4* Review Endurance

Posted on June 15, 2018 by flwq1578

Oh Regina. My friend Regina. I feel like her friend. I feel an attachment. I have been through so much with her and have cheered her on the entire way. Four books. A series. (I highly recommend reading these in order, together, as soon as possible!)

Supposedly this is the final book in the series, but I am not convinced! I feel like there are still unanswered questions and curious what happens next. Things were left… unfinished. Don’t get me wrong, I feel like some things were finally explained but there are still some things that weren’t wrapped up.

All in all, I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and will be passing it on to my 10 year old to read. It isn’t inappropriate. It is future based with a lot of intrigue and interest, twists and turns, edge of your seat suspense (but not in a bad, scary way suspense.)

I definitely recommend picking up the Regina Shen series!

(Leila)

http://lifeasleels.com/regina-shen-endurance/

4* Review Resilience

Posted on May 18, 2018 by flwq1578

Regina Shen lives in the swamps on the seaward side of the wall of the World Federation. Regina is one of the “marginals’ who survive beyond the help of the government. But the government is experiencing some difficulties. The world of only females is having trouble reproducing. The DNA that has helped society continue has degenerated so that the species is at risk.

The Federal agents are testing the marginal girls and have found two with a viable DNA… the Shen sisters, Regina and her younger sister, Colleen. The girls are on the run from a hurricane and the Federal agents, especially the Department of Antiquities Chief Inspector, DeMarco. DeMarco sees the girls, especially Regina, as her ticket up the power chain.

Regina is intent on finding her missing mother and sister. She keeps going back into danger, desperate to find Colleen. DeMarco has resources including the government technology of tracking devices, power boats, weapons and a network of marginal traders who barter everything they can, including girls. Although she is hot on her heels, Regina, with her affinity for the swamps, continues to evade capture.

Regina finds friends along the way who help her survive until she returns to her beloved teacher Mo-Mere. Mo-Mere was once within the walls until they cast her out. She knows that Regina is special and she wants to train and prepare her for more. Regina isn’t one to sit and hide. She wants to be out salvaging and helping to carry her own weight. But how can Regina stay with her friends without putting them in danger?

I like Regina’s strong character even though she is young, impulsive and makes foolish mistakes. She is also resourceful and caring. She is lucky to find good friends along her journey. DeMarco is a villain you like to dislike and I kept hoping she would meet an unpleasant fate. There is some repetition of the circumstances and it seemed like Regina was often more worried about food than getting to a place of safety. Granted she has to get food and water to survive but it just seemed like too much emphasis to me. (Then again… it is YA which sometimes pushes my patience.) Other than that, the writing flows well and has good pacing with tension building action.

I like how Regina is becoming a symbol of hope for the marginals. Still, she is in constant danger of betrayal or capture. I am looking forward to continuing the story in a week with book 2, Vigilance.

(Martha Eskuchen, http://marthasbookshelf.blogspot.com/2016/06/book-review-and-tour-giveaway-regina.html)

4* Review Rebel Within

Posted on May 4, 2018 by flwq1578

The Rebel Within has a different feel to it. It’s not your ‘typical’ young adult dystopian. While it fits the dystopian category, it has a more science fiction feel to it. It’s about a society that is run by women and men are turned out or imprisoned.

I loved that Annabelle questions things and pushes to find out more about things. At the same time she works to be cautious so that she doesn’t put her family in danger. She’s cautious, but doesn’t let people walk all over her. In this book she’s discovering a lot of truth but finding she can’t take much action on her own. She’s a strong and bold character and I really enjoyed reading about her.

The world was pretty easy to picture, though maybe not so easy to imagine. Not that it’s far out there, but it’s hard to imagine that men would ever be pushed that far and no longer be part of society at all. But it really makes you think a lot about how things aren’t black and white. I know I often think of the villains as being male, but it’s not always the case. In this book there are lots of females that aren’t good people, but there are some that are.

It’s been awhile since I read the book so it’s hard to get specific about things, but the thing that stood out to me the most was how much it really made me think about things and assess what the future could hold. Maybe it’s not as drastic as in this book, at least not in my lifetime, but it’s not exactly headed in the right direction either. Or maybe it is, and we’re focusing on the wrong aspects. Either way, to me this book is definitely worth reading, just to see some things from a totally different angle.

(Candace’s Book Blog, http://www.candacesbookblog.com)

Review: Endurance

Posted on April 27, 2018 by flwq1578

I really like this series. Endurance is the fourth book in the Regina Shen series.

Lance Erlick’s writing flows well and his descriptions are great. He has the ability to make you feel like you’re actually there.

Regina Shen only has one goal: to save her sister from the Department of Antiquities; however, she’s beginning to think that there’s more to her destiny once she does save her sister. Regina continues to grow as a character and is a very strong young woman.

There is so much corruption in the Federation that no one can be trusted. Inspector Demarco is close to losing her job to Volpe, who was once her inferior, and instead of working together to find Regina, they’re each trying to find her first. Regina knows she can’t trust either one of them but sometimes it’s necessary to choose the lesser of two evils. But will that work out for her?

I really like this series. It is full of action and suspense and this book had several twists. I’m hoping there’s another book to come.

(bound7escape.com)

4* Review Resilience

Posted on April 6, 2018 by flwq1578

This was a different read for me and I’m glad that I took a chance on this unique take on a world without men.

I was hooked from the start, the world building was fantastic and it drew me in a way that had me thinking I was watching a movie.

I was so-so on Regina at first, but she soon grew on me and has become one of my fav charters of the year, not only her but Wendy was well. I loved their stringent, bravery and loyalty. Regina is a fire cracker and isn’t afraid to back down.

I don’t want to give anything away, this was a short read but an outstanding one. The world is rich, sinister, and gets your mind thinking about the what if’s.

I highly recommend this book, it will change the way you look at an all-woman world. I can’t wait to dive into the next installment.

Happy Reading

(E.A. Walsh, http://dontjudgeread.blogspot.ca/p/regina-shen-series.html)

4* Review Rebel Within

Posted on March 5, 2018 by flwq1578

I can’t say too much about the plot without spoiling it so I’m just going to go with what I thought! The Rebel Within was a really unique and somewhat fascinating read. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book where the females rule and the males are on the run!! I’m all for girl power and this takes it a step forward.

Annabelle was an awesome character. She is strong, tough, smart but also kind and compassionate. In a world where women think men as nothing more than things to be hated, Annabelle finds herself questioning everything. She hates the thought of hurting any boy or man but how can she do anything else? She has been drafted into the Mechs, an elite group of women who patrol and police the Outlands. Mechs are meant to capture men, they are meant to release them into the Outlands and make sure none enter their lands, but Annabelle doesn’t want to be one of those! She longs to meet a boy and find out exactly what they are. I loved her inner strength and her need to be the best.

There are quite a few characters in the book but each adds something to the overall feel of The Rebel Within. Sam is the epitome of a strong independent woman. She trains the Mechs and pushes them all to be the best. Dara is the main competitor for Annabelle in the Mech competition. She is a huge aggressive girl and I found it hard to like her. Yet she pushes Annabelle to always be and do more. Then we have Annabelle’s sister, Janine. Annabelle will do anything to protect her from harm. She doesn’t want Janine joining the Mechs because its not a place for a softhearted girl. I really liked their relationship and the trust Janine has in Annabelle.

I liked the idea of the Rebel Within, an all-female society where women are trained to become the strongest, toughest cops out there. Men are all forced to wear collars and are used for what the women need. You may think it would be everything any women needs, but not so. They are ruled with an iron fist. There is no joy in the world as such, the Union doesn’t allow any loud music, any additives like salt or sugar is banned and its all Union regulations for everything. This is why Annabelle longs for more and I could totally relate to her in that.

I did have a few things about the book that stopped me from enjoying it more. They were only minor though, like Annabelle’s’ fascination with Morgan. She only sees him 2 or 3 times yet she thinks about him constantly. I know she has never met a boy but I do think it was a little overboard! I also wanted to know more about the Underground movement and what Annabelle’s mum had to do with them. We could of done with a little more of the boys perspective in this as well. We see glimpses of them fleeing but we never get to meet one or see what they were doing. As I said only minor things and they didn’t detract from the story that much.

So overall, I really enjoyed the Rebel Within. It’s an action packed and tense read and a solid start to the series. The training of the Mechs was really well described and very scary stuff. The poor girls go through an awful lot to become Mechs. The characters as well were well developed and for the most part likable. There are a lot of unanswered questions and I’m hoping we get the answers in future books. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next for Annabelle and hope to see more of the Outlands.

(http://bookloverslife.blogspot.ie/2014/10/the-rebel-series-by-lance-erlick-blog.html)

Update & New Promotion

Posted on October 26, 2017 by flwq1578

Since June 2016, I’ve been dealing with my brother’s stroke, getting him moved closer and managing his care. For much of 2017, I’ve been helping my mother deal with her cancer diagnosis. While my brother’s situation has stabilized and my mother appears to be in remission, both responsibilities have taken me away from writing, social media/posting, and promoting my stories. It couldn’t be helped. I’m still trying to balance competing obligations.

I do have a new series, drafted prior to my brother’s stroke and slated to come out next May through Kensington Publishing Corp. Stay tuned for the new adventure.

In the meantime, we’re happy to announce that we will be having a 99 cent ebook promotion on the first book in the Rebel series on October 28, 2017.

If you haven’t read it already, this would be a good opportunity to pick it up for under a buck at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. For other outlets, see sidebar.

5* Review Vigilance

Posted on July 7, 2017 by flwq1578

Regina is such a strong character that I initially thought she was going to have more trouble fitting in at the University. But thankfully she has some professors helping keep her out of the line of those looking for her. But besides seeing how Regina has grown and how she is better prepared for this fight was seeing how the Federation is run. Here Regina is told all of these stories and everyone thinks that it would be better than stuck in the swamp. But the inside is not any better than where Regina came from.

I love how this series is progressing. I really cheered for Regina and hoped that she rescued Colleen even though everything was stacked against her. I am definitely excited to start reading Defiance.

(https://jbronderbookreviews.com/2016/07/26/vigilance/)

5* Review Resilience

Posted on June 23, 2017 by flwq1578

Think Hunger Games. Think in the future (way future) and battle for survival. The rich survive while the poor fight for their lives to be… well, the last one standing.

Let me set the scene…

The inner circle is surrounded by a giant wall. Have you ever watched the Avatar cartoon? The “big city” is surrounded by this giant wall to keep the outside world out, separate from the inside world. That’s what we have here.

On the inside is the “worthy”. BUT, they are all women. No men. The world is run by women. “Grand Old Dames” to be exact. Hundreds of years old Grand Old Dames because technology.

On the outside is “swamp” with the residents being called “swamp rats”. Again, no men. All women. (Men no longer exist, sorry guys!)

Resilience essentially follows Regina going through a severe thunderstorm that floods the entire swamp, losing her family and everyone else they knew.

While trying to survive the swamp and all that comes with it, the flooding, and losing everything (family, home and belongings) she now must remain out of the reach of the Antiquities from the “inner city” who want her unique DNA for breeding.

I thoroughly enjoyed following Regina’s adventures and escapes as well as her creativity. I look forward to reading the next books in the series to see what happens to her along the way!

(by Lela at http://lifeasleels.com/regina-shen-resilience-book-1/)

Interview–Regina Shen 4

Posted on June 9, 2017 by flwq1578

What would you like readers to know?

I hope readers will enjoy taking the journey with Regina Shen as much as I have. She is an entirely different character than Annabelle from the Rebel series. Aside from living three hundred years apart, I can’t help wondering how the two would react to each other. Annabelle is kick-ass. Regina Shen is as book-smart, in a world that bans books, as she is swamp and life-smart at such a young age. She is fifteen in the first book and seventeen in books two and three. Maybe one of these days they will meet.

Interview–Regina Shen 3

Posted on May 26, 2017 by flwq1578

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

Regina Shen has grown up on the outside, at the bottom of the official caste system. Yet, her tough upbringing has given her strength to endure what she must to survive, help family, and achieve her goals. Giving up isn’t an option for her. She’s resilient, vigilant, and defiant in protection of what matters to her: family and friends.

Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

In a sense, everything writers write reflect experiences and research in some mix. Research fills in details of place and circumstance, but I believe the emotional aspects come from the heart. Having moved as much as I have, I’ve had to start over from the bottom rung of each new society I moved into. Perhaps the resilience, vigilance, and defiance I find in Regina are in some part derived from these experiences.

Interview–Regina Shen 2

Posted on May 12, 2017 by flwq1578

Do you have a specific writing style?

My writing style varies from story to story. Of my published stories, Rebels Divided was the first written. I did extensive notes on world building, some sixty thousand words. I also heavily outlined because I had two storylines I needed to have come together and I wanted to make sure they worked before I wrote. Rebels Divided is now the third book in the Rebel series. I next wrote The Rebel Within, or should I say Annabelle dictated it to me, often in the middle of the night. She had a story to tell and I was the vehicle. It helped that I’d already fleshed out the world. I did virtually no outline, but from the beginning I knew how her story started, what her major hurdles would be and how it would end. The Regina Shen series began pretty much like The Rebel Within, driven by a strong character, a beginning, hurdles, and an end. The first story in the new series was the novelette (Regina Shen: Into the Storm). Like Annabelle, Regina wouldn’t leave me alone until I continued her story. Unlike the Rebel series, each book of which was written as a standalone novel, the Regina Shen novels were written from the beginning as a series. What I found after writing the first book and launching into the second, was that the more of the second I wrote, the more I had to go back and change the first. Thus, I waited until I’d completed all three books in the Regina Shen series before seeking publication.