Blog Archives
Curse: A Novel
Curse by Christina Maraziotis, the second installment of the Loveletting series, immerses readers in a mesmerizing and captivating tale that will leave them yearning for more. Within the pages of this book, a blend of romance, danger, and adventure awaits. Having faced the depths of despair and grappled with profound loss and grief, Charlotte discovers solace in Jesse McCoy’s tender and loyal embrace. While evading the law for crimes she has been unjustly accused of, Charlotte finds herself entangled in a web of enigmatic figures as the search for the elusive serial killer, Mac Kinnon, persists. Amidst the unsettling supernatural occurrences that unsettle Charlotte’s sense of identity and security, Jesse’s steadfast nature becomes a beacon of hope, allowing her to heal and rediscover the joys of life. As unexpected romance blossoms and her freedom is put to the test, Charlotte traverses a path that unravels the true essence of love. However, lurking behind captivating and mysterious faces lies a darkness threatening to corrupt even the purest of souls, transforming them into unrecognizable beings, yearning to reclaim their former selves.
From the very outset, Curse shows immense promise. The author’s skillful writing and thoughtful structure transform what could be an intricate and protracted narrative into a series of concise, well-crafted chapters. This approach enables the plot to breathe and seamlessly engross the reader in an immersive experience. Once engrossed in the story, one is transported to a new world where the narrative and its characters take center stage. The book’s length is justified, as it adds depth and complexity to the overarching storyline, allowing for fully realized character arcs that embody the true nature of each individual and the myriad challenges they face.
Passion, romance, and darkness intertwine throughout the narrative, with supernatural elements deftly woven into the fabric of the plot, heightening its mystery. This narrative technique captivates the reader, holding their attention steadfastly throughout, even during quieter moments. However, the true strength of this book lies in its characters. They are flawlessly imperfect, each possessing a depth and complexity that authentically reflects the human experience and its trials. Engaging and diverse, these characters form a vibrant tapestry of personalities and emotions, with their highs and lows.
Curse by Christina Maraziotis is an entrancing and spellbinding book that transports readers to a realm brimming with mystery and passion, reminding us that amidst the darkest shadows, true beauty can still be discovered.
Pages: 879 | ASIN : B0BVQHGTBC
Time Framed
![Time Framed by [Chiocchi, Roger]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Wn5zJPcBL.jpg)
Back in the 1600s, Charles Penfield drove a girl to her death. Since then, her soul roams the world seeking revenge through generations of the same family. She strikes every few decades to cause havoc. This had come to be known as the Pennfield curse.
Decades later in 2053, Jimmy Mashimnoto-Pennfield is well aware of the family curse and is looking for ways to get rid of it. He finds a solution in time travel, something that will not exactly get rid of the curse but will divert it from him. An alternate universe is created and Professor Pennfield catches wind of this. Jimmy’s intentions could make for a direr situation for Shippy so he has to be stopped. Now the Professor remains to fight Jimmy through the time-space continuum.
The characterization in this book is exceptional and sets up some remarkably vivid characters. Each character is bespoke and continues to develop as the story progresses adding layers that make the characters interesting and engaging. Understanding the characters is easy, being that this is a complex time travel sci-fi book, I appreciated this. Jimmy is quite obviously the villain, with his selfish motivations, his character is easy to dislike but still empathize with.
This book is long and complex, but it needs to be in order to dive completely into all the ramifications of meddling with the past. There is a lot going on in this book, time travel, curses, and multiple storylines. At times I got lost, but the author masterfully brings the story together in satisfying ways that kept me engaged. The moment of realization when events in the story comes together and makes sense, for me, was satisfying.
The way the professor and Jimmy try to outwit each other with intelligent and well thought out moves is an engaging experience. They’re each smart and cunning in their own ways and I was entranced watching them clash. This is the same feeling I get when I read Dan Brown’s Robert Langdon series; intelligence used as a blade to attack and parry.
Time Framed is a suspenseful book with an absorbing story, an interesting villain, and a relatable underdog. Some parts of the book were hard to follow, but when you catch on, this book is simply addictive.
Pages: 748 | ASIN: B07DN3RNBC
Inspiration in a Vivid Nightmare
Patricia Bossano Author Interview
Seven Ghostly Spins is a collection of paranormal stories written by you and Kelsey E. Gerard. What were some decisions that went into picking the stories for this collection?
Three of the stories; Carolina Blue, 205 ½ 25th Street and Alison, date back to the years I spent in Northern Utah. They were originally published in 2012-2014 as part of the Tales from Beyond anthologies, compiled by D. Hattingh. Ever since that project was completed, I began thinking of a collection of my own—to be based not only on true legends, but paranormal experiences as well.
At around the middle of 2017 the title for the new collection came to me; Seven Ghostly Spins, prompting me to remaster the original three and identify the other four.
In keeping with the “Haunted Ogden” theme, Kelsey E. Gerard submitted She Caught a Ride, fulfilling the based-on-true-legends requirement. That left me with the paranormal experience requirement, and for those I turned to my own memories and wrote By the Iron Gate and A Curse Lifted. Abiku is the novella among the short stories—the base idea for this thriller came from an ancient Yoruba belief and it includes supernatural and paranormal elements that I thought would make a proper central piece for this collection.
My favorite stories from the collection is ‘Alison’ and Gerard’s ‘She Caught a Ride’. What was your favorite story from this book?
Thank you! I am so pleased to hear you enjoyed these tales. I love each story equally though for different reasons. If I must pick a favorite, I would say Carolina Blue is my special, tragic friend.
Each story was intriguing and well developed. Where do you turn for inspiration for writing?
Two of the stories are rooted on personal experiences, while the others came to me through reading, and research. I found inspiration in a vivid nightmare and a real walk in the moonlight. In my godmother’s parting gift, and in assignments to explore Ogden’s haunted, colorful history. In the case of Abiku, all it took was an image—an illustration caught my eye and the short lines describing it spawned all the characters and circumstances in the novella.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
My next project is a philosophical fiction/comedy entitled Daughters of the Bride, slated for publication on Mother’s Day 2020.
To recover from the unexpected death of their father, the ‘weird sisters’ cling to one another and to their widowed mother; the ‘head witch.’ However, no traditional mourning rituals await them.
Blindsided by the love their mother claims to have found, mere months after the death of her husband of 50+ years, the three women flex their powers and embark on a distressing journey of reflection; to know themselves and the mother they thought they knew.
Amid the hilarity of the head witch’s disconcerting return to a youthful attitude, difficult questions must be asked. Genetic memories must be acknowledged and banished. Painful feelings must be expressed, and life-altering decisions will be made because, at the end of their journey, their new reality must be embraced by all.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
![Seven Ghostly Spins: A Brush with the Supernatural by [Bossano, Patricia, Gerard, ft. Kelsey E.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/419cB%2B2un0L.jpg)
Based on harrowing legends and nightmares come true, this mind-bending collection of paranormal tales will creep under your skin and stay with you long after you have read it.
Expectations: The Real World Behind the Curtain of Time
![Expectations: The Real World Behind the Curtain of Time by [Sarah K-N]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51MKr0rh-lL.jpg)
Expectations: The Real World Behind the Curtains of Time by Sarah K-N is a Christian fantasy novel. Sarah spins a riveting, well written story of two brothers caught in an ancient battle of light and darkness. There is magic and ancient curses, angels, demons and other popular staples of Christian faith sharing a page with intriguing secret societies. Expectations uses the Christian faith to give us a story that is fun to read while not being preachy.
The novel opens up with an ancient tale of jealousy, locusts, an ancient pact and it just gets better after that. Ace Cadman, the main protagonist of the story, must battle the occult secret society and somehow stay alive in a world where angels and demons pop up on almost every page. But the main attraction of this book is the style that Sarah K-N carries to the very last page. Characters have motives that make sense and do not contradict the actions that took place just half a page ago. Expectations: The Real World Behind the Curtains of Time masterfully handles exposition, dialogue is lively, and Sarah K-N describes the world in just enough detail before having her characters take over the story.
Especially interesting is the way Sarah handles the divine characters – these beings feel older than time even though she spent only several sentences on their description. Their archaicness is an asset, not a flaw, in telling the story. For example, an angel with a flaming sword is a character that is very much out of place in the modern world but Expectations uses this to its advantage. Simply put, angles are supposed to be out of place in our world and when they do show up, just like their malevolent demonic cousins, they add weight to the situation that other characters find themselves in.
Perhaps the hardest thing that Sarah K-N had to do to make the story work is to bring the spirit of the Old Testament on to her pages. And she did it masterfully. This is not the world where angels and demons walk the Earth fulfilling some shallow, New Age tripe task. These angels and demons are forces beyond our comprehension, spirits of old, just like they were thousands of years ago to our ancestors. Angels are fulfilling the commands of their Lord and demons will shower mortals with impossible gifts and power but will snatch your soul the first chance they get.
The conflict between good and evil is masterfully done. You start to understand, even from the first pages, why someone would give their soul to evil. Their decisions, doomed as they are, make sense in the given moment and you will find yourself asking if you would make the same choice if put through the same tests.
This page turner is one of the most riveting reads you will ever find, no matter if you are a person of faith or not. The story, a classic tale of good vs evil, will keep you going for hours and will not disappoint.
Pages: 424 | ASIN: B0794LRWPN
Two Polluted Black-Heart Romances
Two Polluted Black-Heart Romances follows the lives of a vampire, fairy and mummy who are caught up in a world of chaos as they try to escape the wrath of the wraiths- a paranormal group that is bent on revenge on the unlikely trio. Air spirits, talking cats and the cursed undead will all play a part in this fantasy novel as they bounce between gaining record deals and fighting supernatural monsters. Meanwhile, another version of chaos is threatening to destroy their world and they must find a way to work together to fight an evil like no other.
Two Polluted Black-Heart Romances, written by Kevin James Breaux, is an action packed fantasy novel that collides the modern world with magical creatures and supernatural beings. Each mystical being (and human!) are trying to find their place as they revel in the aftermath of destroying evil.
The story flips between various perspectives of the characters, keeping us up to date with what is happening in the story progression. The different characters and their personalities mean that the mood of the story can change drastically, one moment you may be watching through the eyes of Sabrina as she seduces old flames and the next moment you are underground with a human and undead as she passionately tries to protect her love.
One of the most interesting characters was Cade. Cade has unique senses and an ability to bear fangs to persuade a situation. Being a vampire has its perks however Cade finds himself torn between the people of his past and present. His character was one of my favourites as the reader is treated to his heroic rescues and violent deaths. I appreciate Breaux’s ability to paint a picture with his words and I found it easy to imagine the vampire devouring humans, lured by the innocence of puppy dogs.
The modern twist made the story feel relatable. In a matter of pages, you are transported from a mass murder of winged creatures to discussing Justin Timberlake in the recording studio. It actually also provided a bit of comic relief as in the midst of a tense scene, celebrities were named dropped like it was your everyday Hollywood scenario. It wasn’t just the name dropping that caught my attention though. Some of the plot eerily replicated scenarios that could happen in real life as the plot delved into sinkholes, pollution and the threat of terrorists.
One character I found to be confusing at times is Sabrina. Sabrina is a winged creature, descent from royalty. She is quick-tempered, passionate and at times childish. At times her character was frustrating and I found myself mentally wanting to tell her what to do! Her character eventually grew on me though as she soon begins to accept and acknowledge the affects her decisions have on her friends.
I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys a fantasy novel that twists into a modern day adventure. I look forward to reading the next installment and finding out what happens to each of the characters.
Pages: 434 | ASIN: B071KLTKG7
Immortal: Curse of the Deathless
This fantasy novel is bursting at the seams with an intricate world waiting to be discovered, not only by the reader, but also by the main character, Asher. He is a college student in a world that appears to be similar to the Earth we know and love, but he is also an immortal. He uses his power to help people with their issues for small fees. This earns him enough money to survive, but it also earns him some powerful enemies and sends him on a trip to learn about his past and parentage.
In the Fae Realm, Asher gets caught up between two feuding noble houses, Summer Court and Winter Court. While he is there to meet his mother, the inhabitants of the realm look to exact some favors from Asher before his quest can reach its end. Will his immortality prove to be a blessing, or will he come to think of it more of a “curse of the deathless”? What will he discover about his birth and will the evil organizations of his home planet come for him?
This novel is gritty, funny, and entertaining. The narration is mostly in third person, although Asher will interject his thoughts directly to the reader whenever he deems necessary. For example, while trying to survive what would otherwise be a fatal sword blow, he thinks “Note to self: Lungs and swords don’t play nice together”.
However, there are some pitfalls that come with a fantasy novel of this scope. The author has created a universe that is seemingly vast and full of magic creatures and objects, of which the reader and the protagonist know very little. Because of this, it gives the reader difficulty when it comes to finding out what is going to happen next. I felt that issues were resolved by seemingly random events which then spawned the next set of events. The plot points come across as if they were written for a video game, as there are checkpoints to be met before the story can progress. For example, Asher has to gain favor with the rest of the family members before his step-sister will let him meet his mother.
If you can ignore these minor issues then you will find an entertaining adventure story in a world that is rich and worthwhile. The universe has plenty of depth, lore, and legend for any fantasy fan. The narration is spectacular despite a couple of minor grammatical mistakes. The characters are fun, and the dialogue is original although parts of the story may be a bit cliché. I’m not sure how nearly every woman in the story came to be so attractive, but there it is.
Overall, this story is quite the undertaking, and I can’t wait for a sequel, which the author seems ready to deliver.
Pages: 319 | ASIN: B01F0ING16
LITERARY TITAN 