Tag Archives: paranormal

December 1, 2015 · 6:00 am

Review of “Krewe of Souls (Southern Ghosts Series Book 3) – Elaine Calloway

 

Tristan Pleasance is a ghost whisperer extraordinaire, but talking to his living father is another story. Family conflict prompts Tristan to bolt from his lifelong home in St. Francisville, Louisiana, to make a new life in New Orleans. But six months later, a family tragedy forces him to return home and he is thrust into a murder investigation where his past and future will collide.

Grace Lansing is a New Orleans columnist who yearns to write feature articles rather than puff pieces. To prove herself to her editor, she travels to the quaint town of St. Francisville to research their big Mardi Gras Krewe competition. But what seems an innocent cultural practice quickly turns into a web of intrigue—and getting too close to the handsome Tristan puts her in danger of becoming collateral damage.

Together, Tristan and Grace must find out who is responsible for the murders—before the Krewe of Souls is trapped forever.

Krewe of Souls is the third book in the Southern Ghosts Series by Elaine Calloway. The setting is in New Orleans and St. Francisville, Louisiana, a quaint town with a haunted reputation. The book is a romantic suspense for adults.

 
 
GET YOUR COPY NOW AT AMAZON:  KINDLE / PAPERBACK
 
 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
I, myself, have never had my palm/tarot cards read or visited a psychic. I’m not sure if the gift really exists or if it’s a scam to pray on people’s hope and wallets. However, if the ability to see the dead exists, I think using it to help solve murders should be utilized every chance we can get. 
 
In this story, Tristan uses his gift with the aid of a reporter to uncover the truth behind five murders (six if you count the beloved family dog). 
 
As mysteries go, Elaine pretty much spelled it out who orchestrated the murders and why. However, I don’t think the murders were the main plot of this story. For me, I thought Elaine was showing us the reconnection of father and son. Maybe I’m wrong but their failed relationship was the bigger focal point for me. The death of Tristan’s mom was the reason why Tristan came home, why his father and him faced their differences, and why their severed bond mended — stronger than ever. 
 
HEA
 
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
 Score: ❤❤❤
 
GET YOUR COPY NOW AT AMAZON: 

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November 24, 2015 · 6:00 am

Interview with V.A. Dold

 
       1. Welcome,V.A. Dold. For those who might not be familiar with you, would you be a dear and tell the readers a little about yourself? How did you get your start in the writing business?
 
(V.A. Dold) Hi. Thank you for having me. I have a marketing degree and was a publicist for authors, which gradually led to writing my own novels.
 
2. Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, please share how you handle it.
 
(V.A. Dold) I have had slow downs from burn out but I’ve never had writers block.
 
3. Contrary to what some people envision about a romance writer’s life, it’s not all glitz and glam. Well not for the majority of us. With that bubble sadly busted, when you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
 
(V.A. Dold) Reading, traveling, and hanging out with friends.
 
4. I know many writers, such as myself, keep their pastime/career a secret. Do those close to you know you write? If so, what are their thoughts?
 
(V.A. Dold) Everyone who knows me knows I write. My very catholic family pretty much ignores it, but my friend and children support it whole heartedly.
  
5. If you could choose one book to go to the big screen,
yours or otherwise, which book would you choose and whom would you love to see cast in the parts?
(V.A. Dold) Oh Wow.
I’d love to see Cade as a movie.
 
 
I think Matt Bomer for Cade
 
And Melissa McCarthy for Anna 
 
 
6. Would you care to tell us what you’re working on now? That is if it’s not top-secret information. If so, just whisper it in my ear. I swear it’ll go no further.
 
(V.A. Dold) Richie 
 
Four years ago, Richie met a group of Tulane freshmen when he saved one of them from a mugger. Now the first of their menagerie is getting married. Surprise of all surprises, Richie meets his mate, Piper, at the wedding in Missouri, of all places. He didn’t expect her to be a bounty hunter or that her murderous prey had turned the tables and she was now the hunted. Will Piper apprehend her bounty or will her bounty get to her first?
Can Richie save her from the death he foresaw in a premonition? Injuries are mounting and time is running out.
 
     7. Where can we find your stories, and is there a particular reading order?
 
(V.A. Dold) Just about any retailer Amazon, B&N, and iBooks
#1 Cade
#2 Simon
#3 Stefan
#4 Thomas
#4.5 Cade & Anna
# 5 Lucas
# 6 Richie
 
     8. Would you please share how your present and future fans can contact you?
 
(V.A. Dold) I have a website   http://www.vadold.com
And my facebook  https://www.facebook.com/vickieann1
Or email  vadold@yahoo.com
 
9. Before we conclude this enlightening interview, do you have anything else you’d like to share? The stage is all yours.
 
(V.A. Dold) After Richie I’ll be writing another Cowboy in my K.I.S.S. Series so stay tuned for that. And Seth is talking loudly in the Le Beau Series. Here is the blurb for his up coming book:
 
Orphaned at birth, Seth is adopted and raised by the king and queen of the shifters, Isaac and Emma Le Beau.
 
Circumstances and heart break propel him into the elite band of hunters. Shifters pledged to serve the Goddess as her right hand. Meting out justice to the shifters who gorogue.
 
Burned out and ready to retire, Seth seeks refuge at the plantation, but Isaac has one last hunt for him to complete.
 
Unable to deny his father and king, will this assignment be his undoing or his salvation?
 
 
Wow, you are one busy lady!! 🙂
Congratulations to all the books you’ve written and the best of luck on the WIP’s. 
 
Readers, I hope you enjoyed my interview with V.A. Dold and found one or more books that intrigue you. If you answered yes, AWESOMENESS, my job is now complete. 🙂 

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November 10, 2015 · 6:00 am

Author Showcase and Review of “Blood Tide” – CJ Matthew (CONTEST INCLUDED)

WELCOME CJ Matthew!!
 
 
CJ Matthew is the author of paranormal romance suspense series Dolphin Shore Shifters. Her debut novel, Blood Tide, features a pod of dolphins posing as humans that work through their oceanic conservation corporation Save Blue Water, based in Santa Barbara, California, to protect the oceans at any cost.  CJ grew up in an Air Force family that travelled all over the U.S. and around the world. She spent her high school and university years living in California, which inspired her love of marine life and the Pacific Ocean.
 
A member of Georgia Romance Writers (GRW) Romance Writers of America, CJ lives and writes near a lake in the woods northeast of Atlanta. When she isn’t writing or reading romances, CJ likes to travel and to spend time with her two grown children, a brilliant grandson and a feisty cat named Max.
 
 
Website Link
Twitter
Facebook
Amazon author page
Goodreads author page
 
 
 

The Santa Barbara Channel holds a closely guarded secret…

 
She had more than just her mission…
Sy’s rotation on land as a dolphin shifter couldn’t have come at a better time. With her best friend missing and no answers forthcoming, it was time to take matters into her own hands. And with the resources at the Save Blue Water organization, finding her friend would be a whole lot easier. Except …something sinister is going on inside SBW, something deadly, and Sy finds herself at the center of danger.
The last thing he needed was bullets and bombs…
Noah Nelson spent every minute trying to forget the war while fighting his PTSD, but jumping in front of a bullet was second nature. It had nothing to do with the fact the target was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Or that she was naked. But suddenly he’s caught up in her world, protecting her from unforeseen threats, and falling in love … but Sy’s got a secret that may rip them apart. Forever.
Kobo
Nook
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iBooks
 
 
 
Chapter 1
 
By midnight the new moon had long ago set and the distant stars barely illuminated the Santa Barbara channel. Sy propelled her sleek dolphin body along the ocean floor—fast approaching the point of no return. For the final leg, she swam inches above the sand, targeting the appointed meeting spot on the shore.
           
All senses on alert, her supple body vibrated with tension. In addition to the natural concerns about her first shape shift, Sy worried about the enormous personal task she’d set for herself as a human. A job that carried unacceptable consequences if she failed. No. Come kelp or high water, she’d locate Lorelei. Do whatever it took to rescue her missing best friend and pod sister. She wouldn’t fail. Arching to the surface, Sy exchanged air. A shallow dive brought her back near the bottom and fluke pumping, she sped forward. Even knowing Lorelei couldn’t hear her, Sy used her friend’s unique signature of clicks and whistles to send out reassurance. “Wherever you are, girl, hang on.”
       
It was time. Sy knew the minute she completed this first shift, she needed to get out of the ocean immediately or risk drowning. The newly transfigured often had trouble using their limbs and stumbled in the surf. Concentrating on the mental pathways she’d been taught, Sy’s body tingled and then throbbed. The change. A horrible wrenching pain shot through her tail. Another across her dorsal. Heart racing, she fought the urge to surface. Was this normal? The pain was excruciating. Why hadn’t someone warned her?
           
In another instant, the pain vanished. She was on her hands and knees. Frothy sea water swirled around her as she fought to maintain a precarious balance. Trying to raise her head, Sy opened her mouth and gulped for air. Get up. She had to stand. Long fingers wrapped around her elbows. A pair of strong arms lifted her quivering body from the water. Chin on her chest, she watched her legs wobble. Tried to lift her new feet out of the wet, cloying sand of the surf. Sy gasped in a deeper breath and set off a hacking cough. Finally, unfamiliar lungs began to process the sea air. Sy noticed her hands, studied her wiggling fingers. Amazing. Her brain ached with overload. Only the dark sky and sand were familiar. The rest of the world
around her was insanely weird. 
 
Remembering the strong hands on her arms, she stiffened her neck, tipped her head back. Expecting to translate his description and recognize her assigned escort, she stared into the face of a total stranger. Sy froze and gaped. A shadow of the former pain rumbled through her abdomen.
 
What was happening? The throbbing during her shift was unexpected and belied all the pod training. Now they’d betrayed her further by going against strict protocol? Without warning, someone switched her escort?
           
The man steadied her. “Can you walk?”  Hearing his gruff tone, she stumbled back. Squid shit. Would nothing go right tonight? Who was this man? A deep instinct assured her he was from their dolphin shore shifter pod. But nothing about him resembled the description of the male scheduled to meet her on this beach. Now what?
 
Her brain took off on a paranoid tangent. If this man was planning to murder her, or worse, abduct her for a science experiment, she’d fight him. No way would she go quietly. Not without finding Lorelei.
 
“You’re late,” the imposter complained. “We need to hustle.” That did it. She’d reached her limit. Sy opened her mouth to scream. No sound came out. She snapped powerful jaws together and gritted her teeth. Here she was with nothing, not even her promised cell phone. Her real escort would have brought a bag of stuff for her. He’d  gently help her dress, and drive her to Save Blue Water headquarters. Studying
this man’s shadowed face, more inner alarms clanged in her head.
           
“Where’s my assigned escort?” she demanded, her voice a raspy whisper. She tried licking her dry lips.
           
“There was a threat to SBW.” His forehead creased in a deep frown. “Everyone had to evacuate.”
 
Sy’s heart thundered in her chest. Wiggling her elbows free from his grasp, she stepped around the stranger onto dry sand. He got points for calling the shore shifter’s corporation by its nickname, SBW. But then, so did most all of the humans in the United States. The part about a threat, potential danger to SBW rang true. Sy wrapped her arms around her waist and shivered. The hair on the back of her neck rose in warning. More new human instincts kicking in? Too many things about tonight were very wrong.
 
Kobo
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(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 

After reading this dolphin-shifter story, questions popped into my head. Do dolphin-shifters age differently than humans? What’s the life expectancy of a (non-shifting) dolphin? 
 
Since shifters are make-believe, the first answer is in the hands of the writer, CJ. However for the second question, I looked towards the internet.
 
At http://www.whalefacts.org/how-long-do-dolphins-live/ I learned that due to 40 or so species of dolphins, it is rather challenging to pinpoint a life span. However, the chart provided on the site does list several species and their estimations; anywhere from 15-90 years. 
 
With that bit of knowledge in your head, lets move on. 
 
I’ve read oodles of shifter books in my time BUT this is the FIRST one revolving around dolphins. They live such peaceful lives under the water surface but on land…. dang, trouble seems to follow them everywhere and I mean that literally. 
 
Poor Sy couldn’t see to go a day without trouble knocking on her door or, in one instance, walking straight in. 
 
If you want action, you’ll get plenty of it here. 
If you want a little hanky-panky, CJ delivered on that as well. 
If you want a sweet HEA, consider it done! 

 
On a side note, in case you are wondering, shifter dolphins (in human form) behave like the rest of us when they climax. I guess if they were in dolphin form they would make those cute dolphin sounds. You know the one I’m talking about. 😉 Yes, for a brief minute, I half-expected the “squeal”. Thankfully, it didn’t happen because that would’ve totally killed the mood for me and probably had me laughing my keister off. 
 
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤
 
 Nook
Kindle
iBooks

Kobo

 
 
WANT MORE? CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE SHIFTER SERIES!! 
 
 
 
NOW FOR THE REAL FUN!! 
 
 
Now that you’ve had a sneak peek at CJ Matthew’s hot new book, Blood Tide, WHO IS READY TO WIN?
 
Ladies and Gents, CJ is offering ONE LUCKY WINNER a chance to receive a digital copy of this suspenseful romantic story, so if you like paranormal tales (shifter books) then I encourage you to ENTER TODAY. 
 

You’ll have until WEDNESDAY (midnight, central time) to enter. THURSDAY morning, I will post the winner’s name and attempt to message you. Please follow the comment thread or come back on Thursday to see if you are the lucky recipient of this amazing prize.  

 
(Special note: Gift will be administered in the e-format the winner prefers.)
 
Good luck!!!

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October 14, 2015 · 5:00 am

Author Showcase/Interview and Review of “Dream Walker” – Kimberly Dean

 
 
 Welcome, Kimberly Dean!!
 
1. For those who might not be familiar with you, would you be a dear and tell the
readers a little about yourself? How did you get your start in the writing business?  
 
(Kimberly) Hello, everyone!  I’m an author of romance and erotica and have
been published since 2004.  My start came
a bit differently from other authors’.  I
wrote a manuscript and sent it to Black Lace Books in London.  I heard nothing until one day I opened my
mail and there was a contract!  A week
later, another one showed up for a short story I’d also sent.  To me, that was so much better than a phone
call. It was on paper and real.  I
was suddenly an author.
 
2.  Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, please share how you handle it.
 
(Kimberly) First and foremost,
I step away from the computer. If I’ve hit a block, it means my well is
dry.  I’ll go for a walk, listen to
music, or even clean the house. 
Sometimes the answer just pops into my head.  Another technique I’ve developed is making
flash cards.  I’ll write highlights for
my plot on each card and organize them. 
Knowing that I have an overall roadmap helps me focus on just getting
from Point A to Point B. 
 
3. Contrary to what some people envision about a romance
writer’s life, it’s not all glitz and glam. Well not for the majority of us.
With that bubble sadly busted, when you’re not writing, how do you spend
your time? 
 
(Kimberly) I’m assuming you also mean when I’m not blogging, updating my website, looking
over promo opportunities, plotting, Tweeting, or putting together a
newsletter?  🙂 There’s not much time left, but I spend a lot of time
taking care of my flower gardens.
 
4. I know many writers, such as myself, keep their
pastime/career a secret. Do those close to you know you write? If so, what are
their thoughts?  
 
(Kimberly) I
am a writer in deep-cover mode.  Only a
handful of people know that I write, and none of them know what I write.  They’re
super-curious, but this is a part of my life that I’ve cordoned off for
me.  I enjoy it, and that’s enough for
me.
 
5. Will you share with us your all-time favorite authors? If
you’re like me, it’s a long list so give us your top ten.  
 
(Kimberly) Tough call.  I’ll go with Linda Howard, Sandra Brown, Anne
Stuart, Nalini Singh, J.R. Ward, J.K. Rowling, Stieg Larsson, S.E. Hinton, David
Baldacci, Sidney Sheldon
 
Kam: I <3 Ward, too!!!
 
6. If you could choose one book to go to the big screen,
yours or otherwise, which book would you choose and whom would you love to see cast in the parts?
 
(Kimberly) With superhero movies
dominating the market, I’d have to go with my short story Blade of Moonlight.  It’s a
superhero erotic romance with Luminescence, who gets her power from the moon,
battling and falling in love with Scythe, a bad guy whose favorite weapon is a…
well, you get it.  Off the top of my
head, I see Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds in the starring roles.  Yeah, they’d do nicely.
                   
7. Would you care to tell us what you’re working on now?
That is if it’s not top-secret information. If so, just whisper it in my ear. I
swear it’ll go no further.   
 
(Kimberly) I’m in the middle of two series.  One is my Courting
series, a collection of contemporary erotic romance stories about a high-end
escort service that specializes in love. 
The other is my Dream Weavers paranormal romance series about the
Oneiroi, Greek daemons who bestow dreams upon sleeping humans.
 

 

 
 
 
8. Where can we find your stories, and is there a particular
reading order?  
 
(Kimberly) My
books are on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and all the other major players’
sites.  I’d say readers should go to my
website and choose by genre.  I write
contemporary romance, paranormal romance, and erotica.  I also split my time pretty evenly between
full-length novels and short stories.  If
someone is new to my work, they can choose a short story to get an idea of how
I write.  That’s what I do when trying
authors who are new to me.
 
9. Would you please share how your present and future fans
can contact you?  
 
(Kimberly) Sure!  I love hearing from
fans.  Readers can follow me on my
website at http://kimberlydean.com.  I’m
also on Twitter @KDean_writer.
 
10. Before we conclude this enlightening interview, do you
have anything else you’d like to share? The stage is all yours. 
 
(Kimberly) Thanks for inviting me to your blog, Kam, and thanks to
all the readers who love books.  I’ve
been running into a lot of people these days who are unhappy with their lives
or their work.  Find time for yourselves.  Keep reading. 
Do something fun.  Try something
new.  Go for your dreams!
 
 
Ladies and Gents, I
hope you enjoyed my interview with Kimberly Dean.
If you have any questions or comments for Kimberly,
by all means, leave her a message below. Thank you in advance for your
visit! 


Before you do that though, lets check out Dream Walker!! *big ass smile*
 

 

Research scientist Shea Caldwell has always had a thing for security consultant, Derek Oneiros. He’s smart, handsome, and built like a Greek god. As attracted as she is to him, though, she’s afraid to let him into her bed – because she’s dangerous when she sleeps.

Derek is known among his brothers as “The Machine,” yet his carefully cultivated control is put to the test whenever he’s around Shea. The woman is as beautiful as she is intelligent, but they’ve always kept things professional – until Derek learns why. Shea is sleepwalking again, but what she doesn’t know is that he may be the only one who can help her. For heis a Greek daemon, and he’s charged with protecting her dreams.

With Shea threatened, Derek makes things personal, and their nights together turn steamy and intimate. He’s ready to battle against the Somnambulist that’s been controlling his lover in her sleep, yet is the night creature really causing all the harm? When Shea’s groundbreaking research notes are stolen, it’s clear that other evil forces may be at work.

BUY NOW AT Amazon │ Amazon UK
 
 
 
(review request submitted by the author for an honest critique) 
 
As a person who suffers from unpleasant dreams (at times), it’s rather disturbing to think the creatures visiting me are real. That’s reason enough to pray for insomnia. 
On the other hand, it’s also rather reassuring to think of having your very own dream guardian. So…I think I will forego the caffeine and just succumb to my body’s need for slumber, restful or not. 
For my first introduction into the writing world/mind of Kimberly Dean, I have to say she impressed me. She weaved a rather engaging tale. The plot was thought out beautifully and didn’t really raise any red flags for me. Yeah, I knew who the real guilty party was in the story but the why kept me reading. Plus, the scenes between Shea and Derek were spicy!! 
Heck, I adored all the Dream Weavers. 
Brilliant read, Kimberly!! 
 
  
Heart Rating System – 1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤1/2
 
BUY NOW AT Amazon │ Amazon UK
 

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October 12, 2015 · 5:00 am

The Skeleton in the Closet by Angie Fox (Book Review)

              The second book in the new Southern Ghost Hunter mysteries.
 
 

A haunted library is no place for a girl who can see ghosts, but when Verity Long stumbles on a dead body in the middle of the main reading room, she has to believe someone…even a dead someone…must have witnessed the crime.
Her ghostly sidekick Frankie warns her to stay out of it. The very alive, very handsome deputy sheriff, Ellis Wydell, inadvertently places her directly in the middle of it. And her ex-fiancé, Ellis’s brother, is back with an agenda of his own.
Undaunted, Verity presses forward, uncovering scandalous secrets, long-forgotten ghosts, and a shocking trail of clues that places her directly in the path of a killer.

 
 
 
From the cover to the characters to the the mystery unraveling throughout the pages, this book screams….. FUN, FUN, FUN!!
 
And the award for FUNNIEST CHARACTER OF ALL goes to………Maisie. She reminds me of the Granny from The Beverly Hillbillies. (I attached the photo in case you are too young to remember the show or simply never watched it.)
 
 
See, “Granny” is packing heat just like Maisie. It makes me wonder if Angie had her in mind when she wrote the part. 
 
Folks, trust me, you’ll be entertained by this story. It has ghosts, poltergeist, murder mystery, a scandal cover-up, and one pet skunk. 🙂
 
Lets not forget, one hot cop. Oooo LALA!! 
 
Heart Rating System:
1 (lowest) and 5 (highest) 
Score: ❤❤❤❤❤
 
BUY NOW: Kindle – Paperback
 
 

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