Beyond the Words - Book Blast!

Today, Tuesday, 02 December 2014, marks the launch of Scripting Change's second anthology. It also gives me great pleasure to announce that I, Nada Adel Sobhi, have a piece in the collection. 
All proceeds from the sale of this poetry and short story anthology go to a charitable organisation, or as is the case with this year, three organisations. This year, the theme of the anthology is supporting literacy.

The community writing project, Scripting Change, is incredibly excited to announce the release of their second anthology: Beyond the Words!

Absolutely every piece of this e-book, from the coordination, to the contents, to the beautiful cover art, was volunteered, and 100% of proceeds will be donated to nonprofit organizations championing literacy in their communities.  Read on to find out why!

About the Project:

Scripting Change is a writing initiative that aims to bring together the vast community of writers and readers in support of responsible nonprofit organizations. 

The project accepts submissions from writers, relating to a theme that reflects an important cause.  The selected pieces are combined in an anthology which is published as an e-book, in this case: Beyond the Words.  Proceeds from this and every Scripting Change e-books' sales are donated to the matched organization that champions each e-book's cause.

By focusing on the compelling words of writers, Scripting Change is able to raise not only funds but also awareness for the causes of the organizations they support.  The time and talents of everyone involved are offered freely, so the project has absolutely no overhead costs, which means every dollar raised is donated to positively impact our society!

About the Nonprofits:

It is impossible to overstate the importance of literacy, yet so many struggle with this crucial skill. So, Scripting Change has decided to donate proceeds from Beyond the Words to not one, but three nonprofits throughout the United States, all of which foster literacy in their communities.

Read for Literacy, in Northwestern Ohio, provides learning opportunities for readers of all ages and backgrounds, with three tailored programs: Creating Young Readers, for children in kindergarten through 2nd grade; Adult Basic Education; and English Language Learners, for non-native English speakers.

Literacy Action, in Atlanta, Georgia, offers an incredibly wide array of literacy programs for adults — from literal reading assistance, to workplace literacy, family literacy & education, and much more, this organization provides its community with crucial support, enhancing so many lives!

Page Ahead, in Seattle, Washington, focuses its literacy efforts on children, allowing elementary-school children to browse book fairs at the end of the school year & choose their own books for the summer — which are then provided to them by Page Ahead! They bolster this program by also working with parents, helping them engage their young readers.

Now it's your turn!

Scripting Change depends entirely upon the support of the community as a whole.  The writers, and our cover designer, have done their part; the coordinators have brought it all together; the bloggers have graciously helped us spread the word – now it's up to the readers.  We hope you will enjoy the anthology!

Beyond the Words is available through: 

Smashwords ~*~ Amazon: US; UK ~*~ Barnes & Noble

Learn more about this project at: ScriptingChange.blogspot.com

Find them on Facebook or on Twitter: @ScriptingChange

Mending Heartstrings - Excerpt & Giveaway

Mending Heartstrings by Aria Glazki

Published by: Swoon Romance

Publication date: December 2nd 2014

Genres: Adult, Romance

Synopsis:

Kane’s a country singer who’s tangled with too many deceitful women. He’s learned his lesson: girls are for flirting and fun; emotions are for his music. But after spending a night with an earnest woman unlike any he’s known, he can’t force her out of his mind. So he goes in search of the woman he knows only as “Elle.”

On her last night in Nashville, the staunchly pragmatic Sabella found herself in a situation more suited to a romance novel than reality. Swept away, she ignored her rigidly self-imposed rules, succumbing to the fantasy just this once. But she knows real-world relationships have nothing in common with their fictionalized portrayals. When Kane unexpectedly shows up at her Portland apartment, she must choose between the practical truths she has learned and the desire for a passionate love she has struggled to suppress.

Despite the distance, Kane’s tour schedule, and their meddling friends, both are drawn to the chance for a romance neither quite believes is possible.

Excerpt from Mending Heartstrings

All too soon, the bar had nearly emptied. Kane, the paragon of Southern charm, offered to escort her back to her hotel, and Sabella found herself accepting. By then, the city that had been throbbing with music mere hours ago had fallen mostly silent.

The DoubleTree hotel where she was staying was less than a couple blocks from the Fiddle and Steel Guitar, but Kane led her on something of a detour. Sabella stifled the rational voice that insisted wandering around an unfamiliar city at night with a virtual stranger was a horrible idea. What better way to see a new city than with a local?

Kane took her first past Nashville’s City Hall. She hadn’t found it particularly interesting when she had explored the city during the day, but at night, with both the building and the fountains in front of it alight, not to mention Kane’s company and a few drinks in her, she changed her mind.

From there, he led her by the edge of the Cumberland River, doubling back past the bar, until they reached the iconic Shelby Street Bridge. As she looked out over the city, Kane stood protectively behind her, hands braced around her on the railing, sheltering her from the wind.

They hadn’t talked much since leaving the bar, but the silence felt comfortable in the night’s darkness.

“Beautiful,” she whispered, looking out over the lights of Nashville’s skyline.

“Absolutely.” His voice was low, coming from right beside her ear. He placed his hand on her arm, gently. His touch was warm through the bell sleeves of her top, and she turned to face him. All the lights of Nashville twinkled at her back, but they weren’t nearly as mesmerizing as Kane’s eyes.

She would always remember the swell of his biceps under her hands, the heat of his palms when they came to rest slightly below her waist. She looked from his eyes to his mouth a heartbeat before he kissed her.

The kiss was soft, starting with a brush of their lips and growing into a slow taste of each other. In writing it, she would have claimed time stilled, but in reality, wind whipped her hair around them, and she shivered under its onslaught.

Kane broke their kiss and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Occasionally commenting on their surroundings, he led them off the bridge, meandering through downtown, past the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Convention Center, until they reached the abstractly decorated, and intensely red, DoubleTree lobby. He kept his arm draped over her shoulders until they came to the bank of elevators.

Sabella knew they should part ways, but she didn’t want this fantasy night to end quite yet. An elderly couple joined them in the elevator, and they all remained silent. When the doors opened, she walked ahead of him to her room, remaining acutely aware of him behind her. At her door, she turned to face him, and to say goodbye.

The fingers of his right hand grazed hers as his left came up to cup her jaw.

“We should say good night,” she whispered.

“All right,” Kane breathed against her mouth before kissing her again. This time the kiss was harder, lips crushing together and tongues intertwining as if that touch would be enough to keep the two of them together. He pressed her against the door, stepping closer so virtually no space remained between them. Her hands came up, brushing through his silky hair before drifting to his shoulders. When the kiss broke, the rapid expansion of her lungs mirrored the rise and fall of his shoulders against her palms.

“Don’t leave tomorrow,” she barely heard him whisper. “Stay with me.”

“I wish I could …” she murmured sincerely. But fairy tales too often turned into nightmares in the morning.

Kane nodded, exhaled, and said, “G’night.”

“Bye,” she breathed in return. She watched him walk down the hallway, admiring his naturally fluid movement. He glanced back, and she nearly called out. Instead, she reminded herself to be sensible, certain later she’d be grateful for her strict guidelines, even though right then, she despised them.

When he turned the corner, Sabella let her head fall back against the door and shut her eyes. This was one risk she knew better than to take.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21896429-mending-heartstrings?ac=1

Purchase: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mending-Heartstrings-Aria-Glazki-ebook/dp/B00OQG1ROW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417187317&sr=8-1&keywords=Mending+Heartstrings

About the Author:

Aria Glazki's writing story started when her seventh-grade English teacher encouraged her to submit a class assignment for publication. That piece was printed, and let's just say, she was hooked!

Since then, Aria has run a literary magazine, earned her degree in Creative Writing (as well as in French and Russian literatures), and been published in a few collections. Though her first kiss technically came from a bear cub, and no fairytale transformation followed, Aria still believes magic can happen when the right people come together - if they don't get in their own way, that is.

Other than all things literary, Aria loves spending time with her family, including her two unbearably adorable nieces. She also dabbles in painting, dancing, playing violin, and, given the opportunity, Epicureanism.

Learn more about her at: www.AriaGlazki.com  

Author links:

https://twitter.com/AriaGlazki

http://www.ariaglazki.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Aria.Glazki

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7154692.Aria_Glazki

I've featured Aria Glazki on Nadaness In Motion a few times before. Check out my five-star review of her first poetry collection Life Under Examination and our two-part interview here and here.

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Hysteriata Blitz & Giveaway

Hysteriata by D.A. Botta

(Elyzian Chronicles #1)

Publication date: 21 March, 2014

Genres: Fantasy, New Adult

Synopsis:

Emily Hobbs is off to Salem State College when a chance encounter with a fortuneteller changes everything. Emily is transported to the realm of Elyzia and learns that she is, in fact, one of the most powerful witches in existence.

Madame Lavache, the strict headmistress of Cedalion Covenstead, has her sights set on Emily. In her desperate cling to power, Lavache attempts to protect her tyranny by invoking sinister forces, including bloodthirsty pirates and The Devil himself, to rid Elyzia of the rebellious witch.

Along with her companions – an old hermit, a small coven of witches, and their totems – Emily sets out on a collision course with destiny.

Just as the tarot foretold.

A powerful witch

A simple tarot read

And all hell breaks loose

Excerpt: The Elyzian Chronicles | Book 1: Hysteriata

Emily slunk closer to the glowing well and peered into its depths. The water bubbled and swelled in the hardened clay of underground. The candlelight illuminated the ceiling, casting shine and shadows dispersing throughout the dark. Hues of blue and sediment captivated Emily.

The colors shifted. Now Paige danced drunkenly about a snapping fire. Her body enveloped by the orange glow of bonfire. Paronskaft shrunk back against the wall.

“That scene …” he blurted, “is not for now.” He bit his lips closed and trembled.

Paige stood amongst the others, Gretchen and Melanie and Chloe, all of them. She waited for her turn to leap over the celebratory fire. First Gretchen leapt, then Chloe, Brenna and even Melanie, hurled themselves above the towering flame. There was laughter and music as the boys, too, leapt in their boots, soaring over the tops of the fire and crashing down on the other side. The ceremony burned into the autumn eve.

Paige leapt into the air wildly, drunk on wine, and the flames sucked her down into their belly. She seared and shrieked as her clothes burned away. The others watched horrified as the scorched silhouette flailed within the orange bonfire belly. Her hair turned quickly to dust and her skin blistered and charred. The shadow figure collapsed into miserable ashes and died wretchedly.

The image diluted into the watery pool and Emily fell to her knees and sobbed.

“It’s a trick!” Emily shouted, her voice echoing up through the chambers. “It’s a damned trick, you old fool!”

Paronskaft was taken aback, shocked at the insinuation. His feeble body shuttered against the affront. He wrapped his golden cloak tightly to his skeletal frame.

“I make no tricks, Miss Emily,” he quivered. “I make no tricks on you! Time is an essence.”

“I can stop this?! I can save Paige, you mean? How much time do I have?!”

“You have no time.”

Emily tore out of the cave and rode east, bounding along on Mongrel, weaving through clusters of trees and stones. The late night air splashed the last of the raindrops against her face while Mongrel galloped steadily toward the grounds. A few yards from the edge of the hillside, Mongrel shrunk into his miniature size, quickly and suddenly, which threw Emily off over his shoulders and into crumply dry grasses and brush.

“You could warn me, you know,” she admonished while she quickly laced up her boots. She retrieved a Scynderstem from Paronskaft’s box. “Meet me at the covenstead, okay?”

Mongrel yapped and pranced off.

“Go ahead and go!”

Emily secured her satchel over her shoulder crosswise and dug the balls of her feet into the ground. She leapt off, arcing and descending spans of nearly one hundred yards. The smoke from the bonfire crept up into the air over the eastern wall of Cedalion. I’m coming, Paige! she wailed in her mind. Emily soared and sailed toward the ceremony. Stop! Don’t leap!! she cried out inside. A lyre was playing, singing into the crisp air and laughter and dancing could be seen from the peaks.

Dread filled her bones.

Drew coasted over the seething flames. Then Melanie gracelessly rocketed over the fire. Next Ethan perfectly arced over. Wait! Don’t go! The scent of wine and embers wafted into Emily’s nose as she drew near. Nooo, my love! No!! The heat of the high flame pushed against her body. Paige crested the blaze and was pulled down just as Paronskaft’s pool had shown. Emily pressed her thumb into the Scynderstem and it broke as she leapt again, fearless at the fire, and cast the spell.

Paige wriggled and writhed in the hot orange glows, blackened already near the fire’s blue bottom. Emily wrapped her arms around Paige’s waist and dug her toes into the powdery ash to quickly leap again.

The pair landed near the twisty elm sprinkled with twinkling fireflies. Emily held Paige in her arms, resting what was left of her friend in her lap. Emily looked at her friend who heaved shallow breaths into the air. Paige’s body, smoldering still and black, released streams of smoke up passed the branches and into the air. Their eyes met and Emily let loose her woeful tears.

“I am here,” breathed Emily. “I am here with you.”

“I … love you,” Paige mouthed as she departed.

“I love you Paige!” Emily wailed. “Don’t go! Don’t leave me!”

Paige’s eyes shut forever.

An astonished crowd gathered a few yards away, shaken witnesses to the sadness and grief. After a long moment, Emily slipped out from under Paige and tenderly set her body into the grass. Her face contorted and her entire body trembled with loss. She trudged over to where Paige and the others had sat. She snatched up Paige’s lantern of fireflies. She grew angry in her hurt. She raged in her mind and ached in her heart.

Observing from a ways off, the Madame and the Ladies and the Lyre Man observed the tragedy in solemn seclusion.

“That girl,” Madame Lavache whispered to herself, “is going to raise havoc.”

The glass jar shattered into glimmering slivers and the fireflies were released to the sinewy elm.

Q&A with author DA Botta

Q:  What is unique about your fantasy series?

A:  First, the plots of the novels follow a tarot reading set out early in the stories.  This gave the novels a structure and theme I could really work with.  Each chapter involves the decoding of a tarot card in the spread.  Secondly, I incorporated elements from witchcraft, tarot, astrology, mythology, and runes into each story.  This gave Elyzia its richness.  It made for interesting characters, suspenseful plot threads, and themes that I could string throughout. It’s really a comprehensive blend of fantasy.

Q:  What is the main theme of The Elyzian Chronicles?
A:  There are a lot of themes interwoven throughout the chronicles, but if I can sum it up it’s: to truly know yourself is to have all the power in the world.  I think that can be dissected in many ways, but essentially its understanding and embracing your own unique identity despite a world that tries to change you.  Understanding your fears, knowing your limits (or the cause of your limits) is a liberating thing.  I think people learn who they are forced by people or circumstance to honestly look at themselves.  I believe it’s a powerful thing, and ultimately a positive one. 

Q:  Who would play your main characters in a movie?

A:  I’ve gone over this a million times in my head over the past few years.  I think a majority of authors want to see their books become movies.  It’s a natural progression.  If an author says differently, they could possibly be lying.  Emily is such a complicated character.  I’d have to say Kate Mara would be a top choice.  I’d love to see upstart talent in any role.  I always pictured Uma Thurman as Madame Lavache.  I’d have loved to see Robin Williams play Paronskaft, the quirky old hermit. 

Q:  Why did you choose to write a female protagonist?

A:  Witchcraft, and paganism in general, is strongly influenced by feminine power.  It was a simple choice, really.  One of the great things to come from Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code was a reintroduction of the concept of the sacred feminine into our lexicon.  I think Brown really helped to educate a generation about the suppression and obfuscation of feminine spirit and the historical importance of goddess worship.  For me, it was about honoring the struggles of a strong female, against other strong women and men.  The gender stereotypes are broken down and juxtaposed in the chronicles.  We see this with Emily’s sexuality, and with the contrast with, say, the pirate captains Brodish and Dresden.  In Sinfluence, I depict even starker contrasts with the character Braun (a satyr).

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23006674-hysteriata?ac=1

Purchase: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J6ETFF2/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00J6ETFF2&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hysteriata-d-a-botta/1108102964?ean=9781496084538

About the Author:

D A Botta has written four New Adult Fantasy novels, The Elyzian Chronicles, and has also published a collection of poems There in Them Blues. D A is currently working on a New Adult Mystery series, Seriously Confidant, projected for debut in the fall of 2015. D A is a Fantasy Representative for NA Alley and frequents #NALitChat on Twitter. When not writing, D A plays guitar and dabbles in graphic design. D A lives with his family in Massachusetts.

Author links:

http://www.dabotta.com/

https://www.facebook.com/writist

https://twitter.com/dabotta17

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6968348.D_A_Botta

To go with this Blitz is a GIVEAWAY of one ebook copy of Hysteriata, open internationally. Please leave your name and email in a comment on this post and I will do a random draw to select the winner, who will receive their gift by no later than 19 December!

So hurry up and spread the word to your friends and leave your name here!

Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL) ends 9 December; winner gets signed copies of all books in the Elyzian Chronicles series

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The Duality Principle - Blog Tour - Review

Book:The Duality Principle 

Author: Rebecca Grace Allen

Genres: Adult, Romance

Published 11 November 2014

Synopsis: 

Sometimes A + B = O. Yes. Oh, yes. Just like that.

Gabriella Evans’s life exists in terms of logic and definitions. She’s holed up in Portland, Maine, for the summer to work on her PhD thesis, but something is screwing up her concentration: the rumble of a motorcycle every time the embodiment of her rough-and-tumble fantasies rides down her street.
When her best friend talks her into a blind date, she finds herself out with the opposite of her fantasy. He’s polite and well-mannered, yet something behind his crisply tailored shirt doesn’t add up—a rebellious gleam in his eye that piques her curiosity.
Orphaned at fifteen, Connor Starks has finally put the years of failing grades, breaking laws and breaking hearts behind him. The only holdover? His penchant for getting down and dirty in public places. But Gabriella makes him want to prove he’s become a better man.

Nothing intrigues Gabriella more than a problem she can’t solve. But the more Connor tries to bury his past, the more determined she is to uncover it. And what she finds makes all her trusty logic begin to fail her…

In The Duality Principle by Rebecca Grace Allen, Gabriella Evans 'Gabby' is a mathematician on holiday in Maine, spending her last summer at her grandmother's house before her parents sell it. There, she is enthralled by a mysterious biker, whose face she never sees but cannot stop thinking of or fantasizing about. "Her rider always rode fast and he was always alone."

There also, her friend Jamie sets her up on a blind date. Despite a statistical thirty percent chance of success, Gabby agrees to go to keep her friend quiet. Her date is Connor Starks. Following a bit of a strange blind date, Gabby and Connor decide to meet again.

The plot is simple, Gabby seeks to prove, in her thesis, that duality does not exist; nothing can be two things at the same time; nothing can be black and white at the same time. She believes that duality is not in her nature, whereas duality is in all of us, especially Gabby. In an attempt to disprove duality, Gabby tries to disprove her own dual nature.

Since the first chapter in the novel, we see that Gabriella, who despite being a straight A student, has whims to break free from her life and the mould an intelligent mathematician is placed within. "She didn't want sweet, intelligent and safe. She wanted more."

The characters of Gabby and Connor are different and alike at the same time. Gabby is smart, logical and successful but she has a wild side that past boyfriends have shied away from, viewing her as a freak. Connor, on the other hand, was a rebellious bad boy, who had broken both hearts and the law. But trying to become a gentleman now is a task made harder by Gabby, who prefers the bad boy over the classy guy. Meanwhile, Connor has two struggling sides, which often appear at the same time or minutes apart; one minute he is very flirtatious, the next he is serious and apologetic.

However, it is Jamie's character that appears in a different light at the end of the novel. It is Jamie that makes this novel come to life to begin with.

Despite the raw emotions in the novel, one sometimes feels that Gabby is more into sex than anything else. One realises she has been deprived but this rampant desire lessens the value of both her character and her womanhood for the reader. It is this desire that also worries Connor.

I particularly liked the use of mathematical imagery in the novel; it was highly fitting for Gabby's character: "The truth was that she couldn't figure Connor out, and nothing irritated her more than a problem she couldn’t solve."

Also, "Connor was a complicated proof she needed to take her time with."

The theory of disproving duality is a bit hard to understand and whenever it came up in the novel, sometimes I felt like I got it and at other times I felt completely lost like I was reading Chinese – not one of my languages.

This is probably the only negative comment I have about the entire book. I did not like rereading parts and still feeling like I wasn't making any heads or tails of them; a bit like Gabriella in this respect.

On the other hand, I liked how instead of throwing day-to-day complications for the characters, the author kept bringing up the past and previous experiences in her scenes. The past plays a strong role in both characters' lives and affects their behaviour in the present. The past is the main obstacle in the novel.

Overall, The Duality Principle is an enjoyable and quick read with beautiful narration and imagery throughout.

"A rose represents promises and hope, but its beauty is bonded with thorns. It embodies pain and loss. Combined together, they are in perfect harmony, equal parts beautiful and strong."

Note: This book contains adult scenes and is not fitting for people under 18.

Note: I received a free copy of this book via Xpresso Book Tours for an honest review and to take part in the blog tour for the book.

Also courtesy of the author, there's a Giveaway:

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Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22839765-the-duality-principle?ac=1

Purchase:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M3XTPU8/ref=x_gr_w_bb?ie=UTF8&tag=httpwwwgoodco-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00M3XTPU8&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-duality-principle-rebecca-grace-allen/1120006613?ean=9781619223707

To check out what others think of the book and see some guest posts, here is the whole schedule for The Duality Principle blog tour:

http://xpressobooktours.com/2014/09/16/tour-sign-up-the-duality-principle-by-rebecca-grace-allen/

About the Author:

Rebecca Grace holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a double concentration in Creative Writing and Literary Comparison, which seemed like a good idea at the time. After stumbling through careers in entertainment, publishing, law and teaching, she’s returned to her first love: writing. A self-admitted caffeine addict and gym rat, she currently lives in upstate New York with her husband, two parakeets, and a cat with a very unusual foot fetish.

Author links:

http://www.rebeccagraceallen.com/

https://www.facebook.com/rebeccagraceallen

https://twitter.com/RGraceAllen

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8421545.Rebecca_Grace_Allen

Strings by Darren Gallagher, short story collection - Book Review

Strings by Darren Gallagher is a collection of 33 mostly scary short stories spanning different eras, worlds, themes and places. The stories encompass a variety of topics ranging from vampires and werewolves to swarms of spiders, to newly-made up creatures to cowboys even.

‘Ruby Red Soldiers’ is a ten-star opening to the Strings collection. It is highly creative with a new take on the supernatural. I’m doing an effort not to spoil this one but suffice to say I loved every bit of it. Also, the fact that I don’t think I have read – or seen – any scary stories that take place during the day. It’s always the dark and dead of night, but not Gallagher, and not this story. 

‘A Hiker’s Life’ is an excellent and creative masterpiece about the things that go bump in the morning! I love how Gallagher had me fooled throughout this entire piece.

I loved the five-star piece called ‘The Wishing Well’, which was not scary at first but the ending was the scariest part. In a ’A Bag Full of Ashes’ who could have though Christmas would be scary? It’s new, suspenseful, different and interesting. It also has this sort of uniting in death theme.

‘Renovation’ is one of the stories that do not include the supernatural element but that is scarier than many other-worldly stories. I loved the image “the kitchen was an untapped pit of darkness”. This story will give every reader the notion of thinking several times and looking into suspicious investments. A ten-star piece!

‘Kumari’ is a short story hit the spot for me. It is certainly one of my favourites in the Strings collection. There is no magic involved, just a little girl with a warrior within against a male-dominated society. I did not feel it was a scary story but certainly a ten-star masterpiece!

‘Fighting the Curse’ is a dark and interesting story though a bit bloody and gruesome but nonetheless different and enjoyable.

In ‘A Secret in Time’ I felt that there was something wrong with the third person narrations of this story, like it’s too passive or too slow. Overall, the storyline is good and though the Hiker’s transformation is a big vague, the story is interesting and would be great to build up a full-length novella or novel on it. I enjoyed the fight and the constant power shift as well as the sort of beauty and the beast reversal.

Moving on to a ‘New Life, New World, New Beginnings’, which represents a  new take on the sewer cliché as one character says “You mean all a criminal has to do to escape is go into the sewers?” and surprisingly the answer is “Yes!” Which is rather comical. This story is another Gallagher masterpiece that is highly creative with more experimentation on Lycans rather than werewolves.

I loved ‘Hustled’, which I felt could be metaphoric for the burdens we bear and encumber ourselves with in life. The story moves at a fairly slow pace at first but for good reason then the speed picks up with the turn of events and the speed that comes with such a shift is very nicely done. I liked Sebil’s cunning.

In ‘Till Death Do Us Part’ I loved the bit when one character asks “Why?” and the reply was “Because I want to and because I can”.

‘Akuya’ is one of the top masterpieces in the collection. I loved every bit of it, particularly how it is not about good and evil or even their notions. A must read! It is followed by ‘Flight of a Dead Man’, an action-packed story that seems to be inspired by the theme of The Transporter movies. I loved Gallagher’s use of this speech in this piece. A must read ten-star story!

Another masterpiece is the story of ‘Sinsu’, which I truly enjoyed, especially how it unfolded, how taunting bad dreams could be and I believe many can relate to having a bad day after a nightmare. The ending was perfect.

‘Too Little, Too Late’ is a heart-breaking story that is not scary and has no place in this collection in my personal opinion. It is well written but I did not like the content.

I wish I could mention and comment on all but that will make my review far longer than it already is. However, I will briefly mention a few more titles that I enjoyed: ‘Down by the River’, ‘Little Haven’, ‘Jars of Hearts’, ‘A Murder of Crows’, ‘Blood Ties’, ‘A Christmas Tree Is More than Just an Object’, and ‘Frozen Out’.

Overall Gallagher uses many children in his stories to reinforce the scary element, added to using familiar ideas like Christmas trees and contemplating at the lake and twisting the events to create something brand new. This adds a lot to his works, most of which are highly enjoyable.

There were a few stories that were er.. ok for me, but only one felt out place in this collection, hence a 4.5-star rating is in order. I realize it is almost impossible to like every piece in a collection.

Note: I received a free copy of Strings from the author for an honest review and while this post was originally slated for 31st of October, 2014, stuff happened and both my reading and post were delayed.