Saturday, June 9, 2007

A Sunday Special Review!

Good day Blog Buds!

Today is a special review of...

How To Lose An Extraterrestrial In 10 Days
By Susan Grant

To Be Released July 26, 2007


If you have never read a story by Susan Grant, then you are depriving yourself of an author whose world-building is fantastic, and whose characters all seem to leap from the pages with a life of their own.

I first discovered Susan Grant when I ran across the short story ‘The Star Queen’ in an anthology I had purchased because a story by another author I love was in the same book. (That anthology was “The Only One”). I’ve been hooked ever since. And in her novel “How to Lose an Extraterrestrial in 10 Days”, Ms. Grant delivers yet again!

“How to Lose an Extraterrestrial in 10 Days” is the third and final book in the Otherworldly Men series that includes the novels “Your Planet or Mine?” and “My Favorite Earthling.”

We were first introduced to Reef – short for Robotically Engineered Enemy Fighter - in “Your Planet or Mine?” as the assassin trying to kill Cavin of Far Star, who fell in love with Jana Jasper, the sister to Evie Jasper – the female lead in this novel. (Their brother Jared Jasper was the focus in My Favorite Earthling).

Reef has malfunctioned, and finds himself stranded on Earth. The computers that were embedded in his body have been surgically disconnected, and he is now at Cavin’s mercy. Luckily, Cavin does not hold a grudge, and together with his lover Jana, they decide to send him to hide in the suburbs. At Evie’s home. The home he broke into when he was looking for Cavin so he could kill him.

You can imagine just how much Evie loved that idea.

But as Reef starts to find his place in Evie’s home, Evie begins to realize that there is more to Reef than meets the eye. She is heartbroken when he reveals he was stolen as a child from his homeworld of Sandreem, his memory wiped clean. Only now, because the computers in his body have been disabled is he beginning to remember bits and pieces of his life before being stolen. Only now, does he realize that he is so much more than a machine, and a part of him that has been suppressed for so long is finally surfacing - including emotions he never knew he possessed.

This type of story is right up my alley – my loving everything sci-fi and all – but a love of science fiction will not be required to enjoy this novel. It is, at it’s heart, a love story – the love between Reef and Evie, and the love Evie has for her family, and vice-versa.

The story of Evie and Reef is strong enough to stand alone, without having the benefit of reading the previous two novels in the series, but if you like to make sure you know the background of the characters you are reading about, then you may want to check out “Your Planet or Mine?” and “My Favorite Earthling.” If your local bookstore doesn’t have either on their shelves, then visit Susan’s website at
http://www.susangrant.com/ and she has links to order all her books there.

Do yourself a favor, and make July 26 a day you plan to visit your local bookstore.
You will be very happy if you do!

Happy Reading!

5 comments:

Kimber Li said...

Great job, Lady Bronco!

Sounds like another fine addition to the tower of books teetering in Gwyneth's arms as she staggers under the weight. Maybe we should get her a wheelbarrel. Ya think?

LadyBronco said...

I'm thinking you are absolutely right, Madame Kimber

Susan Grant said...

Hello all!

I have not been out on the web lately because of deadlines BUT I just had to come over and thank Lady Bronco for that AMAZING review! Not only is it fun and well-written (I loved the sentence where you say you know what Evie thinks of that idea, and how you separated it out) but it says some incredible things about my book! So thank you for making me a VHA! (Very Happy Author)!!!!!!!!!!!

LadyBronco said...

Oh, but you made me a VHR! (Very Happy Reader!)

I loved the book, so it was very easy to write good things about it!

I have already begun spreading the word to friends, co-workers, and family about it. :0)

Gwyneth Bolton said...

I know I'm getting this one for sure. In fact, you've sold me on the series... Thanks a lot, Lady Bronco... urgh!

Gwyneth