paranormal

The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard by Charlie Cochet: RB, Excerpt and New Release Review

September 20, 2019 by Denise

Prince Owin

Being a fierce predator—not at all adorable, despite my graceful stature—the last thing I needed was a bodyguard. Especially a wolf shifter, whose presence alone was an insult to my princely principles. As Prince of the Ocelot Shifters, I prided myself on my infallible feline instincts, uncompromisable dignity, and flawless fashion sense. If having a canine follow me around at all times wasn’t bad enough, I now faced the most important moment of my entire life. The time had come to prove I was worthy of my crown. If only I could find a way to get rid of the pesky bodyguard.

Grimmwolf

When the King of All Shifters asked me to guard Prince Owin, I admit I had no idea what to expect. Cat shifters tend to be a little intense, not to mention kinda cranky. Owin was no exception, though he seemed crankier than most. Being his bodyguard was proving to be one of the greatest challenges of my life—but not nearly as great as convincing him there was something special between us. When Owin is faced with a perilous quest to prove his worth, I was determined to keep him safe, even if the same couldn’t be said of my heart.

Title: The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard

Series Title: Paranormal Princes Book # 1

Author: Charlie Cochet

Length: Novella

Genre: Paranormal Shifters

Word Count: 31, 417

Release Date: September 19th, 2019

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

“What the—” Grimm dropped the orb, and we both jumped back. To my utter disbelief, it spread upward and sideways until it was roughly the size of a large doorway, a forest appearing inside. “Hmm. What do you know? A portal that will take us where we want to go.”

How cross would the king be with me if I accidentally pushed Grimm off a cliff? Or left him with the Cù Sìth? Not like he didn’t have plenty of wolf shifters. What was one less in the grand scheme of things?

Grimm narrowed his eyes at me. “You’re not leaving me behind.”

How did he do that? “Are you sure you’re not a seer wolf?”

Grimm didn’t look impressed. “You’re right. I’m a seer. My curse is that I’m limited to visions of you being a jerk.”

I opened my mouth to respond, then thought better of it. “Can we just go?”

“As you wish, Your Highness.” He bowed and motioned for me to go ahead. Clearly, he thought I was an idiot.

“What if it’s a trap and I step through and burst into flames? You go first.”

“Your generosity knows no bounds, my liege. Fine. I’ll go first, but if I meet my demise, my blood is on your hands.”

I shrugged. “I’ll get over it.”

“So mean.” He shook his head at me and stepped through. On the other side, he turned and held his arms out. “See? All good. Wait….” He gasped and clutched at his chest. “What’s happening to me? It burns!”

“Grimm?” My heart lurched in my chest, and I stepped up to the portal.

“I can’t,” he gasped, falling to his knees. “I can’t….”

“Can’t what!” Oh my Goddess, oh my Goddess. I never expected him to actually burst into flames! I flailed around feeling utterly helpless. “What do I do? Is it flames? Are you bursting into flames?” I frantically looked around. “I don’t see a fire extinguisher!” Not that I knew how to use one. I’d just have to toss it at him and hope he could do it himself.

“I can’t….” He gasped for breath. “I can’t… believe you fell for that,” he said with a laugh.

“I’m going to kill you!” I darted into the portal, ignoring his laughter as he took off, his long legs putting him out of my reach in a heartbeat. “I hate you!”

“Admit it! You were worried about me,” he called out from across the field.

“Worried you’d die and I wouldn’t be able to pry the magic purse off your cold, dead, dog-smelling corpse!”

“It’s a satchel!”

A new shifter series by Charlie Cochet! YAY!

Trust me, this ain’t THIRDS. Yes it has shifters and snark and witty dialogue, but that’s where the similarities end.

In this world there are all sorts of shifters, magic, a King, many princes, alphas and don’t forget the Hellhounds. At first I thought it would be complicated to follow along in a different world, but really the story is so focused on Owin and Grimm with different magical creatures being introduced one at a time, so it was no big deal. Ok, that makes it sound like I can’t follow a book. I can, I promise. I am just more of a contemporary reader so the otherworldly thing is just different for me.

Back to it. Prince Owin is tasked with a quest by the King of all shifters to prove his worthiness. He is allowed to bring his bodyguard, who is an Alpha in a wolf pack, with him. Grimm, the wolf, pretty much sees right through the King’s ruse, but Owin is a bit bratty and doesn’t.

So we follow along on Owin’s quest which brings him to different places meeting different magical creatures. With Grimm loyally by his side.

Did I mention that Owin is also a shifter? An ocelot. Which is just awesome. There are dog and cat jokes a plenty.

Read it. If you love Charlie’s other work- especially THIRDS, you will love this. All the shifting, all of the snark, all of the sexy times without the drama.

Charlie Cochet is the international bestselling author of the THIRDS series. Born in Cuba and raised in the US, Charlie enjoys the best of both worlds, from her daily Cuban latte to her passion for classic rock.

Currently residing in Central Florida, Charlie is at the beck and call of a rascally Doxiepoo bent on world domination. When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found devouring a book, releasing her creativity through art, or binge watching a new TV series. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

Website: www.charliecochet.com

Email: charlie@charliecochet.com

Newsletter: http://bit.ly/CharlieCochetNews

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Amazon: https://bit.ly/CharlieCochetAmzn

Save Me: An Omegaverse Story (Finding Free Book 1) by A.M. Arthur: New Release Review

September 19, 2019 by Denise

Alpha Gaven Freel was taught by his doting beta parents to protect and respect omegas, and he sees those parents as shining examples of how to love his future mate. Except he’s only nineteen and still a university student, so Gaven has plenty of time to find his omega bondmate—but fate has other plans, and he scents his omega from across a crowded waiting room. Too bad his bondmate is the son of his parents’ oldest enemy.

At twenty-two, omega Frey Porter has already gone through multiple heats without an alpha. He’s desperate to find a mate, but his sire Monte Porter won’t settle for just any alpha for his only omega son. Frey will one day access a sizable trust fund—no gold diggers allowed into the wealthy Porter family. When Frey insists younger alpha Gaven Freel is his bondmate, Monte is skeptical about the pairing. And Gaven’s parents are skeptical right back, worried Monte might use the situation to punish Gaven for decades-old hurts.

Monte surprises everyone by negotiating a fair financial agreement that limits Gaven’s access to Frey’s trust fund and by allowing them to mate. Gaven has no interest in money, only in being the best alpha possible to Frey, and with Frey’s next heat months away, they have plenty of time to date and get to know each other. Frey is intimidated by Gaven’s huge extended family, but he also adores their camaraderie and genuine love for each other. Frey wants his future to be with the Freels.

Gaven is busy making plans for their life together when the unthinkable happens—Monte serves Gaven with papers dissolving the mating agreement. Papers Frey signed, too, and stands by. Devastated by losing his bondmate, Gaven sinks into a deep depression even his best friends can’t get him out of. But Frey also has a terrible, life-altering secret he’s keeping from Gaven, and he’ll have to learn to trust in the strength of the mating bond in order to save them both from darkness.

SAVE ME is the first book in the brand-new “Finding Free” omegaverse series, which is a spin-off of the fan-favorite “Breaking Free” series. This is an original universe featuring mpreg, A/B/O dynamics, heats, knotting and an alpha-dominated society that is starting to see advances in omega rights. Content warnings for dark themes apply. See interior blurb for additional warning.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

I never read an Omegaverse book before Am Arthur put out her first called Saved. It sucked me right in and I pretty much devoured the series as they were released.

Well, lucky us, but she has done a time jump for a new series based on the kids of the guys in the first series! Whee! I am going to say you really don’t need to read the first series if you want to read this book. I mean, you should, duh, but you don’t have to. She really takes the time to explain who everyone is, how they are connected, who their children are, etc, etc. It is A LOT of information and you can just as easily gloss over it and lose nothing. It’s like meeting a whole room of people at once. You need a few times before the names truly click.

So, first of up Gaven, adopted son of the betas Dex and Serge. I loved Dex and Serge from the first series. I think because they are beta and didn’t have the whole “bondmate” thing. Gaven is happily in college wanting to become a nurse like his father. And then at the opening of a clinic, he scents and meets his bondmate.

Frey is an “older” omega at 22. The way these books hearken back to the traditional gender roles of our parents or grandparents is rather eye opening. Frey is afraid that the 19 year old Gaven will reject him because of his age. But really the issue is Frey’s father, old school, old money and lots of rules.

After lots of promises and a few concessions, Frey’s sire agrees to let them date.

And it was so sweet. They had to actually date each other- with chaperones! Most of their dates consisted of dinners or brunches at one or the other’s house, or a party, but always with a chaperone. (see what I mean about gender roles, etc?)

Frey is super shy but Gaven is always right there to protect him. *swoon* Plus there is like a foot height difference I think, which also makes me swoon.

There is a bit of a secondary story that the author is torturing, I mean teasing us with. Peyton and Layne. Best friends who might be more. But Peyton has a so far incurable blood disease that could disable him at almost any time. I super love them together as well. Even though they are alpha and omega, Layne hasn’t had his first heat yet to emit pheromones to attract his bond mate. So they are just a cute, kind of awkward sort of couple right now.

There is actually more than one conflict that Gaven and Frey must deal with. The first I was pretty surprised with, not totally, but I can’t say. Because spoilers. The second was almost expected, kind of? But I am glad that it was resolved rather quickly.

The story is wrapped up well, with time taken to finish out plot points (except the tease of Peyton and Layne) without just a “tah dah!” and things are fine and dandy immediately. I hate that. Thought and feelings were put into it all.

So yes, I am completely sucked right back into this world and cannot wait for book 2.

4 Pieces of Eye Candy

Fated Hearts (Shadow Bound) by Garrett Leigh: Blog Tour, New Release Review and Giveaway

September 12, 2019 by Denise

“He’s not a wolf.”

Devastated by the death of his best friend, Zio is a soldier with one thing on his mind: revenge. Consumed by a conflict that’s raged as long as he’s been alive, he’s had little time or inclination to learn the legends of the shifter world he was raised in. And he certainly doesn’t have time to deal with a shifter of a different kind, even if it’s for the good of the war effort. For the good of his pack. The fact that he’s already crossed paths with the new face in his unit is almost irrelevant.

Almost.

Do no harm. Give life not death: it’s the oath Devan was reborn to live by, so when he’s sent abroad to embed with a wolf pack as their resident healer, he doesn’t hesitate. In the supernatural world, some bonds are instant–soldiers become brothers, pack become family. But others run deeper and before long, Devan’s at the mercy of instincts he can’t control. Zio’s inner wolf is desperate to be with Devan, while Devan struggles to keep the pack safe. But as the war escalates, and new love is tainted by anguish and pain, the battles within might prove the toughest of them all.

“I won’t let him die.”

Length: 60,000 words approx.

Cover Design: Black Jazz Design

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Shifters are not always my jam. BUT when it is written by Garrett Leigh, I’ll give it a go. And while shifters still aren’t my favorite, I did enjoy this story.

Wolf shifters are in a bit of a decades old civil war for land in England. Humans know of and tolerate shifters, but barely. During one fight, the healer of the pack defending their land is killed. An entirely differently clan of shifters (not wolves) lends the pack one of their healers. Things get sticky when the healer and the best friend of the slain healer hook up in a club before finding out who they are to each other.

Zio grew up in a pack at war. He has basically not known anything else. So Devan, the healer, is seen by him as an interloper. Besides the fact that he was taking his best friend’s place. Oh, and about that sexual chemistry…

In the middle of a war, battles raging daily, there are Zio and Devan fighting their attraction. Zio doesn’t even understand the mating thing because he was basically raised to be a soldier. Devan understands, though. He also understands the ramifications.

And they are sharing a tent. OF COURSE THEY ARE!

The other shifters we meet are a great play off of Zio and his perpetual bad mood. These guys are his friends, his brothers, his pack. They love each other no matter what. They apparently will hook up with each other just for funsies. Until one of them offers to hook up with Devan. Zio wasn’t too happy with that.

There are lots of supernatural elements (shifters-duh) but also magic of a sort. Zio can move the earth like tiny earthquakes. Another of his pack members can control water, others can mind read. And Devan uses a lot of magic to heal the shifters.

Remember though, they are at war. A lot of the book is spent on war things. Some of it is a little (a lot) brutal- just so you know. Definitely my least favorite parts.

The conclusion was both sad and happy. Lots of doors were open for more books- which I am looking forward to actually because I am going to hazard a guess that there will be a lot less, if any, war. Or maybe there will be.

3.5 Pieces of Eye Candy

Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British writer and book designer, currently working for Dreamspinner Press, Loose Id, Riptide Publishing, and Fox Love Press.

Garrett’s debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and her polyamorous novel, Misfits was a finalist in the 2016 LAMBDA awards.

When not writing, Garrett can generally be found procrastinating on Twitter, cooking up a storm, or sitting on her behind doing as little as possible, all the while shouting at her menagerie of children and animals and attempting to tame her unruly and wonderful FOX.

Garrett is also an award winning cover artist, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com, and co-owns the specialist stock site moonstockphotography.com with renowned LGBTQA+ photographer Dan Burgess.

Website: http://www.garrettleigh.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/garrettleighauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Garrett_Leigh

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Hearts of Blood (Chevalier Book #2) by Kay Doherty: Exclusive Guest Post, Excerpt and Giveaway

August 15, 2019 by Denise

Omega wolf shifter, Vance, and the rest of his small pack have finally found an Alpha willing to take them on and were still trying to regain their footing when the McBane Pack attacked them. When a vampire appears in front of him, Vance realizes he’s looking into the ice-blue eyes of his mate, and the fact that his mate is something other than wolf scares him.

Sakima knew the wolf shifter was his destined companion the moment he scented him at Elysium, but claiming the gorgeous young Omega wolf is a dangerous proposition. Vance and his unconventional pack have attracted the attention of the vampire coven. As the owner of Elysium, Sakima has been asked to use the club to gather information on the powerful interspecies pack and its Alpha.

Unfortunately for Vance and Sakima, the vampire coven and the continued attacks by the McBane Pack are only a portion of their problems. Amidst concerns over Alpha Tanner’s abilities growing with Sakima’s addition to the pack, a spurned ex targets Vance in an attempt to remove him from Sakima’s life, and Elysium becomes a hot bed for interspecies mingling where anyone could be an enemy.

Title: Hearts of Blood

Series: Chevalier, Book Two

Author: Kay Doherty

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: July 29, 2019

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 42000

Genre: Paranormal, LGBT, wolf shifters, dragon shifters, bonded mates, Elementals, businessmen, vampires, gay

Add to Goodreads

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NineStar Press

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

A few days ago I came across the question, “what do you do and why do you do it?” After thinking about it for a bit, I can to one conclusion. Making stuff up. That has got to be the best part of being an author. I can do whatever i want on those pages. That’s why I enjoy writing this series so much. Creating a fantastic world that doesn’t exist, giving my characters extraordinary abilities, and then writing it in such a way that makes readers think, “what if…” I like playing with reality in a way that allows me to escape it, deal with it, make sense of this insane world we live in. Writing these stories gets me out of my head, out of my rigid way of thinking, so I can escape. “What if…” can be so much fun if when you let yourself bend all the rules you can’t change in real life.

Sakima

Sakima glanced around the yard at the wolf shifters, both in human and wolf form, before settling his gaze on the one he’d come for—his destined companion. He had waited hundreds of years for this creature to arrive. The beautiful golden-brown wolf whined and took a small step back, crouched in wariness, tail tucked.

“What do you want, vampire?” the Alpha asked.

“My name is Sakima Hawke, and I want him,” Sakima answered as he took in the tawny wolf.

The wolf began to shake, making Sakima’s skin itch. This creature was his destined companion; he should never be fearful of him. Sakima squatted so he was eye level with his wolf, his gaze never straying from him, in an attempt to show through action he was not a threat. He’d known the moment the tawny-haired man had brushed against him at Elysium they were meant to be together, but the place had been packed that night and the wolf shifter had quickly melted away into the throng. Sakima had searched the club, attempting to pick the man out from the crowd, but the wolf shifter had turned out to be quite elusive. He’d lost the wolf’s scent for weeks before finding it again quite suddenly moments ago while on his way home.

It was an act of the fates Sakima had decided on a leisurely stroll rather than traveling home at hyperspeed after visiting one of his oldest friends: a human donor who was declining in health. Excitement he’d not felt in decades thrummed through his veins at the sight of the wolf now crouched before him. The sharp tang of fear wafting from him increased Sakima’s discomfort. Perhaps the wolf wasn’t aware of what they were to each other yet, though it was more likely he was simply uneducated about vampires. Sakima was well aware of the fear his kind generated. Too many rumors, myths, and misunderstandings circulated about vampires.

Many believed they were the walking dead, that anyone they fed from would become a vampire as well, but that was all fallacy. Sakima was no more dead than anyone else present, though he knew he appeared to be with his pale skin, long white hair, and ice-blue eyes. He could love, mate, and feed from his partner without changing the beautiful creature. Sakima would take great care in helping his destined understand he was no more of a threat than the Elemental, dragon, or Alpha he kept company with, each of whom had their own myths and rumors.

Desire to touch the gorgeous animal before him had Sakima extending a hand. He did so with extreme caution, so as not to frighten the wolf further, but was unsuccessful. The wolf curled into himself, becoming as small as his bulk would allow, crouching lower to the ground on shaky legs, ears flattened to his skull. Sakima lowered his hand to the grass but otherwise remained still. Instilling trust with a shifter while they were in animal form being ruled a great deal by their animal instincts was difficult. This would be far easier if the young man would shift back to human, though Sakima understood why he wouldn’t do so at this moment. When the man shifted, he would be naked, which the shifter may view as a vulnerability in his human form.

“You must know I won’t hurt you,” Sakima said softly. “We are destined companions.”

The wolf whined and turned to the pack leader. If Sakima understood wolf shifters well, there was a bond between his wolf and the Alpha that allowed them to speak telepathically. He’d never been jealous of such a thing before, but he didn’t like his fated companion being able to communicate telepathically with anyone other than him. Unfortunately, the telepathic bond was an inevitable part of being in a wolf pack. And if he wanted to claim this wolf shifter, he would have to accept the pack as a whole because there would be no removing his companion from them. Not safely. Sakima rose to his feet, his heart sinking a bit when his wolf scurried away to hide within the house. He gave no reaction outwardly, but he gave a mental sigh as he turned to face the Alpha.

“My apologies,” the Alpha said. “I asked him to go inside for a moment. He’s a bit overwhelmed.”

“Frightened, you mean,” Sakima corrected.

The Alpha wasn’t concerned with semantics. “We’ve all been through quite a lot recently, and this is a bit of a surprise. I’m sure you understand…Sakima? May I call you that?”

Sakima inclined his head in acceptance. “And you would be?”

“Tanner McBane. I’m the Alpha, and Vance is a member of my pack.”

Vance. A unique name for a uniquely beautiful wolf. Sakima scanned the “pack,” his gaze drifting from a gray wolf to a gray-and-brown wolf to a dragon to a white wolf with wild eyes to an Elemental, finally coming to rest once again on the Alpha.

“Quite the unconventional pack, if I may say.”

“Yes, I know.”

“Word has spread through the paranormal ranks of a pack of outcasts who have gained more power than is considered safe or wise. I feel I should be concerned for the welfare of my destined companion being bonded to such a pack.”

The statement was met with several growls and a strong wind that only affected Sakima, whipping his long hair in every direction. Sakima smiled. Vance was clearly cared for and protected. Tanner glanced at the dragon on his left.

“Have you ever heard of a wolf mating a vampire? Chevaliers aside.”

“No,” the dragon answered. “But I’d never before heard of a wolf mating an Elemental either. Or a dragon.”

The expression that passed between dragon and Alpha was not missed by Sakima. The name Chevalier shook him, but he pushed the memory aside—a centuries-old mistake best left to the dust of time.

“So, the rumors are true,” Sakima said.

“What rumors?” the Elemental asked.

“Of same-sex, interspecies matings taking place openly. I had hoped, given what I now know of my own destined companion, but had remained skeptical,” Sakima answered.

By way of introduction, Tanner said, “The dragon shifter is Luca. He’s my mate. The Elemental is Deacon and his mate is the white wolf, Ross. The gray wolf is Ean, and the grayish brown wolf is Theran. If you truly plan to claim Vance as your mate, you, too, will be an openly mated interspecies couple. You need to be comfortable with that if you’re going to become part of the pack.”

Sakima showed plenty of fang when he spoke. “Oh, I have every intention of claiming my fated mate, Alpha, but I said nothing of joining your pack.”

Movement at the patio doors drew Sakima’s attention. Vance in human form was as handsome as his wolf was beautiful; golden-brown hair and the lithe, toned physique all wolf shifters possessed. Those hazel eyes showed fear and hesitation, but also recognition, making Sakima believe Vance knew they were destined companions. Vance simply wasn’t accepting it, yet.

“You would risk his safety and sanity by taking him from his pack, severing his pack bond? What kind of mate would do such a thing?” Deacon asked through clenched teeth.

Sakima was surprised by the vehemence and animosity coming from the Elemental. He’d made the simple suggestion that claiming his wolf did not necessarily equate to him joining the pack. Nothing more. Though perhaps removing his destined companion was something to consider, given the volatile nature the pack exuded.

“I won’t leave my pack,” Vance said softly.

His voice was melodic to Sakima’s ears. Despite the fear and uncertainty, Vance’s words didn’t waver. They were strong and decisive, despite the fact the wolf was still hiding behind the pack. Vance had donned a pair of shorts and a tank top, leaving his toned arms, legs, and feet bared to Sakima’s perusal, and he soaked in the sight.

“I know what I’m about to suggest will be difficult for you,” Tanner said. “But I think you should leave. Perhaps stay away for a few days to give Vance time to acclimate to the idea of having a vampire for a mate.”

“Not as difficult as you might think,” Sakima said.

He’d been living a solitary life for nearly forty years, and he planned to use the time apart from Vance to prepare for the wolf to join him. He moved with vampiric speed past the pack to stand before Vance. While he was willing to leave for a short time, he wouldn’t allow his companion to put the pack between them. When he stopped, he stood face-to-face with his beautiful man. Vance yelped and jumped back, but Sakima caught him with an arm around his waist, aborting any attempt at escape. Heat immediately seeped through the cloth of his shirt, warming his skin.

“Until next time, pet.”

Sakima placed a chaste kiss on Vance’s lips so as not to cut him with his fangs. Not yet. He would draw blood from Vance only after they became lovers, and Vance demonstrated his willingness. As quickly as he had appeared before Vance, he disappeared, leaving the outcast pack and his destined mate behind. It was a temporary situation, after all. Now that he knew where his wolf companion was, he felt far more relaxed and willing to let things progress at a pace comfortable for Vance.

Kay Doherty is an omnisexual/polysexual who lives in Colorado with her poly-family, Mike, Keri, and Tigz. Her house is overrun with cats and dogs. Family is important to her so there are daily texts, frequent visits to her parents, and constant banter with her brothers. She happily suffers a severe addiction to coffee and Mexican food. She loves to read and write and can easily become consumed by it for hours, much to the dismay of Mike and Keri (Tigz is an enabler). On occasion she can be convinced to venture out into the world of the living despite being annoyed by the sun shining in her face.

Website | Twitter | Pinterest

http://www.kaydohertybooks.com/

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A Pocketful of Stardust by JP Barnaby & Rowan Speedwell: Exclusive Guest Post and Release Day Review

July 30, 2019 by Denise

Super excited to have JP Barnaby and Roman Speedwell here with an exclusive guest post, centered around books, which is perfect for her new book A Pocketful of Stardust. Check out the list below and see if some of it matches your own! And while you are at it, grab up their new book!

Noah Hitchens loves the New York City life he worked hard to build. But when his father dies and leaves him a bankrupt bookstore in their sleepy Georgia hometown, Noah knows he has to save it. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know anything about business. He finds unlikely help in Henry, the man who owned Stardust Books before his 1966 murder, and Kyle St. James, a shy but kind-hearted out-of-towner with a past almost as mysterious as Henry’s.

Kyle came to Aster, Georgia, looking for redemption. On the run and out of hope, he’s just trying to get on with his life. Then he meets Noah, a ghost, and a big sloppy lab named Jake who redefine his idea of living. But his past is closing in, and when it finds him, they could lose everything.

Title: A Pocketful of Stardust
Series: Aster
Author: JP Barnaby & Rowan Speedwell
Release Date: July 30, 2019
Category: Paranormal – Ghosts/Spirits, Contemporary

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press

11 Books on my Shelf – The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

So, I’ll start off by saying I’m a big DNF girl. If I can’t get into a book in the first 10 pages, I’m going to put it aside. Being an author, software developer, and now grad student, I just don’t have the time to waste on bad books. But I have been reading a lot lately, and since our new book is about a bookstore, I thought I’d share some love.

Books I loved

Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody

(Writing Structure)

I’ll be honest, I stayed away from this one for a while just because of the title. It seems everyone and their brother has read this book, but I just thought it sounded silly. Until I read it. It’s an awesome deconstructed look at what makes a book good. It gives a roadmap to taking the bones of novel structure and making it your own in beats that are easily recognizable. She also breaks down fifteen popular novels and maps them to the structure points for a great analysis.

Blurb: Novelist Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of novel writing. Revealing the 15 “beats” (plot points) that comprise a successful story–from the opening image to the finale–this book lays out the Ten Story Genres (Monster in the House; Whydunit; Dude with a Problem) alongside quirky, original insights (Save the Cat; Shard of Glass) to help novelists craft a plot that will captivate–and a novel that will sell.

Low Pressure by Sandra Brown

(Romantic Suspense)

This book has stuck with me which is rare. Sandra Brown has such a deft hand when it comes to suspense. She keeps me guessing with every story and I love that. Her characters are well-developed, and the settings are vivid. If you like romantic suspense, she is a must-read.

Blurb: Bellamy Lyston was only 12 years old when her older sister Susan was killed on a stormy Memorial Day. Bellamy’s fear of storms is a legacy of the tornado that destroyed the crime scene along with her memory of what really happened during the day’s most devastating moments.

Now, 18 years later, Bellamy has written a sensational, bestselling novel based on Susan’s murder. Because the book was inspired by the tragic event that still pains her family, she published it under a pseudonym to protect them from unwanted publicity. But when an opportunistic reporter for a tabloid newspaper discovers that the book is based on fact, Bellamy’s identity is exposed along with the family scandal.

Moreover, Bellamy becomes the target of an unnamed assailant who either wants the truth about Susan’s murder to remain unknown or, even more threatening, is determined to get vengeance for a man wrongfully accused and punished.

In order to identify her stalker, Bellamy must confront the ghosts of her past, including Dent Carter, Susan’s wayward and reckless boyfriend — and an original suspect in the murder case. Dent, with this and other stains on his past, is intent on clearing his name, and he needs Bellamy’s sealed memory to do it. But her safeguarded recollections -once unlocked-pose dangers that neither could foresee and puts both their lives in peril.

As Bellamy delves deeper into the mystery surrounding Susan’s slaying, she discovers disturbing elements of the crime which call into question the people she holds most dear. Haunted by partial memories, conflicted over her feelings for Dent, but determined to learn the truth, she won’t stop until she reveals Susan’s killer.

That is, unless Susan’s killer strikes her first…

Closer Than You Think by Karen Rose

(Romantic Suspense)

I met Karen Rose at an author conference in Orlando and really appreciated the depth with which she researched for her romantic suspense stories, so I thought I’d give her a shot. She has incredibly intricate relationships across novel series, building gorgeous characters and then using them throughout the entire series. It’s truly inspiring to watch.

Blurb: Psychologist Faith Corcoran is desperate to escape the stalker who’s made her life a nightmare for the past year—desperate enough to run to the one place that has been her nightmare far longer. Her recent inheritance of her grandmother’s old house in Cincinnati offers sanctuary in which she can start her life anew, but requires that she face the dark memories that still resonate to this day. But she has no idea how close to home her fears still are…

Two college girls have gone missing in the area, and FBI Special Agent Deacon Novak is called to work on the case. When his inquiry unexpectedly leads him to Faith, he finds a beautiful and brave woman he can’t help but fall for. Soon they’ll discover that this seemingly simple investigation is anything but. Reaching back decades into Faith’s own past, it will shatter everything she believes to be true and will give terrifying new meaning to flesh and blood.

City of Endless Night by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

(Suspense)

I’ve been a fan of the Pendergast/D’Agosta dynamic since their very first book together (Relic). Preston and Child have a fantastic way of leaning this way and that until you’re not sure what to believe. And of course one has to wonder if his methods make Pendergast any better than the criminals he hunts. It’s a wonderful ride.

Blurb: When Grace Ozmian, the beautiful and reckless daughter of a wealthy tech billionaire, first goes missing, the NYPD assumes she has simply sped off on another wild adventure. Until the young woman’s body is discovered in an abandoned warehouse in Queens, the head nowhere to be found.

Lieutenant CDS Vincent D’Agosta quickly takes the lead. He knows his investigation will attract fierce scrutiny, so D’Agosta is delighted when FBI Special Agent A.X.L. Pendergast shows up at the crime scene assigned to the case. “I feel rather like Brer Rabbit being thrown into the briar patch,” Pendergast tells D’Agosta, “because I have found you here, in charge. Just like when we first met, back at the Museum of Natural History.”

But neither Pendergast nor D’Agosta are prepared for what lies ahead. A diabolical presence is haunting the greater metropolitan area, and Grace Ozmian was only the first of many victims to be murdered . . . and decapitated. Worse still, there’s something unique to the city itself that has attracted the evil eye of the killer.

As mass hysteria sets in, Pendergast and D’Agosta find themselves in the crosshairs of an opponent who has threatened the very lifeblood of the city. It’ll take all of Pendergast’s skill to unmask this most dangerous foe-let alone survive to tell the tale.

Books I read but didn’t really enjoy:

Outsider by Stephen King

(Horror)

This one was all me. The book had a great set up, but where Lincoln & Child take the paranormal and make it normal, King goes the other way. I think it would have been a better book had the antagonist been human.

Verses for the Dead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child

(Suspense)

While Preston & Child are an auto-buy for me, sometimes I’m just not on the same wavelength. This one just didn’t have the same punch for me that their other books have had.

Edge of Darkness by Karen Rose

(Romantic Suspense)

To be honest, by the time we got to the 4^th book, I was starting to hate Adam and it didn’t really get any better for me. Also, the subject matter was just too harsh for me to get into it. Sex slave operations and child predators.

Rule of the Bone: A Novel by Russell Banks

(Literary Fiction)

I had to read this book for a class and I can honestly say that I hated it. It’s the meandering tale of a self-absorbed teenager that I couldn’t stand.

Books I really wanted to read, but just couldn’t get into:

Burning Girl by Christopher Rice

Mindhunter by John E Douglas

The Silent Corner by Dean Koontz

Want to read the charming book about the bookstore and its ghostly inhabitant?

Check out A Pocketful of Stardust by JP Barnaby & Rowan Speedwell

I’ll start by saying I liked this book. However, going into this book, I wanted to love it. Books with ghosts always intrigue me, and I wanted to snap it right up. It definitely intrigued me, and kept me guessing a bit, so yes, I did like it. Having it be based around a bookstore, just made it that much more enjoyable. However, as a reader, I felt there was a lot going on in this book, possibly too much.

There was Kyle’s past, which caught up to him towards the end. I felt a like some of it was bit unresolved (due to Hope), but that is real life…sometimes things don’t quite resolve as you’d prefer them to.

There was also Noah’s ghostly friend, Henry, which when we met him, I assumed we would find out more about his death. In the end, resolution for him came from a different path, still very enjoyable, but I felt he was gone too soon. Henry was awesome, though. Funny, sweet, and obviously caring. And his cat…made me giggle. 🙂

Noah’s life was a bit of a mess from the second he stepped back into Georgia following his father’s death. I did love how this was able to resolve, what a great feeling. And with Noah, you really got to see him mature, change and realize what family means for him. The reader was able to see him grow as a person.

The book was slow in a few places, but overall gave

JP Barnaby is an award-winning contemporary romance and romantic suspense novelist with over a dozen novels. Her heart and soul, the Survivor Series, has been heralded by USA Today as one of their favorites. She recently moved from Chicago to Atlanta to appease her Camaro (Jake) who didn’t like the blustery winters. JP specializes in recovery romance but slips in a few erotic or comedic stories to spice things up. When she’s not working on her latest novel, she binge watches superheroes and crime dramas on Netflix with her husband and Jack Russell Terror, Chase.

Come hang out in her Facebook Group – Between the Covers with JP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2228150134074004/

His Consort by Mary Calmes: Audiobook Review

June 11, 2019 by Denise

A new life in New Orleans is all Jason Thorpe had hoped: His quaint little store attracts a devoted staff, and his warm, loving heart grants him a loyal circle of friends. He’s perfectly content, having left behind the chill of a confusing and danger-filled night in Washington, until he discovers something unbelievable lurking in the steamy darkness of the shadowy streets of the Vieux Carré, something that turns out to be terrifying…and utterly mesmerizing.

The prince of the vampires, Varic Maedoc, is visiting New Orleans when he finds out the man who once helped his counselor is there in the Quarter. He thinks to simply meet and thank Jason – until he lays eyes on him. Varic’s devoted himself to protect the honor of his race, and he’s never wanted a mate before…but he immediately knows he must have this man, and no one else will do.

Varic may want to bring Jason safely into his world, but someone who doesn’t like the human’s soothing influence on vampires has deadly plans that would disrupt Varic’s dreams. Now, unable to tell friend from foe, Jason finds himself wondering how to hold on to the prince’s heart when he’s fighting for his life.

Title: His Consort
Author: Mary Calmes
Narrator: Scott Smith
Release Date: December 20, 2018
Category: Vampires
Length: 6 hours, 33 minutes

Audible

Amazon Ebook

I am a huge fan of Mary Calmes, I will read or listen to just about anything she writes. When I saw His Consort I was a little skeptical, I have a hard time finding vampire stories that keep my interest. I feel like most of them are too cliche, almost campy.
This one grabbed my interest from the first word. The story itself was entertaining with just the right amount of intrigue to keep my interest peaked. Mary’s vampyrs introduce you to a whole new vocabulary which at first I thought was going to be difficult to remember because, hey I’m listening and my memory is crap, but I didn’t have a problem.

I haven’t had the pleasure of listening to anything else narrated by Scott Smith, but holy cow that voice. He gives life to Varic Maedoc like I don’t think anyone else could. His voice is cultures and smooth as honey. His voice has a rich cadence that draws you in.

I can’t say enough good things about both the story writing and the narration, both are amazing. I’ve already read almost everything by Mary Calmes, I will definitely be looking up more work by Scott Smith.

4.5 Pieces of Eye Candy