Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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It’s Not The Great Pumpkin, Maxie Duncan

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It's Not The Great Pumpkin, Maxie Duncan

It’s Not The Great Pumpkin, Maxie Duncan

(Maxie Duncan #1.5)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a novella length book, so not very long, but very entertaining. It is fast paced with interesting characters and the storyline makes for a nice Halloween read.Maxie Duncan has not been a witch for long and is looking forward to her first Halloween as one. It’s her favorite holiday and she wonders why her new supernatural friends do not want to celebrate with her. There is a male witch, her friend and possible boyfriend, a pixie roommate and her boyfriend the trickster, they all reside in an apartment complex full of other supernaturals. Maxie wants to show them that the season has more meaning than they give it credit for. And as a nascent witch trouble of course ensues.

I enjoyed this so much that it has definitely interested me in the series, so I will be going back to number one and getting to know the whole story of Maxie and how she became a witch. This is just a cute and fun little romp and if you love Halloween and all the ghouls and ghosts that come out to play,  just give it a look.

Jack-o-lantern

Jack-o-lantern (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Three Parts Dead

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Three Parts Dead (Craft Sequence #1)

Three Parts Dead (Craft Sequence #1)

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this eventually, but it started out pretty slowly. Once we get past the first 4 chapters or so things start to flow nicely and we get to really know the characters. I was drawn to the book because of the premise but then it seemed to take so long to get there that I would have given up if not for the fact that I felt it was going to get better. The characters are different and the world they inhabit bares a passing resemblance to our own in many ways, but it’s the differences that make this worth reading.

” The Craft was difficult to master, half art, half science, and an extra half bull-headed determination.”

Tara Abernathy is a young Craftswoman who was not graduated from the Hidden Schools in a traditional manner, but was ejected though she has great ability. Though she has great ability she is untested in real world applications. Kos, the God of Alt Coulumb is dead and Ms. Keverian has chosen to take Tara on as her associate for the negotiations to resurrect him. This is a make or break situation for Tara, she can show that she knows what she is doing and gain a position in a prestigious firm or she can go back to her small town and fade away. The problem is that there is more to the death of this deity than has been revealed and now they have to dig deeper in order to find out what is really going on.

What you have here is a murder mystery within a world of technology, myth, religion, and law. There are Gods, Goddesses, vampires, and any manner of creature.

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Hounded

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Hounded (Shifter Town Enforcement #1)

Hounded (Shifter Town Enforcement #1)

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
This book got my attention because it started in such a strange place, with Lennox crawling through grass in search of her arrest. There was no major lead in but you are brought into the story just as it begins to progress. I was ready to keep reading as soon as I realized this might be a little different from other novels I had read in the same genre and that this might be some interesting characters to get acquainted with. While some of the motivations of the characters seem off the story itself moves forward smoothly and logically allowing you to get insight into who these people are. I could feel for each of them as I found out a little of their backgrounds.

Lennox Donnely is a Hound (shifter police) who has been sent out to arrest Kanon Reyes for assaulting a Hound in her pack. Kanon is a lion shifter and is considered to be dangerous, this is because he had been a rogue in the past. When Lennox gains access to his home she is confronted by his partner Tegan Sharpe who asks that she allow them to prove Kanon’s innocence since he would be killed for a fight. Lennox agrees and from that moment her life changes in ways she could never have imagined. She undertakes to protect Kanon after finding that he is being framed for more than a simple assault and the person is continuing to kill in order to bring him down.

This is a bit of crime drama with a love story interwoven, though a hot love story between not two but three people. A forbidden love at that. Lennox is a ridgeback, a hound that tracks and arrests lions, they do not sleep with the enemy. While there are some really hot moments here the serial killer is the main focus with the romance seeming to be more of an aside. Regardless of what you take away from it this is a must read if you enjoy shifters of any type.

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Hounded (Shifter Town Enforcement)

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Sought

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Sought (Brides of the Kindred, #3)

Sought (Brides of the Kindred #3)

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was written in the same fantastic style as always. Once again we have characters who are so well written that you could not help to sympathize with their plight as they attempt to go about their lives. A story which this time has more action but no less hot sex and the pursuit of a lasting bond between a man, a woman, and a man. We literally get to fly off past the very edges of our universe.

Kat O’Connor is the best friend of Olivia and Sophie Waterhouse, they are more like sisters than anything. When Sophie and Sylvan became lost on Earth and were being Hunted, Kat went to the only people who could help her, Baird & Sylvan’s second brothers Locks Tight and Stabs Deep. The Twin Kindreds are seeker/finders and Kat becomes their focus in order to find them. The side effect unfortunately was a partial soul bond which caused her great pain and the only solution was to complete the bond. With Kat unsure about being bonded to the brothers and Deep in his own funk of self-hatred. While Kat fights her attraction to the brothers and Lock tries to persuade his brother that loving her will be good they are also simply trying to keep her alive.

“What exactly do you think we’re trying to do here?” Deep demanded. “You think we want to fuck you?”His rough words made Kat’s stomach clench. “I sure as hell hope not for your sake,” she said evenly. “You try it and I’ll knee both of you so hard you’ll be wearing your balls for bowties.”“Bravely spoken, little Kat.” Deep had the nerve to sound amused. “But that isn’t what this is about at all. We just need to heal you.” ― Evangeline Anderson, Sought

I can’t give away much more of the story though because it would not be as good for the new reader. With two large Kindred males who cannot be separated and who must share a woman you can imagine how the lady would feel. Twin Kindred must penetrate the female at the same time and it can be a scary prospect (to say the least) but how could you say no without at least getting the details.

Another hot read with more of the sci-fi element with a trip into deep space, astral projection, and an alien fruit that has interesting effects. I love this author and her vision, it is so different from anything else I have ever read and I can’t wait for more.

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Hunted

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Hunted (Brides of the Kindred, #2)

Hunted (Brides of the Kindred #2)

 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am really enjoying these books so far. They are so well thought out and the characters have such diverse personalities that you cannot help but feel for whatever they are going through. The plots follow a natural progression which allows to follow along even if you have not read the previous. The flow is seamless and allows for better understanding of not only the characters but also situations which are represented. And to make it even better, at least for me, the stories are told from multiple points of view. I also like the fact that even though each story is about a separate couple you still have interaction with the original couple and are setting the stage for the next book.

Olivia and Sophia Waterhouse are twins and when Olivia is claimed by a Kindred warrior Sophia is devastated. She takes out her anger on Sylvan, brother of the warrior who claimed her sister. Now Sophia is attending her sister’s wedding and finds out that she must kiss the man she has been abusing and feels hates her. While she is worrying about this she does not know that the Scourge are planning to kidnap her, as they did her sister, thinking that she is the one who can fulfill their prophesy. As Sylvan is returning Sophia to Earth they are attacked and crash-land in the mountains and must allude their pursuers. Sophia feels things for Sylvan but is frightened of him because he is a Blood Kindred, they have fangs and bite their mates to bond with them. What follows is a chase across galaxies and the realization that the past cannot stand in the way of a love that is fated in the stars.

This series is beyond HOT! It scorches and can make you blush or reduce you to a puddle, either is good. The heat does not take away from the fact that the story is always front and center. Science fiction is not everyone’s cuppa but this is more than that, it’s a story of finding that one love who completes you, it’s about seeing the difference in someone and accepting it and so many other things.

If you are a romance junky then you have to read this series.

 

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Blood Slave

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Blood Slave (The Nightlife)

Blood Slave (The Nightlife)

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
This was a great read and took me away within the the first few sentences. The characters are fleshed out and vivid giving you a feeling for who they are and what you can expect from them. The language is straight forward and descriptive allowing you to visualize each situation and location. I could relate to all the characters, even those who were not necessarily human because they had personalities like people I had known at one time or another.

The book is about a woman named Esperanza Salvación or as she prefers to be called Hope. Her life in Bogotá Colombia was not an easy one and did not get any better after her arrival in New York. She is also telepathic which can make her useful to anyone who needs information. She is an escort who is tied to the Colombian cartel and unable to get out because of a debt she has with the representative there. Things are not so bad until a client, who is more than human realizes that there is something about Hope that could be dangerous for them. This places her in a world she had no idea existed and she soon finds herself a blood slave, addicted to the bite of a vampire and unable to get away because of it. Her life becomes both a blessing and curse, just another thing she will have to survive.

I liked Hope because she was a survivor and even after years of abuse she still has dreams for the future. She comes across as hard and capable but she has a soft side that she keeps hidden. Enrique de la Riguera is a Spaniard who does not wish to kill Hope and so instead brings her into his family much to the chagrin of his servant Lia, a woman he once loved and turned. While Enrique is a benevolent sort he is blind to many things. Lia on the other hand is a psycho and wants nothing more than to rid herself of Hope. How things play out makes for a fun ride.

This story is SEXY, sad, brutal, and heart breaking in equal measures. But if you are squeamish when it comes to battery of women or menage then you should maybe take a pass. Otherwise enjoy this tale of the Blood Slave, it is well worth the time!

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Booster & Reeves

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Booster & Reeves: The Night of the Revenants

Booster & Reeves: The Night of the Revenants

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was not your typical zombie story by any means. When I started this I was unsure of where it was going to go, but it did take me to a pleasant place and made me like it and at least two of the characters a lot. The story may have been a bit odd but it definitely had something rather fun and whimsical about it. Booster and Reeves are both interesting characters who had an interesting chemistry that worked.

The story itself had a flow that was easy to follow once you knew what exactly was happening and allowed you to follow the progression with no problem. The characters themselves are a bit larger than life but fit well within the tale that is being told and you can’t help but smile at what they are attempting to do and the way they go about it.

Broderick Booster is a bit of a lay about, rich and idle, he likes to play video games where he kills zombies. Reeves is a manservant, Boosters manservant and undeniably the brains in the house. When the dead start to walk an unexpected visitor shows up at the door, Boosters Aunt Gertie who has been dead for two weeks. She comes to tell him that he can stop the dead from walking if he takes on the quest that she has come to tell him about. He and Reeves cannot refuse and take off to stop the madness before it can destroy everything in its path.

There is not a lot of carnage or violence but enough to satisfy. You do have the added bonus of black magic and time travel to balance that all out. These guys should have another adventure because they are so good together. Enjoy this for the light take on zombies and some interesting people.

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Affliction

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Affliction (Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter, #22)

Affliction

(Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #22)

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I have been reading about Anita Blake since the first book “Guilty Pleasures” and have always been happy where they took me. This is no
exception, I was not disappointed in the least. Anita is a kick-ass woman who may have some issues and may sometimes be unsure about her
status as human, she still always does what needs doing, and that usually involves a lot of killing.
The exploration of Micah‘s background and family made this a story that held my interest from the beginning. While we have had glimpses of what his life was like before he met Anita never anything personal. From the phone call that initiated the story to the arrival home, this story flowed effortlessly from scene to scene and kept me awake well past bed time. The characters are so rich and diversified, you have people from all walks of life and whether they are vampires, were-animals, men, women, black, white or something in between they each have their own flavor.

The world Anita inhabits is so much like the world we live in with all the same problems but amplified to fit the existence of the supernatural creatures who live there too. You have envy, betrayal by friends, love, hate, and varying degrees of violence. But you have a group of people who have found a way to live that suits them and allows them to function within the chaos. That’s what everyone wants. Anita has evolved from a one note character to a well rounded one who can see all sides, but she maintains her core values even though they now include “the monsters”.

The story itself takes us to Colorado where Micah’s father has contracted a rotting disease from a zombie bite. Anita and Nathaniel accompany him for the sad reunion with his estranged family. Even though Anita is not there in an official capacity she soon finds herself sucked into the investigation due to her expertise with zombie raising. What ensues is a fight to save not only Micah’s father but all of humanity from a threat she thought had been neutralized when they killed Marmee Noir.

Edward/Ted comes to her aid as well as Jean-Claude and many of the best who reside and protect them from the Circus of the Damned. There is a lot of violence, a little sex, and a lot of heart on display. One of the best novels in this series and there have been many.

If you have not tried out the Anita Blake series I would suggest you give it a try! I Love Anita and her Men!!

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Trail of Dead

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Trail of Dead (Scarlett Bernard, #2)

Trail of Dead (Scarlett Bernard #2)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
There is something about these books that just make me like them. It partly has to do with the characters but it is also the fact that you have very little down time. The action is almost continuous with them running from one thing to the next without very much rest. There is always introspection or planning but things flow along and keep you pondering the next move that will be made. The characters seem very real, probably because they seem to be grappling with the same things we do every day, thoughts of morality, keeping family safe, whether they are loved, and who can be trusted. When you cannot put a book down you know that you have found a winner.When we last saw Scarlett she had just been released from the hospital. Her friend and mentor Olivia, who as a null was supposed to have died, shows up as a vampire and lets her know she is still hers. Scarlett goes to New York to see another null and try to get information on why and how they can negate the magic within others,but the trip is a bust. Upon her arrival home she is met at the airport by Detective Jesse Cruz who does not let her get a breath before he whisks her off to a crime scene, which appears to be related to the Old World. What ensues is a race against time to find a killer and save Scarlett from a woman who has killed to possess her and will not let her go, even if it means killing her.

You have your vampire king, Dashiell, who runs things in Los Angeles but shares governance with two other groups. The witches, who are lead by Kirsten, very powerful and a nice woman who likes Scarlett. Then there are the werewolves who are led by Will, their Alpha, who owns a bar called Hair of the Dog. each of them are powerful in their own right but band together to keep the peace. They all have a stake in what Olivia is ding and want to stop her before its to late.

The writing style here is very straight forward and keeps you guessing what is going to happen next. Scarlett is a troubled person who has lost so much that she can seem self-destructive at times, but she is likable in spite of that, mainly because you can see her love for the people around her. The first entry Dead Spot was good, this one was even better and I can only see it going up from here.

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Third Time’s A Charm Contest

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Contest time!

Posted on September 2, 2013 by Rose Pressey

ThirdTimesaCharm

Third Time’s a Charm is now available for preorder on Amazon. It’s the third book in the Halloween LaVaeu series. To celebrate the release, I’m giving away a wonderful haunted barn luminary from Bath and Body Works and a Kindle!

hauntedbarn

Preorder Third Time’s a Charm.

Here are the contest details:

There will be two winners. One winner will get a haunted barn luminary from Bath and Body Works and the next winner will receive a Kindle. *I am not affiliated with Bath and Body Works.*

The following are ways to enter the contest:

Leave a comment on this blog post (1 entry)
Follow me on Twitter (2 entries)
Friend me on Facebook (2 entries)
Tweet about the contest (2 entries)
Mention the contest on Facebook (2 entries)
Mention the contest on your blog (2 entries)
Purchase Third Time’s a Charm (6 entries—simply send an email with your receipt to rose at rosepressey dot com.
Review Third Time’s a Charm on Amazon or Barnes and Noble (5 entries)

Just mention in your comment below how many entries you have for the contest. Here is a sample comment:

“Hi, Rose! I purchased your book and emailed you a copy of the receipt, plus posted about your contest on Twitter. That gives me 8 entries.”

This contest runs through October 4, 2013 with the winner announced on October 5! The winners will be drawn at random. Remember, the more entries you get, the more chance you have to win!

http://rosepressey.com/blog/2013/09/02/contest-time/