And so, on to “Wolf Bitten” which is now available today. The story picks up just as she left us in “Wolf Mate” and delves deeper into Skylar’s magic, how she landed at EEU and the changes within her as she slowly evolves. But Rafe is close behind as he has realized that his interest in her isn’t just going to go away. This tale just gets richer , more involved and oozes drama everywhere. I highly recommend you check this trilogy out, with the final tale coming out on the heels in June.
Bell to keep track of my keys~ Books to keep me out of trouble~ Candle to light the way
Wednesday, April 17, 2024
Wolf Mate by Jen L. Grey
All of us are different, each in our own way, we are unique. Within the world of supernatural beings, wolf shifters, vampires, and witches they believe there are only humans outside their realm. But they are wrong. There is Skylar…
She’d always known she was adopted, that her
parents loved her in their own way, but were slightly uncomfortable with the weird
things that happened around her when her emotions started amped up. By Kindergarten even someone she believed was
a true friend turned from her labeling her strange. Her only comfort came as she
escaped to the woods. As she reached into the ground it seemed to calm the
blood that jolted within her. The ground would stop shaking and the wind around
her calmed. Even as the animals gathered closer to her, she felt a sense of peace.
It was why she wanted to become a vet. Her empathy for animals and their affinity
for her.
After completing two years at a local college, Skylar was
offered a full scholarship at an elite college that could put her on the fast
track to veterinary school. Her parents were so delighted they practically
shoved her out the door. She’d even emailed her designated roommate, Lucy, a
few times and she sounded so friendly. At twenty-two Skylar began to hope she might make
a friend and things would be different at EEU.
However, Lucy took one
look at her and ran to try to change rooms with someone else. Rafe Wright, the
hero of the football team, singles her in front of others for his special form
of sarcasm. Then does an about face when he catches her alone. He gives her his
number with instructions to contact him if she gets in trouble. Like cold and
hot wind blowing over her making life on campus even worse. Controlling her rioting
emotions after a particularly embarrassing encounter with Rafe stirs her blood,
her desk begins to shake, lights to blow and even the ground to shake. Her only
thought is to escape. There are woods behind the dorms, a haven with animals and
nature that draw off the magic that zips through her. But the woods here aren’t
a saft environment. Skylar soon learns there are creatures here she believed to
only exist in mythology.
Skylar never learned to control the magic within
her or the plethora of incidents that
happen around her, but help may be closer than she knows. Someone on campus
knows exactly what she is and is even willing to train her in ways to harness
her power. It is a roller coaster ride of a tale with Rafe appearing to care,
coming to her aid one minute only to turn on her in front of others making her
look like a fool. Slade is a witch who has his own motives for helping her but
shares the truth behind EEU’s unique mix of supernaturals and humans who
attend. There is animosity even between the different species of supernaturals
but their greatest fear and unbreakable rule is “humans must never learn of
them.” Some see Skylar as a threat that
should be eliminated, while others see her as a tool to be used for their own
ends.
This book took a different route from other books with supernatural beings in the worlds of Jen L Grey I have read. This time she brings us a magical being whose abilities I have never seen and appear to be evolving. While slowly learning more about Skylar, there is also a forbidden romance building between her and Rafe. Things are constantly moving and changing clear up to its cliffhanger ending. The characters had me second guessing myself with their secrets and swiftly changes responses to Skylar from one time to the next, storylines that veer off in several directions, forbidden romance, villains, and power struggles that had me reading, while enjoying the audio version, with Marnye Young narrate the tale, far into the night. I got the sense of a storyteller sharing a story with me not simply reading it. Emotions, high and low, vibrated as Marnye voiced the characters in all their moods. She is easy to follow along with as she spoke and the tale flowed through her words. Both the book and the audio are available. I am looking forward to see where this story will take me.
Friday, March 15, 2024
Blurb:
Welcome to Neverland. Where shadows consume and magic is frighteningly real.
Ava is struggling to provide for herself and her sister, who slips further into insanity with each passing day. Raving about Neverland. Obsessed with a Second Star that Ava can’t see in the black, velvety sky. Until the night Belle succumbs to the terrifying shadows plaguing her and sweeps Ava away to a land that is only supposed to exist in storybooks.
Neverland is real. And so is Peter Pan.
He's grown from boy to man, wielding a terrible power he uses to rule the island. When he senses Ava’s presence and sends his Lost Boys to collect her, a dashing captain with a silver hook for a hand comes to her defense. He offers her protection aboard his ship, and the help of his crew to find Belle before Peter and his Lost Boys do. But what he asks for in return might be more than she or her sister can possibly pay.
Belle once stole something invaluable from Peter Pan, something Hook and his crew need if they’re ever to escape the cursed island’s thrall. And despite their undeniable attraction, Hook will do anything to claim it before Pan can.
“An utterly enthralling retelling that will leave you breathless and begging for more!” – Jenny Hickman, author of A Cursed Kiss
Book Links:
Amazon:
Universal: https://geni.us/TheLastLostGirlLAR
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/206725094-the-last-lost-girl
Tropes:
A glorious, morally gray anti-hero
Allies to Lovers
Pirates
Shadow magic
Touch her and die
Dark curses
Forced Proximity
One Bed
Betrayals
Lost Memories
Ancient Evil
Dark Secrets
Fantasy Creatures
Deadly Flora
Triggers: Suicide ideation of secondary character, death, violence, gore, adult language, consensual sexual content, kidnapping and captivity, brief and vague reference to history of child abuse of minor character.
Sunday, February 25, 2024
Fort Perenis, a Gaurdianforsaken place …
I only came up for
coffee, this book entwined itself so much around me, held me to the end and
dropped me on my butt. How did it end so quickly I wasn’t ready. With cliffhangers
I guess I never am. I highly recommend this paranormal tale, especially if you
enjoy your Grimm’s Tale unaltered.
Midnight Waters
by Rosie Wylor-Owen
One is born, one will die
Maeve Arrowood had been driven away from Dusk after high school. Growing up with the threats of death, in the middle of the deadly feud with the animosity between the families, she’d only wanted some peace. Her affinity for water made her the ideal person to work with Nexus, a department of law enforcement in London retrieving bodies from watery graves. Now she was home again because a child was soon to be born. If it was her time to die, she wanted to be on the island. If it was her father’s, she wanted to spend what little time was left together. Both survived this birth, but her uncle didn’t. News spread quickly in Dusk. Maeve ran into two Everhart sons, Ben and Adrian, on the street shortly after. Adrian immediately started taunting her and cheering over the death. This is why she had stayed away for so long.
Sunday, February 11, 2024
Cheesecake Supreme Better Homes and Gardens 1960
¼ cup sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
½ cup butter
1 slightly beaten egg yolk
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine first 3 ingredients. Cut in butter till mixture is crumbly. Add egg yolk and vanilla; blend well.Pat 1/3 of dough on bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan (sides removed). Bake at 400 degrees about 8 minutes or till golden; cool. Attach sides to bottom, butter; and pat remaining dough on sides to height of 1 ¾ inches, leaving space at top to expand.
5 8-ounce packages Philadelphia cream cheese
¼ teaspoon vanilla (I use 1 teaspoon)
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel (you can use lemon juice 1
teaspoon)
1 ¾ cups sugar
3 tablespoons enriched flour
¼ teaspoon salt
4 or 5 eggs (1 cup)
[I use large and 5 eggs]
2 egg yolks
¼ cup whipping cream
Let cheese soften at room temperature [this is a must, or
you can get lumps in cream cheese or over beat it], 1 to 1 ½ hours. Add vanilla
and lemon peel. Mix next 3 ingredients; slowly blend in. Add eggs and yolks one
at a time; beat after each just to blend. Gently fold in whipping cream.
Turn into crust-lined pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 12
minutes; reduce heat to 300 degrees, bake for 55 minutes. Allow to cool. Loosen
sides with spatula after ½ hour. [carefully run a knife or blade spatula around
before loosening the sides, do not remove them yet] Remove sides at the end of an hour. Cool 2
hours longer. Glaze with Pineapple or Strawberry Glaze. [I don’t but I have the recipe for the
strawberry if you want it or use premade strawberry glaze.
Monday, February 5, 2024
by Elle Madison & Robin D. Mahle
Brush up your Greek Mythology…and jump into the tale of
Ember a princess who gave her life for her people, and prince who lives with shadows
and bitter regrets.
Ember had grown up as a human, in the world of hard knocks,
but had finally found her art and love in the tattoo shop she owned. Her uniquely
beautiful art decorated her own skin, even more so when she was brought to the
realm of the elves. Held in the strange world of winter cold, surrounded by fantastical
beasties, seemingly unwanted, except for the use of her isos, told she could
never return to the human world , could she deal with the realization that she
was one of them. They were wrong, they had to be. Her human mother had traumatized
Ember as a young child by loving shared
the video of her birth. They’d highjacked the wrong girl!
Now facing, Hadeon, the Shadow King, who had been responsible
for bringing her to Aelvaria his presence raised feelings of “hatred, panic and
desperation.” Ember couldn’t understand her reactions, since she had no memory
of him or this land. It appeared the Hadeon wasn’t any happier to see her
either, but they needed her. She was told that she was the reincarnation of Princess
Phaedra who had given her life, along with seven other
princesses, to return the lost magic to the land, destroyed in the great war,
and to save her people.
Though her isos, magic, she was told she had wasn’t in any
hurry to reappear, within a short time Ember found that her ears morphed to a
point, in her anger at one point her flame colored hair erupted into flames.
She may not want to believe in reincarnation, but even her dreams started to
prove her wrong. In bits and pieces, she dreamed of a life she had no memory of
in her waking hours. She would train with the Hadeon and his cousins, Celani
and her brother Kallius, since she had known them in her other life. The hopes
were that her isos would come to life, when she could learn to control it. Dark
creatures called wraiths, fed on the souls of the people. So far Hadeon and his
soldiers were able to hold them at bay, but they were coming ever closer and
they need Ember to gain her magic in order to join the fight to destroy them.
Besides the dangers that face Ember, her dreams begin to bring
the realization that as the Princess Phaedra, she and Hadeon had been very close.
What had changed his feelings to the hatred, he appeared to have for her now? While at times she saw a longing in his eyes
when he looked at her, it that disappeared quickly. Fantastical, creatures from
Greek Mythology roam the pages with their own personalities on show. I laughed,
stewed over Hadeon’s stubborn refusal to admit that he cared for Ember, enjoyed
the banner, intrigued by the situations and trials they all faced not only with
the wraiths but their search for the means to restore The Never Court whose
land was now uninhabitable. I found my self wrapped up in the lives both past
and present of the characters, my heartbreaking for what had transpired in the
past. I loved the creatures, some I hadn’t seen outside of mythology.
This is fourth book in "Forgotten Kingdom" series and the
authors have blended their story beautifully with the others before it. As the
story spins out, characters feelings and memories slowly evolve, dangers step
up, friendships once again bloom and though Hadeon and Ember’s trials and
battles come to completion in this book I enjoyed to cameos of Ivy, Aria and
Kage that tie them into the previous tales. The story is never dull, while I
kept waiting for Hadeon to take his head out of his butt, Ember struggled valiantly
to control her isos, make sense of her memories, deal with her feelings for
Hadeon in the face of his determination to not allow his feelings for Ember to
surface. And here is the slight discord I found with the tale. I understood his
reluctance, in part, but felt he over played his anger and hurt feelings.
I loved the story and both authors brought a new perspective
to the series while making it a seamless transition on to the next storyline. Although,
each book is penned by a different author, each giving the story at the core their
own twist, they flow beautifully into each other. I highly recommend all the books that have
come so far, and look forward the upcoming story….so I can start at the beginning
and read them all again.
Wednesday, January 31, 2024
Casey L. Bond has a new title coming soon. “The Last Lost Girl” is Casey’s twist on an old story. Her books always draw me into the imaginative worlds she has created. Where walking beside her characters lets me become part of the action, sharing their adventures, dangers, romance, twists and turns. I never know where she will take me but it is always a wondrous journey. More about this story to follow soon.
Tuesday, January 30, 2024
Glimmer of the Other by Heather G. Harris
Review by
Katy Grant
Saving the Realms
After her parents’
murders Jinx, Jessica Sharp at 18, became a private investigator, creating a
job in which she could work for others but also to continue the search for
answers about who had murdered her parents and why. Her mother always told her to “fly under the
radar” since there was something unique about herself that could cause
problems. Jinx was a human lie detector. Recognizing instantly the truth or lie
behind what people were saying, and sometimes if she pushed them a bit, she
could get them to truthfully answer questions they’d had no intentions of
answering. This she keeps to herself, however, not even telling the caring Mrs.
Harding, the neighbor who lived next door Jinx’s whole life. Mrs. H. was a real
help, she had comforted Jinx after her parents’ death, continued to watch out
for her, even keeping Gato, Jinx’s extremely large Great Dane, when he couldn’t
tag along on a job.
Characters, both human and magical beings inhabit the realms
in which Jinx would travel with Stone. Each had its rules that must be followed
while danger flowed hot and heavy in all three realms, emotions were high, and
it was easy to offend without knowing it. At the center of it all was the
dagger created for a very special purpose that at all costs must not fall into
the wrong hands.
This tale has some
well-known legendary beasties, as well as some I had never seen in my decades
of reading sci-fantasy literature. Heather Harris did a grand job of giving
even the familiar beasties unique abilities and characteristics. Her realms may
be hidden but the suspense and danger is on just about every page. I never knew
what to expect when I turned the next page or who Stone and Jinx might
encounter. The story is a living thing that moves in and out of the imagination
and made me feel as if I were being drawn into a world filled with stories yet
to be shared, characters that I grew to care about, but might disappear from
the next page.
Dry humor sneaks in, in spots, British colloquialisms and
wording I found easily understandable in the context of the telling. A tale
which gives us implied romance, danger, death, hard won friendships, shifters,
deamons, empathy’s, vampyrs, trolls, ogres, mer-people, dragons and more. I got
so caught up in the series after turning the last page, I immediately picked up
the rest of the books to follow the story to its “conclusion”? Written in the
King’s English the reader be treated to familiar words with different
spellings, British colloquial sayings, and humor.
I first started listening on audio and found myself lost in
listening to the beautifully narrated book. Alyse Gibbs’ precise, clipped
King’s English is spot on and very easy to follow. [I worked for over 15 years
with a British lady who never gave in to American slang.] Likewise, I never
seemed to have a problem distinguishing which character was speaking since
Alyse Gibbs’ intonations and slight changes in range of her voice quickly
alerted me that a different character was speaking. She is an excellent narrator.
I highly recommend this tale in both Audible and eBook, I made good use of
both.
Friday, January 26, 2024
Blood Weaver Lady by Karina Espinosa
reviewed by Katy Grant
Layanna, a blood mage princess, hides behind the guise of
Leila a healer of Lomewood. Befriended by the only living person to know her
true identity, Selene. Part merfolk, she had been sold into servitude by her
father, to the Rose Petal, a house of pleasure. They would watch over each
other until the promised time when Leila would find the means to free Selene
from her bondage and Leila could safely return home to Valoria.
Ten years ago, war
broke out between Valoria and Keldara.
Layanna was sent away with her loyal guardian Sir Eric. Even as the war
ended, Eric had warned Layanna there was danger to her life if they returned to
Valoria. Promising to reveal all he knew of the peril, in her path, when she
was older. In the meantime, he trained her in the use of her blood magic, as
well as how to defend herself. Sadly, he
died before sharing his knowledge of the danger. To find the answers she sought, Layanna stayed
hidden plying her trade as a healer while quietly searching in places where
information flowed.
Word has been spread
The Crimson Clan, another waring people, from the Grasslands had sent a message
to Valoria that they held the Lost Princess and would return her to Valoria
only if the King and Queen agreed to certain demands. Otherwise, she would be
married to the clan chief’s son. After ten years what had changed? Why was the
Crimson Clan avowing they had her as a bargaining chip? She needed to learn
more.
News came to Leila
that some from the Crimson Clan had been reported within Lomewood. Leila feared
for Selene with such men visiting the Rose Petal. So, when Selene signaled Leila she was in
trouble, Leila faced off several of the Crimson Clan men surprising Ronan, the
leader of the Crimson Clan group, with her skills as his men lay defeated at
her feet. Ronan made the mistake of trying to buy Leila’s “services” as a
pleasurer. She caught him off guard when she remarked that the services, he
needed from her were those of a healer. The mark on his neck proved someone had
tried to poison him. He was surprised by her knowledge and the attempt on his
life. Leila was even more surprised when he confronted her the next morning
with the knowledge that he knew who she was, the Lost Princess.
Within the vast Central Plains, the small town of Lomewood
was supposed to be neutral territory, free of the kingdoms and clans’ dealings.
Nevertheless, when some from the Crimson Clan entered the city, they would come
face to face with Layanna’s brother Prince Marcellus and their childhood friend
Prince Caelan, of Eldwain. When her brother Marcellus and Caelan found the
Crimson Clan in the city they brought in reinforcements. Leila would be caught
in the middle of a battle between Ronan, his men, and Caelan with a stronger
force of soldiers. Caelan sought Ronan’s death as well as the release of the
Princess and would destroy any who stood in his way. When Leila got caught in the crossfire she
would be captured and tortured by one she thought a friend, while the one she
assumed to be an enemy would fight to protect her. Why?
The are no empty
sentences as the story rolls out its magic, mystery, drama, hidden secrets,
hatreds, warring differences, variety of atypical magical beings and unbound
love, in a world uniquely built on a very imaginative platform. In this book we
learn about the city of Lomewood and the Central Plains. While, I hope to see
more of the other kingdoms in the next editions. Kariana Espinosa has done a
smashing job of clouding the characters, so the reader isn’t certain who to
believe and who to mistrust. Selene, Leila and a young boy named Henry are the
only ones I am sure of at the moment. Emotions run high through the characters,
easily heard in their exchanges and dialogue. In this first book, just when you
think you may have an idea of who’s, who and where the story is going you turn
the page to another confrontation and the characters show a completely
different side to themselves. Leila is smart, wary, strong, and unsure of those
she thought she knew. At the center of chaos trying to understand what is
happening, and why now, Leila only knows she wants no harm to come to Ronan or
Caelan. his is only the beginning, with a cliff hanger that will keep my trying
to predict what happens next until next book surfaces on the shelves.
Monday, January 22, 2024
Those Forbidden Shadows by Cameo Renae
Review by Katy GrantThere is a reason I enjoyed reading Young Adult books so much, the author did the parents in before they could try to control the characters lives beyond the age of consent. Books for adult readers don’t have the same compulsion.
Kage was dying. He had brought them to Nether, where Elara could find the flower that would save his life. She would have to face Oren, a carnivorous tree which held the spirit of a child. Here too, she would face the Alena, the witch, who guarded the flower which held the elixir that could save Kage. Willing to pay any price to save him, Elara willingly agreed to the Witch’s demands. Their time in the Nether would be short but allow them time to explore the love they have for each other.
Valr, Kage’s Shadow Hawk had found them, while Rem followed closely on his wings. They must return to Celestria or there would be war. Vera and her parents were in Celestria demanding to see Kage to prove that he was not with Elara.
Knowing they must hide their feelings for each other or be charged with breaking the marriage contract, made by his father's ill-advised decision, Kage could hardly control his rage. Elara needed to stay away from him for fear of not being able to hide her love for Kage from others. Rem guarded her, while allowing others to believe he and Elara with lovers. Bringing her to train beside the elite guard, she would become one of them. Beloved for her strength, loyalty, determination, and her willingness to stand up for those who had no protection. The guards quickly embraced the strong, caring young woman, protecting her with their lives. But it wasn’t enough, there were those who wanted her dead and would stop at nothing to see that it happened. Vera and her parents were watching, waiting for the moment they would see her dead or find the means to take over Terr.
Kage and Elara prove themselves to be resilient characters in the face of tremendous adversity, dealing with those plotting to separate them, kill them and even one who would capture Elara and enslave her. I loved that Cameo Renee gave us the back stories for secondary characters, so the reader has an even better view of the world Elara has been brought back too. The mystery of Elara’s birth is slowly being peeled away as she learns of the one who brought her to Earth but yet, not why. I loved the fact that the villains aren’t hiding but still manage to work their evil. Even more I enjoyed that Kage refuses to pretend he has ever wanted to marry Vera and now he plainly demonstrations his loathing of the woman, no matter the consequences. By the time I reached the last page, there is still so much left to uncover in this story. If you have ever come to the end of a book and wish that it would go on, this is one to pick up and read. There is so much happening, so many mysteries still not uncovered. I felt like I was in Wonderland where characters of the strange and wonderous appear, villains are standing in plain sight while Elara finds it within herself to keep going. Kage and Elara still hang in the balance, the Emperess’ death and even the death of Kage’s own mother has yet to be answered. With Elara’s magic still bound, she will face the adversity of a world she was born into but never had the chance in which to grow up in. She will confront magical beings fighting for their lives against hers while there are traps set targeting her death. So, looking forward to the next book in the Star Kissed series.
As “Wolf Mate” left me struggling to search for who might have wanted Skylar so bad they would ambush her and spirit her away. For what purp...
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Release Date: July 20, 2023 Hidden Fate by Jen L. Grey King Arman is dead. With his dying breath, he bade Thorn to stop Dr...
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Edge of Chaos Boxed Set by Mila Young & Harper A Brooks The Kings of Eden don’t have hearts… so they want mine. https://geni.us/Ed...
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