Blog Tour Reviews!

****Note***
There are quite a few of these reviews out there so it will take me a while to chase them all down. So keep checking back. Also, along with the CFBA, Never Ceese toured several other blogs tailored for fiction with a Christian slant. One is an off-shoot of CFBA called CFRB. They split from CFBA because they didn't agree with judging Christian fiction against a specific affiliations targeted guidelines. Yet with anything that splits, the one who keeps the most members wins. CFRB was a much smaller tour. Then there is the FIRST Blog Tour that also split from CFBA because they didn't believe in charging publishers to tour, stating that this sort of negated the whole ministry feel of the blog tour. FIRST managed to take a LOT of CFBA members is is a much larger blog tour. Much more open to non-affiliated Christian work as well. Both Never Ceese and Forever Richard toured CFRB and FIRST with wonderful responses. I'll be adding some of those links as well.

Ironically, neither Never Ceese or Forever Richard toured CSFF which is the Science Fiction/Fantasy side of CFBA. They don't charge the $500 dollars that CFBA now charges but they'll take the few CBA member books that come reeeeeal close to looking like they appeal to general market Christian Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Only sad thing is this tour is probably more bias than CFBA when it comes to the books it will take. Any book that doesn't come from a CBA member publisher gets the ax or undergoes such horrific scrutiny that an author will wonder why they even wrote the book. EGADS!!!

So anyway, YES! There will be more reviews added so keep checking back! ;D
**********


In December of 2006 Never Ceese toured the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Tour (CFBA) BEFORE it became exclusive to CBA member published books. Meaning if the publisher of the book submitted wasn't a fee-paying CBA (trade association) member they couldn't tour unless the book was held up and proven against CBA restrictive standards. At the time I toured it was also free for the publisher except for the books one had to give out. The fee is now $500 dollars the last time I checked and one still has to undergo scrutiny and meet CBA trade association standards if the publisher isn't affiliated. For the record I was told via email that because of the success of Never Ceese, a lot of request weren't sent by small non-affiliated Christian publishers to tour. I was also told that Forever Richard would not be allowed to tour when it came out. And it wasn't.

But I did get a grand reception from the wonderful bloggers and tons of reviews that many of you probably would never see if I didn't point you to them and so I will start linking now.

This is the standard review each blogger had to post if they didn't want to review it themselves but just wanted to read the book for free:
takes religious fantasy to a new level, bringing an entirely new Light to a very dark side of fiction, doing a very admirable job to prove that vampire/werewolf fantasy does not have to be evil to be enjoyed.

Never Ceese

The story starts with the classic tale of an English manor owned by Richard, the vampire who righteously is the bain of his neighbor's existence, what with the missing goats and all!

Then enters Cecelia, better known as Ceese, the young werewolf maiden who's arrived via invitation by Richard's aging companion, Penelope.

Ceese and Richard would prefer to tear each other apart, literally, but they are drawn together by their mutual love for Penelope. She is dying and has one request...that the two of them love one another.

This is the overall theme throughout Dent's interesting tale of two who were wronged but learn to work together. Meanwhile they are threatened by an evil stem cell researcher who wants the immortality and power that he thinks their blood will bring him!

Dent's characters do differ from the stock one's we're all accustomed to in a very important way. They are not mindless, brutal killers. Bloodthirsty, yes, but they are constantly resisting the urge to kill, and, thus, curse another human. Feeding on rodents, goats, virtually any warm-blooded animal helps to satiate the never ending thirst for blood, but how long will they be able to resist that most delicious morsel man?

There is a chance that their curses can actually be lifted if they can find the strength within to resist their selfish natures and act selflessly toward another. Will they succeed? That same basic choice lies before us all every day...

A vampire and a werewolf, one determined to, once again, be able to acknowledge what will get her to heaven, the other no so sure he can. A spiritual fantasy designed to spark the imagination, to speak to the heart as well as entertain.

And now for some links to some of those classic reviews:

David Meig's review was one of my favorite's and make sure you read the comments too. I met a LOT of wonderful readers through this tour. It's sad small pubbed authors can no longer tour without meeting strict CBA standards (you know, the ones that don't exist according to Eric Grimm. Sorry Eric but you need to do your homework.) Okay, here's David's wonderful review. By the way, love you David!!! Hope you're doing well.

http://dameigs.blogspot.com/2006/12/never-ceese-by-sue-dent.html

Absolutely loved this one by fellow writer Kris St. James:

http://thebookshelfreviews.blogspot.com/2006/12/never-ceese-by-sue-dent_7096.html

As well as this one by good friend Lauren Bombardier.

http://thebookshelfreviews.blogspot.com/2006/12/never-cees-by-sue-dent.html

Kevin Lucia did quite a few reviews and an interview or two:

http://thebookshelfreviews.blogspot.com/2006/12/never-ceese-by-sue-dent.html


Okay I'm going to cheat a little. This is from another Christian Blog Tour done Friday the 13th 2008 but I'm sliding it in here none the less because this blogger is also a blogger at CFBA:

http://deenasbooks.blogspot.com/2008/01/never-ceese-by-sue-dent.html

A review by Melissa Meeks:

http://bibliophilesretreat.com/2008/04/08/never-ceese-by-sue-dent-my-review/


Sean Slagle's review for CFBA:

Never Ceese by Sue Dent

Never Ceese is a wonderful story about a cursed vampire and werewolf. The werewolf is determined to once again acknowledge what will get her to heaven. The vampire is not so sure he can. The central characters of the story are intriguing and the story line pulled me in from the beginning. Even late at night, when I was ready for bed, I had a hard time putting in down. I love stories that pull me into their world and suspend time and reality while I walk with the characters. Sue Dent is an excellent writer that creates a world that is terrifying and believable at the same time.

The werewolf has always been symbolic. In this case, it’s the fallen state of humanity and how we are all born under a curse. We have to find our way out of the curse and into the loving arms of Christ. That’s why this story works so well on more than one level. I’m glad someone has come along to show that even a dark story with typically evil characters can be Christ centered.

The sequel to Never Ceese is called Forever Richard. It will be coming out soon and continues the story of the vampire as he seeks redemption. Can a person who has cursed so many others still make it to heaven? I know he can, but will Richard find his way?