Author Q&A: Ian K. Smith

Hey, hey, Nerdos!

I’m back with a little bit more for The Ancient Nine written by Dr. Ian K. Smith, specifically a conversation with him about why he decided to pivot from writing best-selling books about health and nutrition and go into the world of thriller fiction, his real-life secret society experiences and what’s next for him in the fiction world.

Check out my “Blog Tour” post here to get all the details on The Ancient Nine and read an excerpt from the novel!

And when you’re done, hop on over to my full review of The Ancient Nine here.

I know most people talk out of their asses about how much they loved a book even if they didn’t really because they’re too scared to be honest, but you will never get anything like that from me… even if I’ve been politely invited onto a blog tour by the publisher. I’ve got to do me, boo boo. Did I like this book? Is it worth your time? Come find out. (That was a cheap tease, but I regret nothing!)

And now over to Dr. Ian K. Smith…

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Blog Tour: The Ancient Nine by Ian K. Smith

Get in loser! We’re going Blog Touring!

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for Ian K. Smith’s new fiction novel, The Ancient Nine. Settle in, grab something to eat. Maybe have a glass of wine. Put your feet up and chill with me here for a little bit.

We’re going to start today with a little bit about the book, a little bit about the author and of course I’ll do my due diligence and post all the ways you can buy this novel for your reading pleasure. I’ve also got an excerpt from the novel so you can get a taste for the style. And (that’s right, there’s more) I’ve got a Q&A with the author posting a little bit later, so you’ll want to check back for that.

Released just this Tuesday, you definitely want to pick up The Ancient Nine if you’re into intensely descriptive writing, erudite mysteries and lots of research, as well as romance and a contemporary look at joining a brotherhood.

The Ancient Nine is basically if a young, mildly sexist Barack Obama joined a secret society at Harvard in the 80s (and whose to say he didn’t?!) and in the process, solved a fifty-year-old cold case and also discovered deep secrets that take a lot of clever research into religious texts to figure out. It’s some heavy shit!

I mean, did you see what Harlan Coben had to say about it the book? They put his words on a pretty graphic for us and everything.

For my full, unadulterated review of The Ancient Nine, click here! You know your girl never holds back on her opinion, even if she’s been politely asked by a professional publishing house representative to be apart of a blog tour. Can I live?!

Also, head over to my Instagram page – @thefuckingtwist – for a pretty picture and discussion on the book.

This. Blog. Train. Just. Does. Not. Stop. Nerds.

Continue reading “Blog Tour: The Ancient Nine by Ian K. Smith” →

Review: The Ancient Nine by Ian K. Smith

“Money has an insidious way of making decent human beings behave in a most indecent way.”

★★½

Opening Hook: A 1920s fence hopper

Main Character: Basically the author is just writing himself and it’s weird

Plot Twisty-ness: You have to read a research paper to get to them

You ever read a novel and can immediately tell it’s written by a first-time author because they don’t know how to chill the fuck out with descriptive passages and scenes that don’t further a plot?

Yeah. This book suffers from that in abundance.

The heart of the novel is that of Spenser Collins, a young black man attending Harvard in 1988. After becoming an unlikely candidate to join one of the University’s secret societies, The Delphic, Spenser and his buddy Dalton, stumble upon a fifty-year-old mystery – the disappearance of another young student in the 1920s, who was never heard from again after illegally entering the Delphic’s mansion in search of the answer to the question: Is there really a secret society within the secret society called the Ancient Nine who spend their whole lives guarding an invaluable secret?

I mean, part of me was thinking of the movie The Skulls circa 2000. You know, Joshua Jackson and Paul Walker getting into some deadly adventure after joining a secret society that will do anything to protect its secrets, protect its own, its power and its money? But sadly for me, this book hits a decidedly different tone, while maintaining that “boys club” feel and presenting the objectification of women as a good thing.

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True Crime Tuesday: Bruce McArthur, Serial Killer – Part Two

I know Greyson is floating around here and has been waiting for this so I’m writing it up just for her (but also for all of you that are interested.)

It’s Part Two, Bitches!!!

We’re talking about Bruce McArthur, the Toronto Serial Killer making headlines right now. If you haven’t read Part One of this story, I suggest you do so to learn about who McArthur is, where he comes from and what his history was before he was arrested for being a damn serial killer. Because it’s fucking interesting and disturbing. Exactly what you want from your true crime, right?!

You can find that post here.

Before we jump back into this crazy ass story of horror and death, let’s do a small recap of where we left off last time.

Continue reading “True Crime Tuesday: Bruce McArthur, Serial Killer – Part Two” →

Book Tag: OMG That Song!

Thank Jeebus for Bridget over at Bridget and Books for tagging me in to do this round of Book Tag, because I haven’t done one in a couple of months and I think I’m literally starting to have withdrawals.

So, here’s the scoop: This tag was originally created by The Book Nut. All you do is give a book answer and a song answer for the different prompts. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy, and certainly not difficult difficult lemon difficult.

I’ll do my tagging now so you don’t have scroll through my answers if you don’t want to read them. I know I can get a little…in depth (why do you hate me?)

Eleni @ La Femme Readers, Brandy @ B’s Book Blog, Carolina @ Third Person Limited, and Alyssa @ Just Another Book on the Shelf. Let’s see what you got, booknerds!

Okay, now let’s get onto the important stuff…

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Booknook Sunday: Office Reveal

Hey nerdos! Happy Sunday!

It’s been a bit since I did a book nook post and I chalk that up entirely to bad forethought and how absolutely lazy/busy I am on Sundays. By that, I mean Sundays are our “prepare for the week” day – groceries, garbage, making lunches, laundry. All the terrible adulting things that no one wants to do. And by the time we’re done I like to sit on my fucking ass.

That’s RIGHT. I SAID IT.

(I really should be scheduling these.)

But, today is a little bit different. My husband is away so I haven’t done any of our responsible things like usual. That means I get to make a new post instead. This will essentially just be me showing off the hard work we did in my new office/guest room which used to be my oldest stepson’s bedroom (he moved out in the spring.)

My last one of these posts I think I said I’d share the finished product with you all once we were done. It’s been put together for a little while now, and I’ve been breaking it in. Getting used to doing things at my own desk instead of in my bed on a laptop board. I feel so adult (I’m not.)

I also have some beautiful book nooks to share with you all that I’ve collected from all over the internets to get your bookworm envy flowing.

But first, the “before”:

It looks so small here, but just wait. We didn’t repaint, only touched up because I picked the colour of my stepson’s bedroom initially and I still really like it. It’s called stardew or something equally lame.

Also, please note the raccoon dog toy in the middle of the floor. Can’t even do some home reno without the little dude trying to join along in his own special way.

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Review: The 17th Suspect by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro

★★★

Opening Hook: A pretty standard for the genre death scene

Main Characters: TONE IT THE FUCK DOWN

Plot Twisty-ness: B for Beffort.

So, this is the first review I’m posting on my blog of this series, but here’s the ~~sordid~~ background on me and this series:

I have read every single one of the books in this series. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Even the novellas.

You can find all of my reviews of them on Goodreads if you’re so inclined to watch my descent into pure, unadulterated hatred.

Oh, yes, that’s right. Hatred. I am well-versed in the Women’s Murder Club. And I fucking hate-read this series with a fiery, binge-y passion. Truthfully, I hate mostly everything Patterson writes.

Gather around, children and listen to your elder millennial: James Patterson is a fucking awful writer.

AWFUL. Continue reading “Review: The 17th Suspect by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro” →

Review: Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone

“I’d heard it before, of course, usually from my mother. A nasty, cold-blooded, selfish, grasping, uppity, ungrateful goddamn little bitch. And I know that to be true. I could feel the coldness in my own veins.”

★★★★

Opening Hook: More like opening another button, amiright?!

Main Character: Your new best sociopathic friend #4eva

Plot Twisty-ness: Jane’s plot could have used a tab more plotting, but otherwise satisfying in a totally sexual way

I really really liked this.

On the surface it’s the story of a woman hellbent on revenge for the suicide of her best friend, Meg. Her target: Meg’s abusive ex-boyfriend, Steven.

Jane leaves her expensive high-powered lawyer life in Kuala Lumpur behind, and moved to Minneapolis, giving herself a month or so to infiltrate Steven’s life and make him wish he’d never been born.

LIKE OMG SO FUN.

So that’s the basic idea of the novel. And already I know you’re thinking, “I’ve always wanted to change my identity and ruin someone’s life. Revenge is the best. Sign me up.”

But when you look past the surface, when you go a little bit deeper, you see that this is actually a novel of patriarchy-smashing awesomeness, as well as a giant middle finger to the hypocrisy of Evangelical Christians.

And that last part just feels so right it turned me on a little bit.

Continue reading “Review: Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone” →

Friday’s Fave Five: My Favorite Murder

Attention Murderinos! Today’s post is solely dedicated to the world of My Favorite Murder!

If you don’t know what that is, then you must not be a true crime fan, because Georgia Hardstark and Karen Kilgariff are fucking RUNNING the true crime game right now.

Last September, I saw them live in Toronto. That was a crazy-ass show and I think I left the Sony Centre with hearing loss. Murderinos were losing their damn minds like One Direction just walked out onto the stage (One Direction is still a thing, right?)

Even though I’m a little bit behind on my podcast listening, I’m a Murderino for life. I’ve spent a lot of my ~~hard~~ earned money on their merchandise, including two sweaters, a t-shirt, some stickers that adorn my tablet case and most recently, a new keychain from an independent creator on Etsy that says “LOCK YOUR FUCKING DOOR.” It’s perfect and I can’t wait for it to ship.

These ladies are about to get even more of my dolla-bills, because it’s just been announced that they have a book coming out, published by MacMillan!

That’s right! Titled Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered (what else would they call it?), this essential reading material is set to be released on May 28th next year. You can pre-order it RIGHT NOW here.

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Booknerd Wednesday: Mystery and Thriller Releases for Fall 2018!

We are officially-unofficially into the beginning of my favourite season!

Hoodies and pumpkins and leaves changing colour and no more sweat stains under my boobs or mosquito bites riddling my flesh. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

You know what else there is to love about autumn? New book releases!!!

Here is my list of the top crime fiction/mystery/thriller/blahblahblah releases coming our way this season. Get your TBR shelves ready for the added weight!

Continue reading “Booknerd Wednesday: Mystery and Thriller Releases for Fall 2018!” →