Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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Time Kissed Moments 1

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time kissed moments 1  Time Kissed Moments 1 (Kiss Across Time #2.5)
by Tracy Cooper-Posey

 

All the stories are very well done and give background on the characters before, during, and after they met. There are multiple Star Trek references which take it up even higher in my eyes since I am a total Trekkie. The language is perfect for each character and helps to establish their personalities more solidly as they tell their stories to each other. There are seven stories in all telling a piece of the time for each of the immortal men who have become a part of Taylor’s life.

‘Time and a Punk or Two’ is about an 86 year old man about to catch a plane when he spots a man who looks like someone he knew in the war many years before. When two young punks come and take up the seats next to him they knock him to the ground and do not care. He decides that he will not take it and wants to confront them. The blond man who looks so much like his old friend comes to his aid and helps him to maintain his dignity. This was the perfect way to kick off the start.

‘Time and the Woman’ finds Alexander years after his encounter with Brody, Taylor and Veris having discovered their secret and made it his own. He meets Brody again after many years and though he has some idea of the future ahead of Brody, he still has many years before it happens. The woman Alex finds himself with is not someone he wishes to spend an eternity with. This was actually the perfect story to end on.

This is a ménage romance that has MMF, MM, and multiple sex scenes. If you are easily offended avoid this. But I love it all and this was a very nice reminder of why I fell in love with these characters to start with. I would recommend to anyone who likes vampires or romance.

 

My rating: 4.6 of 5 stars

 

 

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Betrayed: Book Two

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betrayed Betrayed: Book Two – The Road to Redemption (Law of the Lycans #6)
by Nicky Charles

 

The characters are interesting and defined for the most part with only a few being vague outlines without a real personality. For anyone who has read the previous books in the series you will be caught up right away with what is going on here since it has only been a short time since the action in the last. The story is somewhat predictable, which is to be expected, but it still plays out perfectly and with a few surprises.

After everything that happened in Chicago Kane Sinclair has decided that he would like to take over the Chicago pack because it does not seem to be being run well. Samantha Harper, who has been illegally acting as the Alpha of the pack definitely does not agree with Kane. She thinks he is arrogant and if he had not used the Finding to take the Greyson heir for his pack then she would not have as many problems.

Kane sends his friend Damien, who had previously been a rogue being hunted by Lycan Link for various crimes, to get any information on the pack that might help with his takeover. Sam for her part is expecting a spy and tries to hire a rogue to play the part of Beta in order to fool Lycan Link into thinking her pack is growing. But things get crossed and they end up working together but still at odds, though only one of them knows that.

The romance is nice and develops at a nice pace that does not seem super rushed. The way things go from one locale to the other is smooth and allows for keeping up with the other characters from previous books. This is the perfect blend of romance and angst.

 

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

 

She looked at the man sitting across from her. Jonah was in his mid-thirties, both he and his mate, Laurie, were lifelong members of the pack. What would happen to them and the others if there was no money to support them in their old age? And even now, it cut her to the core to have to deny them. They’d yet to produce any pups; another couple falling victim to the genetic flaw most seemed to carry. While they’d talked of adopting, parentless Lycan pups were rare and there wasn’t money to pay for more fertility testing.

 

 

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A Dark and Sure Descent

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a dark and sure descentA Dark and Sure Descent: Being a True Account of the Long Island Outbreak
by Saul W. Tanpepper

 

While this did not grab me right out the box the story did still finally grab me. The main problem was that the characters were not very likeable or well thought out really. Cassie is cold and unfeeling to both her husband and child, Ramon is wrapped up in his work and does not give enough to his wife and child, the kid was just there for sympathy it seemed to me. Though the main characters were not all that great, the story itself was what won me over. There was enough happening that I did not really care that much about them, even if I did pay attention to what they did.

In the summer of 2030 the government started the roll out of the Stream, a new digital network, which is pegged to replace the internet on Long Island. They are also using the Omegamen to help set up the hardware for this endeavor. With all this happening outside Lyssa and Ramon Stemple have started new research at their lab that somehow manages to land them in the middle of a murder investigation that morphs into the deaths being linked to a new virus sweeping Long Island. Their tiny lab is said to be ground zero for the infection and even though they know its not true, the government is selling it to the masses.

The biomedical disaster that changes the world does not begin with a bang but with a bite.

I do have to qualify some of my animosity to the characters by saying that of the reason I feel so strongly about them is the fact that are written very well. But it is always better if you like the characters so that you can be more vested in whether or not they survive. The fact that I did not like them just means that other things had to keep me interested in the story because they did not. I also found the book to be overly long, it could have been wrapped up in half the time if some of the extraneous stuff had been cut out. I also found the ending to be a bit abrupt, even though it was being used to tell the story of how things started after the fact.

We get an interesting story of government conspiracy, corporate intrigue, biomedical thriller, and family drama. I would recommend this even if you have not read from the beginning. This gives you an idea of where the story will take you.

 

My rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

 

A hand reached up out of the darkness, followed by a masked head and shoulders. The coveralls pulled tight against the man’s shoulder, as if snagged on something inside the hole, so that a larger slice of skin was now exposed. Clearly visible on his neck was a wide gash. Lyssa gasped. But the snagged shirt came free and covered it up again and suddenly she wasn’t sure she’d seen what she thought she had. It could’ve been dirt or oil. In fact, it was most likely to be that. The liquid dripping down his shoulder was thick and black. It hadn’t looked anything like blood at all. “They’re not dead, honey. Don’t think that.”

 

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The Maxists

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the maxistsThe Maxists (What Zombies Fear #2)
by Kirk Allmond

 

This is a totally different kind of zombie book with some zombie types I am starting to see more often. While I liked it I was not really all that impressed with it. The characters are at one minute crisp and vibrant but then can fall into mediocrity within the next chapter, sometimes within the same chapter. The action is rather lackluster as far as the battles between the humans and zombies are concerned. The dialogue is good and the descriptions are good enough to make you visualize a lot of what is happening.

A man representing the military shows up at the Tookes family farm and offers help but with a price. Victor only wants to take care of his family and those survivors who have found their way to his property, about 300 people. Nobody knows the extent of Max’s powers, not even his mother or brother, and Victor wants to keep it that way. The zombies however know all about Max and have set out to get him away from his father, by any means necessary.

I am not sure whether I will even read the rest of the series since I was less than thrilled by this entry. It was way to predictable for my taste, even for a zombie tome. But I would not discourage anyone else from trying it out if you have read the first book.

 

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

 

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Mile 81

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mile 81Mile 81
by Stephen King

 

As short stories go this was a good one. The action takes a short time to start and though you don’t get e chance to get to know the characters well you still like them. This is more like the King I have always loved then some of his more recent endeavors.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

 

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Death Ain’t But A Word

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death ain't but a wordDeath Ain’t But A Word: A Supernatural Hot Mess
by Zander Marks

 

I had heard a lot of good things about this book before I got it and I will say that they were all justified. Now, it starts off a little slowly as it establishes who and what the characters are in relation to each other. And though we meet quite a few different characters they are not all fully fleshed out with a background and such though they still have a vital purpose in the story. The ebb and flow of the story was good and made understanding what was going on and why very easy to follow. Though some might not be able to always follow the conversations, the use of slang is limited and mostly explained when it is used. The idea behind this was just so delicious to me and I guess I could not help but like it, it spoke to me very loudly.

Wilkin Jones is a crackhead but he is so much more than just that and he wishes that he were not. It has been twenty-three years since his best friend disappeared and was presumed dead, but he has kept in touch off and on with him over the years. When the killer comes back and wants to clean up after himself, Wilkin finds that he is in the middle of something that could cause him to step over into the veil for good. He has fought who he really is for years but now he may not be able to do that any longer if he wants to survive.

The thought of a crackhead being the main focus was intriguing to me and it proved to be very entertaining. I found myself smiling a lot while reading this as well as getting a bit weepy at times. Wilkin is a likable guy who I can see myself knowing in real life. Some of these characters remind me of people from my old neighborhood and they were mostly good folks who just fell. I would recommend this to everyone! A different kind of ghost story that brings things into the light.

 

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“Don’t you DARE try that goo-goo-eyed force-be-with-you Obi-Wan Kenobi bullshit with me. I know what time it is. Ain’t about me. I’m a crackhead gonna die behind a Dumpster, nobody miss me when I do. Fuck that. This about him. He don’t deserve this. After all he been through, he do not deserve this. So cut the crap right now. Right now! And don’t piss on my leg and tell me it be raining, ’cause you coulda stopped it. You let it happen. You knew all along, and you were wrong for that. So fuck you and don’t hand me no light saber and play some bitch-ass Yoda. I AIN’T HAVING IT!”

 

 

 

 

Graph

 

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What Creeps In The Night

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what creeps in the nightWhat Creeps In The Night: A Halloween Anthology
by W.J. May , Chrissy Peebles, Kristen Middleton

This anthology contains three novels which are the first in their respective series. The novels fit well together and form a nice cohesive whole. This was a nice way to be introduced to authors I had not read before and series I might have missed otherwise. The rating is based on an average of the stars I gave each book individually.
‘Seventh Mark’ by W.J. May, 4 stars
I got sucked right into this story from the very beginning and could not stop until I had reached the end. The characters were great and made me believe in their existence as individuals. The story was logical and made perfect sense. The language used by the characters and the descriptive language are what you would expect from the parties.
Rouge Riding is a foster kid who is about to turn 18 years old and be thrust into a world where she must depend on herself. She has never really cared about her past, but there may things which could make her better able to cope. First she meets Michael in passing while she is walking through the cemetery before school starts. On her first day in school she meets Grace, who turns out to be Michael’s sister. These siblings have a secret that could be deadly to an outsider, but is Rouge really an outsider or does she have a role to play in their lives?
‘The Zombie Chronicles’ by Chrissy Peebles, 3.5 stars
This pulled me in for the beginning but started to drag a bit toward the middle. The characters were well written and well fleshed making them real enough to feel for them and what they were going through for the most part. The story was interesting and flowed well.
The zombie apocalypse came out of nowhere and caught everyone by surprise in a big way. Dean and his family were lucky enough to escape to an island where his grandmother already had a home, which was isolated and easily defended. But even with that there have been secrets kept that he finds out about. He has a sister, Val, and after she makes the trip across country to find them she is infected and on the island that is an automatic death sentence. Dean plans on saving her both from execution and from becoming one of the living dead. There is a possible cure and he steals it and gets his sister out of the city with the unwitting help of his brother.
‘Enchanted Secrets’ by Kristen Middleton, 4.5 stars
This was my favorite of the three stories because it seemed to have everything to make me take notice. The writing was excellent and drew me in right away with action from the moment it started. The characters elicit an emotional response because of where they find themselves. The situations though fantastic in many ways are things that could happen to anyone.
Twin sister witches who are just coming into their power are witness to something horrible on the night they were to be inducted into the coven. After that night Vivian and Adrianne take very different paths in their lives. They were very different as girls and as women the chasm has grown even wider. One sister has had twin daughters of her own but has left them ignorant to their heritage and the power that they will need to learn how to control. But before anything else they must face a threat that wants to take away not only there power but their very lives.
The one thing that bugged me about each of these books was that they ended on a cliffhanger which means if I want to know what happens next I have to buy the next installment. I really hate cliffhangers but have to admit they work. I plan to read the rest of each series because otherwise I will feel kind of cheated. I would recommend this anthology or the novels separately. These are all YA with some light violence and harsh language.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars on average

“They’re certainly cute,” I said. Then something clicked and the blood rushed to my ears. “Yes?” he asked, prodding me. I looked at him in shock. “It’s my mother!” Tyler smiled. “Bingo.” I shook my head. “But she’s not a twin. My mom told me that she was an only child.” He shrugged. “I would too if my twin sister was a ruthless and evil witch.” “Excuse me?” “Your aunt Vivian and your mother are very powerful witches.”

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Don of the Living Dead

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don of the living deadDon of the Living Dead
by Robert DeCoteau

 

This was supposed to be an extension or so I thought of the Primrose Apt novellas that came before. They made one reference to the fact that he lived at those apartments and moved on quickly, I had thought they were going to play a part in this novel, not. I would have given this 5 stars but it didn’t hit all the marks for me when it comes to my zombies, but it came pretty darn close. I would have liked to have gotten more with some of the characters since they were there and gone so quickly they did not have a chance to fully register before they were zombie chow. I liked the idea behind how these zombies came into existence but it would have been nice to give a little more information since it was mentioned. Our main character was written with great detail and definitely elicited a number of reactions both good and bad.

Don is a guy who does his job well but is not going to go out of his way for it or anything or anyone else, or so he tells himself. On this day, which starts out like any other, Don has had to track down the sandwich girl and now he is going for his after lunch dump on company time when things get strange. While not the best way to get caught when the dead start to walk at least he has a door between him and them. It takes some time for Don to figure it out but he realizes he is trapped in the bathroom with zombies and has to get out in order to try and get his son and ex-wife away from the madness. What happens next is complete craziness with some heroics by a guy you would not expect it from.

I was totally ready to hate Don because he seemed like a sexist, racist, annoying, full of himself jerk. He hooks up with people who are also survivors and at first seems not to like them and in a blink he is professing to think of them as friends. Long story short Don turns out to be a good guy and even though a lot of the people he started out with do not survive he manages to keep it together even though he may not make it. Nice ride with a few laughs and some serious gross out moments. Good zombie fun!

 

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

 

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Betrayed: Days of the Rogue

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betrayed days of the rogueBetrayed: Days of the Rogue (Law of the Lycans #4)
by Nicky Charles

 

I started reading this story and was pulled in because it had an interesting premise. I like when you have a paranormal species who is doing something just a bit different then you may be used to them doing. I happen to love shifters of any type and these are some great Lycans, written in such a way that you can’t help but be interested in what they are involved in. The dialogue is good for the characters and fits the personalities of each as they have been described. There was no drag or slow moments to bog down the story so it just kept up the momentum and carried you along. This made you think and that is something that every good book should do, there should be a reason for you to become engaged with the characters, and that was the case here. I wanted to know what the mystery was and who was involved because I had pegged it wrong a couple of times.

Fae are being murdered and it appears that these murders are being committed by rogue wolves, though no one can figure out why. The rogues in question always end up dead or horribly injured and unable to speak about what happened. There are multiple factions who would like to see not only the Fae be wiped out but any and all non-shifters. Lycan Link was established to not only protect Lycans but also to aid the Fae, Human-Lycan hybrids, and any other combinations that exist from harm. They are not doing such a great job lately and seem to have traitors in their midst.

Eve is an artist who had been told as a child that she was part Fae, though she did not really believe it. As she got older she completely dismissed the idea until she started being assaulted by the emotions of all the people around her. Because of her awakening gifts she decides to go into the country where she can try to get control of her ability without the distraction of others. But her landlord is a good looking man who seems to dislike her, but she cannot read him and in a way it draws her to him. Rafe is a Lycan/Fae mix and a psychologist who has come to this small town and bought the fishing cabins to restore in order to get over a recent trauma. He did not plan on finding a woman or starting a relationship, but it seems he has no choice in it. Then there is Damien, an ex-enforcer for Lycan Link who has gone rogue. Why has he shown up in the area and what is his agenda? Is he there to kill Eve or is it merely a coincidence?

Good story, great characters, enough steam to satisfy! If you have a thing for conspiracies, betrayal, revenge, and serious manipulation then this may be for you.

 

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Masterson was at the top of the most wanted list. A onetime Enforcer, a member of the ACS, an elite squad trained to deal with Purists and rescue persecuted halves, Damien was probably more highly skilled than almost any Lycan Link employee. Some of the cases he’d worked on with his partner, Reno Smith, were now textbook material. Unfortunately, when his mate and unborn child had been killed, the man had gone rogue, somehow escaping the infirmary and had now been living on the lam for the past eighteen months.

 

 

 

 

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Zombie Tales

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zombie tales 205Zombie Tales: Primrose Court Apt. 205
by Robert DeCoteau

This is one of three short stories set in the Primrose Court apartment complex. The story centers on a man with agoraphobia who has not left his apartment for ten year. We get his full background and the story of why he ended up there, and how he feels about his neighbors. What you do not have is any amount of zombies here really. Only on the last few pages do you get even a glimpse of zombie action.

If you want a tale of zombies running around eating people, do not read this. On the other hand if you like a narrative with limited carnage you may enjoy it.

All the books have a few chapters from the book “Don of the Living Dead” which is set in the same locale. They can be seen as a lead in to the major story. These books can be read in any order but I would say start here because it introduces you to the next characters you will meet.

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

 

zombie tales 305Zombie Tales: Primrose Court Apt. 305
by Robert DeCoteau

 

Ok, this time I knew what was coming. The story here centers around a couple, their marital problems and how they play out. You have the same lack of zombies until the end of the story but a nice bit of karmic justice. There is not a lot to say about this since it has no major scenes of carnage or zombie rampage.

The story is good for what it is.

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 

 

zombie tales 502Zombie Tales: Primrose Court Apt. 502
by Robert DeCoteau

I liked this story more than the others because Tommy seemed so sympathetic. This placed you more directly into the world of the novel and gave a view of the start of the zombie onslaught from above. I say enjoy the short and go for the main event. I think it may be interesting to read the full length book.

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars