CONTEST! Win an ARC of THREADING THE NEEDLE!

Review Contest!

My next novel, THREADING THE NEEDLE, will be released on July 5th, but I’ve designed the following contest so that the lucky winners will get an ARC (Advanced Reader’s Copy) of the novel in JUNE! Nearly a full month early! That way, a few of you can enjoy it before the rest of the world. (And hopefully help spread the word about it when it does hit the shelves at local bookstores.)

So, what do you have to do in order to have a chance at one of the ARCs? Simple: Just write a review of SHATTERING THE LEY, the first book in the series, and post it on Amazon.com. It doesn’t have to be a complicated review, just let everyone know what you thought of the first book. A few sentences, that’s it (whatever the minimum requirements are for posting a review on Amazon.com). I’d like to get the reviews on Amazon.com up as high as possible (50 would be a good number) and this is one way for all of you to help, with a chance at an ARC as well.

Official Rules for Entry: Post a review on Amazon.com. Then send an email to jpalmatier@sff.net with a copy of the review in the message along with your name. That will get your name in the drawing for the ARCs to be sent out in June. If you’ve already posted a review, don’t fret, you can simply send me an email with a copy of the review and that will count as your entry. So only one review/entry per person. I’ll send everyone who emails their review entry a response, so everyone will know that they’re in the drawing. Deadline for posting a review and sending me an email is June 10th, 2016. I will not count any emails that arrive after midnight EST on June 10th, 2016. [Extended due to the email sent out by DAW on May 31st.]

So, get out there and post that review! Then send me an email with a copy of it, and you’re in the running for an ARC of THREADING THE NEEDLE! Good luck!





Threading the Needle Back Cover Copy:

The Nexus—the hub created by the Prime Wielders to harness the magical power of the ley lines for the city of Erenthrall, the Baronial Plains, and the world beyond—has Shattered, the resultant pulse cascading through the system and leaving Erenthrall decimated, partially encased in a massive distortion. The world has fared no better: auroral storms plague the land, transforming people into creatures beyond nightmare; silver-white lights hover over all of the major cities, the harbinger of distortions that could quicken at any moment; and quakes brought on by the unstable ley network threaten to tear the earth apart. The survivors of this apocalypse have banded together in desperate groups, both in the remains of Erenthall and without, scrounging for food and resources in an ever more dangerous world.

Having survived the initial Shattering, Wielder Kara Tremain and ex-Dog Allan Garrett have led their small group of refugees to the Hollow, a safe haven in the hills on the edge of the plains. But the ley system is not healing itself. Their only option is to repair the distortion that engulfs Erenthrall and to fix the damaged ley lines themselves. To do that, they’ll have to enter a city controlled by vicious bands of humans and non-humans alike, intent on keeping what little they’ve managed to scavenge together.

But as soon as they enter the streets of Erenthrall, they find themselves caught up in the maelstrom of violence, deception, and betrayal that the city has descended into—including the emergence of a mysterious and powerful cult calling themselves the White Cloaks, whose leader is called Father . . .

The same man who once led the terrorist group called the Kormanley and brought about the Shattering that destroyed the world.

Book Review: "The Sagittarius Command" by R.M. Meluch

The Sagittarius Command is the third book in the Tour of the Merrimack sci-fi series from R.M. Meluch. This series is much more Star Trek-ish than hardcover sci-fi, but I've enjoyed the books in the series so far.





Premise: In this book, the Roman leader Caesar Magnus is assassinated during an ceremony in honor of the Merrimack's captain Farragut. In order to keep the tenuous peace between the Roman Empire, Farragut must travel deep into Hive territory to not only find out who ordered and orchestrated Magnus' death, but also to find out how the Hive has managed to locate and attack numerous Roman worlds, even though there are ships on watch, waiting for the Hive to approach. And throughout it all, the tensions between Farragut's crew and the Roman allies-once-enemies they are forced to work with continue to rise.

Again, this series is very Star Trek in nature, which is fine by me, since I love Star Trek. It's the reason I keep reading. And this book is much more focused in terms of plot than the last one, with the usual mystery inherent in most Star Trek plots. How is the Hive getting past the ships posted as guards and attacking the Roman planets, leaving some of them destroyed? And then there's the question of who assassinated the Roman Caesar, of course. The characters are their usual colorful selves in this one, with some advancement of some of the interpersonal plots set up in previous books, which is always nice.

Overall, this is a great addition to the series, with a much clearer, sharper plot than the past two books, although that could just be that I've settled into the characters now. (Much like a Star Trek series doesn't get good until the characters settle into their roles.) Definitely a series I'd suggest everyone check out.

Book Review: "Twelve Kings in Sharakhai" by Bradley P. Beaulieu

Twelve Kinds in Sharakhai is Bradley P. Beaulieu's first novel with DAW Books and the start of a new and interesting series. I'm looking forward to seeing where he takes this.





Premise: Ceda lives in Sharakhai, a city in the middle of the desert that's ruled by twelve Kings who made a pact with the gods centuries earlier in order to survive. But their rule is tyrannical, the populace kept in line by the Blade Maidens and the Silver Spears. The Kings killed Ceda's mother when she was a child and she's vowed revenge. Using the clues left to her by her mother, she hopes to complete what her mother started and bring the Kings down, one by one. But the clues are frustrating and difficult to unravel, and the Kings near impossible to get close to, protected by the Maidens. The only way to reach them may be for Ceda to become a Blade Maiden herself.

This is a great start to a fantasy epic, with all of the details that will make for a compelling story. Probably the books' strongest suit is the worldbuilding and the world itself, which is full of life, provides a unique setting, and has a compelling history. Ships that sail on the sands and the creatures that haunt the thorny forest that surrounds the city are but a few of the interesting elements that bring Sharakhai to life. The reader will want to unravel the mysteries Ceda is presented with along with her. The two main characters--Ceda and Emre--are likeable and draw you into their own personal stories, with flashbacks that show you their backstories and how their lives became so intertwined.

My only complaint is that there are obviously many more books to come in the series (at no point does the author try to hide this fact, so it's not a surprise) so only one main plot thread has been finished by the end of the book, leaving many other threads hanging. It's obvious that Emre's story has just begun, for example. But the ending is still satisfying, while still leaving the reader wanting more.

Overall, a great start to what I hope is a spectacular series. I'm interested in exploring this world further, and following Ceda and Emre on whatever paths destiny sends them.