Saturday Spotlight

 

The Maura DeLuca Trilogy by Claudette Melanson

 

Rising Tide: Dark Innocence

Book 1

ARE YOU A FAN OF VAMPIRE LITERATURE?
Rising Tide will sink its fangs into you, keeping you awake into the wee hours of the night

Could Maura’s life get any worse? …turns out it most certainly can.

Isolated and sheltered by her lonely mother, Maura’s never been able to make friends. She seems to drive her classmates away—except for the odd times they pay enough attention to torture her—but she doesn’t understand why. Maura considers herself to be a freak of nature, with her unusually pale skin and an aversion to the sun that renders her violently nauseous. Her belief is only worsened by the fact that almost everyone around her keeps their distance.

Even her own father deserted her before she was born, leaving Maura alone with her emotionally distant mother, Caelyn. Even though Maura is desperate for answers about her unknown parent, Caelyn remains heartbroken and her daughter can’t bring herself to reopen her mother’s wounds. Or is there a more sinister reason Caelyn refuses to utter a word about her long-lost love?

When a cruel prank nearly claims Maura’s life, one of her classmates, Ron, rushes to her rescue. Darkly handsome & mysteriously accepting, Ron doesn’t seem to want to stay away, but Maura is reluctant to get too close, since her mother has announced she’s moving the two of them to Vancouver…nearly 3,000 miles away from their hometown of Indiana, Pennsylvania.

If life wasn’t already challenging enough, Maura begins to experience bizarre, physical changes her mother seems hell bent on ignoring, compelling Maura to fear for her own life. Vicious nightmares, blood cravings, failing health and the heart-shattering loss of Ron—as well as the discovery of a tangled web of her own mother’s lies—become obstacles in Maura’s desperate quest for the unfathomable truth she was never prepared to uncover.

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Undertow: Death’s Twilight

Book 2

 

Maura finally found the truth she was always seeking…or has she?

After being left in the dark for all of her life, Maura’s father, Maxwell, has finally returned to reveal sinister family secrets Maura could never have dreamed possible—including his revelation that she is one of The Born. But his daughter soon discovers both he and her mother are keeping pieces of her reality hidden, still. As Maura struggles to unravel the mysteries surrounding her new existence and discover every piece of the cryptic puzzle, life appears intent on casting stumbling blocks across her path with every step forward.

Tragedy seems to stalk Maura, and those around her, as she stumbles along, altering the young changeling’s family, just when they have all come back together. The changes left in its wake could be for the better, or may threaten their existence, entirely.

With the arrival of Christmas comes the opportunity for Maura to draw close to everyone she loves—and finally reunite with Ron, her long-distance boyfriend. But permanence has always eluded her, and in her current state of flux this pattern endures, as fate seems intent on snapping the threads that bind her to those she holds most dear. Maxwell’s good intentions pave a road for Maura, littered with misery, while her mother, Caelyn’s, desire to shield her family from pain may tear her away from them, altogether. The perfect happiness in the young vampire’s grasp is so easily swept away and dragged under, out of reach. Can Maura erupt from the darkness and confusion to break the surface and find the life she’s always dreamed of?

In the midst of chaos, assistance materializes in the form of another of her kind—ephemerally beautiful, yet explosively volatile, this new vampire may prove capable of unlocking the puzzle-box Maxwell seems intent on securing from her sight. Maura will discover the darkest parts of herself in her quest to understand the being she is destined to become. Her newfound friend has some shady intentions of his own—such as thwarting the love that has grown between Maura and Ron. Following in the wake of the impulsive vampire’s misguided instruction may further pull a naive Maura down into the depths of ultimate despair, heartbreak…and even destruction.

Undertow: Death’s Twilight is the second book in the Maura DeLuca trilogy and the sequel to Rising Tide: Dark Innocence. In this dark, urban fantasy, readers will discover a world full of uncommon vampires, troubled romance and a splash of blood—and uniquely devoid of werewolves. The rollercoaster that is Maura’s life continues in this YA, paranormal novel that fans of the Twilight series, Vampire Diaries, and Vampire Academy will love. Reminiscent of the classic Fairy Tale, the characters introduced in this series are at the other end of the spectrum from the vampire found in the age of Bram Stoker and his famous Dracula. Although there are ties to the myths created by Stoker and his timeless novel, the Maura DeLuca story possesses a sprinkle of magic, coupled with ‘monsters’ that—in most cases—retain the majority of their humanity.

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Riptide: Betrayal of Blood

Book 3

Maura has never felt so alone in her life…nor has her existence ever been so overshadowed by peril …

Not only do both her parents—her distant but loving mother and recently- returned father—remain absent from her life, but due to the hideous error in judgement executed in collusion with her best friend, Valdamir, and adoptive sister, Susie, Maura has been cut off from the pair’s friendship and support, forbidden by both her father and the fallout from the dire outcome to see either of them. The heartbreak she suffers, brought on by the weight of these estrangements, is only intensified by the continued mysterious absence of her supernaturally-destined mate, Ron…whose disappearance delivers grave consequences Maura would have never dreamed possible…

Despised by her vampire cousin, Aldiva, for reasons Maura cannot yet comprehend, the young changeling will be forced to guard her back with every step, as she comes to realize this member of her vampire family would love nothing more than to bring about her demise. Aldiva’s wrath calls forth other members from both Vancouver covens, forcing them to rush to Maura’s aid—even though her father, their king, has expressly forbidden the other vampires to initiate contact with his daughter. Will her extended family on Vancouver Island obey, abandoning Maura to her doom, or will they instead rebel against Maxwell’s wishes in order to save her life?

In addition to the menace personified in her unsolicited enemy, the unlikely vampire princess will find herself drowning as she is pulled down into the depths of a far more devastating crisis…one which may condemn her to a fate she considers much more undesirable than death. But in order to tear herself free from the deadly pull which is drawing her under, Maura must enlist the help of her preternatural family, exposing her newfound friends to a danger none of them have ever had the misfortune to face before. Can she be saved or will the riptide drag Maura under…along with those she loves the most…

In this third and final book of The Maura DeLuca Trilogy, the reader will delve even deeper into the secrets guarded by Maura’s father, the mystery of Ron’s role in her life and the identities of the mysterious Vancouver Island Coven members who have, up until now, remained hidden in the shadows. This trilogy rounds out the segment of Maura’s life during which she discovers she is a member of The Born—a human destined to complete her transformation into a vampire! This series of young adult fantasy novels has been enjoyed by readers of nearly every age and are found by them to be dramatically different from any other vampire books they have read in the past. Discover a magical world filled with fae, angels, elves, pixies and other enchanting creatures in addition to two families made up of some of the most likeable vampires—for the most part—to ever exist.

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Boxset also available

The Maura DeLuca Trilogy

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My Review:

This trilogy is one of those that you want to read from beginning to end without stopping.

The storyline is fantastic and flows seamlessly from one book to the next. The plot is well thought out, with great twists and turns throughout, and I loved the multi-dimensional characters.

I really enjoyed theses books, and am looking forward to reading the first book of the follow-up trilogy, The DeLuca Vampires.

A well-written supernatural series for readers of all ages.

 

The Author:

Claudette Melanson writes dark fantasy in Kitchener, Ontario with seven bun babies: Tegan, Pepper, Butters, Beckett, Sansa, Daenerys, & Caramel. She graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a BA in English, BS in English Education and an MA in Literature. Harboring a deep admiration of vampires since the age of five left her with the desire to eventually become one, and now fuels the creation of her favorite paranormal characters. She hopes to one day work full time as an author, since there are many, many stories playing out inside her head.

In her very scant spare time, she enjoys watching Japanese Anime and reading vampire stories…along with other genres of great fiction, as well as riding every roller coaster she encounters in both her hometown and away at signings. An advocate for good health and ketogenic eating, her favorite foods are bulletproof coffee, cashew-flour crust pizza and treats made with xylitol and almond, coconut or cashew flours.

Future dreams include a cabin boasting a roaring fire, isolated inside a snow-filled wood in the Yukon—the perfect writing spot—and the completion of dozens of future novels and stories. A Rabbit Rescue fanatic and loving bunmom, she also hopes to help rescues all over the world save many innocent lives.

Website • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram
Pinterest • YouTube • BookBub • Goodreads

 

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. It’s very easy to play along, as easy as 1, 2, 3!

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

 

• -BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

It wasn’t that he was afraid of what would happen to him; Clarence was more worried about what he might do to the intruder, whoever it was, should they find him and corner him. Whatever was taking him over, inch by inch… it was an animal, just waiting to be let out of it’s cage.

~Aki’s Gift by Howard Scarrow

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.

Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, the weekly Meme that wants you to add books to your TBR! You can also just share what you are currently reading. It’s very easy to play along, as easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• -BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

Helen concentrated on her breathing in an effort to calm her thoughts, and then tried to create a mental shield. She was pretty hit and miss with this at the moment, and would need to practice assiduously if she were to have any chance of privacy or free will.

~The Glade by Harmony Kent

Five on Friday

Five new releases that I’ve added to my to-read list!

 

A Means to an End

Lissa Marie Redmond

September 8, 2019

Buffalo police detective Lauren Riley risks her life to close the book for good on a killer who’s never paid for his crimes.

When cold case detective Lauren Riley returns to work months after being stabbed by a fellow police officer, it’s clear that her troubles are far from over. The body of a young woman has been found in the same woods as a murder victim from one of Lauren’s most horrifying cases. It doesn’t take long for Lauren to be back at square one confronting David Spencer, the quietly deranged man she could never prove was a killer. Lauren convinces the police chief to put together a task force to uncover the connections between the brutal slaying of both women and the murder of two cops. But things go south quickly, forcing Lauren into a deadly game that she can’t afford to lose.

Amazon • B&N • Kobo • GooglePlay

 

 

 

The Hag

Erik Henry Vick

September 6, 2019

War is hell and a war with hell even more so…

Broken by terror, separated by time and circumstance, drawn back together again by insufferable evil, friends stood against the maleficent horror and survived once. But the demons have a new leader, and Toby, Benny, Shannon, Mike, and Scott now face the collected might of the demons inhabiting Oneka Falls.

They hunted the Demon King in the forest around the town and sparked a war with an enemy they barely understood. Worse yet, by attacking Herlequin and disrupting his plans, they painted a bright target on their own backs for the rest of the demons in the town. Led by Chaz Welsh and Lee LaBouche, the demons strike back, forcing the demon hunters to run for their lives.

How can Toby, Benny, Shannon, Mike, and Scott hope to win a war against the demons entrenched in Oneka Falls? How can they even hope to survive?

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The Extinction Agenda

Michael Laurence

September 3, 2019

An FBI agent fights to stop a conspiracy to unleash a deadly virus on the world in this propulsive, exhilarating new thriller.

The discovery of a deadly virus being smuggled across the border pits FBI Special Agent James Mason and his strike force against an unknown adversary hell-bent on humanity’s destruction. In a desperate effort to contain the pathogen, they launch a predawn raid, only to find that their enemy knows they’re coming…and it’s not about to be taken alive. An explosion rips through the building, killing the majority of Mason’s team, including his partner and mentor.

Tormented by guilt, Mason returns to his home division, but he can’t seem to let go of the tragedy. He remembers seeing something inside the building before it went up in flames, something that convinces him that not only is the virus still out there, it’s merely the first stage of an even more nefarious plan. Obsessed with unraveling the plot, he launches his own investigation and uncovers a shadow organization on the brink of enacting its genocidal agenda, one carried out by a sinister mass murderer who’s been photographed at the epicenter of seemingly every historical pandemic…without appearing to age. An evil man who attempts to derail Mason’s investigation by murdering his wife.

With the help of his longtime friends—Gunnar Backstrom, a corporate espionage gun-for-hire, and Ramses Donovan, a sin merchant of questionable morality—Mason’s hunt for his wife’s killer leads him from a dark union at the dawn of the twentieth century to a network of Nazi collaborators and a conspiracy against mankind more than a hundred years in the making. Fueled by anger and driven by the promise of vengeance, he must overcome a monster preparing to unleash his virulent wrath upon an unsuspecting world if he’s to have any hope of exposing a deep-state entity that’s rooted in every facet of our society, an entity known only as…The Thirteen.

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Crossings

Ashley Capes

September 1, 2019

Deep in the Australian bush, something dark is stirring.

When wildlife ranger Lisa Thomas finds a pile of animal entrails on her doorstep she immediately suspects her abusive ex, but the sudden spate of deaths that follow seem beyond even Ben’s vindictiveness.

Worse, her father’s health is deteriorating fast and when the harassment and deaths continue, it only fuels her feelings of powerlessness. To add confusion to growing fear, Lisa must also investigate reports of a giant white kangaroo, reports that suggest the creature is no mere hoax.

Yet the mysterious kangaroo is impossible to track down and the more Lisa searches the more she’s sure an even greater threat lurks in the wilderness…

Amazon • B&N • Kobo

 

 

 

Shadows Among Us

Ellery A. Kane

August 31, 2019

Evil is closer than you think.

Psychologist, Mollie Roark, had it all. A hotshot husband, a beautiful daughter, a successful career, and a fancy house on the Napa hillside. She’d finally made it. Left her troubled past and her crazy father far behind her.

But two years ago, the unspeakable happened. Her daughter’s burned body turned up on the shores of Lake Berryessa just days after her fifteenth birthday. The police seem certain Dakota fell victim to the Shadow Man, the prolific serial killer who had terrorized the Napa Valley for two decades. Mollie’s normal life is now anything but. Childless, divorced, and unemployed, she’s barely staying afloat. She’s got one mission. To find the scumbag who killed her daughter and make him pay.

When a mysterious old man shows up at her door seeking absolution and promising answers, it’s impossible to resist. But the deeper she goes inside his mind, the shakier her sanity becomes. Everyone is a suspect. No one is innocent. Because Mollie knows evil may be as close as her own shadow.

Amazon

 

Five on Friday

Five new releases that caught my eye!

 

The Toll

Cherie Priest

July 9th, 2019

From Cherie Priest, the author of The Family Plot and Maplecroft, comes The Toll, a tense, dark, and scary treat for modern fans of the traditionally strange and macabre.

The Verge—New Science Fiction and Fantasy Books for July
Lit Reactor—Most Anticipated Horror Books of 2019

Take a road trip into a Southern gothic horror novel.

Titus and Melanie Bell are on their honeymoon and have reservations in the Okefenokee Swamp cabins for a canoeing trip. But shortly before they reach their destination, the road narrows into a rickety bridge with old stone pilings, with room for only one car.

Much later, Titus wakes up lying in the middle of the road, no bridge in sight. Melanie is missing. When he calls the police, they tell him there is no such bridge on Route 177 . . .

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The Chain

Adrian McKinty

July 9th, 2019

Victim.
Survivor.
Abductor.
Criminal.
You will become each one.

Your phone rings.

A stranger has kidnapped your child.

To free them you must abduct someone else’s child.

Your child will be released when your victim’s parents kidnap another child.

If any of these things don’t happen:
Your child will be killed.
You are now part of the chain

“You are not the first.
And you will certainly not be the last.”

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Dark Pact
The Mostly Open Paranormal Investigative Agency Book 1

Lisa Manifold

July 17th, 2019

Being cursed is a family affair.

I thought my aunts were the only ones plagued with supernatural doom and gloom. Turns out, it runs in the family. I thought I was doing the right thing by making a promise to my friend, and now, apparently, there’s hell to pay.

When my own personal demon blows my business up, he thinks he’s closed me down for good. But I inherited more than just a demon problem from my aunts – I also got their steadfast unwillingness to let a small setback dictate the terms of my life.

So now my investigative agency is “mostly open” after the hellspawn Madigan’s explosive tantrum, and that’s fine. It’s going to take a lot more than hellfire to make me break my promise.

Amazon • B&N

 

The Road From Death:
School of Rebirth and Reincarnation

Tobias Wade

July 15th, 2019

You can’t rest just because you’re dead.
Dead souls still have one job to do: they must learn to live again.

And there’s no better place to do that than ‘The Mortuary, the School of Rebirth and Reincarnation.’

There are many different ways to walk the road from death. You can study necromancy and learn to possess a living human, be reborn as a new child, or even animate yourself into the Undead.

Others prefer to connect with nature in their Transhumanism classes to discover their spirit animal which will guide them into a wild new life.

There are even those who favor Demonology, the foul practice of summoning from the Netherworld. Stranger still are those who don’t mind shedding the constraints of mortality to be born again amidst those monstrous ranks.

All who enter the Mortuary must search their past lives for meaning in order to guide who they will become.

The School of Rebirth and Reincarnation is a supernatural series about zombies, demons, vampires, ghosts, and all manner of unspeakably awful things.

Amazon

 

Rogue: Planet Athion
Survivor’s Heart Book 1

Debbie Cassidy

July 8th, 2019

Each Victory is another day I get to continue breathing. Each Victory is a reprieve from Death.
Ever since I was betrayed and taken from my home planet, ever since they pumped me with poison and abandoned me on this asteroid to fight or die, I’ve been surviving.

But I’m not alone.

There are others with me, alien to me, just as I am to them. Separated into Houses we fight as a team on the blood-soaked sands while the elite watch.

Each day is about survival until him.

An outsider, he brings death, but he might also be our salvation.

There can be no us and them. There can be no prejudice. There can only be the team, because together we are stronger.

A Sci fi adventure with a Whychoose romance and part of the Planet Athion world.

Amazon

Five on Friday

I often get book recommendations from other Goodreads users, many of which I have no interest in reading, but my Five on Friday today brings you five of those suggestion that I have added to my to-read list.

 

The Waiting
by Joe Hart

Evan Tormer is haunted.

His life has been shattered by events beyond his control and regret is his constant companion. His wife is gone, lost to an unbeatable cancer. His son has been mentally and physically handicapped by a tragic accident. He’s been fired for using company funds in a failed attempt to save his wife’s life.

On a whim, Evan accepts an invitation to housesit on a picturesque island in northern Minnesota. At first it seems like the perfect second chance for he and his son to recover and rebuild their life together.

But there is something very, very wrong with the house and all that occupies it. And worst of all, Evan doesn’t know if the house is haunted…

…Or if it’s all in his mind.

Add to Goodreads

 

Draculas
(Konrath/Kilborn Collective)
by Blake Crouch, Jack Kilborn, Jeff Strand and F. Paul Wilson

A DYING MAN’S GREATEST TREASURE…

Mortimer Moorecook, retired Wall Street raider, avid collector, is losing his fight against cancer. With weeks to live, a package arrives at the door of his hillside mansion—an artifact he paid millions for…a hominoid skull with elongated teeth, discovered in a farmer’s field in the Romanian countryside. With Shanna, his beautiful research assistant looking on, he sinks the skull’s razor sharp fangs into his neck, and immediately goes into convulsions.

OPENS THE DOOR TO AN ANCIENT EVIL…

A rural hospital. A slow night in the ER. Until Moorecook arrives strapped to a gurney, where he promptly codes and dies.

WHERE DEATH IS JUST THE BEGINNING.

Four well-known horror authors pool their penchants for scares and thrills, and tackle one of the greatest of all legends, with each writer creating a unique character and following them through a vampire outbreak in a secluded hospital.

The goal was simple: write the most intense novel they possibly could.

Which they did.

A Word of Warning:

Within these pages, you will find no black capes, no satin-lined coffins, no brooding heartthrobs who want to talk about your feelings. Forget sunlight and stakes. Throw out your garlic and your crosses. This is the Anti-TWILIGHT.

Add to Goodreads

 

The Curse of Wetherley House
by Amy Cross

When she agrees to visit a supposedly haunted house with an old friend, Rosie assumes she’ll encounter nothing more scary than a few creaks and bumps in the night. Even the legend of Evil Mary doesn’t put her off. After all, she knows ghosts aren’t real. But when Mary makes her first appearance, Rosie realizes she might already be trapped.

For more than a century, Wetherley House has been cursed. A horrific encounter on a remote road in the late 1800’s has already caused a chain of misery and pain for all those who live at the house. Wetherley House was abandoned long ago, after a terrible discovery in the basement, something has remained undetected within its room. And even the local children know that Evil Mary waits in the house for anyone foolish enough to walk through the front door.

Before long, Rosie realizes that her entire life has been defined by the spirit of a woman who died in agony. Can she become the first person to escape Evil Mary, or will she fall victim to the same fate as the house’s other occupants?

Add to Goodreads

 

Big Bad
by David Brian

A short read of approximately 7,500 words: Tommy has spent many years detained within Broad-lands Institute — a hospital for the criminally insane. Over time he has learned to accept his confinement. After all, it is no more than he deserves given the heinous nature of his previous crimes.

However, when a new member of the nursing staff begins taking an interest in Tommy, he learns things previously kept from him: Like why he is being permanently dosed with meds. How, and why, his parents really died. And is it just a coincidence his earlier crimes occurred at the time of a full moon?

Nurse Jenny informs Tommy about the true nature of his world: Secret Government cabals, and their plans for a New World Order; the murder of his parents, and facing up to the reality of his life as a werewolf.

Then, when she thinks he is ready, she tells him the biggest secret of all: Nurse Jenny has a way out of Broad-lands.

But, as is often the case, nothing comes without a price. What is the real motivation for her aiding Tommy’s escape?
A tale of horror that unfolds beneath the light of a full moon.

Add to Goodreads

 

The Haunting of Ashburn House
by Darcy Coates

There’s something wrong with Ashburn House…
The ancient building has been the subject of rumours for close to a century. Its owner, Edith, refused to let guests inside and rarely visited the nearby town.

Following Edith’s death, her sole surviving relative, Adrienne, inherits the property. Adrienne’s only possessions are a suitcase of luggage, twenty dollars, and her pet cat. Ashburn House is a lifeline she can’t afford to refuse.

Adrienne doesn’t believe in ghosts, but it’s hard to ignore the unease that grows as she explores her new home. Strange messages have been etched into the wallpaper, an old grave is hidden in the forest behind the house, and eerie portraits in the upstairs hall seem to watch her every movement.

As she uncovers more of the house’s secrets, Adrienne begins to believe the whispered rumours about Ashburn may hold more truth than she ever suspected. The building has a bleak and grisly past, and as she chases the threads of a decades-old mystery, Adrienne realises she’s become the prey to something deeply unnatural and intensely resentful.

Only one thing is certain: Ashburn’s dead are not at rest.

Add to Goodreads

 

Paroled From Heaven by Lily Luchesi

 

Death is not the end.

 
The Lieutenant of Hell is dead. The vampiric Empire has fallen, and the Paranormal Investigative Division is barely surviving. With no one controlling the demons and humanity left vulnerable, it’s about to become a literal Hell on Earth.

But Heaven has a plan. Angels can’t step in to fight, and only humans can save humanity. With a little grace, and a lot of power, there’s one way to stop the demonic onslaught and impending rise of Lucifer: a temporary parole from Heaven. Who says death is forever?

The final Paranormal Detectives novel is available
99c or FREE on Kindle Unlimited!

Add the book on Goodreads!

Teaser:

      Sean Wireman had fallen asleep at his desk at the Paranormal Investigative Division of the FBI in Chicago. He did that often in the past few months since the deaths of Angelica Mancini (nee Cross) and her husband, Danny Mancini, at the hands of Danny’s great grandson, also named Daniel. Sean figured that Danny’s relations hadn’t been very creative individuals.
      With the vampiric Empire fallen, the PID had greatly diminished. Many people thought the organization was a joke now, something that made Sean’s heart break. Angelica had built the company up in eighteen-eighty-one, and it became a worldwide organization, saving countless lives of both humans and paranormal creatures. He was doing all he could to hold what was left of it together, frequently corresponding with the London branch and its leaders, Mahon Quinn and George Linwood.
      Mahon and George were psychic vampires, or Psis, and they were immortal and also immune to the vampiric purge that had happened when Angelica had sacrificed herself to save humanity.
      All vampires were dead now, but Psis weren’t affected because they didn’t drink blood, they fed on life energy to survive.
      Angelica was the most selfless person Sean had ever met. To sacrifice not just herself, but the species that she led as the Empress, took more guts than he’d ever have. There was one thing she hadn’t counted on: how poorly the PID would fare without her. Or how poorly he would fare without her.
      Sean looked at the photographs he had framed on his desk: one of his old band, Lycancore, before the three other band members had become dinner for the old vampire Emperor; Devon Von Aber, his girlfriend who had died in World War Two, fighting with him and the Resistance to stop the Nazis; him and Angelica, taken at a cemetery where Lycancore had filmed a music video. She had been a vamplet then, her black parasol over her head to protect her from the sun. It had been a semi candid shot: they’d been talking and laughing, God only knew about what. They’d caught the camera being turned toward them at the last minute, and in the photo, you could see Angelica’s long black hair moving as she turned her head, her hand on Sean’s shoulder and his on her leg.
      He accepted that she’d never love him how he loved her, and had been content with being her friend and confidant ever since Danny Mancini came into the picture. With both of them being immortal, they were friends for eternity. Sean had never thought about Angelica dying so soon, or dying before him. Her loss was killing him inside, eating away at whatever was good and useful in him.
      I miss you, Angie. And I’d do anything to get you back, he thought. Her last days on Earth had been wrought with anger and fear and sadness. It had been too long since he’d seen her smile and laugh like she was in the photograph.
      The floor began to shake beneath his feet. He leapt off the chair, thinking that it was an earthquake. They were rare in Chicago, but they did happen. But this felt different, and as it didn’t stop, his concern grew. Grabbing his gun from the holster, he ran out the door. He was the only person on this floor, but he could hear screams coming from below. It seemed no one was any wiser about what was happening.
      He knew better than to take the elevator, but he wasn’t exactly fast, so taking the stairs to the main floor where the cubicles were took what seemed like an age.
      “Does anyone know what’s going on?” he asked loudly, to be heard over the din.
      “The energy readers are going insane,” one agent called. “It’s coming from somewhere below the building.”
      His heart stuttered in his chest. Few people knew that there was a sub-basement to the PID that contained one of the six portals into Hell. If the energy was coming from there, he had a funny feeling they were fucked.
      Without saying another word, he ran down the stairs as fast as he could, while the lights began to flicker wildly above him. The closer he got to the first floor, the stronger the stench of smoke and sulfur became.
      Coughing, he ran around the building to the secret side entrance that led into the sub-basement. The moment he unlocked the door, he was thrown across the alleyway into the next building, whacking his head.
      The door stayed open, the barrier of magic warding weakened, as thick coils of black smoke, so dark it was like looking into the Void, began to pour out in droves.
      Demons, Sean thought. He sent a message to the Grand Coven to get a few magicians in there, but he wasn’t fooling himself. It was too late to remake the wards. The demons had escaped, and now all of humanity was at risk.
      Like so much fiction had predicted, the demonic Apocalypse had begun.

 

 

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Books 3-8 are only 99c each!

 

 
My Review:

A brilliant end to a brilliant series.

Nothing keeps Angelica down for long… not death… not being human!

In this book Angelics struggles to come to terms with human frailties, but that doesn’t stop her taking on demons and even the King of Hell himself.

As sad as I am to come to the end of my journey with Angelica and Danny, this was a super read. I loved that the author brought back Brighton and Mark to help the Mancini’s with their last ‘case’ at the PID.

Lily Luchesi couldn’t have written a better ending.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.)

 

 

Meet The Author:

Lily Luchesi is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of the Paranormal Detectives Series, published by Vamptasy Publishing. She also has short stories included in multiple bestselling anthologies, and a successful dark erotica retelling of Dracula.

Her Coven Series has successfully topped Amazon’s Hot New Releases list consecutively.

She is also the editor, curator and contributing author of Vamptasy Publishing’s Damsels of Distress anthology, which celebrates strong female characters in horror and paranormal fiction.

She was born in Chicago, Illinois, and now resides in Los Angeles, California. Ever since she was a toddler her mother noticed her tendency for being interested in all things “dark”. At two she became infatuated with vampires and ghosts, and that infatuation turned into a lifestyle. She is also an out member of the LGBT+ community.

When she’s not writing, she’s going to rock concerts, getting tattooed, watching the CW, or reading manga. And drinking copious amounts of coffee.

She also writes erotica and BDSM as international bestselling author Samantha Calcott.

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Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker. The weekly Meme wants you to add books to your TBR, or just share what you are currently reading.

• Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  -BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

 

I am a hero, she thought, looking at her unvarnished reflection, wet hair clinging to the sides of her neck. No matter what my traitorous mind tells me, I have done good and I will do more.

~Paroled From Heaven by Lily Luchesi

 

Saturday Spotlight

The Haunting of Room 909 by Michael James

(Junior Paranormal Investigators Book 1)

Summer is usually a time of fun and games for most children, but Hanna and Ben Littleton are not your average eleven and twelve-year-old. Their father is Percy Littleton, a famous paranormal investigator, and this summer they are traveling to different locations to investigate unexplained phenomena. Things are rather boring until they stop at Castleridge Hotel.

Though warned by their father not to meddle in his investigation, the brother and sister are convinced they can prove their worth as true investigators. Their eagerness soon turns to terror when Hanna begins having visions about a certain former employee of the hotel, the elevator takes them to the ninth floor on its own, and ghosts interact with them. The building seems to have a mind of its own as Hanna and Ben are forced to figure out what really happened one hundred years ago at Castleridge Hotel, before the spirits trapped inside decide to make them permanent residents.

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My Review:

A wonderfully spooky book for youngsters

After their mother disappeared in unusual circumstances, Hanna and Ben’s dad became a paranormal investigator. His latest case is the haunting of a hotel, and although their dad doesn’t want them anywhere near the centre of the paranormal events on the ninth floor, the hotel has other ideas. As Hannah is sensitive to some of the ghosts and Ben is excited to help investigate, the two youngsters are drawn into the events.

This was an enjoyable, fast-paced book with a great mix of supernatural creepiness and humour. Just right for youngsters 8/9 and above.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.)

 

 

About The Author:

Michael James is an author from the prairie province of Alberta, Canada. He is an avid golfer, cyclist, mountain climber, and astronomy enthusiast.

Junior Paranormal Investigators: The Haunting of Room 909 is Michael’s debut novel for middle grade readers. After absorbing all things paranormal while growing up, he knew he had to share his fascination with ghosts and other-worldly-creatures with the next generation of kids.

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Clarissa’s Warning by Isobel Blackthorn

A lottery jackpot changes Claire Bennett’s life.

After she buys an ancient stone ruin on Fuerteventura – the island of her dreams – her mystic aunt Clarissa warns her of danger.

Claire pays no heed, but soon after she moves to the idyllic island, she is confronted by a mystery. As the sinister story of her home slowly uncovers, Claire enters a world of inexplicable events and ordeals.

Someone or something doesn’t want her there. But what is really behind the events?

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My Review:

A slow-paced and pleasant read.

We spend a few months with Claire after she wins the lottery and buys an ancient ruin on Fuerteventura. Her intention is to restore the house to its former glory and live on the idyllic island.

At first, Claire doesn’t believe her occultist Aunt Clarissa’s warning of danger but starts to rethink that, when she discovers the locals won’t work on the building, and strange things start to happen at the site.

Her interest in the history of her future home is piqued by Paco, a local photographer, who has his own reasons for being interested in the building.

With spooky happenings, mystery, and a budding romance, alongside interesting characters, I enjoyed the overall story, but I found myself pulled out of the tale, occasionally, by the overly descriptive details of the renovation and the island. The book, at times, seemed as much a travel guide as a supernatural mystery.

(I received a complimentary copy of the book for reviewing purposes. All opinions are my own.)

 

 

Author Bio:

Isobel Blackthorn is a prolific novelist of brilliant, original fiction across a range of genres, including dark psychological thrillers, gripping mystery novels, captivating travel fiction, and hilarious dark satire.

Isobel holds a PhD in Western Esotericism and carries a lifelong passion for the Canary Islands, Spain. A Londoner originally, Isobel currently lives near Melbourne, Australia, with her little white cat.

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