Review: The House on Hallowed Ground by Nancy Cole Silverman

Genre:
Cozy Mystery, Paranormal

Format:
E-ARC

Publisher:
Henery Press

Release Date:
September 10, 2019

Review: Sister Witchcraft: Bewitched, Bedeviled, and Bewildered (#1) by J.D. Winters & Dakota Kahn

Genre:
Paranormal, Cozy Mystery

Format:
E-Book

Release Date:
October 20, 2016

Review: Taking Leaps and Finding Ghosts by Janet DeLee

Genre:
Fiction, Paranormal

Format:
E-Book

Publisher:
CreateSpace

Release Date:
May 2015

Blog Tour: Be My Banshee by Joyce and Jim Lavene (Review/Tour-Wide Giveaway)

About the Book

Be My Banshee
(Purple Door Detective Agency Book 1)
Paranormal Cozy Mystery
File Size: 367 KB
Print Length: 196 pages
Publisher: J. Lavene (September 1, 2015)
Publication Date: September 1, 2015
ASIN: B010VZO1QM

Review/Book Giveaway: The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young

About the Book

Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Putnam's Sons
Release Date: September 2015

Review: For Everything A Season by Sharon Pape

Genre:
Romance, Paranormal, Mystery

Format:
E-Book

Publisher:
Amazon Digital Services, Inc.

Release Date:
June 2014

Blog Tour: Christmas in Dogtown by Suzanne Johnson (Spotlight and Review)

Christmas in Dogtown
Suzanne Johnson

Genre: Sweet Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Story Vault

Date of Publication: December 2012

ASIN: B009RBKTSG

Number of pages: 30
Word Count: approx. 11,000

Amazon   Barnes and Noble

Review: Celebration House by Annette Drake

Genre:
Romance, Paranormal

Format:
E-Book

Publisher:
Tirgearr Publishing

Release Date:
July 2013








Cardiac nurse Carrie Hansen learns what her heart patients go through when she becomes one herself. As she slowly recovers from a heart transplant, she discovers she has a new talent. She can see and talk to dead people. She only wishes she could talk to her deceased grandmother and father, but it doesn’t happen.

Unfortunately, her new heart starts to fail and her health deteriorates. Feeling smothered by an overprotective mother and sister, she decides to leave the busy city of Seattle and go to the quieter town of Lexington, Missouri. She decides to purchase an abandoned 19th century mansion and have it restored. Her plans include turning it into a celebration house where weddings and parties could be held.

The only problem is the original 19th century occupants are still there, including an overbearing colonel, who scares away visitors, and a handsome major that Carrie finds herself attracted to. However, a relationship with a ghost doesn’t have much of a future.

The project takes more energy than Carrie can spare, but she’s determined to see it to the end.

This story reminds me of the old movie “The Ghost & Mrs. Muir”. It has all the ingredients for a beautiful romance with a few mystical elements tossed in. The ghostly characters felt as real as the human ones. I absolutely adored Carrie. She is realistic, strong and I could feel the anguish and pain she was experiencing. Even the secondary storyline had my full attention.

This is a sweet, well-written paranormal romance. Annette Drake’s writing draws you right into the book. I couldn’t even see my Kindle beyond my tears by the time the story ended. It was sad, but powerful and beautiful at the same time. I will definitely be reading more books by this author. Bravo!




For reading challenge:
2013 Where Are You Reading? (Missouri)

FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse #13)

Genre:
Paranormal

Format:
Audio

Publisher:
Audible Audio Edition

Release Date:
May 2013













Synopsis from Fantastic Fiction:

Sookie Stackhouse finds it easy to turn down the request of former barmaid Arlene when she wants her job back at Merlotte's. After all, Arlene tried to have Sookie killed. But her relationship with Eric Northman is not so clearcut. He and his vampires are keeping their distance...and a cold silence. And when Sookie learns the reason why, she is devastated.

Then a shocking murder rocks Bon Temps, and Sookie is arrested for the crime.

But the evidence against Sookie is weak, and she makes bail. Investigating the killing, she'll learn that what passes for truth in Bon Temps is only a convenient lie. What passes for justice is more spilled blood. And what passes for love is never enough...

My thoughts…

When you get to #13 of a series, sometimes you’ve had enough. That’s not the case with the Sookie books for me, but I’m glad they are coming to an end. Too much of a good thing isn’t always…well, a good thing. Some of the books along the way I didn’t like as much as others, but overall, I enjoyed this series very much.

I wasn’t expecting the series to end as it did (no, I’m not giving away any spoilers), so Charlaine Harris still has the ability to surprise me. Like all the other Sookie books, this one had a great mix of adventure, mystery and lots of romance.

One thing I have to say about the narrator, Johanna Parker, I thought she was wonderful. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought it was Anna Paquin narrating the books herself. Parker had the voice down perfect.

I will miss this series, but it was well worth listening to.

FTC Disclosure: I took this book out of the library for my own enjoyment. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Blog Tour: Rosedale the Vampyre by Lev Raphael (Review)

About the Book

Grief-stricken by his wife’s untimely death, a wealthy New York banker turns to sexual abandon in the bordellos of 1907 New York. Then one fateful night, after a mysterious attack, he dies to his old life and is reborn a Vampyre. Once obsessed solely with making money and social advancement, he’s now driven by a new, perverse hunger for blood. Written in a period voice, this deeply erotic work takes us into dark corners of the psyche as it explores a secret world of power and obsession.

My thoughts

This book pulled me in with the very first page.  I was completely drawn into this book and finished it in one sitting.  It's a short read and left me wanting much much more.  Rosedale is a tortured character and readers can truly feel his pain.  I hope there will be more books about Rosedale as I can easily see this turning into a series, if it hasn't already.

FTC Disclosure: Pump Up Your Book Blog Tours provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Author

Lev Raphael is the author of twenty-four books in genres from memoir to mystery to Jane Austen mashup. He’s been in love with storytelling since second grade and a reader of catholic tastes since he discovered his first public library. Lev has published traditionally with large and small houses, and recently gone indie because it’s the wave of the future. His latest fiction, Rosedale the Vampyre, grows out of his love of The Gilded Age. Lev has been a newspaper columnist, a radio talk show host, a DJ and even an academic. He writes and reviews full-time and is currently working on three different book projects.

You can visit his website at http://www.levraphael.com.

Hop over to his blog and say hi at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lev-raphael/.

Rosedale the Vampyre Tour Page:



http://www.pumpupyourbook.com/2012/11/10/pump-up-your-book-presents-rosedale-the-vampyre-virtual-book-publicity-tour/

Audio Reviews

Genre:
Mystery, Paranormal

Format:
Audio

Publisher:
Recorded Books

Release Date:
2006







Synopsis from Fantastic Fiction:

Harper Connelly has what you might call a strange job: she finds dead people. She can sense the final location of a person who's passed, and share their very last moment. The way Harper sees it, she's providing a service to the dead while bringing some closure to the living-but she's used to most people treating her like a blood-sucking leech. Traveling with her step-brother Tolliver as manager and sometime-bodyguard, she's become an expert at getting in, getting paid, and getting out fast. Because for the living it's always urgent-even if the dead can wait forever.


My thoughts...

Good mystery and I really liked Harper and her step-brother. The town has your typically quirky characters that I love in my mysteries. This is the first book in the series and I'm definitely going to be catching up through audio books.

Genre:
Paranormal

Format:
Audio

Publisher:
Recorded Books

Release date:
May 2012






Synopsis from Fantastic Fiction:

With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it's the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman's front yard--especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.


Now, it's up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl's fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who's out to make Sookie's world come crashing down.

My thoughts...

This is book #12 and another good entry in the Sookie Stackhouse series. I'm finding I'm not as excited about this series as I used to be but it's still fun and all my "friends" were there - Sookie, Eric, Bill, Alcide, Sam...



Disclosure: I took both audios from the library for my own reading enjoyment.

For Reading Challenge:

2012 Audio Reading Challenge

Ecstatic Evil by Amanda McNeil (Review and Interview!)

Genre:
Paranormal

Format:
EBook

Publisher:
Amazon Digital Services

Release Date:
July 2011




Tova Gallagher has a problem, a huge problem. She’s a halvsie, which means she’s part human and part supernatural. Tova is being forced to choose a side, human vs supernatural, good vs bad. Her mother has emphatically said she would disown Tova if she went to the evil side, but Tova can’t let that influence her. She’s determined to make her own decisions.

As part owner of a bookstore, Tova is perfectly happy living a little bit in both worlds. She doesn’t want to choose. To make matters even worse, she meets a mysterious, sexy hunk. There’s no way she can tell him about her halvsie heritage.

When Tova realizes there’s more to Greg than meets the eye, she wonders if there is any future for them or is it all about sex. Should this be a factor in her life-changing decision?

This is a short paranormal romance that sizzles – it practically scorches your fingers as you turn each page. For a short story, it packs a huge punch. Readers will be totally engrossed in Tova’s plight and want to see how she gets out of it. It’s a quick, captivating read from a brand new author.






FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

For reading challenges…

2012 Self-published Reading Challenge
2012 ARC Reading Challenge
2012 EBook Reading Challenge

I’d like to take a moment to welcome author Amanda McNeil to the Socrates’ Review Blog. I just finished reading her debut book, Ecstatic Evil, and Amanda has graciously agreed to do an interview for us. Thank you, Amanda, and welcome!

To start things off…

What made you decide on a writing career? Did you ever want to do anything else?

I know a lot of authors say this, but I didn’t choose writing. Writing chose me. If I don’t write, I feel as if I’m losing my very sanity. That said, of course you can write without choosing to share it, but I want to tell stories that enrich other people’s lives, perhaps because reading has so blessed my own.

Why did you choose to write for the paranormal genre?

Although I am personally a skeptic and an agnostic, I was raised in a religion that is incredibly rich with larger than life tales. I think sometimes I miss that element of my life. A belief in things that others can’t see and that I may one day myself see. Creating a world where for this woman demons and angels are a tangible part of her life thus appealed to me. The romance was just a natural touch, because who doesn’t enjoy some of that in a story? ;-)

Do you intend to write or have you already written for any other genres?

Yes! I have two short stories published. “The Tale of Leroy of the Backwoods of Vermont,” which is a humorous zombie squirrel story (seriously). Also, “The Most Lovely Morning,” which is literary fiction. I also love writing scifi, urban fantasy, and horror. Additionally, a lot of my works tend to explore either the modern experience of cities or that of rural New England mountain culture, which I find endlessly fascinating.

Why do you think there is a sudden surge in the paranormal genre? Readers are loving the books more than ever these days.

Perhaps for some of the same reasons that I chose to write paranormal myself. People miss having that dash of mysticism in their own lives. We understand so much more of the how the world works now than we used to. There aren’t as many frontiers either from a scientific or explorer perspective. The paranormal genre allows us to indulge in that human desire still, particularly when our own lives can be boring. Of course, the librarian in me also says that popularity breeds popularity. If you have one hit in a certain genre then more people write it, more publishers publish it, it is more visible and reaches more people, etc...

Where do you do most of your writing? Describe the setting for us.

The short answer is in my studio apartment. ;-) But what does it look like? I live in an attic apartment in Boston. My apartment was originally servant’s quarters. The ceiling is eaved and most people who are not short like myself (5’4”) have issues walking through the whole thing while standing up straight. My Ikea couch conveniently is right next to a window that overlooks the city skyline, so I generally sit there with my laptop, a cup of something with a dash of alcohol in it, and my kitty purring next to me.

Do you outline your books or do you just sit down and let the words flow?

It’s kind of a mix of the two. I write the first ¼ to ⅓ of the book via the let it flow method, usually because when I start writing I have just a scene in mind. Eventually a full story pops up in my head, and I will dash down literally around ten words to help me remember where things will ultimately be going. This isn’t set in stone though, and trust me, things change all the time.

Is Ecstatic Evil part of a series? If so, what is the next book?

It was originally intended to be part of a quickly publishing series, since the only one setting a time-line for it is myself. I didn’t foresee the fact that other ideas would demand my attention before that, though, so I now think there will be one entry a year. The next book has no title yet, but the plot is almost entirely present in my head. It is set during Thanksgiving, and Tova finds herself trapped into going home to her previously ostracized demonic side of the family. I am hoping to release it in November, naturally. :-)

With all the various social media outlets around, do you communicate with your fans often?

I do my best to! There is of course my blog Opinions of a Wolf (http://opinionsofawolf.wordpress.com) where I review other author’s books and also periodically touch base about my own writing and my personal life. I also have a twitter account (amandamcneil) that is currently private, but I allow most people who are obviously real people to follow me, and I follow them back and chat when I have time. I also am quite active on GoodReads and approve everyone who asks to be friends there. That is the extent of it so far. My facebook presence is purely personal right now, and it felt a bit premature to set up a fan/author page there!

Do you have any other books on the horizon that we can look forward to reading?

Yes! My next book is entitled Waiting For Daybreak and is due for release in June of this year. It is about a young woman with Borderline Personality Disorder who survives a zombie outbreak in Boston that mysteriously only affects those people without a psychiatric illness. The story thus explores the serious topic of what is normal but wraps it in zombies (and, yes, a love interest).


Thank you so much for being a guest on my blog, Amanda!

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

Genre:
Paranormal

Format:
Audio

Publisher:
Recorded Books

Release Date:
May 2011

Here's a blurb about the book from Fantastic Fiction:

With her knack for being in trouble's way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte's, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his "child" Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows...

My thoughts...

This is the 11th Sookie Stackhouse book and I'm still enjoying this series. Of course, as with any series, some books are better than others. I might be one of the rare people who actually prefers the TV series to the books, but that's okay. As often happens, there are differences when you have different forms of media.

I still enjoy the relationships Sookie has with Eric and Bill. For the past few books she's been more on Team Eric, but Team Bill peeked through in this one too. Not a lot, just a couple of implications. In the past, Bill has hardly been in the books but he was in it a bit more this time around. I just have to keep reminding myself that these are the books not the TV show.

I don't have much more to say about the book itself, since I've already mentioned how much I enjoy the stories and characters of this series in past reviews. I do want to say something about the audio books I listen to. This series is narrated by Johanna Parker. If I didn't know better, I would swear it's Anna Pacquin (the actress who portrays Sookie on True Blood). She's perfect in the role and I love how she speaks and narrates these books. She's a joy to listen to.

This wraps up the Sookie Stackhouse Reading challenge for me. I have read all the books written in this series. I hope everyone has enjoyed it as much as I have. If you are still reading this series and are part of the challenge, the challenge continues until December 31st, so you still have time to finish!

Enjoy!

Foxy’s Tale by Karen Cantwell and L.B. Gschwandtner

Genre:
Chick Lit, Young Adult, Romance, Paranormal

Format:
EBook

Publisher:
Novelette Books

Release Date:
March 2011

Single mom and former beauty queen, Foxy Anders, hasn’t had an easy life but she’s doing the best she can to make ends meet. After a messy divorce, she opens an antique shop in Washington D.C.’s fancy DuPont Circle. She hopes to sell her merchandise to the wealthy people living in the area.

Foxy’s teenaged daughter, Amanda, is sick and tired of her mother’s antics. Her mom does nothing that Amanda expects a mom to do like cook and take care of their house. To make matters even worse, Foxy goes on shopping sprees and spends money they don’t have. Amanda takes her frustrations out in her blog, where she lets her feelings be known to all…that is, if anyone is really reading it.

Things get really crazy when Foxy rents out two apartments in their building. One goes to Knot (pronounced Kuh-not) who becomes Foxy’s best salesman. Of course Knot has a few quirks of his own – he has a shoe fettish and has a thing for a wealthy political figure. The other apartment goes to Myron Standlish, an older Yiddish-speaking gentleman with a refrigerator full of bottles of blood.

When Amanda becomes involved with Nick, a fellow high school student, she’s shocked to see him being stalked by an older woman and Nick is doing nothing about it. She has to wonder if perhaps he’s interested in the older woman, but she’s stunned when she learns exactly how old this person is. She confides in Knot and Myron, since she’s convinced her mother’s failed love life wouldn’t be of any help.

Meanwhile, Foxy is going through her own romantic issues when she meets a guy she’s convinced is the man of her dreams. But, when she meets his fiancé, she knows she has once again made a bad choice in choosing men.

This is a cute book which has a little bit of everything – romance for adults as well as young adults, comedy, and a touch of paranormal. The book has characters you will really come to care about. I know I did. An old Yiddish vampire? Too funny. You might not want to read this one in public or people will wonder why you are laughing out loud. This is the first book of a series “The Reluctant Vampire” and I’m already looking forward to the next one.





FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.

Blog Tour: Review of "Settling" and Book Giveaway (US and International!)

Genre:
Young Adult, Paranormal

Release Date:
July 4, 2011

Publisher:
CreateSpace

Following her successful first novel, "Solid", Shelley Workinger's "Settling" picks up the story of a group of teens who recently learned they had been genetically altered before birth. The Army has set them up in a special school where they can learn more about what has happened to them and the super-powers they each have acquired. The teens are desperate for answers and have become a close-knit group during the process.

One teen, Calliope "Clio" Kalid, is particularly interested in learning the truth and finds herself involved in a romance with two men, which could turn their group inside out. When one of the school's staff members is murdered and a fellow student is beaten up, the kids can't help wondering what they are in the middle of. They begin an investigation which leads to putting themselves in danger, even the Army can't keep them safe.

The characters we fell in love with in the first book are all back for more adventure, mystery and romance. It's a fast-paced book, which will have readers cheering for Clio and her friends. These characters group up right in front of our eyes. This is a very well written series that will leave readers holding their breaths during the final explosive scenes.




FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.



Check out Shelley's website to learn more about her young adult series by clicking here.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!!!!

Now....would you like to win an autographed copy of Settling of your very own? Shelley is graciously offering a copy to one luck winner! (US and International!). Thank you, Shelley!

Here are the rules...


1) Comment here that you want to be entered.

2) Leave a valid email address in your comment (I need a way to contact you! No email address, no entry!)

3) For an extra entry, follow my blog. If you already follow my blog, just mention that in your comment.

4) Subscribe to my blog and mention that in the comments, too, for another entry! If you already subscribe, mention that in the comments!

5) If you blog about the giveaway on your blog, you get 2 extra entries! Please leave the direct link of your post!

All entries must be submitted by July 9th, midnight est. I will contact the winner by email. If I don't get a response within 3 days, another winner will be chosen.

The winner will be picked by Random List.org.

Good luck everyone!

The Reckoning by Kimberly Van Meter

Genre:
Paranormal

Format:
Ebook

Release Date:
April 2011

Isabella Beckett is one of the top scientists in her field. After the brutal loss of her family at the hands of vampires, Isabella makes it her life’s mission to study, then destroy them all. When vampire Julien de Valsan is dropped in her lap, she runs many tests and experiments.

However, the tables are turned when Julien escapes and takes Isabella with him. He imprisons her and plans to take his revenge by conducting his own experiments on the human. Much to his own shock, the hatred they feel for each other turns into something else. Something very hot that it sizzles off the page.

This novella is a quick read mixed with suspense, thrills, and steamy sex! You can read it in one sitting – not only is it a short story, but readers just won’t want to put it down. This is only available as an ebook and it’s the second one by this author, who usually writes for Harlequin. I love her novellas and I’m so hoping there will be more to come.





Disclosure: The ebook was sent to me by the author for an honest review.