Rachelle

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After a 3-day late night gloom,
I finally finished reading Suzanne Dent’s debut novel, Never Ceese and
as with any good book, it was sad to reach the end of it. Not being a
fan of the genre, I initially digressed the idea of reading it. First,
because the cover looked like my nemesis, warped in certain angles . Second, because it looked like a saga-type novel and I’m a short-span reader .
Third, because it seemed a stereotypical story of vampires and
werewolves up in arms. But I decided to peruse it anyway just to see if
it actually offers anything new. I’m not sure what it was that sucked
me in but I was immediately hooked!
It was one of those rare fantasy books that explores faith and gets at
deeper truths in life without trying too much and still leaves you
breathless and wanting for more. Now, I could hardly wait for the
second installment of this series (Is it done yet Sue?). How fun is it
to find a new author to love?

BLURB

A determined werewolf, acting on her long-held wish to free herself of her curse, teams up with a skeptical vampire who can no longer admit that having his curse removed is something he wants.

Will
Cassie Felts be able to help them as her grandmother implored her to do
or will they suffer at the hands of a radical and evil stem cell
researcher who want the fame and immortality he believes their blood
will give him?

MY REVIEW

Never
Ceese breathes some new life into the classic urban fantasy
werewolf/vampire genre, synthesizing paranormal and Christian fiction
to create a YA-spiritual fantasy that does not only entertain and
delight but also mystify the mind and stir the soul.

Sue Dent has brought Christian fantasy to a whole new level in her debut novel, Never Ceese.
Humorous, but refreshingly defiant, the story is elaborately played out
through flashbacks and narratives with excellent dialogue that almost
feels like a movie on its own. With an intriguing and well-researched
historical/scientific extrapolation, the story explores spiritual concepts without
bogging the reader down in endless detail. One-dimensional folkloric
beings are skillfully recreated into realistic three-dimensional
characters that the reader cannot help but sympathize with. The plot
line, on the other hand, twists and turns, with evil plans, double
crosses and plenty of back stabbing between humans, vampires and
werewolves.

From the character interactions, to the adventure
and plot line, to the emotional roller coaster of Richard, Ceese,
Penelope, and Cassie, Never Ceese is a sure winner! If you
haven’t read a horror vampire/werewolf story, this is a great book to
start with and if you’ve read plenty in this genre, this would
definitely make it to your keeper shelf.

NITPICKS

This
first foray into Sue Dent’s series is truly a work of literary art. My
only significant disappointment with it is the cover. (or maybe it’s
just me) The
image looked undersampled and the title’s font style has no immediate
appeal in a somewhat similar manner as items near the checkout that
trigger impulse buying. Apart from that, it’s a great book worth
spending bucks on!
Die-hard romantics might want to give this one a miss though; it’s
really not a romance but vampire/werewolf junkies will love this one
immensely!

RATING

I’m
not really the type to shower stars like confetti but I’m giving this
fast paced, exciting and enjoyable read my highest rating, 5 STARS!

This month, I’m holding 3 fab contests on my blog http://zyphe.blogspot.com which will last until April 17,
2007. If you have been following my blog posts, you know that I love to
give away FREE stuff. This month I’m giving away more FREE stuff to all
of you! Be sure you get yours!

Contest 1

Post
and Win Contest — The usual procedure: Post anytime this month at http://zyphe.blogspot.com to be
entered for this month’s giveaway. Leave a comment on any of my blog
posts, giving your name and saying you want to enter. Don’t forget to
leave your email address where I can contact you if you win. Winner
will receive a brand new paperback copy of Kathryn Mackel’s novel,
TRACKERS.

Contest 2

Subscribe to Stifled Squeal — Win a hardcover copy of Abiding Darkness
by John Aubrey Anderson just for subscribing to my blog http://zyphe.blogspot.com. All you have
to do is enter your email ad on the box located on the upper left
corner of the page to receive notification when posts are updated. I
will draw a winner from all new subscribers this month.

Contest 3

Refer a Friend Contest — Do you know someone who likes to win stuff? Tell
them about my monthly giveaway and the mechanics of my contests (post
and win) and once they comment and mention your name in one of their
posts, you get 2 extra entries in the drawing for a $25 Bath and Body
Works gift card.

Oh, and I forgot to mention, international
readers are welcome to enter. So, what are you waiting for? Comment and
spread the word…pronto!

Last month’s winner was LONEY…

This month I’m giving away a new hardcover copy of  Wedgewood Grey by John Aubrey Anderson.
Just comment anywhere on my blog http://zyphe.blogspot.com and you’re automatically entered!
More comments mean more chances of winning. I’ll pick a name and
announce the winner at the end of this month. International readers are
welcome to enter.

Visit http://zyphe.blogspot.com today!

The
winner of a paperback copy of the book, Hell in a Briefcase: A Matt
Cooper Novel by Phil Little, Brad Whittington is… (drumroll pls…) Archie…  The publisher will be contacting you through the email you sent me.

Thanks to all those who joined in the contest. There will be another contest this February. Stay tuned!

To win a free copy of  Hell in a Briefcase,
simply leave a comment anywhere on my blog at http://zyphe.blogspot.com. Just click on the "comments" link at the bottom of each post. More comments mean more chances of winning! Don’t forget to leave your email address where I can
contact you if you win.  This contest runs from Jan. 1 to Jan. 30.
Winner will be announced at the end of the month. International readers
are welcome to enter.

 

ELEVEN BRIEFCASES AND ONE UNLIKELY HERO…CAN MATT COOPER FIND ELEVEN NUCLEAR DEVICES AND HIS FAITH BEFORE DISASTER STRIKES?

With
violence in the Middle East escalating daily, Americans are glued to
their televisions wondering what will happen next. Meanwhile, Matt
Cooper, jet-setting star of Phil Little’s debut novel Hell in a Briefcase
is doing something about it. A private security executive, his
adrenaline-junkie days consist of last-minute first-class overseas
flights, Hollywood parties with his actress girlfriend, and direct
calls from top CIA brass.

A chance meeting with Mr. Roberts, “an old broken-down millionaire” and
uncommon Christian, sends Cooper on a trip to Israel that will change
his life. Matt goes behind the curtain of Middle East terrorism,
witnessing firsthand the untold ravages of holy war. The deeper he goes, the
closer he gets to a plot involving eleven stolen briefcase nukes and a
plan infinitely more sinister than 9/11.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Phil
Little, president of West Coast Detectives and a recognized expert in
counter-terrorism, provides bodyguards to the stars and runs a
detective agency that has served ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, FOX, Paramount,
MGM, and hundreds of others (www.westcoastdetectives.us).
He draws on this experience in crafting the tightly wound plot of this
international thriller. In addition to his duties as a security expert,
Phil has also written Hostile Intent, Protecting Yourself from Terrorism and will soon be the subject of a television pilot. In the meantime, you can read more about Matt’s adventures in his blog, http://detectivemattcooper.blogspot.com.

In
addition, Phil is available for comment on all aspects of international
terrorism, both at home and abroad, and he makes for an interesting and
colorful guest. His expertise in the area of international issues
combined with his personable on-camera style would make for a great
interview on this hot topic. From Lebanese terror camps in the 1970’s
to American airports in the months before 9/11, Phil Little has
witnessed the terror threat up close and can share eye-opening stories
and information that all Americans should know.

It’s that time again. The time when we welcome the new year by
reflecting on the previous year (both our accomplishments and
shortcomings) and by making promises to do things differently. This
year I’ll lose weight and keep on top of the laundry and write 3 books
and the list goes on and on. And what happens to these little promises,
these notorious resolutions? They slide to the back of our mind in a
short amount of time. For some it’s a month or two, for others a day or
two.

I decided a long time ago that resolutions, filled with their good
intentions, are just that, good ideas that rarely, if ever, come to
fruition. What, then, can we do if we want to make some changes in our
lives? It was depressing to me to make a list of these things I wanted
to accomplish in the new year and not even make it to the half-way
mark. So I made some changes. No more resolutions for me.

Instead the new year is a time for setting goals. I know, some of
you are asking yourselves, well, what’s the difference? Actually quite
a bit. For one, resolutions don’t come with a plan, they’re abstract
things that are more like a wish list than a plan of attack. But goals,
goals are concrete, they contain steps and stages and are much easier
to obtain.

So you make a goal (to write a book), then you establish mini-goals,
or steps to achieve that big goal (for example, you set a schedule, or
you do the math backwards – if I have to write 350 pages and I want to
take the weekends off, then if I write 20-25 pages a week, I’ll have a
complete draft in 14-17 weeks). When you break your goal down into
smaller, more workable goals, then you know what you’re supposed to do.
Those “resolutions” give you an end result, they don’t tell you how to
get there. But working through your goals and setting up mini goals and
stages, you’ll give yourself an actual plan that is far easier to
accomplish.

The winner of a paperback copy of the book, Coldwater Revival by Nancy Jo Jenkins from my blogsite http://zyphe.blogspot.com is… (drumroll pls…) Chadwick Hollie…  The publisher will be contacting you through the email you sent me.

Thanks to all those who joined in the contest. There will be another contest next month. Stay tuned!