Blog Archives
Saving Mathis
Saving Mathis is the second installment in the Cyborg Reborn series, which follows the story of Mathis, the head medic on a cyborg ship called Freedom. His past is riddled with the trauma inflicted upon him by humans over many centuries. However, despite this horrendous mistreatment from the Human Alliance, Mathis vows never to harm a human or any species considered weaker than cyborgs. Instead, he practices healing and strives for a life of peace after having escaped his ruthless captors.
Mathis adapts to life on the Freedom ship. He enjoys an existence without human contact until an unexpected event involves the rescue of a dozen human survivors from another ship, where they were held captive and impregnated by an alien species. This development poses a risk to the lives of twelve vulnerable humans saved from the Vesperian ship, and there is also a shift in priorities. Mathis’ focus quickly shifts to these women, who hold no power or future in this cold, robotic world of cyborgs and patriarchal rule. Without any memory of the traumatic events before the rescue, Tara, one of the twelve women, must rely on Mathis and his assurance of her safety, despite an uncertain life where women have few rights.
Throughout the book, the author reels readers in with vivid imagery, electric action, and a palpable feeling of dread, all while delving into the developing relationship between Mathis and Tara. Tara adjusts to a new world after waking from a coma and finds herself helpless and unlikely to survive. She must navigate her feelings and strategize how to live in this new world. I found her journey to be so compelling. Readers will find her endearing but capable and this dichotomy is explored in interesting ways in the story. As a survivor of human cruelty, Mathis, too, must find peace in this new life and decide if he can trust again. He is a character that has surprising depth and I found myself paying very close attention when he was on the page because I was deeply intrigued by his personality.
Saving Mathis offers a riveting sci-fi tale of survival and perseverance in a futuristic world where darkness and inequality reign, but a glimmer of hope shines through from the unlikeliest of species. Denna Holm’s writing is sharp and engaging, ensuring readers quickly lose themselves in this epic science fiction drama. Saving Mathis is a fantastic cyberpunk space opera that delivers some thought-provoking ideas in an entertaining story.
Pages: 353 | ASIN: B09VK943KN
Into A Possible Future
Silvano’s Redemption follows an Earth woman and a cyborg as they fight for the freedom of cyborgs while finding romance between them. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
I’ve always been fascinated by the thought of cyborgs. Would they still be considered human or not? How much of their bodies would have to be replaced before they aren’t considered human? For this story, I wanted to send women from our time into a possible future where cyborgs exist. I wanted them to see how far the human race had fallen. I also wanted to touch on who should be blamed when we are dealing with evil people in charge of society. Silvano and the other cyborgs hate all humans when this story begins. They have been severely abused, but they slowly come to realize through Tessa and the other women that not all humans are evil. Is there a point where Silvano can learn to let go of past abuse? If he can’t, then he might be missing out on a brighter future with Tessa. Life can be difficult, but I wanted to bring across that there is always hope for a better tomorrow.
Did you create an outline for the characters in the story before you started writing or did the characters personalities grow organically as you were writing?
I’m not very good at outlining. I know where I want my story to start, and I know where I want it to end. I basically follow where my characters want to take me in the middle. They rarely let me down.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
….Listening with an open mind rather than be judgmental. Forgiveness, redemption, courage, love, perseverance.
What can you tell readers about the next book in the series and when will it be available?
“Saving Mathis” is available for pre-order now. It will be released on May 10th. Questions concerning Tessa’s sister Tara will be answered in this book. We will also be given a hint as to where these cyborgs, the women, and their children are headed for. The full story will be slowly revealed throughout the series.
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Tessa and her twin sister Tara are abducted from Earth by aliens that resemble man-sized lizards to be used for breeding. They are rescued from the lizards by these strange, emotionless beings who claim to be Cyborgs. Tessa isn’t sure what to think about the stern commander but can’t deny she finds him as attractive as she does terrifying.
Things heat up between Tessa and Silvano when he is forced to use her to lead a traitor Cyborg away from his ship.
**Standalone Story. No Cliffhangers.**
Silvano’s Redemption
Tessa wakes up and finds herself in a strange ship surrounded by robots and lizards. When Silvano, a cyborg commander of the space vessel Freedom, rescues her, tension quickly builds between them. Follow these star-struck lovers as they go on a thrilling adventure in space.
For thousands of years, the human alliance has held cyborgs like Silvano as enslaved people. Now they are trying to hunt Silvano down. While on the run, Silvano and Tessa develop a relationship despite their differences. The alliance wants the cyborgs under their control and will stop at nothing to ensure humans are in control. Will Silvano and Tessa be able to defeat the alliance and live happily ever after?
Silvano’s Redemption by Denna Holm is a steamy, action-filled, suspenseful novel that you will not want to miss. Holm’s work immerses the reader completely into this cyborg-filled futuristic world. This well-written book does contain some graphic scenes between the characters in a few parts, but they do not overrun the story.
Holm’s worldbuilding skills are fantastic, giving readers a look at our possible future. The details of the physical environments and the social and political climate make this world highly believable. The characters are exceptionally well written, and the tension between Tessa and Silvano grows as the reader learns more about them. I definitely found myself attracted to the commander at one point or another.
As for the ending, I would have liked to of known more about what happens with Tessa and Silvano. I felt the author left a lot of loose ends; perhaps there is a second novel in the works. I feel like there were characters on the Freedom that have a story of their own to tell.
Silvano’s Redemption is an imaginative cyberpunk science fiction novel that will take readers into a reality that is not entirely improbable. The fact that this reality could happen will have readers on edge with the action and adventure of an intergalactic chase. As the main characters struggle with figuring out the budding romance between them, questions of morality and the direction of the future will have to be answered.
Pages: 440 | ASIN : B09V8919CB
Wrath of Justice
Wrath of Justice by author Denna Holm dives into a bleak future where many people sacrifice nearly everything they have just to survive. It’s a world where food is limited, and raising a family isn’t an option for most people in a global wasteland. As a result, many parents make the difficult decision to sell one or more children, or make a deal with demons, to secure a better chance in life. For some, an adventurous, dangerous path is the ticket to salvation.
If you’re looking for an exciting indulgence, Wrath of Justice will keep you engaged from the very start. The story centers around Justice, who finds himself sold to a run-down brothel, where he’s destined to exist among the most brutal layer of society. His only chance of escape is an offer from a hunter, where he faces a new level of darkness. However, he finds a glimmer of hope and love throughout his journey between demons and debauchery.
This story weaves through the layers of a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world that offers more beneath the surface, with more significant risks, facing demons, and a thirst for basic survival. Justice learns more than he bargains for, and his life takes unexpected turns when he joins forces with Michael Santos. The characters are well developed and captivating, weaving a thrilling narrative through a dark future with a few plots twists. I enjoyed the pace and vibrant contrast of witches, demons, and brave characters weaving through a dreary landscape with lots of surprises.
Wrath of Justice is a thrilling novel that combines paranormal romance with action and suspense. This engaging book moves along quickly, with lots of steamy tension and unexpected turns, so readers will want to keep going to see what happens next. Overall this is a well-crafted and exciting story.
Pages: 379 | ASIN : B09PWLCMC8
Claimed by Seraphym – Book Trailer
Samantha was only sixteen when her sister Abby took her on an exciting journey through space to live on a new planet. She couldn’t be happier, until her eighteenth birthday, when the king declares she must accept the claim of a Raiden warrior. No one will stand up for her right to choose a mate for herself, not even Abby, until a magnificent dragon shifter drops out of the sky, offering Sam sanctuary with his clan.
When Seraphym’s niece is abducted and claimed against her will by a sadistic Raiden prince, he vows to one day take vengeance against the House of Nekbet. Two years later, he witnesses another young female, this one human, fighting off the advances of a Raiden warrior. Seraphym can’t say no when Samantha begs him for help. He refuses to stand by and do nothing while another innocent life is ruined.
More Action, More Adventure, More Danger
Rise of a Warrior is book five in your Immortal Warriors series. Has the series developed as you had planned or has the series arc changed as you’ve published the books?
I had a general idea where I wanted the series to go when I started, but it has developed into something far more complex than originally planned. I started out just wanting to write a simple fantasy romance, but I soon found myself growing bored with the characters and story. In my mind they needed more. More action, more adventure, more danger, growth, and an underlying mystery to connect one book to the next. I love the challenge of creating a standalone story involving threads that will connect one book to another. Each book is centered around one particular couple, their journey as they face difficulties in their new relationship. Though we are left with unanswered questions at the end, I shy away from cliffhangers. The reader should feel as though they’ve been given a full story, but with a desire to learn more about what is going on behind the scenes.
What is something that you’ve learned as an author that has drastically changed your writing since book one?
Book one was a learning experience. I was still trying to find my own voice, my own style. Romance novels can be extremely difficult to get right, especially if there is an erotic element involved, and I worried about it coming across as shallow. In trying to keep the conflict and action at the forefront, I unintentionally shied away from the romantic aspect of the story, and I think it suffered for it, especially where romance readers were concerned. It made it hard to know what genre to place it under, action/adventure, paranormal romance, or science fiction. I knew I wanted to combine paranormal with science fiction romance, but I don’t think I quite pulled it off in book one, “Soul of a Warrior.” I found my stride with the romance in book two “Ghost Warrior.” It was here that the continuing threads of my plot really began. I only had a vague notion of it in book one, but book two doesn’t work as well without seeing where it all started. In book 3, “A Warrior’s Nightmare,” I began to figure out how to make them stand alone without losing the threads that will eventually tie them all together.
What is one romance trope that you try hard to break in your novels?
Rescue the damsel in distress trope. I started with this in book one and have been struggling to break away from it ever since. I want my female characters to stand on their own, as equals to their powerful mates. I think I succeeded with “Rise of a Warrior.” In my first four books, the female lead starts out coming across as frightened, weak, unsure of herself, and then finds her strength during her struggles. Carla starts out strong, knowing what she wants, and only grows stronger as they go along. Her mate must work hard to earn her love, trust and respect.
What can readers expect in book six of your Immortal Warriors series?
At the end of “Rise of a Warrior,” we bring in Jada Talbot, Bryce’s fated mate. Bryce plays a fairly large part in “Rise of a Warrior.” We first met Jada and Bryce in “Dark Warrior,” a novella. They did not have a happy first meeting and Jada has been fighting against their mating ever since. As we follow Jada and Bryce, we will learn more about the Djinn and Fae, more about their past relationships with the shifters and vampires, and where this all might be headed. I have a second series “Raiden Warriors” that is set in the same universe. Raiden warriors were allies to the Laizahlian when they first drove Djinn from Earth. In this next book, I plan to start drawing these two series together because they will need to join forces again if they want any chance of defeating the Djinn.
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Azrael, an ancient Hunter for the Laizahlian Council, is sent to Earth to track down three rogues from their world. What he doesn’t expect is to run into his lifemate. Azrael senses there is more than vampire blood running through Carla’s veins. He suspects a Djinn is involved, placing them both in great danger.
Their journey will thrust them both into the Fae realm, where Carla must rise up and fight the cruel queen who means to take Azrael as her own.
Rise of a Warrior
![Rise of a Warrior (Immortal Warriors Book 5) by [Denna Holm]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51tkStBD3zL.jpg)
Carla Trystan has spent her life running from monsters. She never understood why she was different, or why she didn’t age. She just followed her instincts and ran whenever she encountered someone that wasn’t human. Vampires, shapeshifters, Djinn and Fae are all involved in this mystery. Azrael is tracking down rogue shifters, and in this hunt, he runs into Carla, he knows instantly she is his one true mate. Carla only knows she is surrounded by monsters and needs to get away but stays to save the young coworker of hers that the rogue has taken hostage. From this point Carla is now part of hunting party. Azrael introduces her to the many supernatural beings that become involved in this much deeper plot than he or the council of Laizahlia ever expected.
This is the second book by Denna Holm I have read, Rise of a Warrior did not disappoint me at all. The novel starts out with Carla telling readers that she has to run again. You can feel the fear she has, but at the same time, her deep desire to protect her friends in the diner. The desire to protect humans is a Laizahlia trait that she is unaware of in her genetic makeup. Over the first few chapters we learn just how strong Carla is. Her need to run isn’t just fear, it is survival. Azrael finds her and she starts handing everything he throws at her in stride. Going from knowing there are monsters out there, to learning you are one is intense, and Holm lets the reader experience all of it with her detailed and precise writing style.
You can find hundreds of books out there on shapeshifters, vampires, fae, and other creatures, but Holm’s version of these beings feels fresh and different. She isn’t taking the same old character sheets and giving them new names, she instead has taken traditional “knowns” about these beings and enhanced them. They come to life more and are relatable in their thoughts and actions. This book is hard to put down because the characters are so engaging, and you get attached and want to know how things turn out. The plot line is complex and layered. It isn’t just a simple story; it builds as it goes and you uncover more and more players all twisted together. There is the building romance of Carla and Azrael, but I wouldn’t classify this as a romance novel, the relationship is just part of the story and mystery, not the end all destination.
While Rise of a Warrior is book five in this series, it stands on it’s own but leaves you wanting more. With so many plot lines twisted you know there will be more to explore, more questions to answer, and even some more romance to build.
Pages: 398 | ASIN: B08KLB36FX
The Abuse They’d Both Suffered
Claimed by Rafa is book two in your Raiden Warriors sci-fi series. What were some ideas that you wanted to introduce in this book that were different from book one?
In book 1, Claimed by Nicolai, I focused mainly on Raiden society, a patriarchal society. The warriors have been raised to appreciate females, but not necessarily respect them. When she is claimed against her will, Abby begins to show their prince the error of their ways—though she’s aware that nothing so set in stone like this will be easily changed. We begin Claimed by Rafa in much the same way, with Aaliyah, Abby’s best friend, being claimed against her will. In Rafa’s case, I’d hoped to not only get through to him how wrong it was to claim a female without getting her permission first, but to learn to empathize with Aaliyah’s unique situation. Aaliyah came from an abusive past, and anyone who has personal experience with sexual and/or physical abuse will tell you it isn’t something you just get over. You have to learn how to take charge of your life, which is easier said than done. I believe I found a way in Claimed by Rafa to get through to Rafa just how traumatizing abuse like Aaliyah suffered can be. In the same breath, I wanted to get across that there is always hope for a better tomorrow. We must learn to love ourselves before we can love others, and not let our past dictate the rest of our tomorrows.
I also wanted to get through in this story that everyone carries around excess baggage. Aaliyah was probably the most damaged by her past, but Rafa had troubles of his own, a past he didn’t want to face. He had to let Aaliyah inside his own defenses.
Aaliyah has had an abusive past and she was a character I empathized with. What were some sources that informed her character’s backstory?
I watch a show on television called “My 600 Pound Life.” It shocked me how many of these people suffered sexual abuse as children, and the devastating effect it had on their lives. Though I know they have a rough road ahead of them, I always find myself happy and excited when they start to take control of their lives. Aaliyah doesn’t turn to food because of her abuse, but she does put up thick walls. No one who goes through something like this will come out of it without scars. I find some of the worst scars people carry around are those to their psyche, not something others can easily see or understand. It was a challenge to figure out a way for Rafa to get through her defenses, but he couldn’t help her unless he began to understand the depth of the trauma she’d suffered.
What were some goals you set for yourself as a writer with this book?
I wanted to keep the focus on the building love and respect these two characters learn to have for one another, not necessarily the abuse they’d both suffered. I’m also building on a continuing plot that connects my Immortal Warriors series with this one. The Djinn, who are introduced in this story, are enemies of both sets of warriors. Aaliyah has a special connection to the Djinn that will carry over to future books.
What can readers expect in book three of your Raiden Warriors series?
In Claimed by Rafa we are introduced to Samantha, Abby’s vivacious younger sister. Her story will be told in Claimed by Seraphym, book 3 of Raiden Warriors. We first met Seraphym in book 1, Claimed by Nicolai. Seraphym is a dragon shifter whom a lot of my readers appeared to be fascinated with. We begin to learn a lot more about Abby and Samantha’s connection to the dragons in book 3. Samantha was a fun character. When she was younger, she used to dream about the day she would get claimed by a handsome Raiden warrior. Now that she’s grown, she will do everything in her power to escape it, even if it means asking for sanctuary from a dragon clan.
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LITERARY TITAN 