Barbara Bretton's Paranormal series

Something you should know about Barbara Bretton (besides being an excellent writer) is that she is a an avid knitter who has also been known to pick up a crochet hook from time to time. In the Sugar Maple Chronicles, Chloe Hobbs, the heroine, owns a yarn shop, Stick & Strings,  gives knitting workshops, and gets to open sumptuous boxes of the loveliest yarns. This shop and its owner are rather extraordinary.

The setting is the charming Vermont town of Sugar Maple, a place surrounded by magic. All sorts of paranormals reside - ghosts, troll, vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, fae, etc. To the many human tourists, however, it remains simply a lovely place populated by extraordinarily good-looking people. (Chloe bears a strong resemblance to Uma Thurman).

As the first novel begins Chloe, a half human, has yet to come into the powers left to her by her sorceress mother. Complicating everything is Chloe's love for the fully human police detective Luke MacKenzie.

Book one is Casting Spells (Berkley, 2008). This novel sets the stage for what comes in the following Laced with Magic (Berkley, 2009) and Spun By Sorcery (Berkley, 2010)

In Laced with Magic the evil Isadora returns threatening to seize Sugar Maple and move it to another realm. Chloe had banished her once before in Casting Spells but this powerful fae is not ready to give up. She has harnessed her powers and is ready to battle Chloe by using the spirit of Luke's dead daughter as bait. Spun By Sorcery continues where Magic leaves off. The town of Sugar Maple has disappeared. A forest remains in its place as if it had never existed. Chloe immediately suspects Isadora, but her friend Janice does not agree and neither does Luke. Only a trip to Salem, MA will sort out this problem.

Each book has knitting patterns and advice as an appendix from Barbara and her knitting fanatic pals. Lots of fun. I am such a beginner at this craft yet when reading Chloe's chapters her love for it comes through so strongly that I want to pick up my needles and make something - something simple of course. Usually I put that off because the story is so engrossing that I don't want to stop reading. I have yet to find a way to do both things as once.

Note: Book four Spells and Stiches will be out in December of this year.

Review of Casting Spells

Review of Laced with Magic

Jens Kuhn - Guest Blog and Contest

Please welcome Jens Kuhn author of the vampire novel The Gripsholm Mystery. One lucky reader will win a copy.

This is a brief description of the story: "Antonia Correlli has lived for 600 years. She's a vampire with special abilities which let her live amongst humans undetected. For the most part. In 1915 the First World War is raging through Europe and new, frightful weapons bring suffering and pain to the men who fight it. While using her cunning and her magic on a hospital ship in the Mediterranean Antonia discovers mysterious things aboard. And she develops dangerous feelings for her captain. Solving the mystery, she discovers once again that humans can't be trusted and that immortality has its price"

 Jens explains why he used an unusual setting for his book.

How does one get the idea to put a vampire on a hospital ship in the middle of the First World War? I might be tempted to explain it away by the fact that it's the ideal place to be if you are a vampire: lots of blood and no way for your prey to get away. But the fact is, I have a faint past as a writer of nautical fiction, so I couldn't do without boats whatever I'd write.

Having been quite intrigued by the paranormal romance genre for a while, I decided to add some preternatural magic to the mix of boats and steamy encounters between sailors and intriguing female spies, thus taking the story beyond the factual limits of historical fiction, while keeping up quite high standards of accuracy for historical and technical facts at the same time.

But of course I could not make it too easy for myself. So my heroine, Antonia Correlli, isn't just a vampire. She also is a succubus. That means she is endowed with some special magic, for example the ability to sustain sunlight and heal humans. But in order to keep this ability she needs to feed on human emotions. On their passion, their sexual arousal as well as on blood.

Here, the confined space of the hospital ship becomes a double-edged sword. Because as well as her human prey being unable to escape her, there is only a limited number of them and sooner or later Antonia won't be able to protect her secret. When certain mysterious things happen aboard the vessel, her curiosity makes her less cautious. And there is the captain, who seems to have some magic of his own.

This is the setting for "The Gripsholm Mystery", the first book in a planned series about succubus-vampire Antonia Correlli. 600 years old, Antonia has not always been a succubus. Starting out as a classic vampire of the more primitive kind, she has lived through ages of misery, bloodlust, filth and carnage. When she eventually discovers her other side, her succubus magic, she becomes what she is now, a unique being that is capable of love and caring, but also of deadly dispassionate actions if her survival requires them.

 CONTEST

*Jens is offering a paperback copy of The Gripsholm Mystery to one lucky reader.

*Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. 

*Contest is open tor residents of the US, Canada, and Europe.

*Contest ends March 10 at 11:59pm EST

Jess Haines Interview and Contest

Happy Valentine's Day everyone. To celebrate this special day we have an interview with author Jess Haines author of the urban fantasy series about the Others - werewolves, vampires and mages. Book one is Hunted By the Others. Book two, just published in January is Taken By the Others. One lucky reader will win a copy of both books.

[see contest details of contest at the end of the post.]

Welcome Jess!

PVN: Tell us about Shiarra and the world she lives in.

Jess: Shiarra Waynest is a human woman who lives in an alternate, present-day New York.  She hasn’t been affected much by the “coming out” of supernaturals after the fall of the Twin Towers on 9/11, roughly ten years ago.  She doesn’t deal with anything that isn’t human.  As far as she’s concerned, their business is Other business—it has nothing to do with her.

Sadly, her story wouldn’t be very interesting if she wasn’t thrust into supernatural events.  As much as she’d like to stay away from them, her private investigations firm is failing, and when a mage coven offers her a lucrative job that just might save her firm, she goes against her instincts and accepts the offer.  All she has to do is confront New York ’s oldest, most powerful vampire to find out where he’s hiding a magic artifact.  Simple, right?

Yeeeeah.  Being phobic of vampires doesn’t help her much.  Added to her troubles is her mother trying to set her back up with her ex-boyfriend (who happens to be a werewolf), a group of vigilante supernatural hunters threatening her to join them or die, and a snarky, sentient hunter’s belt making fun of her lack of vampire hunting skills.  Oh, and it appears that any supernaturals who come in contact with the artifact she’s searching for wind up dead soon thereafter.

She’s really not having a good day.

PVN: What are the characteristics of your vampires?

Jess: My vampires aren’t the sparkly, cuddly type.  While they retain their memories and personality when they are turned, they have new needs, new powers, and new demands thrust on them that make their unlife difficult.  Older vampires are more likely to be cold, ruthless, and keep to themselves simply because that is the only way they could survive.  They’re relatively newly introduced to our society, so there are still some “growing pains” associated with having them around.   However, some—like Alec Royce, New York’s master vampire—push for acceptance, and boldly stepped into the public eye, thereby attaining a form of instant celebrity.

New laws were enacted requiring any human who wants to become “intimate” to sign a contract that negates any rights for them or their loved ones to seek recriminations for damages or death caused by the Other.  Since most of the vampires are striving very hard to achieve equal rights and become mainstream, they police their own, and come down hard on anyone who gets too violent with or kills too many of their contracted donors.  Their desire to fit in doesn’t make them any less dangerous.  Behind the glamour and the publicity, they are predators.

Not to mention the protesters and hunters who think the vamps shouldn’t be allowed to live and prey upon humankind.  Being a donor to a vampire doesn’t just put you in danger of losing life and limb to your host—you might find yourself lumped in with the Others when the hunters come calling.


PVN: What's next for Shiarra and company?

Jess: In my first book, HUNTED BY THE OTHERS (released May, 2010), Shiarra got to know a few Others, save her business, and get her priorities straight.  In the second book, TAKEN BY THE OTHERS (released January, 2011), she got to face her fear of vampires in a very big way.  Here’s the info on book three, DECEIVED BY THE OTHERS, coming July 5, 2011:

They’re here, and they’re real…werewolves, vampires, mages, and other creatures of the night. For New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest, taking care of Others business started out as a way to stay solvent. But now business is getting very, very complicated…

Shiarra’s relationship with sexy werewolf Chaz may be somewhat unconventional. Still, after a few bumps, Shia is finally ready to get serious. That means meeting family–or in this case, bringing Chaz’s entire werewolf pack along for a rollicking full-moon weekend in the Catskills.

Soon after they arrive, threatening notes appear, warning Chaz to go home. Then their cabin is ransacked. Shia starts digging to find out whether it’s the work of upstart teenaged werewolves or something more sinister. Yet as rumors about her vampire connections arouse the pack’s hostility, Shia has to contend with other dangers. Not just from an adversary about to make his fatal intentions known, but from a threat that’s even closer than she knows…

There are six books contracted in the H and W series, but I won’t go spoiling what’s coming just yet.  *g*

PVN: What other projects are you working on?

Jess: Aside from books four, five, and six, I am working on a standalone paranormal romance novel.  It ties into the world of H and W Investigations, but it is meant to be a story that can be read on its own.  It may be a while before this one is ready to be shopped around for a home, so don’t count on seeing this on the shelves in stores anytime soon.

I also have a novella coming out in an anthology called THE REAL WEREWIVES OF VAMPIRE COUNTY later this year.  Ever see or hear of those reality TV shows, “The Real Housewives of _______” (New York, New Jersey, Atlanta, Beverly Hills, etc)?  Yeah.  Give it a supernatural twist, some extra bitchy werewolves, and a prima donna supernatural hunter, and you’ve got the idea of what my story will be like.  *g*


PVN: What attracts you to the paranormal?

Jess: Everything!  I love the potential behind magic and supernatural creatures.  I love how you can make, shape, or break worlds when it comes to the paranormal.  When I was a kid, I devoured everything, from the tales of the Brothers Grimm to Greek myths and legends.  I’ve always been, and probably always will be, attracted to the fantastic.



PVN: What kinds of books do you like to read?

Jess: My reading tastes are very catholic.  I’ll read almost anything.  Above other genres, I enjoy fantasy, science fiction, romance, and horror, but I also occasionally like to read non-fiction, books on philosophy, books on certain types of animals (mostly birds, reptiles, and killer whales), and study about faraway lands I intend to visit some day.  When I get an idea involving a character who is supposed to be an expert or have something to do with a subject I’m unfamiliar with, I’ll happily devour every text in sight that has to do with what I’m studying.


PVN: Which authors have inspired you?

Jess: I’m a huge fan of Stephen King, whose work encouraged me to think outside societal norms.  Bill Watterson (Calvin and Hobbes) taught me that imagination coupled with humor knows no bounds.  Janet Evanovich taught me that sometimes the hero doesn’t start out special or strong or talented, but becomes that way over time. Laurrell K. Hamilton introduced me to urban fantasy and first planted the idea that I could get something published in the genre, too. Jim Butcher, and Kim Harrison taught me that a sense of humor in fantasy was not only okay, but something to strive for.  Lastly, but certainly not least, Greg Costikyan taught me that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel in fantasy to create a worthwhile and engaging story.

There are many other books and authors that have touched me in some way, but I think those cover a lot of the bases.


PVN: Describe your writing day and your writing environment.

Jess: Honestly, it’s more my writing night, lol.  As much as I would love to be a full-time author, it doesn’t pay the bills for me just yet.  Monday through Friday, I work from 9AM until roughly 10:30 or 11PM.  When I get home, I spend a few minutes answering emails and writing.  Saturday is the day I set aside to work on nothing but writing.  From the moment I wake up (and I sleep in—the glory of sleeping in!) until the end of the day, I’m busy doing something related to writing.  Whether it’s one of my novels, a guest post, answering interview questions, updating my blog, etc, I get the bulk of my “work” done on Saturday.  Sundays, I’m at work again, from 9AM until 6PM, and after I get home from shopping, etc, I usually get a little more work done while watching movies and hanging out with my friends.  It’s rough, but I get the job done!


PVN: Do you listed to music as you write or for inspirations?

Jess: Not as often as I used to.  Sometimes when I’m listening to the radio in the car, I’ll get an idea that I jot down for myself later.  More often I have the TV going and/or my friends chattering in the background while I write.  It is rarely quiet around me, so I’ve gotten used to tuning things out around me so I can concentrate on my work.


PVN: How can readers contact you?

Jess: I’m all over the place.  You can come visit me on…

My website: www.jesshaines.com

My blog: www.jesshaines.com/blog

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Jess_Haines

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jesshaines

The H and W fan page on Facebook

PVN: Anything else you would like to add?

Jess: I love—lovelovelove—hearing from my fans!  Feel free to come chat me up on Twitter or chill with me on my blog anytime!

Thanks again for having me over, Patricia!

 CONTEST

*Jess is offering a copy of Hunted By the Others and Taken By the Others to one lucky reader.

*Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. 


*Contest is international.

*Contest ends Feb. 28, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

Bone Crossed - Book Review

Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, Book 4) by Patricia Briggs. Ace (February 3, 2009)

In Mercy Thompson's world her mate Adam is an Alpha werewolf, her roommate Samuel, also a werewolf, is a dear friend she keeps close hoping to heal his wounded spirit, one of her closest friends, Stefan, is a vampire, and she is a welcomed by many of the fae. Mercy, herself is a shifter who can change immediately from human to coyote form. Beginning with Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1) author Briggs has created adventure and mystery in an urban fantasy setting.

Mercy makes her living as a auto mechanic, and in fact owns her own business. As we first meet her in Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, Book 4) she still hurts psychically from the rape by a man she subsequently killed. Adding to her problems is the burning enmity of Marsilia, vampire mistress of the Tri-Cities in Washington state. Mercy caused the death of Andre, a close ally of Marsilia. Stephan hid this fact from Marsilia and will suffer for it. In the midst of a conversation with Adam a charred, bloody body appears in the room. Only after a few startled moments does Mercy recognize that it is the tortured body of Stefan. It is difficult to kill a vampire, but not impossible. In order to survive Stefan needs blood immediately. He reaches for Mercy but Adam quickly steps in. Although werewolves and vampires don't normally care for one another Stefan has helped Adam's pack in the past. Adam offers his blood and others in the pack do the same. Marsilia has sent a brutal message but there is more. On the door of Mercy shop crossed bones have been painted another warning sign from the vampire mistress that she knows of Mercy's part in Andre's death and Stephan's role in the cover up.

Later that day a college acquaintance shows up at Mercy's door begging for help to rid her house of a ghost. A perplexing request but one that gives Mercy a reason to leave the area. The tension between the vampire and werewolf community has become extremely tense. Mercy feels that she is to blame and that Marsilia's wrath will bring harm to all those she cares about. Of course this solves nothing and the series of troubles only becomes more complex.

Bone Crossed captivated me from the beginning. It's become a cliche to say I couldn't put this book down so I'll simply say I didn't want to stop reading, and when I absolutely had to couldn't wait to get back to it. And it's not only for the story but also for the interesting variety of characters and the believable way in which they interact. I like the fact that Mercy loves working on car engines and getting her hands dirty. As far as clothing there is nothing of the fashionista about her. She's loyal, likable and tough.

Mean Streets - Review

Mean Streets, edited by Jim Butcher and Simon R. Green. (Roc, January 2009).

Like other anthologies of this ilk it's a good introduction to authors you may have heard about but have not yet had a chance to read. All four paranormal detective stories are new and written specifically for this anthology, and each is linked to a particular series.




The Warrior by Jim Butcher

Chicago wizard Harry Dresden has been charged with guarding two holy swords of the Lord God Almighty. Unfortunately one mortal is determined to take these sacred weapons for himself and kill anyone, namely Harry, who gets in his way. Warrior is the first book in this collection of 4 novellas. It has the length of a short story. For the most part I found the characters and plot absorbing yet there seemed to be information missing to make the story complete. Angels, the Church, and at least one holy warrior are involved. For me this is a dynamite combination. I haven't kept up with all the Dresden adventures, but I don't think such a scenario has occurred previously. Perhaps it will in the future. I would appreciate hearing from anyone who knows for certain. Let me also say that Harry is a favorite character of mine, and I still have not forgiven the SciFi channel for canceling the Dresden Files.

Dresden Files

Storm Front (The Dresden Files, Book 1)

Fool Moon (The Dresden Files, Book 2)

Grave Peril (The Dresden Files, Book 3)

Summer Knight (The Dresden Files, Book 4)

Death Masks (The Dresden Files, Book 5)

Blood Rites (The Dresden Files, Book 6)

Dead Beat (The Dresden Files, Book 7)

Proven Guilty (The Dresden Files, Book 8)

White Night (The Dresden Files, Book 9)

Small Favor (The Dresden Files, Book 10)

Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) Roc (April 7, 2009)



The Difference a Day Makes by Simon R. Green

A distraught Liza Barclay stumbles into the Nightside - a nightmarish place located somewhere in London; a place few mortal come upon by accident. Still that's what happened to her. P I John Taylor, who calls Nightside home, promises to help. Unfortunately it leads Rotten Row, a part of town that even gives residents of this crazy place the willies. Although I have all of Green's books this is the first story of the series that I have read. Now I know what I have been missing. Green has created a captivating bizarre world and a wonderful character in John Taylor. So many books. So little time. But I will have to make time for more tales of the Nightside.

Nightside series

Something from the Nightside (Nightside, Book 1)

Agents of Light and Darkness (Nightside, Book 2)

Nightingale's Lament (Nightside, Book 3)

Hex and the City (Nightside, Book 4)

Paths Not Taken (Nightside, Book 5)

Sharper Than a Serpent's Tooth (Nightside, Book 6)


Hell to Pay (Nightside, Book 7)

The Unnatural Inquirer (Nightside, Book 8)

Just Another Judgement Day (Nightside, Book 9) Ace (January 6, 2009)





The Third Death of the Little Clay Dog by Kat Richardson

Harper Blain walks in the Grey, a place that exists between our world and the next. There she sees energy fields, ghosts, monsters, and other unsavory creatures. This has been her life for the last year since she died and returned to life. In Third Death an assignment take her to Oaxaca, Mexico to place a clay statue of a dog on a grave during the Day of the Dead. She well knows that nothing concerning the dead is easy. Harper finds herself immersed in a tragic family mystery that can only be solved with the help of a few ghosts (including a really cute dog) who must be coaxed into giving up their secrets. Greywalker, another series I have collecting dust on my shelves, and I hang my head in shame because Kat Richardson is one heck of a writer and Harper Blain is one heck of a heroine.

Greywalker series

Greywalker (Greywalker, Book 1)

Poltergeist (Greywalker, Book 2)

Underground (Greywalker, Book 3)

Vanished (Greywalker, Book 4) Roc (August 4, 2009)



Noah's Orphans by Thomas E. Sniegoski

Fallen angel Remiel left Heaven after the Great War against the Morningstar in order to live among humans. In his human form he witnessed Noah build his wondrous Ark and same those the Lord deemed worthy of survival. Now in modern times Remiel goes by the name Remy Chandler and works as a private investigator. As it turns out Noah has lived an extremely long life until someone murders him. Remy is tasked with finding the culprit. Orphans is the weakest of the four novellas. It has an interesting premise and I like the idea of Biblical connections, but the plot at times strains credulity. I would like to read more of Sniegoski's work before I make any further judgment on his writing.

Remy Chandler series


A Kiss Before the Apocalypse

Dancing on the Head of a Pin: A Remy Chandler Novel Roc (April 7, 2009)