Review: Hallelujah by Kim Fielding and F.E. Feeley, Jr.

 

 Can you hear it? 

Whispering in the dark. 

Secrets only the dark knows. 

Joseph Moore, choir director for the First Baptist Church of Lenora, Nebraska, has secrets of his own. Terrible, lonely secrets. One that involves natural human desire. One that calls forth powers he cannot begin to understand. Both with the potential to destroy him and those he loves. 

Now the world is changing. The darkness, the shadows, the ghosts, are closing in—and Joseph and his lover, Kevin, are being stalked by a merciless demon, hell-bent on possession. 

Can you hear it now? 

There in the dark. 

It's whispering your name.

Every book I’ve read by Kim Fielding and F.E. Feeley, Jr. separately have been memorable, these two authors together brought my reading journey to another level. Hallelujah reminded me why I love to read, the all encompassing experience was overwhelming in the best possible way. I told the family they were on their own because I had book rapture happening and I would be unavailable for 374 pages, plus reflection time. 

Hallelujah is quite a ride. There is a lot going on, a lot of themes, a lot of action, a lot of realizations, a lot. The authors balanced and tied everything together so perfectly the story never felt too busy or at loose ends. Every sentence and action had a purpose for Joseph and his journey. 

There are many religious undertones (and overtones, if I’m honest) to Hallelujah. Religion is an integral component to the story and while the specific faith is personal to Joseph, the overarching theme is much more broad, encompassing the basics of good vs. evil and redemption and forgiveness. 

Growing up in an agnostic household, I was able to understand everything in theory, but I’m sure I was missing some of the visceral reactions someone who grew up in a religious upbringing might feel. I googled and learned a lot, something I always appreciate from a book, and I can’t decide which background would be more beneficial when reading Hallelujah. I bought a copy for a friend (he’s no longer actively practicing any formal religion, but he did grow up in a faithfully religious household) and we’re going to mini bookclub this one. 

There is so much more though too. If organized religion is not your jam, don’t let that keep you from Hallelujah. It’s part of who Joseph is in his core, and that part of him is clear and accessible to the reader. It explains a lot about the decisions he makes and the loyalties he keeps. 

I could go on and on and on about specifics and characters, but you get the gist from the blurb and part of the beauty of this book is meeting each of the characters for the first time. Reading the evolution of the relationships and interactions is the meat of this book. Sure, the horror is most definitely real, and most definitely horrifying, but we know evil because we know good and the characters here are so humanly good. Not perfect, perfect is boring and a falsehood. But inherent goodness is real and a real part of this book. 

Joseph. He’s so fully fleshed out, that I’ll remember him for a long time to come and he’ll make me reread this book. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to him when the story was done, even though the story was done with all the bits wrapped up in a bittersweet package. After everything the group had been through I wasn’t sure how Hallelujah would wrap, or if it even could, but damn, the authors did an amazing job of ending the story and being true to each of the characters.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Cover Reveal + Giveaway: The Preacher's Son by Lisa Henry & J.A. Rock

The girls are baaaaaaack! And they brought another cover reveal for a new novel! Don't miss your chance to win a copy by leaving a comment!

Take it away, ladies!


Hello all! We’re Lisa Henry and J.A. Rock, and it seems like only yesterday we were here to tell you about the re-release of Fall on Your Knees, our kinky Christmas novella. But now we’re back with some more news: we have a NEW novel coming out January 16th! It’s called The Preacher’s Son, and it is angsty AF, surprisingly vanilla, and is sort of a bittersweet small-town romance about making things right when you’ve completely fucked them up.

And we are ready to reveal the cover, beautifully done by Ana J. Phoenix.

Drumroll please.

Ta-da!

The Preacher’s Son will be available at all vendors on January 16th. Here’s a little more about it:


Jason Bannon is a wreck. His leg’s been blown to hell in Afghanistan, his boyfriend just left him and took the dog, and now he’s back in his hometown of Pinehurst, Washington, a place that holds nothing but wretched memories…and Nathan Tull. Nathan Tull, whose life Jason ruined. Nathan Tull, who will never believe Jason did what he did for a greater good. Nathan Tull, whose reverend father runs the gay conversion therapy camp that Jason once sought to bring down—at any cost.


Nathan Tull is trying to live a quiet life. Four years ago, when Nate was a prospective student visiting Whitworth, his world collapsed when senior Jason Bannon slept with him, filmed it, and put the footage online. A painful public outing and a crisis of faith later, Nate has finally begun to heal. Cured of the “phantoms” that plagued him for years, he now has a girlfriend, a counselor job at his dad’s camp, and the constant, loving support of his father.


But when he learns Jason is back in town, his carefully constructed identity begins to crumble. As desperate to reconcile his love for God with his attraction to men as Jason is to make sense of the damage he’s done, Nate finds himself walking a dangerous line. On one side lies the righteous life he committed himself to in the wake of his public humiliation. On the other is the sin he committed with Jason Bannon, and the phantoms that won’t let him be. But is there a path that can bridge those two worlds—where his faith and his identity as a gay man aren’t mutually exclusive?


And can he walk that path with the man who betrayed him?

Leave your name and contact (e.g. email, Twitter handle, Goodreads profile, etc.) info for a chance to win a signed paperback of The Preacher’s Son when it releases next month! Giveaway is open internationally and ends at 11:59 PM EST December 15th. Good luck!

Bios:

About Lisa Henry

Lisa Henry likes to tell stories, mostly with hot guys and happily ever afters.

Lisa lives in tropical North Queensland, Australia. She doesn’t know why, because she hates the heat, but she suspects she’s too lazy to move. She spends half her time slaving away as a government minion, and the other half plotting her escape.

She attended university at sixteen, not because she was a child prodigy or anything, but because of a mix-up between international school systems early in life. She studied history and English, neither of them very thoroughly.

She shares her house with too many cats, a dog, a green tree frog that swims in the toilet, and as many possums as can break in every night. This is not how she imagined life as a grown-up.

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

About J.A. Rock

J.A. Rock is the author of over twenty LGBTQ romance and suspense novels, as well as an occasional contributor to HuffPo Queer Voices. J.A.’s books have received Lambda Literary, INDIE, and EPIC Award nominations, and 24/7 was named one of the best books of 2016 by Kirkus Reviews. J.A. lives in Chicago with an extremely judgmental dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.

Website

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

Review: My Name was Karl by Daniel Mitton

It was a forgotten place. A place with a dark history. Thousands of men had passed through its doors during the first three quarters of the twentieth century. Most had served their time and moved on. But not all had been so fortunate.
As the years ticked by and the seasons changed, the old prison moldered away, but one thing stayed constant.
In the deepest part of the night, on the darkest nights of the year—particularly in spring, if you were sensitive enough to hear them—sounds could be heard coming from the deepest bowels of the lowest level basement. All was not right. Something was waiting, alone in the darkness.
Waiting for someone to finally hear its sorrow.
When Petty Officer Ben Pierce decided to explore the long abandoned Naval Prison next to his decrepit barracks, the last thing he expected to find was a mystery.
Something is in the Prison. Or is it someone? Where is the weeping coming from? When Ben follows the sounds to an ice cold, but empty, cell, he isn’t sticking around to find out any more details.
But now he can’t get it out of his mind.

Before I write my review of the content I have to let you all know how much I love this cover. It's beautiful. The cover and the blurb did an excellent job of selling this story to me - I LOVE a good ghost story!

As you can tell by my rating though, the story didn't work for me, and that makes me sad because I wanted to like it so much.

I love everything about the premise of this story; the setting, the characters, the ghost!! The writing just didn't work for me though. It is really a case of an author and reader being not suited to each other, I couldn't click with the author's style at all, and style is a tremendously personal thing to a writer. It is what makes author A different from author B. It's a thing to be cherished by a writer.

Like fashion though, not every style is liked by everyone else. Y'all might be loving your cold-shouldered tops/dresses, but I'm not a huge fan. It is the way it is. Nobody's fault, I'm not wrong, you're not wrong is just a matter of taste.

When it comes to books that I'm writing a review for though it's difficult. I need to be honest; and honest is, I didn't like this book. Simple. It felt too clunky in its writing style, like a join the dot story (how to get from this plot point to this plot point to that plot point etc as quickly as possible). But just because it didn't suit me, doesn't mean it won't suit you. You know what I mean?? I seem to be getting awfully fussy in my old age. I have a more definite idea of writing I like and this just did not fall into that category. Which is a shame.

Check out other reviews, don't make a not gonna read decision on this review alone. It is merely my opinion.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

For more information see Goodreads.

Fangirl Review: Axios: A Spartan Tale by Jaclyn Osborn

I am Axios of Sparta, and I was born to kill. At age seven, I left home to train with other boys where we were taught obedience, solidarity, military strategy, and how to withstand pain. My harsh upbringing stripped me of my weaknesses and forced me to become strong. Ruthless.

But, I craved something greater—a life I could never have. Against all odds, and the toughest training a warrior could endure, I found an unexpected love in the arms of a fellow Spartan. He was the very air I breathed and the water that sustained me. Fighting side by side with him, we were invincible. Where he went, I followed.

However, there was no place for love in Sparta. Feelings were for the weak. The only life for a Spartan was one of battle and brutality with no guarantee of tomorrow. In times of war, all men were put to the test, but the greatest challenge for us was not one of swords and spears, but of the heart.

"Loyalty. Brotherhood. And love."

There's been buzz over on GR about this book with good reason, so I wanted to share my feels to the non-GRers among you, because this book is stunning, unforgettable and deserving of hype. What I want people to know if you read nothing else of this review is that this is not a sad book! The ending is bittersweet but the book as a whole is gripping, wonderfully entertaining, masterfully written, poignantly insightful and above all else a resplendent love story.

Jaclyn Osborn is a new to me author but she has my attention now. As a history buff I appreciate the research and attention to detail that is evident on every page, in every nuance and her usage of these historical events to weave a timeless love story is what made Axios special to me.

Axios and Eryx forge a bond through trials and tribulations that stands the test of time. But this story is more than the telling of their romance. It's about forming a brotherhood, finding a family and a home amongst them and fighting for each other. They may not believe in the war but they believe in each other and that is why they fight. Trust me when I say the secondary characters are just as well crafted as Axios and Eryx and just as crucial to their story, even the ones that flash through their lives like shooting stars.

Axios is the narrator of this story and we meet him at the tender age of seven after he's been sent to the agoge. Eryx is in his group and they become best friends. I admit I was skeptical when I realized how young they were at the onset but by starting the story while they were but babes Osborn was able to build these characters and their relationship from the ground up. She brings us along to witness their evolution from boys to warriors to men firsthand. It was exhilarating to read.

Both are complex characters that I could go on and on about but what I found most touching was the way they compliment one another. In a different time, in a different place I think Eryx would've been a teacher with his inherent leadership skills and gift for storytelling and Axios an artist of some sort. Axios is a beautiful person, so tenderhearted and kind. Watching him become the warrior he has to be, through no choice of his own, and lose some of his dreamer essence made me doleful. It's not fair but it's his reality, a reality that he must face in order to survive.

However, were circumstances different perhaps he would never have met Eryx and that would've been the real tragedy, because he and Eryx are two sides of the same coin. Jaclyn Osborn made me believe their love defies time and space. If reincarnation exists they will find each other again and again.

If you know nothing of Sparta, know that they were a warrior nation. Their entire society subsisted upon building warriors, a process that begins with conscription at age seven. There is blood and violence. War and all that that entails. It's brutal and heinous and changes them. Friends are lost. Bonds are strengthened. Enemies are felled. But there is always another war looming thus their reprieves are short-lived.

Both are aware every battle they survive could be their last. They know every moment is precious and make the most of them. They live and love to the fullest. They are playful with each other and their friends. Never is there any doubt where their loyalties lie, though. They may fight for Sparta but their first priority is each other.

Osborn was very conscientious of using foreshadowing if you are not a history buff. The tension builds. The handwriting is on the proverbial wall. If you subscribe to the notion that a romance isn't a romance without a traditional HEA, this may not be the book for you. I find myself most affected by these romances. They are the ones that stay with me-The Age of Innocence, The Wings of the Dove, Romeo and Juliet and more recently Amberlough. They speak to me and Axios spoke to me so I'm recommending it to you through this fangirl review.

My thanks to Jaclyn Osborn for writing this sophisticated and memorable story that became, for me, an instant classic. It's the best $4 I've spent in quite some time.

My warrior. My lover. My heart.

Review: Olive Juice by T.J. Klune

It begins with a message that David cannot ignore:

I want to see you.

He agrees, and on a cold winter’s night, David and Phillip will come together to sift through the wreckage of the memory of a life no longer lived.

David is burdened, carrying with him the heavy guilt of the past six years upon his shoulders.

Phillip offers redemption.

This book simply cannot be spoiled and I don’t spoil books. What I will do is talk about is how this book made me feel and what it made me think about.

The story isn’t one that’s new, sadly enough the basics of it is something we have seen numerous times over our lives and either been affected by it, pushed it aside or tried our hardest to forget it happened, grateful that it wasn’t us or someone we knew. It doesn’t need to directly happen to us to feel the damage, the heartbreak, hopelessness and utter lack of answers it brings. 

This story for me is about the need for closure or to use a psychological term, the Need for Cognitive Closure. *** Closure or need for closure (NFC) (used interchangeably with need for cognitive closure (NFCC)) are psychological terms that describe an individual's desire for a firm answer to a question and an aversion toward ambiguity. The term "need" denotes a motivated tendency to seek out information. ***

Told from the singular perspective of David, we meet him as he is sitting outside a fancy hotel going to meet Philip. From his detailed internal dialogue, we know Philip is someone of great importance to David and someone he loves deeply though they have been separated for years. There is an infusion of a third party that isn’t completely solid as who they are to both men until later. Many times, I thought I knew and while my first guess was right, it didn’t lessen the impact of getting it from David himself.

When something tragic happens to us, no matter what it might be, not knowing is the beast of burden. It’s terrible to have so many questions that cannot be answered by anyone and not getting them can cause people to act irrational. I am not in the field of psychology nor do I have any experience other than my own therapy sessions dealing with the Need for Cognitive Closure but I recognize it in David. I see it the way he decides to live his life after the tragedy, how he treats Philip when he doesn’t act the same as David and in his regrets of what he lost. David feels as if his weekly calls and all that he does is being productive when it’s really a distraction of dealing with… it.

Goodness. I have so much I want to say about this book. So much I identified with about meeting, the food and the people that attend. Though again, my experience isn’t the same, it’s one that can almost be felt on a level of empathy with a side of tangible understanding.

While some say this isn’t a romance, I beg to differ. Just because a book doesn’t have on page sex or doesn’t begin with the meet cute to the over the top HEA, doesn’t make it not a romance. What David and Philip have will forever be a romance. Their love story is one for the books with how amazing it all has been. What they have been dealing with is beyond their control but with a chance and a want for change, there can be a new romance between them.

I have to admit, I thought I was made of tougher stuff while reading this but I got to a certain part and lost it. Full on tears and snot but it was such a beautiful moment that I couldn’t help it and honestly didn’t care.

Klune is a master with words and his story telling with Olive Juice is stunning. He has taken what should be recognized nationally at the minimum, but is all too often only covered by the few that acknowledge it’s actually happening, and provided readers with a glimpse into the lives it tears apart. Klune provides readers with facts without shoving it down your throat but making you pause and think… what have you seen? It’s a way of opening your eyes to what you don’t want to see in a place you’d least expect it. Well done, sir.

Olive Juice is simply an achingly bittersweet and heartbreaking story that truly makes you feel and makes you think beyond the lines of what you think you should. It’s just… yeah.