scare the living shit out of the guy if she wanted, he told her. Meagan laughed and thanked him, but declined.

Then one evening while she sat in her living room reading, the phone rang. Meagan had become accustomed to letting the machine screen all her calls. This time she became unnerved. Brad was leaving another of his endless messages, but this time his rant edged on insanity.

“Who the hell do you have in there, Meagan? I know you’re entertaining some man, there’s a strange car parked in front of your apartment. Who is he?” His amplified voice echoed throughout the room.

Reviewed By: Bea 

Bea's Thoughts: 


"Sandman" held my interest all the way through, and though I have a few complaints, I'd be happy to read more books by MacDonald. One thing I'd like to comment on; the blurb gives a warning for violence and sex. Although I didn't think either one warranted a warning, I know other readers might find them to be too graphic so I appreciated the warning. Plus one of the nice things about a book is how easy it is to skip over the unpleasant sections, whatever your definition of unpleasant may be.


We meet detective Thomas first, and initially it seems as if he will be a stock character - the rebel detective, the lone cowboy always in trouble, in trouble with his supervisor, though that storyline gets forgotten later. I was also put off at first by his apparent wealth as MacDonald took her time in explaining it; I kept wondering if he was a dirty cop. But, over the course of the story, Thomas is fleshed out and his background filled in, though it occurs more slowly than I like. Of course, the upside to this method is that MacDonald avoids info dumps, always a plus.


Next, we meet Meagan, whom I liked very much. She's worked hard to achieve what she wants, made some mistakes, but is fun, friendly, loyal, a little shy, an animal lover, and easy to connect with. She also has work trouble, a supervisor with whom she has a past, and a deep mutual enmity. Other than briefly making him a suspect, that storyline didn't seem to serve any real purpose; although, I suppose it did showcase Meagan's naivete and vulnerability at that point in her life.

The romance between Thomas and Meagan happened a bit quickly, with not enough buildup, but I liked that it was happening slowly initially. Thomas is still recovering from his wife's death (minor spoiler) and it seemed to me that he went rather quickly from grieving and not coping well to jumping into a relationship. The book is billed as a romantic suspense but to my mind it was a mystery with a romantic subplot. I also question the actions that he took to protect Meagan; they seem unlikely and unrealistic to me.


So, what did I like? The mystery was well done, with twists and turns. I was surprised by the connection between the killer and Meagan, though not too surprised at the killer's identity. I liked Thomas's relationship with his partner for this case, Shadowhawk, and liked Shadowhawk herself. I hope that she will appear in more books, I'd love to see her as main character in a book. The pacing and flow of the story were smooth and the story kept me interested. It wasn't, in my opinion, as intense as the warning implies, but that didn't bother me. "Sandman" was an enjoyable way to spend several hours and I expect that I will re-read it at some point.

I received a PDF from GoddessFish for review as part of a blog tour.


******************************************************************************************

The author is offering one eBook for giveaway. The giveaway is a short one, only three days, so don't hesitate, enter now!


Please read my Giveaway Policy.

The Sunday Post #1

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. 
~this meme was inspired in part by - In My Mailbox~

It's a chance to share News. 

A post to recap the past week, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up for the week on our blog.

I had a busy week this past week, though it wasn't too busy on the blog. I'm still working on my review TBR pile, slowly making progress. This week I reviewed: Forgive Me, I Meant To Do It: False Apology Poems, and The Egyptian. I featured a new book, Shadow On The Wall, by Pavarti K Tyler, and posted two giveaways: Day of Demons anthology, which ends tonight, and 2 books, Accidentally In Love With A...God? and Accidentally Married To A...Vampire?, which ends this coming Saturday. There was also an excerpt from Wife 22, a novel out at the end of the month, and one from About Last Night, out next month. Hmm, ok, I guess the blog was busier than I thought.

For this week, I have a review and giveaway of the mystery Sandman, by Morgan Hannah MacDonald; a review of Unbroken, by Rachel Caine, and a spotlight on Hot Summer, by Judy Powell.

I didn't get any books for review this book, but I did hit up my library's used book sale. I picked up a couple books for my editing work, one for my teaching, and for fun, When Demons Walk, by Patricia Briggs. I actually already own the book but this one had the original cover, and was in good shape. For only fifty cents, how could I resist?

A trip to Walmart for laundry supplies netted me the UF anthology, Dark and Stormy Knights, for less than three dollars. Not a bad day's shopping. :)

How was your week? If you'd like, leave a link to your Sunday Post blog post in the comments.

Giveaway of "Accidentally Married to...a Vampire" by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

Mimi Jean Pamfiloff's ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO...A VAMPIRE, Book 2 in her popular "Accidentally Yours Series", recently hit #34 on the NYTimes Best Seller List (Fiction eBooks)!! "VAMPIRE" has also earned a well-deserved spot on both the Amazon and USA Today Top/Best Seller lists! To celebrate, Mimi Jean is giving away an eBook copy of not only ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED TO...A VAMPIRE, but ACCIDENTALLY IN LOVE WITH...A GOD, Book 1 in the "Accidentally Yours Series", as well, to 20--yes, you read that right, 20--lucky winners!



Accidentally in Love With...a God?

(Book 1, Accidentally Yours)

Contemporary Paranormal Romance by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff



"4.5 out of 5 Stars for Accidentally in Love With...a God? (Amazon)!"



Blurb:

Twenty-two-year-old Emma Keane has a secret friend. He’s powerful, mysterious, and devastatingly handsome. In her dreams, anyway.



In real life, he’s an enigma. Maybe just a teensie jealous. Definitely overbearing. He’s also a voice only she can hear.



So who or what is he? He won’t say. But if she wants to be free, to be normal, Emma will have to trek to the jungles once ruled by the Mayans and find the forgotten ruin holding the answers.



However, the ruthless deity she’s about to unknowingly unleash on the modern world might not be so easily extracted from her life. Bottom line, he’s got enemies, and now, so does she.



Excerpt:

With his golden face beaming, the man smiled as he stroked my sopping wet hair and cradled me against his warm, smooth chest. “I love this dream,” I said with a breathy voice, then stretched my arms above my head, gazing happily into the most striking set of luminescent, turquoise green eyes I’d ever seen.



To boot, they belonged to a breathtaking, masculine face, a face one would expect to see on the cover of a magazine named something like, I’m Way Too Hot to Be Your Man, or In Your Dreams, Honey.



Oh, yeah. Without a doubt, I’d topped myself this time. Sculpted cheekbones, thick dark lashes, chiseled jaw, and lips so full they simply had to be meant for kissing or eating something really juicy. He was way hotter than the specimen of perfection from my last dream, and bonus, he didn’t have that scary vibe. I reached up and ran my fingertip along the ridge of his hard-lined warrior nose.



“Emma, what in the name of the gods’ creation are you doing?” he scorned. “We really don’t have time for your immature little fantasies. We’re in the middle of a crisis. Do you not remember?”



I blinked and slowly moved my eyes from side to side.



Jungle? I was in the jungle. And my clothes were wet. Come to think of it, for a dream, I didn’t feel so hot. My lungs burned, my body felt like it’d been chewed up, and my head was throbbing. So, aside from the perfect man with long, damp, wavy black hair holding me in his arms, none of this felt like a dream. It felt…



“Holy Mother!” I pushed myself away and rolled into the dirt, pointing in disbelief. “Wha—you—you—?”



“Aaah. So eloquent as always, my sweet. It is astounding; you actually have a college degree, yet cannot find better words.” He pushed himself up off the ground.



As he rose, my heart stopped, started, then went into overdrive. His legs and spine straightened into a towering mass of unforgiving muscles. With shoulders like a lumberjack and thick, powerful thighs, I didn’t know if I wanted to run away or climb him like a tree. He was utterly enormous. Jolly Green Giant enormous. Except, obviously, not green. More golden brown. He was a gorgeous, towering mass of golden brown perfection.



No. Definitely not a cave-dwelling, wart-infested troll. Great. Just great. Now I knew I wasn’t crazy—Guy was definitely real—but now I also knew I was way over my head. He was gorgeous.



I stood in awe, my mouth gaping as my eyes attempted to register every rope of muscle, every capacious curve packed with power. Christ, he had to be at least seven feet tall.



“Six nine, actually,” he said, guessing my thoughts.



“This can’t be possible,” I whispered, my eyes continuing to dart up and down the length of his body, stopping right on dark trail of hair that started just below his navel and continued down, down, down to his enormous beast of a—“Oh! You’re naked.” I turned sharply, but only to stop myself from reaching out to touch it; no man could be that…that…endowed. Wow. “This can’t be happening.” I covered my face.



“Emma,” he moved behind me, placing his powerful hands on my shoulders. A jolt shivered its way through my body.



I was wrong about the vibe. Way wrong. This man, or whatever he was, radiated hazard. He should come equipped with a set of blinking lights or flares. He was…“Bad. Very, very, bad,” I mumbled, pinching the bridge of my nose.



And pathetically, after everything that had happened, all I could think about was this naked, hard-bodied, glorious “man” who’d just permanently seared his image inside the storage compartments of my female DNA. All men from this day forward would have to survive a mental side-by-side comparison against him. They’d all lose.



Available for ONLY $0.99 at:

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords





Accidentally Married to...a Vampire?

(Book 2, Accidentally Yours)

Contemporary Paranormal Romance by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff



"4.5 out of 5 Stars for Accidentally Married to...a Vampire? (Amazon)!"



Blurb:

“If you love her, set her free. If she comes back, she’s yours. If she doesn’t...Christ! Stubborn woman! Hunt her down, and bring her the hell back; she’s still yours according to vampire law.”--Niccolo DiConti, General of the Vampire Queen’s Army.



The Determined Vampire:

Niccolo DiConti has faithfully served as leader of Her Majesty’s army for over a millennium, but he’d rather sunbathe in the Sahara than spend another grueling day under his demented queen’s command. However, no one has ever left her side and lived to tell. So when a powerful goddess prophesizes he will meet his salvation—a human woman he must turn into a vampire with her consent—he eagerly rises to the challenge. After all, how hard could it be to seduce a human female into taking the immortal plunge? Harder than he thinks. Because his mate won’t be born for another three centuries, and when he wakes up in the goddess’ tomb, not only is his life a mess, but his destined female isn’t about to settle for a coldhearted vampire. Can he win her over before it’s too late? Not if his enemies have anything to do with it.



An Unwilling Bride:

On the night Helena Strauss meets the fierce, devastatingly handsome vampire who saves her life in the jungles of Mexico, she knows her world will be forever changed. Because an attraction this mind blowing only comes along once in a lifetime—or existence. And when he claims she is his one true mate, destined to be his for all eternity, it’s a fairytale come true. So what if her knight in shining armor is a vampire? Nobody’s perfect. But discovering the powerful, overbearing immortal doesn’t “do love”? Deal breaker. Helena will flee and set out to accomplish the impossible…sever the otherworldly bond between them. And it turns out, Helena is just the leverage Niccolo’s enemies need to break the mighty warrior and wipe out his people.



Excerpt:

What the hell is this place?



Then Helena’s eyes focused on something else she couldn’t quite grasp. In the middle of the room, lying across a stone altar, was a naked man with dark symbols tattooed down the length of one arm. But he was not just any man. He was a male so perfect that words would catfight each other just for the honor of describing him. He was a god. A bona fide deity. He had to be. Because a normal man wouldn’t give her the urge to fall to her knees and worship at his feet. Or drool.



The torchlight licked his sculpted cheekbones, angular jaw, and full, sensual lips. Every capacious curve and ripple of hard muscle looked to be packed with raw power, and his size left no doubt that he’d been built in another time. A time when giant warriors roamed the earth, looking to rescue lame tourists wandering the Mexican jungle at night.



In my dreams. Wait...this is a dream! It has to be.



“Move closer my sweet, delicious woman.” The deep voice radiated from every direction, filling the room.



Helena’s blood pressure crashed to the floor. She gasped as the weight of her body slammed back against the cold chamber wall to keep from falling.



“Hel-hello? Can you hear me?” Fists clenched, Helena waited for a response, her eyes continuing to soak him in. Every inch of him.



Was he real? No, he must be a statue. Too perfect. His full lips were built to nuzzle a woman’s neck. Specifically, her neck. And that hair—thick, long waves of black satin—was the kind a woman could grab fistfuls of while being driven insane by those lips.



Then there were the diamond-cut grooves of his abs, his perfectly shaped navel, the fine dark hair adorning his lower belly that trailed down to his awe-inspiring man-gear. The size and thickness, even in its slumbering state, was something women dreamed of and scores of artists throughout history attempted to immortalize in marble. He was every woman’s fantasy, she thought. And by every woman, she meant hers…’Cause I’m not gonna share.



“Kiss me, Helena,” the seductive voice rumbled.



Had the man said her name? No. Clearly, his lips hadn’t moved. The margarita amoebas were attacking her brain and she was losing her mind.



“Kiss me, woman. I command you,” the voice echoed, this time compelling her to obey.



Helena’s survival instincts gave her a hard kick, jarring her back into the horrific reality of the situation. But as she tried to regain control of her body, her tongue slipped from her mouth and wet her lips.



Traitorous tongue. Backstabbing lips. What the hell are you doing? Her body inched closer.



“Sì, that is it, my love. I can smell your blood.”



Blood? What the...? Every nerve in her body fired on all cylinders, but she couldn’t run even if her hair had been on fire. It seemed the harder she fought, the stronger the force controlling her became.



“Brush it against my lips, my love. I want to taste you when you kiss me.”



Without realizing it, her hand stretched down to coat her fingertips with the thick, nearly dried blood from her knee. Trembling, she smeared it over his lips.



“Now, kiss me, my love. Awaken me, my bride.”



“No! No! Let me go!” Helena struggled, but her body’s betrayal persisted. Her head dipped, and her lips rested on his sensuous mouth. In that instant, the compelling force dissipated and her entire body lit up into one glorious pyre of life.



Had she been asleep the last twenty-four years? Because she could swear she’d just taken her first breath. Ever.



Holy hell, what was that?



The torches flickered, and the wind kicked up around her.



The altar was empty.



She crumbled to the cold, dusty floor. A pair of strong hands gripped her shoulders from behind.



“Oh, Christ. You...you’re behind me, aren’t you?” she whispered.



The deep dark voice replied, “Sì, my love. Stand, and let me see my mate.”



Helena slowly rose to face the naked god behind her.



Available for ONLY $0.99 at:

Amazon | B&N | Smashwords

One hundred percent (100%) of all royalties received from the sale of Accidentally Married to a...Vampire from both B&N and Amazon THIS SUNDAY will be donated to The Breast Cancer Foundation.

COMING IN SEPT 2012!

Sun God Seeks... Surrogate?

(Book 3, Accidentally Yours)

Contemporary Paranormal Romance by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff



Blurb:

Twenty-four-year-old Penelope finds herself in all sorts of hot water, vaporous and otherwise, after agreeing to become a surrogate mother for an eccentric, wealthy, and devastatingly handsome man who isn’t exactly a man.






About the Author:

Before taking up a permanent residence in the San Francisco Bay Area, Mimi spent time living near NYC (became a shopaholic), in Mexico City (developed a taste for very spicy food), and Arizona (now hates jumping chollas, but pines for sherbet sunsets). Her love of pre-Hispanic culture, big cities, and romance inspires her to write when she’s not busy with kids, work, and life…or getting sucked into a juicy novel.



She hopes that someday, leather pants for men will make a big comeback and that her writing might make you laugh when you need it most.



Website: http://www.mimijean.net

iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/mimi-jean-pamfiloff/id498303364?mt=11

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/MimiJeanRomance

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mimi-Jean/218935048190356

Email: mimi@mimijean.net

Review of Forgive Me, I Meant To Do It: False Apology Poems by Gail Carson Levine

Publisher: Harper
Release Date: March 13, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon    The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Amazon):

This Is Just to Say


If you’re looking for a nice happy book


put this one down and run away quickly


Forgive me sweetness and good cheer are boring


Inspired by William Carlos Williams’s famous poem ”This Is Just to Say,” Newbery Honor author Gail Carson Levine delivers a wickedly funny collection of her own false apology poems, imagining how tricksters really feel about the mischief they make. Matthew Cordell’s clever and playful line art lightheartedly captures the spirit of the poetry. This is the perfect book for anyone who’s ever apologized . . . and not really meant it.

Teaser:

You may be jumping around

and skipping

pages

in this book

which

I actually

spent 10 years 

arranging

Forgive me

I put the curse of the mummy

on anyone

who reads out of order

Reviewed By: Bea

Bea's Thoughts:

This book was inspired by a William Carlos Williams poem, which I had not read prior to reading this book. I was intrigued by the idea of humorous false apologies and the idea made me laugh. Who hasn't, at some point in their life, had to offer an apology that they didn't really mean? How many of us have re-written the apology in their head to something funnier, snarkier, or ruder? 

Well, Levine had the opportunity to write those apologies, using the same format that Williams did. The results are mixed; some are spot on, some funny yet strange, and a few miss the mark. Many of the poems are inspired by childrens stories and fairy tales. For instance, there's one about Humpty Dumpty's fall wherein the culprit responsible for knocking him off of the wall apologizes, saying he had to knock Humpty down because the king's men were bored. There's a werewolf apology that reminded me of Kelley Armstrong's story, "Hidden", and how Elena and Clay deal with telling their children about werewolves. 

A few of the poems wouldn't make much sense separated from their illustrations and a poem shouldn't have to rely on artwork for its meaning. Even so, the illustrations are simple but evocative and add to the poems and the readers enjoyment. The book is geared towards the younger school age children and I think that children from about age four and a half up to about eight or nine would enjoy them. Readers who appreciate puns and plays on words will likely enjoy this book.

I received an ARC from the publisher for review.

Excerpt From About Last Night by Ruthie Knox

Romance author Ruthie Knox, whose debut book, "Ride With Me", was released in February of this year, has another romance, "About Last Night", releasing in June of this year. Today I have an excerpt, thanks to Random House, and if you like it, come back on June 14th when Ruthie has a guest post and a giveaway as part of her release celebration.

Book Blurb: 

 Sure, opposites attract, but in this sexy, smart, eBook original romance from Ruthie Knox, they positively combust! When a buttoned-up banker falls for a bad girl, “about last night” is just the beginning.

 Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she’s made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go . . . in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her.

Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family’s banking empire. But beneath his pinstripes is an artist and bohemian struggling to break free and lose control. Mary Catherine—even her name turns him on—with her tattoos, her secrets, and her gamine, sex-starved body, unleashes all kinds of fantasies.

When blue blood mixes with bad blood, can a couple that is definitely wrong for each other ever be perfectly right? And with a little luck and a lot of love, can they make last night last a lifetime?

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: Because of You, Ride with Me, and Midnight Hour.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT by Ruthie Knox, Excerpt

Spotlight On: Shadow On The Wall by Pavarti K. Tyler

Today I'm pleased to be featuring author Pavarti K. Tyler and her exciting new novel, "Shadow on the Wall", a different, thought provoking take on super heroes. Pavarti K Tyler is an artist, wife, mother and number-cruncher who has been committed to causing trouble since her first moment on this Earth. Her eclectic career has flirted with Broadway, Teaching, Law Firms and the IRS. Author of many short stories, Pavarti spans genres from Horror and Erotica all the way to Fantasy. Currently Pavarti is hard at work establishing her Indie Publishing Company Fighting Monkey Press.

Pavarti K Tyler’s novel Two Moons of Sera is a Fantasy/Romance that began in a serial format in November 2011. Her next novel Shadow on the Wall is scheduled for release this month, May. Shadow on the Wall is Book One of The SandStorm Chronicles, the saga of Recai Osman — businessman, philosopher, Muslim and . . . superhero.

At the end of the post, there's an excerpt from the book,but first, some information about the book.

 Book Blurb (from the author):

Recai Osman: Muslim, philosopher, billionaire and Superhero?

Controversial and daring, Shadow on the Wall details the transformation of Recai Osman from complicated man to Superhero. Forced to witness the cruelty of the Morality Police in his home city of Elih, Turkey, Recai is called upon by the power of the desert to be the vehicle of change. Does he have the strength to answer Allah's call or will his dark past and self doubt stand in his way?

Pulling on his faith in Allah, the friendship of a Jewish father-figure and a deeply held belief that his people deserve better, Recai Osman must become The SandStorm.

In the tradition of books by Margaret Atwood and Salman Rushdie, Shadow on the Wall tackles issues of religion, gender, corruption and the basic human condition. Beautiful and challenging, this is not a book to miss.

Shadow On The Wall

By: Pavarti K. Tyler

Publisher: Fighting Monkey Press

ISBN: 978-0983876908

Genre: FICTION, GENERAL FICTION

Format: Paperback, kindle

Length: 248 pages, 539 KB

Release Date: May 1, 2012

Book Trailer

Website

Facebook  

Twitter  

Tumblr (for ages 18+)

Google+ 

**************************************************************************************************

 EXCERPT

     Knock. Just one solid sound.

     Recai sat up too quickly and fell back against his mattress gasping as Rebekah stuck her head into his small room, her face creased with worry and fear.

     “Cover yourself and stay silent,” she whispered before closing the door and rushing back into the living room to retrieve her burqa and open the door. Recai heard the movement of the heavy fabric she wore on top of her house dress as she moved across the room to greet their visitor. He wondered if she had retrieved her father’s gun which he’d overheard Hasad say was under the couch in the living room.

     Before hiding beneath the thin sheet that covered him, he reached down and pulled the rug from the floor and threw it across his legs. He covered his head and melted against the wall with the pillow on top of his upper body. Feeling foolish, Recai laid there, wishing he had his ID, his phone, anything to help bribe his way out of this situation if it was indeed the RTK at the door.

     Perhaps it’s just a neighbor, he thought. A neighbor come to ask after Rebekah’s father’s health or to borrow some salt. His attempt at rationalizing the unexpected visit did not quell his fears. The RTK made a habit of performing home inspections, especially if they suspected a woman alone. It wasn’t a safe time for anyone under the jurisdiction of Mayor Yilmaz.

Review of The Egyptian by Layton Green

Publisher: First Ward

Release Date: August 21, 2011
Series: Dominic Grey #2
Buying Links: Amazon    

Book Blurb (from goodreads):

*Contains spoilers for the first book*

At a mausoleum in Cairo’s most notorious cemetery, a mercenary receives a package containing a silver test tube suspended in hydraulic stasis. 

An investigative reporter tracking rogue biomedical companies is terrified by the appearance of a mummified man outside her Manhattan apartment. 


A Bulgarian scientist who dabbles in the occult makes a startling discovery in his underground laboratory. 

These seemingly separate events collide when Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, are hired by the CEO of an Egyptian biomedical firm to locate stolen research integral to the company’s new life extension product. However, after witnessing the slaughter of a team of scientists by the remnants of a dangerous cult thought long abandoned, Grey and Viktor turn from pursuers to pursued. 


From the gleaming corridors of visionary laboratories to the cobblestone alleys of Eastern Europe to a lost oasis in the Sahara, Grey and Viktor must sift through science and myth to uncover the truth behind the Egyptian and his sinister biotech – before that truth kills them.

Teaser:

"In every myth and legend there's truth to be found. Whether or not the truth behind the myth has anything to do with extraordinary or supernatural forces is a different question entirely. We must separate reality from desire, or truth will forever remain hidden."

"Still the nonbeliever, I see."

"You know my work better than that. I don't discount possibilities, nor do I take my personal beliefs into account."

"The forgotten dungeons of alchemy are not the only source of the legend. The legend of a liquid that grants the gift of immortality is one of mankind's oldest and most persistent myths."

Reviewed By: Bea

*May contain spoilers for the first book* 


My Thoughts:

I greatly enjoyed the first Dominic Grey book, "The Summoner". It was a complex, layered, detailed psychological and religious mystery. "The Egyptian" also delves into religion and psychology in this mystery but it has a more topical theme of bio-technology and a seemingly timeless theme of immortality, or at the least, a greatly extended life span.

This book starts about three months after the events in the first book. Nya is still recovering and has pushed away Grey. He loves her, he thinks, but feels powerless to help her in any way. He is depressed at the start of the book, and is aware of it. It doesn't help that he hasn't had any assignments to work on in the past few months. So, he runs daily and waits for a job.

When he meets with a client, there are oddities about the case, but he decides to take the job. If nothing else, it will keep him busy.

...and if Viktor wanted him to check it out, then he would. At this point he'd investigate a stolen church hymnal in northern Canada.

The investigation, and its after effects occur in the US, Bulgaria and Egypt. With more time spent traveling, Green is less able to give us an in-depth characterization of the countries where the story occurs but you still get a feel for them. Zimbabwe, where "The Summoner", was set, was an important part of the first book and Green gave it depth, so that it was almost another character and not just an exotic locale for the story.

This story is more character driven than the first book, with Grey dealing with depression, a romantic break up, a possible new romance, and a new job. With all of that going on, it's not surprising he's depressed, and it occasionally messes up his thinking on the job. He also takes a chance and trusts someone who initially he thought might be a criminal. Of course, things are rarely simple and before long, nothing is what it seemed.

I admit, I had high expectations for this book and maybe that was not a good idea. "The Egyptian" didn't grip me the same way that "The Summoner" did. I also found, and this is not necessarily a bad thing, that I was more able to put this down and read in intervals, unlike the first book which was best read in a few sittings. I liked that we got to know Grey better in this book and seeing him deal with his problems. There's some character growth in addition to the mysteries, both legal and religious. One thing that slowed the book down for me was Green's tendency to drop massive info dumps on the reader. Much of the recap was unnecessary and the rest of it could have been more smoothly worked in. Also, as in "The Summoner", the language is sometimes over the top. Re-reading my review of "The Summoner", I realized that that story was more chilling; this one was less horrifying to me, perhaps due to the more scientific nature of certain events and the investigation.

Still, it was a delight to see Egyptian mythology used in new and unexpected ways, and mummies too. Green is good at throwing in twists and surprises and I do enjoy the religion and mythology that he works into the stories. It's integral to the mysteries but the stories are not religious in the sense of pushing a particular religion or belief set. Instead, the mysteries are the result of illegal actions people have committed in the name of their religion and the religion itself is integral to the events.

Despite my disappointments and quibbles, "The Egyptian" is still a good, solid, mystery. The characters are intriguing, both the characters and the story are layered and complex, and Green has a real understanding of human psychology and human nature. It's definitely worth your time.

For another perspective, check out the review at Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews.
 
I received a Kindle book from the author for review.