Tag: Paranormal

  • LUSTFUL SINS (Bounty Hunter Book One) by Robert Wright, Jr. – Paranormal Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Paranormal & Urban Fantasy

    LUSTFUL SINS (Bounty Hunter Book One) by Robert Wright, Jr. – Paranormal Romance, Romantic Fantasy, Paranormal & Urban Fantasy

    Humans have been overthrown by supernatural beings for nearly destroying Mother Earth. The hierarchy of supers has created a planet where humans are commodities to be used as slaves and food, but Queen Velocity, a vicious and cruel fairy, doesn’t just want to enforce her will on humans. She hates any creature – orc, vamp, were, or goblin – who undermines her authority, and the best way to bring these beings to heel is Sin, the toughest bounty hunter on the planet.

    Sin wants gold, as much as she can get. Besides pride, it’s the only thing dragons like her value. Her kind are rare in the “fae” world, but they are the strongest and toughest creatures in the kingdom, and even though she hates the queen, she is well paid for her unique skill set. Being a dragon, she has enough strength in her tiny, humanlike body to do serious damage to most supers, but her newest bounty may prove too much even for her.

    A mysterious, vanishing creature has killed an alpha Were and the king of the vamps after stealing the very essence of her victims. Even with the help of her partner Sebastian, an imp with advanced magical skill, Sin fears she’ll disappoint the queen, a typically lethal predicament. Being paired with Queen Velocity’s super-hot son Fallon is not helping her concentration, and the closer they get to the killer, Sin realizes she must risk her life to face the creature who turns dreams to nightmares.

    Lustful Sin is the first in a new supernatural series with exceptional world-building. It combines the common conventions of crypto creatures like vampires and werewolves but shows them in a new light. In this world, humans are–or were–the monsters, and the traditional monsters are now minding the store. All human conveniences like cars and electricity have been banished, and in their place are magic and might. Even the gun Sin carries is a monitored commodity given only by special permission of the Fairy Council. Darkened cities ruled by orcs and goblins create an apocalyptic world different than those typically seen in an “end of times” novel and create a frightening, intense mood lightened by the comic interaction of Sebastian and Sin.

    Sin’s fortitude and determination are stars of the novel. Though Sin is a powerful, rare super, she must bow to the will of the fairies, who look down on all other supers. This ruling-class has created many enemies, including the creature who is murdering other supers for revenge. In spite of the crushing power of the fairies, however, Sin refuses to be anything less than herself. Ruled by her love of gold and her dragon pride, she usually does as she pleases, much to the disapproval of her partner and her great-grandfather (many times over) Igmun who is an advisor to the queen.

    Pride won’t let her give up on seemingly impossible challenges even an ancient vamp on a kamikaze mission. Though she knows her pride will probably be her downfall, she won’t allow any creature to insult her dragon heritage and live to tell about it. This pride also keeps her from becoming Fallon’s mistress though it would mean a cushy existence “out of the gutter” that is her current life. But this hard-as-nails attitude hides a much softer heart. Sin saves Sadie, a half-breed fairy who is the forced pet of the vamps, from her life of perpetual servitude. She also often retaliates against supers who hurt humans, leading to a bounty on Sin’s own life, and when she has the choice to join the human resistance against the tyrannical fairy rule, she realizes it is her destiny no matter the cost.

    This highly erotic adventure features a strong female protagonist with a warm heart and an HBIC attitude. Lovers of all things supernatural and sizzling will not be able to put it down. [Editor’s Note: This is a five-alarm adult read. This is not a YA read.]

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • NOWEVER by Kristina Bak – YA. Coming of Age, Paranormal/Magic

    NOWEVER by Kristina Bak – YA. Coming of Age, Paranormal/Magic

    When 17-year-old high school student, Stevie Wales, suddenly blossoms, she and her best friend, the ever-popular Winter, have some adjusting to do.  Sometimes, however, adjusting to new information between friends isn’t possible.

    In their case, Stevie winds up alienated from Winter and the group in her Puget Sound Island community. She decides to become what she believes they all see – the weird girl. As her oddity status rises, so does her anger. When she takes a job at an equine therapy ranch, tending the horses used in the program, she discovers her unusual ability to take away pain in both animals and humans.

    As she begins to feel needed, she lets go of some of that anger, but then, an accident with one of the horses leaves Stevie seriously injured. Her life becomes a twisted version of an already blurry existence as she struggles to find “normal” again.

    Stevie embarks on a journey to find her father, a man the world believes dead. She convinces her mother and therapist that she needs to go to Australia, the place where the wreckage of her father’s boat washed ashore. Her search takes her to a strange continent, and though this exploration becomes much, much more, she may find a truth she isn’t ready to accept.

    Despite being set in a not-so-distant future, Stevie’s teenage world isn’t so different from now. Mean girls are still mean girls, and the smart, shy students often feel like they don’t belong. So many teenagers, both male and female, may find Stevie’s (partially self-imposed) alienation relatable. Her artistic talents and her empathy for others are endearing traits that help bring Stevie to a culminating awareness. Both of these carry Stevie full-circle to find her version of normal, her definition – not the world’s. Seeing Stevie evolve into a confident young woman through her efforts is nothing short of inspirational.

    While Stevie can take away the pain of others, she struggles to keep her gift and the consequences of using it a secret. However, it is only when she stops trying to keep it under wraps, is she able to heal herself as well as those around her.

    One of the most engaging parts of the novel is Stevie’s time in Australia. This exotic, culturally diverse continent becomes a character unto itself, drawing Stevie into the adventure of a lifetime while giving her the closure she desperately needs. Pulled into the mysterious murder of a boy she meets, Stevie encounters others who inspire and help her find her father.  She learns true contentment by assisting the family of the dead boy all while searching for her own history. Ironically, amid death, she finds life as she navigates a land as wild as her emotions.

     

     

  • Magic of the Pentacle by Diane Wylie – Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance, Historical Romance

    Magic of the Pentacle by Diane Wylie – Paranormal Romance, Fantasy Romance, Historical Romance

    Richard Blackstone, aka The Mesmerist, is a successful magician working in San Francisco, but in the city of millions, he is truly alone because Richard has a secret. He is immortal. Centuries ago, as a medieval knight in King Edward’s service, Richard’s life changed when he met a traveling magician and stole an enchanted amulet that granted him immortality, magical abilities, and the power to sense others’ emotions. But magic comes with a price.

    After an enemy kills his wife and sons, he sees how miserable his long existence will be and gradually becomes determined to never love again rather than feel the heartbreak of loss; but following on overnight stay in a psychiatric hospital for an incident in a bar, Richard meets a woman who challenges his long-held beliefs.

    What began as a bargain to help a patient becomes so much more for Dr. Juliana Nelson. After agreeing to attend one of Richard’s magic shows, Juliana can’t keep her mind or her hands off the sexy magician who is as mysterious as his magic show, but when she learns his secret, she is uncertain whether she can believe the tale. If it is untrue, Richard should be committed, but if she allows herself to believe it, she should be committed. If he is immortal, Julianna will inevitably be forced to give him up, and she is left to wonder if love can conquer time.

    One strength of the novel is the paradoxical irony of Richard and Juliana’s relationship. After spending five hundred lonely years, he has now found his love redemption with Juliana, but in order to fully immerse himself, he must let go of the family he watched die in the fifteenth century. If Richard ever wants to find happiness in his present life, he has to free himself from his past life, and Juliana may be the key to his freedom.

    But can this new couple’s found love balance a future of pain and loss?

    A mixture of romance, the paranormal, and historical fiction, this novel has something for everyone. Romance lovers get their literal knight in shining armor. History fans will get to experience a fifteenth-century battle in a video game style quest, and paranormal buffs will love the power of the amulet. All in all, a fine read.

  • JACKAL in the MIRROR by V.&D. Povall – Ghosts, Mystery/Suspense, Thriller

    JACKAL in the MIRROR by V.&D. Povall – Ghosts, Mystery/Suspense, Thriller

    Panic surfaces as bodies of murdered young women are found in the once peaceful lake located by a small, rural town in California. No one can find the murderer, let alone stop him. In the third psychic adventure book by authors V. & D. Povall, the reluctant psychic Sarah Thompson will follow a voice that rings with agony. She will try to track and stop the killer in Jackal in the Mirror.

    Sarah Thompson has embraced the love of her new family and seems to be managing her sometimes unpredictable sixth sense. She makes plans for a fun four-day escape with her girlfriends from work to Eureka, California; a weekend that turns into a heart-pounding, fist-tightening trip of the most shocking events. It all starts when Sarah explores the little town’s shops. A strange book, Jackal in the Mirror, finds Sarah in the town’s antique bookstore. The book mystically weaves a story of murder, terror, misplaced loyalties, sweet love, and innocence. Sarah is the only one who can hear the call for help, the only one who knows that time is running out for someone, the only one who can help.

    In fact, the spirit driving the book’s messaging is insistent that Sarah is the only one allowed to hear the story. Sarah finds herself increasingly emotionally and physically isolated by the ghostly storyteller, to the point that phone reception to loved ones is mysteriously cut off, and even best-intentioned friends are blocked from helping. Sarah is truly left on her own to solve this mystery. Her worried husband Conrad does all he can to try and find her, but she is secreted away, out of reach. Sarah can only hope that with the clues from the story she can piece together the mystery and save an innocent life.

    The authors are a husband and wife writing team that has also authored screenplays, and fiction novels, in addition to this murder-mystery series. They’ve partnered in creating yet another tale that entertains and captures the imagination. Their writing is rich and exciting; readers may find they cannot put the book down.

    Jackal in the Mirror explores dimensions of trust, loyalty, and love when tested by separation, misunderstanding, and regret. At times the spirit’s sentiment is so strongly insistent in urgently guiding Sarah that the underlying emotion can only be expressed poetically. Still, emotion is not always sweet, sometimes, as Sarah discovers, it is hidden fury.

    Read our reviews of the first two novels in this riveting series, The Gift of the Twin Houses and Secrets of Innocence.

     

  • The SEMI-FINALISTS for the PARANORMAL Book Awards for Supernatural and Paranormal Fiction – the 2018 CIBAs

    The SEMI-FINALISTS for the PARANORMAL Book Awards for Supernatural and Paranormal Fiction – the 2018 CIBAs

    Paranormal Fiction AwardsThe PARANORMAL  Book Awards recognize emerging talent and outstanding works in the genre of  Paranormal and Supernatural Fiction. The Paranormal Book Awards is a genre division of the Chanticleer International Book Awards (The #CIBAs).

    Chanticleer International Book Awards is looking for the best books featuring magic, the supernatural , weird otherworldly stories, superhumans (ex. Jessica Jones, Wonder Woman) , magical beings & supernatural entities (ex. Harry Potter), vampires & werewolves (ex. Twilight), angels & demons, fairies & mythological beings, magical systems and elements. We will put them to the test and discover the best among them for the 2019 Paranormal Book Awards!

    These titles have moved forward in the judging rounds from SLUSH pile to the 2018 Long List to the SHORTLIST and have competed for the 2018 PARANORMAL Book Awards SEMIFINALISTS  positions.

    All Semi-Finalists will receive official notification by email and will be tagged in a Facebook Announcement and promotion—if they are following Chanticleer Reviews on Facebook. Facebook will only allow us to tag those who follow CR on FB. Click on this  Semi-Finalist badge link to the downloadable digital badge and for information about Semi-Finalists book stickers.

    Congratulations to the Paranormal Book Awards Semi-Finalists! 

    • Christine Grabowski – Dickensen Academy
    • Vince Bailey – Path of the Half Moon
    • K.A. Banks – Anthesteria
    • Gina Detwiler – Forsaken
    • Jeny Heckman – The Sea Archer
    • Nick Korolev – The 13th Child
    • Franklin Posner – Suburban Vampire Ragnarok
    • Linda Watkins – Storm Island: A Kate Pomeroy Mystery
    • Elaine Williams Crockett – Do Not Ask
    • London Clarke – The Meadows
    • Joy Ross Davis – Peaches and Lace
    • Joy Ross Davis – Countenance
    • C.A. Larmer – Do Not Go Alone (A Posthumous Mystery 2)
    • Claudia Herring – Obsessions of a Djinni
    • C.A. Larmer – Do Not Go Gentle
    • Joy Ross Davis – The Madwoman of Preacher’s Cove
    • Olivia Bernard – The Balance and the Blade
    • Anne Francis Scott – Lost Souls
    • Elizabeth Crowens – Dear Mr. Hitchcock
    • Andrea Murray – Something New

    All SemiFinalists will receive high visibility along with special badges to wear during the Chanticleer Authors Conference and Awards Gala.

    These titles are in the running for the First Place Category Winner positions of the 2018 Paranormal OZMA Book Awards novel competition for Supernatural and Paranormal Fiction. Good Luck to All!

    Grand Prize Ribbons!

    The First Place Category Winners will be announced at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony. The First Place Category winners will automatically be entered into the PARANORMAL GRAND PRIZE AWARD competition.  The 16 CBR Grand Prize Divisions Winners will compete for the CBR Overall Grand Prize for Best Book and its $1,000 purse. First Place Category and Grand Prize Awards will be announced and recognized at the Chanticleer Awards Banquet and Ceremony on Saturday, April 27th, 2019, Bellingham, Washington.

    We are now accepting submissions into the 2019 Paranormal Book Awards writing competition. The deadline for submissions is October 31st, 2019. Please click here for more information. 

    As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions at Info@ChantiReviews.com. 

  • DARK WATER by Chynna Laird – Young Adult, Mystery/Thriller, Supernatural

    DARK WATER by Chynna Laird – Young Adult, Mystery/Thriller, Supernatural

    Sixteen-year-old Freesia Worth should be enjoying her summer break, not looking for her missing mother. Almost a year ago, Tamara went missing. Unwilling to admit the likely truth that her mother is deceased, Freesia takes on the mission of finding her.

    Having lost her father in a peace-keeping mission in Afghanistan, Freesia is desperate to find her mother, who was last seen at Hawk Lake, the location of the family’s yearly summer retreat and Tamara’s favorite place in the whole world. As a psychologist, Tamara counseled many soldiers who served with James and suffered from PTSD. And with the police getting ready to close their investigation, Freesia understands that if she wants to find any last clues to her mother’s disappearance, the lake is the best place to look.

    It isn’t long before her hopes turn to resignation as she uncovers clues that something horrible happened to her mother and that one of the men her father called a friend is likely involved. As Freesia wades deeper into the mystery, she becomes intertwined with a supernatural being and a deadly killer.

    The supernatural elements within this novel greatly enhance the mystery. Readers not only get a great “whodunit” but also a paranormal twist in the legend of “The Watcher,” a First Nation man who is the guardian of Hawk Lake and of all those who love it. The Watcher also helps souls seeking retribution, vengeance for the misdeeds of evildoers.

    The Watcher leads a mysterious gothic girl to reveal the fragmented clues Freesia needs to unravel the disappearance of her mother. As this girl plants the “seeds” of justice, the more difficult the book is to put down!

    Dark Water brings awareness to two important disorders, PTSD and SPD. Several characters within the novel have post-traumatic stress disorder, and the author sympathetically showcases the suffering of these men, haunted by images no one should see. Freesia develops compassion for the often-frightening behavior of the men in her father’s former unit, and here Laird’s strength leads the reader carefully through the torture these men and their families endure.

    At the same time, Sage, Freesia’s eight-year-old sister, has been diagnosed with SPD, sensory processing disorder. Sage hasn’t spoken since her mother’s disappearance and only truly connects with Freesia, who must patiently help Sage communicate what she’s seen and heard. Just as Tamara fought for the PTSD soldiers that she counseled, Freesia fights to bring her sister back in order to unlock the secrets buried within her.

    A blue sweatshirt, a pair of broken sunglasses, a strange girl, and a mystery worthy of a television drama, Dark Water will captivate and intrigue mystery-lovers and paranormal fans alike.

    Dark Water won First Place in the 2017 Paranormal Awards. 

  • SECRETS of INNOCENCE, Book Two of The Perils of a Reluctant Psychic by V. & D. Povall – Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal, Occult

    SECRETS of INNOCENCE, Book Two of The Perils of a Reluctant Psychic by V. & D. Povall – Mystery/Suspense, Paranormal, Occult

    Learning about girls, boys, and love is a part of growing up. It’s these lessons that shape a person’s future and mold the soul. Authors V. & D. Povall show that even when forgotten, the Secrets of Innocence have an astounding way of making themselves known. And, what do these secrets reveal? In this second book of the suspense-mystery series, The Perils of a Reluctant Psychic, Sarah’s psychic powers reveal clues that weave a gripping story of discovery.

    Sarah Thompson, although still learning how to manage her powerful psychic abilities, emerged stronger after her adventures in The Gift of the Twin Houses. She opened her heart to her new family and left behind the fear of being different. It’s when she finds an unconscious man on the side of the road that the peaceful life she yearns for is sorely tested. This man has been severely beaten and cannot remember anything, not even his name. The victim finds a friend in Sarah, and in a volunteer nurse who names him Daniel after a character in the stories she reads to comfort him during his recovery.

    Meanwhile, Sarah’s supernatural abilities conjure up a movie in her subconscious. It shows clues to an intriguing puzzle. Does this story tie in with the man she saved? Who is this movie spirit that is communicating with her, and why? Despite the impromptu scenes playing out sans warning, she is determined to help Daniel discover who he is and what has happened to him.

    Sheriff Williams is investigating Daniel’s assault case, and refuses any help from Sarah. He is suspicious of her powers. Undeterred, Sarah and her husband Conrad pursue their own independent search for the truth. When Sarah discovers and confronts the Sheriff about his own disturbing secret, he is stunned that she could possibly know what he has successfully kept hidden for so many years. Even more surprising is that through her powers he sees a glimmer of hope in the truth to his Secrets of Innocence.

    The authors are a husband and wife writing team that has also authored screenplays, science fiction and murder-mystery novels, in addition to this suspense mystery series. Their background in different cultures and experiences leap off the pages of this sophisticated, character study that is set within a spellbinding puzzle. The writing is imaginative, vibrant, and exciting. The anticipation of what may come binds you to the story, as it builds to final revelations which are breathtaking.

    A compelling examination of the depths of deception, regret, and violence that can motivate a person’s actions, whether for noble or ignoble purposes. Secrets of Innocence reveals the profound impact people have on each other.

     

    Secrets of Innocence won 1st Place in the 2018 CIBAs,  Somerset Awards for Literary Fiction.

    This book is also available at Barnes & Nobles and on iTunes.

  • To DREAM the BLACKBANE: A Novel of the Anomaly by Richard J. O’Brien  – Paranormal, Mystery/Caper, Fantasy

    To DREAM the BLACKBANE: A Novel of the Anomaly by Richard J. O’Brien  – Paranormal, Mystery/Caper, Fantasy

    If you liked Alice in Wonderland as a child, To Dream the Blackbane: A Novel of the Anomaly may captivate you now. While not suitable for children, this dark fantasy engages the reader with strange and unique characters, gritty, Sam Spade-like dialogue, and fanciful imagery.

    In 2063, sixty years after The Anomaly, during which everything changed, in a world now populated by pedigreed humans, hybrids, and a whole gamut of imagined and legendary creatures from other planes of existence, the canis sapien, Wolfgang Rex, operates as a private eye in Chicago’s hybrid ghetto. He is assisted by his secretary, Sally Sandweb, a fun-loving faerie with blue and black wings, and green-tinged skin.

    One evening, two locally venerated vampires barge into Wolfgang’s office to enlist his services. Like the Templar’s treasure was stolen from Jerusalem, a sacred vampire scroll was taken from their lair atop the Sears Tower whilst they slept. After they make him an offer he can’t refuse, Wolfgang agrees to recover the scroll, and a disapproving Sally draws up the contract.

    Shortly after, he has another visitor, Charlotte Sweeney-Jarhadill, from Beggar Creek, Louisiana, who wishes to hire Wolfgang to exorcize the ghost of a Confederate soldier who’s been hanging around her home and bothering her. After another offer he can’t refuse, and deciding he has some leeway on time with the vampires, Wolfgang agrees to do the exorcism.

    Little does he know that these two cases would involve life-threatening danger, and ultimately change the course of his life forever—whatever and wherever forever may be.

    The ensuing story takes Wolfgang to stygian places in Chicago, and to rural Louisiana where Wolfie learns that reality is elusive, whom you can trust isn’t always clear, and there’s no safe place.

    Like the 2063 reality imagined in this story, its tone and mood fluctuate. At times, Richard J. O’Brien’s story seems merely a dark fantasy—a kind of 21st century American gothic with unique settings and characters that keep the reader engaged. At other time, it feels more like a tongue-in-cheek, “gotcha” kind of yarn where the author uses satirical humor, exaggerated characters, and intriguing situations, to entertain fantasy fans. The story’s ambiguous ending contributes to this perception. We hope this means there is more to come!

    One thing is certain, though, when you close the book a haunting suspicion may just well remain: has O’Brien used this genre as a vehicle for a symbolic allegory, addressing certain long-held religious beliefs and currently trending social and political events? In short, To Dream the Blackbane: A Novel of the Anomaly is a curious, provocative read that lingers on. One that we recommended.

  • COUNTENANCE by Joy Ross Davis – Ghosts, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

    COUNTENANCE by Joy Ross Davis – Ghosts, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

    Nealy Monaghan’s Aunt Sylvie is an author of several cookbooks with a large fan following – and some very different kinds of recipes in Joy Ross Davis’ Countenance.

    Lately, life has taken some terrifying turns, but Nealy remembers that as a young girl, she had been happiest at The Playhouse Inn, an unusual B&B nestled in Tennessee and run by her famous aunt, Sylvie Wolcott.

    When the worst happens, it’s that happiness she turns to for comfort, trust, and guidance. Right now, Nealy needs to grieve. She needs to rest. Which may be hard to do since Aunt Sylvie has a delicious secret ingredient she slips into every recipe. Something’s going on in that big kitchen – something more than good eats – and it’s up to Nealy to figure it out.

    Benton, the handsome all-around groundskeeper, and LuLu, the very talented Irish wolfhound, keep Nealy company as she works to understand the Inn, its history, and just what her future holds—as well as her past. The revealing answers surprise both her and everyone around her, as the truth really will set them free.

    Davis does a solid job of presenting some details with a “bang!” and yet engaging the reader with short chapters and a sense of mystery. Her writing style makes it very easy to lose oneself in the read. In other words, this book is hard to put down.

    Davis also excels at sensory details. When Nealy is cold, for example, the iciness is easy to feel. When Sylvie cooks, her dishes are described with a mouth-watering appeal. Natural and unnatural elements come into focus with equal appeal, until the reader can feel the warmth of a polished piece of wood, or hear the music of wind chimes.

    In almost gothic fashion, the steep cliff by the inn lends a sense of real danger, while the old building itself has problems all its own. Davis pays attention to detail and description, adding nuance and atmosphere to her settings in place and time.

    Countenance will engage the reader with an unexpected melding of the senses. Religious and philosophical ideas are brought forth in epic battles of Good versus Evil in the most unexpected places –  even in Aunt Sylvie’s sunny kitchen!

     

  • THREADS of PASSION by T.K. Conklin – Western, Romance, Historical Fiction

    THREADS of PASSION by T.K. Conklin – Western, Romance, Historical Fiction

    Who is trying to kill Logan McCord?

    The frontier town of Rimrock, deep in Wyoming Territory, is a usually a quiet little place, at least it has been for the past two years since Willow and Skye Strykes settled there to be close to their brother. The sisters stay busy with their successful dress shop, the occasional town dance breaking the monotony, but when Willow’s would-be suitor nearly hangs for a murder he didn’t commit, their lives are altered forever.

    In a desperate bid to save the man she doesn’t even realize she loves, Willow does a crazy thing that ends with the two in a forced marriage, but the young couple’s problems don’t end at the wedding alter. Willow and Skye have their own secret, the secret which compelled them to run from New Orleans in the first place. Before long, Skye and Willow realize their secret has caught up with them, and they must find a way to escape it again before it consumes the entire town.

    The Southern-transplanted sisters, Willow and Skye, are far from the typical romance novel heroines. Both women carry their own scars, Willow on the outside, Skye on the inside. Willow’s limp, the product of severe child abuse, isn’t a focus in the novel but is a definite reflection of the kind of protagonist Willow is. Her strength despite her weakness carries both herself and her sister for a time, and though Skye seems weak and damaged beyond repair, she manages to find a tenacity she never knew she had. Her ordeal is terrifying and devastating, but her love for Willow proves stronger than her memories and the pull of her suicidal thoughts. She must literally face her demons, and with her sister, she manages to do exactly that. Though initially, the number of familial relationships described are daunting, the connection between siblings, both with the women and the men, prove to be a major theme in the novel.

    Logan, the barroom brawler, on the surface appears to be the typical romance hero. But he is more than tall, dark, and handsome. Both Logan and Rafe, his cousin who loves Skye, are gentle and loving. These men help the sisters find the courage to not only share their story but to challenge it head-on. The withholding of physical relationships by these characters creates a strong sexual tension which greatly enhances the plot, and for all those readers who love a touch of the paranormal, Logan’s family will add that, too.

    With threats on all sides and action galore, the mystery will keep you guessing. The almost dual storylines give readers two loves stories for the price of one, and with the potential for a series, more great adventures are likely to come for the McCords and the Strykes.

    Threads of Passion won First Place in the 2017 LARAMIE Awards for T.K. Conklin!