RIP David Bowie :(

I grew up watching Labyrinth and always loved David Bowie in the part. I also enjoyed his brief cameo in Zoolander and am now a big Flight of the Conchords fan. So here in honor of the great David Bowie's passing, I present to you my favorite Bowie Moments, both real and imaginary :)

First Quarterly Book Bash/ Give Away!

I'm doing an experiment. My books are in a very popular genre and have very common themes. It is very difficult to get to the top 10 let alone the top 100 of a genre on amazon with this many books to compete with. One way to do this is to have a lot of sales on amazon in a short amount of time, this makes your amazon book ranking rise considerably. Why is this important? You ask. Well, the higher your book is on a list or search, the more visible it is to potential readers; which means more book sells and more chance of getting some real attention. So here's what I'm going to do. On Saturday, December 26, I'm throwing a Book Bash for my first book “The Forsaken”. Both my eBooks will be on sale for .99 cents that whole day. I'm trying to get as many people to buy my book that day as possible in the hope it'll help my book rise in the book ranking and thus make “The Forsaken” more visible to readers on amazon. As part of my Book Bash, I will be giving away a $25 gift card to one random person who buys my book that day.  Also, I will give out a few other prizes as well for some other lucky reader to win. Here’s how you get credit for your purchase to be entered into the giveaway.

To Enter into the Giveaway:

1.       Buy “The Forsaken” eBook for .99 cents

2.       Take a screenshot or take a picture of your amazon purchase confirmation email. Post it in the comments of the Book Bash giveaway post on my author Facebook page www.facebook.com/rjcraddockauthor (2 entries)

For Additional Entries:

1.       Buy book two “The Offspring” as well as “The Forsaken”.  (2 entries)

Again you must show the proof of this purchase in the comments of the giveaway post.

2.       Share your purchase in a post on Facebook, or twitter by using the hashtag #rjcraddockbooks

(1 entry per site)

3.       Like my author Facebook page www.facebook.com/rjcraddockauthor (1 Entry)

Sunday afternoon December 27th Rafflecopter will take the entries and randomly select one person to win the $25 Amazon gift card and four more to win a copy of one of the four eBooks available. That’s It! Spending .99 cents to potentially get $25 seems pretty awesome right? So mark your calendar, share this post and make sure to join The Forsaken Book Bash the day after Christmas!  You get my eBook for a steal, you could get a free amazon gift card, and it’s a win/win! The .99 cent sale ends on Saturday the 26 at midnight. Here’s hoping my little experiment works and together we can make big changes happen and win lots of great prizes!

Now go forth and enter!

Until next time,
R.J. Craddock

Batman & Robin In The Clutches Of Fear

Some of you may not already know this, but my family and I are filmmakers. It is a Craddock family tradition to make a short film for every Halloween. We have them all on youtube on my Ruth Craddock channel if you want to check them all out. Anyways this year we went with a Super Hero theme. This is the results. It's a bit late but then I do have four kids so everything takes longer than I'd like it to. Anyways, without further ado I present to you Batman & Robin In The Clutches Of Fear! Muhahahahahahaha

Now go forth and watch it and share the spooky.

Until next time,
R.J. Craddock

Numbers Ignite by Rebecca Rode - Cover Reveal

Hello again. It's been a while gentle readers, but there's good news. If you couldn't tell from the title of this post or the great big banner above I'm here to help reveal the cover for a new book coming out soon! Nope not book three in The Children of Cain series, (that's in the works though) but the sequel to the bestselling dystopian novel Numbers Game by my writer friend Rebecca Rode. Numbers Ignite is due out January 26th, 2016. That's a while from now, but you can see the new cover and learn more about it here while you wait. 

Numbers Ignite 
Rebecca Rode
(Numbers Game, #2)
Publication date: January 26th, 2016
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

Treena and Vance think they’ve pulled out of the numbers game forever. They’re wrong.
After Treena’s disastrous attempt to unite the nation, she has the deaths of hundreds haunting her dreams. Now, with hatred and accusations following her past the border, she’s determined to leave that horrible day behind and find a peaceful, uneventful life with Vance and the settlers. But when she starts seeing mysterious figures hiding in the abandoned cities at night and uncovers a strange desert population, she realizes there’s a danger much greater than NORA to worry about—and she just abandoned her people to their fate.
Vance is a prisoner. Being rejected by the girl he loves and put on trial for betraying his clan are bad enough, but now he’s been framed for a crime he never committed. Their less-than-perfect refuge has become the political game of a madman, and Vance is the only one who can stop it—if he can keep from being executed first.
Treena and Vance are still very much in the game, and this time it will take everything they have to save those they love.
*Numbers Ignite is the sequel to the runaway Amazon #1 Bestseller, Numbers Game.

Sequel to:

Add to Goodreads

Author Bio:
REBECCA RODE is an award-winning author, journalist, and mother of four. She is the author of the YA dystopian novel, NUMBERS GAME, and the inspirational book, HOW TO HAVE PEACE WHEN YOU'RE FALLING TO PIECES. She also writes for Deseret News, KSL.com, FamilyShare, and Provo Daily Herald. However, her true love is writing for teenagers. She enjoys traveling, reading, and martial arts, and she has a ridiculous addiction to chocolate-banana shakes. Visit her at www.AuthorRebeccaRode.com.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Hosted by:

Now go forth and check out Numbers game ( If you haven't already read it) and mark your calendar for Numbers Ignite's release January 26th! 

Till next time,

R.J. Craddock

Funny 4 Free eBook Friday!!!

Hello, everyone! To shake things up a bit and for the sake of having more things to post about, I'm adding new segments to all my social media! One of which is Funny 4 Free eBook Friday! What's that? You ask. Well, it's where I post about something funny; a film, a story, a meme, a picture or what have you, and you the fans comment something funny back, share the post and like or follow the twinner posts on Facebook and Twitter. The fan/ reader who participates the most on the Friday post will win a free eBook either of one of my novels or of a third option should the reader already own both of my books. So here we go, the first installment of Funny 4 Free eBook Friday!

 I don't know how you all feel about reality television, but I personally think it's the worst thing ever! However I know people who I love and care for who absolutely love it, MOM *Cough* so I won't rip on it too much. I will say though that the best kinds of reality shows are home improvement shows like Love It or List It and Flea Market Flip or mockumentary shows like The Office. Otherwise, I feel one's time is better spent reading a book, but then I'm an author so I might be bias. 

Anyways that's all for now. Don't forget to comment, share, and like this post or go to my Facebook page  or Twitter to comment, like and share there as well and use #rjcraddockbooks to get a chance to win a free eBook! The winner will be announced tomorrow Saturday 10th 2015. 

Now go forth and be funny this fine Friday

Until next time, R.J. Craddock

The Man in the Black Top Hat by Ju Ephraime - Book Review

Once again it seems as though I've fallen off the face of the earth or at least the internet world. But, alas, gentle readers, I am still living; just overwhelmed and having perhaps the craziest summer of my life. Anyhow, I return to you today with a book review! "And the villagers rejoiced! Yea!" The book? The Man in the Black Top Hat by Ju Ephraime. 

Synopsis: Syria Warrington came home one afternoon and found an old black top hat on her front step, being a lover of all things old; she did not hesitate to take it into her home. But bringing this top hat into her home unknowingly exposed her to the spirit that called this hat home. The strange happenings that began to take place in her home from that day on had Syria questioning her sanity. Her life, as she knew it, began to quickly unravel before her very eyes as night after night she found herself in the arms of a stranger. Were her experiences real or imagined?

The Pros: I love the premise of this book, but then I grew up in a haunted house and was the center of that paranormal activity so maybe I'm bias. However, I love the physiological aspect of having a ghost stalker. You can't see them. You can't stop them. You can't really get a restraining order or call the cops. Heck, you can't even really tell anyone about it without everyone thinking you're crazy! That would drive anyone mad! Plus, the added sense that you're no longer safe in your own home and the fear that this entity will do harm to your family just adds to the tension the main character is under. Not to mention can you imagine being afraid to go to sleep for fear of what this invisible stalker will do to you? I relate to Syria's love of old things, and this helped me connect with her. I have always enjoyed things from other eras more than my own. However, I buy old furniture and pieces and make them over, I even paint them! This, Syria would never approve of. What's funny is I just barely bought a 1940's telephone from a flea market for decor in my kitchen. I got it for a steal, too, and then I went and read this book and now I'm worried that I may have made the same mistake Syria did! (Spoiler) Hmmm, I'll have to keep an eye on that phone, I'm not tossing it into a barbecue anytime soon but if it starts moving about the house, or I start having crazy sex dreams about some random World War II solider then it's out of here!

The Cons: This book is written in a style that resembles a memoir more than a traditional novel, meaning that the majority of the book is summarized. Instead of unfolding as if you were apart of the story, you feel like an outsider reading an account from someone's journal. This is acceptable from time to time in a book when events need to move along, but as a whole book it undermined the tension of the situation the leading lady was under. The book also seems to have ten beginnings, the story doesn't really start until chapter three. There was some good background info in there to help setup the story but because it was written the way it was, without action or in the moment, it felt dry. We also know who the ghost is before the haunting even begins which I felt hurt the tension and the suspense of the book. Although I did enjoy the chapter written from the ghost's perspective. I think it would've been a better read to have taken that out or put it in later. Perhaps after Syria had figured out the identity of the personage possessing the top hat first, then have him reveal to her his side of their once-encounter when he was living and how he/the hat came to be in her home. This, I think, would've made it more of a mystery and heightened the intensity of the story. Although some really creepy things do happen in this tale, my morbid side wanted the ghost to go a step further and for things to get even crazier than they did. If this is indeed based on a true story then I understand why the author didn't take things down darker paths. Despite this, I still enjoyed the book. A few random notes. This book is slightly erotic. Personally, I don't read traditional romance or erotica novels. There really not my thing, partially because it is rather difficult to write a good sex scene that isn't corny let alone a whole book packed with them! The writer of such books has to keep things fresh, change up the sex scenes, and be careful not to be repetitive in positions/situations or descriptions. I would rate the sex scenes in this book a notch or two below the steaminess of a Sookie Stackhouse novel. They're not super kinky but not mellow either. However, with all the sex acts happening with the ghost and the husband being in the master bedroom they tend to repeat each other. I do give the author credit for trying to change them up though and did enjoy some of her descriptions. Eventually when Syria finally confided in her mother about the situation her mom told her to call a "Ghostbuster" to get rid of the ghost. I thought it was funny when the mom used the term. Syria uses it in her narrative three times afterward even after she had researched paranormal activities on the internet. Paranormal Investigator, Exorcist, or Medium would've been more proper terms and Syria would know this from her googling. It's not a big deal but it seemed odd and took me out of the story. Although she never ended up calling such a person to solve her haunting issues, I did like the solution she and her friend eventually came up with and how the book ended. 

Overall I give this book four hats/stars. It's a good, steamy read for any paranormal lover or twisted weirdo like me. I enjoyed this book and the heebbie-jeebbies it gave me. Though it may have ruined me from thrift store shopping and frequenting flea markets for a while. My hat is off to the author for creating this chilling tale. 

Now go forth and give this haunted, twisted romance a read, but do so at your own risk! Muwa-ha-ha-haaa! You can find it here.  Till next time.

R.J. Craddock

Acquisitions by Christine Haggerty - Book Review

Hello again, my book loving friends! Today I'm reviewing a book by a fellow Utah Fantasy Guild author Christine Haggerty, called “Acquisitions”. It is a Young Adult Dystopian novel, and book one in the Plague Legacy series. 


Synopsis: Half a century after the world was decimated by a bio-engineered plague, military scouts are acquisitioning a new supply of exports—slaves. Orphan, Cameron Landry, is dealing with the loss of his family, most recently his revered older brother Dom. As Cam tries to forge new friendships and navigate the awkwardness of his first experiences with teen romance, he is also running from the aggressive mutant bully, Devon Miller. Against a background of burned homes and a rusting ship, Cam has to find the strength within himself to survive. Cam and his friends are on different sides of the mutant and immune societal divide—even though they are teenage orphans who are largely left to govern themselves, they live in a post-apocalyptic society that has taught them to believe that there are distinct differences in the categories of human beings. 

The Pros: First off, I must admit I'm not one of the scores of readers in the world that adores Dystopian novels. In general they just don't do it for me. This is mostly because the concepts behind their new world governments, and the reasons behind the former societies collapse, are convoluted at best. I will say that this is not the case with “Acquisitions”. Everything made sense within this world and I really appreciated the effort the writer put into making this world seem realistic. I found this book to be very well-written. There were great descriptions throughout and occasionally those descriptive moments took my breath away. The author has a very good grasp of her characters. This made it easy to get to know each new person that came into the story without feeling like the reader was being spoon-fed information. The writer doesn't make you feel stupid by pointing out the obvious; she lets you experience the story as it plays out. The lead character, Cameron, was very likable and easy to root for. Although he does have that annoying trait most teenage boys have of not knowing exactly how he feels toward the two female characters and does the typical guy things. However, this did make him feel realistic, so I forgave him. After all, most teenage boys act like a deer caught in headlights when they first encounter love, they can't help it. I really liked that the two female love interests were opposite from each other, yet not so much that it seemed unrealistic that Cam would like both of them. They still had enough similarities to have appeal to the same guy. The setting and era of the story was well done and felt very real for me. Overall, I loved the concept of the world that the author created.

The Cons: Although they're headed to a fascinating world called Salvation that seems a throwback to Roman times with Gladiators and such. The world we start off in isn't very exciting at all. Cam's world is that of a dying nation, that is really just a carcass of its former fatty self. It makes for an interesting backdrop but it's not a terribly exciting place to read about. I must warn you that this is the first book in a series and just like most first books it has to carry the heavy burden of establishing a world on its fledgling shoulders. This means that not much happens within its pages besides character development and world building. It is at its heart a travel log. (Think "The Hobbit" or "The Fellowship of the Ring"). In my opinion the other two books in that series, "The Two Towers" and "The Return of the King" are faster paced and more interesting reads. I'm hoping that this is the case with The Plague Legacy series and that next book, “Assets: The Plague Legacy, Volume 2”, is even better than the first with faster pacing without losing attention to details

(Spolier Alert!! Skip this next paragraph if you don't want the ending given away) 

Overall, the books pacing was just too slow, which is funny for me to say since I generally don't go for fast-paced action-packed books. This is probably the first time I've ever really enjoyed a book, yet felt a little bored at the same time. I think this is in part due to the fact that I was expecting a more action-packed read because of the books blurb. I think I was expecting to get to Salvation a lot earlier in the book and for there to be more action and gore. Don't get me wrong there is some action throughout the book. Tension builds between Cam and his mutant rival Devon from the very beginning but it gets derailed on their journey across the Ocean. When Devon gets sent into solitary confinement for a few days the tension lapses and I think this hurt the books ending making it anti-climatic for me. I understand why the author removed Devon from the main action for a bit, if she hadn't, Cam would never have gotten a chance to get close to Devon's twin, Tara, who Devon guards protectively like an obsessive lover. While this helped the romance along it killed the overall tension and made Cam's overcoming Devon as an obstacle less fulfilling for me. In fact, Devon's comeuppance was over way too quickly and the ending just felt too abrupt. 


Despite all this, I still really enjoyed the book and give it a four star rating! I think it's a great improvement on the typical Y.A. Dystopian novel with hints of Charles Dickens in its tale. I would call it a mix of “Oliver Twist” and “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome”. Christine Haggerty created a nitty-gritty world that is perfect for a coming-of-age adventure that both sexes can enjoy. (Here's a little old style Mad Max for your amusement below!)

Now go forth and read people, read! If you want to read this book in particular you can find it here! And yes that was Tina Turner in the video. "Rolling, rolling, rolling down the river!" She was awesome in that film. And yes Mel Gibson was once a total hottie, too bad gravity ruins everything :(

Till next time,

R.J. Craddock