I'm like most writers in that I love reading. Reading really is what started me writing. There were just stories that I wanted to end differently, so before I drifted off to sleep I would change the ending. To say that I'm a book slut is an understatement; I read pretty much anything and am rarely loyal to anyone as I'm really bad with names.
But, through the years, I've noticed that there are writer who I constantly gravitate to.
They are, in no particular order:
Arthur Conan Doyle. I'll admit that Sherlock Holmes was my very first crush (Basil Rathbone is still my favorite) but he also wrote SciFi, my favorite being The Lost World.
HG Wells: War of the Worlds is still brilliant today and I read it probably every five years. And don't even get me started on the Time Machine. I bought my son a set of his books for Christmas and he won't let me borrow them :)
Jules Verne—Yes, he wrote Journey to the Centre of the Earth, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Mysterious Island. Of all my favorite Victorian writers, he's the one that used really more science in his scifi novels.
And if you read most of the books by the above author's there's a touch of romance in each of their books. So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise to see my next group of favorite authors.
Linda Howard. I just love, love her stories. And what's amazing is she doesn't adhere to many of the 'rules' of writing, she's just tells a fabulous story.
M.M. Kaye—These are romantic mysteries set in the 40s that just have the most amazing dialogue. And best yet, they're set on exotic locales.
Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Mertz—I wanted to be her when I grew up. Imagine being an Egyptologist and a romance writer. Writing contemporaries, romances and mysteries. She's such an inspiring lady.
Linnea Sinclair—I love to be taken to exotic places (you don't get more exotic then space) and meet knew species and the lady excels at world building. Her book, Hope's Folly, is falling apart on my keeper shelf because I've read it so often.
Laura Bickle/Alayna Williams—writes great paranormal romances/urban fantasy books and happily there's not a vampire in the bunch. I'm currently stalking her until her next book comes out :)
Those are my go to authors when I need a pick me up, but that's to indie publishing I'm picking up quite a few new authors. Now, I just have to remember their names.
A woman from the past. A cyborg with no future.
They have every reason to mistrust each other but one: survival.
When Nell Stafford passed out it was 2012. When she wakes up naked aboard a starship it's 2138, and she's surrounded by the Syn-En: synthetically-enhanced soldiers with a grudge against humans like her. She doesn't know where she is or what's happened, only that her life has been destroyed and everyone she's ever known is dead.
Their leader Beijing York has just discovered his people's creators--humans--have betrayed them. They were promised freedom and equality in exchange for settling a newly discovered planet at the other side of a wormhole. But the Syn-En have outlived their usefulness.
The offer was a trick.
The wormhole has collapsed, and now both Nell and the Syn-En are trapped far, far from Earth to face almost certain death.
Bei has lost his future, and Nell has lost her past.
But Nell gained something in her 120-year sleep; somehow, she knows everything the Syn-En need to survive. Now she must convince Bei and his people to trust her--as soon as she learns to trust the mysterious intelligence.
My Review:
Oh, this was a really great book! From the Synthetically Enhanced soldiers, and the world-building, and the wonderful characters, this was an easy book to get into, and an easy book to read more and more and more of!
The Syn-En have done a great service for humanity, by making themselves more machine then flesh, and humans, and humans with some metal in them-like replacement limbs-look down on the, don't consider them human, and treat them harshly, cruelly, and inhumanly. Despite what they said, the Syn-En are human, and stoicly took the brutal treatment, until they are given a chance to colonize a new planet, and are sent off.
Then so of the "citizens"-people with no mechanical things them, and the elite rich upper class-have betrayed them, trying to mass-kill them, and the "civilians"-people with one or 2 mechanical things in them-on board their ship mutiny, and cause a lot of harm, and in all that, they find Nell, from 2012, and with no memory of how she got there, but with a strange voice in her head saying how to help, and in a pod that shows how to get to the planet they were heading towards.
All the conflict, it was very detailed, so you could be right in there while everything was going on, and it was every immersed in futuristic science, science that we don't have yet, but could possible have in the future, and fact based, and yeah, that's really great!
Romance wise, this was a strong book, because throughout all the betrayals, and the commands from another voice, and all the problems, they worked through it, and they were stronger together then apart, and it left me wanting more now!
And lucky for me, there's going to be a second one, Culture Clash, that just came out, and I hope to read it! Anyway, this was a great book, so I hope you guys check it out, because it's a quick, great read, and really enjoyable!
Author: Linda Andrews
Series: Syn-En #1
Read: May 29th, 2012
Source: Virtual Book Tour Cafe Review Copy
Reason Why: It sounded interesting!
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: April 26th 2012
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| 4/5 Hearts |
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| 4/5 Books |
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| 4/5 Stars |
Linda Andrews lives with her husband and three children in Phoenix, Arizona. When she announced to her family that her paranormal romance was to be published, her sister pronounced: "What else would she write? She’s never been normal."
All kidding aside, writing has become a surprising passion. So just how did a scientist start to write paranormal romances? What other option is there when you’re married to romantic man and live in a haunted house?
If you’ve enjoyed her stories or want to share your own paranormal experience feel free to email the author at lindaandrews@lindaandrews.net She’d love to hear from you.
Contact and Buy AKA Links:
Stops on the Tour:
May 29 - Meet & Greet at VBT Cafe' Blog
June 5 - Guest Blogging with Margaret West
June 9 - Review & Interviewed at A Book Lover's Library
June 11 - Review & Guest Blogging at Words I Write Crazy
June 12 - Interviewed at Reviews and Interviews
June 14 - Reviewed at Ereading on the Cheap
June 20 - Interviewed at Unnecessary Musings
June 22 - Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
June 23 - Character Interview at Immortyl Revolution
June 25 - Reviewed & Interviewed at Book Reviews, Fiction Reflections, N'more
July 6 - Interviewed at MK McClintock's Blog
July 7 - Interviewed by Louise James
June 5 - Guest Blogging with Margaret West
June 9 - Review & Interviewed at A Book Lover's Library
June 11 - Review & Guest Blogging at Words I Write Crazy
June 12 - Interviewed at Reviews and Interviews
June 14 - Reviewed at Ereading on the Cheap
June 20 - Interviewed at Unnecessary Musings
June 22 - Reviewed at Books, Books, and More Books
June 23 - Character Interview at Immortyl Revolution
June 25 - Reviewed & Interviewed at Book Reviews, Fiction Reflections, N'more
July 6 - Interviewed at MK McClintock's Blog
July 7 - Interviewed by Louise James
Thanks so much for hosting me and I'm so glad you enjoyed the Syn-En Solution.
ReplyDeleteNo problem, I really enjoyed The Syn-En Solution!
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