Book Review: A Twisted Ladder

             Today's review is on A Twisted Ladder by Rhodi Hawk

Ah, New Orleans. The food, the music, and the beautiful plantations. The ghosts, the demons, and of course, the voodoo. It's all there, and it's all here in A Twisted Ladder, along with love, murder, and adultery. Captivating from the first chapter, I stayed up until 3am reading!

What better way to start this fantastic debut than with a brother plotting the murder of his very own sister? That's exactly what Marc has in mind when he calls Madeleine. He has to protect her from what is happening to him before she too is affected. After all, it affects everyone in the family, and there's no escape.

Madeleine LeBlanc is a Psychologist who has pretty much devoted her life to the study of cognitive schizophrenia, the disease that afflicts her father and quite possibly her brother Marc, which resulted in his suicide.

Marc's home is filled with dirt, grime, and papers. Papers that lead Madeleine on a journey through her family's past, and the terrible secrets that lay there. And at the center of the secrets is her astranged great-grandmother Chloe.

Now over 100 years-old, Chloe possesses some sort of magical ability. An ability that she has passed down through her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. But while Chloe wants to strengthen this ability, Madeline wants only to understand it and more importantly control it, realizing that schizophrenia wasn't what plagued her family. It's always been the river-demons.

Madeline never really thought about happily-ever-after when she thought about her own life. With Daddy Blank gone most of the time, she and Marc had pretty much raised themselves. But when she falls in love with neurologist Ethan Manderleigh that all changes. But will he stay with her through all of the craziness that her life has become?

A childhood friend has his eyes set on Madeline, and though she doesn't know it yet, he has become a serial killer. She finds out that her brother had a child and kept it a secret from everyone, especially Chloe.

Flashbacks to the past keep the story interesting, though does leave some questions unanswered. Hopefully they'll be answered in the second book, The Tangled Bridge. I can't wait to see what happens next.

4 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon



Book Description: via Amazon

Psychologist Madeleine LeBlanc has spent her whole career trying to determine the cause of her father's schizophrenia. She always felt that she could unravel its origins and cure the man who left her and her brother, Marc, to practically raise themselves on the Louisiana Bayou. But when Marc takes his own life on a fishing boat in the middle of Bayou Black, Madeleine embarks on a journey into her family history---to a time when the antebellum era was crumbling, and the line between servant and master was starting to fade. And the more she pries the more she reveals her family’s dark past, rife with conjured demons and river magic gone awry. Madeleine’s only hope to save herself is to face the ghosts of the past, the dangers of the present, and the twisted ladder that links them all together.

Book Review: Shifty Business

                Today's review is on Shifty Business by Olivia Hardin

I'm always a little sad when a series that I have been reading ends. I get so caught up with the characters that I feel as though I'm loosing a close friend. And I have most certainly fallen in love with these mythical characters. First Devan and Kent, Jill and Doc, and of course Gerry and Nicky. Each of them adding substance to the Bend-Bite-Shift's main plot. To save the children and stop the Org.

While book one focused on Devan, Kent, and a bit on Jill, the second book focused on Jill and Doc, and this book focused on Gerry and Nicky.

Not only are they keeping secrets from their friends; the fact that they are married, but they're keeping secrets from each other. Well, at least Gerry is keeping secrets. And when she is left in a coma like state, her secret is revealed and the once happy couple begin to pull apart. Nicky begins to wonder if his feelings are real or if she was controlling them, and if she even loves him at all.

But don't fret, surprises are in store for Gerry and Nicky. Surprises you won't want to miss.

Though I liked book one and book three, I think book two is still my favorite. But that's just me :)

My recommendation......Edit, Edit, Edit, and then have someone Proofread your work. Your books are your babies so to speak, so go the extra mile and make sure they are perfect.

3 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon

Book Description: via Amazon

Gerry Hinton thought she had the perfect career as an operative for the Company. Her next assignment should have been another "mission accomplished", but hell was delivering hand baskets that day. When a little girl gives a mysterious silver box to Gerry, her world self-destructs. Suddenly under constant mental attacks, the only person who can save her is her partner, Nicky--but nothing comes without a cost. Secrets buried deep in the past begin to rise, threatening everything she holds dear. If she can't out run her past, can she save her future?

Book Review: The Tangled Bridge

          Today's review is on The Tangled Bridge by Rhodi Hawk

Just as good as the first installment, The Tangle Bridge was difficult to put down and took me just one day to complete. And though there were a few editing misses, I continued to be as enthralled with the story as I was from the very first page of the first book.

Now that Zenon is in a coma you would think that the danger to Madeleine, Ethan, and the Lumens would decrease, but that is not the case. Zenon has been practicing and has become quite proficient at the Pigeon Games. In fact, he may even be good enough to thwart his great-grandmother Chloe.

Chole, on the other hand is still searching for Madeleine's nephew Cooper, and will do anything to get him. Even if that means hurting Madeleine.

The story continues to weave seamlessly between the past and the present, offering valuable insight to each of the LeBlanc family members while captivating the reader with the happenings of the briar and the river devils.

Amazing twists abound in this second installment. You never know what will happen when the briar is involved. Who will be the one saving you and who will be the one chasing after you?

I hope I won't have to wait very long for the third book!

4 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon


 Book Description: via Amazon

Psychologist Madeleine LeBlanc is desperate to escape the madness that has followed her family for a century.  She’s struggling to adjust to her new-found power and to stick to the pact that protects her sanity. 

But an innocent little boy is being hunted—by Madeleine’s half brother and her great-grandmother, Chloe, and by the demons they control.  The boy is a threat to their bloodline, to their very nature, but Madeleine cannot let his young life be callously destroyed.

Thrust into an age-old battle of dark versus light, Madeleine dives deep into the history of her family and into the vast paranormal underworld of New Orleans, a world seemingly controlled by her great-grandmother.

The only way to stop Chloe lies past the tangled bridge that could lead to great power…or total destruction.

Book Review: Vanilla on Top

                                                

~~Not for Readers Under 18~~

                                     Today's review is on Vanilla on Top by C.J. Ellison

Ellisson is no stranger to the erotic genre by any means, and Vanilla on Top is proof of that. This book is well planed, well paced, and very well written. The characters are likeable, believable, and oh so hot, without anything being taken away from the realism of their daily lives.

Centered around the lives of Heather Pierce; a soft-spoken and meek woman, who her friend classifies as a "doormat", and Tony Carmine; a top notch executive in business acquisitions. And though they work in the same building, they have never met. That is until the speed-dating event they both attend.

Heather decides to "put on a new skin" and try something different, and Tony is just the man to try it out on. At work everyone depends on Tony and his decisions, so it's a welcome change when Heather take the reins. Tony in not only surprised when Heather asserts herself and takes control, he is utterly captivated and totally turned on.

After a short and gratifying exchange; at least for Heather, Tony cannot get his mind off of the "black-haired vixen" and vows that she will be his. Likewise, Heather is falling hard and fast in love with him. But when their jobs collide, their relationship may not stand a chance.

Be sure to grab that ice cream, because once you finish reading Vanilla on Top you'll definitely need it in order to cool yourself down!

An instant hit for Ellisson!

4 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon

Book Description: via Amazon

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Vanilla on Top

By CJ Ellisson

Discover your inner bad girl, and set her free…

Heather Pierce is done being a wallflower, both personally and professionally. Desperate to live a different life for one night, she attends a speed dating event. Maybe here, anonymous unless she chooses otherwise, she can become someone new. When a man way out of her league sits across from her, Heather gathers her courage and takes charge of what she wants, secretly fearing he won’t desire the real person she’s desperate to hide.

Top acquisitions officer and international playboy Tony Carmine is about to close the biggest deal of his career. But then he meets Heather at a speed dating event…and discovers losing control may be exactly what he needs. Her blossoming sensuality occupies his every thought, consuming him with the need to possess the most intriguing lover he’s ever encountered—until he walks into the boardroom and sees Heather on the other side of the negotiating table.

Short promo description:

Determined to leave her wallflower tendencies at the door, Heather Pierce attends a speed dating event pretending to be someone new. Someone dominant. Little does she know, the larger than life man whose world she rocks is incognito himself, and he isn’t about to let the mysterious vixen slip through his grasp.

About the Author:

C.J. Ellisson writes erotica and urban fantasy. Her vampire series, The V V Inn, mixes a heavy dose of erotic elements with suspense, action, a little bit of mystery and some light humor. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband, two children, two dogs, and a fluffy black cat who makes her sneeze.

To learn more about C.J.'s books (where you can read half of the novels for free), please visit her website at www.cjellisson.com

http://www.facebook.com/c.j.ellissonfanpage

Book Review: Gabrielle's Cauldron

             Today's review is on Gabrielle's Cauldron by Ann Gimpel

After reading Gimpel's Psyche's series, it's interesting to see the erotic side of her writing. I know that her ability to write mystery and romance was solid, but I love when an author is able to branch out into other genre's.

Thought I really enjoyed Gabrielle's Cauldron, I did feel that it was a bit rushed. With that said though, that is how novella's are. They are short, intense, and quick. All of the things that GC is.

Gabrielle McCallaghan, a hybrid Witch who now has no job to go along with no sex life. But when the handsome Warg enters her life everything changes. Not only does she find love, she finds truth.

Good novella's are the ones that make you wish that there was more. They leave you wanting the author to continue on with the story to create a good 300+ page book, and Gimpel has done this. I want more! I want to know how the "battle" goes. I want to know if there is a baby in the future.

A good pick-me-up read.

3 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon

Book Description:  via Amazon

A deadly game of intrigue sweeps Gabrielle into a battle she has little hope of winning, even with her bond fairy helping. The last thing she expected was to fall in love . . . with the enemy!

Gabrielle McCallaghan just lost her job. Seeing the writing on the wall, she quit to spare her uncle the embarrassment of having to fire her. With her bond fairy on her shoulder, she strides through a crowded neighborhood contemplating her options. Out of nowhere, a gorgeous, full blood magic wielder appears and makes a beeline right for her. Gabby knows her hybrid witch magic is no match for his, so she tries to evade him. The fairy does her best to help, but the contest is laughable. Even in his human form, the wolf-man is still stronger than she ever dreamed of being. It doesn’t take long before Gabby is drawn into a deadly game of intrigue that started over a thousand years before. The stakes are high and the timing abysmal, but she finds herself falling in love in spite of herself. Can she and her full blood lover make a life for themselves? Or will the long-running battle between full bloods and hybrids pound the fragile bond between them to dust?

Book Review: Spirits in the Trees

    Today's review is on Spirits in the Trees by Morgan Hannah MacDonald

A good psychological thriller is one that you could see actually happening. One that stays with you for more than a few minutes and makes you wonder what you would do if it were to happen to you. Spirits in the Trees is one of those books. Now I'm not saying that I believe in ghosts, demons, or hauntings, but there are some sick people out there that do unspeakable things to others.

Spirits in the Trees mixes the supernatural with a murder mystery that keeps you glued to the edge of your seat. You know something bad is going to happen but you just can't force yourself to close the book and turn away.

Madeline "Maddy" Anderson has suffered the ultimate loss when her home went down in flames taking her husband and daughter with it. It had been a long and hard road to cope with it, but she finally has a purpose once again when her gram's needs her help.

Maddy's aunt and namesake is not well. Along with her alzheimer's, her health is failing. While looking into her stack of "important" papers, Maddy and grams discover the deed to her first husbands childhood home, and Maddy sets out to get it ready to be sold.

Almost immediately, strange things begin to happen in the Heller home. Things that Maddy cannot explain to herself or the handsome "handyman" she has helping her.

Evil lurks in the old Heller house, and Maddy seems to be its only target.

There were some editing misses, and that is a pet peeve of mine, but the story was so captivating that I just cannot see myself lowering my rating for it, and this hardly happens.

There is Love, mystery, a supernatural element, and even an erotic scene! What more could you ask for?

Spirits in the Trees is a great addition to anyone's bookshelf.

4 of 5 stars
Available at Amazon


 Book Description: via Amazon

SOME FAMILY SECRETS ARE BETTER LEFT BURIED. An abandoned house, a psychotic killer, and a victim reaching out from the grave. A woman must unearth deadly family secrets before she becomes a ghost herself. Madeline Anderson goes to Isabelle Island, Washington, to sell a family home abandoned over forty years before. Bizarre things occur the moment she steps on the property. Inside the dilapidated old house, items move about of their own accord. Strange noises come from empty rooms. She has a vivid, recurring dream of a woman running for her life. The wind rustling through the trees sounds like urgent, murmuring voices. When the cacophony dies down, one single word emerges: MADELINE,MADELINE,MADELINE. At first, Doug Lindstrom, the hot fireman helping Maddy restore the old home, doesn't believe anything is going on. He’s certain Maddy is jumping at shadows because she heard the local kids call the house haunted. That is, until he witnesses horrific violence himself that he can't explain away. After Maddy’s life is threatened not once, but twice, Doug vows there will not be a third time. EVIL DOES EXIST. While searching for answers, Maddy uncovers astonishing secrets about her aunt's past. Finding more questions then answers, she digs deeper until she stumbles across evidence of a cold case involving a serial killer nicknamed The Seaside Strangler. Together, Doug and Maddy must unmask a killer. The lives they save just might be their own.