Crimson Snow by Ina Carter (VBT, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT ADULT title

 

I have the pleasure of sharing a guest post from author Ina Carter, who answers my question...

 

ELF:  What do you think is the strongest attraction about the genre(s) you like to write in?

 

IC:  I am an avid reader and I read everything from non-fiction and classic literature, to mystery and sci-fi. In my opinion a good book is one that teaches you something new, helps you comprehend better the world around you, or gives you an insight on human emotions. This is why I chose to write mostly in the romance genre. My personal journey as an author started early in life, when one of my teachers sent a love poem I wrote to a literary magazine for young authors, and to my surprise it got published. I was eleven, and at that age my poetry was not based on romantic feelings I’d experienced, but on concepts about love I learned from books. My journey continued throughout college, where I majored in Psychology and Social studies, eager to satisfy my curiosity about human nature, and understand what motivates people’s decisions.

As a romance author my focus is not simply on romantic love, but the relationships my characters have with all the people in their lives, their passions and dreams. I believe that even my villains deserve a chance to explain their motivations and reveal their human traits. No one is eternally bad or evil, and no one is perfect, and I try to create characters that are believable and flawed, and give them an opportunity to learn and grow.

There are many reasons people read romance, but I think the biggest attraction to genre is not that it is a “guilty pleasure,” but that we as humans are always searching for love, even in the darkest times of our lives. I would never forget that moment in the movie “Precious,” when that poor girl found escape from the horrible sexual abuse she suffered, by creating a fantasy world in her head, not only to cope with the trauma, but to believe that there is someone out there who loved her. For many readers romance novels are just that – a way to heal from trauma, or find hope that love is waiting around the corner. Even if we are in happy relationships, we all want to remember our first love, the one that broke our hearts, or the one that became our forever. 

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Crimson Snow

ADULT title

by 

Ina Carter 

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GENRE: Contemporary romance

 

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BLURB:

 

The Greeks had seven words for LOVE. I felt all of them for ONE MAN…

 

My name is Lauren, and I was a stolen baby.

 

They found me in a trailer park in rural Texas when I was eight years old. My childhood wasn’t perfect, but then I had Kevin. He was my everything…

 

When they returned me to my biological parents, we were torn apart.

My new family desperately tried to fix me, make me forget him… My father kept me on a short leash and controlled every aspect of my life. The one thought keeping me afloat was to find Kevin, but he vanished without a trace.

 

I searched for him for twelve years, but the man I found was not the boy I lost. He is a college baseball star, tattooed, moody, and dark… And he hates me.

 

Can Kevin help me defeat my demons, or does he have too many of his own?

 

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NOTE: The book is on sale for $0.99.

(Please check price before purchasing)

 

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EXCERPT

 

I was taken to another room with a big table and many chairs. A woman came in, sat across from me, and started telling me things about how Mamma was not my real mom and neither was Daddy. She said Mamma told Stacy she stole me when I was a baby from some hospital in the California State. I knew those were lies, and I told her Stacy is a liar. All I could think of was Kevin, not about Mamma and Daddy. She was trying to tell me he was not my brother, either. When I heard that I had to go with her and stay for a while with some nice people, I started crying.

 

“Is Kevin coming too?” I sobbed.

 

“No, sweetheart. He would have to stay in another place.”

 

I tried to run away from the room. All I wanted was to get back to my brother. The officer must have been guarding the room from the outside because he grabbed me before I could get away from him.

 

At the same time, I saw another man taking Kevin out of the doctor’s room. My brother looked at me, and I would never forget his eyes. Desperate, fearful, broken. His whole face was distorted by the pain. It was radiating from his whole being.

 

I kicked and screamed. Called Kevin’s name. I bit the hand that was holding me prisoner. Kevin was also pulling away, trying to kick the policeman keeping him captive.

 

I don’t know why, but they let us go. We ran to meet in the middle of the corridor and collapsed down to our knees, wrapping our arms around each other. And we cried.

 

“You are my sister, Jules. My friend. My… everything,” Kevin sobbed, and his words were echoing my exact thoughts.

 

“Please, Kevin! Don’t let them take you away from me! Please!” I begged him.

 

But they were already pulling him from my arms, breaking our souls, ripping away from me the one person I loved the most in this world.

 

“I’ll find you, Jules! I’ll come for you!” Those were the last words he said to me…

 

Amazon purchase link

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Ina Carter has always been an avid reader. She discovered her love for writing at an early age when her first poem was published in a literary magazine at age twelve. As a lifetime collector of inspirational stories, Ina believes that love is the most powerful force in the Universe. She writes in multiple genres – romantic comedies, contemporary and paranormal. Ina lives in Southern California with her husband, two kids, and one very temperamental cat. You can find more about Ina and future book releases at www.InaCarter.com.

 

 

 

 

Twitter :@inacarterbooks

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GIVEAWAY

 

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The tour dates can be found here
 

 

Type Dirty to Me by Roxanne D. Howard (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFT ADULT title

 

Type Dirty to Me

ADULT title

by 

Roxanne D. Howard

 

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GENRE:   Contemporary romance, Erotic Romance, Chic Lit, Multicultural

 

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BLURB:

When hot actor Brem Lockwood enters her life, Madelyn has a choice—stay safe with an online fling or risk her heart for a chance at real love.

Divorcee Madelyn Stacilli has baggage deeper than the Grand Canyon, and her move to New Haven to start a new life is the perfect change she needs. When vicious gossip stunts her plans to open her own business, she can't confide in anyone around her. But online, beneath the blanket of anonymity, she can let loose and find comfort with the mysterious Easton216. Their natural, open relationship is a breath of fresh air.

When British A-list actor Bremond Lockwood rents the house beside her to escape an intense media spotlight and malicious past, he charges headlong into her life. Madelyn grows torn between her steady, emotional online connection and a fiery affair with a Hollywood star. Brem’s intense passion ignites the embers of her sexuality from a long slumber, making her burn hotter than the sun.

Should she stay safe with her online love or risk her heart with the man in front of her? The road to recovery just got a whole lot more complicated.

 

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EXCERPT

 

She turned back to the stove to hide her blush.

 

“I take it you like it?”

 

“Oh, yeah. I like it.” There was a gravelly undertone to the words.

 

Her cheeks burned. “Could you hand me the wooden spoon on the wall peg there?”

 

He leaned over her and reached for the wooden spoon. He paused, the tip of his nose grazing her hair.

 

“Mmm. Your hair smells delicious.”

 

She gnawed her lower lip as her heart skipped a beat. “Thanks.” She turned to face him, and the embers of his evident desire radiated like a power plant.

 

“Bloody hell, Madelyn. I’m sorry. Feel free to punch me.”

 

She furrowed her brow. “For what?”

 

“This.”

 

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her full on the mouth. She gasped as her insides liquified. Jeez… Forget decent kisser. Forget experienced. This guy was a mouth sensei. She clutched his shirt and pulled him closer. He smiled against her mouth and opened her lips

with his tongue, touching the tip to hers. She melted. His lips soothed, scrubbing away the scars of the past. She hadn’t been kissed in almost two years.

 

He drew her in close and kissed her like his soul was on fire. She moaned, wrapped her ankle around his and wound her arms around his neck as her body ignited. She hadn’t planned on skipping dinner and going straight to dessert, but by God, they were headed there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Buy Links:

Amazon

Kobo

Barnes and Noble

Bookbub

First for Romance

TotallyBound Publishing

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

 

 

 

Roxanne D. Howard is a U.S. Army veteran who has a bachelor's degree in Psychology and English. She loves to read poetry, classical literature, and Stephen King. Roxanne resides in the western U.S., and when she's not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and children. Roxanne loves to hear from her readers, and encourages you to contact her via her website and social media.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other Books by This Author

When You Close Your Eyes

Sonnet Coupled

Flip the Beat

Romancing the Seas #1: The Hotter They Come

Romancing the Seas #2: The Harder They Fall

Romancing the Seas #3: The Longer They Last

 

Social Media Links (for Roxanne):

 

Website

Newsletter

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

Goodreads

 

 

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 GIVEAWAY

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

  The tour dates can be found here   

 

 
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My review:

 

 3.75 out of 5 stars

 

 

Type Dirty to Me by Roxanne D. Howard follows recently divorced Madelyn as she makes a new start in life, including opening a bookstore/coffee café, complicated by a famous neighbor who is interested in her but also going through his own trials post-divorce, as well an online friend who is pushing for more intimacy than she’s ready for. Then there are those threats she’s receiving…

 

 

This adult contemporary romance story has an intriguing twist as the heroine grapples with her attraction to both her online friend and her charismatic neighbor. This is a great story about second chances and the complications that can accompany them. The mystery/suspense element is a little forced and predictable to me, and I’d like to know these folks a little more in-depth, but I liked watching the relationship evolve between the main characters and the way he is so supportive of her hard work and her dream even as he coaxes her to own her sensuality and to relax occasionally.

 

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

Blind Warrior by Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott (Blitz, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) IMG ADULT title

 

Blind Warrior

The Weavers Circle #3

by

Jocelynn Drake & Rinda Elliott

 

 

Publisher: Drake & Elliott Publishing LLC

Release Date: November 20, 2020

Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 98k

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

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Synopsis

Grey Ackles

The Soul Weaver feels useless.

A burden endangering his brothers.

The last battle with the pestilents cost Grey his sight and powers.

Now he’s dependent on his vision rehabilitation therapist Cort to learn how to function on a daily basis.

But as he grows closer to Cort, Grey is left wanting his powers back for a new reason—how will he ever know if the man he’s falling for is actually his soul mate?

 

Cort Newton

There is some really weird stuff going on at that house.

Spell books, guns, and a giraffe in the backyard?

But no matter how strange it gets, Cort is not going to leave the grumpy writer.

Adjusting to sudden blindness is hard for everyone, but Grey clearly has deeper reason for needing his vision back at any cost. Cort just wished Grey would confide in him.

Even with Grey’s secrets, Cort has never been drawn to a man like he is with Grey and he will do anything to keep this man safe.

Blind Warrior is the third book in the Weavers Circle series. It includes fast-paced action, running through Savannah, secrets, shapeshifting, brainwashed assassins, a gorilla, sexy times, fun with water, insecurity, three crazy old ladies, and magic!

 

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Excerpt

Grey reluctantly got out of the vehicle and felt his way to the warm hood. “Gotta be a lot of glass bottles in there for me to knock over,” he warned as Lucien placed a hand on his biceps.

“We’ll steer you in the right direction.” Lucien pressed on his arm as they started walking. “You need the exercise.”

“Makes more sense for me to wait in the—” he broke off when a horrid smell hit his nose. It was like rotting meat left out on a hot summer day. “Shit, pestilents,” he hissed. Fear gripped his heart, his lungs freezing in his chest. How the hell was he supposed to protect himself?

Pestilents were these…humanoid creatures…from another realm who were trying to kill him and his brother Weavers. Their world was dying, and they wanted to leech energy off this one to save their own. Grey and the other Weavers had been tasked to stop them, using magic they’d gained from three goddesses. Insane. All of it sounded absolutely insane, but it was now his life.

One positive was that they were easy to spot, thanks to their awful stink. They rotted slowly in this world because they didn’t belong.

“I just smelled them, too,” Lucien grumbled under his breath.

“Can you see them?” Grey asked.

“They have to be in the store. Do pestilents drink alcohol?” Baer’s voice was moving away from Grey, possibly toward the Jeep.

“How the hell would we know?” Lucien led Grey back, too. Doors opened around him and he reached out with his left hand, coming into contact with the familiar durable fabric covering the rear bench seat in Baer’s Jeep.

“That’s it? We’re going to run?” Grey slid inside the vehicle, inwardly fuming. They were running to protect him.

“You expect us to just attack them in broad daylight in a wine shop?” Baer’s voice came from the driver’s side this time. “I can’t believe they’re rallying forces this fast. We had a three-month break last time.”

“There is obviously more than one set out there, or they wouldn’t have been chasing us over the United States.” Grey grabbed the front seats and pulled himself forward to lean between them as Lucien got into the passenger side. “I don’t think we should just leave them.”

Lucien cleared his throat. “I see only one at the counter now.”

“Doesn’t mean there aren’t more in the back,” Baer countered.

“Why don’t you go in there and lure him out?” Lucien suggested. “See that field behind those trees? We could fight it there.”

Grey saw nothing, but he didn’t bother to point that out. All he knew was, he felt wrong running and leaving any pestilents free to attack them later. Or even an innocent human who just happened to get in their way. If there were only a few, Baer and Lucien would be able to easily take care of them on their own. “I think that’s a good idea. But you should both go inside, just in case there are more than one.”

“And leave you help-er…alone out here?” Baer snapped. He cursed softly. “Sorry, Grey.”

But he was fucking helpless, and he knew it. Before losing his sight, his powers hadn’t done a lot when it came to fighting, but he’d been able to shoot a gun, use a knife. He wasn’t bad in a fight. And he’d been able to serve as a lookout, offer cover for his brothers. Now, he didn’t even have that.

Of course, his powers were tied to his sight, so he couldn’t use those. All he got were the occasional broken thoughts and emotions from others. His ability to see auras had been nipped in the bud. As was his ability to see into people’s souls, to read their past, motives, desires, and thoughts. He didn’t know if he could still manipulate people, hadn’t even tried.

“I’m going in,” Baer announced. “I’ll lure him into the field and shift into something fierce. We’ll dispatch this asshole, grab our booze, and go home.”

Purchase at Amazon

 

 

 

Meet the Authors

 

Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott have teamed up to combine their evil genius to create intense gay romantic suspense stories that have car chases, shoot outs, explosions, scorching hot love scenes, and tender, tear-jerking moments. Their first joint books are in the Unbreakable Bonds series.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | eMail

 

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Giveaway

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My review:

 

3.75 stars

 

Blind Warrior by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott is the third book in ‘The Weavers’ Circle’ series and picks up after the traumatic events in the previous book. Grey Ackles is not dealing well with his blindness, which prevents him from fulfilling any of his duties. His new therapist, Cort Newton, is determined to rehabilitate him, but has no idea of how much is truly at stake.

 

This adult gay urban fantasy continues the saga of the Weavers, whose circle is incomplete, and therefore are unable to truly repel the attack of the creatures known as Pestilents. Although the story evoked Grey’s frustration and sense of guilt as well as Cort’s amazement at the revelations of the Weavers, I didn’t feel a strong connection to either of the main characters. I have not read the other books in the series, so perhaps that is part of the problem, but I wasn’t drawn into the struggles, and I felt things were a bit predictable. There are some relatively lighthearted moments that showcased the other Weavers, and I enjoyed the water Weaver’s explorations, and I am definitely curious about what the other missing “brother” can do.

 

 

A copy of this title was provided for review

 

 

 

Alien Legacy-The Empath by Keri Kruspe (VBB, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY) GFT ADULT title

Alien Legacy: The Empath

Ancient Alien Descendants Book 1

ADULT title

by

Keri Kruspe

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The aliens we thought were long gone are coming back.

Just his luck, alien-hybrid Ben Duncan is the only one for the job. Being an empath and a financial wizard, he’s called in to uncover an essential ally at a small regional bank in Vegas to thwart a plot his alien ancestors, the Akurns, seemed to have started there. If their heinous plans are successful, the global economy would crash and weaken mankind for their invasion in less than five short months. When Ben arrives at his assignment as a covert consultant, he meets the intriguing Julienne and is instantly alarmed at the intense attraction he has for her. He’d love to indulge in his obsession with the delectable woman, but knows he has no choice but to stay as far away from her as possible. The fate of billions don’t leave time for anything personal.

As senior vice-president, Julienne King leads a stressful life immersed in organizing a huge merger for a local bank in Vegas. And meeting some arrogant, hotter-than-hell, aloof outside consultant makes things worse. When she stumbles on an insidious money laundering scheme that threatens the global economy, she’s caught and kidnapped by one of her hateful bosses. While in captivity, she’s threatened with alien experimentation, death, or both. But what shocks her the most is it turns out she may not be who or what she thought she was.

Now it’s a race against time. Can a banker and an alien-hybrid overcome their misconceptions and to not only work together, but to realize their love is the key to mankind’s salvation?

 

 

Excerpt

Julienne took a step back to put some distance between them. It didn’t help.

Ben’s lips turned up at the ends but his well-built arms hung loose at his side. Now her mouth dried. This was the first time she’d seen him without a suit. His dark T-shirt molded lovingly to his taut frame. She gave herself a mental head slap and struggled to pull her gaze away from his chest. “What are you doing here?” She coughed. Damn frog in her throat was in the way.

The skin at the edge of his blue eyes crinkled before he strolled past without answering. He opened the door and poked his head out before leaving the small closet.

Dammit! She stomped her foot before following the exasperating man. She almost plowed into his back when he stopped.

He turned to face her. He was in the shadows and she couldn’t see his expression. When he said nothing, she put her fists on hips. “Excuse me, you didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”

“Apparently I’m saving your sweet self.” His smile widened. “And what, may I ask, are you doing here? Find anything interesting?”

Her nose rose a notch. “Yes, damn it!” She flung an arm to the wall that Bernie disappeared through. “What in the hell just happened? How did Bernie create a mirror that wasn’t there, walk through it and then vanish?”

“Are you sure that’s what you saw?”

She gritted her teeth as a slow, burning heat crept up her neck. 

 

The book is on sale for $0.99 on Kindle during this tour.

(please check price before purchasing)

Amazon buy link
 

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About the Author:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keri Kruspe, award-winning “Author of Otherworldly Romantic Adventures” loves nothing more than to write about romances that feature “feisty heroines who aren’t afraid to take a chance on life… or love”. Her writing career started when she became irritated that most SciFi romances had women kidnapped before they could find love. Determined to create something different, she turned “the alien kidnapping trope upside down” (Vine Voice) and the ALIEN EXCHANGE trilogy was born.

Keri’s latest SciFi Romance novel, ALIEN LEGACY: THE EMPATH, is the first in a five-book series of the Ancient Alien Descendants, taking the Ancient Alien motif and mixing it with a sensual, romantic twist.

A native Nevadan, Keri is a lifelong avid reader who lives in Northwestern Michigan with her hubby and the newest member of the family, a Jack Russell Terrier named Hestia. When not immersed in her made-up worlds, she enjoys discovering the fascinating landscape of her new home and pairing red wine with healthy ways to cook. Most of all, she loves finding her next favorite author.

If you want to know when Keri’s next book will come out, please visit her website, where you can sign up for her mailing list. You’ll get a FREE copy of the novella, The Day Behind Tomorrow that is a prologue to the ALIEN LEGACY series. Not to mention being kept updated on the life of a dedicated, obsessed author.

 

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GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

The tour dates can be found here 

 

 

 

Sentient by Michael Leon (Spotlight, excerpt, review, and GIVEAWAY) GFP

 

Sentient

by 

Michael Leon

 

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GENRE: Science Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

A century has passed and yes, the human race stumbled into evolutionary compromise. But it’s not the androids who are the victors. Post-humans have exploded into preeminence, gaining tech superiority and a tech immunity against the global environmental degradation. Humans are trivialised, a minority species, their one last significant task, restore the environmental damage they inflicted on Earth and terraform off-planets. One human and his ‘biot’ android embark on such a journey to Mars, opening the possibility for an evolutionary path back to greatness, but hostile post-human agents have infiltrated their mission.

 

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EXCERPT

The reconnaissance soldier, Harvey, was the first to walk into the cave, his adversary not just Draven, but to his shock, four Dravens. The soldier attempted to fire his pulse gun, but it failed to activate, causing him to back away to com Jarvis, when it too failed. 

 

Draven was unarmed except for a single dagger, which he removed from his sheath and pointed his assailant’s way, inviting him to battle. Harvey, like all military biots, were robotized killers, programmed to fight in the fires of hades if their commander required it. He welcomed Draven’s challenge, exchanging a steel salute with his blade.

 

In that moment between standoff and battle, both combatants exchanged an inscrutable glance that signaled the opening gesture, acceptance that what they now started would only end with one standing. War-like adrenaline saturated the cave like the Martian dust as they began a dance, they’d spent their lives honing. Both were masters of the blade. 

 

The soldier relished rather than feared Draven’s advantage as he rotated 360 degrees to confront the four assailants that encircled him. It was a Russian roulette encounter, with only one holding the real weapon of death. 340 Sentient But which? The soldier flicked his handle, extending his knife to a sword, showing he too brought tricks to the arena. Masterfully, he swept the sword in a Samurai-like movement of grace and skill glancing all four assailants, clicking real metal on only one, establishing his real target.

 

He attacked Draven, slicing, carving and driving his sword in every possible direction and angle but each time Draven evaded his assault untouched, toying with him. The soldier grew bolder with every exchange as if the challenge was all that mattered. Ever faster, he launched attacks that ultimately pushed Draven into the rock wall. Cornering Draven, he felt emboldened to make a devastating but risky assault, successfully finding the small opening in his defense allowing Harvey to plunge his sword deep into Draven’s core. 

 

The sound of steel driving through Draven’s body echoed through the cathedral signaling victory, but to the soldier’s shock, Draven stood tall, before the flickering of his holograph gave way to the cold rock where he stood. “You’re fast, soldier. But I’m as quick as light,” he said, pulling his knife from the soldier’s back, spilling his blood to the Martian dust, decommissioning the young soldier with a single decisive incision.

 

Amazon link

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

 

Michael Leon is an explorer, writer and author of the new novel, Sentient. Professionally trained in international trade, Michael has spent the last decade reading and writing SFF novels about new worlds to be explored in the future. His latest work, Sentient, imagines Earth in the year 2120. Michael has traveled extensively around Europe, walking the paths of his characters, from the famous European opera houses in Phantoms to the mountain tops of Switzerland in Emissary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Website

Twitter

Blogger

Goodreads

Amazon author page

 

 

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My review:

 

 

 

4 out of 5 stars

 

 

Sentient by Michael Leon follows Dane Walker, as he and his “biot”, Hali, return to Mars with a critical element that will revolutionize life there. His mission is fraught with danger and he doesn’t know who he can trust or who his allies are, and a wrong conclusion can be deadly…for him and for the colonists.

 

 

This science fiction story does a great job of evoking a very different society that has evolved in the 22^nd century. Not only are there tech implants that provide humans with advanced capabilities, but there are human-like robots commissioned to support humans and help them achieve their goals. It was a little confusing, trying to adjust to the concepts of the different types of artificial lifeforms and figuring out who had what goal, and eerie but not unexpected to learn how bad things have become on Earth.

 

I was drawn into the story and surprisingly attached to some of the secondary characters, but sometimes disconcerted by apparently changing loyalties. The tension heightens as the story unfolds, and the conflict between the two main factions highlights the challenge of identifying what is most beneficial to all beings. There is an entertaining combination of technology and emotion with vivid imagery and I think this story will appeal to those who like suspense thrillers as well as fans of science fiction.

 

A copy of this story was provided for review