✍ The Whispers: A Hollows Short Story [1] - Lisa Unger

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Published 28 October 2014 by Gallery Books
Number of pages: 64

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★   I really liked it

"Eloise Montgomery discovers her amazing gift in the wake of tragedy in this first of three captivating e-shorts from award-winning and New York Times bestselling author Lisa Unger.

It’s a day like any other for Eloise Montgomery—until tragedy strikes. While she is recovering from a horrible accident that takes the lives of her husband and oldest daughter, and as she works to help her younger daughter move forward, Eloise experiences her first psychic vision. Though she struggles to understand her newfound gifts, Eloise finds a way use them to save lost women and girls—for whom her help may be the only way out…

From an author whose “gripping narrative and evocative, muscular prose” (Associated Press) have won her critical acclaim comes The Whispers: a story that delves deep into the human psyche and the mind of one unforgettable heroine."

✍ Among the Dead and Dying: Among the Masses [1] - A.R. Wise

Genre: Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Published 2 October 2014 by A.R. Wise
Number of pages: 208

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★  I really liked it

"Game of Thrones meets The Walking Dead in this post-apocalyptic zombie series.

Thousands of years after a zombie apocalypse wiped out the majority of humans, the world is a very different and harsh place. It's safest to live behind the fortified walls of the Kingdom of Golden Rock, or it least it had been. Rumors of an army of dead led by a man calling himself The Scholar have proven true, and even the most secure cities are no match for his undead soldiers. The Scholar's goal is to crush the world of the living, but he also wants to capture a simple baker named Saffi, though no one seems to know why.

Saffi's father vows to protect his daughter, and flees The Scholar's path, only to fall prey to other evils of the world outside the walls. In just one day's time, Ward and Saffi's lives will be forever altered, and

✍ The Invitation: The Invitation [1] - Roxy Sloane

Genre: Erotic Romance
Published 16 September 2014 by Roxy Sloane Books
Number of pages: 50

My rating: ★ ★ ★   I liked it

"A woman's orgasm is an art. It takes finesse. And I'm the world-class master of making women come."

Hot, English businessman Ashton made a pact not to screw up his friendship with Justine 'JJ' Jenkins over a cheap one-night stand. Now, two years later, he's going out of his mind with wanting her -- but she's still off-limits. Now school is over, and his control is wearing thin. They've got one last night together, and he's determined to make it an experience she'll never forget.

The one girl he swore off is going to have the night of her life. And with a sexy game of dare on the table, it won't take long..."

I do not generally read erotica (I am very much into crime, supernatural and horror, with a good dose of

Reading List [14-11] - November 2014

These are the titles that are due for publication in November 2014 which have caught our eye.

✍ The Schwarzchild Radius - Gustavo Florentin

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Published 23 November 2014 by Curiosity Quills Press
Number of pages: 290

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ It was memorable

"Rachel, an 18-year-old Columbia University student, descends into the netherworld of runaways and predators to find her sister, Olivia, who has suddenly disappeared. 

After getting a job in a strip joint where Olivia worked, then doing private shows in the homes of rich clients, Rachel discovers that Olivia has been abducted by a killer who auctions the deaths of young girls in an eBay of agony.

When she finds Olivia, Rachel becomes the killer’s next target."

In his second novel, Gustavo Florentin drags us at breakneck pace into the seedy underworld of paedophilia, prostitution and snuff films.

Olivia Wallen, an over-achieving 16 year old with Harvard in her sights, is in the hands of the "Webmaster", the latest object in his "eBay of agony". Her naked image is broadcast to bidders across the world who will determine which depraved tortures she will be subjected to, and then how she will die.

✍ The Hollow Girl: Moe Prager Mysteries [9] - Reed Farrel Coleman

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Published 30 May 2014 by Tyrus Books
Number of pages: 306

My rating: ★ ★ ★ I liked it  

"The tragic death of Moe’s girlfriend Pamela has finally pushed him over the edge. Drunk, guilty, and alone, he is bent on self-destruction. Then Nancy Lustig, a figure from Moe’s first case as a PI, comes to him with the ultimate missing persons case. Nancy’s daughter, an early internet sensation known as the Hollow Girl, has apparently disappeared from her trendy New York City apartment. At the beginning of the investigation, Moe stumbles across the body of a has-been actress and clues that are either contradictory or useless.

Then, as if on cue, Hollow Girl videos begin reappearing on the web. As the days go on without any solid leads as to the Hollow Girl’s location, the videos grow darker and more violent. Eventually Moe is convinced that she is someone’s captive and that the man who has her plans to execute her in public.

✍ 13:24: A story of faith and obsession - M Dolon Hickmon

Genre: Mystery & Thrillers
Published 22 March 2014 by Rehoboam Press
Number of pages: 376

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆  It was memorable

"A CRIME THRILLER WITH A SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS TWIST

A teenager named Chris knocks on the door of his mother’s ex-boyfriend—then shoots the man dead in premeditated fashion. Hours later, an officer responds to a loud music complaint and discovers a second body surrounded by a gruesome scene. With few clues to explain ‘why’, blame for the crimes settles on Chris’s obsession with the dark and violent rock band, Rehoboam. Reporters broadcast this speculation under sensational headlines, but detective William Hursel is convinced there is a deeper motive. Trailing Chris while doggedly unraveling prior events, William uncovers an underworld where human traffickers ply the wealthy with unseemly indulgences.

Meanwhile, Rehoboam’s lead singer, Josh, thinks he may finally be ready to take the next step in

✍ The Troop - Nick Cutter

Genre: Horror
Published 25 February 2014 by Headline
Number of pages: 358

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆  It liked it a lot

"Lord of the Flies meets The Ruins in this frightening novel written in the bestselling traditions of Stephen King and Scott Smith.

Boy Scouts live by the motto “Be Prepared.” However, nothing can prepare this group of young boys and their scoutmaster for what they encounter on a small, deserted island, as they settle down for a weekend of campfires, merit badges, and survival lessons.

Everything changes when a haggard stranger in tattered clothing appears out of nowhere and collapses on the campers’ doorstep. Before the night is through, this stranger will end up infecting one of the troop’s own with a bioengineered horror that’s straight out of their worst nightmares. Now stranded on the island with no communication to the outside world, the troop learns

✍ Pulse - Jenny Chandler

Genre: Cookery & Food & Wine
Published 17 September 2013 by Pavilion
Number of pages: 272

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  It was amazing

"At last pulses are ditching their 70s hippie label and are back in vogue. Pulses are incredibly economical and healthy and, increasingly, people are looking for new sources of protein as meat eating goes on the wane (for both environmental and economical reasons). The time is ripe for a truly modern look at preparing these under-exploited ingredients. 

Including a guide to pulses, this exhaustive volume will also cover all you need to know to buy, prepare and cook pulses, and how to store them. 180 recipes are divided into dips and purees, fritters, croquettes and patties, soups, salads, formal starters, sides, vegetarian mains, and 'the full monty' (hearty mains, including meat). Jenny Chandler has collected a mouthwatering range of recipes that are truly

✍ The Christmas Dragon: Among the Mythos [2] - Ruthanne Reid

Genre: Sci Fi & Fantasy
Published 13 February 2014 by 4th Floor Publication
Number of pages: 67

My rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★  It was amazing

"All Katie Lin wants is to get away from her family: from the magic, from the mayhem, and from the never-ending war.

Unfortunately, someone has other ideas, and sends her a box. A box that jumps.

The tiny fire hazard inside may just force her back to Wales - and right into the path of a dragon war, the Crow King, and at least one reluctant elf prince. Sometimes, running away just doesn't work as planned."

The Christmas Dragon novella is an engrossing teaser to the epic world that Ruthanne promises to introduce us to in the very near future.

Dragons, magical creatures and more are awaiting you.

Ruthanne Reid is definitely one to watch if you enjoy immersing yourself in a complexly woven alternate reality.