Starving Review: Intrusion (A Relative Invasion Book 1) by Rosalind Minett

Intrusion (A Relative Invasion Book 1) by Rosalind Minett (Amazon)

My literary foodies, it has been too long, hasn’t it? But I, your Starving Reviewer, am back in the saddle with some long stalled reviews for your culinary pleasure. Today’s dish takes a classic recipe of historical drama from a tense period of world history, but adds the interesting twist of setting the table for a young child. Will this new perspective on history prove to be tasty or bland?

Before we find out, let’s blow the dust off the Starving Review Creed:

1. I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
2. I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

Book News: The Tale of the Tape Goes on Preorder!

The wrestling action/adventure drama of Three Seconds to Legend continues in the revised and expanded second book, The Tale of the Tape! Set for release on August 11th, right at the start of Kansas City Comic Con, you can preorder your digital copy starting today from Amazon.com!

Take a look at the e-book cover, the new paperback cover, and the book blurb after the bump!

Writing Is A Bad Habit: TOO FAST! a.k.a. Brisk Pacing vs. Excessive Pacing

Let’s say you are writing an action-adventure piece, or an action piece, or really any genre that has a heavy action emphasis (from military sci-fi to a martial arts slugfest).  Obviously, you would want to set a fast pace for the plot to match the fast action.  The pace should be a driving force, keeping events rolling forward at break-neck speed … or should it?

Starving Review: The Left-Hand Path: Mentor by T. S. Barnett

The Left-Hand Path: Mentor by T. S. Barnett (Amazon, Goodreads)

Welcome to another installment of the Local Author Smorgasbord (yes, I never remember the previous term and change it), where we cut through the offerings of the Gulf Coast’s chefs!  This week a course of urban fantasy/horror is ready to be eaten as we tuck into The Left-Handed Path: Mentor.  Promising witches, magic, scares, and surprises, will Mentor teach us a new lesson or will it be the same things we learned last year?

Before we enter the classroom, let us finish our punishment by writing down the Starving Review rules one-hundred times:

1. I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
2. I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

The World Of … The Opening Bell: Kayfabe, Backstage Politics, and the Martial Arts Drama

Kayfabe is a term used in the professional wrestling business to describe the keeping of appearances to create the illusion of hyper-reality of the sport/entertainment.  We all know that the actual matches in modern pro wrestling is choreographed – I hesitate to use the word ‘fake’, simply because of the athleticism and inherent danger involved; it would be like calling stuntwork ‘fake’. – but the efforts of kayfabe are to create that same suspension of disbelief an author uses to engage a reader.

Meanwhile, most of the actual events are determined by the writers and ‘bookers’, the men and women who decide on the match cards, the storylines, and so on.  They would be the reality behind the scenes, the wizard behind the curtain.  Though the wrestlers and other performers have input, sometimes significant, it usually comes down to the Powers That Be to make the final decisions.

How does that all come together in The Opening Bell?

Book News … AUDIObook News: Don’t Just Read The Opening Bell! Listen To It!

Reading books is grand, but listening to the action can be just as awesome!

So if you were curious about The Opening Bell but you didn’t have the time to read it, you can now listen to it!  Buy it now from the Audible store, and soon to be available from Amazon as well!

Starving Review: Flawed Gods by Angela B. Mortimer

Flawed Gods by Angela B. Mortimer (Amazon, Goodreads)

It’s a new year and that should, of course, bring new experiences to the dining room.  So that is where Flawed Gods comes in.  You see, Gods is something a bit unlike any other book I’ve read in the past.  Yes, it could fit into the sci-fi recipe folder and there’s certainly romance and, arguably, erotica overtones.  But there’s quite a bit more to this recipe than that.  Flawed Gods is more than a title, it describes the essence of the flavors infused in this meal.  While this promises to make it a unique dining experience, does it make it a GOOD one?

Before we find out, let us take up the book of the Starving Reviewer and recite the rules of the review:

1. I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
2. I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

Starving Review: Steele Resolve (The Detective Jasmine Steele Series 1) by Kimberly Amato

Steele Resolve (The Detective Jasmine Steele Series 1) by Kimberly Amato (Amazon, Goodreads)

It’s Christmas at Starving Reviews LLC, but that doesn’t mean we can sleep on the job, no sir!  We have some fresh literary cuisine to tuck into, straight from the pantry, just to make your day complete.  This week, we get back into the nitty-gritty of some noir detective tales as we sink our teeth into Steele Resolve.  Will this treat match up to the genre’s illustrious meals of the past or will it be as tasty as an actual mouthful of steel?

Before we take that first bite, let’s take the oath of the Starving Reviewer:

1. I attempt to rate every book from the perspective of a fan of the genre
2. I attempt to make every review as spoiler-free as possible

Book News: It’s Rough, But Done!

Good news, everyone!  The first draft of my next book, the as-yet-untitled fantasy mystery LGBT romance drama set in a post-magical-apocalypse with film noir and cyberpunk overtones *gasps for air*, is finished.  Now the trek of revision, beta input, editing, titling, and cover art remains!

Still, I really hope to get this out sometime in January, then immediately proceed to the next book of The Push Chronicles.  Oh, if the paragraph above catches your fancy, contact me via e-mail (jbgarner58@gmail.com) if you’d like to be part of the beta reading crew.

Until next time, good reading, good writing, and good luck!

Monday Musings: One More Sneak Peek For The Road! a.k.a.Exactly What It Says

It’s been a busy week here at Starving Author LLC and it promises to be even busier this week!  However, I promise not to leave you good folk hanging, so let’s start off the week with the final sneak peek (of this first round) of my newest novel, still really needing a title!  You can read the first Sneak Peek here and the second here.