Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

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Hauntings

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This has haunting yet light quality. It feels right.

Helen's avatarhelenvalentina

Hauntings
Are never easy
The dead do not remain
For simple reasons
They carry earthly chains
Throughout the seasons
Hauntings
Are never easy

The haunted
Are never sane
The toll of such communion
Is like a winter gale
Their hopeless, sad reunion
Is craven, lost and pale
The haunted
Are never sane

Hauntings
Are never over
For there beyond the grave
There is but timeless space
No other lives to save
When all life’s left this place
Hauntings
Are never over

(c) Helen Valentina 2013, All Rights Reserved

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Descent of Blood

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I received this book for free from Goodreads First Reads.

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 

I have never been over fond of history, but if it had been written like this I might have enjoyed it a lot more.

Descent of Blood (The Red Veil Series, #0.5)          by Elizabeth Marx

The story begins in England in 1465 during the War of the Roses, a bloody time in British history. This is a time when the King Henry was defending his thrown against the usurper Richard. Some of the lords backing Henry were actually vampires who felt that keeping him on the throne would protect them from being found out by others. While this is happening you have separate factions who are using the turmoil to attempt to solidify their own positions.

But this more than just a tale about war it is about a connection between a vampire and a human, a connection so deep that it even has a name ‘The Red Veil’. It is a connection so deep that it calls to the individuals body, blood and soul. It can cause a connection which can lead to the brink of madness if they cannot be with the one they desire. Meridian is the daughter of Lord Neville and innocent, Lord Severian Pearce comes to her castle tracking a man who knows about vampires and is on the opposite side of their battle. Severian is well-known and feared by many but he wants more from his eternal life than that and Meridian could be exactly what he has been looking for.

This was one of those stories I could not put down once I started and had to keep reading until I found out how things were resolved. The characters seemed true to the time period, a girl who was modest and chaste, a man who was a warrior and every inch the hero. There are unexpected twists, political posturing, romance, betrayal, and a fair bit of violence. I am looking forward to the next entry because this one really caught my attention. Loved it!!

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The Haunted

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The Haunted by Michaelbrent Collings

I would give this a solid 4.5 rating. Though the opening lines are
familiar, this just makes it feel like a story I might enjoy. I would
have just expected something a bit more original. I have always liked
haunted house mysteries because they can be the creepiest.

The
story has a slow build as you meet the characters, though there are only
two, as most of the action takes place within the walls of the house.
This house has been vacant for a long time, only occupied for short
periods of time by people from away who do not or do not believe its
history. The townspeople avoid the house perched on the hill because
though it is vacant it is not empty.

Sarah and Cap arrive and
start to move into their dream home, which they got for a low price, and
immediately feel that things are strange. Sarah is pregnant and looking
forward to starting a new life and home with her family. The only
problem is that she feels she is being watched and things keep being
moved around. Is she going crazy or is there something else going on her
new house?

I have read a lot of horror novels and it is not easy
to make me feel the dread that is supposed to be conveyed in these
stories. This one drew me in and gave me that feeling of panic and
desperation our couple were feeling. I was with them as they tried to
first find out what was happening and then trying to fight it. While it
is not super scary, it is a nail biter with a fantastic twist ending.

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How to Date a Werewolf

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English: French Quarter - New Orleans

English: French Quarter – New Orleans (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

How to Date a Werewolf (Rylie Cruz #1)How to Date a Werewolf by Rose Pressey

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rylie Cruz has quickly become one of my favorite characters. She is
witty, smart, feisty, and a little paranoid about her furry condition.
I  was torn when I first started reading not knowing where exactly it was
going to go as well as wondering who the werewolf was. Rylie runs a
matchmaking service for paranormal and humans in the French Quarter of
New Orleans. When she has a problem with one of her clients strange
things start to happen which endanger her life and a new relationship.

Rylie lives with her best friend, who is human, above her office space, She has told her friend that she is a werewolf and that she has a curse on her which prevents her from ever finding a lasting mate. While her friend has always claimed to believe her all it takes is a man to infer that Rylie has a psychological problem for her to decide he must be right. While Rylie deals with a client trying to ruin her business and thugs breaking her door looking for her Uncle, her friend and potential boyfriend are plotting to get her into therapy. Maybe she should have changed for them after all.

I’m definitely adding this series to my to read list.

 

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Lacuna: Demons of the Void

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Lacuna: Demons of the Void (Lacuna #1)Lacuna: Demons of the Void by David  Adams

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

True rating would be 3.5 stars. II was not sure what to expect when I started this except another space opera. It turned out to be a little more than that. The protagonist is a woman, Melissa Liao, who has dedicated her life to the Chinese Navy. When the earth is attacked and multiple cities destroyed and millions killed she is tapped to command one of three new warships being built on the moon. She takes to this mission and goes to face the enemy with an iron will.

This story also has a romance element which is surprising considering the fact that it is about military might. But it fits with what is going on around them.

What’s not to like, aliens, romance, space battles, and loss.

 

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Wondrous Wednesdays :Journal of the Past Part 2

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Nature is a wonderful thing which we take for granted and assume will always be the way it is. Maybe we should all take the time to reflect and realize that we have is fragile and if we do not take care of it tomorrow it could be gone.

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Oxford Blood

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Oxford Blood (The Cavaliers, #1)Oxford Blood by Georgiana Derwent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While the theme is familiar the setting and tone make it something
different. At first I was not sure about what time period we were
dealing with, but once I realized it was more of a present day thing it
made more sense.

The Cavaliers are an elite group of men within
the walls of Oxford who have a secret which has been kept for hundreds
of years. They are known for their lavish parties, beautiful members,
and complete exclusivity. They are the rich, well connected society that
anyone would be thrilled to be asked to join. The problem is that in
order to join you must make a large sacrifice that might haunt you for
eternity.

Harriet arrives at Oxford for her first year, she is
not posh, but a girl from a humble upbringing. Her first day she meets a
boy and instantly has feelings for him, as he seems to have for her.
Tom is a Cavalier, though Harriet does not know this. What ensues is a
kind of Romeo and Juliet story with vampires. There are a lot of secrets
which have been kept from Harriet and it all comes out as she attempts
to start a life in a new place with new friends. As Harriet learns more
about her family and their connection to the Cavaliers she becomes more
determined than ever to take her life into her own hands and not be
pushed into doing something she does not think is right.

Though
it starts out a bit slowly soon you are caught up with Harriet in the
world of Oxford and all the things which are going on around her. Their
is what I suppose is a subplot which is not really well played out, at
least to my satisfaction. I saw that coming from a mile away from the
start.

But if you love vampires and romance and blood and
political posturing then you will like this. I have to continue reading
the next book because now I want to see what Harriet is going to do
about her triangle.

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The End

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The End - Visions of ApocalypseThe End – Visions of Apocalypse by N.E. White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this anthology which consists of twelve tales of the world ending you can find apocalypse scenarios of various type. Computer viruses run amok, unknown menaces from space taking out the planet, or the ever popular infection of the human race. The stories are all fairly short which makes for a relatively quick and enjoyable read.

While all of the stories were well written, even if you had no idea of how the end came about, there were four that made me like this more than I might have otherwise.

The most fun for me was Empty Nest, Mother Nature (the planet) decides that she should speak to someone in charge about her future plans for the Earth. You can imagine the scramble as everyone around the world wants to be the person that actually gets to converse with our home. Not so much an apocalypse but earth moving at least.

Burning Alexandria was more of a claustrophobic story than apocalyptic because the action all takes place within a home. All we know about the outside world is that it is cold and heat needs to be generated. This is about one man but does not say how the world fell apart.

The love story in Silver Sky seems to be the main focus while the impending end of the world is secondary. But at least we get to know what is going to happen to cause the planet to end. As with most shorts you don’t really get a chance to like or dislike the characters before it ends.

Finally, Julia’s Garden has a group of scientists hold up and trying to find a cure for a peril they created. They are all going slowly crazy as they wait for the end.

If you like end of the world plots then this is a good place to get a fix and not a zombie in sight.

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Come Alive

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Come Alive (Experiment in Terror, #7)Come Alive by Karina Halle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Zombies and Ghosts and Bokors, OH MY!!

Perry and Dex have settled in after their terror filled time in the Canadian Rockies. With no footage, thanks to its being confiscated, they are faced with the threat of cancellation. Their boss proposes that they take on another member to their team, and guess who it is, Maximus has managed to get himself made their babysitter. Maximus makes plans for them to head to New Orleans and film some haunted locations, but he does not know that he is leading them into one of the most dangerous situations they have ever been in. With their relationship being tested by outside forces and the threat of an evil Bokor raising zombies, Dex and Perry do not know where or whom to turn to for help. This time there might not be an escape for either of them.

We meet a small group of people here who help and hinder our couple. There is of course Maximus, an ex-friend of Dex from college who he is not happy to work with. Especially since he seems to be lusting after his Perry.
We also meet Rose a girl from Max’s past which he would like to forget but can’t. Rose is also special like Dex and Perry and is recruited to help them.
Ambrosia Paris is an apprentice to a Voodoo Mambo and seems sweet enough on the surface, but you can see the corruption beneath that pretty exterior.

This series just keeps getting better and better! Was I surprised by some of the revelations we were given? Yes. Do I think it fits with all the information we have gotten in the past? Yes. Can I patiently wait for the next installment? No! But I will because I have no other choice. Karina Halle has given us a rich world inhabited by complex characters who react like anyone would to the things which are thrown in their path.

Perry, I’ve wanted you from the moment I saw you. I’m not going to stop showing you off or rubbing it in to everyone I know anytime soon. Especially not to him and especially after tonight. You’re mine. And you’re mine alone. From now until the end…

Love can conquer all.

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