Jem's review of Shadow Born by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton

Chicago Police Detective Brooke Chandler is keeping a secret… and if she’s not careful, it could get her killed. 

Brooke is no stranger to the supernatural. In Chicago, vampires are just as prevalent as drug lords, and infinitely more bloodthirsty. So when her partner and fiancé dies in a mysterious fire while chasing down a lead in Salem, she suspects something dark and otherworldly is at play. 

Blessed with the ability to see into the past by touching inanimate objects, Brooke transfers to the Salem PD, hoping her talent will help her get to the bottom of things. Between dodging assassination attempts and being stonewalled at every turn, the going is tough. Add in a mysterious fae club owner with secrets of his own and a personal grudge against her, and it becomes nearly impossible. 

If Brooke wants to play in the supernatural sandbox, she’s going to have to roll up her sleeves and get dirty. But how many people will have to die for Brooke to discover the truth about her fiance? And is she even ready to know?

Wow did I enjoy this book. I wasn't quite sure that I would when I started reading it. I'm a big paranormal and urban fantasy fan and the very first chapter did not contain a lot of what you would usually find in one of those books so I was starting to think, oh no am I actually going to enjoy this? I needn't have worried at all as boy did this book draw me in and I consumed it like I do chocolate (which is in copious amounts as chocolate is  my blood)

Brooke, our main character, is a police detective who has transferred from Chicago to Salem as that is where her fiancé Tom was murdered and Brooke wants to investigate into his murder more. Brooke is already aware of some of the supernatural world, knowing that there are vampires out there and making sure she hunts them down, however she does not know what else is out there until she moves to Salem. Brooke is also hiding a secret about what she is capable of doing, but there are many secrets and mysteries about herself that are being hidden from her which we discover some of in this book, and will hopefully discover many more in books to come. She is also a spunky, sarcastic character and is not afraid to drop the f-bomb throughout the book, which doesn't bother me one bit as I am known to drop more of those than most people,  but be warned if you don't like to read books with swearing in.

Now one of my favourite supernatural beings are in this book, the Fae. There is one very hot, yummy, dark and brooding Scottish fae in this book that I myself would love to meet and I love the play between him and Brooke and hope that there is plenty more scenes with the two of them to come as they are hot together, but both are fighting what is undeniably an attraction between them which is one of my favourite kind of romances.

I really enjoyed this book and give it a full 5 stars out of 5. If I didn't already know that this book was written by two authors then I would never have been able to tell as the book flowed seamlessly. I'm already a huge fan of Jasmine Walt, which is how I discovered this book, and will now be looking up books by Rebecca Hamilton and definitely be giving those a read too.

If you're a fan of urban fantasy books then I recommend you give this book a try. I now have to sit and impatiently await for the next book in the series, which hopefully won't be too long dear authors as I'm dying to know what happens next.

Jem's review of Maggie by Mya O'Malley

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to share your home with an unearthly spirit who can’t find closure? Living on the edge of a cemetery with souls dating back to the 1700s would be enough to spook anyone, but Naomi finds it oddly romantic, and becomes inspired to write her next novel. Why not, when her muse, Maggie, calls to her from beyond her own window? After all, the story couldn’t possibly be as complicated as Naomi’s own love life. Torn between Ryan, the mysterious and seemingly perfect man she just started dating, and Bryce, the sexy single dad who recently moved in next door, Naomi must navigate the tangled web of dating—all while trying to solve the mystery of Maggie’s death. When things turn dangerous, Naomi quickly learns whom she can trust and, more importantly, whom she can’t. Will she be able to write Maggie’s story and finally give Maggie the peace she deserves?

So I've just finished reading Maggie by Mya O'Malley and I just fell in love with this seat gripping, suspenseful book.
I love paranormal books, when I say love I'm not kidding as about 95% of the books I read are paranormal, but I have never been a fan of books with ghosts in so I went into reading this book with trepidation. I don't know what I was so worried about as this book was awesome.

Naomi, who is the main character, was a sweet, but stubborn (in a good way) female lead. She was determined not to back down from her story or the investigation and I admired her for that as no matter how dangerous it got for her she was going to see it through to the end.

I don't want to mention any of the other characters as I feel that it could give away spoilers, but each and everyone that we were introduced to had a part to play in the story and they were all characters that were fleshed out & had substance to them. One of my pet hates are secondary characters who are flimsy and are just there in a story because the author needed to fill it out. I'm happy to say that Mya has not fallen foul to that in this book, or any of her other books which I've read so far.

This really was a beautiful story which I enjoyed reading. It kept me on my toes as just when I thought I knew what was going to happen next we're thrown one curveball after the other. I really had no idea how the book was going to end and it had me on the edge of my seat right to the very end. That made a change as normally I find I can guess where the book is heading, but there really was no chance of that with Maggie.

This is definitely a book that I'll be going back to re-read, and as someone who's not a fan of ghost stories, that's high praise from me indeed. Maggie gets the full five stars from me, so why don't you go & try it out yourselves and see what an amazing read this is.

Maggie by Mya O'Malley release blitz

I'm so excited to announce the release of Maggie by Mya O'Malley. Below we have an excerpt from the book and make sure to keep an eye out for my review which I'll be posting later on today. I'm so lucky and thankful that I got to read an early copy of Maggie as I absolutely loved it and I'm sure you will too - Jem

Maggie by Mya O'Malley

Category: Paranormal Romance Publication: August 13th, 2016 Purchase: Amazon

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to share your home with an unearthly spirit who can’t find closure? Living on the edge of a cemetery with souls dating back to the 1700s would be enough to spook anyone, but Naomi finds it oddly romantic, and becomes inspired to write her next novel. Why not, when her muse, Maggie, calls to her from beyond her own window? After all, the story couldn't possibly be as complicated as Naomi's own love life. Torn between Ryan, the mysterious and seemingly perfect man she just started dating, and Bryce, the sexy single dad who recently moved in next door, Naomi must navigate the tangled web of dating—all while trying to solve the mystery of Maggie's death. When things turn dangerous, Naomi quickly learns whom she can trust and, more importantly, whom she can’t. Will she be able to write Maggie’s story and finally give Maggie the peace she deserves?

 

Excerpt:

She gasped for breath, tried to steady her pulsing heart. Naomi squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the ghost touch her face, turn it to the side. Naomi cried out, fear pumping through her body. For the first time she wondered if this spirit was capable of violence, capable of harming her. It was time. She needed to see her face. Opening her eyes slowly, Naomi gasped. Clear blue eyes met hers. Eyes that held so much sorrow it nearly brought Naomi to her knees. She was stunning, even in her ghostly form.  

Author Bio: Mya O'Malley

Mya O'Malley was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where she currently lives with her husband, daughter, and three stepdaughters. The family also consists of their boxer, Destiny, and their ragdoll cat, Colby. Mya earned an undergraduate degree in special education and a graduate degree in reading and literacy. She works as a special education teacher and enjoys making a difference in the lives of her students. Mya's passion is writing, which she has been doing since she was a child. A romantic at heart, she loves to craft stories with unforgettable characters. In her free time, Mya reads just about anything she can get her hands on. She also likes to travel, and has visited several Caribbean islands, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Maggie is Mya’s eighth full-length novel, and she is already at work on a companion story!
  Here are all the ways you can follow Mya:
  Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Goodreads * Amazon    

Author spotlight - Lila Felix, Engraven

Engraven is the third book in Lila Felix Bayou Bear Chronicles, about a clan of bear shifters and them finding their mates. Each book can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading them in order as they're more enjoyable that way.

Tarrow Rivers is determined to wait on his mate, he scents her in the swamps, can see her in the trees, but he knows she's not ready to meet him. But fate has other plans. Dahlia Branch has been groomed for an independent life since birth. Clans are something she's always been warned against. She knew she would never be a part of one...until she finds Tarrow is not only a loyal clan member, but one of their Betas.

Buy now from Amazon for $3.99/£2.57 or available on Kindle Unlimited

Engraven https://goo.gl/m55Q0R

Lila Felix is full of antics and stories. She refused to go to Kindergarten after the teacher made her take a nap on the first day of school. She staged her first protest in middle school. She almost flunked out of her first semester at Pepperdine University because she was enthralled with their library and frequently was locked in. Now her husband and three children have to put up with her rebel nature in Louisiana where her days are filled with cypress trees, crawfish, and of course her books and writing. She writes about the ordinary people who fall extraordinarily in wild, true love.

For more visit www.lilafelix.com

Author spotlight - Lila Felix, Hearten

Today we're looking at Hearten, the second book in the Bayou Bear Chronicles. Each of the books in these series has a HEA but is a continuation of Burden and we get to see the characters popping up in each book

Determined to be the best Beta he can, Rev has made sure to keep his distance from Martha, the female he knows to be his mate. He’s not sure he even knows how to be a decent mate to her. 

All that changes when the Alpha and the Coeur conspire to make sure that Martha and Rev both face what they’ve known to be true for so long. 

One look is all it takes, but there is so much more to being a mated couple than facing the claim. 

Martha is not ready to give up anything in her life, not even to make room for him. 

Rev is ready, but only as long as his female bends her life to fit into his. 

Pushing and pulling, each one will have to decide which is more important—the life they’ve built, or the one they could have together. 

Buy now for $3.49/£2.39 or get free on Kindle Unlimited 

Hearten https://goo.gl/RrPWD3

Lila Felix is full of antics and stories. She refused to go to Kindergarten after the teacher made her take a nap on the first day of school. She staged her first protest in middle school. She almost flunked out of her first semester at Pepperdine University because she was enthralled with their library and frequently was locked in. Now her husband and three children have to put up with her rebel nature in Louisiana where her days are filled with cypress trees, crawfish, and of course her books and writing. She writes about the ordinary people who fall extraordinarily in wild, true love.

For more visit www.lilafelix.com

Author spotlight - Lila Felix, Burden

I'm a big fan of Lila Felix and think all her books are awesome, be they her paranormal books or her NA contemporaries. The Bayou Bear Chronicles are one of Lila's paranormal books and revolve around some bear shifters.

This week I'll be posting about the books in the Bayou Bear Chronicles which are already out leading up to a teaser from Beholden which is the fourth book in the series and will be released on 15th August. So make sure to keep an eye out for my posts this week and why not try out this series as I loved these heart warming stories and think you will too. 

In the depths of the Louisiana swamps, clans of bear shifters roam freely. Hawke Turnclaw, the Alpha over all of his kind, is drowning in the legacy left to him by the Alpha before him, his own father. When he goes on a rescue mission to save a rogue Black bear from the clutches of a Grizzly clan, he finds more than just a Black bear, he finds his mate.

Echo has always been told she's an anomaly, a fluke. She's the only bear of her kind and that makes her a hindrance to her clan. She's tried to run away, but they keep her tethered through guilt and a shock collar around her neck.

And then someone shows up claiming he's her mate.

Now belonging to a new clan, will she ever be able to understand that she's so much more than just a burden?

Get it now for $2.99/£1.99 or free on Kindle Unlimited 

Burden https://goo.gl/CwyzES

Biography

Lila Felix is full of antics and stories. She refused to go to Kindergarten after the teacher made her take a nap on the first day of school. She staged her first protest in middle school. She almost flunked out of her first semester at Pepperdine University because she was enthralled with their library and frequently was locked in. Now her husband and three children have to put up with her rebel nature in Louisiana where her days are filled with cypress trees, crawfish, and of course her books and writing. She writes about the ordinary people who fall extraordinarily in wild, true love.

For more visit www.lilafelix.com

Cover reveal of Maggie by Mya O'Malley

Cover Reveal: Maggie by Mya O'Malley

We are happy to help reveal the cover for MAGGIE, a paranormal romance by Mya O'Malley, releasing on August 15th! Be sure to add it to your TBR!  

Maggie by Mya O'Malley

Category: Paranormal Romance Publication: August 15th, 2016

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to share your home with an unearthly spirit who can’t find closure? Living on the edge of a cemetery with souls dating back to the 1700s would be enough to spook anyone, but Naomi finds it oddly romantic, and becomes inspired to write her next novel. Why not, when her muse, Maggie, calls to her from beyond her own window? After all, the story couldn’t possibly be as complicated as Naomi’s own love life. Torn between Ryan, the mysterious and seemingly perfect man she just started dating, and Bryce, the sexy single dad who recently moved in next door, Naomi must navigate the tangled web of dating—all while trying to solve the mystery of Maggie’s death. When things turn dangerous, Naomi quickly learns whom she can trust and, more importantly, whom she can’t. Will she be able to write Maggie’s story and finally give Maggie the peace she deserves?

 

Mya O'Malley’s Bio

Mya O’Malley was born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, where she currently lives with her husband, daughter, and three step-daughters. The family also consists of a boxer, Destiny, and a ragdoll cat named Colby. Mya earned an undergraduate degree in special education and a graduate degree in reading and literacy. She works as a special education teacher and enjoys making a difference in the lives of her students. Mya’s passion is writing; she has been creating stories and poetry since she was a child. Mya spends her free time reading just about anything she can get her hands on. She is a romantic at heart and loves to craft stories with unforgettable characters. Mya likes to travel; she has visited several Caribbean Islands, Mexico, and Costa Rica. She is currently working on her ninth novel. Links: Website * Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Amazon