VENOM VALLEY 1: BOUNTY by Hank Edwards

Hank Edwards Books

September 14^th, 2011

9781465716538

Western/Vampires Gay (M/M)

E-book

Reviewed by Dawn (love2read28@gmail.com)

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Bounty-Venom-Valley-ebook/dp/B005L40HJO/ref=sr_1_7?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1352073108&sr=1-7&keywords=Hank+Edwards

Obtained by Author

 

 

Josh Stanton never felt like he fit in at Belkins Pass on the edge of Venom Valley./ He always knew everyone whispered-or even told him to his face-he wasn’t wanted or that his mother, who disappeared when he was five was a witch or worse. Having a home with a local schoolteacher who taught him how to be a man, to love to read and more, he felt like he was able to live a somewhat normal life even if he did have one true friend in Dex, now a deputy for the local Sheriff. But Josh is having one hell of a week. His mysterious power of letting him know where dead people are has him finding two dead bodies in a matter of a week and when he is accused of killing the local school teacher, Agnes, well lets just say the defense of seeing dead people rise and come after you just won’t be believed, not in Belkins Pass that is. On the run with his friend Dex, he finds himself pitted against the vampire Balthazar and finds himself finding out what his powers are for when Balthazar kidnaps Dex, well lets just say all hell is about to break loose in Venom Valley.

Hank Edwards delivers one unique tale in BOUNTY, his introduction to Venom Valley. With a base of a western and a dash of the paranormal in zombies and vampires, with a little magic thrown in with an Indian spirit guide, well let’s just say things are about to get really interesting in Belkins Pass very quickly. Hank Edwards has written a fantastic and quite entertaining story to engross the readers. The ending alone had me almost screaming and wondering what happens next for Josh and Dex. The writing was tight, story flowed swiftly and the cast of characters was intriguing. You had saloon girls, a half-breed woman with an Indian spirit guide who protected her from harm and more making up Belkins Pass. The reader gets sucked into the story within minutes and I can honestly say, I could not put this one down. It was funny, tender, sexy and sweet. Friends turned lovers, running for their lives and going up against something that they never experienced before. In another book, it would have made no sense but somehow Hank Edwards makes it work and incorporates Glory and her sub-plot storyline into Josh and Dex’s story and it flowed beautifully, seamlessly into one another. There were no abrupt point of view shifts which can plague some stories if not done right and Hank Edwards knows exactly how to keep the storylines moving smoothly.

Meet Josh and Dex. Friends forever it seems and now something is going on in Belkins Pass, something so sinister and evil, Josh is on the run after killing his foster mother after she rose from the dead. Who is going to believe him, the guy whose mother disappeared, who the townsfolk believe was a witch or worse and made no bones about telling Josh their opinions of him. Dex is his one true friend though and when Dex sees things happening at the local saloon well let’s just say what Josh tells him isn’t so far-fetched as he thinks. I absolutely adore Josh and Dex. They had a deep connection, of friendship and when they finally admit their feelings for one another….lets just say you will need some ice or a cold shower to cool things down a bit. The cast of characters are intriguing and I really enjoyed getting to know Glory as well as Josh and Dex. These three make up the core of BOUNTY and they had me glued to the edge of my seat, flipping the pages on my e-reader to see what happens next for all three. The secondary characters keep the story moving and some had me wishing they had a little more screen time as they had me intrigued.

BOUNTY is more than a western, more than just a paranormal, it’s both and more. Vampires, zombies, a guy who can control the dead and all in the good ol’ west, where the men were tough and the ladies could tame them. Hank Edwards delivers a rousing tale that will surely hit all your love buttons in one fell swoop. Now I need to read book two, Bait, to see what happens next in Venom Valley.

If you are looking for something different tonight to read, then grab BOUNTY by Hank Edwards and get ready to travel to the old west. I can guarantee you won’t want to leave.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

 

DESTINY’S BASTARD by Hank Edwards

Publisher: Loose Id Publishing
Date published: August 2010
ISBN: 978-1-60737-841-9
ASIN: B0047T7OJU
Time Travel Paranormal GBLT
E-Book
Reviewed by Dawn
Obtained by Self-Purchase


Sir Gerard Fogg, his life was as perfect as can be. In love with the young prince, Tristan Fysher, he enjoys life as a palace guard and treasures the stolen moments he has with Tristan. Until that fateful day when a mysterious stranger murders Tristan before Gerard’s eyes and disappears into a time portal that takes him to the future. Now Gerard is sentenced to death but with the help of the King’s advisor, Ranolf Godfrey, Gerard escapes and both men go on a journey to find Malcolm, Tristan’s killer, in year 2006. Now it’s a race against time as Gerard finds a young man named Jon Calder housing Tristan’s spirit and as these two find the love they used to enjoy long ago, the murderous Malcolm moves ever closer, determined to destroy them both.

DESTINY’S BASTARD by Hank Edwards is the first story I have read by this author and it is far from being the last one I try. This was a perfect balance of time travel, history, and paranormal elements that totally captivated me from the very first page. Hank Edwards delivers a story that literally held me in the palm of its hand as I was thrust alongside Gerard as he races to get the killer and find the man he loves in the process. What I really loved about this story was the seamless transition from the historical time period to the 21st century. This author does a wonderful job in conveying the characters disbelief as they travel through time and enter a time where everything they know is gone or crumbling into dust. The writing was tight, characters multi-dimensional and the story moved at a nice even pace that you didn’t feel like you were rushing through it.

Meet Sir Gerard Fogg. He is in love with the King’s only son, Prince Tristan Fysher, loves his job as a Palace guard and his stolen moments with Tristan make his day even better. When he is forced to watch his lover die at the hands of a murderous madman named Malcolm who then disappears, Gerard finds his life is forfeit even as his heart breaks at the loss. What I love about Gerard is he is quite relatable as a person. I fell in love with Gerard and felt his pain as he watched Tristan get killed. The emotions that the characters feel, the reader also feels as well. With each page, I was drawn more and more into DESTINY’S BASTARD and found myself rooting for Gerard to find love again with Jon. The secondary characters keep the story moving nicely and I highly enjoyed them as well.

Hank Edwards is a talented author who delivers a spellbinding story to get lost in on a lazy Sunday afternoon. With the right amount of angst, passion and the fact that love is timeless, Hank Edwards DESTINY’S BASTARD is one story you won’t want to put down. I can’t wait to explore more of this author’s work and hope you check out DESTINY’S BASTARD in the process. This will give you a taste of this talented writer and leave you aching for more.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

HOLED UP by Hank Edwards

Publisher: Loose ID
Date published: June 2009
ISBN: 978-1-59632-951-5
LBGT erotic contemporary
Ebook
Miss April


CLICK TO PURCHASE! HOLED UP by Hank Edwards has a different kind of voice about it. It is a much more masculine voice and that is a good thing with this novella. One of the main characters, Special Agent Aaron Pierce isn’t even likable at the beginning. He comes off as a contrary smart ass, one that you could cheerfully strangle and dump the body somewhere. He’s arrogant when he hooks up with an anonymous guy. But first impressions are mistaken and when push comes to shove. Agent Pierce is the man you want to be on your side, as Mark Beecher finds out.

Mark tried to do the right thing. When he overhears some men talking about blowing something up, he reports it to the Homeland Security. Things go wrong and next thing he knows, he is in protective custody. Now he has to survive to testify. That’s when he meets Special Agent Aaron Pierce. Mark is sarcastic and scared and their first meeting doesn’t go well. However, when someone tries to kill Mark right away they soon realize they need each other.

I enjoyed this book very much. The voice in it was a little different but surprisingly refreshing. While I started out somewhat disliking Aaron, I ended up loving his character with all his flaws. He reminded me of those bad boy heroes in the old movies. Misunderstood and buying into their own hype, they always came through for you at the end. Aaron was the same. Mark was a delight. Quick witted and sassy, he’s more than a match for Aaron. Their discovery of one another is sexy and inevitable. Together they struggle to define things, leaving it until almost too late. And the ending was fantastic.