Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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A Demon and His Psycho

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Welcome to Hell indeed! This is a place that you might not mind visiting because the denizens may be damned but they seem to be having a great time, at least those in the inner circle. Lucifer is an egotist who enjoys making mischief for his minions. This is a fun series that keeps giving you some interesting takes on demons, witches, and other residents of Hell.

When his granddaughter’s pet dragon goes missing Lucifer decides to pair up Katie and Xaphan to bring it back and punish the thief.

Katie comes flying into Xaphan’s life upsetting centuries of self-inflicted misery. How can he stay true to the one he lost when a bubbly, mismatch-eyed psycho keeps consuming his thoughts. She is nuts but Katie’s insanity comes in handy for the devil as his favorite problem solver. Xaphan is one of Lucifer’s favorite soldiers and he does not want to see any harm come to him, even though he set him up with a psycho killer. Xaphan has held onto his vow to never be with another woman for 300 years, but for some reason can see himself breaking it.

The story runs fairly quickly and the characters are definitely interesting. Fun ride!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“When she whirled to protest, he picked her up and took the stairs two at a time. The giggle as she clutched at him rang like music to his ears. “You’ll wear yourself out. It’s still two more flights.” “It’s you that needs to worry about stamina,” he growled. “It’s been more than three hundred years since I’ve had a woman.” “Thanks for the warning,” she whispered in his ear. “That means I better take care of you first so you’ve got time to recover for the main event.”

― Eve Langlais, A Demon and His Psycho

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The Alchemical Detective

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The Alchemical Detective by Kirsten Weiss

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


The second book gives you a little more of the characters and brings them more personality and presence. You get more of a feeling for who they are and how they are going to grow in the future. Because we move to a new location you do not really get anything from that. The location descriptions are pretty generic and you never really get a feeling for the area. The story is interesting but they keep referring to a past event that has never been explained in a way that would make it very relevant to any situation.

Riga has lost her magic and has gone to Lake Tahoe to hopefully get it back and spend some quality time with her new love, Donovan Mosse. Donovan owns a Casino that is being run by his cousin Reuben who is not happy to have Donovan back on the premises.

When a psychic is murdered the police seek out Riga, they believe she may be a suspect though they know she has consulted for the police in the past. Things go from bad to worse as a film crew hires Riga who uses them as a stepping stone to investigate what seems to be murders related to her past. Can she avoid being a victim herself?

Decent enough to keep the story moving forward but would really like to have some details on this past.



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alchemy was first a method of transforming spiritual lead into gold, of dissolving the alchemist herself, removing impurities, and unifying her disparate spiritual and psychological pieces.  It was also really complicated, which was why Riga had never gone further than an academic knowledge of the subject.

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Suited

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Suited by Gina Watson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I do love the St. Martin clan, they are a family of good-looking but very flawed individuals who are all looking for the redemption of one kind or another. We finally get to one of the twins and it’s the brother who seemed to have the most issues with their father. This is Cash’s story, Cashel Gray St. Martin, who has been called a disgrace to the St. Martin name by the people of the town. Each new character adds something different and unique to the story.

Cash ran away from his family eight years ago because his father cut him off and demanded he becomes what he wanted him to be. Not the gambling, drug-addled, alcohol-dependent college student he seemed to be. When Cash ran however he left not only his family but the girl he claimed to love, Isabella Petrovich, who had been alone before him but who at least gained his family in his absence.

Cash went away and made a name for himself as a professional gambler, author, and TV star but is it enough to gain the love of a father who shunned him. Cash also has bridges to mend with the woman that he claimed to love and then abandoned without a word. How can he make it up to her after hurting her so deeply?

These are basically short stories that give you a look at a member of the family as they attempt to get past a block in their life. The stories are somewhat erotic but I think it still works for the stories. Enjoy these short intimate stories that give a look behind the lives of the characters.



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The Metaphysical Detective

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The Metaphysical Detective by Kirsten Weiss

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I somehow managed to read the fourth book in this series and liked it so much that I decided to go back to the beginning and see how it got to where it was. I definitely liked the characters a lot or else I would not have bothered. Well, I am not liking the characters so much right now and am actually a little bored with the way things are going in this book. I am willing to give it a go because I know that things do get better as the series continues. Right now the characters are dull and their surroundings are dull and one-dimensional.

Riga’s new client, Helen Baro, says that her husband is trying to kill her. The thing about that is, her husband has been dead for the past year. Hence the need for a metaphysical detective rather than a conventional one. When Helen is found dead there is a haiku and tarot left behind as a clue as to what happened. Riga finds herself in an investigation that threatens not only her but those she loves as well.

Riga kind of annoyed me because she is so bland and the plot does not seem to be going anywhere. Riga is a strange detective/witch who is lost when it actually comes to the supernatural it seems, though maybe her back story will give more. There is a lot more than the original plot would lead you to believe but it is not all that exciting either. But as I said the books get better as time and characters evolve. So I would say to give it a look and decide for yourself. Lukewarm recommendation.



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“But why metaphysical?  Why not supernatural or psychic?” “Because metaphysics deals with first causes, not necessarily the supernatural.  I work in both worlds and I’m not a psychic.” “In other words, it works on a business card,” Lauren said shrewdly. “Guilty.”

Riga Hayworth
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A Manhattan Ghost Story

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A Manhattan Ghost Story by T.M. Wright

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I remember the first time I read this many years ago and it had a totally different impact on me then. It actually kind of scared me and had more of a feeling of menace and darkness. This time around I was actually kind of bored by it. I was in my late teens or early twenties when I read it originally and maybe I was more easily taken with books, though I liked a lot of horrors then and still do now. The story is kind of dry with hints of emotion here and there to keep you reading. The narrator, Dick Hill, does an alright job but I never really felt like the story took off.

Abner W. Kray has gone to Manhattan to do a big coffee table book of the city. He is staying at the home of Art DeGraf, a friend of his from Maine who moved to the city years before. Art married into his family but was divorced from her and still wants to be friends with Abner. When Abner arrives he meets Phyllis Pellaprat who claims to be Art’s girlfriend but then starts to come on to him. As things progress he finds himself in a world parallel to ours where the things that go bump in the night reside.

Decent but not for everyone.



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Working for Bigfoot

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Working for Bigfoot by Jim Butcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This was not what I had expected but was definitely a great way to highlight his time between major cases. The characters as usual are pretty interesting though some could have used a little more stage time to make them a real part of the story. I like that you get to watch the kid grow up and see his personality change as he laments the fact that he never gets to see his father even though he seems to care since he sends Harry. Reading and Listening was a great choice because I once again got to hear the fantastic voice of James Marsters as he brought everyone to life. There are three (3) novellas that define how much Harry can help anyone.

Harry is summoned to the woods to meet a new client and he is a bit wary since he has made a few enemies. He is surprised to find that the new client is a Bigfoot who goes by the name of Strength of a River in His Shoulders, River Shoulders for short. River Shoulders wants Harry’s help for his son, Irwin, who lives with his human Mom in Chicago and seems to be being bullied. Because the boy is innately magical it could be more than Harry expected.

‘ B is for Bigfoot’, takes place between Fool Moon and Grave Peril
Irwin is an 8-year-old boy who is big for his age with a mild-mannered personality that has gotten him attention from a pair of bullies. It turns out that the bullies are also Scions and are using Irwin to sharpen their skills. Harry helps Irwin learn to defuse such situations without doing something which would go against his morals.

‘ I was a teenage Bigfoot’, takes place circa Dead Beat
Harry uses a Bigfoot hunt to get into the woods in order to meet with River Shoulders. River Shoulders tells Harry that Irwin is ill but the children of Forest People never get ill, ever. Something has to be wrong and Harry needs to find out what it is and fix it.

‘ Bigfoot on Campus’, takes place between Turn Coat and Changes
River Shoulders has a dream that Irwin is in danger and once again calls on Harry to get his son out of trouble. Harry is happy to help him out but tells him that the price for his taking the job is that River Shoulders finally meet his son.
Irwin has met a girl and fallen in love, the good news is she loves him back, the bad news is that she is a White Court Vampire. The danger does not come from the girl however but from the outside and Harry and River Shoulders will need to work together to save the kids.

Perfect for the Dresden fan or anyone who likes urban fantasy. This can be read without having read any of the previous books since it does not reference any of them. But it does let you get to know our main guy. Enjoy





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Light kindled in the spreading cloud of fine dust, a flickering glow that spread with the cloud, sparkling through the full spectrum of visible colors in steady, pulsing waves. It was beautiful magic, which was rare for me. I mean, explosions and lightning bolts and so on were pretty standard fare. This kind of gentle, interrogative spell? It was a treat to have a reason to use it.

Working for Bigfoot, Harry Dresden
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Shadows of Bourbon Street

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I continue to enjoy these books because I like the characters and the setting. They are not deep and sometimes you can figure out what’s going on very quickly but they are nonetheless entertaining and that is all I want. I have found that listening and reading are both great fun with this series. The narrator, Traci Odem, is fantastic as she gives depth to the characters through her vocalizations of them. You cannot be bored when you know the backdrop is New Orleans, though I would be happy with more about mardi gras if it going to be used as a device. This was a quick read that held my interest and kept me wanting to continue to the next book.

Jade and Kane are about to say ‘I do’ when the High Angel interrupts the nuptials to give them their first assignment as Shadow Walkers. A witch is in trouble and only Jade and Kane can save her. But of course, there is more going on than meets the eye and this couple falls into it.

With three plots running it could become hard to figure out what is going on but that is not the case. Each crisis has a start, a middle, and an ending that is satisfying. One gripe is that every book has someone in Jade’s circle gaining some type of power or gift. That can get a bit monotonous. But the books are fun and fast reads so it is worth it.

My rating: ✭✭✭✭ of 5

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Hers to Choose

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Hers to Choose by Patricia A. Knight

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I remember reading the first book in this series and feeling great satisfaction when I finished it. I have that same good and satisfied feeling now after finishing this one. I really like these characters and I cannot really say why other than they feel very real to me. Granted the situations are a bit stretched but that is the way of anything even remotely mired in science fiction, and though these may be love stories they are still science fiction. I am completely taken with the world they inhabit, especially since the planet they live on is sentient and is involved in the lives of those who live on her. This is a good escapist fare that lets you sink into the story and just enjoy it as it takes you to places you might not have ever dreamed about.

Lady Sophillia Glorianna DeLorion spent years as a slave aboard a Haarb ship. The experience left her feeling unfit for a normal relationship. When she returned and had a hard time adjusting her brother sent her to live with the desert people hoping the isolation would help to bring back the sister he remembered.

Eric DeStroia is the Commander of the Queen’s Royal Guard and is being sent to bring Sophi home. He has also been chosen to become her husband by her brother Doral, who is a part of the Tetriarch which rules their planet. Eric has seen how arranged marriages can kill the soul and was not looking to be paired, but the thought of taking care of some broken dove appeals to him. But what he gets is a Falcon who has found her voice and power.

The story is told from various points of view to better move things along. The only real problem I had is that Eric’s eyes are established as one color then abruptly said to be another then back again. But as a whole, I would recommend this to everyone.

Isolated, far from the interstellar trade lanes, hundreds of light years from any civilized planet, Verdantia marooned the Earth colonists on her surface—then she spoke to them.



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Hers to Cherish

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Hers to Cherish by Patricia A. Knight

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I enjoy this series for the fact that it is science fiction and erotic and a little kick-ass. I love the characters for not being boring but having some larger-than-life personalities with just the right amount of neurosis to make them very human and likable. The worlds that they inhabit are just as varied as the people that live on them. This is the story of Steffania Rickard and Ramsey DeKieran’s, the Captain of the Blue Daggers and a disgraced Lord who was found guilty of murder.

Captain Rickard is sent to bring Ramsey to meet with Ari and Doral to discuss a mission they wish him to undertake that could mean a full pardon for him if he returns. Ramsey has been a part of her fantasies since they fought side by side in the Haarb wars, but she would never give into them. Ramsey finds the Captain attractive but knows a woman like her could never give in to the types of hunger he has. Both are very wrong.

The pair are sent to bring back a Verdantian who is very important to the survival of the planet, Lady Alessa DeAlbero has been sold to Veacon Narr, a man who takes pleasure in bringing women to their knees. Everyone else who has attempted a rescue has not returned and he is considered to be expendable even if Steffania isn’t. But together they find a way to do the impossible.

Though the story revolves around their rescue effort it is really about two people who have had the worst happen to them but are finding someone to complete them. Highly recommend.





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“Dominance and submission is an intimate binding. Those who submit must trust that those who dominate will never take more than they can give.”

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Skin Game

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Skin Game by Jim Butcher

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is Dresden and I have loved him since the first time I opened a book and found this wizard who is flawed but tries to do the right thing no matter the consequences. I expect a great story with characters that are believable and more than meets the eye, and that is just what I got. The story is pure Dresden and true to who the characters have come to be as this tale has continued. The few new characters who were introduced fit very well with those we know so well. Everyone is evolving and becoming more than they originally were whether for better or worse, and everyone is surprising in how they react to Dresden.

When Harry became the Winter Knight he thought he would be able to deal with it and maybe find his way out as he has so many times in the past. What he didn’t expect were all the complications that kept him working for Mab even though he wishes he had made better choices. Because of the parasite growing in his head, he has been living Mab has kept him isolated and is wearing down his humanity.

Nicodemus Archleone, a Knight of the Blackened Denarius, is back and Mab has a debt to pay off to him. That is where Dresden comes in, Mab is loaning Harry to a man he hates and has defeated in the past, to help. Lucky for Harry he is given some say in how things will work and enlists the help of Karrin Murphy, ex-cop and good friend, to go on this particular adventure with him. The goal, to stay alive and thwart Nicodemus at all costs.

It may be just me but I have not found a Dresden novel that did not make me very happy to have read. As that is the case I will recommend this to any fans of Harry Dresden who have not already read it. If you want to start a really good series, then start with Storm Front and work your way up, they do need to be read in order as reference is made to early incidents.

** I listened to it for my second time around because I have fallen under the spell of James Marsters who I could listen to all day and be very happy. He is Harry and don’t let anyone tell you any different. I hope he will narrate all the books as they come out because I would not do audio without him. Enjoy this book both ways!

There’s power in the touch of another person’s hand. We acknowledge it in little ways, all the time. There’s a reason human beings shake hands, hold hands, slap hands, bump hands.





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