 A paranormal novel about love, family, bullying, and special gifts.
Blurb: “Henrietta Bailey is a mysterious woman who has spent her entire life living in the town of Crescent, a sleepy beach community in Central Coastal California. She loves the beach, the ocean air, and the town itself. Her simple life fulfills her. However, she spends much of her time reminiscing about her long-lost love, a woman who left her devastated. Now, another woman awaits on the horizon; a wise, intelligent, and sexy lady who is sophisticated beyond her years. This woman yearns for her soul mate and lover. Will she be able to win Henrietta’s heart, or will Henrietta be fated to live the rest of her days alone? All her life, Henrietta has held a gift, one that most of the townspeople fear and do not understand. Still, this doesn’t deter her from pursuing these extraordinary talents, and she does what she can to help others improve their lives. Those close to her encourage her, and new people enter the picture who offer enlightenment. Personal secrets emerge that change the course of Henrietta’s life. Can she do the right thing and move forward? A long-lost mystery comes to the surface, causing upset among some of the town’s residents. Come meet this incredible woman who strives to attain the things in the world she values the most – family, love, and respect.” The story moves along nicely. It contains paranormal elements, and lots of intertwined stories combined with memories, one of them being a fictional lesbian one. Through the memories, we find out a lot about the history of the house in Crescent, his owners over the years and also about Henrietta and her relationship with her mother and grandmother. Henrietta was a good person as a child and also as an adult. “My life is a journey and I celebrate each step of the way with love and joy. I am all knowing, all loving, and an important being in this universe.” Emphatic, shy, hard-working, appreciated by few, including her employers but unfortunately not accepted by many others. She had the capabilities to do readings and talk to those that passed on the other side. Henrietta is now 60 years old, not married, with a tough past and suffering from anxiety because of it. She is quite an introvert, hardly speaking to anyone about the most intimate things. While we get pretty much into details into Henrietta’s life and thoughts we get to find out about Mary, the woman from her past, and also that she gave birth to a son, Andrew, when she was only seventeen. Mary, the love of her life was now trying to get in touch after 20 years after she finally divorced the husband she never loved. Sophia, the gorgeous Italian woman, 30 years younger than Henrietta, tried to seduce her and they had some intimate moments, to Henrietta's surprise having in mind the age gap. Henrietta had a special gift that made others refrain from accepting her, calling her a witch. “...thoughts create our reality and we are in control of them.” With all the added mysteries, the novel is easily gripping. This is a paranormal novel but it's about love, family, bullying, and special gifts. A very pleasant and intriguing read. My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website
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 An interesting read with a promising ending.
Could you travel inside your soul? What if you get trapped in there? Was this a real journey or was it all in Ben's head? After a painful divorce and a cruel desire to leave his ex-wife without any money, Ben went to sleep and due to a strange happening, he woke up in another place. He wasn't in his bedroom anymore but as strange as it may seem he woke up inside his soul. He is told that it's not easy to get out. At first, he doesn't believe a thing but he has no other choice than to continue experiencing what lays in front of him. He even enjoys some gambling at a casino that exists there as it was one of his greatest desire in the real life. The journey contains lots of labyrinths, long corridors, lots of boxes and other more or less interesting stuff, all having their role. The book’s narrative is from three points of views: Ben, Raines, and Leo. Ben is not a character you would love. Arrogant, full of himself, money-oriented kind of person and not at all a pleasant family member. Still, during this process, he has learned a lot and chances are that the change for the better will only continue. His wife, Raines, started a new life after the divorce, moving to another place with her son Leo. It wasn't easy and what I felt crucial in her part of the story was when she learned to forgive her father, hence made forgiveness a part of her mindset. Later on, she will manage to forgive Ben too. From Leo’s part of the story, we see the life of a teenager that faces typical issues including bullying, drugs and the easiness of being able to get a gun and even think of using it. Luckily for all, everything turns out to a happy ending. Each one of them learned its own lessons and their life would be much better in the future. It is an interesting concept with the inside-of-soul traveling with a nice character description. Type of reader: Readers of inspirational contemporary fiction with a touch of paranormal. My favorite quotes from this book: “I am in heaven. My soul is on fire. Nothing could be better than this very moment of time. Swirls of emotion start to rise up through my stomach and into my chest. It kinda feels like opening a million Christmas presents all at once.” “And I realize that life is a cycle of love and forgiveness. In small ways and big. Every day, the sun sets only to rise again. And every day, the ocean tides come in and then out, bringing the ocean waves closer and pushing it backwards, time and again. It’s reconciliation that mends a soul. It keeps us together.” “I have faced the truth. I have endured these last two weeks of my cruel fate with only one thought in mind, I don’t know how much longer I have left to live. And my biggest regret is not that I wish I hadn’t been a smoker, it’s that I should’ve walked into my soul a lot sooner than I did. If only I had known, what I know now.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  Not at all my regular cup-of-tea but I’m glad I decided to dig into these waters too, sort of speak. This novel was a HELL of a ride, literally. Most of the time on Earth but also from Earth to Hell and back. While the only humans in the story were only a bunch of recruits to be part of a Cult of a demon, I surprised myself being on the demon’s side while reading. Well, I admit, Samm seemed to be the nicest demon, something like the least evil. What I liked the most about this book and the reason for the high rating is the humor. Dark humor, sarcasm and lots of witty stuff into a light horror story made it more entertaining than I thought. I caught myself grinning more than half the time. Demons, zombies, the CEO of Hell, hell-hound dogs, magic, good demons, bad demons, an angel from Heaven are all in there. Sometimes even playing poker together. Adenisa and Barney are the main humans in the whole story and they seemed to be loyal to Samm because somehow they believed in their mission. We can also witness that a human, Adenisa in this case, can be trained and develop capabilities of using different spelling techniques and magic. And what was the main purpose? The takeover of the leadership of a bar on Earth after the death of the last owner, another demon. Why? Because it was a strategic spot for the Hell? Because other gangs of demons would have misused its location? Because of the hilarious sense of humor of the author? I let you discover on your own. Real original writing.
Type of reader: Fans of light horror with a sassy humor that are looking for a delightful read. Some quotes from this book that could give you a slight insight: “The Cult measured a hundred and fifty strong. These were the geeks, the nerds, the losers. They had been picked on throughout high school, beaten up and tormented by bullies, by family members who wondered why they couldn’t be more like their brothers or sisters. Beaten down at school, at work, at home. At life. Until they felt as if they had no other choices. And then Tamerlin offered them one. “Join me,” he’d say. “Become part of the Cult. Sure, you have to worship a demon; but he’s no worse than the asshole jocks who tormented us and the benefits are better.” One by one, they joined. And now they were hungry. They’d been tormented their entire lives; it was time to give a little payback.” “He hit the shield at full ramming speed and exploded in a shower of blood and flesh. A Cult member saw this and threw up. But then three demons also threw up, so the cultist didn’t feel so bad.” My rating: 5/5 Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  Chaun Hutchins was like any regular 32-year-old. He had a wife, a full-time job, a comfortable home, and a baby on the way, but yet he was not at all satisfied in their marriage. During a fight on the way from a party, he finally got the courage to speak up to his wife, but the moment after a tragic accident left him a widower. Some would think that this is where his life will go down the road. But no, as the child survived he needs to be strong for the baby. Will he have the power to overcome the pain, the guilt and find the strength to move on? Will he get a second chance at life and love? The questions will be answered only when together with his parents and his new friend, Denise, will manage to solve the mystery of the paranormal events that are threatening their peace and putting some of them in danger. A really interesting read, a story that gives you hope only after the main character manages to find answers over the dark troubles from the past in order to have a bright and peaceful future. Aaron D. Brinker adds a touch of romance to the whole paranormal part, everything with a writing style that it is really pleasant to read.
Type of reader: Fans of mystery, thriller, suspense with a touch of ghosts and paranormal elements. I found this being an intriguing story, definitely, a must read. My favorite quotes from this book: “You had no way of knowing what was going to happen, let alone what minor differences would have caused things to change. No matter what we face in life, trials have to be taken as they come. We can never change the past, but only better ourselves for the future.” “You see, the night you died, you felt what I had been feeling our entire marriage.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  The main character of this novel is Jackie, a young attractive woman. She is married but has her husband’s approval to pursue her inclination for being with women as long as he remains the only man in her life. After a car accident, Jackie suffers a concussion that causes her something impossible to understand and accept, at first. Her world is turned upside down and only when she tries finding out more about what had happened she is starting to understand. Initially, Jackie’s reaction is normal as everything is strange and hard to accept. In a course of events and with the help of her friends she makes slow steps forward. A new woman starts being part of her life that plays the role of a lover and offers her a tremendous support. Looking at the name of the book it was normal to expect an awakening.
Even though this book has a paranormal element I loved that the author created real-life characters and happenings. Jackie was a heavy drinker and she didn't acknowledge her problem, despite her husband’s comments and certain events. Her husband was not perfect either, he had his alcohol and gambling issues and didn’t seem to be the best partner. Jackie hasn’t been in the past very close to her family but during her transformation, she managed to solve this issue. With her sister’s big help she started her alcohol-free period. I didn't have to resonate fully with the main character to let myself withdrawn in the story and I loved it. I followed carefully her journey and I found myself inspired by the way she was developing her spiritual side. The more she evolved in that area the more she was making the other parts of her life right. I enjoyed everything related to spirituality, Reiki, meditation, grounding exercises that inspired me to dig further in this area. I liked the ending too, which answered some questions and left me feeling eager to know what is going to be next. I loved the Lawler’s writing style. I felt it sincere and very comforting and I am looking forward to reading other works by this author. Type of reader: Although this novel falls under lesbian paranormal fiction I recommend it to a wider audience with love for a strong female lead facing personal transformation. My favorite quotes from this book: “As she lay there, she thought about her day. It had been a very spiritual experience. There were times that she’d felt at one with the trees, and she understood their language.” “Let go and open up and allow the good things to manifest.” “If you want change, then you need to be that change.” My rating: 5/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon Author’s website  This was a fast and interesting read. The author has an easy and very understandable way of putting words together. Everything starts in 1988 when Hannah’s sister Hailey was wounded and disappeared one night in the woods in the vicinity of an abandoned cemetery. Rumors were saying that some Satanic cult has taken her away and the media have reported amply on the subject. Hannah was only 16 then and she struggled how to cope with the events. Years went by but she couldn't live even for one day wondering what happened to her sister. Twenty years later, without any news about Hailey, Hannah receives some strange phone calls, messages, and witnesses other little things that make her think that she is being stalked and what’s worse that she is next. She couldn't go to the police at first as she was sure they wouldn't believe her, even, later on, she wasn't believed as she didn't have proof. By now she was seeing a therapist and actually, this is the way how we get to know everything, from the sessions that Hannah has had. Happenings made it that another person died and it seemed similar to her sister’s disappearance, but now Hannah is the major suspect. I will not reveal the ending, but I can only tell you that it surprised me. Either is a result of post-traumatic stress disorder or the crazy reality, I let you discover for yourself.
Type of reader: Occult/mystery/Thriller readers and all the others that love a book that keeps your attention wondering what will follow next and also trying to figure out what stands behind everything. My favorite quotes from this book: “I think my sister is out there, alive, somewhere, but I don’t know where to look. When I walk to work, I look behind every bush, peer around every corner, and look into the face of every stranger I pass on the street, wondering if it’s Hailey.” “I wanted her gone. I wanted to be the special one. The one always in demand. I wanted to look down at others the way Hailey looked down at me. Please don’t judge me. It was a moment of desperation.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon  There is no need to use our logic when reading a paranormal story. And this definitely applies to this book. Once I managed to give up on using my down-to-earth logic I found myself enjoying discovering what was going on. How would you feel to discover all of the sudden that you are a succubus (a creature of female form who has sexual intercourse with us in our dreams and fantasies) and you dream about being hunted by a vampire and at the same time searching and feeling safe in your dreams only because of the man that made you fall for him from the first time you laid eyes on him? The story of Emily and Matthew is by far a different kind of love story on a different level, not known to us ordinary humans. I enjoyed seeing a new modern approach to the vampire world, some of them with more respect towards human lives and consuming special medication created for them. This medications are keeping them from hunting humans for their blood. It was thrilling to read about different ways how some of the characters in the book became vampires, werewolves or succubi. I did, however, lack something in feeling the big love between Emily and Mathew. The words were spoken, the gestures were there, but I couldn't just feel this strong connection between them. I did enjoy though every other aspect of the story and I must admit that the author surely has a rich imagination and good writing skills in displaying a great show in front of reader’s eyes.
Reader type: Any fan of paranormal, occult, vampires and other supernatural powers that love to read a well-written story that will not disappoint you but will make you wanna read more. My favorite quotes from this book: “I saw something that I could never forget. He was both old and young at the same time, with two faces inhabiting the same body.” “The unwelcome beeping of my alarm broke through the dream, and I sat up, catching my breath. He was real. I had felt him, as if he was there right in front of me, once more. I had seen him change with my own eyes, and I knew I had to find him again.” ““Who are you?” I asked him. He told me his name was Mathew. This is how we first came to know each other. I didn’t fully understand what had happened that day in the street, but it had brought me to him. I wanted to stay like that forever, in the dream with him.” My rating: 4/5. Find it on Goodreads Follow the author on Amazon |
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