Participants needed for STEEL BLOOD blog tour this July

Are you a book blogger and/or reviewer? Would you like to be part of a blog tour this summer to promote the next book in the Steel Empires series, Steel Blood? Please use this Google form (no registration required) to submit your contact information, availability, and interest in the following: Spotlight (book and author info) … Continue reading Participants needed for STEEL BLOOD blog tour this July

Review: “The Great St. Mary’s Day Out” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor

While I have to wonder at the logic of involving time travel in a holiday for this lot of miscreants, considering all the things that go wrong normally, I have to admit that the story wouldn't really work, otherwise. (Though I do have faith that they'd get up to the same sort of trouble during … Continue reading Review: “The Great St. Mary’s Day Out” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor

Review: “The Very First Damned Thing” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor

It was very, very cool to not only get a glimpse of the origins St. Mary's but also a peek into Dr. Bairstow's head. At this point in the series, seeing his relationships with the people that he intentionally sought to staff St. Mary's was more interesting than the jump to Waterloo (despite the delightful … Continue reading Review: “The Very First Damned Thing” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor

Review: “Christmas Present” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor

How do you balance the heavy subject matter of lovers lost in time, potential suicide, and imminent attack by Boudicca's army? Add a giant pig, of course.  This Chronicles of St. Mary's short story plugs a hole in the narrative that is touched upon in the main books, featuring our heroes (Max, Peterson, and Markham, … Continue reading Review: “Christmas Present” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor

Review: “Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor

Taylor hooked me immediately with the problem that needed to be solved in this adventure. The rising sense of horror at what happened felt very visceral, and what's even better is that the threads that came about to create this situation were beautifully laid in previous installments of this series.  The time travel adventure itself … Continue reading Review: “Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor

Review: “The Magician” (A Fool’s Journey #1) by Mark Pannebecker

Disclaimer: I received an electronic version of this short story in exchange for an honest review. It’s hard to get invested in a story that opens with too many characters who are hard to differentiate and even harder to identify with. Though the basic world-building is accomplished with well-written descriptions, no major conflict is introduced … Continue reading Review: “The Magician” (A Fool’s Journey #1) by Mark Pannebecker

Review: “Roman Holiday” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story) by Jodi Taylor

One of the best things about these extra short stories that fit into the overall Chronicles of St. Mary's world is that you can enjoy them without worrying about where they fit into the larger context of the story. They're a short peek into the many, many other time travel trips that the historians have … Continue reading Review: “Roman Holiday” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story) by Jodi Taylor

Review: THE DYING OF THE GOLDEN DAY (Heartfriends Trilogy #1) by Carrie Gessner

Disclaimer: I attended the same graduate program as the author and consider her a friend; however, I purchased my hardcopy version of this novel for full price. I spend a lot of time reading urban fantasy these days, so it had been a while since I dove into a more traditional epic fantasy. Starting this … Continue reading Review: THE DYING OF THE GOLDEN DAY (Heartfriends Trilogy #1) by Carrie Gessner

Review: “28 Teeth Later” (a PRISON DAD short) by Cristin Kist & Jeffrey Gritman

Disclaimer: I am friends with the authors of this short story. However, I purchased the ebook version for full price. I  have not yet had a chance to read either of the Prison Dad collections that I own, but this short story was a delightful introduction to the world. I was promised ridiculousness, speculative fiction references, … Continue reading Review: “28 Teeth Later” (a PRISON DAD short) by Cristin Kist & Jeffrey Gritman

Review: “When A Child is Born” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s #2.5) by Jodi Taylor

This short story set in the Chronicles of St. Mary's universe is a great way for a new reader to dip their toe into the series without committing to a full novel. It highlights my favorite trio of time travelers (Max, Peterson, and Markham -- with bonus Maj. Guthrie) on a relatively simple mission that … Continue reading Review: “When A Child is Born” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s #2.5) by Jodi Taylor