Sunday, April 26, 2015

This Old Homicide-Kate Carlisle

This Old Homicide (A Fixer-Upper Mystery, #2) 

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Bibliophile Mysteries and A High-End Finish comes the second Fixer-Upper Mystery...

Contractor and part-time sleuth Shannon Hammer specializes in improving the quirks and flaws of the Victorian homes in Lighthouse Cove, California. The quirks and flaws of their residents are another story....
Valentine’s Day is approaching, and while Shannon is delighted to be friends with not one but two handsome men, not everyone in town is feeling the love. After her elderly neighbor Jesse Hennessey fails to make his daily appearance at the local diner, Shannon swings by his place to check on him. Not only does she find Jesse dead—of an apparent heart attack—but she also realizes that his home has been ransacked.

Someone suggests that a thief was searching for a priceless necklace Jesse claimed to have retrieved from a capsized sailing ship, but Shannon doesn’t believe it. Everyone knows Jesse had a penchant for constructing tall tales—like the one about him having a hot new girlfriend. But his death is soon ruled a homicide, and shady suspects begin popping out of the woodwork. When another victim turns up dead, Shannon is convinced she must find the killer before someone else gets nailed.

This is such a fun new series by Kate Carlisle. This is the second book and it was every bit as good as the first one. The characters are wonderful and the story is fantastic. Great job. 

I Am Haunted:Living Through The Dead-Zak Bagans and Kelly Crigger

I am Haunted: Living Life Through the Dead 

Paranormal investigator Zak Bagans has traveled all over the world, seeking answers to lifes deepest and most terrifying mysteries. What happens when we die? Why do some spirits move on while others remain stuck in some sort of in-between place? What do the spirits really want from us? Zak has dedicated his life to finding out the truth.

He has bought a demon house in Indiana that has been described as a portal to hell,; summoned the devil at the Hellfire Club in Ireland, and been attacked by a possessed doll in Mexico. But sometimes  his interactions with the living that rattle him the most, from innocent people harboring evil spirits to crazed fans to the victims of violent spirit attacks.

Through his investigations of the worlds most haunted places, Zak has learned far more about the living and the dead than anyone should. He's been to the edge of death and back and come away with a spiritual key that unlocks doors to another world that few have ever seen.

I loved this book. I was worried about how I would feel about it since I am a big fan of the show. It did not disappoint. It is really nice to read something from someone that doesn't hold back. Keep up the great work on the show and in your books. 

Only Marriage Will Do:House of Pleasure-Jenna Jaxon

Only Marriage Will Do (House of Pleasure, #2) 

Happily-ever-afters don’t always begin at “I do.”

When the man of her dreams rescues Lady Juliet Ferrers from the villain claiming to be her husband, she is sure she has found her one true love. But is she free to marry him? Not to be deterred, Juliet arranges for her hero to escort her to her family estate in far off Northern England—hoping that along the way she can win his love—and his hand…

Captivated by Juliet’s sweetness and beauty, Captain Amiable Dawson can’t help but be spellbound by the promise of a life with her. But the spell breaks when questions arise about her marital status. Soon the upstanding Amiable is unsure if he is indeed married to Juliet. And when his rival absconds with her, Amiable must choose between the law of the land and his heart’s desire to rescue Juliet once more.

I liked this book. I didn't love it, but I liked it. It had a pretty good story and I did like the characters. The problem that I had was that it took me a long time to read and to stay interested. 

The Traitor's Daughter-Barbara Kyle

The Traitor's Daughter (Thornleigh, #7) 

In 1582, England is gripped by the fear of traitors. Kate Lyon, tainted by her exiled mother's past treason, has been disowned by her father, Baron Thornleigh. But in truth, Kate and her husband Owen are only posing as Catholic sympathizers to gain information for Queen Elizabeth's spymaster. Kate is an expert decoder. The deception pains her, but she takes heart in the return to England of her long estranged brother Robert. If only she could be sure where his loyalties lie...

Kate and Owen’s spying yields valuable intelligence: English Catholics abroad are spearheading an invasion that would see Elizabeth deposed—or worse—in favor of Mary, Queen of Scots. Kate takes on the dangerous role of double agent, decoding and delivering letters the exiles send Mary. But when lives and fortunes hang by the thinnest threads, betrayal is only a whisper away...

A brilliant blend of Tudor history and lush storytelling, The Traitor's Daughter is a riveting, passionate novel of loyalty, heartbreak, and one woman's undaunted courage.

I admit that this is the first book that I have read in this series. Now I am hooked. This book had all of the elements that I love about a good read. Great job. 

Ghosts of Lincoln-Adam Selzer

 

Abraham Lincoln may have never set out to be the Great Emancipator, and he certainly never set out to become the Johnny Appleseed of ghosts. But he turned out to be both. He and John Wilkes Booth, his assassin, sure seem to be haunting a lot of places these days. Indeed, perhaps no event in American history brought death - and the paranormal - to the forefront of people's minds quite like the Civil War. Somewhere between half a million and a million people died in the war. A single battle claimed more American soldiers than all previous American wars combined. All over the country, men left home to fight for their country and never returned. And Lincoln and Booth were, in their ways, among those men. Lincoln left Illinois to save the Union and never returned. Booth confidently expected to be considered a hero throughout the South when he came back from killing Lincoln. With the rise of spiritualism and interest in the paranormal neatly coinciding with it, there came to be rumors that Lincoln was consulting with spiritualists at the White House. Whether Lincoln himself took seances seriously or not is a subject of debate today, but stories that he did made for considerable press at the time. And Lincoln does seem to have spoken about having dreams of his own assassination. And then there are the ghosts. Lincoln is reported in locations all over. Booth is, as well. And with the rise of spiritualism after the Civil War, Booth and Lincoln both become popular spirits to "contact."

I have always been intrigued by Abraham Lincoln and his link to the paranormal. Mr. Selzer does an fantastic job of bringing more of that into light. A wonderful all around read. 

Ancient Shadows-Joanne Pence

Ancient Shadows 

One by one, a horror film director, a judge, and a newspaper publisher meet brutal deaths. A link exists between them, and the deaths have only begun ...
Archeologist Michael Rempart finds himself pitted against ancient demons and modern conspirators when a dying priest gives him a powerful artifact--a pearl said to have granted Genghis Khan the power, eight centuries ago, to lead his Mongol warriors across the steppes to the gates of Vienna.

The artifact has set off centuries of war and destruction as it conjures demons to play upon men's strongest ambitions and cruelest desires. Michael realizes the so-called pearl is a philosopher's stone, the prime agent of alchemy. As much as he would like to ignore the artifact, when he sees horrific deaths and experiences, first-hand, diabolical possession and affliction, he has no choice but to act.

The dark legends are true. To stop the artifact's evil Michael must follow a path along the Old Silk Road to a land that time forgot, and to somehow find a place that may no longer exist in the world as he knows it.

I really enjoyed this book. It had a great mystery and horror. Not a bad combination. 

Tarot Interactions-Deborah Lipp



 

Designed for both beginners and advanced students, Tarot Interactions transcends the card-by-card approach and asks how the principle of interaction can bring reading the cards to a new and more intuitive place.

For the student of Tarot who knows the cards, but feels like there's further to go, Tarot Interactions offers lessons on: psychic ability, understanding patterns, how pairs of cards interact with each other, how a card interacts with its own position in a layout, understanding layouts as a whole, using language and storytelling to deepen a reading, and interacting with querents.

These lessons offer even the advanced student a sense that the cards can be more than the sum of their parts. Tarot Interactions is designed to take the student from good to great, from understanding to experiencing. It is a tool to stop reading the Tarot and start interacting with it, or to read it, not like a series of road signs, but like a story, or a poem, or the lyrics to a song.

Llewellyn Publications has done it again. This book is amazing. A perfect guide to any Tarot user/reader. 

Mabon: Rituals, Recipes, & Lore for the Autumn Equinox-Llewellyn Publications and Diana Rajchel

Mabon: Rituals, Recipes & Lore for the Autumn Equinox 

Llewellyn's Sabbat Essentials series explores the old and new ways of celebrating the seasonal rites that are the cornerstones in the witch's year. A well-rounded introduction to Mabon, this attractive book features rituals, recipes, lore, and correspondences. It includes hands-on information for modern celebrations, spells and divination, recipes and crafts, invocations and prayers, and more!

As with all books by Llewellyn Publications, this book was amazing. It gives you so much information. This is a must have for any Pagan.
 

Sunday, April 5, 2015

Button Holed- Kylie Logan

Button Holed (Button Box Mystery, #1) 

Working out of her button shop in a Chicago brownstone, Josie Giancola has become one of the country's leading experts on buttons. Her reputation draws a Hollywood starlet to the Button Box to shop for one-of-a-kind buttons to adorn her made-to-order wedding gown.But after the Button Box is ransacked and the actress murdered, Josie's cozy world is thrown into chaos-and a killer is out to keep Josie's lips buttoned up...permanently.

 I really liked the main character in this book. The plot was great. That said, I just couldn't get into this book. I went in with such high hopes and I think it just wasn't the right book for me.

Spore-Tamara Jones

Spore 

The dead are coming back.

Ten naked people walk from a cemetery into artist Sean Casey’s backyard: ten Spore People who used to be dead. One, Mindy, stays with Sean while trying to reclaim her life, but her ex would rather she return to her grave. Sean struggles to protect Mindy and other Spores while battling his recurring—and worsening—nightmares. Meanwhile, the media feeds a panicked frenzy that leads both the hopeful and hateful to Sean’s front door.

As the Spore fungus spreads, so does the fear. When mutilated children match Sean’s nightmares, he realizes his own worst terror may be closer than he thinks.


I highly recommend this book. It was great from start to finish. Plus, it was just downright scary. Awesome. 

Microshelters:59 Creative Cabins, Tiny Houses, Tree Houses, and other Small Structures-Derek "Deek" Diedrickson

Microshelters: 59 Creative Cabins, Tiny Houses, Tree Houses, and Other Small Structures 

If you dream of living in a tiny house, or creating a getaway in the backwoods or your backyard, you’ll love this gorgeous collection of creative and inspiring designs for cabins, forts, studios, and other microshelters. Created by an assembly of leading designers, architects, and bloggers, these 57 unique and innovative designs will show you the limits of what is possible. All of the designs include beautiful full-color photos along with floor plans and building tips; 15 of them include flushed-out concept sketches; and five include step-by-step building plans. You’ll also find guidelines on building with recycled and salvaged materials, plus techniques for making your small space comfortable and easy to inhabit.

This book is fantastic. If you have ever wanted to downsize and live a smaller, simpler life, this book is for you. There is so much that you can learn from this. Great job. 

Othernaturals Book One-Possesed- Christina Harlin

Othernaturals Book One: Possessed 

When a ghost-hunting episode of the popular paranormal web series Othernaturals goes bad, two cast members quit, and Othernaturals producer, telepathic Rosemary Sharpe, finds herself carrying the ghost of an axe murderer on her shoulder. Now she must hire two new members for her team before her show moves on to investigate a haunted dormitory at a state university, all the while keeping her angry companion at bay. Disgraced psychic Andrew Fletcher and renowned healer Kaye Whittington sign on, joining Rosemary’s team that includes an animal empath and his traveling companion Vladimir the cat, a psychic vampire who is more cheerleader than bloodsucker, and a haunted medium who shares head space with his best friend who died twenty years ago. Even the show’s director can see ghosts. Rosemary’s philosophy is that the supernatural doesn’t need to be real, as long as her viewers believe that it is, but her own extra passenger has other ideas about avenging himself on the team that abducted him from his haunting grounds – and on any innocent spirit they may encounter. But Rosemary inherited her famous rock star grandfather’s powerful telepathic ability to control a room. An evil spirit has attached itself to her, but exactly which one of them is in the possession of the other? Passions and paranoia are all part of the package, when filming an un-reality show. Possessed is the exciting first book in the new series by Christina Harlin, author of paranormal thrillers Never Alone and Deck of Cards and the romantic adventures of legal secretary Carol Frank in the “Boss” series. In addition to the book itself, the Othernaturals series also has a website that includes pictures, ghost stories, additional information about the characters, and some fun things for fans.

I'm really not sure what I thought about this book. It wasn't bad. But there were parts that I really liked and parts that I didn't like at all. 

The Beautiful One-Emily Greenwood

The Beautiful One (The Scandalous Sisters, #1) 

The first book in a delightfully scandalous new Regency romance series from blossoming author Emily Greenwood…

Tomboy Anna Black has no idea how a book containing nude drawings of her is traveling around town. Everyone’s calling the woman in the drawings the “Beautiful One,” but Anna knows that if her true identity is revealed, she’ll be ruined. To escape scandal, she becomes a temporary companion to the outrageous teenage ward of Will Halifax, Viscount Grandville.

Will wants nothing but to be left alone. When cheeky Anna unexpectedly arrives with his scandalous ward, suddenly he has two intolerable women filling up his once-quiet manor. But as Anna’s charms begin to soften Will’s hard exterior and uncover his shrouded heart, she hopes that love can fully blossom before her scandal erupts.

I really liked this book. It had a bit of a slow start but once you got into it further, it was great. The characters were great and the writing was fantastic. 

Lilliput-Sam Gayton, Pete Williamson


She is a girl three inches tall with eyes like drops of dew. Her clothes are cut from handkerchiefs and stitched with spider silk. For half of her life, she has been trapped in a birdcage while her giant kidnapper sits beside her, writing a leather-bound book the size of a house.

Her name is Lily, and tonight she is escaping.

She is going home.

To Lilliput.

Inspired by Gulliver’s Travels, Lilliput is an exhilarating adventure filled with cunning escape plans, evil clockmakers and very talkative parrots. Join Lily as she travels over rooftops, down chimneys and into chocolate shops on a journey to find the one place in the world where she belongs . . . Home.

This book was FANTASTIC. I loved every minute that I was reading it. It had so much that was familiar that it really felt like going back home in a book. Great job. 

Horse of a Different Killer-Laura Morrigan

Horse of a Different Killer (Call of the Wilde #3) 

Animal behaviorist Grace Wilde’s psychic ability gives her insight into the minds of all kinds of creatures. If only humans were as easy to read…

Dead men may tell no tales, but they can screw up your life with a few phone calls. Grace’s abusive ex-brother-in-law, Anthony Ortega, needs her help—at least that’s what he said on the messages he left before his sudden death. Grace is inclined to let the matter rest in peace, but when her sister is named a suspect, Grace decides to get to the bottom of the cryptic calls.

Her only lead is Ortega’s fiancĂ©e, who believes that he had arranged to surprise her with the purchase of a Frisian gelding named Heart. The horse was being stabled at the R-n-R Ranch—but was taken in the middle of the night. Now, with her sister in trouble and a missing horse on her hands, Grace hopes the information harnessed from her psychic skills will be enough to rein in the killer.

When I first started this series, I didn't know how I would like it. I LOVE THIS SERIES. These books are so much fun. I love all of the characters and Laura Morrigan does an amazing job of sucking into the story. I cannot wait for Grace's next adventure. 

Guild of Immortal Women-David Alan Morrison, H.L. Melvin

Guild of Immortal Women
“When one is immortal, one should keep a low profile.”
A new comedic romp through a magical tapestry maintained by Earth's Immortal women.

What took me so long to read this book? This was amazing. I tore through this book so fast that I can't believe how good it was. Run, don't walk, to get a copy. I hope that there is more to come.