Book Review: Your Honest Deceit, Vol 2 by Sakufu Ajimine

 

Your Honest Deceit, Vol 2        

Author: Sakufu Ajimine

Publisher: DramaQueen LLC

American release date: April 1, 2000

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Yaoi/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★

 

Just when Kuze thinks he can relax because he has Kitahara all for himself, another rival rears his ugly head!  Tsutsumi is a former classmate who invites Kitahara out, gets him drunk and takes him back to his hotel room. When Kuze calls to see where he is, Tsutsumi gives the appearance that something is going on, to Kuze’s intense dismay. When he does get home, Kitahara explains that Tsutsumi was only teasing, but Kuze doesn’t quite see it that way.  Things go from bad to worse when Tsutsumi decides to drop in to the law office because he just has to see what Kuze looks like. And then he drops a hint of something about Kuze’s father! Will this be the straw that breaks the camel’s back?

In a side story, Kurosawa is faced with a dilemma when a client dumps a cat at the office and won’t come back to claim it. Someone has to take it in, but that’s not in Kurosawa’s  temperament to do so… or is it?

In another side story, a young man shows up at the law office demanding to see Kitahara. When he does, he disdainfully calls him a bear, which provokes Kuze to anger while Kitahara is dumbfounded.  After he leaves, Kitahara calls Tsutsumi to substantiate the young man’s claim. Turns out to be true – Yuki is Tsutsumi’s nephew. And he came to face Kitahara because he is jealous of his uncle’s interest in him. Turns out he has a crush on his uncle!

The last side story is The Covetous Man. Naoto and his older brother Niichan are very close. While most people despise their siblings hand-me-downs, Naoto lovesto have things that belonged to Niichan. He becaomes interested in anything that Niichan expresses an interest in, including his girlfriends. Niichan would laugh and say Naoto could have whatever it was. But then comes something that Naoto cannot find an interest in, or rather someone – Akihiro! After expressing his hatred of Akihiro to Niichan, he is shocked to learn that his brother dumped the other boy! Akihiro approaches Naoto and wants to know why he hates him. Can Naoto remedy the situation, and will he want to?

I love Kuze and Kitihara as a couple but after a while the constant vying with other men because they are going after Kitihara gets old. I would rather see them in other situations, including more work situations. Maybe even the courtroom. I know the series is over, but one can dream, right? As for the side stories, they’re okay. Kurosawa’s story is cute. Be aware of the uncle/nephew dynamic in that one, if incest bothers you, you should probably skip it. The brothers’ story is okay too. I would have liked more Kuze and Kitihara, though. All in all, a worthwhile read.

 

 

Virtual Book Tour: Our Lives in Between by Billie Kowalewski

 Good morning everyone!  Please welcome author Billie Kowalewski to Full Moon Dreaming! She is here to talk about her new book, Our Lives in Between. Billie will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on her tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

 

OUR LIVES IN BETWEEN

by Billie Kowalewski

 

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GENRE:  Young Adult Fantasy

 

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BLURB:

 

It had been five years since the accident that derailed Veronica’s life, which left her suffering from a strange flu-like illness ever since. Thanks to a barrier set in her mind at birth, she can’t remember her name is Harmony and that this is not her real life. She has no memory of the many lives she had lived before this one and how several of those lives had been cut short. How she must uncover the reason why those lives had ended so early, and how this moment may hold the key, or she risks losing herself and Earth forever.

 

As Harmony, she wants to uncover the reason why her lives keep ending so soon. As Veronica, she wonders how much longer she has to live like this? What could possibly be left for her? Little did she know, she was about to get her answers...

 

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EXCERPT:

 

The next few lives on Earth were more of the same thing. Kaleb and I would concentrate on finding each other before we would leave here. Then, after some years would pass on Earth, we would. Not once did we miss. Every first greeting was basically the same. The second we would get close enough to each other down there, that’s when the acrobatics would start. We would slam right into each other, bump our heads together, tripping and flipping over one another every single time. Always somehow causing one of us—mainly me—if not both of us, to die.

 

No matter how far apart they placed us on Earth, Kaleb and I would find each other. It was my guess that using my theory made us like magnets—accident magnets, as Gwen so kindly put it. We were hurdling toward each other like comets at light speed, coming at each other so fast that we were literally crashing into each other. We gave a new meaning to the phrase “bumping into each other” because we actually were.

 

It’s a unique feeling, being on this end of this odd little situation. I had been shoved out a second-story window, and then was lucky enough to snap my neck and be trampled by a horse I had spooked once when I hit the ground. In the next life, I was rolled onto a very highly active beehive and then stung to death (no, I am not kidding). Then, imagine the surprise I felt in the life after that one, when a certain someone was running with a wallet he had stolen, and then shoved us both off a train platform into the path of an oncoming train. I still don’t know if that person ever got their wallet back.

 

I am sure all of this must seem rather disturbing from where you are sitting. I know I would certainly feel that way if I were reading this from where you are. It’s quite an interesting perspective for me, being here, right now, knowing all that I do, versus being on Earth and having the limited knowledge that we were allowed. It really turns things around and sheds a different light on it—don’t you think?

 

With the knowledge of home blocked from our memory, life and death can seem so absolute from the human perspective. Death seems final, bringing with it fear of the unknown, and such anguish to the ones that are left behind.

 

You know what they say: hindsight is always 20/20. Imagine what Earth would be like if this knowledge weren’t blocked from our memory. It would certainly change the way we view our lives while we are there. Naturally, if some were armed with this knowledge, they would be much more adventurous, never taking their life seriously enough to truly learn anything. Life on Earth would take on less meaning. Then again, perhaps knowing our lives do go on would help some to live their life with less fear and appreciate their time there. Maybe they would strive to be better because they know. Isn’t having a little knowledge better than no knowledge at all? Something is better than nothing, isn’t it? To be able to utilize this knowledge might help propel us forward and help us gain a sense of purpose. If only there were a way to leak some of this knowledge somehow…

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Billie Kowalewski grew up in a small town along the Connecticut shoreline. She’s always had a wild imagination and spent her childhood dreaming up stories. This would often lead her to the library or whatever bookstore where she would be combing the shelves for books that closely resembled what was in her head at the time. A lot of the time she would come close and would be satisfied with what she found. However, there was always this one story she could never find. It was in 2010 that she decided to write it herself. In whatever spare time she has left, she enjoys listening to pretty much anything that rocks, like 80's hair bands, metal, etc. She also has a gift for finding the strangest movies and shows ever (according to her children) and loves spending time with her family.

 

Links to Our Lives In Between:

iTunes: http://books.apple.com/us/book/id1212458275

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/our-lives-in-between

B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1143953733?ean=9781535604505

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=WMrREAAAQBAJ

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CG3PFJKD

 

My Socials:

https://www.billiekowalewski.com

https://www.instagram.com/kowalewskibillie

https://www.youtube.com/@billiekowalewski9288

https://www.facebook.com/authorbilliek

https://www.facebook.com/enlightenedbookofficialpage

https://www.twitter.com/enlightened31

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/billie-kowalewski

https://www.goodreads.com/harmony31

https://www.tiktok.com/@billiekowalewski3

 

Buy the book for only $0.99 on Amazon.

 

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If you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be?

It’s a toss up between being able to read minds or to see into the future. Either one would be intriguing.

What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?

That I am quite handy. I love fixing things at home and then whatever it is working well afterwards. It’s a great feeling.

When writing descriptions of your hero/ine, what feature do you start with?

Whatever first comes to mind. Usually, it tends to be hair and eyes. I think color is the easiest thing to see in my imagination.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Pantser! I have no plan ever! This often goes for life as well.

Did you learn anything  from writing this book? If so, what?

I learned that I am quite good at that job. Let’s see how well I do marketing it. that is the hardest part.

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Wednesday Briefs: Dracula #17 (4.6)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

Well, this night is not going well. Dracula's paramour is dead and so is her husband, though not by the same hand. Now he and Avram have to hide before the villagers catch up to them. What are they to do? See what's going on  in this week's chapter of Dracula. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's up with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Dracula #17 (4.6)

Avram shot Dracula a look that clearly warned him not to argue. The vampire managed to hold his tongue, although he was clearly disgruntled at having to do so.

You’ll get over it.

“I have to make arrangements to get you both away from here,” Gunther continued, “but I’ll need a little time. In the meantime—”

“Time is what we don’t have,” Dracula snapped. So much for good intentions. “Did you not hear what I just said? Villagers with torches are headed in this direction. Unless you want to see a bloodbath in your precious church, it is imperative that we leave here immediately.”

Gunther took a deep breath before responding. “There is no need for the threat of violence, Count Dracula. Might I remind you that we are in a holy place—”

“I am very well aware of that, priest, and I have been coming to this so-called sacred place of yours for far longer than you have walked on this earth. Longer than anyone else in this village.” The vampire drew himself up to his full height, his fists balled by his side, as if he intended to strike. Despite his outward ferocity, Avram realized that was just a façade to cover his inner turmoil. He could tell that the woman’s death had affected him more than he cared to admit. Despite having seen many deaths during his lifetime, he was not the hardened warrior his ancestor had been. Avram had known Nico far too long to be fooled by his affectations in front of others. But he was also revealing secrets he should not reveal to anyone. Did he not understand the meaning of discretion?

“We do not have time for this. Nico, please.” He placed a firm hand upon Dracula’s sleeve. He could feel the tension in the arm beneath the white silk of his expensive shirt. Not that he really expected him to attack Gunther. His words were meant as much to reassure the priest as to deter the vampire. “In the meantime, what?” That question was aimed at Gunther.

“There is no other recourse,” Gunther continued, as though Dracula had not spoken. “It’s dangerous for you to leave the church, and you can’t afford to be caught here either. You have to hide, at least for now. Obviously, returning to the castle is not an option.”

“Obviously,” Dracula seemed about to begin another rant, but he subsided when Avram applied subtle pressure to the arm he still held. Gentle but firm.

“But where can we hide?” Avram asked Gunther.

“Come, I will show you.” He beckoned them to follow as he hurried in the direction of the altar. “And bring that trunk. Unless you don’t care if it’s found.”

“Wait a moment.” Avram forestalled the complaint the vampire was no doubt about to voice, holding him in place where he stood. He stared into Dracula’s hazel eyes intently, wondering if Shakespeare was correct when he claimed that the eyes were the window to the soul.  If so, Nico’s did not seem as impure as others would choose to think. “You don’t have to do this, you know. As fast as you are, you can evade the villagers quite easily if you leave here alone. There’s no need for you to be burdened by me, I’ll only slow you down. You should get away, Nico. Go quickly and I will follow you as soon as possible. We can arrange—”

Dracula was shaking his head before Avram had even finished speaking. “No, no, no. I will not have that. You think you are so clever but your so-called solution is out of the question. We will leave together or not at all. Do you think I am so weak as that? Come, let us see what this priest of yours thinks he can do for us.”

“And yes, first the trunk,” he added before Avram could remind him. He couldn’t help but smile behind Nico’s back but hid it quickly on his return with the item in question.

Confident that Dracula would now follow without argument, he led him past the pew where the blacksmith’s wife lay, past the altar, to the spot where Gunther stood waiting.  Dracula gave no indication that he’d noticed his coat no longer covered the dead woman, or that Avram now carried the garment.  Avram wasn’t sure if that was due to indifference or distraction. He hoped it was the latter.

The church lay in almost total darkness. The only light came from a few candles grouped about the altar that someone had lit, and what moonlight that was filtered through the stained-glass windows. The flames flickered eerily, but   Avram wasn’t bothered by the almost ghostly shadows they cast. He didn’t find the darkness unnerving, as many of the villagers did. Residing as he did with Dracula, he’d become accustomed to living mostly during the hours of the night.

“Where is this hiding place, priest?” Dracula’s patience seemed to be reaching an end.

In response. Gunther pressed on the floor with one foot. At first, nothing happened. Then Avram watched in amazement as the floor began to move back, revealing an opening just beneath. He gestured toward it. “There is the hiding place, Count.”

Avram had a feeling this revelation would not go over well with Nico, and it didn’t. Something about the blackness beneath their foot bore too strong a resemblance to a tomb, and he knew that was something the vampire could not abide.

“You expect us to… to scurry underground, like rats?” His indignation was rising steadily. “And then what, you seal us up, perhaps forever? What if you die, what then? We are unable to exit your tomb. I—”

He stopped abruptly, listening. Now Avram heard it too. Angry voices. Many of them.

No choice now. It was either descend into the earth or face the villagers. Into the darkness they went.

 to be continued

Now see what the other Briefers are up to!

Cia Nordwell

J Ray Lamb

 

 

Saturday is Horror Day #167 - The Elevator Game, The Toolbox Murders (1978)

 The Elevator Game

A young girl disappears after she attempts to play an internet game known as The Elevator Game.  Her brother vows to find her, refusing to give up, even if it appears that the police and his own parents have done just done. A group of high school graduates have an internet series that explores and debunks various urban myths and legends. But the series isn't doing well, and the sponsor is breathing down their neck. They bring on an intern, Ryan (Gino Anania) but he doesn't exactly receive a warm welcome, especially from the host of the series, Kris (Alex (Carlos).

The sponsor demands they upload something the next day, so Kevin (Liam Stewart-Kanigan) asks for ideas. Ryan suggests the Elevator Game, since it doesn't require a budget, and the building where it originally took place is nearby. Kris is skeptical, but there are no better ideas, so off they go.

There is a set of rules that must be followed, after which they will supposedly see the "Fifth Floor Woman". But if the rules are not followed exactly, she will tear you apart. So they enter the building and begin their quest to find this woman, and see the supposed Red World she comes from. But nothing happens, and half their footage is lost through a technicality, so they decide to call it a night. But the night is actually just beginning...

I thought this wasn't a half-bad horror movie, and I thought it was worth watching. Granted, there is no explanation of the Red World, and the Fifth Floor Woman, but perhaps a sequel is in the works that will be more forthcoming. That being said, it's far from perfect, although the actors did a good job. My biggest complain is that the actor playing Kris was too over the top, and not in a good way. And judging by what I saw of their web series, I would never watch it. But then again, it's not real. I think you'll enjoy it, for the most part. I'll give this film 3 Stars.

The Toolbox Murders (1978)

Terror abounds in an apartment complex when a masked man with a toolbox murders women with his tools.

To put it bluntly, this was one terrible movie, which is why I didn't even finish it, and it's only an hour and a half long. Cameron Mitchell plays the apartment manager, who is not happy about the murders and is baffled at how someone is securing entrance. He played brother Buck on the High Chaparral.  Tim Donnelly plays a detective on the case. You might remember him as Chet from Emergency. Pamelyn Ferdin plays a teenage who is abducted, and her brother, played by Wesley Eure is more worried about her than their mother, played by Aneta Corsaut, who played Andy' girlfriend Helen in the Andy Griffith Show. Pamelyn was a child actress with a number of credits.

That being said, the acting was horrible., for the most part, and the writing atrocious. Directing was bad. I realize this was the 70s and films weren't quite as graphic as they are not, but even so, this as badly done and had horrible timing. The beginning of the film is just a gorefest. From what I read, the rest was a snooze fest. I happen to like Cameron Mitchell, so I'm sorry he felt he had to do this. If you want to see him in something scary, watch his episode of Night Gallery called Green Fingers, along with Elsa Lanchester.

My advice it to avoid this film entirely.

Virtual Book Tour: The Dark Court by Vyvyan Evans

 Good morning, everyone! Please welcome author Vyvyan Evans to Full Moon Dreaming today! He is here to talk to us about his new release,  The Dark Court. Vyvyan will be awarding a paperback copies of both book 1 and book 2 of the series to a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour.  The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on his tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

 

THE DARK COURT

Vyvyan Evans

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GENRE:  Science Fiction

 

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BLURB:

 

A genre-blending dystopian, sci-fi mystery-thriller that will make you think about communication in a whole new way.

 

Five years after the Great Language Outage, lang-laws have been repealed, but world affairs have only gotten worse. The new automation agenda has resulted in a social caste system based on IQ. Manual employment is a thing of the past, and the lowest soc-ed class, the Unskills, are forced into permanent unemployment.

 

In a world on the brink of civil war, a deadly insomnia pandemic threatens to kill billions. Lilith King, Interpol’s most celebrated detective, is assigned to the case.

 

Together with a sleep specialist, Dr. Kace Westwood, Lilith must figure out who or what is behind this new threat. Could the pandemic be the result of the upskilling vagus chips being offered to the lowest soc-ed class? Or are language chips being hacked? And what of the viral conspiracy theories by the mysterious Dark Court, sweeping the globe? Lilith must work every possible angle, and quickly: she is running out of time!

 

While attempting to stop a vast conspiracy on an intergalactic scale, Lilith also faces shocking revelations about her origin, coming to terms with her own destiny.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

EXCERPT:

 

 

The next morning, I awoke in my hotel bed in a black mood, this time stirred up by the vestiges of the same goddamn nightmare. It was the feeling of being sucked backward through churning water. That’s what it felt like in the black dream, the one that imprisoned me, night after night. The Stygian darkness of my backward traveling struck with a petrifying chill. A malfunction of my body’s thermoreceptor system. I imagined death would feel just like that. The only way I could describe it. But no white lights. The blackness wasn’t like ordinary dark. It was the infinite purple blackness of a night completely devoid of stars, a moonless sky. So inky that you were sure you could see floating blotches of tarred nothingness, just like when you closed your eyes.

 

I don’t think Clyde really ever got it, that the sensation of drowning wasn’t just a feeling—in the sense of something imagined, a phantasm, an amygdala hijack. It was the actual feeling of a lived experience, something embodied at a deep level, emotionally rancid, cancerous, growing for twenty years; the feeling of being sucked backward through water in silent blackness. I always had this, these feelings. Intuitive, sensory, primordial. That’s what I did. I knew that’s what made me exceptional. 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Dr. Vyvyan Evans is a native of Chester, England. He holds a PhD in linguistics from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C., and is a Professor of Linguistics. He has published numerous acclaimed popular science and technical books on language and linguistics. His popular science essays and articles have appeared in numerous venues including 'The Guardian', 'Psychology Today', 'New York Post', 'New Scientist', 'Newsweek' and 'The New Republic'. His award-winning writing focuses, in one way or another, on the nature of language and mind, the impact of technology on language, and the future of communication. His science fiction work explores the status of language and digital communication technology as potential weapons of mass destruction.

Book website (including ‘Buy’ links): http://www.songs-of-the-sage.com

Author website: https://www.vyvevans.net/

 

Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@vyvevans

 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/VyvEvans

 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vyvyan.Evans.Author

 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nephilim_publishing/

 

 

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1) You’re marooned on a small island with one person and one item of your choice—who is that person and what item do you have?

I would be marooned with my wife and my PlayStation 5 attached to solar-powered generator.

2) Which musical would you say best exemplifies your life – and which character in that musical are you?

The Lion King would be the stage musical, and my character would Simba.

3) What is your idea of how to spend romantic time with your significant other?

An evening candlelit dinner on a terrace overlooking St. George’s Square, in Valetta, the capital of Malta, being entertained by a troupe of jugglers throwing fire torches, while enjoying the warm Mediterranean breeze.

4) When you start a new story, do you begin with a character, or a plot?

Plot and character are symbiotic: a detective story requires a detective, and a cybercrime thriller, in the case of The Dark Court requires a perpetrator of the crime, and a cybercrime investigator. And while the plot invites the character, as the character develops and is developed, they tend to then take on and drive the story, as their character emerges.

5) Who’s your favorite horror villain and why?

Freddy Krueger. He is the ultimate horror villain, as he can’t be evaded or stopped as he attacks victims in their dreams. And he has a devastating sense of humor, albeit of the macabre kind

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Wednesday Briefs: Dracula #16 (4.5)

 Good morning and Happy Hump Day! If it's Wednesday, then it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We're a group of authors who bring you our finest flash fiction every week, 500 to 1000 words, inspired by one of our prompts.

With little time to lose, Avram sends Dracula to the castle on an errand, leaving him and Gunther to hash out what has happened/is happening. See what's going on in this week's chapter of Dracula. Don't forget to visit the other Briefers and see what's happening with them. Their links follow my tale! Enjoy!

Dracula #16 (4.5)

“Avram, I don’t wish to offend you, but I think there’s something not quite right about that man.”

Avram sighed loudly. This was a common disagreement between them, one he did not wish to revisit at this moment.

We don’t have time for this.

“He may not be perfect, but he’s a better man than you give him credit for. And what of Bogdan? No criticism for him? He killed his wife. His wife. That doesn’t exactly make him a saint, now does it?” When Gunther winced. Avram immediately regretted his words, no matter if they were truthful or not. He understood that as a priest, Gunther tried to see the best in everyone. He himself had no reason to do so.

“You’re right, and I should not be so quick to judge.” Gunther knelt beside the blacksmith’s corpse. “O Lord, grant this, your poor servant, eternal rest, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace. The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” He crossed himself before turning his attention back to Avram.

For the sake of friendship, Avram refrained from remarking that his friend was wasting his time with that one. Sometimes he seemed to be as cynical as Dracula.

Gunther rose to his feet once more, more agile than Avram gave him credit for being considering his fondness for the table. When he straightened his back, Avram could hear his bones crack. The priest approached the body of the blacksmith’s wife and repeated his prayers before he removed Dracula’s coat and handed it to Avram. “I know this is his. I would rather not,” he said simply.

Avram didn’t argue with him, simply draped the blood-stained garment over his arm. His mind went immediately to practicalities, as if to divert his attention from what had happened. He wasn’t sure if he could get the blood out of this, or any other part of Nico’s suit. Not that it would be a great loss if he couldn’t, but he should at least make an effort so he could tell his employer he’d tried. Lemon juice and cold water might suffice, but the alternate method of using a knife would likely damage the fabric, perhaps irrevocably. That was a thought for consideration, as John Locke would say.

“You knew something was going to happen, didn’t you?” The tone wasn’t accusatory. In fact, Avram thought his friend sounded sympathetic. Probably one of the qualities that t helped to make him a good priest, even with his diminished flock.

“I don’t know what you mean,” Avram replied evasively.

“I mean I saw the way you were watching Bogdan tonight. I thought maybe he’d said something to offend you, or perhaps he’d threatened you in some way. But now I realize you were keeping an eye on him. Making sure he didn’t find out what was going on behind his back.”

“Some things are better not known.” Avram shrugged. That was neither a lie nor an admission, but closer to the latter than the former. “To tell the truth, knowing would have made the situation even more dangerous, trust me.”

But you see what happened anyway.

 “Look, it’s not as if I can tell him what to do, you know what I mean? I work for him, not the other way around.”

“You had no difficulty in doing so just now,” Gunther pointed out.

“Sometimes he listens,” Avram said truthfully.

A moment of silence passed between them, broken only by the howl of a distant wolf.  Was Dracula summoning his more hirsute cohorts to perhaps wreak vengeance upon the village?  But no, Avram knew better. This was still Dracula’s home, and he would not deliberately harm these people. Well, not most of them. He couldn’t help but glance toward the body of the blacksmith. This one had clearly asked for what he received.

Avram could feel Gunther’s piercing gaze upon him like a knife cutting through his soul. Was that guilt he was experiencing? And was it for himself or for Dracula?

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to judge.” Gunther scrubbed a weary hand over his face. “It’s been a difficult night. You know I trust you, and I believe you have only done what had to be done. Do you really plan to go to Vienna?”

Avram nodded. “I think that is the best thing we can do. He has friends there who will be happy to help us.” Help Dracula, that is. The woman he was thinking of had no particular love for Jews in general, Avram in particular. But how she did love Dracula. She ruled an entire nation and yet she was so malleable in Nico’s skilled hands. So submissive.  He had to set aside the matter of her dislike for himself for the greater good and for Dracula’s sake. For the duration of their stay, he would keep out of her way as much as possible. Beggers could not be choosers, especially under the circumstances. Luckily for him, her home was beyond large, it was an actual palace. And it had a rather remarkable library.

“How will you get there?”

“That is another question.” A very good question, indeed.

A pounding at the church door sent Avram’s heart hurtling almost literally into his throat. Gunther rose and bolted toward the door, even as Avram wondered how they would explain the two dead bodies. But he returned almost immediately afterward with Dracula. The vampire tossed the trunk unceremoniously on the floor and Avram flinched at the sound. His nerves were clearly getting the better of him.

“I have done as you… requested,” Dracula said. “But I don’t think we should stay. On my return, I noticed torches. I think they were headed in this direction.”

“Did they see you?” Gunther asked.

“Of course not,” the vampire replied disdainfully.

“Good. Then here is what we’re going to do.”

 to be continued

Now go see what's up with the other Briefers!

Cia Nordwell

J Ray Lamb

Julie Lynn Hayes

 

 

 

 

Book Review: Your Honest Deceit, Vol 1 by Sakufu Ajimine

 

Your Honest Deceit, Vol 1        

Author: Sakufu Ajimine

Publisher: DramaQueen LLC

American release date: April 1, 2000

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Yaoi/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

 

While a law student, Kuze crushed on guest lecturer Kitahara. But the man was married, so he saw no future and no reason to attempt anything. Fast forward seven years. Kuze ends up working in Kitahara’s law office. He can’t help but notice the wedding ring is gone. Dare he hope? Kuze grows jealous when a friend from college, Asso, barges in on Kitahara-sensei whenever he wants, even though Asso was the one who introduced Kuze to the office. Another former classmate, Kurosawa, also works at the office, and drops the bombshell that Kitahara is getting back together with his wife. Kuze is beyond crushed! When Kuze blurts out his feelings to Kitahara, the older man has a lot to think about. He invites Kuze to dinner. Is it possible he could feel the same way, even though he’s never been interested in men before?

They begin a relationship, but it has its ups and downs, its misunderstandings, which are exacerbated when someone from Kuze’s past shows up.  Can they be professional at work and steamy at home, or will people suspect they are together?

Yuu had a crush on Konno, who was a teacher when he was in high school. But only for a year. Now they live together, and Yuu still calls him sensei, which Konno finds strange. Konno makes sure Yuu adheres to a strict schedule, which he tolerates. But what he doesn’t like is Konno’s obsession with cute things, particularly the stuffed rabbit he cuddles when he sleeps!  Yuu wishes it were him, but he can’t seem to do anything to change that, no matter how hard he tries. He’s afraid Konno sees him only as another cute thing, and not for himself.  It’s Yuu’s twentieth birthday and he wants to celebrate with Konno, so he hurries to where he works, only to find him with another man.  Even though Konno leaves with him and not the other man, Yuu is unhappy and accidentally slips up and calls him by his first name -Toru.  Konno is delighted and finds Yuu utterly cute, as always. When a large stuffed rabbit arrives at the apartment, Yuu is dismayed to find it’s for Toru from an old classmate. Yuu follows Toru when he goes to have dinner with the man. Why a gay bar? What’s the story here, and does Yuu have anything to be worried about?

I  really love Kuze and Kitahara and I especially love that she didn’t draw Kuze to resemble a child, as too many yaoi artists do. I like May-December romances also, perhaps because my crushes have generally been on older men.  But after a while the jealousy storyline gets old, to be honest. I liked the second story  too, and I’m glad their romance didn ‘t begin while Yuu was still in high school.  Good first volume, look forward to the second.

 

 

Saturday is Horror Day #166 - The Pyramid

 The Pyramid

Holden (Denis O'Hare) and Nora (Ashley Hinshaw) are a father/daughter archaeological team who, through the use of technology, have located a previously undiscovered pyramid buried beneath the sand about 250 miles south of Cairo. They get together a team to explore this tomb, meticulously uncovering it. One of the members has borrowed a high tech robot he calls Shorty, from NASA, similar to something they used for the Mars Range Rover. As they open the tomb for the first time, a noxious green gas spews out, killing one man. To make matters worse, unrest in Cairo sees the government telling them to shut down and go home the next day.

The scientists are naturally perturbed and reluctant to leave. But they'd sent Shorty inside and aren't willing to leave without him, especially as he isn't theirs. So they decide to go behind the government's back and enter the tomb anyway. Once inside, they take a page the playbook of Hansen and Gretel, except instead of dropping bread crumbs, they trail a wire, to find their way back. But life happens, the wire is broken, and they find themselves hopelessly lost inside the pyramid.

To make matters worse, they discover the pyramid is beset with traps... and possibly with strange creatures, and the members of the team begin to die, one by one. Survival depends for the rest on their ability to navigate out of the pyramid.

If you are interested in Egypt or Egyptology in any way, I would not recommend this film. I suspect the writers knew little about ancient Egypt  except what they found in the Cliff notes. I found myself shaking my head a lot. First off, the idea that there is an undiscovered tomb so much older than the others that it had time to be buried is ludicrous. Also, a close-up of the so-called pyramid seemed to not match what we saw later. Nothing was ever explained as to why the unrest in Cairo caused them to be told to leave. Maybe the filmmakers were leaving that for sequels. Luckily, I don't think there will be any.

The acting wasn't great, the writing was horrific, the story rather vapid. I found myself rooting for the creatures, to be honest.  The best thing I can say is it's only an hour and a half. If you are brave enough or forge to turn off the credits and let them run, there is additional footage at the end of those. If you don't see it, you haven't missed anything. I like Denis O'Hare, who you might remember from American Horror Story, but even he can't save this. I'll give this film 1.5 Stars. I've seen worse, but that's not a flex.

Virtual Book Tour: Timeslayers by Colin Sephton

 Good morning, everyone! Please welcome author Colin Sephton to Full Moon Dreaming today! He is here to talk to us about his new release, Timeslayers. Colin will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter during the tour. The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. To find the other stops on his tour, go here. Don't forget to look for the Rafflecopter at the end of this post!

 

TIMESLAYERS

Colin Sephton

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GENRE:  Steampunk Adventure Mystery

 

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BLURB:

 

In a Steampunk Oxford, Ignatius and Indigo are both agents for the Union Jacks, a secret organisation. The role of the Union is to protect the British Empire, which is at the height of its powers, and help in its technological advances. They have discovered the existence of the mystical Book of Consciousness written by the creator of the cosmos, the genderless Omnisoul. The book is the history of everything that is, that has been and that will be. The agents are aided by Skye, who accidentally calls forth seven merciless immortals called the Charon.

 

Known as the Beautiful and the Damned, the Charon are the Infernal Dukes of Hell, created to carry out the will of the Omnisoul. But they are tired of their immortality and want to end their existence. Elsewhere, the sorcerer Ragnar of Roc has conjured a hole in spacetime, allowing the draconic Elder God Calabi Ya to re-enter the cosmos from the Ghost Worlds. He is as old as the Omnisoul and wants the book to learn his destiny. The two Union Jacks leave Oxford and are taken on a journey across the cosmos in the great ship Taraka, which sails through space and time. Ignatius and Indigo are mere pawns in the cosmic ocean of fate, carried to fabled places, witness to bloody massacres, and half-willing conspirators in the Charon’s plot to thwart the Omnisoul’s plan and defeat the protectors of the Well at the Centre of Time.

 

 

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EXCERPT:

 

 

Glancing around cautiously, Ignatius could see that nobody else in the library had moved, gestured or even looked. He looked back at the book he was reading. He had to concentrate on the unfamiliar text to translate with any accuracy. Its author, Enoch Slipnot, had an unsteady hand, and the inks was faded in places. As he read the next section, his right hand began to tingle, a slight burning sensation.

 

It came through the Land of the Duranki. Those trained in the art of Al Kimiya brought forth sentient life, the fiery whirlwind that passes like lightning through the fiery clouds, believing they could master this Unholy Great One.

 

I have read of the great horrors the Unholy One brought forth, seeking the emerald tablet thought to have been hidden in the library of the Mystorium by the Order of the Ti-Botta. If this great red shadow should discover the sword of great power, he will wreak destruction on a cosmic scale and the whole cosmos shall tremble at his feet. The great runesword has been forged with an edge keen enough that it may even cut through the aether. Only a being in harmony with the cosmos can make use of such a weapon and with the Great Book, Turiya and the power of the Charon, summoned by the High Priest, stop the Unholy One.

 

I am unswerving in my task as the last remaining warrior-priest of the Charon – the Dragon- slayers of the Ecclesiarchy…

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

 

Colin was born in Coventry and worked in the automotive industry for over twenty years before becoming an Engineering teacher. Obtaining his first library card at the age of thirteen, he became an avid reader of Fantasy and the mysteries of the Universe. He has an inbuilt curiosity for lost knowledge and ancient texts that may help to unlock the secrets of consciousness and the universe. Living in Oxford for many years, he has now moved back to his home county of Warwickshire where he enjoys creating and working with his wife on their garden in which he writes and entertains their two grandsons. He has always been an artist and writer and is inspired by the worlds created by Robert E Howard and Michael Moorcock, with the artwork of Frank Frazetta.

 

Amazon Buy Link: amazon.com/Timeslayers-Colin-Sephton/dp/196230809X/ref=sr_1_1

Publisher Author Page: https://cinnabarmoth.com/colin-sephton/

Website: https://sephtonart.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timeslayers/

 

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1/ If I was marooned on a small island it would have to be with David Bowie. Think of the fabulous and interesting conversations you could have about his life, songs and creativity. The item I would bring would be my Classic iPod. It may be old school, but it has nearly 18,000 songs on it, it doesn’t need any wifi to operate and the battery lasts for well over a week!

2/ The musical that would probably best exemplify my life, extremely loosely, would be Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dream Coat. And of course I would be Joseph! This is because I love colour. I am an artist so like a splash of colour in my life. Most men’s clothing is all so boring, navy blue, grey, brown and black!

3/ A smear of orange was all that coloured the grey London sky. The mist had started to roll in off the Thames and Ignatius knew he had limited time as the Martian saucer streaked through the clouds to descend and terrorise the locals, to terrorise the Empire. Climbing to the top of the traffic lights he stood defiant, a grimace on his pale face, his hammer in one hand and his steam canon in the other. Timing would be everything.

5/ When I start a story I start with a character. I will usually have this person or bring, Timeslayers is a fantasy book, fully formed in my head so I know exactly what they look like and what powers they may have. I find this easier as I am a very visual person and an artist. I might even have a scene or an idea for a scene kicking around in my head, and I will then write this down. Sometimes this will be handwritten in horrifically poor handwriting in one of the many notebooks I have. It’s usually difficult to read as my hand struggles to keep pace with the idea playing out in my head. I will then look for a place to use this and type it up and refine it.

8/ My historical crush is a great admiration and fascination for Leonardo da Vinci. Such a genius and an all-round scientist, architect, engineer and artist. His powers of observation were remarkable, to the point that he knew something about the human heart that modern science has only just discovered recently. I would also like to know if his assistant actually got to fly using his design for an aeroplane!

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