Review: The Vampire Way by Derek Clendening

The Vampire Way by Derek Clendening

Amazon Product Description:
Eighteen year old Rick Thompson is a marked man. When Damien Masonite comes to his school, he knows something is up. And when his friends start falling to vampire attacks, he knows that he and his girlfriend Laura are next. The quest to understand immortality, true love and undying friendship compromise his safety even more. Can he keep his best friends, his true love and keep his mortal life? 


My thoughts:
This is a new look at vampires and the question of immortality.  I enjoyed the questions that the characters seem to be asking throughout the story about love, friendship, the meaning of life, and of course what is to be immortal.  I liked the relationships between the characters, but I felt that they were less realistic than what could have be created with such great questions being asked.  I did however appreciate the attempts that John was making to reevaluate and change his relationship with Tracy from that of teenagers to one of mature adults where they could talk about and work through problems and set backs.  I was pleased that Rick found peace and closure, although hard won, in his dealings with John and Tracy.  I was sad to find myself disliking Damien so much, I usually like the vampire in the stories that I read.  I was excited that Bobby survives and finds himself on the road to recovery, from his own sense of worthlessness as well as from his vampire encounters.  I was thrilled that Rick and Laura are able to remain mortal and get on with their lives; having found the answers they had been seeking about themselves, each other, immortality, love and the power of friendship.  The story doesn't flow as smoothly as I had hoped it would, but the plot is fairly intriguing.  I think that if the book had been longer it would have been an opportunity for the author to flesh out the characters and smooth the edges a bit more.  Although this isn't my favorite vampire story, I look forward to more books by Derek Clendening....I believe the best is yet to come.

Blog Tour: A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron (Giveaway too!)

The Book Blog Tour is presented by Teddy Rose and .......

The next stop on the tour is: Mia Pragmatic Mom  on Oct. 5

You can get to my review by clicking HERE.

You can buy a copy of this amazing story by clicking HERE or HERE.

You can enter for a chance to win by filling out the form at the end of this post!

Welcome to The Wormhole and the kick off post for the blog tour for A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron!

I am pleased to bring you a guest post:

                                                  

 Puck’s Purpose

I read a lot. And not surprisingly, I read a lot of books about dogs. My favorite dog story this year is A Dog’s Purpose, by W. Bruce Cameron. In Cameron’s charming story, a dog goes through several lives exploring what his particular purpose is.

This made me think about the first dog we had when I was a child. He was a beagle from a distinguished line of hunting dogs. He was big for his breed and smart as they come. My uncle, who was a passionate hunter, bought him with high expectations of what Puck would be. My uncle also loved the plays of Shakespeare, so he named the dog Puck. Puck’s purpose was clear: he would be a fine hunting dog. My uncle, who loved training hunting dogs as much as the hunting itself, began Puck’s education. Everything went fine. Until the first time Puck heard the shotgun.  He screamed in terror and took off as fast as his young beagle legs would carry him, which was pretty darned fast.  Try as he might, my uncle could not convince Puck his purpose was to be a gun dog.

When my uncle left for medical school, he gave Puck to us. I was four years old, my sister seven.  My mother loved dogs and my father loved every living thing. He was not a hunter. Puck quickly proved himself to be a wonderful nanny. We lived in a small beach town in Florida. Whenever we wanted to go anywhere with our friends without our parents, the rule was we had to take Puck. And not only did we have to take Puck, we had to mind him! If we tried to cross a street Puck deemed too busy, he’d block our way until the coast was clear. Twice he protected us from snakes. Once my sister cut her foot so badly she couldn’t walk home. Puck ran to our house, alerted my father, and led him to where my sister way. Lassie had nothing on Puck.

Several years later, when I was eight, my mother, sister and I had to move away. My father had died and my mother was left trying to support us. Where we were moving we couldn’t take Puck. Heartbroken, we gave Puck to my father’s parents who loved him every bit as much as we did. But what would Puck do without his girls to look after, we wondered.

Puck’s new purpose was to look after my grandparents. My grandfather Bill worked as an auto mechanic about a mile from the house. Every morning, Puck walked with my grandfather to work, hung out with the men while they drank coffee, ate their morning donuts, indulged in small-town gossip, then he’d come home. He’d accompany my grandmother as she did her errands. Everyone in town knew Puck. Then, in the late afternoon, he’d walk back to the garage and walk home with my grandfather Bill.  As the years passed, my grandmother’s eyes grew worse and she became very nervous about the stairs that led from their apartment above a garage down to the outside. Puck would gently take her wrist in his mouth and slowly walk her down the stairs. After my grandfather suffered a stroke, he was paralyzed on his left side. Puck was with him every step of the way as my grandfather re-learned to walk and use his left hand.

Puck lived to a ripe old age. The whole town grieved, though, when he died. For years after, people talked about what a fine dog he was, even if he wasn’t cut out for his original “purpose.” I think like a lot of folks, Puck had a purpose deep inside him that had nothing to do with what others thought he should be. Puck’s purpose was to love and protect his family every day of his life. And that’s exactly what he did.

Now - the giveaway!  Open to continental US and Canada only (sorry)  - - you don't need to be a follower, but I would love it if you wanted to.  You must be at least 13 years old to enter.  

The prize is a print copy of A Dog's Way Home.

The book will be sent by the author or tour presenter - the giveaway ends on 10/12/11.

Please fill out the form below:

Thanks for stopping by The Wormhole!  Happy Reading!

Review: A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron

A Dog's Way Home by Bobbie Pyron

*I got this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review and participation in the book blog tour. (I am sooooo glad I did!).

Amazon Product Description:

Daddy says, "Most folks got a north star in their life—something that gives their life extra meaning. Mine is music."
Without even thinking, I say, "Mine is Tam."

Abby knows that Tam, her Shetland sheepdog, is her north star, and she's pretty certain she's his, too. But when an accident separates Abby and Tam, it feels as though all the stars have fallen out of the sky and nothing will ever be right again. As the days between them turn to weeks, then months, dangers and changes fill up Abby's and Tam's lives. Will they ever find their way home to each other?
Set in the Blue Ridge Mountains, A Dog's Way Home is an unforgettable tale of the many miles, months, and mountains that divide two loyal friends—but that can't possibly keep them apart.

My thoughts:  Holy wow!  Where to start?  I truly LOVED this book!  

Bobbie Pyron is a gifted storyteller.  This story is beautifully written.  

The book itself is a reader's dream: the cover is wonderful, the print is easy to read with enough white space on the pages to be encouraging even though it's a "fat" book by a sixth graders point of view.  The characters are realistic, the language is straight forward and easy to understand.  The names aren't tricky or hard to pronounce, the storyline draws you in from the first page, and it's fast paced enough to keep you turning the pages without ever getting lost. 
          I sat down with every intention of reading for a little while and then getting some things done before coming back to the book.  That didn't happen.  I sat down with Bobbie's book and was "in" after opening the cover.  I didn't leave the couch or close the book until I turned the last page, with tears streaming down my cheeks.  
          I am a dog lover.  I have two dogs of my own and two "grand"dogs.  I fell in love with Tam and Abby on the first pages.  The bond between a girl and her dog is an amazing thing and Bobbie Pyron has captured it's very essence on the pages of her story.  
          I enjoyed how the chapters alternated between Abby and Tam so we were able to get both perspectives throughout the book.  I loved the similarities in the experiences that each had in their journey, such as Tam and Abby both making unlikely friends who played key roles in the final outcome.  I found it intriguing that there was so much about "Home" and what that meant.  Many of the characters were searching as hard as Tam was for what they felt "home" was.
          The characters are fantastic.  The author has carefully created incredibly memorable characters.  She has made them believable, realistic and easy to relate to.  She has developed them so vividly that I was able to easily see them in my mind as I read the words.  Each one stands strong - with their ideas, values, and beliefs at the forefront of who they are.  I found myself relating the characters to people in my own life that fit into those same roles.  I can't say there is a single character in the story that I don't like.  (aside from the trapper and the man with the rifle, okay - the few who show up once and are mean to the dog - I don't like them).  
          I enjoyed all them all so much that I find myself hard pressed to pick a favorite character.  Usually this is easy for me when I read a book, but this time it was hard.  I like Ian's "North Star" analogy, and I loved that later Meemaw explains that dreams change and sometimes wanting something for so long doesn't mean getting it is always the answer.  I had tears in my eyes when Abby's mom told her she was her "North Star."  I especially liked Olivia though.  She seems wise beyond her years, reminding me of my sister.  Two of my favorite parts of the book come from her. 

(from page 32) Then she looked directly into my eyes.  "My mom often said love creates miracles."  And that was all Olivia had to say about that.  And it was all I needed to hear.

(from page 125) ...My papa used to always say the earth only spins one way: forward.

          The relationships between the characters are incredible.  So much nuance and hidden meaning.  There is a message in the book that comes through on almost every page, but isn't blatant.  It leaves the reader to discover what it all means to them as an individual.  

                    The story is one about a girl and her lost dog, but is in so many ways so much more than that.  It is a story of hope, courage, fear, longing, believing, and love.  It is a deep and touching story with more meaning than you would ever imagine by just looking at the cover, or even reading the blurb.  

          To be honest, while I would have readily handed it this to any of my students asking about a dog book, I would have told myself to add it to my reading stack and one day if I had time I would have read it.  I am so very, very pleased that I was approached by Teddy Rose and asked to read and review A Dog's Way Home because if not, I would have missed out on an amazing and inspiring story.  

Blog Tour: Time of the Fairies: Afterlight by Joseph Corsentino

This Virtual Book Tour is presented by Bewitching Book Tours.

You can get to the entire tour schedule by clicking HERE.

Welcome to The Wormhole and my day on the tour!

It is with great pleasure that I present Joseph Corsentino

and his beautiful book Time of the Fairies: Afterlight!

The Oddities of Time of the Faeries: Afterlight

Hello, Wormhole readers!  Thank you for this invitation to write a guest blog.

The title of this blog, The Wormhole, was rather odd, whimsical, and intriguing, which prompted me to consider all the oddities inherent in my creative endeavor, Time of the Faeries: The Afterlight.
It’s a graphic novel...but more in the style of an art book.  There’s art, there’s a Sci-Fi/Fantasy novel, so we can only label The Afterlight, End of the World, book 1 in a 4 part series, as a graphic novel, yet it doesn’t quite look like one.
It’s illustrated...but with digital photographs, something still rarely seen in book form, and definitely not to this extent.
It’s about Faeries.  It says so on the the title...but the Faeries don’t come in until the second book in the series.
It begins...well, at the ending.  The entire first book.  Where does that leave us in the second, third, and fourth book?

Time of the Faeries: The Afterlight has been several years in the making, and I feel these these oddities are what make the series unique.  I hope you will agree and join me in The Afterlight.

Joseph Corsentino

Artist/Author

Joseph Corsentino is a storyteller at heart who chooses photography as his medium.  He took his passion for Science Fiction and Fantasy to Los Angeles where he began Time of the Faeries, an epic retelling of the faerie mythology.  His stunning, ethereal, and realistic faeries, angels, and vampires can be seen in private collections and magazines all over the world.  His first book, published by Imaginosis Publishing, is a prologue into the Time of the Faeries universe.  Joseph is currently completing the four-part Afterlight graphic novel series and making appearances at conventions such as Dragon*con.

Title: Afterlight: End of the World
Author J. Corsentino
ISBN 978-0-578-08548-7
Size 98 pages
Genre: Full color fantasy art novel

Part 1 Time of the Fairies

Time of the Faeries: Afterlight is a four-part graphic novel series that explore the origins of the Faeries, the evolution of Angels and Vampires from a common Fae ancestor, and their own unique adaptations to the modern world. It follows the alliances and tensions that develop between these three species as they struggle to protect human civilization or shape it to their will. The Afterlight follows several lines of cause and effect, revealing possible versions of the Apocalypse at the hands of all three species.

In the first book, Afterlight, End of the World, we begin at the end with the Angel Apocalypse: a dying Earth, ravaged by war, now hosts only a few scattered pockets of humanity. These last survivors are being hunted to extinction by starving Angels, their energy consumed so that the Angels might live. Below ground, a small band of shape-shifting male faeries called the Phelans struggle to protect the last collection of human life in Los Angeles and a mysterious young girl who may hold the key to their survival. Above ground, as the winged forces amass to complete their genocide, a lone Angel named Halyon struggles to understand what went wrong, and why her race now hunts the very people they were charged to protect.  

Now - for your viewing pleasure.....

This is am amazing book - you truly must see it to fully appreciate it!

You can buy this amazingly beautiful book HERE.

Review: Seers by Heather Frost

Seers by Heather Frost

This book is available for pre-order HERE.

Amazon Product Description:
For Kate Bennet, surviving the car wreck that killed her parents means big changes and even bigger problems. As she begins to see auras and invisible people, Kate must learn to trust Patrick O'Donnell, a handsome Guardian, or risk her life being overrun with Demons. She soon realizes that both she and her heart are in big-time trouble.


My thoughts:
Wonderfully written.  Loved the characters.  The world she has built for her characters has a variety of elements.  The world that Kate lives in with her family and friends is solid and realistic, the author has captured the high school feel with accuracy.  The world that Kate finds when she meets Patrick and Toni is something completely new.  
     Her demon/guardian ideas are refreshing.  I loved the idea that a person chooses at their death to either go on to heaven or to become a guardian.  I wonder how she chose 25 as the perfect age, but it seems alright, but my favorite part of her heaven is that everyone gets to be with those that they have loved and lost.  That children automatically go to heaven and get to go on being raised my their parents when they are all united again.  It brings a smile to believe that her idea of heaven could be possible.  
     I enjoyed all the characters.  Kate is great.  Toni makes me laugh.  Lee is the best friend we either all have or if not, all want.  Kate's sisters are typical and realistic, making me glad I not only am not a twin but don't have twins of my own.  Aaron is that perfect boyfriend that you always hear about people having.  Kate's grandparents are wonderful.  But with all these characters, and those I didn't list, Patrick is by far and away my favorite character.  He is "that" guy, the one we all dream about.  
     The plot moves quickly.  The story is fantastic.  Kate's journey from a regular high school girl with a loving family, to an orphaned girl living with her sisters and her grandparents, to a member of a demon fighting team with special powers is a ride you don't want to miss.  I will be waiting for the sequel! 

Interview with Denise Grover Swank ~ author of Chosen

Virtual Book Tour presented by Bewitching Book Tours!

Welcome back to the Wormhole!

Denise Grover Swank was gracious enough to offer an interview:

? When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?

When I was a kid. I loved to read and make up stories.

? How many jobs did you have before you became a writer?

Multiple! I’ve done all kinds things, some for very short stints just to try something new. I’ve worked at a fast food chain (as a teen), worked at a floral shop taking orders, worked in a preschool as an assistant, worked for a cement company review AutoCAD drawings of parking garages, worked in a pathology laboratory processing tissue samples for pathologists to examine for cancer (an actual career that lasted 13 years) and as a kitchen and bath designer. I’m Gemini. Nuf said.

? How long does it take you to write a book?

First draft, four to six weeks. Multiple rounds of revisions including beta readers, two to three months.

? What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

It takes me a while to settle down into it, but once I do I’m hyper focused.

? Do you have a routine that you use to get into the right frame of mind to write?

? Where do you get your ideas or inspiration for your characters?

They just appear in my head. Which is a bit scary when you consider some of them. ;)

? How do you decide what you want to write about?

Sometimes an idea just pops into my head. (The Chosen series) Sometimes it’s a character and I build a story around  him or her. (My southern mystery Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes) Other times I decide I’m going to write using a particular plot point and build around that. (My YA novel Torn coming out the end of November about an alternate universe.)

? What books have most influenced your life?

Oh dear. This is hard. So many. As a kid, Little House on the Prairie. I used to pretend to be Laura and tie a baby dress around my head and pretend it was a sun bonnet.

? What is the first book you remember reading by yourself?

It was first grade and about a girl who got shiny new red shoes. The illustrations were black and white except for her shoes. I read that book many times.

? What are you reading right now?

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. If I can wrestle it away from my fourteen year old daughter.

? What do you like to do when you are not writing?

? What is your favorite comfort food?

Spaghetti.

? What do you think makes a good story?

Great characters that make me care about what happens to them.

? Who would you consider your favorite author and why?

I love Sarah Addison Allen who writes magical realism. Her characters are sweet and southern and her words are gorgeous.

? What book, if any, do you read over and over again?

Fun random questions: 

·        dogs or cats? Dogs

·        Coffee or tea? Coffee (Starbucks addict)

·        Dark or milk chocolate? Dark

·        Rocks or flowers? Flowers

·        Night or day? Night

·        Favorite color? Green

·        Crayons or markers? Markers

·        Pens or pencils? Pen