Review: Mariner Valley

Title:  Mariner Valley
Author:  James Crawford
Grade: A

Review:
 If you know e in real life, you know that I love sparkles, all thing pink, and dancing. Basically I am a girly-girl. Mariner Valley. Is not at all a book that would seem to fit my personality. This is why I love books. You can read about things that would not necessarily interest you in real life. Mariner Valley tells the story of a settlement on Mars. In that settlement there is a crime problem. Recently there have been several murders. Police man Ben O'Ryan and his team must try to figure out who is responsible for these murders and why. They must travel across the planet chasing the criminals before it is to late.

I was a big fan of this book and finished it in a little over 24 hours I loved that the book describes what a possible settlement on Mars would be like. This book is unlike any other books I have read. Ben O'Ryan is such a likable character that you find yourself rooting for him to win the hunt for the murderers. Ben and his team have to travel to different settlements on the planet.  I liked how Crawford has several different types of living areas on Mars. One settlement is basically New York City is a bubble, another settlement is completely underground, and yet another is in a space ship type place. They also travel in a rover/hummer type vehicle. The only part of the book I was not a huge fan of was the budding romance between Ben and one of his team members, Beth. Once they kissed and started "dating" they instantly started to call each other sweetie, and honey. I did not like how the relationship jumped from just friends to basically married. I felt it was very unrealistic. I think that this is a must read for all science fiction/dystopian fans out there and for people looking for a fun, suspenseful, read.

Happy Reading!

Bookaholic

Emotobooks Guest Post

Hello readers!

I am very excited to have Ron Gavalik as a guest on my blog! Ron has developed Emotobooks and is here to tell us all about them! Take it away Ron:

Emotobooks: The Fusion of Written Fiction and Expressionistic Art

Ron Gavalik

Thank you to Shirley for allowing me to guest post.

As a writer and publisher, it’s always been a goal to bridge the gap between the cerebral gratifications of well-plotted fiction writing and the visual stimulation of illustrative art. The one day I had a mini-epiphany. Insert expressive, emotionally representative imagery in written stories, during moments of emotional consequence. By delivering a visual of what a character feels, the reader becomes more intensely immersed in the story.

Emotobooks are written fiction stories, not comics or graphic novels. The few emotional abstract images woven in the stories are the dream-like visuals each of us experience in the middle of the night.

The term Emotobook is a portmanteau word I conjured as a memorable label for the very first fiction medium for smartphones and tablets. For the first time, readers can now see actual representation of character emotions right on the page for a fun, interactive experience.

Stories are published as EmotoSerials or EmotoSingles. EmotoSerials are monthly-released, continuing stories, much like TV dramas or miniseries that continue until their climactic ends. EmotoSingles are individual experiences.

I launched Grit City Publications in July of 2011, with the first Emotobook series titled Grit City, a seven-part story about Dillon Galway, an idealistic freelance journalist, who scrapes out a living reporting on corruption. Since then, we’ve grown the Emotobooks Catalog into an array of fun genre fiction titles in Sci-Fi, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller, and Horror.

Each Emotobook title consists of three creators: the author, editor, and illustrator. It’s our philosophy that three contributors on each Emotobook delivers a richer, more flavorful story. The creators even offer Autograph Cards and suggest mood settings, such as food, drink, and music. This way our fans can achieve a full-bodied experience.

Emotobooks accommodate a new audience, who desire a fast “full story experience” on smartphones, iPods, computers, or tablet readers in about 30 to 60 minutes. They can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers.

Our editors are currently seeking the best genre fiction for the Emotobooks transformation. It’s required that fiction writers read our submission guidelines and the free handbook, How to Create Emotobooks, before submitting. Our publishing model is unique and we require long-term participation from authors for everyone’s success.

Now that you’ve been introduced to the Emotobooks Revolution, I hope you’ll join our Readers Cult and begin collecting the coolest titles. We even offer free Autograph Cards to our fans. What it really comes down to is we write, edit, and illustrate the best modern fiction for our fans. Without you, we wouldn’t be here. Thank you.

Ron Gavalik’s Bio:

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ron Gavalik is a seasoned freelance journalist and fiction author of the successful Grit City thriller series. As Publisher for Grit City Publications, he oversees the Emotobooks Revolution. Ron holds an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and a B.S. in Marketing Communications from Point Park University. When not writing, you can find him in the outdoors of Southwestern Pennsylvania on his trail bike, hiking, or fishing.

Review: Night of the Purple Moon

Title: Night of the Purple Moon
Author: Scott Cramer
Source: Review from Author
Grade: A+

Review
 This book completely blew me away. Abby lives on a small island with her dad and brothers.When the Earth passes through the tail of a comet, everyone that has reached puberty gets very sick and dies.  Abby finds herself alone with her brother and younger sister with no idea what to do. She and other children survivors must figure out how to survive together.

This was a quick and suspenseful read.  The story is a mix between the Gone series by Micheal Grant and Life as We Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer. When I read the synopsis for  Night of the Purple Moon I wondered if it was going to join the ranks of the above mentioned books. I can say that it definitely delivered! Cramer's writings made sure to keep the reader of their toes. Just when I thought I knew what was going to happen, the plot would switch to something unexpected. The character of Abby grew from a typical teenager to someone who had to learn to take charge to keep her family and friends alive and well. The end of the book is a cliffhanger so I am wondering if Cramer will write a second book.The one thing I did not like about the book is the cover. Other than an obvious purple moon, I did not understand the rest of this picture. It looks like a werewolf/ vampire is about to attack. I think the cover had absolutely nothing to o with the book. If you love dystopian literature, then this book is a must read. You will not be disappointed! You can read more about eh book and Scoot Cramer at his website.

Happy Reading!

Bookaholic