Hope(less) (Judgment Of the Six, Book I) by Melissa Haag, was added to my TBR on 2.16.20. I thought this would be the perfect time to share it. It was a nice introduction to her work and I will be keeping my eye open for more.
I find it easy to let myself go when it comes to the paranormal world. I love to get lost in a make believe world of the supernatural, so I did enjoy reading about Gabby and Clay in Hopeless by Melissa Haag. I have to be in the mood for clean, young adult reading, and I read Hopeless at the perfect time. The characters came alive on the pages, and it was fun watching Gabby figure things out, find those who she can relate to, and find a home, a place to belong.
Seeing this is the first book in a series that looks like it will spotlight an individual character in each book, and it is clean, targeted at the younger crowd, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. For those looking for steamy romance, this may not be for you. BUT, if you are like me, allowing the author to take me where they want me to go, you may want to give it a try.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Freedom is so close Gabby can taste it. After years of meeting single werewolves and successfully dodging the mating bullet, she’s on her way to her last Introduction to say “No, thanks” one final time. As a human, she has no plans to attach herself to a werewolf. But, she didn’t count on meeting Clay.
With a single look, Gabby knows Clay is the one. And, unfortunately, he knows it too. The silent, ruggedly-handsome werewolf is determined to win his mate by any means necessary. Gabby does what any sane girl would do and runs. Not only does Clay follow, but something truly dangerous does as well.
Now, hunted for the secrets she’s spent her whole life protecting, Gabby must turn to the one man she didn’t want for the help she needs. Time is running out to discover who or what wants her, and Gabby’s just starting to realize there’s more at stake than the heart and freedom of one human girl.
ABOUT MELISSA HAAG
I love to write! Sharing the worlds I’ve created is beyond amazing . Want to read a book for free? Check out my website at: http://melissahaag.com/free-ebook/
Secrets and Scallywags: Magical Mystery Book Clubby Elizabeth Pantley
About Secrets and Scallywags
Secrets and Scallywags: Magical Mystery Book Club Paranormal Cozy Mystery 5th in Series Setting – A Small Oceanfront Community Better Beginnings, Inc. (September 20, 2023) Digital Print length : 256 pages ASIN : B0C494MPJ8
When this club selects a book, magic happens. They become the main characters in the story when the mystery comes to life.
This month’s book selection takes them to a charming island community that’s abuzz over a mysterious boat that washed ashore. Rumor has it that it’s the same pirate boat that sunk a year ago in the bay. The one that supposedly sank with treasure aboard.
When the club meets the ghosts of the men from the boat, they learn the astonishing secrets of the treasure. These ghosts can’t move on until it is found.
Can the motley group find the treasure and free the ghosts? They better, since it’s the only way they can exit the book and get back home.
About Elizabeth Pantley
Elizabeth Pantley is the international bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books for parents, published in over twenty languages.
She simultaneously writes well-loved cozy mysteries: The Destiny Falls Mystery & Magic book series and the Magical Mystery Book Club series.
Elizabeth lives in the Pacific Northwest, the gorgeous inspiration for the setting in many of her books.
Isn’t that a beautiful cover for Unleashed by Aria Glaski. It depicts the story inside to a T, and I love it when that happens. I feel the author does the book justice by representing it as it is. Unleashed is a bit on the dark side, so adult warnings apply.
We start with a map. I love maps, referring back to them as I travel through the pages.
I have been reading Aria Glaski for a while now (See my review links below) and she writes some great books BUT I will say, Unleashed seems outside her norm, and I was surprised at how quickly I became engrossed in the story. Unleashed is by far my favorite Aria Glazki book. AND, it’s a series. It could end here, but I am so very happy it doesn’t. Oh, yeah!
It starts with a one night stand…is there such a thing with a dragon? I doooon’t think so. Who can say no to that animal attraction?
I realize it is very difficult to come up with an original idea for an oft told tale, but Aria Glazki did it. I love that the main character, Tia, has been living as a human for hundreds of years to avoid the ritual. The ritual where her and her brother would fight to the death. She won’t do it. But, what if…
Azur was determined to find her and bring her back. It is a duty she must fulfill…
Seraphina is so much more than he bargained for and he is rethinking his position, but a cow does follow the herd and he makes a mistake. She is kidnapped out from under him.
Things are not as she imagined in Azhidar Zher…and neither is her brother.
I thought it was interesting that Aria Glazki pointed out a similarity to us humans. There is a double standard, one set of rules for males and another for females. Guess who makes out the best?
Sexual tension permeates the pages and I devour the words as Azur devours Seraphina.
Sure, many things are familiar, but Aria Glazki did an amazing job bringing a fresh look into the life of dragons. It’s not all lollipops and rainbows, but it’s not all war and killing either. We always have time for some romance, right?
Aria Glazki shares her thoughts at the end of the book :
…never intended for it to become Fantasy…..I wanted to play around with dragons…Alas, such is the life of a “pantser” – the story goes where it wants…
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Unleashed, Defiant Dragons, Book I, by Aria Glazki.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A one-night stand with the sexy new dragon in town could force her into a fight to the death. Still, worth it?
Tia’s been hiding among the humans for hundreds of years, evading her so-called birthright. But when a hot new dragon arrives in her city, she doesn’t run fast enough. The pull to be with her own kind is just too strong. Too bad the newcomer is determined to drag her back for the ritual she escaped.
Did she say “ritual”? Make that “fight to the death.”
Azar never dreamed he’d be the one to find her: the spoiled, selfish royal who doomed all the dragons. Only it turns out the Zubir’s sister is nothing like he was told. She’s fierce, shrewd, and stunning, and she throws everything he believes into question.
The one thing Azar knows without a doubt? Bringing her home is dragonkind’s only hope.
— Unleashed is a sizzling dragon shifter romance featuring a strong heroine fighting magic and politics to save a species that wants her dead. Then there’s her one-night-stand-turned-hostage, igniting all sorts of sparks she can’t ignore. Too bad even a dragon can end up burned.
Genre:
336 pages, ebook
Expected publication September 27, 2023 by Anika Press
ABOUT ARIA GLAZKI
Aria Glazki’s first kiss technically came from a bear cub. Though no fairytale transformation followed, she still believes magic can happen when the right people come together—if they don’t get in their own way, that is. So now Aria writes heartfelt romances about relatable people overcoming real-world obstacles to build love that lasts.
WOW, such an amazing cover for Afterworld: Losing Salvation by Olivia Boothe and Victoria Liiv. There is no way I could say no when Olivia asked me if I wanted to read the series. Sure, there are a lot of trigger warnings that readers need to be aware of, but I love the dark world the authors have created.
Afterworld: Losing Salvation by Olivia Boothe and Victoria Liiv is not available for purchase. It is a bonus that I received from the Olivia Boothe and is included as part of a special edition Afterworld hardcover and Renegade City anthology.
I want to thank Olivia Boothe for allowing me to get my introduction to Jax and Kate through Afterworld: Losing Salvation, a prequel. I was immediately drawn into this dark world that made me think of Supernatural and The Walking Dead. I love it!
A virus is spreading throughout the city creating zombie like creatures that can only be killed by a blow to the head or decapitation. Sound familiar? But, how they came to be…well…
I love the dog!
Everything comes full circle and we are on to the next ‘adventure’ in the Afterworld series.
EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO, THE WORLD LEARNED THE UGLY TRUTH: GOD EXISTS. HE JUST DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT US.
Afterworld: Road To Redemption by Olivia Boothe and Victoria Liiv is Jax and Kate’s love story. It was a traumatizing meeting for her…and him…
In the beginning, we bounce between Kate’s journal and Jax’s Grimoire in the year 2031.
I love one of Kate’s first entries…out scavenging and she scores some tampons. Aunt Flow still flows, even during an apocalypse. AND, she meets Hank, a service dog who lost his master. They become hard and fast companions. As they fight the beasts, there comes a blinding light…an angel, who gives his life to save hers.
Jax sees the light, knows it’s an angel, and races to get there. It’s his only hope of getting rid of the demon, War, one of The Four Horsemen, who resides inside him. When he sees her fight, he realizes she is more than a woman.
We do have that gruesome, brutal, blood and guts going on, The Walking Dead vibe, but we also have the, sort of, lightness of Supernatural. I found myself laughing in the middle of danger. Couldn’t help myself.
I would think if there is any kind of attraction, sex would arise. After all, how often do you come across a human that doesn’t want to kill you? She found it easy to trust him, but he has yet to tell all to her and how dangerous he can be. I feel there is even a dash of Fifty Shades of Grey…some smoking hot scenes.
At 65% an amazing surprise came to light…and I loved it.
There is one scene with rats in the sewers that The Walking Dead made it so easy to visualize. Also, the movie references made me think of Denizzo on NCIS. So many things I referenced to TV shows made the book even more special because it had those familiar elements that had me smiling or cringing.
Well, I read and read and read, slept, then read and read and read. It was so hard to put the book down, but I couldn’t get it read in one sitting. The pace and danger kept rising, the suspense off the charts, the action so fast paced near the end I was shouting out loud…NO, NO, NO…I was so fearful, but…well…all I can say is, if you love the dark side of paranormal romance, some Supernatural, some Walking Dead, some angels and demons, the Four Horsement of the Apocalypse…..this is a must read.
The story does end with a happy ever after, but there is more to come and I can hardly wait to begin. Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Afterworld: Road To Redemption by Olivia Boothe & Victoria Liiv.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
EIGHTEEN MONTHS AGO, THE WORLD LEARNED THE UGLY TRUTH: GOD EXISTS. HE JUST DOESN’T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT US.
After a deadly virus wipes out most of the world’s population, those of us who survive are left as food for the Damned, the walking corpses ravaged by the infection.
Yet, something far more sinister stirs in the bowels of New York City. The Four Horsemen are prowling the streets, kidnapping young girls and dragging them back to their lair. And when a supply run becomes a rescue mission turned deadly, I’m left at the mercy of a sexy stranger.
Jax Constantine weaves himself into my life with blood tingling charisma and a smile that rekindles my hope in love. But a dark secret lurks beneath his penetrating gaze and sizzling touch. One he’s not willing to share, leading me to believe he might not be the man I thought.
Now, humanity’s last stand rests in my hands. To save a world consumed by evil, I must choose between stopping Lucifer from claiming an already scorched Earth as his own or saving the man I love.
The same man destined to curse my soul.
This is a dark apocalyptic paranormal romance and is intended for audiences 18 years+.
Please see below for the full list of content/trigger warnings: Angels and demons, biblical lore, zombies, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, blood and gore, PTSD, trauma, profanity, graphic violence, explicit sexual content, and kidnappings.
Reader discretion is advised.
While Afterworld can be read as a standalone and has a resolution, this is a planned series, and the book ends with a Happily For Now.
Published: September 16, 2022 by Three Brothers Press
Language: English
Series: Hell’s Angel, Book I
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
OLIVIA BOOTHE
REAL LOVE AS IT IS. MESSY, COMPLICATED & SINFULLY ADDICTIVE.
Born in Colombia and raised in New Jersey since the age of eight, Olivia always dreamed of becoming a story teller.
If you enjoy deadly-hot romance novels with deep, layered plots, she’s your gal. Because it’s not just about the first kiss and the happily ever after, it’s about everything in between.
In addition to writing contemporary and paranormal romance, Olivia is currently working on an adult contemporary fantasy.
Fun Facts: When not locked away in her writing tower at the wee hours of the night, Olivia works a government 9-5 job and manages a house full of males (a husband, three sons, and a doggo named Hunter). On occasion, she summons her tribe for a night of wine and shenanigans. Dark chocolate is her kryptonite, she hates/loves to ugly cry during movies, and is a die-hard Bon Jovi fan.
Don’t forget to subscribe to her newsletter to receive exclusive news and updates such as book releases, giveaways, sales, events, sneak peeks and bonus material for upcoming projects.
Victoria Liiv is a writer, reader, nature lover and traveler at heart. She has been traveling through magical worlds since a very young age and wants more than anything to share the wonder with everyone else eager to escape from all things mundane. Let it be a magical adventure through slowly darkening Earth or a soul crushing fight for survival and love while the world burns. Sometimes all it takes is a little bit of romance.
She self published her debut novel Through Hell & Highwater on 2020 when the pandemics keeping her isolated gave her the reason to follow her dream of becoming an author. She hasn’t looked back since. Afterworld: Road to Redemption is Victoria’s second novel. She is grateful for the opportunity to be able to co-write it with Olivia. This February 2023, she’ll also be releasing Treasure Me, a contemporary romance, as part of Tease Me box set. With many more ideas and characters keeping her awake at night this is only the beginning of her writing career.
In her everyday life she found the magic in her partner, who gave her courage to move out of Estonia, the country she was born in, to an equally small but more known The Netherlands. He was also the one who encourages and supports her throughout her writing process.
Vampire In The Jungle is the second book in Mimi Jean Pamfiloff’s Immortal Series. The characters are to die for and I found myself laughing at these unique supernatural creatures antics. The creative writing keeps the story flowing smoothly for nonstop action.
The book comes with a WARNING…a hilarious warning that I highly recommend you hop over and read in the preview, regardless of whether or not you grab the book. I think it will add some cheer to your day. Did I make you curious? I hope so.
Cimil should be the Goddess of Chaos, seeing she thrives on it. LOL She creates chaos, then trades for the means necessary to put an end to it.
Vampire in the Jungle by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff is all about Damien being coerced by Cimil into finding Maxton, the last vampire, and bringing him back to her. She has a plan and it comes with a price. Who will be able to stop her evil plan? Where are all the other Gods and Goddesses? Do Gods and Goddesses retire?
Going to whine about me now, brother? You are such a pussy. Some people have three,f our, even five souls inhabiting them. You though? Just one extra. And he’s awesome. You’re also welcome. Damien ignored the evil twin residing inside him…
He may have an evil twin, but the real him is a pushover and his supernatural friends know it. He may say no to them, but they never accept it.
Vampires may have a vicious reputation, but when it comes to rollercoasters…do vampires vomit? What do you think?
To know how all this came to be, you need to read the first book in the Immortal Tailor Series. For that reason, I will not go into the details and spoil it for you, but I highly recommend beginning at the beginning. I have read many of her books and she is able to keep me involved in every way, leaving me wanting more.
The action is nonstop, the humor is over the top, along with the one of a kind supernatural creatures with very large personalities. Every time I visit them, I brace myself for a fabulous adventure into the unknown and tons of laughter.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Vampire In The Jungle by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
From New York Times bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff comes Vampire in the Jungle, a Paranormal Rom-Com.
“Bring me that vampire! Or else!”
When a powerful goddess gives Damien one week to deliver the world’s last vampire, he only has one question: “Why is the vampire hiding in the jungle?”
Damien isn’t sure, but he knows what’ll happen if he fails: the insane goddess will execute the only two women Damien’s ever cared for. (It’s complicated.)
Also, there’s the small matter of his assistant, who believes her destiny is to become a vampire herself. (It’s very complicated.)
Unfortunately, the vampire in question hates the modern world, has a severe attachment to his lair, and he makes it a point to kill anyone who gets too close. No mercy.
Can Damien and his crew of supernatural oddballs convince this deadly vampire to come out of hiding before it’s too late?
Expected publication: September 8, 2023 by Paper & Silver, Inc.
Language: English
Series: The Immortal Tailor
ABOUT MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF
MIMI JEAN PAMFILOFF is a New York Times bestselling author who’s sold over one million books around the world. Although she obtained her MBA and worked for more than fifteen years in the corporate world, she believes that it’s never too late to come out of the romance closet and follow your dreams.
Mimi lives with her Latin lover hubby, two pirates-in-training (their boys), and their three spunky dragons (really, just very tiny dogs with big attitudes) Snowy, Mini, and Mack, in the vampire-unfriendly state of Arizona.
She hopes to make you laugh when you need it most and continues to pray daily that leather pants will make a big comeback for men.
Denying My Wolfe is Book II in the Stone Mountain Wolf Shifter series by Scarlett West. It’s a pretty quick read at 165 pages in print, but it does not lack in animal attraction, steamy sex, and danger.
“Run her until she collapses,” my beta called out….
Julia is attacked by her pack, driving her to the enemy, Ethan’s pack. She is an alpha and he is a Beta, but she will bow down to save her sister. Can she find a home with the enemy? Can she save her sister?
Ethan is promised to another, prophesied by a seer. If, Julia can’t change that and create an alliance between the two packs, her sister will die. Of course, nothing is ever cut and dried and the past relationship comes to light when they cannot hide their attraction any longer.
Denying My Wolf by Scarlett West is a quick read, but the writing makes the wolf shifters world come to life. Julia running through the woods, the wind flowing through her fur, the smell of the forest as air rushed through her lungs…
The inner dialogue she has with her wolf has me cracking up, but I’ll leave that for you to find out for yourself. It is well worth the smiles.
Because of Twilight, I can see it all unfold before my eyes. Sure, there wasn’t any vampires, but the wolfie scenes came to life. The battles are fought to the death, new alliances are made and we are on to the next romance, Lydia and Jace, who sure do deserve something good in their lives.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Denying My Wolf by Scarlett West.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Falling for the pack enemy could destroy us both.
Ethan
After my life was destroyed by a curse, the last thing I needed was a mate—especially from the enemy pack. Julia was dumped on our doorstep for me.
No one knows about the time we hooked up in our teens, and damn if I never got her out of my system. Old sparks ignite between us, igniting a feral hunger I can’t stop, driving my wolf to claim her for good.
But can I put aside an old grudge and accept the only woman who stirs my wolf?
Julia
Rejected by my pack as an outcast, I’m delivered to the enemy in an arranged marriage.
No one knows Ethan crushed my heart when we were younger, yet he’s become devastatingly handsome and reawakened an intoxicating attraction my wolf finds impossible to ignore. Still, that doesn’t mean I have to let him back in my heart. I’m determined to fight my wolf’s need to mark him, but Ethan won’t take no for an answer.
And I’ve got secrets of my own.
My father is responsible for the curse and if anyone finds out, I’m dead.
If you love moody alphas, sassy heroines, and hot paranormal romance with a heart, Denying My Wolf, is for you. It’s the first standalone book in the Stone Mountain Wolf Shifters Series. Scroll up and One-Click this steamy wolf shifter romance that’s bound to pull your heartstrings.
Expected publication: September 21, 2023 by Passion Press
Language: English
Series: Stone Mountain Wolf Shifters
ABOUT SCARLETT WEST
Scarlett West writes steamy, paranormal romance featuring sexy Fae. Deep characters and hot romance are her thing.
An avid reader and writer who will never stop dreaming, Scarlett has traveled to many countries and been on tons of adventures. She draws her stories from these places, life experiences, and her grand imagination.
Besides writing, she’s a hobby herbalist and a dancer. If she’s not by the computer typing these things up, she can be found in a forest, on a mountain, or by the ocean.
Scarlett West would like to thank her three F’s: Fans, Family, and Friends. Thank you forever for your support.
I was excited to get my hands on this book. I mean, look at that cover..and his inspiration for writing it. How cool is that? Welcome to fundinmental J T.
How did this book come about?
While hunting whitetail one year, I stumbled upon a weathered tombstone in the middle of the woods. Waiting patiently for that big buck to cross my path gave me plenty of time to think about that lone grave’s inhabitant and ponder her story, which I was then driven to write.
Eerily enough, this is the premise of The Legend of Rachel Petersen, my first novel that Damnation Books in California published in 2012, which I have just recently revised, then self-published. Between holding down a job as a transformer repairman, and life in general, it me took two years to write the original book back then.
However! I am now enjoying retirement; and in the first half of 2023, I revised the story by adding 165 pages and a new ending chapter. My ghost tale is now even more descriptive, has added details, and the final chapter comes out of left field and smacks you upside the head!
Describe your writing habits.
I simply write when it’s raining, or when the urge hits, but mostly when I think of a good scene and the thoughts are flowing. Sometimes the rough draft will sit on the shelf for a month or longer, then I’ll dust it off and look at it with a fresh perspective.Only after ten or more chapters when I get lost, do I start an outline.
Do you listen to music while writing?
Sometimes I tell Alexa to play Santa Esmeralda, Supertramp, Bob Seger, INXS, or the Golden Oldies, or the news. At times, silence, especially when I’m using the narrator function during editing.
Which authors influenced your writing?
I enjoyed Harold Robbins’s The Adventurers, Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer, and John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. I know I’m telling my age with that answer, but I enjoyed their books because they wrote captivating stories that held my interest to the last page.
Are there any projects in the works now?
I’m 32 chapters into a psychological thriller. The plot revolves around a psychologist and an attorney who are planning to rule the world; they both share the same dark secret, but one of them has a deadly, ulterior motive. Three more chapters should finish it. Then edit, edit, edit… Keep your eyes open for, “Tell Me about your Childhood.”
It’s funny, but when I asked you for your thoughts I left it up to you, and you covered all the things I was thinking of. I love when great minds think alike, don’t you? LOL I’m excited to see what you come up with next, since I think The Legend Of Rachel Petersen was a hit!
UPDATE: J T Baroni now has an Apple audiobook available, created by AI.
MY REVIEW
I confess. It was the cover that drew me in. It had that horror, paranormal, supernatural feel to it and I investigated further. When I finished the book, I found where the author’s inspiration came from. He was deer hunting and came across a tombstone. As he sat there, waiting for that elusive big buck to come through, he had plenty of time to wonder and ponder…and that What If came to life.
Christian Kane is a sports writer for The Post Gazette. He doesn’t get the anticipated promotion he was expecting and quits to write fiction. The Legend of Rachel Petersen is about the characters finding a tombstone hidden in the briars on their property and what happens after.
“We are living in a house where a twelve year old girl went cuckoo, killed her family, an’ then hanged herself in our barn.”
A book in a book is always a fun concept. J T Baroni did foreshadow what was to come and I love that he did it in such a way that I never took notice. Well done. I found myself laughing…at myself. There are other moments of laughter and I love an author that incorporates fun into some doom and gloom.
The ending was worth a star alone. I love when an author can catch me so off guard I am left with my mouth hanging open. I highly recommend The Legend Of Rachel Petersen by J T Baroni and I would love to know what you think.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Legend of Rachel Petersen by J T Baroni.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Did his book raise the dead? Outraged when The Post Gazette overlooks him for a promotion, thirty-nine year old sports writer, Christian Kane quits and moves to the country to write fiction. Inspiration flows from a grave he stumbles upon in the woods. He compiles The Legend of Rachel Petersen, a fascinating story revolving around the dead twelve year old girl lying beneath the weathered tombstone. His book becomes a Best Seller; then Hollywood makes it in to a blockbuster movie. Kane becomes rich and famous, but only to have Rachel rise from the grave to seek revenge on him for slandering her name!
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural
Kindle Edition (Revised Edition)
First published November 23, 2011 by Sky Publishing
EXCERPT
Page 79
Staring back at him were two large empty eye sockets in a tiny skull, which rested on a satin pillow. Her facial skin, once having a flawless peaches and cream complexion, was now brown, deeply gouged with wrinkles, and drawn tight, exposing her baby teeth. Her nose was reduced to two narrow slits. Red hair, parted in the middle, covered her forehead before coming to rest in curls on her shoulders.
Page 80
While jumping up and down, he tripped over the shovel’s handle and fell face first over the freshly dug dirt pile back into the grave, landing three inches from Rachel’s mummified face; he swore he saw Rachel smile at him!
Page 82
His eyes widened and his jaw fell open. Floating on top of the broth were the words… ‘help me’… spelled out with the alphabet macaroni! Thaddeus quickly stirred his soup and watched in awe as the words reappeared amongst the chunks of chicken, chopped celery, and diced carrots — ‘help me.’
ABOUT J T BARONI (from Amazon)
Living in Western Pennsylvania all my life, I have been an avid Whitetail hunter since I was old enough to tote a rifle, which is also about as long as I’ve had a fondness for word games and literature. While hunting last year, I actually did stumble upon a weathered tombstone in the middle of the woods. Waiting patiently for any deer to cross my path gave me plenty of time to think about that lone grave’s inhabitant and ponder her story, which I was then driven to write. Eerily enough, this is the premise of The Legend of Rachel Petersen, my first published novel. I have also composed several songs that are currently signed with a music publisher.
My home is Johnstown, Pennsylvania, a small town outside of Pittsburgh, where my wife Becky and I are both proud members of the Lions International. We share our home with our son, Skyler, and an AKC boxer, Butkus.
Sinjen, the vampire, takes a vacation, his first time off in fifty years. He’s taking his Thrall, Jack, his human friends, Miriam and Richard, and his lost love, Carlotta to a caste where they will play a murder mystery game.
I love Sinjen. He’s a complicated vampire. He is needy, looking for love, for a reason to get up each night. He searches for a reason to live, and I think he found it when he met Miriam. He won’t change her, won’t keep her for himself. But, his friend, who he thought was his thrall, is in love with her and she seems to be attracted to him too. Will Richard and Miriam marry? Probably.
With Miriam he has found a new vocation? Solving mysteries. Their first, which was supposed to be a game, turned into exposing the rogue vampire that is killing people in a most gruesome and torturous way.
The event takes place in a castle, so will there be a ghost or two?
We have a snowstorm and they are cut off from the world. Is it Aster’s doing? Aster is a vampire that dominates all others. I thought it was him, but when they discover the group is not the only vampires, Aster finds it is better not to use his ability to control the weather. Still, a vampire is never stranded and I was surprised when Sinjen turned into a wolf. I knew they misted, which was cool. He also has the ability to hypnotize people, so he can take a sip or two and wipe their minds.
I am hooked on these characters. Sinjen is such a unique vampire. He is so needy, yet strong and savage when necessary. He is dominated by Eliza, a cruel mistress that revels in his pain, but now, since The Mystery Game, Aster has given him an out and he plans on using it to his advantage. I can hardly wait to see what his next adventure will be.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Mystery Game by Michael B Chikondi.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
With his first time off in fifty years, Sinjen Carlyle decides to take his friends, Miriam, Jack and the fair Carlotta out to enjoy a murder mystery play. It’s to be set over a week, at a castle in the Scottish Highlands. Their hosts, an eccentric mystery writer and his charming wife. Before they have even made it to their rooms, he begins to suspect that he and Carlotta may not be the only two vampires there. As a snowstorm rolls in, and the play begins to blend fantasy a little too closely to reality, could there be a more sinister cause? And, with three vampires penned into on building, can they solve the play, and manage their appetites, before a real death takes place?
Michael B. Chikondi is not to be trusted, but the creature agrees to a meeting in its burrow. We enter with trepidation, given that the thing has no doorbell. As we crawl through the narrow tunnel, gored out by its own teeth, by the texture, we hear what can only be described as a hacking cough.
“Can we approach?” we call.
“No soliciting.” the voice returns.
“You sent for us; you told us to ask you questions. You know, for promotional reasons.”
“Ask.” the dread voice responds.
“Alright, who are you?” we try.
“A creature of mist and shadow, half-mad, I used to go out, I did, and know those…humans. Not now, not since…the pen.”
“You found a pen? That’s why you became a writer?” we ask, now terrified, trying to gauge how fast we can leave the burrow. The photographer has already left us, chewing off his own watch, caught on a tree root.
“Yes, but now…I hunger…”
We are not proud; we turn tail and flee, before it can leave its den. We aren’t paid enough to get a full bio. We can only pray someone buys its books, so that the thing never comes out on its own.
Ed. What the hell is this? This isn’t what we requested. Just some nonsense and an artist’s rendition of what one of my people saw before he contracted rabies? Eh, whatever. Plenty more writers in the sea.
I received an email from C D Kester with an opportunity to read and review The Bunker and Chasing Demons. If you check out the covers (find The Bunker here), you will see why I did not hesitate.
Just looking at the cover for Chasing Demons…and the one for the novella, The Bunker by C D Kester, made me jump all over these horror, paranormal, supernatural stories. You would benefit from reading The Bunker first. I will introduce you to the evil permeating these small towns. It is filled with detestable characters, heroic characters, and those that overcome their fears and make the ultimate sacrifice to save others.
I have so many highlights in my ereader, I had to sift through them and try to share only those that will tell you why I love the world that C D Kester has so vividly created. Thanks to the Supernatural TV show, it was easy to visualize many scenes and the actions of the demons that are called forth by vile humans that will do anything for greed and power.
I didn’t know what to rate the book, a four or a five, so I figured I would wait and decide while I write this review. Will it get my dander up, after it being a week or so since I have read it. Now, I will browse my highlights and we shall see. The point of view shifts from character to character, allowing us to experience their individual terror.
It has been ten years since The Bunker.
We are back in Texas, in a small town called Fairmont, right next door to Fern Hollow. If you are traveling in the area, don’t stop. Keep on driving. I am immediately drawn in as a body is dumped in a landfill. From there, the evil spreads, and spreads, and spreads. Blood flows and heads roll, literally.
The main characters are four youngsters, Tim, Mike, Logan and Dominic. They are in a band. They are bullied at school. Basically, just average kids, doing average things, until…
When Mike walked into the garage with a shadow following him, all I could think is…not Mike. He has been through so much. He doesn’t deserve this. And it goes downhill from here. It’s a good thing he has such good and loyal friends that will not turn their back on him.
Logan is sent to Camp Gensis for conversion therapy. I think most of us know what that means. Cruelty and torture, but this camp is run by a pedophile. A sheep in wolves clothing.
Nancy is the owner of the Halloween story and has become their friend. Her, on the airplane, I was terrified. I have a fear of flying and sure wouldn’t want to read this book while I was on a plane. LOL
There are so many evil, terrible characters that belong on the bottom of the pond, or that may be too good for them. They conjure evil worse than themselves and I can only hope it will demand a steep price from them for doing so. After all, demons are not your friend.
Every time I turned around, another evil popped up and I was terrified for all the characters I came to love. I was constantly surprised, shocked, saddened, devastated…and the ending. As I write this and check out my last note in my ereader…
She broke down into tears…
And so did I, at least, tears formed in my eyes…again. And that is worth a 5 star rating.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Chasing Demons by C D Kester.
5 Stars
GOODREAD BLURB
Be true to yourself and stand up for what’s right. Michael, Tim, Dominic, and Logan are four buddies in the suburban town of Fairmont, Texas. Their lives are turned upside down when a demonic entity begins to terrorize their families and all of Fairmont as a whole. Logan knows that he is gay, but has to deal with his family that go to a hate-fueled church led by Johnny Cumberland, otherwise known as Johnny Gospel. The four friends must band together through thick and thin to stand up in the face of evil and hatred. Days and years may come and go, but one thing remains the same. When you’re at your lowest you shouldnt be afraid to admit you need help. And don’t forget, that we can get by with a little help from our friends. Thanks, Joe Cocker.
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural
298 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 17, 2022
ABOUT C D KESTER
C. D. Kester is an author of fiction who does most of his work in the horror genre. He lives in Kingwood, Texas with his wife and two children. Kester recently published his first full length novel, Chasing Demons. His first self-published work is a novella titled The Bunker. He has also had many stories published in anthologies, ezines, and read in podcasts and YouTube videos.
Total Eclipse of the Moon Zoe Forward (The Crown’s Wolves, #3) Publication date: August 21st 2023 Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
If he doesn’t break the curse tying him and his brothers to the Crown of England as paranormal terrorist hunters, they’ll be forced to execute him.
An accidental demon possession erodes Shane Lanzo’s sanity. Sometimes he’s in control. Sometimes not. His only hope is the witch who cast the curse, which is a problem. The last two times he approached her, the feisty enchantress somehow tamed the demon inside him, but rendered him useless against his desire for her.
Madeline Edney sucks at being a witch. Her casting the curse on the lycan brothers was a fluke, and it destroyed her life. She’s been hunted by the Crown ever since to make sure she doesn’t try to undo the curse. She never expected Shane to find her so easily. He’s a temptation that promises zinger chemistry, her absolute weakness. One taste was gratifying. Two was foolish. Three has become an addiction. Lifting the curse requires she forfeit her life, but if the hunters kill her, it leaves Shane at the mercy of the Crown. Either way she dies.
Shane has a choice: freedom for his family, risking Madeline in the process or a chance at happiness with the witch who fated his brothers as prisoners for eternity.
“You feel this between us? It’s magnetic.” Her eyes shone with eagerness in the dim light from the single overhead lightbulb.
“I don’t feel anything.” Desire hot and thick made his hands shake. “If you’re weaving a spell on me, stop.” The one defining goal of the past few decades had been to hate this woman for what she’d done to him and his brothers, and to make her pay.
What was wrong with him? Why did he hesitate now that she was right here?
“Shane?”
He gritted out, “Yes?”
“You don’t look well. There’s something odd about your eyes.” She leaned close to squint at him.
“What do you want from me to reverse the curse?”
“Curse removal is complicated.”
Her scent, something citrusy and fresh, floated up his nose and aggravated his arousal further. She whispered, “I don’t understand what it is that draws me to you. Witches and lycans don’t mix, not just because our species warred for hundreds of years. It’s…we’re too different. With our complicated history this shouldn’t be here.”
“The curse.” Shane’s heart thrashed to the point his ribs hurt.
“That’s what makes this complicated.” She reached out but didn’t touch his skin this time. She blushed and lowered her gaze. For all her power, there was a vulnerability in the move that made Shane want to offer her a safe haven. He inherently sensed goodness in people and detected those in need of help. His kryptonite was someone good in genuine distress. Like her.
She wasn’t good. Couldn’t be. She’d screwed him and his brothers over for almost fifty years.
But something was wrong with her. Very wrong. Despite all she’d done to him in the past, he perceived her to be in danger, which melted his determination to be tough with her.
“You despise me for what I did. I’ve survived worse than your hate. I won’t apologize for the choices I had to make. Someday, perhaps you’ll forgive me?”
“Doubt it.”
“I deserve that.” She ran a finger across his lips. He sucked in a breath. “Do you want me to kiss you? Just so you know what it’s like? So you don’t have to wonder anymore? I’ve wondered.”
Shane glanced out the window.
She sighed. “There’s no one out there who will judge you for having a weak moment with a witch.”
Hells bells. She was right. He wanted a taste. With a trembling hand, he touched her chin. “You’re not just any witch. We can’t do this.”
“That’s not what you want,” she breathed out. “You want to kiss me, right?”
Shane lowered his mouth to hers. “Yes.”
Author Bio:
USA Today bestselling author, parent, wife, veterinarian, chocolate lover. Author of spicy paranormal and contemporary romances. Zoe Forward brings readers the perfect combination of action adventure, romance, humor and a bit of magic.
Her novels have won numerous awards including the Prism, Readers’ Choice Heart of Excellence, Golden Quill, Carolyn Readers Choice Award, and the Booksellers’ Best Award.
You can find her residing in the South with a menagerie of four-legged beasts and two wild kids.
