Book Review of Hellfire and Damnation II

Book Review of Hellfire and Damnation II

  

the book will be FREE on KINDLE (only) for the 5 days immediately prior to Halloween, i.e., October 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31.

Welcome to Books, Books, and More Books.  I am pleased to share my review of this book with you.  Thank you for visiting and please come again.

Publisher: Merry Blacksmith Press, August 1, 2012
Category: Short Stories, Psychological Thriller
Tour Dates: October, 2012
Available in: Print, Kindle, Epub & PDF, 168 pages

Cover Art by Vincent Chong.

Blurb : 

Hellfire & Damnation II is the sequel to the well-received award-winning short story collection Hellfire & Damnation (www.HellfireAndDamnationTheBook.com) (E-Lit award, Silver Feather award). The first collection contained 15 short stories that described the sins punished at each of the 9 Circles of Hell within Dante's Inferno. With that framing device and an Introduction by William F. Nolan (Logan's Run), the 2011 visit to Hell was 47,000 words that critics called "blazingly original."

The sequel, Hellfire & Damnation II, is slightly longer, at 53,000 words, containing 11 short stories that, once again, address the sins punished at each of the 9 Circles of Hell. Plus, this time, there is an illustration for each story and a From the Author section, which describes the inspiration for each story. [There are no recurring characters, however, so no need to have read the first book in order to plunge into the second.]

As 5-time Stoker(R) winner Gary Braunbeck said: "I really don't know how she managed to do it, but Wilson surpasses her previous Hellfire & Damnation collection with this sequel. Her writing is stronger, streamlined, and often lyrical, despite the nastiness her words describe. This is another impressive collection of tales from a writer I could very well learn to hate if she gets much better. Seriously, Connie, can't you write just one stinker so the rest of us will feel a little bit better?"

Advance Praise for Hellfire & Damnation II:

"Take a twisted ride through hell and back with Connie Corcoran WIlson's HELLFIRE & DAMNATION II...frozen corpses, homicidal authors and sociopathic presidential candidates just scratch the surface of this inspired collection. Don't miss it!" -Nate Kenyon, award-winning author of DIABLO: THE ORDER and DAY ONE

"Connie Corcoran Wilson's Hellfire & Damnation is a remarkable collection of somber, noirish, flat-out scary and altogether satisfying stories that seek to find hope in a dark world that defies it. Her subtle irony and penchant for finding terror in the least expected places will generate comparisons to Stephen King and Ray Bradbury with just a hint of Phillip K. Dick thrown in. But don't be fooled: Wilson has a wondrous voice in her own right and her tight, twisty tales establish her as a force to be reckoned with."-Jon Land, New York Times Best-selling author of the Caitlin Strong series.

"Connie Wilson's new anthology sends the reader spiraling down Dante's nine circles of Hell with devilish twists and turns of time and place across eleven superb short stories."-Brian Pinkerton, author of "Rough Cut"

"Whether Connie Corcoran Wilson has been visited by Dante's spirit or eavesdropping by Hell's own confessionals, Hellfire & Damnation II definitely delivers on its title. There is a fine line between good and evil within these pages. A very fine line. Be careful that you don't teeter into the abyss. From a Norwegian army deserter trapped in limbo within the Colorado ice to parents pondering the sale of their organs to fund their college-bound son, these stories abound with life's-and death's-ironies."-Terrie Leigh Relf, author of The Waters of Nyr and co-author, with Henry Lewis Sanders, of Blood Journey and The Ancient One.

Praise for Hellfire & Damnation (www.HellfireAndDamnationTheBook.com):

"Eclectic Collection Guaranteed To Disturb! I was pleasantly surprised with this very eclectic novella-length collection, themed loosely around Dante's nine circles of hell. While the stories are very different from one another, each leave you with a subtle coldness; a dark portal into a variety of evil acts. For fans of horror and dark literature, there is something for everyone; from the disturbingly graphic, to the heartbreakingly emotional, to the more quiet horror that authors like T.M. Wright are known for, but with a more matter-of-fact prose. I will definitely be looking out for more work by author, Wilson."-William M. Miller, Amazon Reviewer

"All in all a thoroughly enjoyable, well written anthology. this is a journey into hell that will intrigue, disgust and excite you, often at the same time, excellent stuff."-The Black Abyss

About the Author:

Connie (Corcoran) Wilson (MS + 30) graduated from the University of Iowa and Western Illinois University, with additional study at Northern Illinois, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Chicago. She taught writing at six Iowa/Illinois colleges and has written for five newspapers and seven blogs, including Associated Content (now owned by Yahoo) which named her its 2008 Content Producer of the Year . She is an active, voting member of HWA (Horror Writers Association).

Her stories and interviews with writers like David Morrell, Joe Hill, Kurt Vonnegut, Frederik Pohl and Anne Perry have appeared online and in numerous journals. Her work has won prizes from "Whim's Place Flash Fiction," "Writer's Digest" (Screenplay) and she will have 12 books out by the end of the year. Connie reviewed film and books for the Quad City Times (Davenport, Iowa) for 12 years and wrote humor columns and conducted interviews for the (Moline, Illinois) Daily Dispatch and now blogs for 7 blogs, including television reviews and political reporting for Yahoo.

Connie lives in East Moline, Illinois with husband Craig and cat Lucy, and in Chicago, Illinois, where her son, Scott and daughter-in-law Jessica and their three-year-old twins Elise and Ava reside. Her daughter, Stacey, recently graduated from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee, as a Music Business graduate and is currently living and working in Australia.

Contacts:

Connie's Website: www.ConnieCWilson.com

Connie's blog: www.WeeklyWilson.com

www.quadcitieslearning.com

www.TheColorOfEvil.com

www.HellfireAndDamnationTheBook.com

www.ItCameFromTheSeventies.com

www.GhostlyTalesofRoute66.com

 www.WeeklyWilson.com (blog)

Other:

Mindy Books & More Books            Oct  24                                    G

Kathleen Celticlady's Reviews         Oct  25                                    None

Jen Em Sun                             Oct 25                         None

Amber Peaceful Wishing      Oct 26                         None

Livia Butterfly-o-Meter Books         None                           G & GP Oct 26

Valerie Sweeps for Bloggers           Oct 30                         G

Terri Alexia's Books and Such...      Oct 31                         None

Book Review:

            Great book for Halloween.  Scary stories based on the levels of hell in Dante’s Inferno.  I highly recommend for a creepy read.

            I give this story 4 out of 5 clouds.

This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

Giveaway and Book Review of Attorney Client Privilege

Giveaway and Book Review of Attorney Client Privilege

Sponsored by Pump Up My Books

Welcome to Books, Books, and More Books.  I am pleased to share my review of this book with you.  Thank you for visiting and please come again.

Click this link to be taken to the giveaway

 

Blurb : 

A brutal murder, missing documents and an unscrupulous opposing counsel lead attorney Vernetta Henderson on a quest for justice—and ultimately—revenge. The hotshot L.A. lawyer takes on a corporation with a long history of discriminating against women. While Vernetta simply wants justice for her clients, the corporation’s hired gun wants to win . . . and she doesn’t care how. On the home front, Vernetta’s infamous sidekick Special has finally found true love. But is the price more than she’s willing to pay?

About the Author:

PAMELA SAMUELS YOUNG is a practicing attorney, whose fast-paced legal thrillers tackle law and crime. Her novels include Attorney-Client Privilege, Murder on the Down Low and Buying Time. A former television news writer, Pamela is a graduate of USC, Northwestern University and UC Berkeley’s Boalt Hall School of Law. Pamela currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Chapter of Sisters in Crime, an organization dedicated to the advancement of women mystery writers.

Contacts:

Visit Pamela’s website at www.pamelasamuelsyoung.com

Book Review:

            Generally when I read a book for review I have recently chosen to review the book, however in this case I chose to review the book several months ago, so when it was time to review this book I totally could not remember what it was about, however having worked for the courts I had a pretty good idea it was about a murder or other major crime since Attorney Client privilege is about the confidentiality between and attorney and their client so that the client and accused that keeps the attorney from being compelled to testify against their client.  However in my case I worked for the court so I had the confidentiality clause, but I worked in family law and testified to what went on during my meetings with clients.  The only time I ever had an issue was when a client confessed to a crime to me and I couldn’t do anything about it.  I definitely couldn’t be an attorney… but my daughter will probably end up one… she loves to argue.

            Anyway, back to the book, the storyline was excellent.  I was kept guessing until the end of the book. I loved the story but occasionally got a little lost.  The story seemed to jump around a lot at the beginning without any seeming correlation.  The relevance of each component was disjointed until near the end.  Some people enjoy this style of writing, but it turned me off a little.  Not enough to not want to read anything else by this author.  I will definitely read more by her, but I will keep in mind that this is not my favorite style of writing.

I give this book 4 out of 5 clouds.

This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.

Book Review of Riverwalker

Book Review of Riverwalker

Sponsored by Pump Up Your Book

Welcome to Books, Books, and More Books.  I am pleased to share my review of this book with you.  Thank you for visiting and please come again.

Blurb : 

RIVERWALKER features the character debut of San Antonio PD veteran detective Gifford Holloway, a former Special Agent with Army Intelligence.  Holloway is in pursuit of the most despicable of criminals, a savage murderer who victimizes children and dumps their remains in the water and along the banks of San Antonio’s beautiful and world-renowned Riverwalk attraction.

Frustrated at the lack of progress on the case and spurred on by an encounter with the mysterious Madame Candelaria, a local psychic, Holloway contemplates calling upon his special gift of “seeing”, though officially off-limits within the SAPD, to help solve the case and end the terror.  Along the way, Holloway finds an ally in the capable and sensuous newspaper reporter, Salma Veramendi, who carries her own history of abuse

 On the bend of the river looms Adler’s Antiques, a historical landmark owned and operated by Wolff Adler, a drug-pumping psychopath descended from a familial line of predators dating back to post-World War I Germany.   Himself a victim of horrendous child abuse, Adler is the offspring of a Nazi father and a Mexican bruja, a witch who practiced the “old” religion.  Operating from deep within his secret lair beneath the Alamo, San Antonio’s most recognizable and sacred shrine, Adler assumes the guise of Tlaloc, Aztec god of storm, thunder, and … child sacrifice.  Adler’s demonic reign of terror, acting upon a distorted internal belief system - a synthesis of Norse mythology and ancient Aztec practices – has a stranglehold on the residents of San Antonio.   Wolff Adler has become the RiverWalker.

When his own daughter is suddenly abducted, Holloway pulls out all the stops and, with Salma by his side, closes in on the killer in a gripping climax.

About the Author:

     Bud Bradshaw’s fictional work, “RIVERWALKER,” is his second work, the first being “BRANDISHING,” the true-crime story of the California Highway Patrol’s worst tragedy.  His previous formal writing experience consisted of med-legal report writing - chiefly as a Qualified Medical Evaluator and Disability Evaluator – and Intelligence report writing while he served as a Special Agent with the Army’s 109^th MI Group from 1969-71.

     As an artist, Bradshaw’s work focuses on military history and the American West.  Many of his paintings, prints, and Giclees appear in private collections and museums in the U.S., Canada, England, Europe, Hong Kong, and Australia. He is a member of the Western Artists of America. 

     Along the way, Bradshaw worked as a professional musician while earning his B.S. and D.C. degrees.

Contacts:

You may view his web site and blog at budbradshaw.com/blog

Purchase the e-book at Amazon

Book Review:

This is an excellent book with an enticing mystery that kept me spellbound.  As a warning the subject is child murder and there are many disturbing scenes that will be difficult for some people.  Fascinating blend of Aztec, pagan, and other myths.

            I give this 4 out of 5 clouds due to the difficult nature of the topic.

This product or book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.