Two Minutes to Midnight by Willow Salix

Two Minutes to Midnight is a titillating paranormal romance and the first in The Carpe Noctem Series created by Willow Salix.  

Topaz Thompson is a practicing Wiccan. She teaches Mythology and Folklore at Athena’s Academy, a school that specializes in things weird and wonderful. When she is sent to investigate a self-professed supernatural being, Topaz is more than willing to go. What she discovers, however, is more than she hopes for.

In addition to the proof of existence of the most elusive supernatural creatures, Topaz finds something else, something beautiful and magical, something that she has found difficult to come by as evident by the string of failed blind dates she has been recently.

This is a very interesting book that offers a different take on the legends of the night walkers. Though the subject is far from unique, the theme of true and undying love, in addition to a fair amount of unexpected twist and turn of events, is enough to keep the reader’s interest. Sex scenes are described in vivid detail and the characters range from fascinating, to intriguing, to endearing. Though the ending seems a bit anticlimactic, I find in necessary and understandable.

All in all, I enjoyed this book more than I expected I would. It is interesting and entertaining. It is also quite an easy read. However, other readers may find the sex scenes a bit too much, more, in fact, than the description and profile of the supernatural creatures being featured in the book. It seems like the author focused more on the erotic part of the story than the peculiarities of the night walkers, which I believe was part of the selling point of this book. Though this is not necessarily a bad thing, it may leave some readers a, somehow, dissatisfied feeling as far as the paranormal aspect of the book is concerned.

Still, this is an enjoyable book and is worth reading.

Congratulations to Willow Salix (@willowdragoncat) on such an entertaining and enjoyable book. To know more about the author, click HERE.

Why Jihad? by Dr. Howard Shin

Why Jihad? : Religious Violence in IslamicHistory, Theology, and Jurisprudence is an interesting and educative book about Muslims, Islam, and Jihad written by Dr. Howard Shin.

The book has fourteen very interesting chapters in addition to the Introduction, Conclusion, and Bibliography, and tries to explain the root-cause for Islam’s prevalent violence. In consistently academic tone, the author discusses the conflicting views on Jihad and elucidates the readers by explaining Jihad as defined by the Qur’an, the Hadiths, the Islamic Jurisprudence, and the pre-modern Sufism.

The author shares a brief history of the Messenger of Allah and the proliferation of Islam in Asia, North Africa, and the Iberian Peninsula and features the most prominent proponents of Jihad.

This is, generally, a scholarly-written book, apparently well-researched and well-referenced. In carefully worded explanation understandable to laymen and, probably, to non-Muslim readers, the author explicates the difference between Greater Jihad and Lesser Jihad and hints at the ultimate implication of armed Jihad in the future of the world making the book a ‘must-read’ for diplomats and politicians.

However, this is not an easy read. Other readers may find it too academic and, somehow, overwhelming. It requires focus, undivided attention, and genuine interest in Jihad, Islam, and the Muslims in general. Moreover, there are several noticeable errors within the entire book, mostly typo errors, which detract from the overall reading experience.

Congratulations to Dr. Howard Shin on such an interesting book! For more books by the author, click HERE. 

Jealous of the Way He Treats Her by Can'Di

Jealous of the Way He Treats Her: A Revenge Story is an erotic urban fiction written by Can’Di.

Jasmine is deeply in love with Derrick. After a painful break-up with her ex-boyfriend Marcus, Jasmine is determined to make her relationship with Derrick work. On his part, Derrick is just as in love with Jasmine as she is with him. However, he wants more which he can get from somewhere or someone else especially if that someone else is just around.

Jasmine’s best friend Lykeysha is more than what she is in Jasmine’s eyes. She is ambitious. She knows what she wants and she has what it takes to get it, even if what she wants belongs to someone else.

Marcus lost Jasmine because of one night of indiscretion. Now that Jasmine is with someone else, all he wants is for her to be happy. He loves her more than she knew and he is willing to be anything she needs him to be, a friend, a lover, a protector. However, there is something about his life that he could not tell her.

This is an intriguing and suspenseful book about envy, jealousy, revenge, and true love. The conflict is introduced early in the story which makes it a page-turner. Though the plot is not extraordinarily unique, the twists and turns of events make the book different from other stories with the same premise. Characters are well-developed and relatable and the readers would find it easy to connect with each of them. With her twisted way of looking at things, Lykeysha is every bit the villainess. She is despicable and, somehow, pitiful in her pathetic view of her self-importance.

Admittedly, I enjoyed this book more than I expected. It is interesting and unpredictable in that it is difficult to guess what would happen next. However, other readers, especially non-native English speakers, may find the use of the vernacular language a bit difficult to follow. Moreover, scenes of sex and violence may not be suitable for young readers.

Congratulations to Can’Di on such an enjoyable book!

Kendle's Fire by Ryan Field

Kendle’s Fire is a touching and memorable book about friendship, family, and self-acceptance written by Ryan Field.

Kendle is a smart, handsome, and gay ex-Marine who looks every inch a straight guy. As far as he is concerned, he is a man. He acts as a man. He thinks as a man, and he never wants to be anything or anyone else aside from who and what he is.

However, just like any man, or woman, for that matter, Kendle has secrets, preferences and fetishes, which he could not talk about with just anyone but only with those people who are closest to him and accept him for everything he is. Among those people is his best friend Dale. Though Kendle and Dale’s relationship has no specific definition that is understandable to the public, what they have is something special.

Trying to figure out which way his life would go, Kendle applies for a new, albeit, an unlikely job which leads him to meeting a new guy and opens up new possibilities for him to consider. However, as unpredictable life is, an unfortunate event takes place that shakes the foundation that Kendle is trying to build.

This is a touching and memorable book. Though the plot is seemingly common with gay fiction, being discriminated and difficulties fitting in, what makes the book special is the depiction of the ultimate realization of what someone wants. The author successfully illustrates something very important which is the fact that some people do not want to be what they are not, just to be acknowledged and accepted. They want to be accepted for that they are. That, for me, is a very powerful message.

The book is told in a consistently conversational tone that makes it an easy read.  In addition, the author creates a set of delightful characters including Dale, Walter, and Kendle’s mother. Kendle, for me, is the ultimate protagonist. He knows what he is. He knows what he wants. And he chooses to live his life in his own terms.

Except for some noticeable errors, I enjoyed this book a lot.

Congratulations to Ryan Field on such an enjoyable book! For more books by the author, click HERE.