Review: A Chaming Voodoo by Tonya Kappes

This book is the latest in the magical cures series of books by Tonya Kappes. Here is a synopsis of the plot. Bubble. . . bubble. . . Whispering Falls is abuzz with the new housing development and new shops popping up all over the magical village right before the annual All Hallow’s Eve celebration. Cures and trouble. . . June Heal’s intuition is on high alert and she just can’t shake that something bad is about to happen. Magic stirs . . . June finds Violet Draper standing over a dead body In the new pumpkin patch hours before it’s supposed to open for hayrides. And trouble doubles . . . Once again, June has to put her sleuthing skills to work and figure out who the real killer is before the new citizens pack up and move right back out of town.                                                                                                                                                           The addition of the general population as permanent residents within Whispering Falls is New and adjustments are in order. This will call for a real physical copy of the newspaper right down to.romance between mortals and spiritualist as well as dark side /good sider relationships. Change is in the air ,really . Even Faith can read it. However murder is also in the air and June might be investigating for two who knows. This had a good plot line because there were many possible suspects and motives . There was a hint that I picked up on which led me to  truth about a certain family but otherwise it was impossible to know whodunit.                                                       One of my favorite aspects of this particular work was the real life quality of the family interactions even though colored in fantasynthemed issues. There are real.situations which cause family squabbles and real emotions regarding the start of a new family. As usual.Me. Kappes comes.through with imaginative elements and lovely, quirky characters which make the reader love them. Whispering Falls like a wonderful little southern tourist community and seems warm.hearted and dun. It draws one in immediately.  The plot and character development were good and kept you interested throughout.       My rating:

One lucky reader will have the opportunity to win a free copy of a Tonya Kappes audiobook . Here"s what you need to do. Answer this question: June and her friends in Whispering Falls love to celebrate all Hallows Eve. What is your favorite way of celebrating Halloween ? Post your answer in the comment section Include your email or if you prefer I will contact you with it in the event that you entry is chosen.  I will pick the winner from Your entries in the comment section and will notify you to get your information so that the author can get the audiobook to you. Belo enter for a chance to win the grand prize consisting of two Tonya Kappes novels, A new Kinfle Fire and a $25 Amazon gift card. Here is the link to enter good luck!

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/27c5f2eb27/

A Charming Hex by Tonya Kappes

Bubble... Bubble...

June Heal is excited to be going on an island honeymoon where she not only will she get away for some much needed rest away from her magical powers that she'd promised Oscar she'd leave home, but where she will get away from her sassy talking crystal ball, Madame Torres, and her pesky familiar, Mr. Prince Charming.

Cures and trouble...
The secluded island is a perfect getaway for the charming honeymooners, especially since the only other vacationers are a wedding group. June Love's a good romantic wedding and this one is on the beach.

Magic stirs...
June is embracing her old mortal self until the groom from the wedding party washes up on the beach ...MURDERED!

And troubles double...
June is unable to keep her promise to Oscar about not using magic for their weekend island getaway and finds herself square in the middle of the investigation.

Suddenly, June wishes that her pesky familiars were there to help and realizes that there really is no place like home.  


This series continues to charm me. Oscar and June are on their long awaited honeymoon but anxiety plagues June. A dream has disturbed her because her dreams usually come true in some way and this one wasn't good. I loved the rich description that happened in the book, I could see and feel the island and hear the surf. The plot was great and kept me in suspense , wondering how it all would end. I loved the little added zing that her aunt was able to give her too. The character development I the series is served by a new experience of a recurring character and I like the way she stepped out on her own. It was the perfect mix of the elements which I love and have come to expect plus new additions and plot twists that make it worth the ride. My rating:

review  Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

Meet Arlene Santana, a vibrant wife and young grandmother whose life suddenly takes a confusing and often laughable turn into a new reality framed by a severe brain injury. As one holiday after another speeds by, Arlene takes comfort in the amusing old people who surround her in the rehabilitation center and one special friend who relates well to Arlene. But when will her husband, whose love is more real to her than anything, come to visit her? Treasure this Christmas novella from bestselling author Lori Copeland that demonstrates the healing power of true love.This novella was moving and well written. A plane crash leads to the main character being in a skilled nursing facility. She has a traumatic brain injury and is confused about what happened to her husband who had been piloting the plane. How her children cope is explored  as well.as the other residents of the home. It is very poingnant to see the type of thoughts that human beings who have a traumatic brain injury may experience. It was also interesting to see the way things played out in the family both as a response to the accident and in general and how the main character interacted with family members staff and residents at the skilled nursing facility. we also get a rare and interesting look at her relationship with herself.  A wonderfully written story overall.

Betting off Dead

And their off!
Gambling on horse racing is Kentucky's number one sport but when Kentucky Derby Thoroughbred picked to win the Derby, Rails and Nails, ends up poisoned, SKUL special agent Mick Jasper and rookie witch Maggie Park, who keeps her witch powers a secret, are called in to investigate a world of illegal gambling where a run for the roses can prove to be deadly.

This is the second book in Tonya Kappes new Spies and Spells series. The first book after from which the series takes its name introduces us to Maggie , a witch who is waiting for that life defining moment that will make clear her life's calling, While she waits for that moment she works in her family's diner waiting tables. She thinks that she may have found it when a great looking agent shows up and she gets involved in espionage. Her methods are unorthodox and somewhat magical and her adventures leave you on the edge of your seat.

In this latest book we see Maggie pressed into service once more and she has to play the studs wife! Unfortunately, this leads to some jealously from guy friend Abram and some static from the family. Meanwhile Maggie tries to infiltrate an illegal and deadly operation that seeks to fix the outcome of races using unnatural methods. Along the way there are both tense and funny moments to keep you reading on.

We learn a little more about the characters and they are developed more here. The plot is solid and there re no annoying holes for you to shake your head at. Mick is not sure what is going on with her but it works so I feel that there is a lot more life left in this series. I enjoyed both the suspense and the fact that it was not really easy to figure out what was going to happen in advance as sometimes happens when you have read an authors work for a while. Tonya Kappes always surprises and delights me no matter what series I am reading at the time.

You can see reviews of other books by Tonya Kappes on my blog and in an upcoming post for the premiere of A Charming Voodoo on October 18th. Until then may your life be magical!

My rating

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes the third novel in the unforgettable Angels Walking series about divine intervention and the trials and triumphs of life for a group of friends.

Despite needing a heart transplant and against the advice of her doctor, Mary Catherine moves to Uganda to work at a brand new orphanage. Whatever time she has left, Mary Catherine wants to spend it helping children—especially since there will be no children of her own. The only problem is Major League Baseball player Marcus Dillinger, the man she never meant to fall in love with. Neither Marcus nor Mary Catherine’s other friends—Tyler Ames and Sami Dawson—know just how serious her heart condition is.

Still, Marcus is sure in the depths of his soul that something isn’t right. Ultimately his correspondence with Mary Catherine leads him on a desperate life-or-death mission to rescue her and get her to a US hospital before time runs out. Meanwhile, Sami and Tyler struggle with issues of their own. In a season when Tyler plans to ask Sami to marry him, the very core of their relationship is in jeopardy.

The team of angels walking is busier than ever in this epic battle between life and death. A Brush of Wings is a poignant tale of love, sacrifice, and the power of faith. 

This is the third and final installment in the Angel Walking series. It was much anticipated and here we see all of the loose ends wrapped up. There are four angels dispatched from heaven to deal with the events they hope will set a birth in motion. They have been told in the first installment that Dallas Garner is a baby that will grow up to be a great teacher and greatly impact the world for good. The problem is that he hasn't been born yet . They must handle some of us earthlings carefully in order to see this baby get a chance at life. The going is sometimes very hairy as emotions and circumstances keep us on the edge of our seats and the angels have to intervene.

This wrapped up things nicely and finally tells us where this baby comes from in terms of parentage and why angels are needed in order to facilitate this occurring . There are lots of touch and go moments and secrets to keep us interested along the way. We learn a little more about the characters and their families and it gives us a window into the kinds of battles we may be assisted with each day by heavenly visitors. overall a good effort and a nice wrap up to a series. Well done.

My rating

Review: Harriett Beamer takes the Bus By Joyce Magnin


Description:

Aging and recent widow Harriet Beamer insists she’s getting along fine with her dog Humphrey in Philadelphia … until she falls for the fourth time, injuring her ankle, and causing her son and daughter-in-law to cry foul. Insisting Harriet move in with them in California, they make a bet that her ankle is broken, and she foolishly promises to move if they’re right. Four x-rays later, Harriet’s ankle—and her heart—are broken. She packs up, ships her huge salt and pepper collection to California, and prepares to move away from the only life she knows. The only catch? She’s doing it her way. Just wait till her daughter-in-law hears Harriet will travel cross country only by public transportation and alternate means. What follows is a hilarious, heartwarming journey by train, metro bus, ferry, and motorcycle. Along the way, Harriet discovers that although her family thinks it’s time for her to be put out to pasture—God has a different plan.  

Review: Harriett Beamer is my hero. She is sweet and spunky and open to others. What a winning main character. I am not a senior yet myself but I want to be an adventurer at heart like Harriett. Rather than going quietly to live with her son and daughter in law in California, Harriett sets out to take her first cross country trip alone. She does it mainly on mass transit. She goes everywhere she has always wanted to visit including her beloved salt and pepper shaker museum. All she needs is her phone GPS Amelia (she names it herself.. too cute) and a little help from some new friends. Along the way she even becomes an internet celebrity. I highly recommend this delicious read.
My Rating:

Review Twisted Innocence By Terri Blackstock



Description:When Holly s secrets backfire, is the mess too big to unravel?

Holly Cramer has worked hard to keep the identity of her daughter s father a secret, shamed and embarrassed by the one-night stand. But when the police knock on her door searching for Creed Kershaw, she realizes his identity isn t as hidden as she thought. The fact that Creed is a person of interest in a recent drug-related murder only increases her humiliation.

When Holly s and Creed s paths cross, Holly is unsure whether to be terrified of him or trust him. His tenderness with their daughter makes her want to believe his story that he had nothing to do with the murder. Then she discovers that Creed has a connection to Leonard Miller who killed both her sister s fiance and her brother-in-law, and kidnapped her nephews and things only become more complicated.

Will Creed lead them to the man who has plagued her family, or become another of his victims?"

Review:Edge of seat reading. All wrapped up neatly at the end. Good job of ending the series without dragging it out to long or without exciting happenings.                  

Hidden Agenda By Lisa Harris



Description:Michael Hunt is alive--and on the run. Presumed dead by friends and family, the undercover assignment he's been working for the past eight months has just been blown. With a hit out on his life and corruption inside the Atlanta police department, Michael finds himself hunted by both the cartel and the law. His only hope is the daughter of the man who wants him dead.

This nonstop chase from taut suspense writer Lisa Harris will leave readers breathless as they race to connect the dots before it's too late.  

	Action packed, poignant story which kept me on the edge of my seat. I liked how she took a quiet, "safe" person and demonstrated what a brave, quick thinking and honorable person they can be in a crisis. Nice family vibe along with the action. Nicely balanced.  My Rating:

Review: Storm Siren by Mary Weber



Description: “I raise my chin as the buyers stare. Yes. Look. You don’t want me. Because, eventually, accidentally, I will destroy you.”

In a world at war, a slave girl’s lethal curse could become one kingdom’s weapon of salvation. If the curse—and the girl—can be controlled.

As a slave in the war-weary kingdom of Faelen, seventeen-year-old Nym isn’t merely devoid of rights, her Elemental kind are only born male and always killed at birth — meaning, she shouldn’t even exist.

Standing on the auction block beneath smoke-drenched mountains, Nym faces her fifteenth sell. But when her hood is removed and her storm-summoning killing curse revealed, Nym is snatched up by a court advisor and given a choice: be trained as the weapon Faelen needs to win the war, or be killed.

Choosing the former, Nym is unleashed into a world of politics, bizarre parties, and rumors of an evil more sinister than she’s being prepared to fight . . . not to mention the handsome trainer whose dark secrets lie behind a mysterious ability to calm every lightning strike she summons.

But what if she doesn’t want to be the weapon they’ve all been waiting for?

Set in a beautifully eclectic world of suspicion, super abilities, and monsters, Storm Siren is a story of power. And whoever controls that power will win.

Review: Nym has been through a lot to say the least. Everywhere she goes disaster follows because especially when emotional she summons storms and lightning. Her white hair tells the story. All of the elementals like her are supposed to be male but it seems that is an old wives tale, She has accidentally killed her own folks and has become a slave.

When sought out by the government for training as a weapon she learns that she may not be the only one who could be considered weird. She also learns that there are other elementals and she trains with the only others that she has ever met. She discovers early on the sinister things that they fight can take other forms as well and makes other chilling discoveries which add to the fast pacing and quick plot development. The story moves you, has you on the edge of your seat and makes you care about the outcome.

My rating:

A Review of Love Story by Nicole Nordeman



Description:
Love Story is an exquisite narrative that exposes the emotional and human underside of major biblical events, including Adam and Eve’s dramatic fall in the Garden of Eden, Sarah and Abraham’s struggle to have a child, Mary’s surprise at being pregnant with Jesus, Paul’s trauma on the road to Damascus, and concludes with a triumphant picture of the second coming of Christ. This book is a dramatic connecting point for all readers, inspiring them to grasp the poignant nature of God’s immense, all-consuming love.

Review: This was an amazing book. I both read and listened to it as circumstances permitted. It was a rich mix of spiritual insight and personal vulnerability the draws the reader in and then makes you sit and stay. It was written as a sort of companion to the album The Story which contains scripture inspired songs ranging from Old to new Testaments. This is a personal application and really sit and reflect on what this means for me and you type of volume. This being said, it is not a how to book at all with 10 ways to do this or that neither is it full of step by step plans. It is real life and real experiences from a person being her authentic self . This is what really captures you. No formula can take the place of honest revelation of how God relates to you personally in all of the vicissitudes of life.

The authors willingness to be transparent in order to reach others where they live both in her prose and in her music (she is also a recording artist features on the abovementioned album) is refreshing and compelling. I feel that it may appeal to people who have had less exposure to church as it does not come across like I have all the answers and am perfect which is a certain flavor of a few authors within the non fiction Christian genre. I am not certain that they mean to come across that way but perhaps their didactic style lends itself to that vibe. I understand that they are imparting information that it took a time of study and experience to get the full revelation on but folks who are searching or who are revisiting the religious practices of their youth might not. As I said this is faith with flesh on that you can touch and relate to. Well written and well done at the ending I give this

A review of Obsidian Curse by Barbra Annino

 

Description: Reporter Stacy Justice has finally stopped resisting who she really is—a powerfully gifted witch. And now that the Council has appointed her Seeker of Justice, she feels stronger and more attuned to her magic than ever before.



But Samhain—the night when the veil between the worlds thins—is approaching and something strange is brewing. First, a fairy with a sweet tooth appears in town unexpectedly. Then, a mysterious stranger shows up at Stacy’s newspaper, seeking info for a true crime exposé he claims to be writing. But most disturbing of all, a bloodthirsty, sexy demon has escaped the Otherworld, determined to invoke a curse that has plagued Stacy’s family for generations. Fulfilling her role as Seeker and finding out how all these pieces fit together may tear her relationship with her boyfriend apart. But if she doesn’t find answers soon, her love life won’t be the only thing in danger.

Another entry in the Stacy Justice series , this picks up where the last book ends . Stacy is back from the Emerald Isle and has fully embraced being the Seeker of Justice. New challenges appear including an author with both a connection to the community and to the supernatural and a supernatural entity who has it in for Stacy's family. Some other important information begins to come clear about her cousins baby as well. As usual the plot had twists and turns and the ride was entertaining. I will continue with this series.  

                                                                                                                                                                                   

Review of A charming Death by Tonya Kappes



Description: This is a short story in the Magical Cures Mystery Series between books 7 and 8.
The wedding is finally here!
June Heal and Oscar Park's upcoming nuptials are sending the Dark Sider and Good Sider spiritual in a tail spin on this All Hallow's Eve wedding celebration. Aunt Helena wants June to have a Good Sider ceremony, while Aunt Eloise wants Oscar to have a Dark Sider ceremony. When one of the Aunts is poisoned, June and Oscar aren't sure they will have enough time to figure out who is sabotaging their wedding before Mr. Prince Charming walks her down the aisle?   

    A shorter story within the June Heal series but well written and thought out. It provides the necessary plot development to take us to the next level without gaps makes the series flow. This volume is only available in an electronic format. Some of the action involves conflict with the relatives over wedding plans , a theme known well by many from real life. They also.involve the usual elements of magic and mystery readers have come to rely on. Generally well done and worth the read both for the plot development and general entertainment.                   

                                                                                                                                                         

Hazardous Duty by Christy Barritt       Buying a gun to kill your wife: $3,000 Hiring Trauma Care to clean afterward: $1,500 Having that same cleaner uncover evidence that frames you: Priceless On her way to completing a degree in forensic science, Gabby St. Claire drops out of school and starts her own crime scene cleaning business. When a routine cleaning job uncovers a murder weapon the police overlooked, she realizes that the wrong person is in jail. But the owner of the weapon is a powerful foe . . . and willing to do anything to keep Gabby quiet. With the help of her new neighbor, Riley Thomas, a man whose life and faith fascinate her, Gabby plays the detective to make sure the right person is put behind bars. Can Riley help her before another murder occurs?                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Ok.so you've seen CSI but have you seen crime scene cleaners? Yes this specialty exists and its the work of theism character. A funny thing about being  a crime cbn scene cleaner sometimes perpetrators return to.the scene of the crime and sometimes.they want to destroy  evidence. This makes a lot of scary trouble fire our main protagonist who has some narrow escapes throughout the story. The characters were well developed in this introductory novel. The plot was solid and did not bore me into putting it down for a while. Lots of action and questions that kept me guessing .

Review:A CharmingGhost by Tonya Kappes

 Description : A Charming Ghost is the eighth book in the USA TODAY bestselling Magical Cures Mystery series. Come walk around Whispering Falls for a fun, fantasy mystery with magic and romance. You won't want to leave. Bubble... Bubble... June Heal and Oscar Park are still in the honeymoon stages of their marriage. Things couldn’t be better. The Holiday Bazaar is about to bestow upon the magical village of Whispering Falls and the town is abuzz with the excitement of a spiritual carnival coming to town. Cures and trouble... Patience Karima has a little ghost that just won’t cross over and June has reluctantly agreed to help her figure out what the ghost is holding on to besides Patience’s pet ostrich. Magic stirs... After the head of the spiritual carnival is found dead with one of June’s potions in his clutches, The Elders place June on village arrest until they can clear her name from murder. And troubles double... With the help of her familiars and one particular little ghost, June uses her sleuthing skills and a little magic to try to figure out how to clear her name. One problem, she has to leave Whispering Falls to find the answers. June uncovers deep dark secrets that should be left buried and could leave Oscar a widower.                                                                                                                                                                                                 My Review:                     Good plot develpment here with ties tomthe past for the Whispering Falls residents and a visit to.a.location June would rather forget. There touching and poignant thematic elements involving grief and loss as well as an old rival still trying to getbthe upper hand . Ms. Kappes keeps.you guessing and it doesn't get boring.