In the Red

by Selah Janel

What kind of a rock star lives in a small town in the middle of nowhere and plays at weddings and funerals? Then Jack Scratch comes into his life, ready to represent him and launch him to stardom. Jack can give him everything: a new band, a new name, a new life, a new look, and new boots…although they aren’t exactly new. They once belonged to The One, a rocker so legendary and so mysterious that it’s urban legend that he used black magic to gain success. But what does Jeremiah care about urban legend? And it’s probably just coincidence that the shoes make him dance better than anyone, even if it doesn’t always feel like he’s controlling his movements. It’s no big deal that he plunges into a world of excess and decadence as soon as he puts the shoes on his feet, right?
But what happens when they refuse to come off?

Please note: This title is being prepared for republishing. Sorry for the inconvenience.

321 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 30, 2012

About the author

Selah Janel has been blessed with a giant imagination since she was little when she wondered if fairies lived in the nearby state park and worried that vampires hid in the old barns outside of town. Her appreciation for a good story was enhanced by a love of reading, the many talented storytellers that surrounded her, and a healthy curiosity for everything. A talent for warping everything she learned didn’t hurt, either.

She gravitates to writing fantasy and horror but has a deep love of children’s and YA literature and can be convinced to pursue any genre if the idea is good enough. Often her stories feature the unknown creeping into the “real” world and she loves to find the magical in the mundane.

Her first title ‘Mooner’ is a historical, vampire-centric horror story from No Boundaries Press. She will have stories included in upcoming issues of 'The MacGuffin,' 'The Realm Beyond,' and the 2012 Wicked East Press Anthology 'Bedtime Stories for Girls.' She also writes about women's roles and perceptions in genre fiction and film for the Fandom Fest blog Fandom Scene.

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I reviewed In the Red for First Class books. I have to say this is really 3.5 stars. In the Red is about a guy, Jeremiah Kensington, who has big dreams and the drive to do whatever he can to fulfill them. That drive can be a double edged sword; both good and bad can come from it.
It is based off a Hans Christian Anderson fairy tale, The Red Shoes. Jeremiah comes from a small town, but has big dreams of making it big as a Rock Star legend. This story follows him as he makes life altering choices, with his manager Jack Scratch, to become that legend.
Overall, I liked the concepts of the book. First, you have the rise and fall of a man as he is made something. Power and drugs cloud his mind, leading to some very bad decisions. I found myself cringing from time to time with how hard he was hitting it to feed his ambitions, that grew as he rocketed higher and higher.
Second, I liked the way that Selah Janel dove into the constant battle waging between good and evil. Everyone has this battle to some degree, but Jeremiah’s was brought to light in such vividness, where it was all about how a person chose to handle it.
I didn’t like the lengthiness of it. Some details were drawn out that I found myself skipping a few sentences, sometimes even a paragraph or two, and it would still be the same scene. There were other characters I would have liked to hear more about, such as Beatrice and Deuce. Selah did an AMAZING job bringing nightmares in full view though. I also found I was getting very irritated with Jeremiah about how he was so naïve to things in the beginning. The writing was very good and the story line was interesting. It just took too long to get to crucial points. With editing, this story could have some major potential.

[Katrina Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the Red by Selah Janel

The book is based off of the fairy tale, The Red Shoes by Danish author and poet, Hans Christian Anderson.

I loved the overall storyline. Good v. Evil. This is the story is about a small town boy who wants to make it to the big time. Question is...does he have what it takes and what is he willing to do and give up in order to get there?

When the opportunity opens up for Jeremiah, he strikes and runs with it. As the story progresses you see the turmoil and struggles of Jeremiah as various challenges arise as he climbs higher and higher up the ladder of success. With real life battles brought to the table along with plenty of supernatural demons and evil, blood guts and gore, you have a front row seat to an amazing read. The story practically jumps out the page at you and pulls you back in.

While liking the overall storyline, I have to admit that I forced myself to finish the book. Mind you, the writing was good but it took so long to where it was going. I found a lot of the book to be that way, and have to say that I caught myself skipping through a good portion of those parts until I could get progressing through the story. Those were some major dragging parts. Overall though the book is worth your attention and time. Enjoy the ride.

[Breath of Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Review:
Well I will get this out of the way, there is some foul language in this book. Not a lot but just enough that I again count it.

Now with that being said. Author Selah Janel is one amazing author. Her writing is, lets say, Out there! I loved the story line and the characters.

This book is for adults who love to read about some mystery, unexplainable tall tales that were told or real and possible stretched way out. But let me tell you this. Rather from real stories or made up the characters here are so well written that you will believe.

Author Selah Janel has taken magic, show biz, her writing and made it seem so real that you are in the front row and mesmerized right along side the other audience members.

So grab hold of your fantasy and get into this book and read it for yourself. Which side of the stage will you be on?

So due to the above I am giving this book a Breath of Life Rating of:

Four Clock Rating!!!

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review. The opinions are mine. And your opinion may differ.

[Alexandra Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far this book is fantastic. I'm in love with the descriptions and the hook of the main character.