Jane Blythe has been entertaining me with her stories for some time now, and Forgotten did not let me down. Even though I knew a lot of what would happen from previous novels, it still felt like the first time. Glad I put some distance in between books.
OMG! OMG! OMG! JANE! JANE! JANE! Even though I knew a lot of what would happen because I read the previous novels, it still felt like the first time and you blew me away.
I love these characters and it is so wonderful being back with them again. They are all flawed in their own ways, but I would still want them by my side in a clutch situation. Jane has put them through hell…repeatedly…and does not give them a break in Forgotten.
Their past comes back to haunt them, over and over again. Secrets will be exposed…and trouble, which is Tessa’s middle name, will find them.
Tessa and Parker’s inability to get past their own insecurities and trust in each other causes a separation they may never be able to overcome. Do we ever really know a person? People are not always what they seem.
Jane has brought all the events in the previous books into play and wraps it up in a NOT pretty package. She has no trouble killing off her characters and the loss of this one was gut wrenching. Even though I knew it was going to happen, I still had all the feels I did the first time around, maybe even more.
The villains are monstrous, but I understand how they got that way. I see their motivation, empathize with their pain, but they know right from wrong and there can be no forgiveness.
It broke my heart when Maisy…and then Jane finished me off with… Tears were rolling down my face as….I couldn’t hold them back. Sometimes knowing what’s coming doesn’t change anything.
You only get one shot at life and you had to make it count.We’re all responsible for our own choices.”
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Forgotten by Jane Blythe.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Sometimes love can’t conquer all.
With his relationship to wife Tessa strained almost to the point of breaking, Detective Parker Bell finds himself once again becoming too invested in his latest case, that of a young woman who was kidnapped and is suffering from amnesia. As he becomes intrigued by and attracted to the beautiful and mysterious young woman he names Hope his friends and family feel that he is losing his objectivity, and risking everything he cares about in the process.
Meanwhile Tessa is working to battle her demons and finally become the woman who can give her husband what he needs. When Parker pulls away from her, intent on helping his newest project, Tessa must figure out what secrets Hope is hiding before it’s too late. Unfortunately Hope’s secrets will end up costing someone their life.
↝ Trigger warning – themes of sexual assault ↜
ABOUT JANE BLYTHE
Jane
has loved reading and writing since she can remember. She writes dark
and disturbing crime/mystery/suspense with some romance thrown in
because, well, who doesn’t love romance? She has one completed series,
Detective Parker Bell, and one new series, Count to Ten.
When she’s not writing Jane loves to
read, bake, go to the beach, ski, horse ride, and watch Disney movies.
She has a black belt in Taekwondo, and a 200+ collection of teddy bears.
She has the world’s two most sweet and pretty Dalmatians, Ivory and
Pearl. Oh, and she also enjoys spending time with family and friends!
Every so often I will follow an email link from NetGalley and check out what’s happening. I try to limit how many books I grab at one time…you know how that is. I found some books by Joanna Schaffhousen and grabbed a couple. I would like to thank NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Joanna Schaffhausen for the opportunity to read and share them.
I immediately began reading No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen after finishing The Vanishing Season. I am loving the author and her characters and eagerly begin.
We start where we left off in The Vanishing Season. Each book can stand alone, though I highly recommend beginning at the beginning, because once Ellery got under my skin, I had to know… Each mystery, in this case two mysteries, end with my complete satisfaction and leave me wanting more. Now…let’s get to it.
Ellery Hathaway is on leave because of what happened. And that you will need to find out for yourself. Even though No Mercy is Book II, Joanna Schaffhausen will fill you in on the necessities.
Reed Markham is getting a divorce. He is an FBI profiler, so for those of you who watch Criminal Minds, you can see the complications that would entail for those left at home.
I love Joanna Schaffhausen’s ability to show me Tula, Reed’s daughter. I can see the little firecracker racing around, not happy with her pigtails daddy did because they are a bit lopsided. She’s ready for mommy to pick her up, but she’s so caught up in just being, she forgot she doesn’t have any shoes on. Joanna’s ability to show me the event had me smiling as I watched her.
Ellery had never been on a date. After her abduction at fourteen years old, I can understand why. Sure, she has sex. But she uses it like a weapon. Romance? She doesn’t believe it can ever happen for her after what Francis Coben, the serial killer did to her. Even though he is in prison, so is she. He is always with her…in her mind.
Something happens. I won’t tell you what, but Reed comes rushing to her side, leaving with just the clothes on his back. He saved her once, and he is determined to not let anything else happen to her. Little does he know, trouble seems to find her…or does she go looking for it? There is no romance between them, but, I wonder….
A note…
“You really think I’m unlucky enough to attract the attention of a third serial killer?”
Imagine yourself and everything about you splashed all over the internet. You even have a Wikipedia page, telling of the horrors inflicted on you by a serial killer. People building websites devoted to you…of HIM…the trolls, the filthy, disgusting…
Even though this is fiction, it reads like a true story. I don’t know how Ellery could even step outside her home. Especially on a dark night. I don’t know if I would every leave my house again. Could you? I would have alarms on every access point, the outside lit up as if it’s daytime and, at least, ONE BIG guard dog.
When it came time for Reed to leave, his boss giving him an ultimatum, I knew he couldn’t do it. There’s a rapist on the loose, an old arson case, and someone is messing with Ellery.
I love that he cooks for her, and stays with her. He’s a good cook and it is a definite improvement over the fast food she lives on. He refuses to leave her home alone.
Joanna’ Schaffhausen’s characters are the lowest of the low and the highest of the high. They range from the pond scum that doesn’t deserve to breath air to the knight in shining armor that all children dream about.
Ellery’s need to help others makes her a target all too often, but it leads to lots of non stop action and intense mysteries. Danger lurks around every corner and even comes knocking on her door. Joanna Schaffhausen stacks mystery on top of mystery, because one isn’t enough. LOL
Reed: “I want you to stop taking chances with your life.”
Ellery: “You forget. I’m living on borrowed time.”
OMG. Joanna Schaffhausen continues to blow me away with her in your face, can’t put down, take my breath away suspense.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of No Mercy by Joanna Schaffhausen.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Police officer Ellery Hathaway and FBI profiler Reed Markham take on two difficult new cases in this stunning follow-up to The Vanishing Season.
No Mercy is award-winning author Joanna Schaffhausen’s heart-pounding second novel.
Police
officer Ellery Hathaway is on involuntary leave from her job because
she shot a murderer in cold blood and refuses to apologize for it.
Forced into group therapy for victims of violent crime, Ellery
immediately finds higher priorities than “getting in touch with her
feelings.”
For one, she suspects a fellow group member may have
helped to convict the wrong man for a deadly arson incident years ago.
For another, Ellery finds herself in the desperate clutches of a woman
who survived a brutal rape. He is still out there, this man with the
Spider-Man-like ability to climb through bedroom windows, and his victim
beseeches Ellery for help in capturing her attacker.
Ellery seeks
advice from her friend, FBI profiler Reed Markham, who liberated her
from a killer’s closet when she was a child. Reed remains drawn to this
unpredictable woman, the one he rescued but couldn’t quite save. The
trouble is, Reed is up for a potential big promotion, and his boss has
just one condition for the new job—stay away from Ellery. Ellery ignores
all the warnings. Instead, she starts digging around in everyone’s past
but her own—a move that, at best, could put her out of work
permanently, and at worst, could put her in the city morgue.
ABOUT JOANNA SCHAFFHAUSEN
Joanna Schaffhausen wields a mean scalpel, sharp skills she
developed in her years studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in
psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain―how
it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked
as a scientific editor in the field of drug development. Prior to that,
she was an editorial producer for ABC News, writing for programs such
as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in
the Boston area with her husband, daughter, and an obstreperous basset
hound.
The Psycho Collection is no longer available as a boxed set. I am reviewing the books for the Blogger Shame Challenge, because it is way overdue. I read the books in 2016 and will be reviewing them individually.
I only find the audiobook and paperback for Psycho Inside Me available at this time. I don’t know how I ended up reviewing Dictating Death on 2.5.15, finished reading Psycho Inside me on 5.18.16 and Watch Me Burn on 5.21.16. I think because they can stand alone and I reviewed Dictating Death before the boxed set came out, which is no longer available.
MY REVIEW FOR PSYCHO INSIDE ME
Action from the getgo.
The sheriff’s son, Deegan, helps the preacher’s daughter cover up the death of bad boy Bobby. They were friends, but this changed their relationship, brought them closer.
Her instinct was to take his ring for a trophy, but Deegan had a better idea. A tattoo.
The death changed her and now she is on the run. She is fueled by nightmares of Bobby, but determined not to be caught.
Are monster born or raised? That age old question, what creates a monster? I am always curious about what drives people to do some of the most heinous acts to others.
Justice doesn’t always come to the rescue and sometimes taking the matter into your own hand is the only answer. I do believe the world has a lot more grey, than black and white.
I didn’t see the direction Bonnie R Paulson was going to take with Psycho Inside me, but I do love the Bonnie and Clyde vigilante aspect. I can always relate to a vigilante and I guess that says something about me. LOL She is a badass psycho and I love her…and her boyfriend too. I feel her need to take down the bullies and pedophiles that prey on children. They do deserve the worst that can be heaped on them…and her name is Cassie.
She trained. She is only a young teenager, but she becomes a predator, created by those whotreated her as prey. I love how she is changing from her 13 year old innocent ways, forcing herself to become a calculating weapon of justice. Fine by me is she wipes out the perverts. You may feel the same way after reading about the degenerates.
The world is dark, with rays of sun shining through when the clouds lift in her mind.
How will this end? Will she be killed in one of the attacks? I want it to end well for her, regardless of what she has done. I love a characters that can win me over so completely.
Molestation and sexual assault are difficult subjects to face and talk about, but Bonnie R Paulsonwants you to know…YOU ARE NOT ALONE..you can survive.
Psycho Inside Me by Bonnie R Paulson….BLEW MY MIND.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Psycho Inside Me by Bonnie R Paulson.
I’m going over the falls and into deep water. And I go willingly.
Maria hated waiting for the death part. The fun was in the lead-in to the final act – the revenge.
The creepiness of the cover drew me in and after reading the blurb, I was hooked. Knowing what’s inside only whet my appetite for blood. And I got it. Right from the getgo. From the opening pages the knife was cutting, the blood flowing, the torture beyond belief. It wasn’t enough to kill. It must be a long, drawn out, painful and excruciating death. And Maria reveled in it.
Samantha and Maria are at odds with each other. Samantha wants to love Doctor Luke Lawson, while Maria wants to kill him. Call them the Threat Specialists – one is proud, the other horrified. What is the end game? What creates someone so twisted, reveling in brutality, savagery, enjoying the kill? Maybe you will find out…if you read Dictating Death by Bonnie R Paulson
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Dictating Death by Bonnie R Paulson
4 Stars
MY REVIEW FOR WATCH ME BURN
Levi had been burned in the romance department, so when Megan hit on him, he did all he could to avoid her. But she wanted him and friendship was not enough. Even though Chelsea had already staked her claim.
How far will she go to hold onto Levi? Are they living a story of Fatal Attraction?
Levi and Chelsea’s relationship was toxic. Now he feels he must remain along…hiding.
When he saw the FOR RENT sign, I thought, “OH NO!” The game is on.
Such a twisted, perverted definition of love, which could turn fatal. Will it? And for whom?
Stalking. Abuse. Rape.
Pathetic excuse for a man. How can he be ‘trained’ to accept his role? Can you fix what is so badly broken?
Not enough time passed for Chelsea to win Megan’s trust, but the story is short, so I can see why things happend so fast. I would love to see Bonnie R Paulson flesh the story out and take it to an even deeper, darker level. BUT, I love it. Twisting and turning to the end.
I voluntarily reviewed a copy of Watch Me Burn by Bonnie R Paulson.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Everyone has a little Psycho inside… ***BOX SET***
Psycho Inside Me
I
killed my first victim at thirteen years old – my age, not his. He was
going to rape me, him and a couple of his friends. And so, I killed him.
And then… I killed again. And again.
At seventeen, I’m killing
four to six times a year – maybe more. Don’t stress out. I only go
after the pedophiles and rapists. There are more out there than I could
cover in a lifetime.
Saying I did this on my own would be
selfish. Enforcing justice holds a glory all its own. But now, my
lifelong friend and backup, Deegan, has been arrested. I have to decide
if I want to give myself up and take his place or leave him with all the
damning evidence. I don’t want to stop killing. But if I let him take
the fall, I can’t kill anymore. And I need to keep doing that.
But the worst part of it all? I love him.
Dictating Death
Samantha wants to love him.
Maria wants to kill him.
Dr.
Luke Lawson has no idea that the girl he’s dating has split
personalities fighting to control her body. Samantha must keep Luke safe
at all costs.
If Samantha wins, Maria will die and disappear forever – taking Samantha with her.
If Maria wins, Dr. Lawson will die and she and Samantha will move on to the next doctor – the next kill.
But Luke is special.
He could save Samantha from herself… but only if Samantha can save him.
Watch Me Burn
Levi
I’ve been in love and it hurts.
We hurt each other.
On purpose.
I can’t escape the guilt.
Megan
I don’t want to be just friends with Levi.
But I will be.
He’s been hurt before and I just want to be there for him.
Someone needs to be on his side.
Chelsea
Levi Cole is mine.
I want him.
She can’t have him.
She needs to die.
crazy,
standalone, stalker, psycho series, psychological thriller, ya
thriller, ya romantic suspense, YA survivor fiction, ya psychological
romance, relationships, psychology
ABOUT BONNIE R PAULSON
Bonnie R. Paulson mixes her science and
medical background with reality and possibilities to make even myths
seem likely and give every romance the genetic strength to survive.
Bonnie has discovered a dark and twisty turn in her writing that she
hopes you enjoy as much as she has enjoyed uncovering it. Dirt biking
with her family in the Northwest keeps her sane.
The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! Carole P Roman came in the package I received with Brit Lunden’s The Devil and Dayna Dalton, part of the Bulwark Anthology.
If you are looking for some laughs for your little ones, or some tongue twisters for yourself, this may be one of those books you would love to have along on those road trips.
Carole P Romance sent me The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids and after reading it, I wanted to get this review out before Christmas.
Here’s a silly state for you: Laughter is good for you! It decreases the chemicals in our bodies that make us sick and increases the ones that make us feel better.
Do you have a little comedian or prankster in your household? Do you want something to help entertain the kiddos while taking that road trip? Are you someone who loves a good laugh?
We have jokes, riddles, tongue twisters, puns, knock knock jokes…and silly stats and wonderful illustrations to add that something extra. We have fun with pirates, vegetables, snowmen, critters, sports, if you can think of a subject, there’s probably a joke about it in this collection.
I found myself trying to solve the riddles and say the tongue twisters. I wouldn’t be surprised if you do too.
At the back of the book, Carole P Roman supplies some ruled pages and helpful hints to create your own, or your children’s own, funny moments.
Just because a joke is clean, doesn’t mean it can’t crack you up. I think, like me, you will find some of these familiar and others a nice addition to you repertoire.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids by Carole P Roman.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Tons of jokes, tons of laughs, tons more time kids spend reading.
“Why do fish live in saltwater? Because pepper makes them sneeze!” The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids
is brimming with over 800 knock-knock jokes, riddles, tongue twisters,
and silly stats for endless hours of hilarious entertainment anywhere.
This
illustrated collection of jokes for kids is inclusive and
family-friendly, with knee-slappers that kids will be bursting to tell
every chance they get (parents, you’ve been warned). The jokes also get
more challenging with each chapter, so this book will tickle funny bones
of all ages.
The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids is hysterical fun for anytime and anywhere:Are we there yet?—Keep kids engaged and giggling at home, on the road, and beyond.
Reading frenzy—The best way to keep them reading? Make it so much fun they forget they’re reading.
Budding comedian—Kids will learn about setups, punchlines, and how to write some jokes of their own.
Keep them laughing and reading for hours with this massive book of jokes for kids.
ABOUT CAROLE P ROMAN
Carole P. Roman is the award-winning author of over fifty children’s books. Whether it’s pirates, princesses, or discovering the world around us, her books have enchanted educators, parents, and her diverse audience of children. She hosts a blog radio program called Indie Authors Roundtable and is one of the founders of the magazine, Indie Author’s Monthly. She’s been interviewed twice by Forbes Magazine. Carole has co-authored two self-help books. Navigating Indieworld: A Beginners Guide to Self-Publishing and Marketing with Julie A. Gerber, and Marketing Indieworld with both Julie A. Gerber and Angela Hausman. She published Mindfulness for Kids with J. Robin Albertson-Wren and a new joke book called The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids: 800+ Jokes! She writes adult fiction under the name Brit Lunden and is currently helping to create an anthology with her mythical town of Bulwark, Georgia with a group of indie authors. She lives on Long Island near her children and grandchildren.
Her series includes: Captain No Beard If You Were Me and Lived in- Cultural If You Were Me and Lived in- Historical Nursery series Oh Susannah- Early Reader and coloring book Mindfulness for Kids with co-author J. Robin Albertson-Wren The Big Book of Silly Jokes for Kids; 800 plus Jokes! Navigating Indieworld- with co-author Julie A. Gerber Marketing Indieworld- with co-authors Angela Hausman and Julie A. Gerber Adult Fiction under the pen name Brit Lunden Bulwark The Knowing- A Bulwark Anthology
I have made a huge dent in back reviews that have been sitting, waiting…and waiting. I am close to reaching my goal for this year, the first round through my notebooks and review list. I won’t get everything done, but I am happy with the challenge and my progress.
I read Gideon on 6.2.16 and gave it a 5 star rating for this debut thriller. I love Alex Gordon’s work and can only imagine how far Alex Gordon will go in her career. I plan on being around to see.
Lauren’s fate is sealed with the death of her father. He tried to protect her, but the lure for answers about death and danger surrounding her beckons her to Gideon, where He waits.
Alex Gordon”s story takes us from Seattle, Washington, to Gideon, Illinois.
Gideon was a crossroads for evil.
HE is surrounded by woods and darkness, where the dead don’t stay dead. Have I hooked you yet?
The town’s people job was to keep the darkness from crossing over.
Could Lauren be the one to stop HIM for good? Would innocence and naivety in the ways of evil and magic win out?
From the 1800s and burning at the stake to cell phones, potions and spells, evil rises and good does it’s best to prevail.
Both good and evil characters will die, so be careful who you get attached to and be prepared to grieve for the characters taken before their time.
I was a bit slow to get involved, but once Lauren traveled to Gideon, I found the pace picking up and my need to know what happens next rising to such a high level I found it hard to put the book down.
BUT…the story is not over and I am so happy to have Book II, Jericho, here at my side, ready to crack open and see what challenge faces Lauren next. I wrote that in my notes, but I reviewed Jericho before Gideon. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know. LOL
Gideon wraps up the story in a great way and I feel it can stand alone, but I rated Jericho 5 stars, so I think ,once you begin, you would have to know more.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Gideon by Alex Gordon.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Preston & Child meets
Kim Harrison in this edge-of-your-seat debut thriller—a superb blend of
mystery, urban fantasy, horror, romance, and the supernatural.
When
Lauren’s father dies, she makes a shocking discovery. The man she knew
as John Reardon was once a completely different person, with a different
name. Now, she’s determined to find out who he really was, even though
her only clues are an old photograph, some letters, and the name of a
town—Gideon.
But someone—or something—doesn’t want her to
discover the truth. A strange man is stalking her, appearing everywhere
she turns, and those who try to help her end up dead. Neither a shadowy
enemy nor her own fear are going to prevent her from solving the mystery
of her father—and unlocking the secrets of her own life.
Making
her way to Gideon, Lauren finds herself more confused than ever. Nothing
in this small Midwestern town is what it seems, including time itself.
Residents start going missing, and Lauren is threatened by almost every
townsperson she encounters. Two hundred years ago, a witch was burned at
the stake, but in Gideon, the past feels all too chillingly present . .
.
ABOUT ALEX GORDON
Alex Gordon, author of the
supernatural thrillers GIDEON and JERICHO, was born in the Northeast,
grew up in the South, and now resides in the Midwest. When she isn’t
working, she enjoys watching sports and old movies, long walks, and the
company of her dog, Gaby. She dreams of someday adding the Pacific
Northwest to the list of regions where she has lived. And maybe the
south of France.
She is not the Alex Gordon who has written
several books about English footballers. She also has never played for
the Kansas City Royals.
Photo by Libby Bulloff
Alex also writes Science Fiction and Fantasy under the name Kristine Smith.
Every so often I will follow an email link from NetGalley and check out what’s happening. I try to limit how many books I grab at one time…you know how that is. I found some books by Joanna Schaffhousen and grabbed a couple. I would like to thank NetGalley, Minotaur Books and Joanna Schaffhausen for the opportunity to read and share them.
The Vanishing Season is Joanna Schaffhausen’s debut novel, released in 2017…and, boy oh boy, is it a good one. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it gave me so much more.
Three people have gone missing and Ellery Hathaway knows they are dead and another will be taken very soon. Sam dismisses her warnings, but she won’t stop there. Sam is not only her boss, the chief of police, but also her lover, her married lover. I sure don’t approve of that, but as I read on, I could see how it happened. She uses sex as a weapon. That will have it’s own repercussions.
Woodbury, Massachusetts is a small town, a blink and you will miss it, with only eight police officers. I love to read of small towns, the gossip mill, and secrets that won’t stay secret. Ellery has a big one, but…
Ellery calls in the big guns, Reed Markham, an FBI profiler that had saved her from the serial killer that had taken her fourteen years ago, leaving her scarred and broken. He too has his own story. His marriage is on the rocks, but he had made a promise to her, so when she called, he came.
I love her basset hound, Speed Bump. LOL Critters always add some grins for me, and with a subject like serial killers, I need some chuckles.
The dog leapt from the vehicle with all the grace of a hippo performing a belly flop.
I have plenty of suspects, but two in particular have my attention. Even if I’m wrong, I don’t like them. LOL I do like to try and figure it out for myself as we follow clues, question witnesses, and try look for what others have missed.
There is no romance, though I know there are more books coming, so I wonder. I mean, just think about it, her body is scarred and so is her mind. She doesn’t want anyone in her house. Doesn’t want anyone touching her. And doesn’t want to share her secret. After what she’s been through, I can see why she protects herself, so who could possible get through the walls she has built up but the one person she trusts?
I am at 38% and my tension level is high, the pace is picking up, making me feel like the end is near, nut, there’s so much of the story left. I can only imagine what Joanna Schaffhausen has in store for her characters. I am lovin’ it.
I am filled with horror at the terrible things one person can do another, as the bits and pieces of Ellery’s captivity leaks out, each detail worse than the last.
Well…I didn’t see him coming. It takes a lot for an author to fool me so completely, especially near the end, but she had me eying the wrong guy until a page or two before he attacked. He was well camouflaged, but I will be on my toes with the next case, expanding my suspect list and reading between the lines.
Man oh man, I am so glad I took a chance on Joanna Schaffhausen. I had never heard of her. She kept me riveted from beginning to end and I can hardly wait for Book II, No Mercy. BRING IT ON!
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Ellery Hathaway knows a
thing or two about serial killers, but not through her police training.
She’s an officer in sleepy Woodbury, MA, where a bicycle theft still
makes the newspapers. No one there knows she was once victim number
seventeen in the grisly story of serial killer Francis Michael Coben.
The only victim who lived.
When three people disappear from her
town in three years, all around her birthday—the day she was kidnapped
so long ago—Ellery fears someone knows her secret. Someone very
dangerous. Her superiors dismiss her concerns, but Ellery knows the
vanishing season is coming and anyone could be next. She contacts the
one man she knows will believe her: the FBI agent who saved her from a
killer’s closet all those years ago.
Agent Reed Markham made his name and fame on the back of the Coben case, but his fortunes have since turned. His marriage is in shambles, his bosses think he’s washed up, and worst of all, he blew a major investigation. When Ellery calls him, he can’t help but wonder: sure, he rescued her, but was she ever truly saved? His greatest triumph is Ellery’s waking nightmare, and now both of them are about to be sucked into the past, back to the case that made them…with a killer who can’t let go.
ABOUT JOANNA SCHAFFHAUSEN
Joanna Schaffhausen wields a mean scalpel, sharp skills she developed in her years studying neuroscience. She has a doctorate in psychology, which reflects her long-standing interest in the brain―how it develops and the many ways it can go wrong. Previously, she worked as a scientific editor in the field of drug development. Prior to that, she was an editorial producer for ABC News, writing for programs such as World News Tonight, Good Morning America, and 20/20. She lives in the Boston area with her husband, daughter, and an obstreperous basset hound.
Now, we have come full circle. The story of the Chupacabra will be told in full. I hope the series caught your attention and you find Dawn of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler just as alluring as the other three. I got shelved this to read on 12.10.15 and finished reading it 12.20.15.
Michael Hebler does manage to come up with some intriging covers.
When you think about it, the title and cover are perfect for the subject matter, the origin of the chupacabra. I love MIchael Hebler’s explanation of how and why the chupacabra came to be.
Jeremiah Whiting’s story ticked me off.
The Civil War caused some heinous acts to be perpetrated. A truly evil being wants to bring death and destruction to the world and will do whatever is necessary to ,ale it happen.
And then I met the American Indian, Yuma.
Michael Hebler has no trouble skewing even a good guy to the bad side, maybe even killing them off.
The details and descriptions are so deep, visualization is a snap, the surroundings coming to life.
Want to know what angers the spirits…you need to read Dawn of the Chupacabra yourself. LOL
Well, Michael, it has been quite the ride. The highs and lows kept me wrapped up in the characters, grieving for them when they passed, reveling with them when something good happens, and I can hardly wait to find another ‘family’ from you to hook up with.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The fourth chapter in
the award-winning Chupacabra Series follows an A.W.O.L. Confederate
soldier, who is hunted by a demon sent to avenge the innocent of his
heinous crimes.
Before Night, Came Dawn
Jeremiah
Whiting has been a survivor since birth. He endured an abusive
upbringing only to fight as a private for the losing side of the
American Civil War. But when the war ends, Jeremiah’s battle does not.
He will meet his greatest enemy yet, in the form of a heinous entity
sent to kill him for crimes against the Cherokee Nation, and the only
allies willing to fight at his side are the remarkable instincts he
possesses and the voice of a deceptive Soldier who possesses him.
Dawn
of the Chupacabra tells the origin tale of a supernatural beast born
out of hatred and rage. Sent to kill a man no less atrocious, the
monster’s creators soon learn the error of their fatal mistake and abuse
of power when the creature terrorizes above and beyond its intended
purpose. Dawn of the Chupacabra breathes life into a legendary curse
spawned from the ashes of war and begins what will continue to blemish
the earth for centuries to come.
ABOUT MICHAEL HEBLER
Prior to his tween years, Michael used to “borrow” Stephen King
books off his mother’s bookshelf. Although he has not been clinically
evaluated, Michael is positive that his adolescent self-introduction
into adult horror had an impact on his dark sense of humor and love for
Jason Voorhees. On the upside, Michael has found an outlet in which to
put his twisted thoughts to proper use, and thanks to a college degree
which proves that he had studied the importances of plot, characters,
conflict, themes, and interactions, he is able to give his stories the
attention they deserve.
But life
wasn’t always about the written page. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood,
Michael had a career as a international film publicist, working on
multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore
Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, as well as the 2013
Academy Award® Best Foreign Language film, “La grande bellezza” (The
Great Beauty). Sounds exciting, right? Michael thinks so, too.
Currently,
in his spare time, Michael also enjoys volunteering in his local
community. Organizations he has supported include Meals on Wheels, Get
On The Bus, as well as helped protect our animal population by aiding in
the capture/spay/neuter/release feral program.
To date, Michael’s publications include the first four (of six)
books in his Chupacabra Series: NIGHT OF THE CHUPACABRA, CURSE OF THE
CHUPACABRA, LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA, and DAWN OF THE CHUPACABRA, a
couple of short stories, as well as my first publication, THE NIGHT
AFTER CHRISTMAS, a holiday picture book for believers of any age.
Allright, Book III of the Chupacabra series by Michael Hebler, Legend of the Chupacabra. I got this book from Michael back in 2015 and finished it on 12.16.15. Man oh man it has been a wild ride…so, let’s get started.
As I enter the third book in the series, Legend of the Chupacabra by Michael Hebler, I have been reading them one after another, I become more fond of Jessie and her tenacity. She had a sordid upbringing, is self reliant, untrusting. Life is not what she would have chosen, but she would make the best of it. If she ever became your friend, it would be for life.
I couldn’t understand her felling of dread and being stalked. After all, the chupacabra was dead…isn’t it? What do you think?
Hate and revenge are strong motivators, leaving some open to being duped and unleashing a horror never known before upon the white man. In this western world, we learn about man’s ability to be good and bad. Are they born that way or do circumstances dictate their actions? I love a book that makes me ponder deep questions.
Suspense, twists and turns, pain and sorrow, but love and hope blossom from the most evil depredations. Sometimes subsequent books in the series don’t hold up, but, no worries. Each book has held more depth, more terror and more suspense than the last. I cannot stop reading, the suspense and sense of urgency driving me to the end…but wait…there’s one more book. YAY!
OMG…NO…Michael, you are sheer evil. I had a feeling something had to happen, but, damn it! I sure didn’t see the ending coming and it was a fabulous surprise.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Inside a small village
within the Great Plains of Montana, a ritual initiated in blood will be
performed. This ceremony has been executed only once before and will
mark a rite of honor and justice. Commonly, the Assiniboine are a
harmonious people with strong pride and passions, but turn to the
spirits for vengeance when wronged. The tribe’s chief will summon the
Great Spirit on behalf of his people, for no earthly man can make evil
suffer like a greater evil.
Legend of the Chupacabra finds Jessie and Suzanne living peacefully in Portland, Oregon, six years after they believed to have put an end to the curse of the chupacabra. But the women come to learn of their failure and the futility of their sacrifices when a remarkable reunion brings horror back into their lives; only this time, what they face will be unlike any creature they’ve encountered. Legend of the Chupacabra marks the end of a trilogy but the continuation of a saga that will leave this moment of history drenched in blood.
ABOUT MICHAEL HEBLER
Prior to his tween years, Michael used to “borrow” Stephen King
books off his mother’s bookshelf. Although he has not been clinically
evaluated, Michael is positive that his adolescent self-introduction
into adult horror had an impact on his dark sense of humor and love for
Jason Voorhees. On the upside, Michael has found an outlet in which to
put his twisted thoughts to proper use, and thanks to a college degree
which proves that he had studied the importances of plot, characters,
conflict, themes, and interactions, he is able to give his stories the
attention they deserve.
But life
wasn’t always about the written page. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood,
Michael had a career as a international film publicist, working on
multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore
Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, as well as the 2013
Academy Award® Best Foreign Language film, “La grande bellezza” (The
Great Beauty). Sounds exciting, right? Michael thinks so, too.
Currently,
in his spare time, Michael also enjoys volunteering in his local
community. Organizations he has supported include Meals on Wheels, Get
On The Bus, as well as helped protect our animal population by aiding in
the capture/spay/neuter/release feral program.
To date, Michael’s publications include the first four (of six)
books in his Chupacabra Series: NIGHT OF THE CHUPACABRA, CURSE OF THE
CHUPACABRA, LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA, and DAWN OF THE CHUPACABRA, a
couple of short stories, as well as my first publication, THE NIGHT
AFTER CHRISTMAS, a holiday picture book for believers of any age.
I have been following Natalie since the beginning and love this fabulous character. She is all I could hope for in a kickass woman that takes no prisoners and struggles to survive the dangerous world she lives in.
Drat! I just discovered I missed Missing. I will be reading that soon and share it with you.
And Sniper was released in May of 2018. Gotta keep up with Frank Renzi in New Orleans.
Well, I don’t know what to say. The ending for Natalie’s Dilemma by Susan Fleet blew my mind. I don’t know how I feel. Does it make you curious? GOOD!
Natalie’s Dilemma is a series, but the way Susan Fleet writes the books could stand alone, though why you would want to miss any of Natalie’s story I don’t know.
I have been traveling the world with Natalie, dodging bullets and those that either want to kill her or arrest her. I love a character that tugs at my heartstrings, and Natalie does that in spades. Just because she killed some people, we both think they deserved it, doesn’t mean she’s a bad person. Does it?
Natalie has a life she enjoys in Venice, but for how long? We all know it’s not going to last. Bad things seem to follow her around.
We have two cases going on, one with gangs and one with mobsters. It’s hard to tell which is the worst, but Natalie is caught in the middle.
Natalie is forced to work with the mobsters to save a child’s life. All she thinks of is escaping their clutches. But…what would happen to the child if she left her behind.
I have always had empathy for Natalie and I wonder if Frank will ever quit looking for her. Why can’t he understand, she did what she did because she had to. Time and time again she is betrayed by those she puts her trust in. The only one who has stood firmly at her side is Pak Lam, her adopted father.
The characters…there are so many good and bad characters and each has their place in the story, adding depth, detail and much danger.
OMG! OMG! OMG! THE ENDING BLEW MY MIND!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Natalie’s Dilemma by Susan Fleet.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A diamond heist, Mafia murders and a kidnapping Fleeing her criminal past, Natalie settles in Venice. But two Mafia brothers pull off a diamond heist, kill the owner and his wife, and kidnap Bianca, their 5-year-old daughter. Across the street in an art museum, Natalie hides when police chase the robbers through the museum and watches them escape via the Grand Canal.
Aware of her previous
crimes, a Europol agent forces her to spy on the Mafia brothers by
acting as Bianca’s nanny. If she refuses, Homicide Detective Frank Renzi
will arrest her. Natalie is desperate to escape. The gang leader
suspects her and Renzi is about to arrest her. But if she escapes, what
will happen to Bianca? Natalie’s Dilemma: Save herself or save Bianca?
ABOUT 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!!
I already shared the first story in this Chupacabra series, Night of the Chupacabra (see the review link below) and I want to continue the story. I purchased this, but I believe it was through Michael that I received the gift, on 10.13.15 and I finished it on 12.13.15.
What a fabulous cover, but I don’t know who created it. I like the Kindle version better, so be sure and check that out…SUPER CREEPY!
Curse of the Chupacabra starts where Book I, Night of the Chupacabra left off and I was immediately engrossed by the opening pages. I was engulfed in Suzanne’s nightmare.
Jesse has a plan, though Suzanne would not approve, if she knew about it. Jessie is a grifter that uses all the tricks at her disposal. Even being a child she has learned well. She is pig headed, stubborn, independent. I love this character.
Suzanne is trying to do right by the kids. She is caring, giving, everything the kids were missing and I am fearful of her future. She feels responsible, though they are not her own.
I am in suspense, waitiing…waiting…waiting…for HIM to pop up. I know he will make an appearance, just when and where is the question.
I love the addition of western myths and legends, Indian shamanism, animal spirits, among the paranormal and supernatural horror. Curse of the Chupacabra has everything needed for a screamfest.
Be careful who you get involved with. Michael Hebler is not afraid to kill off his characters, so your favorite may not make it to the end.
OMG. Curse of the Chupacabra pissed me off so much…I am afraid to see what is to coming, but I am rubbing my hands together in wicked glee as I click that button to begin Book III, Legend of the Chupacabra.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
They never thought their luck would be their curse. In the months following the onslaught, the extraordinary survivors continue to know no peace, as they are haunted by signs that the relentless creature remains on their trail. However, this fight will be better matched, now that they’ve discovered an advantage that will help protect them from the monster’s bloodthirsty lust. But once faced with the decision to kill the beast, the choice will not come lightly since it is still unclear which loved one the chupacabra possesses.
ABOUT MICHAEL HEBLER
Prior to his tween years, Michael used to “borrow” Stephen King
books off his mother’s bookshelf. Although he has not been clinically
evaluated, Michael is positive that his adolescent self-introduction
into adult horror had an impact on his dark sense of humor and love for
Jason Voorhees. On the upside, Michael has found an outlet in which to
put his twisted thoughts to proper use, and thanks to a college degree
which proves that he had studied the importances of plot, characters,
conflict, themes, and interactions, he is able to give his stories the
attention they deserve.
But life
wasn’t always about the written page. Once Upon A Time in Hollywood,
Michael had a career as a international film publicist, working on
multiple titles for Walt Disney, Pixar, Lionsgate, Lakeshore
Entertainment, Warner Bros., Summit Entertainment, as well as the 2013
Academy Award® Best Foreign Language film, “La grande bellezza” (The
Great Beauty). Sounds exciting, right? Michael thinks so, too.
Currently,
in his spare time, Michael also enjoys volunteering in his local
community. Organizations he has supported include Meals on Wheels, Get
On The Bus, as well as helped protect our animal population by aiding in
the capture/spay/neuter/release feral program.
To date, Michael’s publications include the first four (of six)
books in his Chupacabra Series: NIGHT OF THE CHUPACABRA, CURSE OF THE
CHUPACABRA, LEGEND OF THE CHUPACABRA, and DAWN OF THE CHUPACABRA, a
couple of short stories, as well as my first publication, THE NIGHT
AFTER CHRISTMAS, a holiday picture book for believers of any age.
