5-stars: Deep Storm, by Lincoln Child

G'day avid readers,

I am finally catching up on writing my book reviews (which I do whenever I read something I love & find worth sharing), so here is one of my latest:




My review:

Deep Storm - 5-stars

Unputdownable thriller!

Deep Storm is one of the best thrillers I've ever read. It has flawless pacing, an incredibly interesting story, an excellent sense of place, non-stop action, and just the right amount of character development. It has a tantalizing touch of the paranormal, a mysterious historical event that keeps surprising and unfolding, along with a great setting. The setting of an offshore oil rig and deepsea lab offers an intimacy of place, exotic to the everyday person, that envelops the reader. It should come with a warning that says "Contents Under Pressure" - you feel the deadly pressure of the ocean you are taken deep into, along with ever-mounting action and the relentless unveiling of fascinating mystery after mystery. The story stays tight to the protagonist's point of view, so you feel you are walking the halls, seeing and experiencing everything right along with him. There were many times where I felt like I was looking characters in the eye and feeling the mounting tension all around. Action and reactions were always believable. You are never separated from the central action and purpose of the story. I was riveted.

I've read a lot of thrillers and after reading Deep Storm I came to better appreciate the solid pacing that keeps the reader turning pages, balanced with just the right amount of description of environment and action so that you can picture and imagine everything, but not get bogged down in endless showy descriptions that sometimes can seem like author showmanship and slow the story down. This never happens here, though it is superbly researched. Deep Storm is just excellent storytelling, with a perfect blend of action and intrigue. The only thing I could say might have been improved upon was that I wish the explanation at the end could have been developed a little further. There's so much build up to it, it's such a cool concept, that I would have liked to stay with it just a little longer and explore it a bit more. Having said that, it is sufficient and I can understand why it was done the way it was.

I honestly could not put this book down, the story grabs you from page one and never lets go. It's a 5-star read all the way. Every day I looked so forward to diving back into the story and eagerly did so. I think this is the fastest I've read any book. Lincoln Child has the gift for penning thrillers, no doubt. Highly recommended!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands

New lower price for award-winning archaeology adventure novel SECRET OF THE SANDS! Only $4.99!

Hi valued readers, friends & fans,

I wanted to share our latest happy news for our adventure novel, Secret of the Sands. Our publisher, Bristlecone Pine Press, has graciously agreed to lower the price of our Amazon kindle edition to $4.99 (from $6.99). It was very important to me to have our novel be affordable & accessible to all of our interested readers. If you have a kindle, or use the (free!!) kindle apps for PC & Mac, I hope you will consider adding our book to your virtual shelves :)

Happy reading always!!

Rai Aren, co-author of the award-winning mystery novel SECRET OF THE SANDS

For 12,000 years a dark and deadly secret has been hidden deep below the Great Sphinx of Giza. In present day Egypt, a frightening, yet awe-inspiring story unravels as archaeologists race against time to decipher an ancient truth...

"A deep probing mystery riddled with prophecy and danger, Secret of the Sands uses Egypt and her mythology as a backdrop to delve into the meanings of life and religion." -McNally Robinson

"Rai Aren and Tavius E. have crafted a fast-paced, exciting novel overflowing with mystery and intrigue. The tension is constant. The characters fully developed. And the plot gripping. Ancient history and present day relevance are so expertly intertwined, that you might forget you are reading a work of fiction." -- Thomas Phillips, author of The Molech Prophecy

Coming soon - a series of cool & jazzy announcements!

Hey friends, fans, and followers,

I wanted to let you know that starting soon and carrying on throughout the holiday season, I will be making a series of announcements related to our award-winning adventure novel, Secret of the Sands.



I've got a variety of cool things in store, and wherever we connect online, you will see the news as it happens :)

Stay tuned & happy reading always!

Rai Aren, co-author of the award-winning mystery novel SECRET OF THE SANDS

My latest book review: The Atlantis Revelation by Thomas Greanias

I would like to share my latest book review with you folks. As I've mentioned, I like to pass along the word about books that I really enjoy. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, LibraryThing, and in my MySpace blog. You'll notice that the reviews I post are pretty much all 4 or 5-star reviews, that's because I only like to publicly review things that I really like, I don't want to poo-poo something that other people might enjoy just because it happens to not be my taste, preferred style, etc. There's enough negativity out in the world, I don't want to add to it & hurt other people's creative efforts. If I don't like something I just don't say anything. That's just me :)

So, let's carry on to the latest: The Atlantis Revelation, by Thomas Greanias:

5-stars: The Atlantis Revelation caps a very entertaining trilogy

I was already a fan of Thomas' previous two books, Raising Atlantis & The Atlantis Prophecy - both of those were rollicking fun, totally entertaining, and a great way to escape on intriguing adventures for a few reading hours. I am happy to say that 'The Atlantis Revelation is a worthy successor in the Atlantis trilogy. It is smart, well-researched, has loads of action, and presents fascinating concepts that kept me interested the whole way through. It takes the reader on a whirlwind journey to interesting places - from Corfu & the Calypso Deep to Azerbaijan to Rhodes to Jerusalem and more.

Mr. Greanias is a talented thriller author who never disappoints. His characters are well-fleshed out & jump off the page with life. His storytelling skills are solid. I have read thrillers and adventure novels where authors got so engrossed in the details of place and technology that they let the story drop, drag, and sometimes nearly evaporate. A thriller needs to be fast-paced with enough detail to make the setting come alive for the reader, but always keeping the story strong and at the forefront of the reader's attention. Thomas strikes that balance perfectly. You can rest assured when you pick up any of the books in the Atlantis trilogy that you will be turning pages super fast.

Great entertainment, highly recommended!

Rai Aren, co-author of Secret of the Sands

Interview with Rai Aren on thriller author Sean Ellis' site

G'day peeps,

I wanted to pass along a link to my latest interview. We talk about our award-winning, bestselling adventure novel Secret of the Sands, its upcoming sequel, Destiny of the Sands, and more. I was honored to be invited as a guest on thriller author Sean Ellis' website. Sean is the author of The Shroud of Heaven. Other authors he has featured are Kent Holloway, Nicholas Boving, Steven Savile, Paul Byers, David Wood, Barry Reese, and Craig Smith. I am delighted to be in their company. Their interviews/features are all worthy and entertaining reads. I encourage you to check them all out while you're there. Here is the link:

Sean Ellis - "Authors You Need to Read!"




I thought I would also share a link to Sean's novel, I've ordered my copy and I am looking very forward to reading it:

The Shroud of Heaven on sale on Amazon


My sincere thanks to Sean for the opportunity to be a guest author on his site! Thanks for your time & happy reading always :)

Rai Aren, co-author of the award-winning adventure novel SECRET OF THE SANDS