"Pegasus" by Robin McKinley

I've loved Robin McKinley's work for a long time.  Her Hero and the Crown is one of my all-time favorites.  I have thoroughly enjoyed her takes on Robin Hood, Sleeping Beauty (two different versions!) and vampires.  So, when I saw she had a new one out, I was thrilled beyond belief.

And Pegasus lived up to my internal hype.  Is it her best novel?  Probably not.  Is it worth the price of admission?  Absolutely.

One of the things I love about her stories is her wonderful world-building.  One of the others is the deft way she handles the mental and cultural differences between species.  In Sunshine, it was the differences between humans and vampires, in Dragonhaven, the differences between humans and dragons.  And here, it's between humans and the Pegasi.

McKinley does here what she's done before, and with aplomb.  The world-building is superb, the cultural and mental strangeness of the Pegasi fascinating, and the characters compelling.  Does McKinley ramble at times?  Sure.  But for me, that's always been part of her charm.  I find such interesting gems in her tangents.  Sometimes, especially in genre writing, there is such a focus on linear storytelling.  Occasionally, it's nice to go where the story leads you, no matter how strange that path may look.

So, a full recommendation for Pegasus.  She's written better, but not by much.  And even on a bad day, McKinley's got my vote!  You can purchase Pegasus here.

"Grendel" by John Gardner

If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm kinda all over the place with the books I choose to review.  Sometimes they're new.  Sometimes they're not.  Sometimes I don't really know (or care) if they're new or old or somewhere in between.  I just know that I like them.

You'll also notice that I bounce around from genre to genre.  That's mostly because I don't believe that any one genre has a corner on good writing.  So far I've reviewed some fantasy, some science fiction, some romance, some literature, some foreign stuff and a thriller, if memory serves.  I don't think I've delved into existentialist writing as of yet.

That changes today.

I will say that I'm not always a fan of existentialism.  I find it rather bleak.  A couple of exceptions to this?  Camus, for one... I like him quite a lot.  He was pretty chipper for a guy that believed that life ends with the void.  Matter of fact, I think he was called the existentialist saint.  Makes sense to me.

The other exception is this.  Is this novel chipper?  No.  Is there any sense of redemption here, in spite of our contemplation of the emptiness of life?  No.

It's just cool.

You take the epic poem Beowulf and tell it in modern language from the point of view of the monster.  How awesome is that?  And Grendel is interesting.  I didn't say lovable.  He's not.  He's kind of a whiner, actually, but he's got lots of interesting things to say.  There is something imminently intriguing about Grendel.  And then there's the dragon...

You know enough of me by now to know that there will be no blow-by-blow of the novel's contents.  I don't want to spoil it for anyone.  Sure, let's go with that.  Actually, I just don't have enough patience.  Or maybe it's that I'm lazy.

Whatever the real reason, if you haven't read this gem, I would highly suggest you do it.  At the very least you can use it to brag to your friends and make yourself seem erudite (and by extension, make them feel like ill-read buffoons). 

But honestly, I think you'll really dig it.  Plus, it's not that long.  So, go pick up a copy here.

"Irish Moon" by @amberscottbooks

At some point, I'm simply going to run out of masculinity points here.  If you haven't followed what Bestseller for a Day is doing, the first thing you need to do is head over to their website to check it all out.  Once you've done that, you need to come right back here for me to tell you all about their next offering, Irish Moon.  Go ahead.  I'll wait.  Really.

Now that you've gone and seen that, as a reader, you're getting the best of all worlds here (stupendous novels for dirt cheap, as well as chances to win prizes AND help out the noble cause of indie writers), I can now talk to you about the sexy hotness that is Irish Moon.

Okay, at the risk of sounding truly girly, this romance is SWEET!  It's got an amazing locale, awesome characters (that you actually care about, instead of just lusting after), a tight plot and MAGIC!  That was my favorite part.  Seriously, though, I joke about losing man point and stuff, but I will read anything that's well written.  And this just is.  Yes, I am a man and I read paranormal romance.  No, I don't talk about it much with my guy friends.  Sue me.

The other thing that I love about this novel is that Scott doesn't drag it down into the mire.  She keeps the romance about what it should be about--character, chemistry and growing intimacy.  Not just about sex.  Sure, the sex is there, but it's not SEX with all caps, if you know what I mean.  If I want that, I'll read erotica.  Or, you know, Penthouse Forum or something.  Seriously.

So, if you love good romances with a hint of magic... If you love Ireland and history... If you love supporting indie authors, please go buy this book on Wednesday, March 16th.  It's only $.99 on that day, so... SCORE!  You can purchase the novel here.

Also, if you're an author or even just a reader who likes to keep up with the publishing industry, you MUST go check out Carolyn McCray's (@craftycmc and @writingnodrama on Twitter) article that just went up on the Digital Book World site here.  It's all about how to better sell your books on Amazon.com!

"The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows

There are certain novels that come along from time to time whose sole purpose seems to be to restore our faith in humanity.  This is one of them.

I'm not going to claim that this is the best written book ever, or that it deserves a Pulitzer or is crafted flawlessly.  What I will say is that I have never come away from a book with my heart and spirit more lifted.  The adjective that consistently comes to mind is "delightful".  The story is delightful.  The way it's treated is delightful.  The characters?  You guessed it.  Delightful.

The setting itself is almost a character.  I now want desperately to visit Guernsey.  Well, I want to visit post World War II Guernsey, which is a bit of a problem.  Anyone have a time machine they want to lend me?

For every ten positive critiques of this novel, there is a Negative Nelly out there, rambling on about the improbability of the plot, or the implausibility of the characters or the Pollyanna-ish qualities of the novel.  To them I say, "Knock it off!"  Seriously.  Go find a mud pit and roll around in it for a while.

I will say that for me, conflict is usually a huge part of whether or not I enjoy a book.  This book doesn't really have it.  At least,  not in the form I typically see in a novel.  It's light.  It's breezy.  Like I said, it's not going to win any Pulitzers.  But maybe it should.  Because there's something so very touching and beautiful about reading a book designed to simply charm and delight.

So, if you're up for something that will make you smile and possibly laugh out loud at times, this is the novel for you!  You can get The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society here.

"30 Pieces of Silver" by Carolyn McCray (@craftycmc)

Hold onto your hats, my fellow readers.  You're about to be in for one heck of a storm.  I haven't been this engaged in a novel since I don't know when.  If you're not familiar with Carolyn McCray, she's been ghost writing for many years, and is now taking the indie publishing world by storm with both her gut-wrenchingly good novels and her innovative marketing tactics.  She's the co-founder of ZTS Promotions (www.ztspromotions.com), and the founder of the Indie Book Collective (www.indiebookcollective.com) and Bestseller for a Day (www.bestsellerforaday.com).  She will be a panelist at SXSW (South by Southwest) talking about online marketing and independent writing.  Basically, she's all around awesome.

And today (Monday, Feb. 28th) her novel, 30 Pieces of Silver, will be the Bestseller for a Day.  What does this mean to you, the reader?  Well, it means you'll get the e-novel for $.99 if you purchase it right now (whether or not you have a Kindle or a Nook, you can still read it).  It also means you can enter to win a Kindle by going here.  It ALSO means you're eligible for a full refund after purchasing Plain Jane, McCray's first thriller.  IT ALSO MEANS you get to be involved in trying to drive an indie author up the Amazon.com bestselling lists.  That enough also's for ya?  And I'm telling you, if there was ever an author that deserved it, it's Carolyn McCray.

But let's talk about the book itself.  First things first.  If you're Christian, which I am, this novel may be uncomfortable for you.  It was for me.  This novel makes The Da Vinci Code look like a trip to Bible Camp.  It is unabashedly and unashamedly controversial.

That said, I have never read another thriller that had a more engaging plot, with more detailed characters that I fully cared about.  I was swept up in the action immediately and never had a moment of feeling pulled out of it.

I felt taken care of by the author, if that makes sense.  I didn't ever have the sense that the novel was going to let me down, which can sometimes be a concern with indie books.  McCray handles the different time periods with aplomb, switching back and forth from modern times and the Biblical period without fits or starts.

Truth be told, I liked this novel a lot more than I wanted to.  Considering the religious controversy, I was ambivalent to the point of not being sure I wanted to read it at all.  But from the first page, I kind of didn't have a choice as to whether or not I was going to see it through.  And it is definitely worth the read.

So, pick up an amazing novel for $.99 that people will be talking about (trust me on this one).  Enter to win amazing prizes.  Help indie authors everywhere.

You'll come back and thank me for it. :)  You can pick up 30 Pieces of Silver here.

"Altar of Eden" by James Rollins (@JamesRollins)

First off, I'm a big James Rollins fan.  You should know this before you read any further.  I claim absolutely no sort of objectivity when it comes to him and his novels.  There.  Full disclosure.

This novel has everything any seasoned thriller readers out there might be looking for--science, suspense, twists and turns, and of course, adrenaline-pumping action.  Rollins has taken a break from the Sigma series to go back to his stand-alone-novel roots and give us this nail-biter.  I zipped through this sucker in what felt like a minute and a half.  Unfortunately, it was actually a couple of days, and my life felt the effects of my lack of presence in it.  Fair warning.  Pick up this book at your own risk!

For those hey-I-can-take-it-or-leave-it thriller types, here are the hooks that'll grab ya.  First, this is the first novel that Rollins (a veterinarian) has written about veterinarians.  It's filled with all kinds of first-hand knowledge of what makes vets tick.  Second, the protagonist Lorna is also a woman, a slight departure from many of Rollins more testosterone-fueled efforts.  She's a fully developed, perfectly realized specimen of a character that will make you care while you're flying through the pages.  And finally, the romantic tension that exists between Lorna and Jack keeps things as steamy as the Delta they're skimming through.

So, I guess what I'm saying is, this novel pretty much rocks out loud.  Get it now, right here, if you haven't read it already.  If you have, buy the paperback for a friend.  They will thank you.  Profusely.

"Play Fling" by Amber Scott (@amberscottbooks)

It's Valentine's Day.  So, you men out there, you gotta give me a lot of leeway today, cause we're going a bit... well... girly today.  But trust me, it's all REALLY good stuff.

Okay, I'm reviewing a romantic comedy (with a paranormal twist) today.  I may lose all my masculine street cred.  'Sokay, though, because a) this novel's worth a read regardless of your gender, and 2) this book's a part of something incredible that you all need to know about.

First off, this is an indie book.  Just the chutzpah necessary to put your marketing muscle behind your own literary creation is impressive.  There is a movement right now in indie books that looks to be every bit as powerful as the one that swept through the film industry a decade or so ago.  That was a movement that changed the way that people looked at films and the filmmaking industry.  It became clear that we as a viewing public care more about watching a good film than where that film comes from.  Same goes for books.  Do most of us really know (or care) which publishing house puts out a novel?  We just want to read a gripping tale.

And Amber Scott's got that.  Her story of Brooke and Elliot is... well, at risk of losing even more street cred... delightful.  These characters lift this above a typical bodice ripper.  Plus, the added element of a paranormal twist makes it a little bit easier for a guy like me to not feel like I now have to start wearing pink.  I'm telling you, guys... taking a walk on the feminine side is eye-opening.  This book is helping me up my game.  At least my wife says so.  Not totally sure that counts, though...

Anyway, Amber Scott is the first indie author to participate in the Indie Book Collective's latest brainchild, Bestseller for a Day.  Don't know about the Indie Book Collective?  Find out more by checking out their Twitter stream (@IndieBookIBC) and their website.  Anyway, the IBC is selecting great novels with authors that are hardworking self-marketers and taking one day to try to drive them as high as possible up the Kindle bestseller lists.  The idea is to try to break into the Kindle top 100, but hey, whatever they can do is great for the indie authors.  What the readers get is great books, awesome give-aways and a chance to be involved in something incredible.

So join in today by going and purchasing the e-version of Play Fling on Amazon.com for only $.99!!  One buck and you get not only Play Fling, but by going to Bestsellerforaday.com you can also get Amber's erotic thriller Love Lust and Carolyn McCray's Indian Moon FREE!  You're getting three awesome romantic and sexy novels for just a dollar.  #score!

It's a great novel for Valentine's Day, but you're also doing something for indie authors everywhere.  This is something that's already started making the publishing industry sit up and start to take notice.  So, do it for the novels, do it for the authors, do it for indie books... whatever.  Just go and do it! ;)

You can purchase Amber Scott's Play Fling here.  Also, for the other offers, make sure you check out Bestsellerforaday.com.