Showing posts with label New Orleans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Orleans. Show all posts

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Virtual Book Tour: Mystic Mayhem



Mystic Mayhem
A Mystic Isle Mystery

Sally J. Smith and Jean Steffens

Humorous Cozy Mystery – Gemma Halliday Publishing


Melanie Hamilton is not your average artist. She brings home the bacon by inking tattoos at New Orleans's Mansion at Mystic Isle, a resort in the middle of the bayou that caters to fans of the peculiar and paranormal, but her true passion comes alive when she volunteers restoring Katrina-ravaged landmarks. Between her day job, her restoration work, and selling her paintings in Jackson Square, Mel's life is more hectic than Bourbon Street on Fat Tuesday. But when a guest of the resort, a millionaire's widow, is poisoned, and Melanie's close friend is arrested for the murder, things go from hectic to downright dangerous.  

Mel joins forces with the resort's delish manager, Jack Stockton, to prove her friend's innocence. Soon they find themselves dealing with séances, secret passages, the ghost of the millionaire himself, gators, swamp rats, and a sinister killer who proves that not everything is what it seems in the Louisiana bayou.

Come on along, and get your creep on. 



Buy links:       Gemma Halliday Publishing   Nook    iBooks    Kobo    Smashwords

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The Inspiration for our Mystic Isle Series

The Magic Castle in the hills above Hollywood Boulevard is the headquarters and private clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts, Inc., a worldwide organization devoted to the art of magic. Its membership consists of magicians as well as those who just love magic. If you ever have the chance to go there, DO. It’s mysterious, haunting, spellbinding, and a little creepy.

The Magic Castle was the inspiration for Mystic Isle Mysteries, our new series debuting September 15th from Gemma Halliday Publishing. Our series takes place in the bayou near New Orleans, Louisiana on Mystic Isle where The Mansion at Mystic Isle is now open and taking guests. It’s a place similar to the Magic Castle only Mystic Isle is dedicated to all that’s magical and paranormal. Its guests experience the skills of magicians, mediums, fortunetellers, astrologers, and much more. Of course, none of it is real—or is it?



Excerpt:


Séances were held in a small but lovely room where Miss Marple might serve tea. Burgundy drapes swagged corner to corner. Blue flames flickered low in the fireplace courtesy of a special-effects chemical log Fabrizio swore would bring up the ambiance.

A medium-sized round table sat smack in the middle of the room, seven chairs around it and a purple cloth covering it. The lights were low. So many candles were lit that the place was warm enough for bread to rise.

Fabrizio was already there, looking nervous as a crawfish next to a pot on the boil. He knew, and I knew, and he knew I knew he wasn't exactly what you'd call a genuine medium, but I had to give him credit. He looked like one, every inch, from the top of his turbaned head to the bottoms of his white patent-leather boots. His long face glistened with perspiration.

"Fabrizio," I said. "Why don't we blow out a few of these candles? Your makeup and eyeliner are going to run."

He nodded, and I set about doing it. The poor guy had to be pretty warm. His long-sleeved white jumpsuit was layered under a full-length sequined white cape. A cross between the Great Houdini and Liberace.

Within a few minutes, Mrs. Cecile Elway and company arrived. Five in all, just like at dinner the night before. There were low murmurs of appreciation as they glanced around the room, taking in the whole experience.




About the Authors:
Sally J. Smith and Jean Steffens, are partners in crime—crime writing, that is. They live in the Valley of the Sun in Arizona, awesome for eight months out of the year, an inferno the other four. They write bloody murder, flirty romance, and wicked humor all in one package.




Two great giveaways going on right now !!
 
To celebrate the release of MYSTIC MAYHEM on September 15, Jean and Sally are giving away an random.org awesome New Orleans Café du Monde basket full of goodies from the Big Easy—13 ounces of French Roast coffee, 13 ounces of Chicory Coffee, a box of their world famous Beignet Mix, and two gorgeous Café du Monde mugs to put you in the mood while you’re visiting Mystic Isle. Entering’s a breeze. Just go to the ABOVE LINK between now and September 30, & sign up! Winner to be selected via


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#2 Giveaway:  $25 Amazon Gift Card





a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, October 13, 2014

Bewitching The Enemy Review

Bewitching The Enemy by Dawn Chartier
A Vieux Carre Witch Sister Novel
Published October 27, 2014
4 Magical Stars

"Some secrets should not be kept."

Synopsis -

A paranormal category romance from Entangled's Covet imprint...

Rebuilding New Orleans...one witch at a time

Contractor Storm Morgeaux is trying to keep her business afloat and not sleep with the hot-'n'-sexy new client, Dr. Nathan Davis. Adding to her troubles is the fact she accidentally released a series of dark spells. Now evil warlocks are after her family, and she has no idea who she can trust.

Nathan's biggest concern is getting his pediatric surgery center up and running. Still, his stunning new contractor provides plenty of distraction―until she sets off his Paladin medallion. A warlock is near. Nathan's first responsibility is eliminating the woman who wields new and dangerous magic. But something about Storm calls to him. She's mysterious, sexy, and downright irresistible, but most surprisingly, his.

Without the spells, Storm must learn to trust her new abilities. But can she trust the man who's torn between loving her...and killing her? (Goodreads)

Review -

Welcome to New Orleans, the largest hot-spot for activity in the Paranormal world. Dawn Chartier has created a world in which readers will be stuck until the get to the end. A group of sisters who knew nothing of their families' past are about to find out the hard way that they have magic in their very blood. Problem? By not knowing the power they have locked away inside may not only be their downfall but very likely could get them all killed.

Storm Morgeaux thinks she has more than enough on her plate trying to maintain her families business, without letting on to them just how bad things have gotten. So when her Mother demands she be right on time to say a prayer in front of her Grandma's portrait, Storm figures it'll be no big deal if she's a few minutes late. That is until she walks in to see they have begun without her and her Mother goes limp on the floor. What happens next changes their world entirely and has them all questioning everything they though they knew.

Dr. Nathan Davis is a surgeon by day and a Warlock hunter by night. One with a heart of gold. He has intentions on building multiple Pediatric Centers along New Orleans, if he can get his Paladin medallion to stop going haywire anytime he gets near the contractor he's hired to do the job. He can't explain why it seems to be working one minute and going completely haywire the next, or why he can't seem to keep his hands off of the blazing red head that seems to be causing its circuits, and his, to be going nuts. Now he just needs to figure out if she is in danger or if the danger is her.

Bewitching the Enemy is a Paranormal Lite with a healthy dose of both Paranormal and Romance. Full of humor, characters readers will instantly fall in love with, words that seem to flow from the page and more than a few lessons on why keeping secrets isn't always a good thing. The only thing I wish was that the sisters' powers were explored a little more. But, I have it on good authority that Book 2 will be even more explosive in the magical department.

Sunday, September 7, 2014

Dark Sacrifice Review

DARK SACRIFICE by Angie Sandro (ARC Review)

Dark Paradise Book 2
Re-Published August 12, 2014  by Forever Yours
2.5 CrossBones

"The makings of a beautiful Gothic Romance, just a little too jumbled and the heroine needs to grow up."


Synopsis -


A GIFT AND A CURSE

Mala LaCroix sees dead people—really. After using her psychic gifts to catch a killer, she's locked in a psych ward and must strike a deal with the devil to secure her release. Apprenticed to a dark arts practitioner, Mala vows to free herself and save her loved ones from danger. But she doesn't know who to turn to when her crush on Landry Prince turns into something more serious.

A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH

Landry has sacrificed everything to protect Mala. A near-death experience changes him forever, and now he, too, possesses supernatural powers he doesn't understand. Mala and Landry must band together to defeat the dark forces—both human and otherworldly—who would use their abilities for evil. Even as they fall for each other, they must prepare to battle for their very souls . . . 

Word count: 95,000 (Goodreads)


Review -

Took me quite a while to write this review, mainly because I had quite a bit of conflicting emotions in regards to the story-line. Did I not like it due to the fact that I did not read Book 1, Dark Paradise? Or did I just really not like the plot, or was it just the main character? While this book was very well written, descriptions were dead on and the author did know much of comings and goings in the Vodoun world, the plot in itself could use a little more help. Not to mention the main character could use a definite reality check and grow up. "With great power, comes great responsibilities." That saying is true with more than just super heroes. When you wield magic as powerful as what Mala LaCroix holds within her very soul, one cannot just dabble into it, begin a drastic spell, then stop in the middle and say, "Oh, never mind", especially when dealing with other people's souls.

Mala LaCroix is the last living LaCroix, a family of extremely powerful Voodoo Queens. As such she is next in line to the thrown when her Great Aunt passes on to the other side. An aunt whom she has promised to be an apprentice to, and learn how to wield her dark art. But when the time comes she is less than enthused. But with enemies from both sides of the grave out to kill her, maybe going with dear old Auntie isn't such a bad idea.

Landry Prince has escaped the hands of death once again. Only this time, he hasn't come back alone. There is a demon living beneath his skin, devouring his soul with every breath he takes. And the only one he can rely on to rid himself of the demon in the Voodoo Queen herself, Magnolia. The question in that scenario, at what lengths will she go? And how can he keep Mayla safe when he can barely even trust himself?

When the action and magic happen, they do indeed make an impression. Too bad there isn't enough of the good to outweigh the bad. And the supposed 'bad' characters are the ones who keep to story flowing. Just as Magnolia tried to explain to her bullheaded niece, there is no such thing as black magic, either the wielder has a black soul or a light one. The decisions you make and the reasons behind them are all that truly matter. Anyone who practices voodoo, or has any roots in the craft, art or religion, may want to skip this read, because what Mayla does in the end will make you want to make a special little doll with her name on it. This book reads more like a Y/A than a N/A, if not for the sex. The characters are not really at the maturity of someone in the twenties, more like teenagers who still don't know which way is up. With some tweaks, this series does carry a lot of potential. As it stands now... This book cannot be read as a stand-alone, too much needed information is lost without having read the first book.


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