Scott A. Lerner - Ruler of Demons - Review and Giveaway

About the Book

Only eleven shopping days till Christmas. And less than a week to save the world.

Three nuns—in Chicago, Paris, and Jerusalem—have been killed in a religious ritual. The choice of victims and the macabre details of their deaths indicate that someone is following a recipe provided on an ancient text—a recipe to unleash the forces of hell on earth. The final sacrifice must occur on the Winter Solstice.

Samuel Roberts, a small-town attorney in Urbana, Illinois, knows a bit about the supernatural, having triumphed at least once over the forces of evil. Thanks to a friend who is aware of Sam’s little known previous efforts on behalf of mankind, Sam is hired by a big Chicago law firm to take on a sensitive case. His mission? Nothing less than halting the impending apocalypse.

Sam and his good buddy Bob travel first to Jerusalem then Paris in a desperate race to save mankind.

Link to read an excerpt.

My Review

Sam Roberts is the type of guy who really doesn't have faith in anything besides himself. That's why he's an intriguing choice to head a murder investigation involving the Catholic Church. Nuns are being killed in an attempt to prompt the Second Coming of Jesus Christ or to open the doors of hell so that Satan can roam the earth. Either option isn't particularly reassuring.

So when the church's high profile attorney gets Sam to sign on to the case, he's forced to confront some issues about organized religion he'd rather not think about. He's a sinner because he likes to sin. If it feels good, he does it - and he doesn't beat himself up over it. He likes good food. He enjoys the company of women. He doesn't profess allegiance to any particular code of moral conduct. But he's encountered the supernatural before, and he doesn't question its legitimacy. He knows there are forces out there that he is powerless against, and that unnerves him. It doesn't stop him, but it makes him question just what exactly he's up against. If God is indeed all powerful, then why does evil exist at all?

So why does Sam believe in some force greater than himself? Because he's had first hand experience with it. It doesn't defy his sense of logic because he's encountered the paranormal with his five senses. He can make a deduction after having an eyewitness account with a fire demon in his Israeli hotel room. He saw its flame. He heard its voice. He smelled its smoke. Basically, he couldn't deny what was right in front of him.

Sam is a person who looks to pop culture references in order to make sense of the world around him. SCOOBY DOO, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME all figure into his thought processes when it comes to analyzing his accounts with the unknown. He thinks he's a magnet for the forces of darkness, attracting chaos into his life. And as the mystery unfolds, he's apparently right. In this particular instance, his Jewish bloodline singles him out. He's a marked man but he doesn't find out until it's almost too late. By owning up to the smart aleck that he is, he just might save his life as well as those he loves.

***

Ruler of Demons can be purchased at:
Amazon

Prices/Formats: $4.95 ebook, $13.95 paperback
Pages: 202
Publisher: Camel Press
Release: December 15, 2013
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

Author and attorney Scott A. Lerner resides in Champaign, Illinois. He obtained his undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin in Madison and went on to obtain his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. He is currently a sole practitioner in Champaign, Illinois. The majority of his law practice focuses on the fields of criminal law and family law. Mr. Lerner lives with his wife, their two children, and their cat Fern. Lerner collects unusual antiques and enjoys gardening, traveling, reading fiction, and going to the movies. His first novel, Cocaine Zombies, won a bronze medal in the mystery/cozy/noir category of the 2013 Independent Publisher (IPPY) Awards.

Links to connect with Scott:
Web Site
Twitter
Goodreads
Blog Tour Site


About the Giveaway

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April Bostic - The Howling Heart - Review and Giveaway

About the Book

Paige Donovan is an ambitious college graduate who aspires to reach the top of the corporate ladder. She’s climbing fast when given the promotion of a lifetime at a prestigious fashion magazine in New York City. Her bright future comes to an unexpected halt after news of her father’s death. She inherits his old cabin in the Colorado Rockies, and just when she thinks her luck couldn’t get any worse, she has a car accident in the mountains and awakens in the small, remote community of Black River.



Soon, she’s engulfed in the mystical world of Varulv---wolves descended from 13th century Scandinavia and blessed by Norse gods with the ability to appear human. Paige is desperate to return home, but never expects to fall for her rescuer, Riley Gray, a charming young werewolf from England who offers her an alternate future with his pack.

Now, she must choose between the career she’s always wanted and the love she’s always dreamed.

Video Book Trailer



My Review

Paige Donovan is a girl willing to try new things. She leaves her dream position at a New York fashion magazine for a cabin in the woods. She gets inducted into a mysterious cult straight out of Norse mythology. And to top it off, she even considers having sex with a wolf. As a romance heroine, Paige covers new ground, not afraid to explore areas that might be considered taboo. She ventures into uncharted territory on so many different levels. She doesn't shy away from things just because the culture at large views them as forbidden. She opens herself up to new experiences in order to make up her own mind about what's important to her.

At the same time, she displays quite a multi-faceted persona. She's a young woman still in her early twenties. She gets intimidated around good-looking guys. She places a great deal of emphasis on her appearance. She trusts the wrong men with her heart. Basically, she's learning the game of life as she goes along. Her heart is telling her what it wants, but at the beginning she's too stubborn to listen. She wants things the way she envisions them, not necessarily what's best for her. Designer clothes, a prestigious job, the luxuries of city life - all pale in comparison when it comes to reconnecting with Riley Gray, her one true love.

After discovering Riley's paranormal identity, Paige struggles to keep a grip on reality. She wants to believe in the concept of soul mates and that the little boy she encountered as a child could really grow into the man she could spend the rest of her life with, but she hesitates. She doesn't want to give up on everything she's worked so hard for in her career. She's unsure of how she truly feels about a man who can so easily declare his love for her when she experiences such difficulty expressing her feelings. She wonders if she's making things more complicated instead of just following her instincts or does she know herself better than she thinks? In the end, she has to decide whether she's going to stay with Riley in the isolated town of Black River and if she can imagine a different future for herself than the one she had planned.

***

The Howling Heart can be purchased at:
Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBookstore, Books a Million

Prices/Formats: $6.95 ebook, $17.62 paperback
Pages: 234
Publisher: Eternal Press
Release: August 8, 2013
Click to add to your Goodreads list.


About the Author

April Bostic is a New Jersey-based, Adult Romance author who enjoys unleashing her creativity and letting her imagination run wild. Her love of romance books inspired her to become not just a reader, but also a writer. In December 2008, she self-published her first novel, a contemporary romance with a supernatural twist entitled "A Rose to the Fallen".



Her first short story, "Right Here, Right Now", released in January 2012, is an erotic romance with a dash of S&M. The following year, she released two more short stories: a romantic urban fantasy inspired by the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche entitled "Eros, My Love", and a sexy romantic comedy entitled "Love Addiction".



After five years, she released her second novel, "The Howling Heart" in August 2013, a paranormal romance that delves into the mystical world of werewolves and Norse gods. To end her busiest year in publishing, April will release her fourth short story in December 2013, an 18th century paranormal romance entitled "A Dark Scandal".

Links to connect with April:
Web Site
Goodreads
Blog Tour Site


About the Giveaway

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