Reality bending, steam-punk cowboys, cross-dimensional beings and alternate worlds, who knew they could find all of those things in one novel? Any one of these would be interesting, on their own, put them all together and you get a tale that spans worlds, an epic in the tradition of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series.

The Whirlwind in the Thorn Tree introduces us to the world of Destin, a world outside our own, where magic is commonplace and gunslingers roam. A world filled with gigantic sea-monsters, mages and demons. The Silen can pass between our two worlds at will and work to mold both worlds into what they want. 

After his father’s funeral, Ross Brigham meets with his friend Sawyer to try and make since of his father’s untimely death. E. R. Brigham, acclaimed novelist, killed before he can finish the last book in his epic fantasy series, left behind boxes of personal notes on the series in hopes that someone will finish it. When Ross and Sawyer come across the pages, they begin a journey that will lead to a battle to save not only Destin, but our own world as well.

I was skeptical when I read the “in the spirit of the Dark Tower” label, but after finishing the book I couldn’t agree with it more. Many authors have tried to copy the success of King’s tales of Mid-World, but few have actually succeeded. Hunt does a phenomenal job building the world, revealing it a little at a time, allowing the us to learn about the world along with the characters.

There were a few times I had to stop and re-read a passage because I thought I’d missed something, however, these times were few and far between and didn’t take anything away from the story. The ride was fun, another thing that pays homage to the Dark Tower, “the joy is in the journey, not in the destination.” After all, The Whirlwind is only the beginning of the story of The Outlaw King.

I highly recommend this book, it’s the start of a ride you won’t regret taking.

S. A. (Sam) Hunt is a U.S. Veteran, who says his stories might be labeled as "fantasy" and "horror," but he just uses them as backdrops. He says his stories are focused on the human condition and what makes a character truly human, which, he says, transcends the boundaries of genre.

Whirlwind is Hunt's first novel. The sequel, Law of the Wolf, can be found on Amazon, but is also now packaged with Whirlwind in anticipation of the release of the third book, Ten Thousand Devils. 

You can find more information about the author at his webpage and be sure to follow him on Facebook and Twitter!

Oh, you had a tough day at the office? Try killing Superheroes for a living.

Meet Leo Craft, superhero assassin extraordinaire. Leo specializes in taking out the elite heroes that everyone else on the planet love and adore. Why, do you ask? Because they deserve it that’s why.

Some heroes do indeed, where masks. Some lie, cheat, and steal and these are the heroes that Leo is paid to eliminate.

His latest job, however, has taken a toll for the worse and now he is under the gun. Killing the world’s most beloved hero has painted a bull’s eye on Leo's back and If he doesn’t uncover the truth about who set him up, and why, the entire system could come crashing down around him.

Ernie Lindsey’s Super is truly a one-of-a-kind thriller. I got a hold of an ARC (Advance Review Copy) almost by accident and couldn’t put it down.

Originally, I was attracted to the book by the cover. This thing is amazing. Shout out to Adam Hall of Atom Creative www.atomcreative.net, this is one of the coolest covers I’ve seen and I really hope we get to see more of his work. I sent Ernie a message telling him I liked the cover and that I do author interviews and asked if he’d like to do one.  He was on board immediately, and graciously sent me a copy of the book to read. My chat with Ernie is over on my Author Interviews tab; good times had by all.

Now, I do a lot of reading, and over the past several months, I have read my share of good, not-so-good, and horrible books. Super is flat out…super. Okay, fine, cheesy…blah, blah, blah, it was fraking fantastic. From the opening page, I was hooked.

A lot of novels grab you from the first line, get you interested, then kind of just leave you hanging until something interesting happens. Super grabs you with every chapter. Every time I finished one, I felt compelled to read the next. The snarky and witty protagonist makes every page fun to read. I can’t count the number of times I laughed aloud while reading this book.

Super is a fine example of how books can keep you on the edge of your seat. There are a lot of “suspense thrillers” out there, but a lot of their “suspense” feels forced. Books where every time a big secret is about to be revealed a pack of wild dogs jump in through the skylight and blast away with collar mounted laser guns. Whatever, it could happen. Super feels natural and flows very well.

When the big “and-the-plot-thickens” twist happens, I literally had to put the book down and walk away. Mind blown. After making several laps around the living room and high-fiving myself several times, I came back and frantically continued reading.

Long story, longer, you need to read this book. 

Super was an absolute pleasure to read and after talking with Ernie over the last couple of weeks it’s no surprise why. He is personable and I could see where Leo got his sarcasm. 

Super is available for pre-order now on Amazon.com and is set to release on June 17th. Go and grab it, read it, and leave a review on Amazon or Goodreads. Reviews are the lifeblood to all Indie Authors, it doesn’t have to be anything spectacular or insightful (like mine are) just a word about whether you liked the book and a rating does wonders for the authors. 

Be sure to check out my interview with Ernie in my Author Interview tab, along with the rest of the Indie authors and their books I’ve featured.

End of the world fiction has always been some of my favorite reading. Why? Because there are so many ways to kill everyone. Just kidding…but seriously, there is. With Deep Breath Hold Tight, Jason gives us not one, but several different glimpses into his imagination. His stories that are both gruesome and heart wrenching at the same time. If you like end of the world fiction, Jason Gurley is one of the best!

Wolfskin, gives us a very unique take on end of the times savages. If you’ve ever thought about converting to cannibalism read this first. Who would have thought that I would be sympathizing with a band of marauding cannibals?

The Last Rail Rider gives us a peek at the end of the world through the eyes of the man who would not be the last. Don’t ask me, just read it!

I won’t give away anything more, because all of these stories are amazing and need to be experienced firsthand. I will tell you that when I read The Dark Age I couldn’t read anything for several days, it left me stunned and made me realize how much I take for granted.

Deep Breath Hold tight is a must have for any collection and is available today on Amazon. Go grab a copy and settle in for some truly mind-blowing reads.

Be sure to check out my interview with Jason over on my blog and show your support by visiting his website and Facebook Page.

As always, you can hop over to My Bookshelf to pick this book and many others on Amazon.com and please check out my Writer’s Blog and join in the conversation.

What would you do if you woke up and the last six years of your life were gone? Who could you turn to? Who would you trust?

Elsabetha Ellery doesn’t know who to trust, who her enemies are and more importantly, who her friends are. Six years are gone from her life, no one seems to know why, and those who do know are keeping it a secret. Lone survivor of a tragic accident, Elsabetha struggles to put the pieces of her past together and soon discovers her friends and even family know more than they are telling.

Two friends, Alexander and Jenna, are trying to help her remember, while mysterious forces are trying to keep her, and everyone else, from the truth. As Elsabetha searches for answers, she soon discovers that the people in her life are not who they seem, and the truth is much more devastating than she ever imagined.

Made to Forget, Samantha LaFantasie’s sophomore title, is set hundreds of years in the future, where the mysterious Nepherium fight to protect mankind from the an evil that many believe no longer exists. This fast paced mystery is LaFantasie’s first foray into the science fiction genre, and as an avid sci-fi reader, I have to say that she has done a damn fine job. The plot moves along swiftly and gives the reader just enough to keep them involved while not revealing too much, keeping the suspense and intrigue in high gear.

LaFantasie does a great job of capturing the emotional roller coaster that Elsabetha is forced to ride while trying to remember her past. My only complaint is that a few of the subplots that seemed integral to the plot were not ever fully developed. That being said; this was created as a novella series and as such, works fine as the first part.

The sequel “Echoes of Memories” is set to be released in late July 2014 and I’m looking forward to seeing what these new memories have in store for Elsabetha and her team.

Samantha is a Kansas native, who spends her free time her spouse and three children. Her debut novel Heart Song garnered several Five star reviews on Amazon is available in multiple formats.

Be sure to check out her website: www.samanthalafantasie.com and her Facebook page: Samantha LaFantasie Fantasy Writer. She is also on Twitter and Goodreads.

As always, you can hop over to My Bookshelf to pick up this book and many others on Amazon.com. Please check out my Writer's Blog and join in the conversation!