Author: cre8tiveadmin

By Earth, by T. Thorn Coyle.

The Witches of Portland, Book 1

Cassiel is a witch who moved to Portland, Oregon a couple of years ago. As a teenager in Tennessee she began to see ghosts and tried to help them move along, including being involved with law enforcement. Burned out and spiritually drained, she moved across the country hoping to create a better life.

In Portland she has found a community and joined a coven. But life in Portland has its own problems. She’s about to lose her apartment due to rent increases and a housing shortage. To make matters worse, a ghost appears to her while she’s working magic with her coven. The beautiful woman asks her to help a man finish something and mentions Joe and Darius. They next day Joe shows up at the cafe where she works. He’s friends with her boss, a fellow coven member.

Joe is a contractor. He works with his brother rehabbing houses. He’s still recovering from the death of his girlfriend. Although it was ruled a suicide, he has a hard time believing that. Tarika just wasn’t that type of person. She was a reporter and was working hard on a juicy story at the time of her death. He can’t believe she would suddenly commit suicide when there was no sign of trouble beforehand.

After meeting Cassiel, Joe finds out that Tarika’s brother Darius has been investigating her death. He believes it was related to the story she was working on about a series of fires that have occurred at new housing projects in the area.

Eventually Joe, Darius, Cassie and her coven begin investigating the fires with guidance from Tarika. Together, will they be able to untangle the mystery and bring the wrongdoers to the surface?

I really enjoyed this book. The mystery, characters and paranormal elements blended together in a very satisfying way. The romance was subdued, but that felt appropriate for the situation. The series features the various members of the coven and their different magical talents. I look forward to finding out all about them.

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Huntley, by Stacy Eaton

Loving a Young series, book 3.

Sometimes when I’m reading a contemporary romance and everything is going great between the couple, but I can’t relax because I know something bad is going to happen and I’m just waiting for the other shoe to drop. That’s how I felt reading Huntley.

Daniella is an author. Just when she’s about a chapter from finishing her book her dog goes nuts and takes her outside. She realizes that her house is on fire and calls 911. This is the catalyst that drives the story. At the scene of the fire she meets a paramedic and later Huntley, one of the firefighters. They insist she come stay with their parents since their small town has no lodging available.

It’s clear from the beginning that a Daniella has a traumatic past and many secrets that she is unwilling to reveal, even as a relationship begins to develop between Daniella and Huntley. This is where I felt like shaking Daniella and telling her to tell the truth because secrets can destroy trust. Oh. well. Characters in novels never listen to me.

I don’t want to give the impression that I didn’t enjoy the book. I did and I plan to read more of the series. The combination of the large Young family and the suspenseful plots is captivating and you feel like you know everybody in the small town. The frustration with the characters was all me.

Overall I recommend the book. The mystery is revealed slowly giving you time to figure things out along with the characters in a satisfying way. The romance is believable and the Young family characters are a hoot. It was a fun experience despite wanting to give Dani a talking to early on.

I received a review copy of this book. My opinions are always my own. Who else would claim them?

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Deadly Departed, by David Bussell

Spectral Detective Series. Book 2

I just finished reading Deadly Departed and I really enjoyed it. The plot involves PI’s Fletcher and Fletcher and it is set in in the Uncanny Kingdom, an urban fantasy version of London.

Deadly Departed is a multilevel mystery that involves many characters and locations from other Uncanny Kingdom books to enhance the story. Great writing with snappy dialogue and lots of snark speeds the plot along. Readers new to the Uncanny Kingdom should be able to follow along just fine because every character and locale in the story is beautifully described and introduced.

Give yourself some time for this one because you’ll enjoy it more. I had a great time meeting The Spectral Detective and checking in on other favorite characters. I’m looking forward to more Uncanny Kingdom books!


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Rise Again Warrior: Mission Accept by Stacy Eaton

Dana is a spoiled rich girl who is cut off by her parents because she is directionless.  Derek is a homeless veteran who carries a lot of guilt around for what happened when he was a Navy Seal sniper.

Dana meets Derek by accident on the streets and they keep running back into each other as Dana begins to realize that there is a lot more going on around her than worries about shoes and penthouse apartments.  

When her dad cuts her off, he suggests she approach her cousin Shane about a job.  Shane founded Rise again warrior, and he offers Dana a job at the ground floor, literally.  Rise Again Warrior is a project to help veterans accept and overcome the baggage of war and move on to re-join society.  Gradually, Dana begins to learn about the problems the veterans have and the need for a place like Rise Again Warrior. 

I enjoyed the book.  It is challenging in places because of all the hurt and emotional scars of the numerous characters, but rewarding with more than one happy ending.  This book is well worth your time.  

I received a review copy from the author.

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Royally Hitched?

Review for Royally Hitched: the Fae Prince by G. K. DeRosa

Dark Fae Series book 1.

Royally Hitched revolves around a “Batchelor”-style reality TV show where twelve contestants from the four fairy realms try to win the heart of the Prince Drake of the Winter and Summer Courts (It’s complicated!).  Tempest and Arabella are entered as fae from the Autumn court, but they are really half-human witches sent by their father to spy on the Summer Court.  

Everybody involved in the contest, on and off camera, has their own secrets and plans.  The book builds excitement from the very beginning as Tempest and Arabella arrive, wondering if they will be exposed as imposters.  Soon enough other problems arise and the plot moves quickly along.  

The story is told from alternating points of view with Tempest, Arabella and the Prince trying to investigate what is going on and trying to stay alive in the process.  Both Tempest and Arabella have developed feelings for the Prince, and he has feelings for both of them.  

The book ends on a cliff-hanger in the mid-point of the contest, so I’ll be waiting eagerly for the next book in the series.  Royally Hitched is set in the same world as the Hitched and DarkBlood Academy series, but you don’t need to read either in order to enjoy this book.

I read a advanced review copy of this book. 

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The Doom Murders, by Brian O’Hare

The Doom Murders is a serial killer mystery set in Belfast, Ireland in late 2010.  The main character is DCI Jim Sheehan, a detective with a reputation for using unusual insight to solve difficult cases.  He and his squad are assigned to the murder of a Catholic Bishop who was found dead in his office, naked, and obviously posed.  This becomes a pattern as bodies show up every Thursday always Catholic, always naked, and always posed.  A task force is formed and we follow the police investigation to the final solution.  Along the way we learn about the possible psychology and religious motivation behind the killings.
I thought the Doom Murders was a great mystery story and I really enjoyed it.  It had a challenging plot with lots of twists and turns.  The characters were engaging and well-rounded, and the setting and problems of policing in Belfast after “the troubles” was fully explored.  Some of the vocabulary was be a little challenging, but it was important for the feel of the story.

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Blueblood dragon by Amelia Jade

This is book one in the Genesis Valley series

Ferro has a terrible mission before him.  Something has gone wrong with the Dragon Council and he must find out what and fix it before millions are endangered.  To make it even worse, all the members of the dragon council  and the rebellion are his children.  Ferro is the first dragon shifter. He is thousands of years old, and he’s clearly stayed away too long.
As Ferro makes his way towards the secret lair of the dragon council he sees a shifter in trouble and intervenes.

As far as Ana knows she is the only one of her kind.  Drifting from one small village to another it always ends the same.  Somebody crosses the line and when she defends herself  she is hunted as a demon and called an abomination.  It’s really getting tiresome.
When Ferro helps Ana out she is suspicious, but when they touch they both feel a powerful pull.  Can two ancient shifters  adapt to a life together?  Maybe if the Order, as they learn their mutual enemy is called,  would give them a moment’s peace they could find out…

I enjoyed this book a lot.  The characters are well defined, the dialogue  is snappy, the action is fast, and the plot is full of rich detail.  It builds on the story  from the Jade crew series while opening up a new set of circumstances  for a new series.  It’s a fast read, but a satisfying one.

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Sorrows, by Donna Fernstrom

At the beginning of Sorrows, Jay awakens in an alley  in terrible pain from hunger and sensory overload.  He stumbles to his feet and finds himself stalking a homeless man.  Then  a van screaches to a halt and he’s thrown inside where a warm donor feeds him.
This is his introduction to Vampire society.  Worlds filled with vampires, donors, shapeshifting trackers and even mages await him.  Jay has a LOT to learn and he’s not very happy about it.
Jays last “normal” memory is walking home alone after a gig with his band.  Then he woke up in a horrific warehouse where he was imprisoned and tortured  by a crazed vampire serial killer named Malachi.
Jays experiences in the warehouse are told as flashbacks.  Jay suffers PTSD as a result of his experiences, and he is terrified of everything  at first.  He has been rescued by a Law Enforcement team that has been tracking Malachi.  Jay decides he wants to join them so he begins his training in how to live in his new world.
Sorrows is a well-written  book and once I got into the story a bit I began to enjoy following  Jay’s introduction  into a life he didn’t choose,  but has to accept.  The story is told from Jays perspective  with flashbacks and lots of interior dialog.  It was a little hard to follow the story at first because there’s a large cast of characters and a lot of world-building going on.  Throughout  all this, the story is compelling  and the author does a good job handling the complex  plot.  I’d classify this book as urban fantasy with a large serving of horror.  Sorrows is an apt title since almost all  the characters  have  more than their share of them.
Sorrows is Book 1 of the Rogue Saga in the World walkers Universe Series.  I received a free review copy of the book.

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All the Beautiful People, by Jonathan Yanez

Taylor Hart is a cleaner for a pharmaceutical company.  When something goes wrong with a drug she takes care of it by any means necessary.  A loner, Taylor has little contact with her employer but all that changes with her newest assignment.

The company’s new mood-altering drug, Vanidrum, is supposed to make people feel good about themselves and free them from insecurities.  It’s been a wonderful worldwide success, but then Taylor is called in on a case where things have gone terribly wrong.  Within hours it becomes clear that Vanidrum is turning its users into nearly unstoppable killers and, to everyone’s horror, the condition is contagious, spreading by contact with blood or saliva.

Taylor finds herself part of a team trying to halt the building disaster.  Taylor’s icy shell begins to melt and she finds herself caring about her new teammates as they try to keep each other alive and find a way to stop the disaster.  The company has tremendous resources to assign to stopping the problem, but will it be enough to save humanity from the darkness?

Although this book was not what I was expecting, I was quickly drawn in to the exciting story.  There’s lots of action as the fast-paced story plays out.  The writing is very good and the the plot has plenty of surprises.  Once I got into the book I couldn’t put it down.  I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone that enjoys action thrillers.  Don’t start reading before bedtime, though.  The sometimes gory action could lead to very unpleasant dreams.

All the Beautiful People is the first book in the Dread Novel series by Jonathan Yanez.  I received a free copy from the author for an honest review.

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Pyramids and Promises, by Kimberly Loth

I just finished this book and I loved it!  It has an expansive setting and a wonderful story.

Jessica is a therapist for the diplomatic corps.  In the process of divorcing her controlling husband she requests and immediate transfer from Russia and is sent to Egypt (lucky girl!)   At first she hates the “brown country” where she doesn’t speak the language.

Connor works in the oil business and is very wealthy.  He sees Jessica from a distance at the pool in her apartment building and at first mistakes her for Nour, a woman he fell in love with but who married another man.  He meets Jessica and offers to show her the sights.    He soon realizes Jessica is nothing like Nour, but he is still very attracted to her.

Jessica is wary of a rebound relationship, especially so soon after leaving her controlling and unfaithful husband, but she’s also attracted to Connor and unused to being treated so well.  Their relationship develops as they travel around seeing all the beauty the “brown” country has to offer.

I loved the descriptions of sites in Egypt and other places and enjoyed trying to guess what would happen next in their relationship.  This is the second book in the Omega Mu Alpha series built around the interacting stories of eight fraternity brothers who all found their fortunes and now are finding love.  I can’t wait to see what happens with the other six brothers!

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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