Month in Review by Paranormal Romance Fans for Life

June's Month In Review

These are PRFL's 4 & 5 Fang reviews posted 
during the month. 
Enjoy!!








Our Five Fang Reviews

In This Life: Mesmerizing. This is a tour de force by Terri Herman-Ponce. At times bewildering, alarming, and thrilling, In This Life never disappoints.

Psychiatrist Lottie Morgan is having some serious memory issues, and the people in her life not only aren’t helping, they may be making the situation worse. Especially her boyfriend, ex-military hunk, David. Pragmatic and an “I’ll believe it when I see it” kind of guy, he shows extraordinary patience with her, but that has its limits. And, in the spirit of adding insult to injury, she may have a stalker. What is going on?

Even as Lottie’s woes and confusion pile up, the reader glides happily along, enjoying the lyric writing, the otherworldly quality of  her ‘memories’, and the evocative recounting of another life and love.  Wonderful. 

Very well done. @TerriPonce

Covet: Holy Cow! Terri Herman-Ponce has done it again. I loved In This Life so much, I ran to my Kindle after writing the review and bough Covet. Not disappointed! The story is equally fast-paced, bewildering, alarming, and thrilling. I’m guessing book three in the Past Life series is on the way, and I can hardly wait.

This time, hunky paramilitary yummy guy, David is the one getting “memories” he can’t understand and doesn’t want to deal with. The love of his life, psychiatrist Lottie Morgan is having a hard time coping with David’s refusal to admit what is going on. And then in walks a whole slew of nasty people ready and wanting to gum up the works.

POV changes from chapter to chapter, and I love being inside David’s head in this book. Terri knows how to write a very convincing Alpha male, and she does one heck of a job on High Bitch women, as well. Love MD!

I highly recommend this book, this series, and probably anything Terri Herman-Ponce writes. Very well done. @TerriPonce

Sidekick: Pure Delight! Socialite-Without-A-Care Bremy St. James doesn’t clutter up her life with anything  more trying than assessing the latest fashion or nightclub trends, until reality smacks her upside the head and she must leave that life behind – which is where we come in. After a month on her own, she’s forced to admit her survival skills suck, and fate is allied against her. Then her life goes from harsh to out-and-out bizarre. By turns funny, sweet, diabolical, and eye-popping, with a fare dose of evil sprinkled over all, the ride Auralee Wallace takes us on reads like a superhero storybook that straddles the line between fantasy and (sort of) reality. Happily, it will have you cheering and laughing all along the way. I can hardly wait for the sequel. There will be one….right?

Very well done.  @AuraleeWallace

Mostly Magic: Donna June Cooper has done it again. More than Magic captured my heart and my imagination when I reviewed a few months ago, and now the second in the Books of the Kindling series, Mostly Magic, meets the very high bar this author sets for herself. O, how I would love to find this very special mountain and spend time with the folks who know it best.

This story picks up with sibling #2, Dr. Daniel Woodruff, only months after the close of MtM. We find ourselves in Italy, which is never a bad thing, but terrifying visions are unrelenting, and Daniel must risk his reputation, and perhaps his life, in order to ensure the safety of those around him.

Mel Noblett is an environmental reporter who senses there is more to Daniel’s bizarre behavior than a personality quirk, and together they must find out why he is having these visions, and what, if anything, they can do to alter their outcome.

Once again, the story captivates with lyric beauty, humor, tension, mystery and love – of family, of friendship, of life, and of the environment. And may I say ~ Long Live the Bees! Very well done.  @donnajunecooper

Our Four Fang Reviews

Syphon's Song: Nicely written, this story is a fun adventure through the hierarchy and mystery of the Mage world. The Casteels and the Rallises face off like the Hatfields and McCoys, with magic and spells flying pell-mell, rather than bullets, but it’s quiet, brow-beat yet determined Bronte Casteel that brings them all to heal and makes both families, and the world, pay attention. I enjoyed this read and appreciate the extensive and solid world-building that Anise Rae’s imagination has brought forth. Well done.  @AniseRae

Savannah Sacrifice: Ms. Winters’ breathtaking Nymph series continues in beautiful Savannah. Unfortunately for teenaged heroine Starling, enjoying Savannah’s beauty is not what brought her there. Her mother has been murdered, and spirit voices she can’t get rid of threaten her own life if she doesn’t do their bidding. Jasper, the bodyguard she’s been trying to ditch, is close on her heels, and together they must find their way to an understanding, in order to fulfill their destiny.

Danger threatens at every turn, and the reader is taken on a fast-paced ride through a world chock full of evil shape-shifters (of the feathered variety), nymphs, a seer and a Voodoo priestess, and thankfully, one very understanding cabby. I enjoyed the ride.

Well done.  @DanicaWinters

Author Blog & Giveaway: Mostly Magic by Donna June Cooper

Mostly Magic

The Kindling Series

Book Two

Donna June Cooper

Publisher – Samhain

Publication date – June 3, 2014

Genre – Contemporary Paranormal Romance

Cover – by Kanaxa aka Nathalie Gray 

About the Book:

One terrifying premonition brings them together. Another will threaten their future.

Do dreams come true? Dr. Daniel Woodruff hopes they don't, because his dreams predict a devastating future for him, for those he loves—and for the planet.

His latest premonition, which blows a huge crater in his eroding sanity, holds a singular horror—the loss of a wife and unborn child. Yet another reason he can let no one into his chaotic life, least of all a perky, persistent investigative reporter he finds simultaneously frustrating and fascinating.

Mel Noblett leaves no stone unturned in her one-woman crusade to save the environment. When a whistleblower in Italy proves too frightened to talk, Mel turns to a fall-back lead, an extremely eccentric, beekeeping professor who might just make the trip worthwhile.

Despite their instant attraction, Mel is relieved when Daniel keeps her at arm’s length. After all, she has a secret of her own—one that makes her preternaturally good at her job. And, when Daniel’s terrifying visions prove cannily accurate and begin to revolve around Mel—it is a gift that could put her life in danger.

Warning: Reluctant seer of a bleak future meets petite force of nature who lights up the heart of his darkness. Where there’s smoke, there could be an unpredictable blaze of passion, but the rewards are oh, so sweet…

Samhain  |  Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble  |  Kobo  |  iTunes

We are thrilled to bring you a guest post by Donna June. Enjoy~

There are two things that are essential to my writing process, one is music, the other is visuals—photos, maps, blueprints. And of course, for visuals, I use Pinterest.  I am continually pinning things, for already published books, for books under construction, and for books that are just wisps of idea.

For this book, Mostly Magic, there was such a rich cache of visual images to play with. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! 

Settings

First, Florence, or Firenze, Italia. Talk about a rich cache. This is my very favorite city in all the world and all I can give you on my Pinterest board is a taste.  This particular taste is of the terrace at the top of the Hotel Loggiato dei Serviti that plays a key role in the book. I actually had a discussion with an editor who was familiar with Florence and didn't think you could see Il Duomo from that room. This is when the internet is your friend. As you can see, you really can see Il Duomo from that room.

Second, another rich source of visual images—Scarborough Renaissance Festival—which, although brief, plays a bit of a role in the book. I have spent many lovely hours at this particular faire. Great fun plus costumes and finger food! These lovely fairies were captured by Artist at Play wearing outfits just a tad skimpier than Mel's (the heroine's) usual garb when assisting her magician father. If you have never been to a Renaissance faire, give it a try. You might run into a prince!

Characters

And of course, the characters. Some readers prefer to picture the characters for themselves, which is why my Pinterest boards have warning screens so you don't have to see the characters if you don't want to. So, *WARNING*, if you don't want to see the characters as I visualize them in my head, you might want to skip this part.

As you can tell if you explore my Pinterest boards, there is no one individual who absolutely matches my visual of any of my Mostly Magic characters. I have to say though, that when I wrote Daniel Woodruff in the very first book of the series, I saw someone who looked a lot like Orlando Bloom in my head. Tall, lanky, long dark hair, and with what I call that "I-can-see-things-you-can't-see-and -I-don't-want-to" look. Yum.

 

Then there was Mel. I could never find really close to the Mel I had in my head. KaNaXa, the wonderful cover artist for Mostly Magic, gives us just a hint of Keira Knightley with intense blue eyes in her rendition of Mel. Another option is the irrepressible Jennifer Lawrence, whose hair and eyes and personality would come very close to our petite force-of-nature, Mel.

 

Origami, as you can probably tell from the cover, plays a key role in the book. (And yes, I know, it is such a funny and suggestive word!) Mel creates origami figures for her father's magic show and for relaxation. These little green fellows are her favorites for handing out at her father's magic shows, and for distracting adorable eccentric scientists. In addition, there is a You Tube link on my Pinterest board that shows you how to make a jumping frog out of a playing card, just as Mel does in the book.

As you can see, research for writing a romance can be fun and educational. I hope you enjoyed this little foray through the images in my head!

Excerpt

About the Author:
A transplanted mountain girl. As the granddaughter of a coal miner and the great-great-granddaughter of one of the Muscogee people, Donna was raised in the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains - in the beautiful hills of East Tennessee. After getting a couple of college degrees, she was lured away from her mountains by a gorgeous Italian guy, who married her and carried her off to Texas. (Texas, by comparison to her mountains, is very hot and very flat—a fact she points out often to whoever will listen.) Her vocations have included a little bit of everything, including a stint as an IRS tax auditor, a few years managing a bookstore, and a career in the corporate world writing technical courseware and documentation, but her avocation was always writing. She enjoys being walked by her Jack Russell Terrier (if you know Jack's, you understand), belly dancing (excellent exercise and lots of shiny costumes), reading (three books at once, at times), and travel (with family in Italy and England, who wouldn't?) But, like any child of the Appalachians, she doesn’t stay away from her mountains for long, and visits as often as she can.

Author Contacts:
Website |  Facebook |  Twitter | Pinterest

Tour Giveaway:

First Prize: A honeybee charm (or a $10 GC from Amazon) plus a copy of each book 
Two Second Place Prizes: e-copies of Mostly Magic and More than Magic.  
(Visitors can get extra points by tweeting about it, by adding the book on Goodreads, and/or by following me on Twitter and Facebook) 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Month In Review by Paranormal Romance Fans for Life

May's Month In Review

PRFL is starting a new segment! On the last Saturday of each month we will re-post our 4-5 Star reviews given during the month, plus reviews not yet seen. 
Enjoy!!

Five Fang Reviews

Mostly Magic: Donna June Cooper has done it again. More than Magic captured my heart and my imagination when I reviewed a few months ago, and now the second in the Books of the Kindling series, Mostly Magic, meets the very high bar this author sets for herself. O, how I would love to find this very special mountain and spend time with the folks who know it best.

This story picks up with sibling #2, Dr. Daniel Woodruff, only months after the close of MtM. We find ourselves in Italy, which is never a bad thing, but terrifying visions are unrelenting, and Daniel must risk his reputation, and perhaps his life, in order to ensure the safety of those around him.

Mel Noblett is an environmental reporter who senses there is more to Daniel’s bizarre behavior than a personality quirk, and together they must find out why he is having these visions, and what, if anything, they can do to alter their outcome.

Once again, the story captivates with lyric beauty, humor, tension, mystery and love – of family, of friendship, of life, and of the environment. And may I say ~ Long Live the Bees! Very well done.

More Than Magic: I was thoroughly delighted by this book and recommend it for anyone who likes mystery, drama, humor, a great love story, and yes, magic. The opening, scene-setting chapter for physician Grace is both captivating and mysterious, and her very ill patient, young ‘Tink,’ absolutely charming. But what becomes of either of them? We are left to wonder.

With the opening chapter for Nick, we are introduced to a man who seems nice, affable, and certainly has friends who care about his well-being, but this intro is equally mysterious. What is he all about, what is he being sent to find out, and what is the underlying health issue alluded to?

When Grace and Nick finally meet, way back in a Southern mountain holler, the story unwinds with charismatic characters, fun writing, and rich scene-setting. However, this is not a RomCom – far from it. There is something dark, perhaps even evil going on, and Grace and Nick, along with beautifully precocious child, Jamie, must work together to uncover what that is, in order to ‘cure’ the mountain of its disease.

The writing is captivating, and one sign of a true storyteller is when I find myself so ‘inside’ the story I come out surprised I don’t actually know any of the characters personally, or have never visited the region portrayed. More than Magic is one of those, and I applaud Donna June Cooper on her first book. I look forward to many more. Very well done.

Four Fang Reviews

Dark Redemption: The much-anticipated Dark Redemption is a good follow up to Fall of Darkness, and with its powerful cliff-hanger ending, I’m not sure my heart can take the anticipation, let alone the wait for book three! Kate and Dominic are back together – thank goodness. But wait, now both sides, the werewolves and the vampires, want them dead at any cost. What a thing for these mortal enemy factions to agree upon.

The writing, per usual, is clear, descriptive, and pulls the reader in from the first moments. Unlike the first book, however, Dark Redemption slows in the middle, so that we may enjoy a special moment with the happy couple. This slowing takes up too much time in my view, especially since we know the whole world is hunting the pair. Regardless, there is plenty going on before and after, with twists that will raise the eyebrows of even the most stalwart of readers.

This sequel is not to be missed, and once again, I find myself impatiently its sequel, the final book in The Chronicles of Darkness series. Well done.

Leopold's Wicked Embrace: Very hot vampires and werewolves are tearing it up in New Orleans! Leopold is one hot, ancient, and powerful and perennially angry vampire, but he’s no match for the quiet, beautiful and enigmatic Laryssa. In a town at ease with its somewhat less than human population, Laryssa has a secret to hide, a secret Leopold very much wants to uncover. As do many others.

This story is well written, fast-paced and hot! And it’s nice to know the vamps and the weres can get along when they have to.

Well done.

Beyond the Veil: Muse is treated like a freak by her family, and a child by the very dangerous man who protects her. While she thinks she has found a niche in which she can lead a life of her own choosing, circumstances are about to blow that false sense of security all to…Hell.

I enjoyed this tale. Fast-paced and full of surprises, it will keep you turning the pages with heart-pounding tension/angst/drama/delight. The characters and situations are well drawn, and the story itself imaginative and unpredictable.

Well done.

His Haven: Snatched from poverty by a wealthy man who claims he’s taken her for her own good, Haven does not care for, nor does she fully understand the life he offers. She’d rather be at her poor, sickly father’s side, than dripping in gems and drinking champagne.

Harper Brooks weaves an interesting tale that reveals the glamorous ennui of the vampire elite of England. While slowly peeling back the layers of this secret society, she brings to light both evil and goodness in unlooked-for corners. It is well written, and truly captures the imagination, and oh, fasten your seatbelts for the grand finale! It’ll leave your head spinning…with delight.

Well done.

The Darkness of Glengowyn: Different. Intriguing. Imaginative. A world of Elves, war, powerful magic, love that spans the ages and will not be denied. The writing is as rich and strong as the scene setting. Beautiful and romantic by turns, it also has moments of terror, suspense, and dread. I enjoyed this story and look forward to the series continuing.

Well done.

Penelope's Ghost: This story is delightful…and mysterious…and a wonderful Australian vacation in book form. I learned so many Aussy-isms! When Lisa loses her husband to another man, she is forced to regroup, reassess, and rebuild her life. Money is short and good jobs seem to be non-existent, so she takes a temporary job as a live-in nanny. She finds herself in the middle of a sad and dysfunctional family, and, being sensitive to ghosts, she can’t help but wonder who is haunting handsome Mr. Prescott’s ancient manor home. Well, wouldn’t you wonder, too? Lives are changed, both past and present, and in the end, the changes are all good, very good.

Well done. 

Five+ Fang Review & Giveaway: Mostly Magic by Donna June Cooper

Mostly Magic

The Kindling Series

Book Two

Donna June Cooper

Publisher – Samhain

Publication date – June 3, 2014

Genre – Contemporary Paranormal Romance

Cover – by Kanaxa aka Nathalie Gray 

Pre-order Now! Amazon 

About the Book:

One terrifying premonition brings them together. Another will threaten their future.

Do dreams come true? Dr. Daniel Woodruff hopes they don't, because his dreams predict a devastating future for him, for those he loves—and for the planet.

His latest premonition, which blows a huge crater in his eroding sanity, holds a singular horror—the loss of a wife and unborn child. Yet another reason he can let no one into his chaotic life, least of all a perky, persistent investigative reporter he finds simultaneously frustrating and fascinating.

Mel Noblett leaves no stone unturned in her one-woman crusade to save the environment. When a whistleblower in Italy proves too frightened to talk, Mel turns to a fall-back lead, an extremely eccentric, beekeeping professor who might just make the trip worthwhile.

Despite their instant attraction, Mel is relieved when Daniel keeps her at arm’s length. After all, she has a secret of her own—one that makes her preternaturally good at her job. And, when Daniel’s terrifying visions prove cannily accurate and begin to revolve around Mel—it is a gift that could put her life in danger.

Warning: Reluctant seer of a bleak future meets petite force of nature who lights up the heart of his darkness. Where there’s smoke, there could be an unpredictable blaze of passion, but the rewards are oh, so sweet…

My Review:

Donna June Cooper has done it again. More than Magic captured my heart and my imagination when I reviewed a few months ago, and now the second in the Books of the Kindling series, Mostly Magic, meets the very high bar this author sets for herself. O, how I would love to find this very special mountain and spend time with the folks who know it best.

This story picks up with sibling #2, Dr. Daniel Woodruff, only months after the close of MtM. We find ourselves in Italy, which is never a bad thing, but terrifying visions are unrelenting, and Daniel must risk his reputation, and perhaps his life, in order to ensure the safety of those around him.

Mel Noblett is an environmental reporter who senses there is more to Daniel’s bizarre behavior than a personality quirk, and together they must find out why he is having these visions, and what, if anything, they can do to alter their outcome.

Once again, the story captivates with lyric beauty, humor, tension, mystery and love – of family, of friendship, of life, and of the environment. And may I say ~ Long Live the Bees! Very well done.

-Cary Morgan Frates

About the Author:

A transplanted mountain girl. As the granddaughter of a coal miner and the great-great-granddaughter of one of the Muscogee people, Donna was raised in the shadows of the Appalachian Mountains - in the beautiful hills of East Tennessee. After getting a couple of college degrees, she was lured away from her mountains by a gorgeous Italian guy, who married her and carried her off to Texas. (Texas, by comparison to her mountains, is very hot and very flat—a fact she points out often to whoever will listen.) Her vocations have included a little bit of everything, including a stint as an IRS tax auditor, a few years managing a bookstore, and a career in the corporate world writing technical courseware and documentation, but her avocation was always writing. She enjoys being walked by her Jack Russell Terrier (if you know Jack's, you understand), belly dancing (excellent exercise and lots of shiny costumes), reading (three books at once, at times), and travel (with family in Italy and England, who wouldn't?) But, like any child of the Appalachians, she doesn’t stay away from her mountains for long, and visits as often as she can.

Author Contacts:
Website |  Facebook |  Twitter | Pinterest

Tour Giveaway:

First Prize: A honeybee charm (or a $10 GC from Amazon) plus a copy of each book 

Two Second Place Prizes: e-copies of Mostly Magic and More than Magic

a Rafflecopter giveaway
(Visitors can get extra points by tweeting about it, by adding the book on Goodreads, and/or by following me on Twitter and Facebook)