novel publicity

Thicker than water: The House of Order by John Paul Jaramillo

I like short stories, especially the ones that don’t really follow a certain formula or end with a sound resolution because these are the ones that can make you think and speculate about the story or the characters. Good short stories leave me dwelling on them long after I’ve read them. Most of the stories in The House of Order are no exception.

The House of Order, the first collection of composite stories by John Paul Jaramillo, presents a stark vision of American childhood and family, set in Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico. Manito Ortiz sorts family truth from legend as broken as the steel industry and the rusting vehicles that line Spruce Street. The only access to his lost family’s story is his uncle, the unreliable Neto Ortiz.

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High School Life, Oh High School Life: Sykosa by Justin Ordonez

About the book
YA fiction for the 18+ crowd. Sykosa is a sixteen-year-old girl trying to reclaim her identity after an act of violence shatters her life and the lives of her friends. Set at her best friend Niko’s cottage, for what will be a weekend of unsupervised badness, Sykosa will have to finally confront the major players and issues from this event, as well as decide if she wants to lose her virginity to Tom, her first boyfriend, and the boy who saved her from danger.

I think this is the first YA book I’ve read that has very mature content.  I normally steer clear from books that talk about really serious stuff unless the cover or blurb were interesting enough to reel me in.  Also, when it comes to YA fiction, I tend to go for the adventure or fantasy genre because I prefer the fast-paced, light and easy reading of these books.  I decided to read Sykosa because I figured I have to review “serious” books once in a while. YES, this is still all about my reading/writing goals. It’s all about me, me, me.  HAH.  I sound like I’m in high school.  Like Sykosa.  No, not really.

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Crime and Magic: The Day of First Sun by Sheryl Steines

Remember the world of Harry Potter? You know, the world of magic, wizards, muggles, wizard government, flying broomsticks, good and evil? Of course you do!

If you miss ‘ole Harry’s world and have already read your HP books to pieces, here’s an easy alternative, The Day of First Sun. It has all those fun things, too. This book feels like it was set in Harry Potter’s world, only it isn’t about Harry or any of his friends or any of the other characters we know. Obviously it’s about other people, wizards and non-magical folks alike, and non-human creatures, too. Oh, and it’s set in the U.S. not the U.K. so some of yous can give those British accents in your head a rest.  Well, you know, if you want.

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Gruesome Science: Generation by William Knight

About the book

A crime-thriller with an injection of horror

Journalist Hendrix “Aitch” Harrison links bodies stolen from a renowned forensic research lab to an influential drug company.

Aided by Dr. Sarah Wallace, a determined and beguiling entomologist, he delves into grisly world of clinical trials and a viral treatment beyond imagining.

But Aitch must battle more than his fear of technology to expose the macabre fate of the drugged victims donated to scientific research.

When I first heard about the book, I was a little hesitant about doing a review. I read the blurb, took one look at the muy creepy cover, and thought, “Oh man, zombies.” The blurb also mentioned words like sci-fi, crime and thriller, and I haven’t read a single crime thriller in a long time, so I wasn’t exactly in the mood for one. However, I decided to suck it up and give it a go as part of my personal reading and writing goals. WELL, I’m glad that I went ahead with it because it turned out to be even more interesting than I thought. Yes, it has sci-fi, crime, horror, and a little bit about the walking dead, and it was all gewd.

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