The Artful by Wilbert Stanton (Shadows of the City #1) Published by: Curiosity Quills Press Publication date: May 27th 2014 Genres: Post-Apocalyptic, Young Adult New York City, 2025: Everything is changed. The city that never sleeps is now a land of death and decay. A rampant virus has taken over and the survivors have become carriers, quarantined from the rest of the world. Twist and Dodger grew up in the streets, the sewers and underground tunnels – their playground. They aren’t heroes. They just like attention; and stealing meds from the rich and giving them to the poor is their golden ticket. On their latest raid, they unknowingly steal a cure that puts them square between the ailing Emperor of Manhattan and the war hungry Governor of Brooklyn and forces them on a quest into the darkest shadows of their putrefying world. About the author Wilbert Stanton was born and raised in New York City. From an early age, Wilbert decided he would either write books or take over the world; everything else was just a precursor to his end game. Along the way, he has studied Psychology, English, and Computer Science. He’s held jobs in a wide range of fields and met people from all walks of life. Wilbert is constantly learning and growing as a person, in order to solidify his dreams. In the end world domination was a bit tedious, so he decided to focus on writing books. Author links: FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS GIVEAWAY COMPETITION
Open INTL - Ends August 19th A signed copy of The Artful
The Killer App by John WritherThe Killer App is set in a future generation where Britain is crippled by an ageing population, and the associated spiralling costs of pension, health and social care. The new Prime Minister, Robert Hand, pledged to strip-search the country’s finances, as well as funding research and innovation, to remedy the situation. He teams up with Bill Haugan, a ruthless American businessman with a penchant for pushing the boundaries, and Janet Icks, a hard-working genetic scientist wedded to her laboratory. On top of the snow-covered pistes around Davos, Switzerland, the unlikely trio hatch a killer experiment designed to revolutionise society. They all have their own personal interests in the proposal – Hand wants the public vote for solving the demographic imbalance, Icks is keen to test her research to transfer DNA after death, while Haugan has designs on expanding his empire – yet the worlds of politics, big business and science become uncomfortable bedfellows in a bid to rebalance the population. All they need is someone willing to “die to be young again”. Experiment Candidate 1456 is a frustrated artist in his late thirties, depressed at what his life has become after a failed marriage. Convinced he can do better, he is thrilled to be selected for this trial regeneration and sees the proposal as an opportunity to drop off the grid and start over. Little does he know what lies ahead… Just as the experiment starts, ethical opponents sabotage proceedings and violently shatter the lives of those involved, while events unravelling from the protest leave many secrets exposed. Monday again, so I'll be sharing with you the books I've come across that have caught my attention. If you've read them, then tell me what you think, should I read or should I avoid? Here's a book I've come across on Net Galley, to be published August 19th, I haven't featured many thrillers and this one caught my interest. The blurb reminded me a little of the current TV series Hannibal which I've enjoyed and so I've added One of Us by Tawni O'Dell to my TBR list. One of us by Tawni O'DellDr. Sheridan Doyle, a fastidiously groomed and TV-friendly forensic psychologist, is the go-to shrink for the Philadelphia District Attorney's office whenever a twisted killer's mind eludes other experts. But beneath his Armani pinstripes, he's still Danny Doyle, the awkward, terrified, bullied boy from a blue-collar mining family, plagued by panic attacks and haunted by the tragic death of his little sister and mental unraveling of his mother years ago. Returning to a hometown grappling with its own ghosts, Danny finds a dead body at the infamous Lost Creek gallows where a band of rebellious Irish miners was once executed. Strangely, the body is connected to the wealthy family responsible for the miners' deaths. Teaming up with veteran detective Rafe, a father-like figure from his youth, Danny, in pursuit of a killer, comes dangerously close to startling truths about his family, his past, and himself. About the AuthorTawni O'Dell is the New York Times bestselling author of Fragile Beasts, Sister Mine, Coal Run, and Back Roads, which was an Oprah's Book Club pick and a Book-of-the-Month Club Main Selection. Tawni's screen adaptation of Back Roads is currently in development to be made into a film with Adrian Lyne set to direct. Her work has been translated into 15 languages and been published in over 30 countries. Tawni was born and raised in the coal-mining region of western Pennsylvania, the territory she writes about with such striking authenticity. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism and spent many years living in the Chicago area before moving back to Pennsylvania where she now lives with her two children. Above a horrified New York City, genetics and ethics collide as the fallen emperor and a banished exile of the same herculean race ignite into battle over the city’s rooftops. In the streets below, a brilliant young scientist has discovered a technology that can defeat them both, yet might be more terrible than either. Set both in modern New York City and in the technologically sophisticated yet politically savage world of Anthem, Anthem’s Fall unfurls into a plot where larger than life characters born with the prowess of gods are pitted against the shrewd brilliance of a familiar and unlikely heroine. AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY ABOUT THE AUTHOR S.L. Dunn is the debut author of Anthem’s Fall, a novel he wrote amid the wanderings of his mid twenties. He has written while living intermittently in St. John USVI, Boston, Maine and Seattle. Raised on big screen superheroes and pop science fiction, he sought to create a novel that bridged a near-sci-fi thriller with a grand new fantasy. He currently resides in Seattle with his girlfriend Liz and their dog Lucy, and is hard at work completing the next book of the Anthem’s Fall series. GIVEAWAY COMPETITION Giveaway is open to International. | Must be 13+ to Enter
3 Winners will receive an E-Copy of Anthem's Fall by S.L. Dunn. 1 Winner will receive a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card. Humanity has been decimated by a violent new species that nests in any enclosed spaces, and slaughters everything unfortunate enough to come indoors. Mitch is a 'Wall Banger', an explosives expert who 'cracks' buildings, exposing them to air and sunlight to kill these invasive organisms. When a friend of Mitch's asks for help tracking down a murderer, Mitch recruits Cori, a 'Shadow Runner' who races through infested spaces to gather supplies and saleable loot. But this terrifying contagion isn't the only danger, as their world descends into a harrowing marathon against oversupplied militias, murderous gangs, self-righteous survivors, and all-out starvation. My Review Homeless by Nicolas Wilson, a dystopian novel named so because of the sinister and mysterious creatures which infest homes and other dark, enclosed spaces making them inhospitable. A story of survival, of societies struggle to survive in a world where normal everyday essentials and luxuries do not exist or are hard to obtain. In this new society a number of occupations have appeared, wall bangers and shadow runners are two examples. Professionals who have the skills to retrieve the everyday essentials, required for survival, protection and to bring some sense of normality back to survivors. Both these professions use very different techniques, wall bangers opt for the more destructive form, cracking open buildings, exposing the creatures to light, in turn killing them. Shadow runners tend to be more athletic, faster and fitter, sprinting through the buildings which are infested, gathering supplies as they do. The more risky of the two, very few shadow runners exist. I really enjoyed a post-apocalyptic setting which didn’t involve zombies or the usual epidemic but I do feel that the creatures, which I thought were going to be the main threat within the story were more of a background thing, they seemed to me more of an inconvenience than a threat. Details about the creatures were very rushed, the reader learns very little of the creatures and their origins. The main perils within the book are typical of a society governed by nothing more than spoken deals and rules. Humans who prey on the weak, hounding and raiding settlements are a far greater menace to the survivors. Mitch is the main protagonist within the book, an individual who, to begin with, seems only concerned for his own survival, but as the story unfolds Mitch is actually a very caring individual who will go to extremes to save those he cares about. A hunt for a killer leads Mitch, a wall banger, into an encounter that could have been life threatening had it not been for the shadow runner Cori. To begin with both are sceptical of each other’s motives and there is very little trust or friendship. As the story progresses a friendship blossoms and the dialogue between the two is cheering. With their set of skills both of them must find a way to help a small settlement against the threat of raiders and militia. A well written, enjoyable, action packed and fast paced read. The author’s attention to detail and knowledge of weapons and explosives made the story all the more interesting. Homeless is a great dystopian novel that I would recommend to fans of post-apocalyptic stories. About the authorNicolas Wilson is a published journalist, graphic novelist, and novelist. He lives in the rainy wastes of Portland, Oregon with his wife, four cats and a dog. Nic has written several short story collections and novels.Nic's work spans a variety of genres, from political thriller to science fiction and urban fantasy. For information on Nic's books, and behind-the-scenes looks at his writing, visit nicolaswilson.com. You can also subscribe to his mailing list, for information on new releases, as they become available. Mailing list subscribers also receive a copy of Dogs of War, an unpublished novella. Facebook Twitter Goodreads Website I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover but I just can't help pick up or click on a book with an amazing front. Each week I'll tell you about the books I've added to my TBR shelf just because of their cover. Today's cover is No smoke without fire by Paul Gitsham, a DCI Warren Jones Novel, why? Because I liked the colour of the text against the background, the blurb also sounds really interesting. Sometimes good typography is enough to lure me in and make me buy a book! No Smoke Without Fire (DCI Warren Jones, #2)DCI Warren Jones has a bad feeling when the body of a young woman turns up in Beaconsfield Woods. She’s been raped and strangled but the murderer has been careful to leave no DNA evidence.
There are, of course, suspects – boyfriend, father – to check out but, worryingly, it looks more and more like a stranger murder. Warren’s worst fears are confirmed when another young woman is killed in the same way. The MO fits that of Richard Cameron who served twelve years for rape. But Cameron never killed his victims and he has a cast-iron alibi. Then personal tragedy intervenes and Warren is off the case. But the pressure is mounting and another woman goes missing. Warren is back but will the break he desperately needs come before there’s another victim? |
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