I first got a taste of Billy Young’s writing in October 2008 when I read his book Banshee Angel of Judgement. Having been an avid fan of horror in high school, I still enjoy the occasional read that can send shivers up my spine. Mr. Young has a talent for not falling into horror stereotypes where it’s easy to guess who will die first and who won’t die at all. His writing also appealed to me because he actually concentrates on building a strong plot rather than focusing on the fear factor of the story. His latest book, Bublos, is no different.
Bublos traces the journey of a hidden scroll from t
When I looked at the first chapter, before I got into the story, I was immediately impressed by a writing style which is highly descriptive and manages to express such atmosphere. This is what draws me into a story more than anything else. Deana, the protagonist and narrator, talks in a casual, natural manner, and (I feel) projects a somber sense of foreboding appropriate to her tale.
We first met Tiff Banks in review 70 of Along Came a Demon. During the course of the first book, Tiff Banks is established as a person with the ability to talk with ghosts, who are referred to as shades. Tiff used her gift to assist the Clarion Police Department with murder investigations.
For years, I was a true crime buff. I still possess more useless knowledge about some of America’s infamous serial killers than I care to admit to. Give me a good “true” ghost story or A&E/ Travel Channel historical haunting feature or reality ghost hunting show and I’m glued to the television for hours. So, when Curt Rowlett approached us with his three books devoted to mysteries, murder, and the occult, I immediately wanted to read all of them!
If Tim LeHaye and Michael Crichton had ever gotten together to write a book, it would probably end up being something like Anthony Policastro’s Absence of Faith. It’s part medical mystery and part religious thriller all rolled up in a plot of Christianity, Unexplained Phenomenon, New Age Beliefs, and Satanic Occults. It’s a white-knuckle read that would probably drive a Baptist preacher to an early death, and probably have Stephen King saying, “Now why didn’t I think of that?”
I fell in love with Mary Hellick on page one and nothing through the course of the book caused me to change my mind. Mary is a prickly teenager who is an outcast at her school. Shunned by most of the students who taunt her and generally make life hell for her, Mary tries to keep to herself and not draw any attention to herself, but sometimes strikes back. This means that Mary has regular sessions with the guidance counselor, Mr. Landa. Mary is your typical awkward, rebellious teenager, with one exception. Mary is also clairaudient, which means that she can hear the dead, and that tends to complicate her life.
I have been an avid mystery fan for much of my life. I read before going to sleep every night and the books that usually make up that reading material are mysteries of the cozy type. Agatha Christie, P D James, Elizabeth Peters, Ngaio Marsh, Sara Paretsky, Martha Grimes, and the list goes on. When I saw that Linda Welch had requested a review for her psi-fi mystery, Along Came A Demon, I leapt at the chance to read and review it. I was not disappointed.
Condition Black by Edwin Ong arrived with the look and feel of a graphic novel. It’s slick black cover with just a touch of glowing red from the trooper’s night vision goggles make the book exceptionally marketable, but the cover and the brief blurb on the back of the book do not prepare you for the thrill ride waiting on the pages inside. Unfortunately, there are no graphics, but the 96 pages of text are packed full of action and adventure. It begins like this…
Knowing Jack is a book written by LLBR’s very own roving reviewer, Julie Elizabeth Powell. I first encountered Julie on the Lulu forum boards and was struck by her enthusiasm and encouragement for other authors work. In addition to this her dedication to writing is evident, and I felt like I had encountered a kindred spirit from across the pond. I was very happy to have been instrumental in bringing Julie onboard here at the Lulu Book Review, because she brings an added dimension to the team, allowing us to provide reviews of Lulu authors work who have not necessarily requested a review.
There’s a door to a room in the back of my mind where I store thoughts and bits of information – historical, current events, song lyrics, words and their definitions, newspaper clippings, magazine articles, movie scenes, lines from a book, pieces of conversation, etc. – determined to use them in a book one day. I have a huge respect for the historical fiction genre and for authors who are inspired by pieces of history and creative enough to put them into fictional context. Years ago I came across articles on a steamboat accident that happened at the end of the Civil War and killed almost as many people as the Titanic tragedy did many years later, but it was clouded over in the news by the assassination of Lincoln. I’m still determined to work it into a novel some day. For now, it sits in that far away room.
Do you love to read?
Do you support the POD community?
Can you be critical, yet positive?
Do you like to review books?
If so, we'd love to hear from you. LLBR is looking to add a few more reviewers to its team. Email us at llbookreview@gmail.com for details.
New Comments