Desperately seeking Susan....

Just thought, it would be remiss of me not to include my reviews of Susan Simone's two novels here in light of all the hard work she has done designing my cover for me so here are my thoughts on both her novels which you should definitely check out!!

This review is from: Silent Heart (Kindle Edition)

It is a fact that some of the best written fantasy fiction is that in which the reader almost can't tell that he or she is reading fantasy.

This is why authors such as Robin Hobb and George.R.R.Martin have become so successful- their fantasy novels are so believable that you become caught up and totally ensnared in their worlds!

So it is for Silent Heart. This was the first book I have read by this author but it left me hungry for more!

Paige is a just young deaf girl living in the woods when she literally stumbles across a group of assassins in the process of decapitating an unknown man. Fleeing for her life and pursued by these armed killers, Paige falls into the arms of Stone; a warrior sworn to protect and to serve. He guards her and protects her from harm and, when he realises what it is she has seen, devotes himself to escorting her back to the palace of King Evard. For the man the assassins killed was a Prince and Stone knows that the killers will not stop until the last witness to their actions is silenced forever. What follows is an epic and dangerous journey as Stone gives up everything to keep Paige safe...

This was an absolutely amazing read! It is brutal, harsh and highly emotional but never anything less than compelling. I could not put this down and simply cannot recommend it enough! The descriptive passages are so amazingly well done that you feel as though you are there living the story with the characters, it simply is that believable! To say that this is an emotional journey would be an understatement but one thing is certain, authors as good as this don't come along very often and if you don't pick this up you will definitely be missing out!

Susan Simone proves with this story that she is a veritable tour-de-force and definitely a name to watch in the future. If any of her other novels end up being as well written and as cleverly thought out as this one, she deserves every success she gets ~ she has an inimitable style all of her own and I, for one, already consider this one of my best reads so far this year! 
                                       
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 Under A Twisted Moon is the second novel by Susan Simone to be released by J.E.A; a new Indie Press set to break new ground with its dedication to good quality writing and hot new authors. Simone is the author of the previously reviewed Silent Heart and in this latest book, still manages to impress just as much as she did in her debut!

Amelie, a school teacher, is out in the wilds when one of her pupils

falls down a steep slope. Rushing to his aid, the adrenalin she experiences begins triggering a change in her that is caught on camera. This is an event that will change her life forever because Amelie has a secret....she is a werewolf.

All her life she has tried to deny her heritage but where does she turn now when there's nowhere else to hide?

This is a great novel with a tightly woven plot and an engaging storyline that deals as much with Amelie's relationship with an abusive husband as it does her coming to terms with what she is. As a young child, her parents forced her to undergo extensive exorcism and this too has left her with a lot of baggage to deal with.

The thing about this story is that it really draws you in! Before you know it, you are caught up in the world of Simone's characters and wrapped up in their lives. Though I would say it is a tougher read than Silent Heart, it is no less excellent and promises to give the likes of Kelly Armstrong (whose books also often feature a female werewolf heroine) a much needed run for their money. Simone's novel here is far deeper than the work of Miss Armstrong (and there is nothing wrong with Armstrong's work, it is very enjoyable just a little bit mainstream) but that is no bad thing because this is a novel that really challenges your perceptions of abused and battered women and shows you the harsh realities of their situation in a fantasy setting.

This is a book that is hard to define. It is a bit of a challenge at times but a highly enjoyable one and, once it gets started, it is a real belter of a story. If you like fiction that defies convention and attempts to break new ground and boundaries then this is for you.

It is quite simply one of the best werewolf books to come around in ages and miss it, and you will miss a real treat!