Author Archives: karenjvjohnson

Unknown's avatar

The Curse of the House on Cypress Lane #0

by

The Curse of The House on Cypress Lane: Book 0- The Beginning by James Hunt

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The book didn’t grab me right out of the gate but it got more and more interesting as I got to know the characters and their situation better. While the buildup is slow, it is not exactly subtle. You can pretty much all the connections immediately. This particular book is a novella that purports to be the beginning of things but that is inaccurate because what has been going on obviously began much further in the past than this. But it would have been nice to get some of that background about the house and the people who set things in motion. I have never read this author before and maybe just need to see what his process is for developing stories since everyone’s is slightly different.

The house at the end of Cypress Lane is large and with a history that is entwined with the town of Ocoee, Louisiana. The Cooley family becomes entangled in that history and must fight to stay alive in a situation, not of their making. Owen Cooley has been out of work for the past 6 months with no opportunities in sight. When he is offered a job after a phone interview which would mean a drastic relocation of his family he jumps at the chance without even trying to get any information about the place he is going. This is one of those times when if it’s too good to be true, then you should look behind the curtain. He should have looked for his family’s sake.

This did intrigue me enough to make me want to continue reading about this house and its inhabitants. It did not scare me but it does have an atmosphere of darkness that worked for me. I would recommend it to those who want a horror read with potential.



View all my reviews

If you ever wanted to know what fear and desperation looked like, Owen would tell you to go down to the local unemployment center and look in the eyes of the men and women waiting in line to speak with a clerk. Beyond the bouncing legs, fidgeting fingers, and long exhales riddled with anxiety, you’ll find the worst combination of fear, anger, and hate swirling around their souls. Anger for failing, fear for failing again, and a hate for everything that put them in their situation.

The Curse of the House on Cypress Lane By: James Hunt
Unknown's avatar

The Strange Case at Misty Ridge

by

The Strange Case at Misty Ridge by David Brian

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


First time reading this author and it was a pleasant experience. I was not totally wowed by the story but it was still well done. The characters lacked definition and I never felt that I really got to know who they were as individuals. I was expecting something a lot different from what I got though it was a nice change from the usual haunting you get. Would have liked a little more background on the house and town maybe to give some context.

Jack Keswick survived a tragedy that took the lives of a lot of people. Because he was unable to return to his usual work he was able to indulge his passion for paranormal investigation. Jack does not have very many memories of before the accident but has flashes once in a while that gives him a look into what was.

Jack is contacted by Mrs. Featherstone about the haunting in her home and asks for his help to get rid of it. When he goes to her home in Claybrooke he finds that things are not as he thought.

The story seems to be more about Jack and his life and family than about what is happening at Misty Ridge. But I would still recommend this to anyone who likes ghost stories.





View all my reviews

Unknown's avatar

A House By The Sea

by

A House by the Sea by Ambrose Ibsen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book rates 3.75 stars from me. I liked some parts and really liked other parts while there were still other parts that I did not like at all. The lead-in is slow and it took me a while to get into the story fully. The characters were just what you would expect from those in the horror genre, stereotypes without a good fleshing out. You have the overwrought and hysterical mother, the unbelieving sarcastic father, the angst-ridden teenager who hides her knowledge, and finally the young and impressionable child who is led astray. Now that is not to say that it is a bad thing but it does make it hard to enjoy sometimes when you know what to expect.

The land on which Winthrop House sits has been shunned since before the settlers came to the area. The natives did not build or go to the area because it was said to be inhabited by some type of creature. When the house was eventually built on the land it was shunned by all the locals and bought by an out-of-town family who knew nothing of its history. Things did not get better with tenants and when they died it was left empty for years.

When Jack Ripley makes it big with a best-selling novel he wants to keep a promise to his wife, she wanted a house by the sea. They think Winthrop’s house is the perfect place for their family to settle and grow. For a few weeks, it is, then things start to happen that dampen his wife’s love of the house. When things start to escalate even Jack has to take notice and decide whether he wants the house more than to have his family safe.

This was not super scary but had some moments that caught me by surprise. This was the first book I have read by this author and while it gave me mixed feelings I want to explore other books they have written, including the second book about this house. The ending is what made it for me. I would recommend this to anyone who likes ghost stories or haunted house stories.



View all my reviews

“Abigail entered the room, leaving the door open behind her, and sat down at the foot of Amy’s bed. “I don’t like this,” she said with a sigh. “You don’t like what?” “Aunty Becca is here,” explained the girl. Amy shrugged. “Yeah? So, what? You love it when Becca comes to visit. She’s a lot of fun.” Abigail tugged at her bubblegum-colored pajama top and shook her head. “No, it’s not good. The man with the doggie-face doesn’t like her being here.” She looked up at her sister narrowly. “At least, that’s what Frankie says. He says that, if auntie Becca is here, we may not be able to play anymore.”
― Ambrose Ibsen, A House by the Sea

Unknown's avatar

Dark Harvest

by

Dark Harvest by Edward Gehlert

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I did like the story but could not really decide whether to go with a 3 or 4 star. That may seem a bit wishy-washy but it hit some of my good feelings and some of my bad ones as far as how things were done. I wanted a horror story and what I got was a bible story more or less. I actually avoid stories about the rapture because it is not what I consider to be entertaining.

What I liked was that the characters were each very well fleshed out. You got to know their background and what made them the way they are before they came into contact with each other. The locales were also very well described so that you could picture them clearly. The overall tone of the story is nicely done and keeps you wanting to move forward as you discover new things about what is going on.

What bugged me were the transitions during paragraphs, you can be reading about one thing and the next sentence will be about something completely different or another character. It was sometimes confusing. I was also not happy about the fact that I had to add words while reading because sometimes they were simply missing from the sentence. I was also not thrilled with the bible verse headings for each chapter, though I could deal with that. But the word overhaul used by mistake for overalls, as in bib overalls, did bug me from the time it was first said to the last writing.

Sean Tyler learns a painful lesson at the tender age of 6 years old when his life is changed in a violent and bloody way. The weather has gone crazy and natural disasters are happening around the world leaving destruction in their path. Then a mysterious malady strikes which places children and some adults as well as the elderly into a coma-like state. When they come out of it things go from bad to horrible for those left behind.

I admit it pulled me in completely even with the things that made me a little crazy. The creatures are truly nightmarish and made me want to stay awake to avoid any chance of dreaming about them. I have to read the next book now because I need to know what happens to everyone I have gotten to know.

Of course, I recommend it!



View all my reviews

Unknown's avatar

First Contact

by

First Contact by Kat Green

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is my first read by this author and I am glad that I took the time to try it out. The idea behind what the character does for a living is interesting and different from anything I have seen before. The setting is current and therefore makes it easier to relate to the surroundings. The characters themselves are fairly well defined and fleshed out giving you a good idea of who they are and what their motivations are. I was pretty much drawn into the story immediately, even though I had taken a bit of a dislike for the main character right away.

Sloane Osborne is a paranormal realtor, which basically means that she sells haunted houses once she can authenticate there is a haunting. Sloane’s real reason for doing this is to try and contact her dead fiance, Michael, who always said to wait or try things for a year and a day. Sloane has been looking and it has gotten to day 366 and she is hoping beyond hope it will happen.

Sloane has gone to a job in Wisconsin which she has found on her own in the hopes that it will be the one that allows her to make contact and gain her gift/curse of being able to speak with the dead. The house has a feel to it and the person employing her has not met with her. She investigates further in order to see who or what might be in the house. This places her in danger she could not have seen coming.

I did finally warm up to Sloane even if I felt like she was a weak individual in the beginning she showed me she could step up. I ended this really liking the story enough to want to read the next book in the series. There is a total creep factor and some great atmosphere. Not a lot of scares but it has a heavy feel that pulls you in and makes you a part of the hurt and betrayal of the story. Great for a Halloween read or just if you like a good ghost story.

Recommended!



View all my reviews

Unknown's avatar

Ghost Camera

by

This is the first book I have read by this author and it has definitely made me want to read some more of their work. While it was not wildly scary or anything it was the type of story I would want to read during the month of October for Halloween. Things start off rather slowly and benign but start to take on a life of their own as you find out more about the camera which is the main focus of things. The characters are alright even if they are a little thin as far as who they are, you get some glimpses of personality which at least allow you to form an opinion about them. This is a relatively short piece and a fast read because it does hold your interest if you like ghost stories.

Jenine is attending a wedding and decides that she would like to create a photo album for the bride that has candid shots of the wedding party and not just the posed shots taken by the wedding photographer. In order to do this, she goes to the lighthouse located close by to take an overhead shot and stumbles across a Polaroid camera. She tries the camera out and finds that it still works but the picture does not only capture the guests who can be seen but some uninvited ghostly guests as well.

Jenine takes the camera to her friend Bree and shows her what it does putting her friend in jeopardy as well though she does not know it at the time. As ghosts seem to be coming closer and things seem to be getting scarier the women try to find help for their situation. But what can they do when they seem to have opened a door to the other side?

There is enough tension and suspense that you should enjoy this short look into the supernatural. I would give this a thumbs up and say go for it!

My rating: ✭✭✭

Unknown's avatar

Evil Entity

by

I like my horror to be scary, even if it is not very long. This was not scary at all but I guess you have to understand since it was not very long. The characters were all straw men with no real substance since you did not even get much of a backstory on even the main. The town was just as superficial since it could have been anyplace it was so generic. Not to say that it was all bad but it really was nothing more than a morsel that I ran through in no time because it was not complicated in the least. Not sure if it was intentional or not but the character’s name made me smile, though I wonder if the author knew who she was.

Josephine Baker is a young alcoholic who is going to live in Hanover House while she continues her rehabilitation after giving up alcohol. Libby owns and runs Hanover House almost like a B&B instead of a halfway house for those recovering from addictions. Josephine finds out the secret of the house but may be too late to get out.

Nice premise but bare-bones horror and the minimal treatment of the supernatural. For a quick read, I would say you can give it a try.

My rating: 🌠🌠 of 5

Unknown's avatar

The Protected

by

I always enjoy the exploits of the psychics attached to the FBI unit because they are not simply suits. These agents have backgrounds and stories that are in some instances heartbreaking but that only makes them more interesting to read about. The characters whether good guys or bad guys are going to be nothing short f great because you are going to get someone who is either going to make you like them or creep you out and make you dislike them, both very good things while reading.

Agent Vaughnne MacMeans would do anything to avoid going back to Orlando after the last assignment in that city. Her new assignment, keeping an eye on a psychic kid who may or may not be in danger forces her right back to the city where her sister was murdered. As an added bonus she finds herself attracted to the kids’ guardians in a big way.

Gus does not understand Alex’s gift but he knows that some people would kill to have it. And he is prepared to do whatever it takes to keep the boy safe from anything. His first inclination is to run when the beautiful woman moves into the house across the street from his, but figures getting to know her first might not hurt. When danger does show Vaughnne may be the only person standing between them and death.

Things start a little slowly but pick up swiftly and things start happening that keep you wondering. There are a number of people who come into play some known and some new. The tension builds perfectly and keeps you waiting for the next event. There is also a romance that develops which you want to see grow and hopefully work. I would definitely recommend this!

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unknown's avatar

A Werewolf to call Her Own

by

I really do like this series. It’s pretty much light and fluffy with a nice romance that may not go smoothly but you know it will work out in the end. You get just what you need from this book and the others because you just want to be taken away for a while and this does that perfectly. The characters are who they need to be and you don’t need to go super deep because they give you enough. The location is exotic but could be almost any Island paradise you can imagine so it almost tailors to the individual.

Maxim is on vacation from the rigors of being beta to a pack he helped build. He has always had a hard time relaxing but this place seems to be working. Ceara is a young vampire, full blood, who is at Mystic Isle for the solstice but has a bucket list she would love to work on. When Maxim sees the young vamp he is enchanted and wants to meet her, and he gets his chance when she is approached by a demon who scares her. Maxim knows right away that she deserves better than him but cannot help wanting to spend what time he can with her.

Ceara falls fast for the werewolf who rescues her and just wants him to be the one. After being cloistered for so long she just wants to break out and enjoy herself if possible. Maxim could do that for her or he could cause her true heartache.

It kind of bugged me that the spelling of Ceara’s name changed from time to time. Other than that I found everything to be great. Look for that HEA for Ceara and Max.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Unknown's avatar

The Cajun’s Captive

by

I have read something from this author before and liked it enough to try this series. While this did not grab me out the gate I still did enjoy it. The characters seem thin but I assume they will get more of a lift as this continues since they will likely be seen in subsequent books even though they will not be the focus. I also expect that their surroundings, besides the fact that it is Louisiana, will be more fully fleshed out. This didn’t really give me a chance to see them in my head and become a part of the story.

Sebastian Deveraux is the Alpha of his pack and like all his brothers is sexy as pure sin. He has waited decades for the right woman, his mate. He was sure he’d found her in Amanda St. James ten years earlier, but she ran from him. When she shows up on his porch as a hurricane is blowing in he decides to do anything to keep her with him. Even if that means chaining her to his bed.

Nice enough story but I hope to get more from the rest of the series. Still worth reading.

My rating: 3 of 5 stars