Three Book Reviews: Sunken Park, The Dark Priesthood: The Confessions of Malevolence, and The Selkie Secret

A couple Sundays ago, I recommended two books from my bookshelf: Sara Brooke's Sunken Park and Sai Marie Johnson's The Selkie Secret.
Having interviewed the two women in question and did a cover reveal for Sunken Park prior to its release, I decided the next course of action would be to review the books. So here goes. The reviews for Sunken Park by Sarah Brooke, and The Selkie Secret and The Dart Priesthood by Sai Marie Johnson. :)






Sunken Park is the latest effort by Horror Author, Sarah Brooke and let me tell you, as short as it is, it takes you for a ride.
In the beginning, we meet a group of four college students (Brett, Carrie, Anita, and Roy) out on a road trip but at a bit of loss when it comes to their final destination. The come across an old but appealing looking brochure for Sunken Park, a retreat deep in the wilderness. It looks like a cheap and peaceful good time, so the four decide to take a chance.
Upon their arrival, odd things begin to happen almost immediately, and the four quickly find themselves in a fight for their lives.

I will say that for a short novel, Sunken Park really gives you one hell of a ride, and it was one of those stories where at the end of each chapter, I was left wanting to know what happens next ("just one more chapter..."). Without giving too much away, this story is full of spooks and unexpected twists and is easily a five star rating for me. There were a couple grammar issues (hey, I edit books so I can't help noticing stuff like that), however, the story itself was so intriguing and the characters so well-illustrated that it actually doesn't really hurt the reading experience (at least in my opinion). Plus, those issues were very few and far between, and sometimes even with the best editors small things can slip through the cracks.

I did say once that Kransen House was so far my favorite Sara Brooke effort, and so far I think that is still true. However, Sunken Park follows at a very close second.

If you are looking for a relatively quick, fast-paced, and page-turning read (and are a fan of books like Stephen King's IT and The Shining), definitely pick up Sunken Park.




Next on the list is Sai Marie Johnson's The Selkie Secret (A Vanna MacAllister Adventure). Sai Marie Johnson is one of those writers who has a very unique way with weaving words together to tell a story. I was drawn to The Selkie Secret mainly because I am deeply intrigued by pretty much anything nautical and ocean mythology.
The story tells of a young girl named Vanna MacAllister, the daughter of two Scottish immigrants an a rather unusual family tree which pretty much turns her life and plans for the future upside down.

The Selkie Secret is a short read but does pack a good story (I believe it is the first in a series). The characters and story-line kept me interested, and while the ending is a little bit of a cliff-hanger (it is not without tragedy), there is still a sense of completeness to at least this particular part of the story. Overall, it left me wanting there to be another book. :)

 This book is a nice one to read if you are looking to escape from the real world for a little bit. There is sweetness and alot of heart to it, and I do hope she releases a follow up soon. :)







The Dark Priesthood: The Confessions of Malevolence was my introduction to Sai Marie Johnson's works. Now this one falls more into the Paranormal/Erotica genres (I would liken it to maybe Anne Rice's Sleeping Beauty Trilogy or Poppy Z. Brite). It tells the story of a young girl in 18th Century New Orleans who, one night, has a rather unwelcomed (or maybe welcomed, however you want to see it:) ) visitor. She finds herself placed in position of queen in the Malevolent Order and 200 years later, she finds herself being under threat of being overthrown by her sister and her son (of course, all in the midst of some very intense extracirriculars...it is erotica, after all).

As far as this one goes, I started to enjoy this alot more once I passed the beginning. Not that the beginning wasn't enjoyable, but (and this is just a personal thing, you can take it or leave it) I would have liked to have seen a little more of a build up to Deviaun's 'change' and maybe get to know who she was a bit more before her transformation. Other than that, I found the story to be an enjoyable read, especially if you enjoy Paranormal Gothic Erotica. Ms. Johnson creates some really cool and interesting characters, each with a name that defines their personality, gifts, and place in the Order. She also doesn't hold back during the erotic scenes either.

This one is also the first in the series, and if you are looking for something more off the beaten path that is of the more dark, erotic nature, I'd say pick this one up. :)

Check out my recent interviews with Sara Brooke and Sai Marie Johnson if you haven't yet.

Also, check out Sunken Park on Smashwords and Amazon

The Selkie Secret on Smashwords and Amazon

The Dark Priesthood: The Confessions of Malevolence on Smashwords and Amazon




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My stories, "The Cemetery by the Lake" and "Dusk to Dawn" are available at Smashwords and Barnes & Noble NOOK. More retailers will follow, but Smashwords is pretty compatible with most e-reader and PC formats.
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