Malasz

February 11th: Michael Sullivan, author of The Crown Conspiracy , announced on his blog that he signed a four-book deal with Del Rey. Congratulations, Michael! March 11th: Kris Kramer, author of Sanctuary , has partnered with Alistair McIntyre and Patrick Underhill to pen the Rise of Cithria series. More info can be found at their website . May 14th: Jeremy Robert Johnson will be at Powell's Hawthorne on Thursday, May 14th at 7:30pm to promote his latest novel, Skullcrack City , which was published on February 1st.

Set in 9th century Britain, Sanctuary follows the journey of almost priest Daniel after a mysterious stranger saves his life during a viking raid. Daniel believes the stranger is a sign from God. The stranger disagrees but Daniel follows anyway as he is desperate to find his faith. Little does Daniel know that he is a pawn in a much larger game, one in which he has caught the attention of a very powerful demon. Off the bat, I must say this is an exceptional debut book. I was fearful at times that it would develop into a travelogue. But Kris Kramer successfully avoids this pitfall and instead we are treated to a wonderful story that I would declare just as interesting and enjoyable as Ken Follet’s Pillars of the Earth though not nearly as daunting. The characters are well written and believable. Though there is a religious nature to Daniel’s quest, the purpose is not to be preachy or overtly religious by rather to provide a background to his struggles. Daniel is a leaf in the wind ...