A Thin Slice of Heaven by P M Terrell is a ghostly love story in the haunted lands of Ireland. P M Terrell infuses a bit of her history into her historical fiction making it all seem possible…if you believe in ghosts.
I have been loving P M Terrell’s work since I read my first book of hers, Vicki’s Key. Her ability to spin a tale of magic and mystery never fails me.
A freak snowstorm is always a good start, then add a haunted castle in Belfast, and Charleigh, who is supposed to meet her husband there for their anniversary. Everything about the book makes me eager to dive in.
“What you see a’fore you there is my Thin Slice of Heaven.”
Immediately Charleigh is thrown into a world of parallel universes, traveling between the past and the present…and he is there at her side, feeling familiar, yet something is off.
As the story unfolds, the characters come alive, drawing Charleigh deeper into the past and as the twist is exposed, the pieces all come together. A love story that surpasses time, eternal.
As reenactments of the past unfold before her eyes, I feel the terror and horror of the townspeople, and the family that inhabits the castle who feel responsible for all of them. I love the P M Terrell incorporates so much history in many of her novels, whether it’s ghosts of esp. Her research is topnotch.
Do you believe in ghosts? Reincarnation? Love that crosses all boundaries of time?
I do love to get lost and let the author take me where they want to, so that I can walk in a character’s footsteps and P M Terrell’s novels allow her stories to come to life right before my eyes.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Thin Slice of Heaven by P M Terrell.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
She had arranged to meet
her husband in Northern Ireland for a second honeymoon, but when
Charleigh arrives at the remote castle, she receives a message that he
won’t be coming—and that he’s leaving her for another woman. Stranded
for the weekend by a snow storm that has blocked all access to the
castle, she finds herself three thousand miles from home in a country
she knows nothing about.
She is soon joined by Sean Bracken,
the great-grandson of Laird Bracken, the original owner of the castle,
and she finds herself falling quickly and madly in love with him.
There’s just one problem: he’s dead.
As the castle begins to come alive with secrets from centuries past, she finds herself trapped between parallel worlds. Caught up in a mass haunting, she can no longer recognize the line between the living and the dead. Now she’s discovering that her appearance there wasn’t by accident—and is more earth-shattering than she ever suspected.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
p.m.terrell
is the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning,
internationally acclaimed author of more than 21 books in four genres:
contemporary suspense, historical adventure/suspense, computer how-to
and non-fiction.
Prior to writing full-time, she founded
two computer companies in the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. Among
her clients were the Central Intelligence Agency, United States Secret
Service, U.S. Information Agency, and Department of Defense. Her
specialties were in white collar computer crimes and computer
intelligence, themes that have carried forward to her contemporary
suspense.
She has been a full-time author since
2002. Vicki’s Key was a top five finalist in the 2012 International Book
Awards and 2012 USA Book Awards nominee, and The Pendulum Files was a
national finalist for the Best Cover of the Year in 2014. The Tempest
Murders was one of four finalists in the 2013 International Book Awards,
cross-genre category.
Her historical suspense, River Passage,
was a 2010 Best Fiction and Drama Winner. It was determined to be so
historically accurate that a copy of the book resides at the Nashville
Government Metropolitan Archives in Nashville, Tennessee.
She is also the co-founder of The Book
‘Em Foundation, an organization committed to raising public awareness of
the correlation between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She
is the organizer and chairperson of Book ‘Em North Carolina, an annual
event held in Lumberton, North Carolina, to raise funds to increase
literacy and reduce crime. For more information on this event and the
literacy campaigns funded by it, visit www.bookemnc.org. She is also the founder of The Novel Business, mentoring authors in the business end and selling of books.
She sits on the board of the Friends of
the Robeson County Public Library. She has also served on the boards of
Robeson County Arts Council, Crime Stoppers and Crime Solvers and became
the first female president of the Chesterfield County-Colonial Heights
Crime Solvers in Virginia.
The eerie cover of Beneath London’s Fog by Ilona Caldwell makes me think of Jack the Ripper and ghosts. Are you creeped out yet?
Jonathon has made himself a prisoner in Raven Hollow Manor, along
with his daughter, Holly. He lost his love, Anna, but her ghostly
presence lingers.
His past is coming back to haunt him when a serial killer goes wild in the foggy nights of London.
He is able to transform himself and I loved it. He becomes a cat, a
Great Dane, or a mist in the night. Being immortal allows him to see
without being seen. He is very protective of Holly and struggles to
allow her some freedom. He is easily able to ‘spy’ on her, assuring her
safety. After all, he knows first hand the monsters that lurk in the
shadows. His oasis is by Anna’s gravesite. He reads Poe and Robert Frost
to her.
Holly knows that he is an immortal. Authors have the freedom to
create the immortal they want to portray, and I love Ilona Caldwell’s
version.
I begin to wish for his happiness, for him to move on and create a new life, without Anna.
Enter…Walter Deverough, a detective on the hunt. I wonder….I feel we’ll be seeing a lot more of him.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and SHE will scorch the earth with her need for revenge.
We, also, have Leland…a hero to the end.
Fast paced. Suspenseful. A vampire of a different color. Great world
building as I pictured him walking the streets of London, damp and
weary. Ilona Caldwell draws pictures with her words.
I voluntarily reviewed and ARC of Beneath London’s Fog by Ilona Caldwell.
4 Stars
Beneath London’s Fog Iona Caldwell Published by: FyreSyde Publishing Publication date: October 30th 2019 Genres: Occult Fiction, Ghost Story, British Literature
Jonathan is the immortal master of Raven Hollow Manor – a decrepit mansion riddled with superstition, murder and restless ghosts. Beneath it lies a restless malice.
Its previous owner driven mad, violently kills his guests with a rusted ax, creating the perfect venue for Jonathan to seclude himself in a prison of his own device.
When the streets of London begin to run red with blood; the bodies exhibiting disturbing signs and baffling wounds, the identity of the killer remains elusive to police.
The bodies are just the beginning of Jonathan’s troubles. A mysterious letter accusing Jonathan of committing the murders appear, raising suspicion in the police. Hidden beneath the mangled bodies, Jonathan soon realizes he is being forced to face demons he thought died in a forlorn past he attempted to escape.
One thing Jonathan knows for certain: He must deal with the demons of his past if he is to survive his future. Not only him but those he has come to love as well.
For fans of Jim Butcher, Stephen King, Darcy Coates and Nick Cutter.
I want it known before this tale begins – I am not a hero but a villain. I want no sympathy from whomever reads this recalling of my story; no mourning for the tragedy that befell my life. I am not an innocent man but a sinner forced to face the ravaging demons and ghosts of his own creation.
My story began as many do – a lie, a fire and murder. One of my kind murdered the woman I loved in the coldest of blood in one of history’s darkest times at the behest of a possessive noble.
After a run in with him in Nottingham, I soon found myself fleeing for my life from hunters, framed for a murder I had not committed.
Forgive me, I am getting ahead of myself.
Let me begin where this part of my story took place.
A bloody civil war ravaged London followed shortly by the Great Fire in 1666. A glorious time for me and those like me to take advantage of the chaos and remain hidden in the shadows.
I managed to pursue the one responsible for nearly getting me killed two centuries prior to the plague which befell London before the fire.
Within the shadows of the flickering flames of St. Peter’s Cathedral, I struck him down and departed the city, thus avoiding my demise.
I had yet to escape him, however, when his vengeful spirit devoured the souls of the innocent in a mad bloodlust.
Though greatly injured, I managed to drive his spirit to my new home Raven Hollow Manor in London, imprisoning him in stone coffin in the crypt beneath it.
Peace resumed in my life and nobles of all kinds enjoyed lavishly hosted parties within the halls of my estate.
Unfortunately, the short lived splendor at the hands of the hauntings filled the ears of the locals and my beloved home decayed into a tangled web of blood-filled rumors and superstition.
My once glorious halls became infested with dust, its crystal chandeliers covered with cobwebs, their spiders fat on the insects buzzing around the decay and mold-covered wallpaper.
Yet, there I remained as it proved a decent place to not only contain my greatest sin but served also as a castle of solitude.
The tides of time swept by in a cacophony of modernization and the movement from superstition to things only mortal science could explain.
I still needed to venture into the city, not only to feed but also to purchase other items needed for everyday living.
It wasn’t until the winter of 1910 that my silence would be disrupted in the form of a girl named Holly, a young street urchin accused of theft. I took her with me after using a bit of “persuasion” on the local officers to let her go.
They did not need to know where I would take her and she soon grew into a wonderful messenger on my behalf. She became a rather attractive young woman with bouncy blonde curls who kept me company with stories of what went on in the city.
I am sure, at one time, she became infatuated with me. It did not surprise me. To mortals, my kind held a certain allure they found difficult to ignore. I ended her infatuation quickly following a stern talking to and dousing with cold water.
One day, while in my labyrinthine garden, Holly came to me in tears.
When the people of London learned where Holly lived, the townsfolk dubbed her a practitioner of black magic.
One day, I found Holly sitting on one of the marble benches in the garden, sobbing. I picked a flower and put it in my daughter’s hair, sitting next to her beneath the statue of a praying angel.
“You need not worry about them, dearest. Mortals are always quick to place labels on what they do not understand.”
Holly sniffled and sobbed, wiping her nose and offering me a smile. “But why do they avoid this place, Jonathan?”
“Mortals fear what they cannot comprehend. Pay them no mind. You are a wonderful young woman,” I purred, brushing a blonde curl from her face.
The words appeared to have placated her as she smiled and joined me in a moonlight stroll through the garden.
***
Around midnight, after dinner with Holly, I dismissed her to bed. Once she departed, I sought out sustenance in the city.
A dense fog rolled in due to the cool winter weather and the recent days of rain.
Combined with the darkness of the streets and alleyways, I managed to meet a young working woman on the corner and wooed her into joining me for a walk to the park. As with other women, I made sure she understood I respected her body with gentle caresses and loving words murmured into her ears.
Once I placed her deep under my spell, I kissed the tender flesh of the woman’s throat and exposed shoulder, thanking her for her gift.
My fangs pierced her flesh, earning a moan of pleasure as her body surrendered its precious life force without any significant damage. Her body pressed against mine, her moans increasing with pleasure at my kiss.
I preferred this method to those of many of my other brethren who tore their victims apart during a feeding, choosing power to subdue instead of sexual allure.
When signs of weakness began manifesting I released my hold, picking her up after licking the small puncture wounds, my saliva healing them, leaving no marks or scars.
To assure she received care, I took her to the nearest hospital and deposited her on the steps without anyone noticing.
As always, I used hypnotic suggestion to erase her memory and leave her with a pleasant dream.
During the wee hours of the morning, I tended to enjoy the calls of the birds and the chirping of the crickets to help relieve the burden on my mind.
Not a soul roamed the streets near the bridge where I liked to sit and write poetry or read a book.
In the midst of the silence, a horrifying shriek caught my attention, almost startling me.
My pupils narrowed to those one might see in a viper or a cat. I let my body dissipate into the form of a black mist, hovering over the city in search of the source of the scream.
I found it in the shape of the body of a mangled man.
The whites of his eyes consumed most of the portion of the glossy orbs in his skull, mouth gaped open mid-scream.
I knelt before him, my own brows furrowed in frustration at the recognition of the familiar puncture wounds on the man’s throat. This cannot be. No other has hunted here in centuries.
The disturbing find made something clear.
Many of my kind preferred not to hunt in one place occupied by another of higher status, or in another’s territory for that matter. We changed due to the growing number of human hunters who would kill any of us they came across.
Despite the city’s size, my reputation often kept others out of my hunting grounds, for which I remained grateful.
This new kill had been malicious.
If I allowed such behavior to continue, it could draw the attention of the hunters or the local police to my home.
Whomever the responsible party, I needed to locate them and have a word with them or kill them if necessary.
My eyes closed, a heavy sigh drawing up from within my lungs. I placed my fingers over the man’s eyes, using a gentle touch to close them. “Forgive whichever of us did this to you. You did not deserve to die in such a horrific manner.”
Searching through the pockets of his trench coat, I located his identification card and vowed to send some money and roses to his family.
Sounds of sirens and the calls of the corner watchmen announced the arrival of the authorities. I left them the man’s wallet so they could inform his family of their loss.
I lurked in the shadows listening to the inspectors scrutinizing the scene.
“Bloody mystery, it is. This is the second mangled body we found this week. One has to wonder if we might be witnessing the birth of another blighter of a serial killer.” One of the inspectors scratched his head beneath the dome shaped hat.
I recognized him as Bertrand Abrams, a well-known officer and one of the only men who aided Holly during her visits to town.
From his looks, one would expect him to hail from Scotland. A bushy mustache and stringy hair with the consistency of sheep’s wool held the color of fire. Dimples set into high cheekbones and a double chin made me smile. A portly belly betrayed his affinity for too many scones and perhaps Scotch.
He had been wrong. This death held no mystery. I merely needed to find the one responsible before it resulted in too much of a personal dilemma.
Following the release of the corpse to the medical examiner, I took the form of black mist and drifted back to Raven Hollow.
The beginnings of my night would be haunted by dreams of a past filled with love, vengeance and pain.
It would be filled with shining auburn locks and eyes the color of the fresh leaves of spring.
Author Bio:
Iona Caldwell is the lover of all things arcane, folklore, nature and magic.
She is the author of the British Occult Fiction, Beneath London’s Fog set to be published by FyreSyde Publishing October 2019. Her second title, Hell’s Warden is forecasted to release in February of 2020. When she’s not busy weaving worlds of the arcane and dark, she’s spending time out in nature. An avid lover of books, Iona claims her biggest inspirations are H.P Lovecraft, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Edgar Allen Poe.
She believes storytellers should tell the stories they want to tell. As such, most of her titles are stand-alone novellas she hopes will leave her readers immersed in magical worlds.
She is also an extremely active book blogger who will review primarily horror, suspense, supernatural thriller, mystery, and occult/gothic fiction.
Kendra is an author of mystery romance novels. A woman after my own heart. She is also a ghost whisperer. She doesn’t leave her comfort zone, whether in fashion or personality. That will all change when Jenna seeks her help
Jenna is her best friend and quickly becomes a ghost. Fantastic personality and I can relate to her. She is afraid for her FBI father and hangs around, refusing to go into the light. She wonders how Jenna could be her best friend and she not realize she was gay. It makes her question herself. Kendra’s mind just never went there.
The plot thickens and bodies fall.
Kendra will be working with Derek Knight, who Jenna was investigating the death of numerous FBI agents with. I feel a romance in the making. The attraction was quick and it developed rapidly, them being pushed together all day, every day.
Of course, I knew she would have to do something stupid, ignoring her intuition. It happens in all romantic suspense novels. It can be frustrating, but builds the suspense, knowing she’s in big trouble with a capital T.
Well, I was right about one thing, but it wasn’t the killer and it didn’t go down the way I thought. I love when an author can surprise me and keep me guessing. And…now I know.
There’s more to come in this series and I want to be there with the gang. I can imagine all the hoots, laughs and danger that will be coming their way.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Unorthodox by S Peters Davis.
4 Stars
Ghost-Riddance!
A short story by S. Peters-Davis
“Do you have any idea how long I’ve wandered around, waiting for someone to see me?” I studied her misshaped face. Her eyes read, ‘who gives a rip.’ A deep sigh later, I zoomed through the air to catch up with her. “So, what’s your name?” Something about her seemed familiar to me.
“Go find someone else to pester.” Only a short side-glance at me, and she hiked on, trekking through the forest, ever closer to where my bones lay.
“How long have you been able to communicate with the dead?” I would engage her, make her listen to my story, and why would that even matter? All of my family had long passed from this world. “Do you ever take a beat to rest?”
She stopped and glared at me. “If I talk to you for a minute, then will you leave me alone forever?”
“Forever?”
Her eyes misted over. “I’m not feeling friendly. I don’t wish to chat, and certainly not to a stranger. Can’t you see I’m upset?” A tear took a nosedive and slipped off her chin.
“Who’s responsible for your misery? I’ll haunt them ’til the end of time.” I stomped my foot, even though it made no sound and actually slipped below the ground surface for a second.
She laughed. Her voice rose above the birdsong and then ricocheted off the trees eerily like a haunted forest. She fell to the ground with uncontrolled gasps and guffaws of laughter. Her eyes leaked a lot as she rolled half in and half out of the ground, and then suddenly, she stopped with a hiccup. Her brilliant blues swept over me. She sat up with her legs stretched out in front of her.
“I meant what I said, not a joking matter haunting someone ’til the end of time.” I folded myself to the ground beside her, arms crossed over my chest to impress my seriousness on her.
Her full, shapely lips stretched into a smile. “So, why are you stuck in the forest? Who are you anyway?”
“Landus James, at your service.” I reached my hand toward her, and she grabbed it. My eyes went wide as did my mouth that we could actually touch each other.
“Yea, so…what does one ghost say to the other?” She grinned and stood.
I followed suit, rising from the ground as I recognized those lovely blues staring back at me. “Zee?” I held her at arms-length. “How? Why?”
“You’re not the only one wandering through this forest in search of your significant other.” She studied me, scanning. “What happened to you? Half of your face is gone.”
“It is?” I touched my cheeks, feeling raw tissue and bone on the right side of my face. Something I’d never been able to do before now. What a nightmare I must look like after being mauled by a grizzly. “I had no idea my spirit-self would be portrayed as I must have appeared in death.” I studied her face, parts swollen, discolored, and gory. “What happened to you?”
“Someone attacked me from behind. I don’t know who as I lost consciousness with the first blow to the back of my head. I had gone looking for you the next morning. You had taken the gun long before nightfall, looking for supper while I set up our camp.” She looked around me, her focus on the ground underneath the branches of a big oak tree, where my bones rested. “All this time I’ve been looking for you, and there you are.” Her attention drifted back to me. “Let’s go bless your bones, then I’ll show you where mine lay to rest.”
We ambled over to the tree. Zee spoke the words, “Blessed are those who live in love.” She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the south. “Let me take you to where I lay so you may speak a blessing for me.”
We moved with the wind as it hurled us between the trees and shrubbery. My heart lifted to heights it hadn’t visited for many centuries. Our fingers entwined a little tighter as we passed through miles of wooded terrain. Then suddenly, Zee drew my body closer, we slowed and settled beneath a huge walnut tree.
“Here I am,” she said, looking toward the ground.
Her remains resonated within my spirit, and I knew exactly where she lay. “You lay here.” I bent to touch the earth, and my hand vanished below the surface. “Blessed are those who live in love.”
As soon as the last word left my lips, everything went dark, and I wondered if I’d gone to hell…
* * *
My body shook incessantly to the words, “Wake up. Wake up right now! Landus, please wake up.”
I opened my eyes to Zee. Her lovely unmarred face hovered above mine, the sun creating a halo around her beautiful blonde hair. “Where are we?” I asked, raising to my elbows and looking around. The forest appeared the same.
She pinched me.
“Ouch. Why’d you do that?” I stared at her, noticing how beautiful she looked. How fresh and alive her cheeks blushed.
She started laughing like before.
The brambles, sticks, and dirt poked into my forearms, and I sat to brush it off, realizing I could actually feel the outside world.
My breath sucked in, my lungs filled, I breathed.
“We get a second chance, darling.” Zee settled on my lap, her lips gently finding mine.
I responded, fervent for more but not fully understanding how we could be together after being apart for so long.
She pressed her body against mine. Her heart thrummed against my chest.
We were alive.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she drew back, licking my lips as we parted. “I want you right now, right here.”
I sucked in another breath, fully aroused and on fire for her. “Blessed are those who live in love.”
“Ghost riddance,” she muttered against my lips and then proceeded to rip my shirt from my body.
Unorthodox
A
Kendra Spark Novel
Book One
S. Peters-Davis
Genre: Paranormal
Suspense-Thriller Romance
with a good dollop of
Supernatural
Publisher: Books We Love
Publishing
Date of Publication: September
15, 2017
ASIN: B073MZZPVM
ISBN 978-1-77362-303-0
Number of pages: 153 pages
Word Count: 63,000
Cover Artist: CoverUp.Net
Book
Tagline:Kendra’s ability of
communicating with the dead is requested by her FBI criminal analyst friend to
stop a killer from murdering agents.
Series
Tagline: Kendra sees ghosts, and then her BFF, Jenna, becomes one. The two
friends and FBI agent Derek Knight fight for justice to the victims of heinous
crimes.
Book Description:
Kendra Spark, suspense-mystery
romance author and communicator with the dead, is requested to hop on the first
flight to D.C.
Jenna Powers, FBI criminal
analyst and estranged best friend of Kendra, gets ghosticized in a fatal
accident before relaying all the details of the FBI killer case.
Derek Knight, a dedicated FBI
Special Task Force agent, takes lead on the case.
The investigation into the FBI
agent killings continues as Kendra, Jenna – yes, even after death – and Derek
work together on the case before Director of the Special Task Force Jackson
Powers’ number is up. He’s Jenna’s father and the end-game of the killer’s
target list.
Somehow the elusive killer
remains undetected, until Kendra’s unique ability produces results and a final
possibility at stopping his killing spree before it’s too late.
Tagline: Trafficked girls marked to lose their souls by a malevolent
supernatural entity require someone with explicit abilities for their rescue.
Will Kendra be able to save them?
Book Description:
Kendra Spark, suspense-mystery
writer and communicator with the dead, signs on to the next FBI Special Task
Force case, trafficked girls that are marked to lose their souls.
Jenna Powers, ghostified criminal
analyst, sticks close to the case as she and Kendra are also marked by the same
malevolent supernatural force.
Derek Knight, lead FBI Agent on this
case, learns of the malevolent entity and the deeper paranormal realm of
danger.
Kendra’s unfiltered feelings for
Derek struggle to take a backseat, and as the menacing threat grows more
intense, so does her passion for Derek.
Derek faces uncertainties he’s
never dealt with in his past, like malicious entities and the loss of his heart
to love. How can he protect Kendra against forces he can’t see?
As boundless supernatural danger
intertwines with the future reality of the trafficked teens, Kendra and Jenna
realize only they can shoulder the rescue by calling in a voodoo priestess…
Tagline: A cold-case
investigation ends in facing the ultimate psychopaths, a highly-accredited
police director gone crime lord and a beautiful malevolent “albatross of a
spirit.”
Book Description:
Kendra Spark, Derek Knight, and
“ghosty” Jenna Powers, members of an FBI special task force, investigate a
cold-case and end up facing the ultimate psychopaths, a highly-accredited
police director gone crime lord and a beautiful malevolent “albatross of a
spirit.” Both want Kendra for her unique abilities but might settle for Jenna
instead.
Derek stops at nothing to keep
Kendra and Jenna safe, but what if the worst-case scenario happens, an
unstoppable villain and villainess of the dark plane that picks the earth plane
as their stomping ground?
S. Peters-Davis writes
multi-genre stories, but loves penning a good page-turning suspense-thriller,
especially when it’s a ghost story and a romance. When she’s not writing,
editing, or reading, she’s hiking, RV’ing, fishing, playing with grandchildren,
or enjoying time with her favorite muse (her husband) in Southwest Michigan.
As DK Davis, she also writes YA
and NA paranormal, supernatural novels that involve diverse and mature subject
matter.
The eerie cover of Beneath London’s Fog by Ilona Caldwell makes me think of Jack the Ripper and ghosts. Are you creeped out yet?
Jonathon has made himself a prisoner in Raven Hollow Manor, along with his daughter, Holly. He lost his love, Anna, but her ghostly presence lingers.
His past is coming back to haunt him when a serial killer goes wild in the foggy nights of London.
He is able to transform himself and I loved it. He becomes a cat, a Great Dane, or a mist in the night. Being immortal allows him to see without being seen. He is very protective of Holly and struggles to allow her some freedom. He is easily able to ‘spy’ on her, assuring her safety. After all, he knows first hand the monsters that lurk in the shadows. His oasis is by Anna’s gravesite. He reads Poe and Robert Frost to her.
Holly knows that he is an immortal. Authors have the freedom to create the immortal they want to portray, and I love Ilona Caldwell’s version.
I begin to wish for his happiness, for him to move on and create a new life, without Anna.
Enter…Walter Deverough, a detective on the hunt. I wonder….I feel we’ll be seeing a lot more of him.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and SHE will scorch the earth with her need for revenge.
We, also, have Leland…a hero to the end.
Fast paced. Suspenseful. A vampire of a different color. Great world building as I pictured him walking the streets of London, damp and weary. Ilona Caldwell draws pictures with her words.
I voluntarily reviewed and ARC of Beneath London’s Fog by Ilona Caldwell.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Jonathan is the immortal master of Raven Hollow Manor – a decrepit mansion riddled with superstition, murder and restless ghosts. Beneath it lies a restless malice.
Its previous owner driven mad, violently kills his guests
with a rusted ax, creating the perfect venue for Jonathan to seclude
himself in a prison of his own device.
When the streets of
London begin to run red with blood; the bodies exhibiting disturbing
signs and baffling wounds, the identity of the killer remains elusive to
police.
The bodies are just the beginning of Jonathan’s
troubles. A mysterious letter accusing Jonathan of committing the
murders appear, raising suspicion in the police. Hidden beneath the
mangled bodies, Jonathan soon realizes he is being forced to face demons
he thought died in a forlorn past he attempted to escape.
One
thing Jonathan knows for certain: He must deal with the demons of his
past if he is to survive his future. Not only him but those he has come
to love as well
ABOUT ILONA CALDWELL
My name is Iona Caldwell. I’m the author of the British Occult Fiction, Beneath London’s Fog set to be published by FyreSyde Publishing October 2019. When I’m not busy weaving worlds of the arcane and dark, I’m spending time out in nature. I love books. My biggest inspirations are H.P Lovecraft, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Edgar Allen Poe. I blog about many things but mostly everything bookish.
All of my novels are stand-alone novellas, each with a cast of people I hope my readers will come to love as much as I have.
I do accept reviews but they’re very selective and I urge you to check my review policy first.
P M Terrell writes some fabulous stories and just looking at the cover makes me want to enter those dilapidated gates and find out if Hayley will be the next victim or not.
P M Terrell writes some amazing stories and her historical fiction makes me feel as if I can see the ruins, hear the cattle, smell the crisp air, and feel the fear of Hayley as she tries to figure out what the ghost wants from her. I love to anticipate the adventure, a ghost or two, and a bit of an education.
Hayley had been researching her lineage online for a historical novel, and now it was time to make the journey to discover it for herself.
Ireland has a complex history and I have always been confused by it. P M Terrell explains things in a way that I can begin to understand. Religion is a touchy subject no matter where you live, pitting brother against brother.
P M Terrell has a marvelous ability to bring to life the characters surroundings with vivid descriptions. I can see the stone fences and the patchwork quilt of the countryside. I felt like I was walking the meadows and the ruins. Desolate, burnt to the ground, making me want to know what happened to the people that lived there.
Hauntings seem to fit right in with a rainy, misty, foggy Ireland that is steeped in a confusing, at times brutal history. Violence continues to this day.
At the end, wrapped in a pretty bow for a sometimes ugly story, Fergal put a tear in my eye and a smile on my face.
P M Terrell has history in Ireland and weaves fact and fiction seamlessly. If you are a fan of historical fiction, you will want to check out her work. I love the personal touches she adds to her stories. It May have you questioning what’s real and who are the restless spirits.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of April in the Back of Beyond by P M Terrell.
4 Stars
BLURB
Writer
Hayley Hunter has arrived in Ireland to complete a book on Irish history. When
she discovers the old carriage house she is renting is haunted, she is
determined to uncover the truth behind the burned ruins of a nearby manor house
and the abandoned British barracks it overlooks. With the assistance of Shay Macgregor,
an Irish historian, her quest will take her to 1919 and the Irish War for
Independence, exposing the murders of two young men and why their mother, April
Crutchley, refuses to leave the back of beyond even in death. With a budding
romance and the opportunity to begin life anew, Hayley finds her own life is
now in jeopardy as she gets closer to a truth the villagers have long sought to
bury.
EXCERPTS
When I heard the soft sobs, I realized I had drifted off
once more and in my half-awakened state, I thought the cries were connected to
my discordant dreams. I lay there with a groan on my lips not quite ready to
spill out and wishing I could simply sleep peacefully before it was too late
and I would be forced to arise for the long day ahead. I felt the bedcovers
slip away from my bare shoulders and I fought to open my eyes.
When they finally did open, I discovered that I was
completely uncovered. The bedcovers had been pulled to the foot of the bed and
were shivering inches from my feet as they lay heaped into an unkempt triangle
about three feet in height. I blinked once and then twice, my mind not grasping
what my eyes were witnessing, for surely it must be a trick of the eyes to
think the covers were still moving.
It was then that I realized the soft sobs had continued even
after I had fully awakened and they were not part and parcel of my overactive
dream state but they were real and they were coming from the direction of the
blanket.
“You don’t understand,” came the sound of a woman’s voice,
wracked with anguished sobs. “They are still here.”
“No, sweet darling,” returned a weary man’s voice that
sounded so close I nearly jumped out of my skin. “They are with God now.”
“I’m telling you they are not,” the woman answered, her
weeping growing more tormented. “They’ve never left. They’re still here.”
Within the space of a single heartbeat, I saw myself just a
few nights ago, convinced the voices came from outside my window. Then I was
pulled into the present to fight the horrifying realization that I was sharing
my bed with two apparitions.
I slid my feet away from the covers in excruciatingly slow
progress, afraid at any moment my movements would alert the phantoms of my presence.
I tucked my feet and knees close to my torso as I came to an uneasy seated
position, almost fetal in an attempt to occupy as little space as possible.
The room had become an icebox despite the radiators and I
found myself shivering almost in tandem with the blanket. I had no idea how
long I sat there, curled against the headboard and pillows, watching the foot
of the bed and listening to the disembodied voices that filled the air. But
then something seemed to snap inside me, fully awakening me to the present time
and despite my fear, despite my trepidation, I grew impatient with myself. I
reached a trembling hand toward the bedcovers, intent on pulling them over me
to fight the chill as well as reassure me that they were not wet.
But at the precise moment I felt the dampness under my fingers, the sobbing stopped, replaced by a gasp that was not my own. I yanked the covers to the side, determined to discover what mechanical device lay beneath. The material jerked away from me as though I was engaged in a tug-of-war and the gasp was replaced with a woman’s blood-curdling scream and a man’s shouts.
ABOUT P M TERRELL
p.m.terrell is
the pen name for Patricia McClelland Terrell, the award-winning,
internationally acclaimed author of more than 23 books in multiple genres,
including contemporary suspense, historical suspense, computer instructional,
non-fiction and children’s books.
Prior to
writing full-time, she founded two computer companies in the Washington, DC
Metropolitan Area: McClelland Enterprises, Inc. and Continental Software
Development Corporation. Among her clients were the Central Intelligence
Agency, United States Secret Service, U.S. Information Agency, and Department
of Defense. Her specialties were in the detection of white collar computer
crimes and computer intelligence.
A full-time
author since 2002, Black Swamp Mysteries was her first series, inspired by the
success of Exit 22, released in 2008. Vicki’s Key was a top five finalist in
the 2012 International Book Awards and 2012 USA Book Awards nominee, and The
Pendulum Files was a national finalist for the Best Cover of the Year in 2014.
Her second series, Ryan O’Clery Suspense, is also award-winning. The Tempest
Murders (Book 1) was one of four finalists in the 2013 International Book
Awards, cross-genre category. Her historical suspense, River Passage, was a
2010 Best Fiction and Drama Winner. It was determined to be so historically
accurate that a copy of the book resides at the Nashville Government
Metropolitan Archives in Nashville, Tennessee. Songbirds are Free is her
bestselling book to date; it is inspired by the true story of Mary Neely, who
was captured in 1780 by Shawnee warriors near Fort Nashborough (now Nashville,
TN).
She was the
co-founder of The Book ‘Em Foundation, an organization committed to raising
public awareness of the correlation between high crime rates and high
illiteracy rates. She was the founder of Book ‘Em North Carolina, an annual
event held in the town of Lumberton, North Carolina, to raise funds to increase
literacy and reduce crime and served as its chairperson and organizer for its
first four years. She also served on the boards of the Friends of the Robeson
County (NC) Public Library, the Robeson County (NC) Arts Council, Virginia
Crime Stoppers and became the first female president of the Chesterfield
County-Colonial Heights Crime Solvers in Virginia.
For more
information, book trailers, excerpts and more, visit the author’s website at
www.pmterrell.com.
The Whisper Man by Alex North has such a creepy cool cover and blurb, I couldn’t resist snagging a copy from Net Galley. My thanks go out to Celadon Books for the opportunity to read and review The Whisper Man.
I don’t know who did the cover, but they did a fabulous job. The Whisper Man is due to be released 8.20.19 and is available for preorder.
Looking at the cover for The Whisper Man by Alex North, I anticipated a nail biting, spine tingling suspense thriller, and I was not disappointed.
As I get to know Jake, Tom Kennedy’s son, better, I can tell he will be a special child. And his dad… Jake and Tom’s relationship is realistic, their feelings and struggles as they try to put their life back together are sad, yet hopeful.
They both need a fresh start after the loss, a new town, a new house. The house called to Jake and I wondered why. It had personality, but is there more to the story? Alex North’s description of the house makes me feel as if it is alive, waiting for the right people to come home.
I am trying to figure out what is going on with Jake, but Alex North keeps me in the dark. When I find out, I love it. I wonder why I didn’t think of that. I love when, in hindsight, things are so obvious, yet an author strings me along, making me wonder.
The killer…The Whisper Man…is s creepy because of the ease with which he lures the children in.
Pete, the lead investigator, has a history with The Whisper Man. I quickly came to care for this flawed character. He’s not a young hunk, but he does go to the gym and works hard at keeping himself in shape. He keeps his mind and his body occupied. He can also whip up a delicious meal.
At 70%…Hmmm… Got my imagination going with the dialogue and Jake’s thoughts. There has been a subtle threat of danger lurking on every page and I am waiting…sometimes the waiting and the ideas of what is to come is worse than what really happens. Will that be the case?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Whisper Man by Alex North.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In this dark,
suspenseful thriller, Alex North weaves a multi-generational tale of
suspense, as a father and son are caught in the crosshairs of an
investigation to catch a serial killer preying on a small town.
After
the sudden death of his wife, Tom Kennedy believes a fresh start will
help him and his young son Jake heal. A new beginning, a new house, a
new town. Featherbank.
But the town has a dark past. Twenty years
ago, a serial killer abducted and murdered five residents. Until Frank
Carter was finally caught, he was nicknamed “The Whisper Man,” for he
would lure his victims out by whispering at their windows at night.
Just
as Tom and Jake settle into their new home, a young boy vanishes. His
disappearance bears an unnerving resemblance to Frank Carter’s crimes,
reigniting old rumors that he preyed with an accomplice. Now, detectives
Amanda Beck and Pete Willis must find the boy before it is too late,
even if that means Pete has to revisit his great foe in prison: The
Whisper Man.
And then Jake begins acting strangely. He hears a whispering at his window…
ABOUT ALEX NORTH (from Amazon)
Alex North was born in Leeds, England, where
he now lives with his wife and son. He studied Philosophy at Leeds
University and prior to becoming a writer, he worked there in their
sociology department.
This is where myself (sherry at fundinmental) and Laura at fuonlyknew tag team authors and their books. We share our reviews and giveaways, giving you two views and two chances to win!
The mind blowing cover for Evil Stalks the Night by Kathryn Meyer Griffith was done by Dawn Dominque. I have read a lot of her books and she never ceases to amaze me with the quality of her writing and her vivid imagination that brings her stories and characters to life.
Ahhhh, summer vacation. The memories. BUT…she felt like she was being watched.
DON’T GO IN THE WOODS! How many times must we be told. LOL
Her terror starts early. What do you see in the woods? Shadows? Flickers of life? Sarah knows what she see all those years ago, though no one believed her. She believes she is in this alone.
I love the feeling of dread that hangs on every word, every sentence, every page. I love that Sarah studies everything about the supernatural that she can get her hands on, preparing for what is to come. She believes in her God and loved her Catholic school days. She walks in both worlds. She is older than her years, strong, determined to keep those she loves safe.
Life had been hard for her, so much pain and loss. She has her son and her brother, Jimmy. Everyone else is gone. She had left, but it called her home and it was time to finish it. They are trapped and I can feel her, gathering herself, preparing to fight to the death. The big question, who will survive. I will be worrying, not just about the evil, but Kathryn Meyer Griffith too. She isn’t afraid to kill off her characters.
At times, the fun dialogue made me forget the danger. That is how good Kathryn Meyer Griffith’s writing is to me. I look at the story as an adventure and I am just along for the ride, and a wild ride it is.
Kathryn Meyer Griffith has the ability to lull me into a sense of complacency even when I know evil is to come. Life goes on in a normal fashion…until, wham, bam…I don’t know how many times I thought I knew what was going to happen or that the end was near, only to be given more, another terror, another event of devastating proportions.
Shades of her true life share some of the pages, but I hope she doesn’t walk the woods at night looking for evil anywhere but in her mind! LOL
Wowed. Amazed. And she broke my heart.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Twenty years ago
psychic Sarah Summers fled from the evil that lurked in the woods behind
her childhood home after it killed most of her family, but a nasty
divorce and financial hardships forced her back when nothing else could.
With her son, Jeremy, she returns to her grandmother’s dilapidated
house and tries to begin a new life. She meets an eligible man, police
detective, Ben, who falls for her, and she prays her fresh visions of
bloodshed and death deep among the dark trees are not true. Then the
murders begin again and Sarah is hurtled back into the same nightmare
that has haunted her her whole life. The evil in the woods is awake
again…and this time it wants her last remaining brother, her son…and
her. With Ben’s and Jim’s help can she defeat it this time…and live?
ABOUT KATHRYN MEYER GRIFFITH
I’ve been a writer for over 48 years now and have had 28
novels and 12 short stories published since 1984. I write horror/romantic
time-travel, suspense, romance, thrillers and murder mysteries. My horror novel
The Last Vampire and my thriller Dinosaur Lake (395 Reviews; 4.1 star average)
were both EPIC EBOOK AWARDS *Finalists* in 2012 & 2014. Kathryn Meyer
Griffith rdgriff@htc.net
* Books here:
http://tinyurl.com/ld4jlow
*Audio: http://tinyurl.com/oz7c4or
Novels
Evil Stalks the Night, The Heart of the Rose, Blood Forged,
Vampire Blood, The Last Vampire (2012 EPIC EBOOK AWARDS*Finalist* Horror),
Witches, Witches II: Apocalypse, Witches plus Witches II: Apocalypse, The
Nameless One erotic horror short story, The Calling, Scraps of Paper (1st Spookie
Town Murder Mystery), All Things Slip Away (2nd Spookie Town Murder Mystery),
Ghosts Beneath Us (3rd Spookie Town Murder Mystery), Witches Among Us (4th
Spookie Town Murder Mystery), What Lies Beneath the Graves (5th Spookie Town
Murder Mystery), Egyptian Heart, Winter’s Journey, The Ice Bridge, Don’t Look
Back, Agnes, A Time of Demons and Angels, The Woman in Crimson, Human No
Longer, Four Spooky Short Stories Collection, Forever and Always Romantic
Novella, Night Carnival Short Story, Dinosaur Lake (2014 EPIC EBOOK
AWARDS*Finalist* Thriller/Adventure category), Dinosaur Lake II: Dinosaurs
Arising, Dinosaur Lake III: Infestation and Dinosaur Lake IV: Dinosaur Wars,
Dinosaur Lake V: Survivors, Memories of My Childhood and Christmas Magic 1959.
Kathryn Meyer Griffith is offering some great prizes. Entry is easy peasy. Each of our blogs is giving you the opportunity to win one of 3 eBooks of her 28 novels, in any format, even a free Audible code of the 27 novels available. Just answer the following question:
Would you go in the woods?
For a second perspective of the book and a second chance to win, check out Laura’s review and giveaway atfuonlyknew.
Catchy title for Sketcher in the Rye by Sharon Pape and I do love the cover. I would like to thank NetGalley and Penguin for the opportunity to read and review Sketcher in the Rye by Sharon Pape. I downloaded this back on 11.7.13
Sketcher in the Rye and Sharon Pape had me cracking up from the getgo. I don’t know what I expected, but it’s delivering so much more.
Rory is quite the character, but Zeke steals the show. They do make quite the investigating team.
We switch back and forth from the present to the past as we examine Zeke’s life. A heartbroken hobo has a large personality and is good for lots of laughs.
Fun story, humorously written, with fabulous quirky characters to love.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Sketcher in the Rye by Sharon Pape.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
In her new job as a
private eye, former police sketch artist Rory McCain has a spirited
partner: Old West marshal Zeke Drummond. He may be a ghost, but when
these two combine their skills, they reap justice…
Trouble has
sprouted at Harper Farms. Top secret info has been leaked to the
competition, and now there’s serious sabotage cropping up. So the farm’s
beleaguered owner, Gil Harper, has called on Rory to dig up some dirt.
But what Rory discovers raises a new field of questions…
Someone
shucked Harper’s accountant and left his body in the farm’s corn maze.
While Gil is quick to hire Rory to solve now not one but two crimes, the
sketching sleuth isn’t so sure why the farmer wants her to focus her
attention on his own family.
Regardless, Rory and Zeke will need
to put their hands to the plow and solve this case before someone else
is planted six feet under…
Includes a preview of the first Crystal Shop Mystery, Amethysts and Alibis, by Sharon Pape
Alyssa Day writes some fantastic stories. After reading the first book in the series (see my review link below), Atlantis Rising, I had to have more…so here’s Atlantis Awakening.
Poseiden’s finest against vampires…I’d like to see that, but I’ll settle for reading about it.
Ven is second in line to the throne, but he doesn’t want it. He is happy being head of the Warrior Academy.
Erin Connor is a witch and knew she was in trouble when she came face to face with Ven. I think we all know where this is going, but I am looking forward to a slip sliding ride to Atlantis.
Ven quickly knew he would stop at nothing to protect her from those who pursue her.
The romance is otherwordly instalove, easy for me to accept in a novel where it is to be expected…which I will leave to you to find out why.
Atlantean, Elven, Vampires, Shapshifters, Witches…you never know who your friends are.
The world and characters are familiar, at least some of them, and I love learning more about them. Danger is always near and that creates suspense and curiosity for me.
Though the storyline is familiar and easy to figure out, I do like surprised lovers, magical love and battles between good and evil.
The romance is steamy and for adults only.
Even though Atlantis Awakening tells Ven and Erin’s story, it leaves us in a pickle with the overall storyline. I recommend reading in order to get the full impact.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Atlantis Awakening by Alyssa Day.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
To rescue the world
from an overwhelming evil, Poseidon’s warriors have risen from Atlantis.
Chief among them is Ven, serving as the King’s Vengeance by birthright
and by battle challenge. None can conquer him – except perhaps for one
human female….
The Warrior… Ven’s mind is
filled with duty. He must serve as Atlantean liaison to the humans in a
war waged against the vampires. A sword is his weapon – not diplomacy.
But on a mission to recover the Nereid’s heart – a ruby of immense power
– it will take every ounce of strength he possesses to resist the
sexual allure of the beautiful witch chosen to work with him.
And the Witch… Erin’s
heart is filled with vengeance. She lives only for the chance at
revenge against those who murdered her family. Now she must partner with
a legendary Atlantean warrior whose dark desire threatens to crash
through the barriers built around her emotions – and her heart. Caught
in the trap of shifting alliances, how long can Ven and Erin resist
their awakening passion?
Dark forces beware: Atlantis is awakening.
ABOUT ALYSSA DAY
Alyssa Day is the pen name (and dark and tortured alter ego) of
RITA award-winning author Alesia Holliday. She is a multiple finalist in
the prestigious RITA awards for excellence in romance fiction and has
won several awards for her novels.
ATLANTIS RISING was the first
of Alyssa’s Warriors of Poseidon novels for Berkley Publishing, and was
featured on the cover of the March, 2007, issue of Romantic Times
BOOKClub magazine! Additionally, it rocked the bestseller lists, hitting
the Waldenbooks, Borders, Barnes and Noble, Bookscan, and the
prestigious USA Today bestseller lists! ATLANTIS AWAKENING came along
several months together and did the same thing – only better!! And then
her anthology SHIFTER, with authors Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, and
Virginia Kantra, spent three weeks on the prestigious New York Times
bestseller list!
Her publisher was thrilled, her family was
thrilled (they could eat!), her dogs were thrilled (bacon!!). Now she’s
happily writing her fingers off, deep in the world of Atlantis, the
Warriors of Poseidon, and a new exciting group of allies (??), the Fae.
Alyssa
has long been an avid fan of all things Atlantis, supernatural, and in
any way pertaining to lost civilizations. When she was six, she told her
mother that she would discover Atlantis one day—and now she has!
In
2006, Alyssa (writing as Alesia) was awarded the Romance Writers of
America’s RITA® award. The RITA is the highest award of excellence in
the genre of romance fiction. If we can get this new website on track,
you’ll see a picture on your right of Alyssa with her agent and editor
the night she won the RITA® award.
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dianne Hartsock will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
Alex is haunted by visions of the dying, but now it seems the ghosts he’s seeing are real as well.
In this sequel to ALEX and THE SHED, Alex wonders if he’s seeing ghosts. His friend Justin has bought the Fulton place, a beautiful old mansion on the edge of Oakton. But something’s wrong in the house. Alex has visions of a small boy, trapped in the basement, and a man at the top of the stairs who won’t let him leave.
And Logan Fulton has come to town, Helen Kramer’s cousin, a psychic medium who wants something from Helen, whatever the cost. He and Helen had spent time in the Fulton house as children and Alex suspects Logan has something to do with the spirits now awakening in the old mansion. But whether Logan is calling them forth or if something else is controlling them, Alex can’t be sure.
The child’s spirit calls to Alex, as do others trapped in the house. There is a dark entity holding them there, keeping the child forever in the basement, the others for his amusement. But Alex has never believed in ghosts, so what is really going on? As he strives to learn the boy’s secret, his friends are one by one pulled to the Fulton place and put in danger while Logan works against Alex, having an agenda of his own. Will Alex be able to solve the haunting of the old house, or will he and his friends be taken one by one, doomed to walk the dark hallways forever?
Read an Excerpt
“So, Alex… What’s up?” he drawled, shaking his head when Alex gave him a confused look. He waved his hand at Alex’s clothing and Alex glanced down. Dark color flooded his face, and he plucked at his shirt, coughing as dust rose up around him.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking,” Alex said quietly. He sounded humiliated, not meeting Justin’s gaze. Justin could have kicked himself. He hadn’t meant to make him feel self-conscious.
“Not a problem,” he hastened to say. “Just wondering what you’re doing under my house.”
Alex glanced at him, eyes dark with emotion, definitely troubled. “I had to get in…” He covered his face with his dirty hands, voice catching on a ragged breath. “Give me a minute. This one’s hard. He’s so scared…”
He began to shake, obviously fighting for control. A sob escaped him, and Angie flung an arm around his waist despite the dust. “Hey, we’re here. Everything’s okay.”
They waited, and Justin unclenched the fists he hadn’t known he’d made, his hands sore.
Taking a deep breath, Alex looked up at them, and his expression turned puzzled. “What’s going on? Justin, you look like you’ve seen a…ghost.”
“I think he has, but he won’t tell me,” Angie said, frowning at Justin.
He tried to shrug it off. “I thought I saw something… A little girl.”
“Oh, her.” Alex looked unimpressed. “She’s just residual, a memory of a girl who once lived here. No consciousness. Nothing to be afraid of.”
“Oh really?” Justin said dryly. “Well, she scared the crap out of me.”
About the Author:
Dianne grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place of hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghosts lurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the front stairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where her love of the mysterious and wonderful came from. Dianne is the author of paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, m/m romance, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind.
She now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her hands, which kindles her imagination.
Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.
