What happens after you die? Thereafter by Terri Bruce – Giveaway

Thereafter_Banner_Tour_450_x_169I was supposed to have a review ready for the tour, but due to a family emergency, I have not finished reading Thereafter by Terri Bruce.

Please keep your eyes open for the review in the very near future.

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Thereafter (Afterlife Book 2) by Terri Bruce

 Genre: Contemporary fantasy/paranormal

Publisher: Mictlan Press

 Date of Publication: May 1, 2014

 ISBN: 978-0-9913036-2-5 (print) / ISBN: 978-0-9913036-3-2 (ebook)

 Number of pages: 318

Word Count: 99,000

 Cover Artist: Artwork by Shelby Robinson; cover layout by Jennifer Stolzer

 Book Description

 When recently-deceased Irene Dunphy decided to “follow the light,” she thought she’d end up in Heaven or Hell and her journey would be over.

Boy, was she wrong.

She soon finds that “the other side” isn’t a final destination but a kind of purgatory where billions of spirits are stuck, with no way to move forward or back. Even worse, deranged phantoms known as “Hungry Ghosts” stalk the dead, intent on destroying them. The only way out is for Irene to forget her life on earth—including the boy who risked everything to help her cross over—which she’s not about to do.

As Irene desperately searches for an alternative, help unexpectedly comes in the unlikeliest of forms: a twelfth-century Spanish knight and a nineteenth-century American cowboy. Even more surprising, one offers a chance for redemption; the other, love. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to have either if she can’t find a way to escape the hellish limbo where they’re all trapped.

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Author’s Note

I am THRILLED beyond all measure to finally be able to bring you Thereafter, and I want to thank all the fans who have waited (more or less patiently) an extra year for this book to finally come out. Thereafter would not have been possible without your support—thank you all! I hope you love this beautiful new cover as much as I do, and I hope you find Thereafter to be worth the wait.

 Excerpt

 Her hand touched a rock, one of the flat beach stones she’d seen on graves. She picked it up, laying it flat in her palm. She didn’t remember picking this up. In fact, she had been careful not to take any. It had seemed disrespectful and too much like stealing to remove them, and while she’d seen a few here—both loose and piled in cairns—she hadn’t picked any of them up. There had been no point. What would she do with a rock?

No wonder her bag was so heavy.

She tossed the rock over her shoulder and heard it hit the ground with a satisfying thud some distance away. It felt good to be rid of something, to make a decision and be sure it was the right one.

She surveyed the pile again and then grabbed a small handful of paper animals. She picked one up between a finger and thumb. It was a horse. Irene had been in Chinatown during Chinese Ghost Festival, a holiday in which the living left offerings for the dead. These offerings included paper replicas of things people thought the dead would need in the afterlife—money, clothes, television sets, and even animals. Irene had admired the precise and delicate folds of the Origami figures and had picked some up to admire them more closely. Without thinking, she had dropped them into her bag and apparently been carrying them ever since.

Well, even Jonah couldn’t argue with her on this—there was no way she was going to need a paper horse on her journey through the afterlife. Plus, these didn’t hold any sentimental value. She cast the horse onto a nearby fire and watched as the paper curled and blackened in the low-burning flames.

The fire leapt and seemed to glow blue for a moment. Irene tensed—what was happening?

Thick black smoke began to rise slowly from the flames, spiraling upward in a thickening column. The smoke grew denser and then elongated sideways. Irene leapt to her feet and backed away, her heart pounding. Something was forming in the fire.

The smoke was taking shape now; there was purpose and design in its movements. She could see a long, horizontal back, four legs, a neck, and finally a head and a tail. The smoke swirled with a final flourish and then shuddered into the solidity of a smoke-colored horse. The animal blinked passively. Then it violently shook its head, blew out a breath, and delicately picked its way forward out of the fire. It immediately put its head down and began to lip the ground, looking for food.

Irene stared stupidly at it. “Are you shitting me?”

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 About the Author

 Terri BruceTerri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats.

Website/Blog   /  Goodreads Profile  Facebook Fan Page

  Twitter  Amazon Author Page

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 Would You Like A Glimpse of the Afterlife? Review of Hereafter by Terri Bruce

To get your copy of Hereafter or learn more about Terri Bruce, click on the cover below.

Get you Amazon copy of Thereafter by clicking on the cover below.

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taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and PhotosGIVEAWAY

2 $50 Amazon gift cards

5 signed paperback copies of Thereafter (U.S./Canada Only)

 ENTER THE RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY HERE

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

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A KILLER Freebie – Absolution by Susan Fleet

 

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ABSOLUTION is free Monday-Friday April 7-11, 2014 . Get your copy HERE.
Susan Fleet became a favorite author of mine as soon as I opened the pages of Natalie’s Revenge. I love her writing style and reading about the serial killers who run rampant through her novels.
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Beware! You never know! Who is your neighbor, really???????
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A serial killer preys on young women in New Orleans.
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Best Mystery/Suspense/Thriller of 2009 — The Premier Book Awards
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Add Shudder to Goodreads

 THEIR WORST NIGHTMARE . . . GETS WORSE

Vulnerable young women let a serial killer into their homes because they trust him.
The killer tortures them, kills them and takes a gruesome trophy.

IS THE KILLER A PRIEST? Everyone has something to hide. Some of the darkest secrets reside in a parish church. A tip from a prostitute leads New Orleans Detective Frank Renzi to believe the killer may be a priest.

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A ruthless stalker, the serial killer uses his position to snare more women. With Renzi hot on his trail, he persuades a teenaged girl to help him escape. Will Renzi be able to save her?

Who would YOU trust? A police officer or a priest?

Praise from the critics:

  • “A killer thriller!” Jan Herman, Arts Journal
  • “relentless tempo … sharp writing.” Kirkus Discovery
  • “Creole-flavored suspense!” The Sun Chronicle
  • “Fleet has created a crime drama far above the ordinary whodunit. A wholehearted “Bravo!” — Kathy Hunt, The Florida Times-Union
  • First class writing! Fleet goes inside the head of the killer with a rare talent.” — C.J. Gregory

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AMAZON BUY LINKS

US / UK / Canada / Germany / France / Spain / Italy / Brazil

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Fleet Music & Mayhem is my game. Started my trumpet career in my teens, got into the mayhem later. My print journalist father taught me how to play pool in the police station. Maybe that’s how I discovered my dark side.

After gigging on trumpet in the Boston area for many years (while teaching at Brown University and Berklee College of Music), I moved to New Orleans, which became the setting for my crime thrillers.

I survived Katrina, but moved back to Boston in 2010. On my website I post profiles of women musicians and just began a blog, DARK DEEDS, about serial killers, stalkers and domestic homicides. Please come visit!!

You can stalk Susan at the links below:

Website / Goodreads / You Tube / Amazon Author Page

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To see my 5 STAR Review of Natalie’s Revenge, go HERE.

To see my 5 STAR Review of Absolution, go HERE.

To see my 5 STAR Review of Diva, go HERE.

To see my 5 STAR Review of Jackpot, go HERE.

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To get your copy of Jackpot, or any other Susan Fleet book, click on the cover below.
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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cover Reveal – Life After Death – Thereafter by Terri Bruce

<<< Gremlins have attacked my blog.Please be patient while we locate them >>>

Thereafter_Banner_Cover_Reveal_450_x_169

I read Hereafter, Book I, and fell in love with Irene. I have been waiting for Thereafter and am very excited to be a part of this tour.

Would You Like A Glimpse of the Afterlife? Review of Hereafter by Terri Bruce

thereafter_ebook

Thereafter, Afterlife, Book 2 by Terri Bruce

 Genre: Contemporary fantasy/paranormal

 Publisher: Mictlan Press

 Date of Publication: May 1, 2014

 ISBN: 978-0-9913036-2-5 (print) /

ISBN: 978-0-9913036-3-2 (ebook)

Number of pages: 318

Word Count: 99,000

 Cover Artist: Artwork by Shelby Robinson;

Cover layout by Jennifer Stolzer

 Book Description

When recently-deceased Irene Dunphy decided to “follow the light,” she thought she’d end up in Heaven or Hell and her journey would be over.

Boy, was she wrong.

She soon finds that “the other side” isn’t a final destination but a kind of purgatory where billions of spirits are stuck, with no way to move forward or back. Even worse, deranged phantoms known as “Hungry Ghosts” stalk the dead, intent on destroying them. The only way out is for Irene to forget her life on earth—including the boy who risked everything to help her cross over—which she’s not about to do.

As Irene desperately searches for an alternative, help unexpectedly comes in the unlikeliest of forms: a twelfth-century Spanish knight and a nineteenth-century American cowboy. Even more surprising, one offers a chance for redemption; the other, love. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to have either if she can’t find a way to escape the hellish limbo where they’re all trapped.

 Author’s Note

I am THRILLED beyond all measure to finally be able to bring you Thereafter, and I want to thank all the fans who have waited (more or less patiently) an extra year for this book to finally come out. Thereafter would not have been possible without your support—thank you all! I hope you love this beautiful new cover as much as I do, and I hope you find Thereafter to be worth the wait.

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EXCERPT

Her hand touched a rock, one of the flat beach stones she’d seen on graves. She picked it up, laying it flat in her palm. She didn’t remember picking this up. In fact, she had been careful not to take any. It had seemed disrespectful and too much like stealing to remove them, and while she’d seen a few here—both loose and piled in cairns—she hadn’t picked any of them up. There had been no point. What would she do with a rock?

No wonder her bag was so heavy.

She tossed the rock over her shoulder and heard it hit the ground with a satisfying thud some distance away. It felt good to be rid of something, to make a decision and be sure it was the right one.

She surveyed the pile again and then grabbed a small handful of paper animals. She picked one up between a finger and thumb. It was a horse. Irene had been in Chinatown during Chinese Ghost Festival, a holiday in which the living left offerings for the dead. These offerings included paper replicas of things people thought the dead would need in the afterlife—money, clothes, television sets, and even animals. Irene had admired the precise and delicate folds of the Origami figures and had picked some up to admire them more closely. Without thinking, she had dropped them into her bag and apparently been carrying them ever since.

Well, even Jonah couldn’t argue with her on this—there was no way she was going to need a paper horse on her journey through the afterlife. Plus, these didn’t hold any sentimental value. She cast the horse onto a nearby fire and watched as the paper curled and blackened in the low-burning flames.

The fire leapt and seemed to glow blue for a moment. Irene tensed—what was happening?

Thick black smoke began to rise slowly from the flames, spiraling upward in a thickening column. The smoke grew denser and then elongated sideways. Irene leapt to her feet and backed away, her heart pounding. Something was forming in the fire.

The smoke was taking shape now; there was purpose and design in its movements. She could see a long, horizontal back, four legs, a neck, and finally a head and a tail. The smoke swirled with a final flourish and then shuddered into the solidity of a smoke-colored horse. The animal blinked passively. Then it violently shook its head, blew out a breath, and delicately picked its way forward out of the fire. It immediately put its head down and began to lip the ground, looking for food.

Irene stared stupidly at it. “Are you shitting me?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Terri BruceTerri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats.

 Website/Blog   /  Goodreads Profile  Facebook Fan Page

  Twitter  Amazon Author Page

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 Would You Like A Glimpse of the Afterlife? Review of Hereafter by Terri Bruce

To get your copy of Hereafter or learn more about Terri Bruce, click on the cover below.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and PhotosGIVEAWAY

1 $25 Amazon gift card
5 Thereafter swag packs –open to US Shipping

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Would You Like A Glimpse of the Afterlife? Review of Hereafter by Terri Bruce

Read on!

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Hereafter

Afterlife  Book One

Terri Bruce

Genre: Paranormal/Contemporary Fantasy

 Publisher: Mictlan Press    /     Date of Publication:  January 20, 2014

ISBN: 978-0-9913036-0-1    /    ISBN: 978-0-9913036-1-8

Number of pages: 369    /    Word Count:  111,000

Cover Artist: Shelby Robinson

BOOK DESCRIPTION

 Thirty-six-year-old Irene Dunphy didn’t plan on dying any time soon, but that’s exactly what happens when she makes the mistake of getting behind the wheel after a night bar-hopping with friends. She finds herself stranded on earth as a ghost, where the food has no taste, the alcohol doesn’t get you drunk, and the sex…well, let’s just say “don’t bother.” To make matters worse, the only person who can see her—courtesy of a book he found in his school library—is a fourteen-year-old boy genius obsessed with the afterlife.

Unfortunately, what waits in the Great Beyond isn’t much better. Stuck between the boring life of a ghost in this world and the terrifying prospect of three-headed hell hounds, final judgment, and eternal torment in the next, Irene sets out to find a third option—preferably one that involves not being dead anymore. Can she wipe the slate clean and get a second chance before it’s too late?

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MY REVIEW

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Well, it’s just, because…you know. You’re…”  “Well…dead”

When she awoke in the morning, it all came back to her. She had searched the web for information about ghosts and the after life, but found nothing describing her situation.

She got in the shower and brushed her teeth. She felt, just because she was dead, that was no reason she shouldn’t take care of normal hygiene.

Suddenly, it came to her. There must be others in the same situation as hers. So she left the house in search of more answers.

When Irene waved to Mrs. Boine, she waved back. She ran up on the porch and began talking to her, only to find out she was dead too. As they talked two little girls came out asking for Grandma to push them. Mrs. Boine told Irene that they couldn’t see her, yet they knew she was there.

Irene came right out and asked Mrs. Boine what she was supposed to do? Where was she supposed to go? Mrs. Boine said she had everything she could want right where she was, so why should she go anywhere.

Irene was in Limbo, but at least now she knew she wasn’t the only ghost. She found that ghosts tended to have an aura about them. She couldn’t help but wonder – Where’s the bright light? – like in the Ghost Whisperer.

She found herself in front of a house and noticed the name Johnson.Why did that sound familiar to her? Then she remembered, the kid, Jonah could see her and his name had been Johnson. But what could a 14-year-old kid tell her? She felt she had to talk to him. She went in the house, even though he wasn’t home, and she hadn’t been invited in. It was obvious from his bedroom he was alive and well. But why could he see her? She knew he could be unseen, invisible to others, too.  Why? How?

book of spells

She left a note and hoped he would come find her. When he did, he told her he found a book with spells, about astral projection and transcendental meditation. They talked about what he had discovered from reading books. She kept asking him questions. How would she get to the afterlife? What was ahead for her?

“You’re like a two-year old, you know that,” was his response.

And so began their journey to find the answers that would help Irene move on.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos   4 STARS – Would Highly Recommend To Others

Pretty cover and an appropriate title.

I got some chuckles when…..Well, I can’t tell you. For the subject of death, I really like Terri Bruce’s approach to it and the afterlife and the time in between. How would you react? What would you feel like if life went on without you? Is there life after death? Funny light-hearted look at death. A lot of food for thought in this book.

Irene –  was a spoiled rotten brat. Selfish. The 14-year-old kid acted more like an adult than she did. She didn’t put her full effort into her job, even though she liked it. Definitely liked drinking and had no qualms about calling in sick, after partying all night. She felt she had done what she was supposed to do, wasn’t that enough? She had an education, a good job, family, friends and a love life. What else was there?

Jokes

“Why aren’t ghosts good at telling lies?”   ” Because you can see right through them.”

“…what kind of mistakes do ghosts make…”   “Boo-boos.”

“What kind of street does a host live on?”  “A dead-end.”

“Who does a ghost invite to his party?”   “Anyone he can dig up.”

Quotes

Cops Undead: Miami

“Today is the first day of your afterlife”

“You can’t come in. I didn’t invite you. ”That’s vampires.” “

“Here take my sock, it’s stinky, just like you”

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

The book brought to mind Charmed, Supernatural and Ghost Whisperer, three TV shows that deal with magic, death, ghosts, the supernatural, the paranormal……when Irene and Jonah talked about scrying, finding lost objects, spells…..made me think of all three shows.

Maybe ignorance is bliss. Maybe we are better off not knowing what is to come. What is life about? The infamous, why me? Regrets? Set a wrong right? Unfinished business. Who does the judging? What are the rules?

The ending wraps it up nicely and left me with a warm fuzzy feeling and a smile. All’s well that ends well, went through my mind.

Hereafter on Goodreads | Shelfari | Library Thing

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Terri BruceTerri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember and won her first writing award when she was twelve. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats. Her second novel, Thereafter (Afterlife #2), will be released May 1, 2014.

 

Website/BlogGoodreads / Facebook  / Twitter

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To get your copy of Hereafter or learn more about Terri Bruce, click on the cover below.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Blog Tour Party with Terri Bruce for Hereafter

Dragon Lady Step Aside For Natalie – Review

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Natalie’s Revenge – A Frank Renzi Novel by Susan Fleet

Natalie's Revenge (Frank Renzi, #3)

1988 – As soon as she woke up, she knew something was wrong.

Natalie was only ten, but she doubted her mom when she said she worked so late because she was a hostess at some fancy restaurant. Natalie was always home alone and never opened the door for anyone. When the doorbell rang, she looked out the peephole. It was a woman cop and she knew Natalie’s name. She went on to tell her that her mom was dead.

July 2008 – Renzi was called out in the middle of the night for a body with a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. It was a hit. Renzi’s partner, Kenyon Miller was on his way. When he arrived, he told Renzi that he knew him. He was a bigwig at the new casino – The BABYLON.

The victim, Arnold, had been a good father, but a womanizer. He and his wife lived separate lives and it came out that he had a gambling problem. Could it be a disgruntled husband? A Business partner? His Wife? A Loan shark?

As they went over the security tapes from the Hotel Bienvenue, where Peterson was staying, Renzi saw her. She entered Peterson’s room. Her hat and sunglasses covered her face, but he noticed her walk, that she was fit and athletic. He also noticed a tattoo on her ankle. High priced hooker?

At the Sunshine Inn, June Carson was preparing to leave town. Her next stop was Circle K for travel supplies. She saw she was being watched by a guy in a cowboy hat. She left quickly, but he followed her, then called her name “Natalie”. It was an old classmate, Tex Conroy, from Pecos, Texas.. He had recognized her firebird pendant – her good luck charm. Not so good now. She knew what she had to do, get him off in an isolated place.

https://i0.wp.com/www.tarrdaniel.com/images/visions/phoenix/phoenix19.jpg?w=584

After her mother’s death, she was sent to her Uncle, Jerome Brixton in Pecos Texas.  She liked to watch America’s Most Wanted and wondered what it would be like to run from the law. She researched her Vietnamese heritage and chose birds and mountains to protect herself. If she didn’t avenge her mother’s death, would angry spirits ruin her life?

Her cousin, Randy, called her slant eyes and gook. When she adopted a kitten, Randy killed it. She vowed she would make him pay.

Chinese proverbAll warfare is based on deception. Natalie learned Tae (strike) Kwon (strike with fist) Do (means way). She learned Jiapsul – pressure points. Part of the Tae Kwan Do oath was,  “I shall be a champion of justice and freedom”.” She liked that. Justice for her mom. Freedom for herself. She learned to shoot guns because sometimes martial arts wouldn’t be enough.

As Renzi investigated Tex’s death in Pecos, the name Natale came up. She was accused of killing her cousin, Randy. He fell off a cliff at a family picnic. She wasn’t charged, but Renzi felt she was the one.

She knows he is closing in on her, but nothing was going to stop her from fulfilling her destiny.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos    5 STARS – Would Buy It For Them (lol)

I love the cover. Red is very eye-catching and who doesn’t love a shoot ’em up female protagonist. She even holds the gun properly. The title speaks for itself. The “package” made me want to pick it up and read it the moment I got it.

New Orleans. I’ve spent a lot of time visiting New Orleans. I love to read about places I’ve been to and am so familiar with. It seems to add something extra.

Once Renzi got to Pecos, I read faster and faster, learning about Natalie and her life in Pecos. I could feel the suspense building as I wondered how Renzi would catch her and wishing he wouldn’t. Very well written. I was unable to put it down. I had to know what was going to happen to her.

I love when the character, whether a book, TV show or movie, has to seek justice for themselves, like Death Wish . I have watched them so many times, I feel like I know all the characters intimately. I loved all the Death wishes, so I knew I would love this book. Of course, if everyone did it, we’d be like the Wild West.  I rooted for her to exact her revenge and get away with it, even though she might have went too far.

I loved that Natalie went about her life, doing what she had to do to accomplish her goal, made me feel more empathy for her. Stripping, hooking and sacrificing her life, so she could put things right. Feeling as if her heritage demanded it  or she would be haunted for the rest of her life. She became an actess, a chameleon.  She had seven words to live by – Be what they want you to be. She trusted no one and relied only on herself.

I loved her single-mindedness to achieve her goal and the sacrifices she made, but then what? She really wanted what we all want, but she needed answers to be able to move on. And after all she had done, how could she have a “normal” life?

How far would you go to make sure someone paid for destroying a loved one’s life? Would you be able to do whatever it takes to make them pay?

Loved it when Vobitch kicked Hammer out of his office. I loved the dialogue between Renzi, his partner Kenyon and his boss, Vobitch. A verbal jousting match. Sarcastic, back and forth bantering, like Lisbon and Jane on The Mentalist.

Multiple story lines throughout the plot. Renzi is in love with Kelly who is also a cop. Hurricane Gail is heading for New Orleans. Guess a lot of us know what that entails.

Ending? Loved it. I sat there with my mouth hanging open, thinking…….Let me………………… Nope, you’ll have to find out for yourself.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Susan Fleet  Music & Mayhem is my game. Started my trumpet career in my teens, got into the mayhem later. My print journalist father taught me how to play pool in the police station. Maybe that’s how I discovered my dark side.

After gigging on trumpet in the Boston area for many years (while teaching at Brown University and Berklee College of Music), I moved to New Orleans, which became the setting for my crime thrillers. Scroll down and check the video trailers for DIVA and ABSOLUTION.

I survived Katrina, but moved back to Boston in 2010. On my website I post profiles of women musicians and just began a blog, DARK DEEDS, about serial killers, stalkers and domestic homicides. Please come visit!!

SUSAN’S HANGOUTS

Website  Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

taiwan flag smiley animated gif Pictures, Images and Photos  Susan is offering 2 ebooks for the Giveaway – one for the US and one for the UK. Easy entry as always, just answer her question – New Orleans has many local coffee shops, but one is particularly famous. Not only that, I set one early scene at the coffee shop in Absolution, my first Frank Renzi mystery.   What’s the name of the coffee shop? Have you ever been there? – and leave your email address.

Closed. Winners are Laura Thomas and Emily Guido.

Giveaway will run from 12/12 – 12/26.

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My Reviews for Natalie’s Books

Dragon Lady Step Aside For Natalie – Review

Is Winning the Lottery a Curse or a Blessing – Jackpot by Susan Fleet

Review of Diva by Susan Fleet

Review of Absolution by Susan Fleet

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To order any of the books, simply click on the cover below.

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To see all my Reviews, go HERE.
To see all my Giveaways, go HERE.

If you like what you see, why don’t you follow me?

animated smilies photo: animated animated.gifLook below or on the right sidebar at Home and let’s talk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you been “Chosen” ? Review and Giveaway

Dark Passage: Chosen by M. L. Woolley

Dark Passage ( Chosen (Book 1)

Bill had come to Olalla about a year ago, after seeing a TV program about a paranormal investigation. He thought he might find an idea for his new book. He had noticed the large Victorian house and saw there was an estate sale being held, so he went in to look around. He found an old Bible that he wanted to buy and approached the sales lady. As she gave him a receipt, she also handed him a real estate brochure. He arranged for a full tour of the house and bought it.

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Jen was remembering when her and her dad used to visit Olalla. She had great memories of the times they had spent there. Her attorney, Peter, told her about the need for his client to have someone to house-sit and Ivy thought it would be the perfect opportunity for her to get away from John. She would be able to live in the house for free, so she could get out of debt and finish nursing school. The cat liked Jen and Ivy told her that was a good sign. She felt the house was welcoming her.

John was angry she had been out with Ivy. When he punched her, he was afraid he killed her. He knew Jen was moving on and leaving him behind, but he just couldn’t let her go. Like any abusive husband, he told her it was her own fault. She made him hit her. He had threatened to kill her. Jen was going to file a restraining and divorce papers against John.

With John’s increased violence and her mother’s death, she was so miserable she created an alternate world for herself in her dreams. She had an imaginary friend and the dreams she had of him seemed so very real to her.

Dr. Winter was Jen’s boss. She told him she needed a week off to move away from John.  What could he say, except yes. He really didn’t want to hear about her personal problems. While Jen was going through procedures for filing the restraining order, she saw Lisa and Dr. Winter at the courthouse. The thought went through her mind, what are they doing here, together?

Dr. Winter and Lisa are plotting, trying to pull the plug on Bill, who is in a coma. Lisa would do anything to get her hands on Bill’s house. Her life is on the line. As they stand over Bill’s bed talking, they never stop to think that Bill can hear everything they say. He knows his fate is out of his hands, and their plans for him are not good.

Ivy helped Jen pack up her belongings from the house she shared with John and took them to the house she would be looking after. Ivy stayed for dinner and as she got ready to leave Jen to her first night at the house, John called ranting and raving. She asked if Jen wanted her to stay, but she told her John didn’t know where she was, so it would be OK.

For Bill, Jen’s dreams were his reality. When he kissed her, he felt the passion. On the beach with her, he could hear the waves crashing on the shore and smell the salt in the air. How long would he be allowed to meet with her like this?

In Jen’s dream she had found a watch with the initials J P on the beach and in the morning found it wrapped and lying outside the front door. Had he delivered it to her and if he did, how? He was only in her dreams.

The house had been left as if the owner just walked away. She knew something had to have happened quickly, with no time to prepare, and felt the house wanted her to find out why. As she went through the photo albums she had found, she was stunned to realize – it was the man in her dreams, Bill Nichols. She found a key and knew it was meant for her to find it. Since her mother had died she felt a supernatural connection to things. Jen doesn’t realize that all the spirits around her are not good. Some have an agenda of their own.

John found Jen, but something had found him – a woman, the Angel of Death. When he tried to approach the house, he saw an apparition in the window that terrified him. As he ran he found the woman, who told him – “It’s begun”.

Jen: She was outgoing and fun to be with, until John started having problems and taking it out on her. After her mother died, she felt lost. She was unsure of herself. She created an alternate world with an invisible lover.

Lisa – The cat didn’t like Lisa, why? She was so beautiful, that people would stop and stare when they saw her. She was a very good liar and could usually get people to give her whatever she wanted from them. She thought she was the center of the world.

Ivy: Ivy was Jen’s best friend since childhood. They were like sisters. She was always there for Jen. She always looked impeccable, her hair and makeup perfect.  Since her family died, she had felt such survivor’s guilt that it was hard to carry on in the land of the living. She took risks that could have ended very badly, maybe ending her life. Did she care? She always had a special affinity with horses, they made her feel free.

Bill: As he lies in a coma, he appears in Jen’s dreams, not sure how it is happening or why. He knows his love for her is forbidden and doesn’t know what will happen because of it. He hears and knows what is going on around him, but is unable to do anything about it.

Peter:  He is Bill’s childhood friend. Since Bill has been in his coma, he has become his guardian. When he receives emails from Bill, he wonders how that could possibly happen.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos   4 Stars – Would highly recommend to Others

Won on Laura,s (fuonlyknew) blog giveaway back in June. I love the misty cover. Created an aura of mystery and intrigue as I delved further into the picture trying to see all there was to see hidden in the mist. The book blurb made the cover and title seem an appropriate fit. Now, lets see if it all comes together as I read the book.

Prologue hooked me. It fit everything that the cover and title inveighed. It made me think that the story to come would take me through an adventure of reality and magic, good and evil, revenge and redemption. The title fits the story as the characters pass through the door from reality to the supernatural. I expected a good read and got one. The characters were well-developed and made me feel a wide range of emotions as I read through the book.  I finished it in one sitting. Even though it is not a quick read, I found myself unable to put it down.

A few editing errors but did not affect or change the flow of the story or alter my rating. While there is a Book II, this book ties up the story nicely and gives you a quick peek into the future.

   Giveaway: M. L. Woolley has been gracious enough to offer as a giveaway 5ebooks and one Paperback. As always the entry is easy.  Contest ends September 3, 2012 so be sure and enter soon. Simply comment below.

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