Category Archives: Paranormal

April 20, 2014 · 11:57 pm

Review: The Drake House by Kelly Moran

Title: The Drake House by Kelly Moran
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Romantic Suspense
Length: 350 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Author

Summary:

In her dreams, a ghost demands to be heard…

Once plagued by mysterious nightmares, Trisha Eaton always chalked them up to childish nuisances–until they return with a vengeance. Something about the Drake house next door haunts her, and now her night terrors and sleepwalking seem to be luring her to something dark. After a series of strange events, Trisha turns to Nick Mackey.

As the new deputy in town, Nick wants to forget his traumatic past. His undeniable attraction for Trisha has him wondering if a shot at a normal life is possible. But Trisha has somehow struck a nerve in their small, superstitious town, and a long-buried secret threatens to surface again. A secret that someone will kill to keep veiled.

Answers only lead to more questions in a case where nothing makes sense, but one chilling fact remains…some nightmares are all too real.

The Review:

The Drake House by Kelly Moran is the perfect combination of romance, mystery and paranormal elements. Long time secrets, nightmares and a ghostly presence are just a few of the intriguing aspects of this compelling and well-written story.

The return of Trisha Eaton’s childhood nightmares and sleepwalking coincides with threatening notes and phone calls. She turns to local police to investigate and new Deputy Nick Mackey is assigned to the case. All clues point to the property that borders Trisha’s orchard, but Drake House has remained uninhabited since Alexandra Drake’s mysterious death twenty years ago. As Trisha and Nick soon discover, someone is willing to go to any lengths, including murder, to keep the truth about long held secrets from being revealed.

Trisha is a feisty, independent woman who is not easily intimated. She is very protective of her friends and family and she will do whatever it takes to keep them safe. With no one willing to talk about a puzzling event from her past, Trisha is willing to risk just about anything to uncover the truth.

Haunted by a justified shooting and the devastating aftermath, Nick is enjoying his new career as a small town deputy. Surprised by his attraction to Trisha, he tries to keep their relationship on professional level as he investigates the inexplicable occurrences at her orchard. Working closely together, the two give in to their passion but his unresolved past continually comes between them.

Nick and Trisha’s relationship is rocky right from the beginning. They quickly indulge in a casual fling, but it is short-lived. The investigation continues to put them in close proximity, but neither is ready for a serious commitment. Nick and Trisha work well together, but their personal relationship runs hot and cold for much of the novel.

The mystery aspect of the storyline has its roots in long ago events, but Nick and Trisha are stone-walled by her parents and her close friends. Nick and Trisha, along with her best friend Brad, quietly look into Alexandra Drake’s past and what they uncover is puzzling. Equally troubling are the present day murders of two of Trisha’s friends and the unexplained disappearance of a longtime family friend.

The Drake House is a suspense-laden mystery with a just the right amount of romance and the tiniest bit of a supernatural component. The characters are wonderfully developed with realistic flaws and imperfections. Kelly Moran does an excellent job obscuring the perpetrator’s identity until the novel’s exciting conclusion.

3 Comments

Filed under Contemporary, Kelly Moran, Paranormal, Rated B, Review, Romantic Suspense, The Drake House, The Wild Rose Press

October 22, 2012 · 1:55 am

Review: A Reason to Believe by Diana Copland

Title: A Reason to Believe by Diana Copland
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: M/M, Contemporary, Romance, Paranormal (Ghost/Psychic), Mysery
Length: 81,000 words
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Detective Matthew Bennett doesn’t believe in ghosts. So when the spirit of a murdered child leads him to her body, he’s shaken to the core–and taken off the case. Unable to explain his vision, or to let go of the investigation, Matthew turns to renowned medium Kiernan Fitzpatrick. Though he has doubts about Kiernan’s claims to communicate with the dead, Matt is nevertheless drawn to the handsome psychic, who awakens feelings he thought were long-buried.

Haunted by the lingering spirit of the little girl, Kiernan is compelled to aid in the search for her killer. The chance to get closer to the enigmatic Matt is an unexpected bonus. Although Kiernan’s been betrayed by people who turned out to be more interested in his fame than in himself, with Matt he’s willing to risk his heart. As the two men grow closer, Kiernan helps Matt rediscover that life offers no guarantees–but love offers a reason to believe…

81,000 words

The Review:

If you are a fan of paranormal ghost stories, then you are going to love Diana Copland’s A Reason to Believe. It is a captivating mystery starring Matt Bennett, a police detective who is quite skeptical of psychic phenomena and a famous medium, Kiernan Fitzpatrick.

Matt Bennett is no stranger to tragedy and he is still recovering from a traumatic loss of his own when he is called to the scene of a missing young girl. Matt is led to the victim’s body by an unlikely source: the ghost of the victim, Abby. With his career already on the rocks, he is placed on administrative leave when he admits Abby’s spirit led him to her body. In an attempt to help him understand what he experienced, his sister in law and best friend, Sheila, takes Matt to “A Paranormal Gathering” where Kiernan Fitzpatrick is conducting psychic readings. With Kiernan’s (and Abby’s) assistance, Matt is soon hot on the trail of a killer.

The two protagonists of A Reason to Believe are fully developed, three dimensional characters. Both men have complicated pasts and although their personalities are complete opposites, they perfectly balance one another. Matt is a no-nonsense and slightly cynical cop with a sharply analytical mind who does not believe in communing with the dead despite his experiences to the contrary. Kiernan is light-hearted, full of energy and the more impulsive of the two. He is comfortable with who he is and completely at ease with his psychic abilities. The chemistry between the two men is sizzling and their relationship positively simmers with sexual tension.

The mystery aspect of the storyline is very well done. Although I was able to guess the killer’s identity fairly early on, I was completely stumped as to the motive for the murder. But what I really enjoyed the most about A Reason to Believe is the paranormal element of the plot. While I am not a fan of paranormal stories with shapeshifters, vampires, etc, I do love a good ghost story, and I can honestly say that Ms. Copland far exceeded my expectations with this part of the storyline. Kiernan’s psychic readings were just incredible and Abby’s ghostly appearances were spooky yet very moving.

A Reason to Believe is an outstanding read that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys romantic suspense. It is an incredibly sexy romance with absolutely delightful cast of characters and a compelling mystery. Diana Copland is a fabulous author and I am crossing my fingers that we will see more of Matt and Kiernan in future books.

2 Comments

Filed under A Reason to Believe, Carina Press, Contemporary, Diana Copland, Ghosts, M/M, Mediums, Mystery, Paranormal, Rated B+, Review, Romance

May 3, 2012 · 3:58 am

Defining Moments by Faye Hicks

Title: Defining Moments by Faye Hicks
Publisher: Smashwords/Amazon
Genre: Fiction, Time Travel, Paranormal, Romance
Length: ~96,000 words/~236 pages
Book Rating: B

Review Copy Obtained from Author

Summary:

Defining Moments is a novel about the decisions we make at life’s crossroads, and what it might be like to have the ability to go back in time and change those decisions that lead to tragedy. Spanning the period from 1966 to the present, this is the story of Ellie Ward, a woman who can do just that. At nine years of age, Ellie accidentally discovers a time portal near her childhood home, one that opens to her whenever she is faced with extreme trauma and emotion. Passing through the portal takes Ellie back in time to the key decision points that precipitate her life’s tragedies, thus enabling her to avert each disaster. Unfortunately, she never has any idea what the specific ‘defining moments’ were, and so she never knows how much of her life she is going to have to repeat in order to undo a bad situation.

Defining Moments opens in the present when Ellie, “on the wrong side of both 50 and 150 pounds”, is a professor and scientist studying river ice floods in northern Canada. Ellie heads out with three other people in a tiny, single engine plane to scout for ice jams and her decision not to insist that they turn back before they venture too far from town becomes another defining moment in her life when their engine fails and they crash land in the bush. As the only able-bodied survivor, Ellie’s graduate student, Brenda, must take on the burden of keeping the others safe as they wait for help to arrive. Fearing that Brenda will crumble under the emotional strain, Ellie shares her personal journal as a diversion. As the hours of waiting turn into days, Brenda immerses herself in Ellie’s autobiography and we join with her in reading of Ellie’s multiple lives, loves, passions and losses. Brenda is astonished to read that her professor has managed to go back in time and reverse those bad decisions that resulted in tragic outcomes. Is this actually possible, or is Ellie’s journal just a work of fiction? And if it is possible, and Ellie has found a way to rewind the clock to each defining moment in her life, will she live to get the chance to do it this time?

The Review:

What if we could go back and change the decisions that did not turn out the way we imagined? In Defining Moments debut author Faye Hicks provides lead character Ellie Ward the ability and opportunity to do just that. Ellie has discovered a portal that takes her back in time to the crucial moments in her life when she made the wrong choices. Will her altered life path protect her from tragedy? Will it guarantee her a happy and “perfect” life? The answers to these questions might just surprise you.

Without clearly understanding how she did it, Ellie Ward changes the outcome of a childhood altercation. It is not until she is an adult that she fully grasps exactly how she changed that particular event. When tragedy strikes later in her life, Ellie makes use of the portal to transport herself back in time to the exact moment that determined her future.

With her memory intact, Ellie utilizes her knowledge to change her decision and make the most of her new future. Carefully weighing her options, Ellie chooses a new direction and begins to pursue her new goals. But when this new life also culminates in a horrible and untenable situation, she once again goes back to the defining moment that set this particular chain of events in motion.

Older, wiser, and still retaining all her memories, Ellie puts a great deal of thought and consideration what she wants for her life. She proceeds with her education, inching ever closer to her aspirations. She is more patient and cautious with the men she lets into her life this time around and she finally meets the perfect man. With her career and love life now in harmony, Ellie finally has the ideal life. Or does she?

Defining Moments is an intriguing and thought-provoking novel. What exactly are the defining moments that should be changed? Will changing them guarantee a perfect and trouble free future? Or will it bring even more unbearable grief? If we had the ability to do over certain situations how many opportunities should we be allowed to take? Should we continue to seek perfection? Or should we just accept what life has handed us and make the best of it that we can?

Defining Moments by Faye Hicks is a compelling story with a unique plot. It is full of unanticipated twists and turns and the ending is quite unexpected. A clever and imaginative novel that will appeal to anyone who has ever longed for a do over in their own life.

4 Comments

Filed under Amazon, Defining Moments, Faye Hicks, Fiction, Paranormal, Rated B, Romance, Smashwords, Time Travel

December 5, 2011 · 3:56 am

Men Under the Mistletoe by Josh, Lanyon, Harper Fox, Ava March, & K.A. Mitchell

Title: Men Under the Mistletoe by Josh, Lanyon, Harper Fox, Ava March, & K.A. Mitchell
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: Male/Male, Erotic, Romance, Contemporary, Historical, Menage, Paranormal
Length: 116,000 words
Book Rating: B+

Review Copy Obtained from Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

Baby it’s Cold Outside

A man receives the gift of pleasure at the hands of two expert lovers. Boyhood sweethearts get a second chance at romance. Two very proper gentlemen indulge their forbidden desires. And a Christmas tree farmer has an epiphany. It may be cold outside but these four holiday novellas will warm you up.

Anthology includes:

My True Love Gave to Me by Ava March
Winter Knights by Harper Fox
Lone Star by Josh Lanyon
The Christmas Proposition by K.A. Mitchell

Stories also available for purchase separately.

116,000 words

The Review:

With historical, supernatural ménage, western, and witty contemporary novellas to choose from, the Men Under the Mistletoe anthology offers a diverse collection of male/male holiday themed romances from four gifted authors. Reuniting lovers is the underlying theme of these heartwarming and very sexy stories.

Ava March’s My True Love Gave to Me is a gut wrenching second chance at love historical romance. Afraid of his feelings and what society and his family will think of their unconventional relationship, Thomas Bennett abandons Alexander Norton for four years.

My True Love Gave to Me is filled with anguish, love and lust as Thomas proves he is willing to do whatever it takes to win Alexander’s forgiveness. A wonderful story that takes the protagonists (and readers) through a wide range of emotions and some very steamy sex scenes!

White Knights takes a supernatural twist that proves very illuminating for Gavin Lowden following his breakup with longtime boyfriend Piers. Harper Fox’s richly detailed storytelling engages the reader in this dramatic and mystical novella. Gavin is a flawed yet sympathetic protagonist whose unexpected encounter with two rescue workers provides him new insight into his relationship with Piers. Exceptional character development, a unique storyline and a remarkable epilogue make White Knights a standout read.

Josh Lanyon’s Lone Star is a beautifully written story with a delightful down home feel. When Mitch Evans returns to Texas after a twelve year absence, he discovers that, sometimes, you really can go home again. Especially when you have a sexy Texas Ranger like Web Eisley waiting for you.

Mitch’s visit to his home town is a bittersweet reflection of his life past and present. It is a time of regret for words left unspoken. It is a lesson in learning from his past mistakes. Most importantly Lone Star is a sweet yet moving romance that will melt your heart as Mitch and Web find their way back to one another.

K.A. Mitchell’s The Christmas Proposition reunites Mel Halner and Bryce Campion for their mutual friends’ wedding at Mel’s Christmas tree farm. The passion between the ex-lovers burns hotter than ever but will they find a way to stay together after the wedding?

The Christmas Proposition is a humorous and sexy novella with a superb cast of characters. Mel and Bryce are well-drawn likeable protagonists. Their smokin’ hot chemistry leads to some very erotic and incendiary sex scenes. The dynamics between Mel and his family are realistic and provide additional depth to the story. The Christmas tree farm is the perfect backdrop for this charming second chance at love romance.

Men Under the Mistletoe is a marvelous anthology that is guaranteed to heat up your holiday season. Although the stories are available individually, I highly recommend the entire anthology.

1 Comment

Filed under Ava March, Carina Press, Contemporary, Erotic, Harper Fox, Historical, Josh Lanyon, KA Mitchell, M/M, M/M/M, Men Under the Mistletoe, Menage, Paranormal