Review of Southern Spirits: 5th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set by Angie Fox

Southern Spirits: 5th Anniversary Deluxe Box Set 

Author: AngieFox 

Source: Netgalley

Genre: Cozy Mystery, paranormal 

Reviewed by: Laurie 

Rating: 5

New York Times bestseller Angie Fox celebrates 5 years of the USA Today bestselling Southern Ghost Hunter series with a limited edition boxed set of the first three stories in the series, along with never-before-seen additional content including deleted scenes, original art, an inside look at the characters, and a behind-the-scenes peek at how the series came together.

Southern Spirits
When out of work graphic designer Verity Long accidentally traps a ghost on her property, she’s saddled with more than a supernatural sidekick—she gains the ability see spirits. It leads to an offer she can’t refuse from the town’s bad boy, the brother of her ex and the last man she should ever partner with.

A Ghostly Gift
Verity Long doesn't want to see ghosts, and she'd rather not let anyone know her little secret, either. But when a restless spirit stirs up trouble in her friend's resale shop, Verity and her very new, very dead gangster friend team up to learn what is really happening.

The Skeleton in the Closet
A haunted library is no place for a girl who can see ghosts, but when Verity Long stumbles on a dead body in the middle of the main reading room, she has to believe someone…even a dead someone…must have witnessed the crime.

*This edition contains more than 50 pages of never-before-seen material and will be available for a limited time. 

 Southern Ghost Hunter series is whimsical, funny, and even dangerous at times and it has my recommendation to anyone that wishes for a fun, lighthearted cozy mystery series to read. 

Angie Fox does it again with a unique twist on a cozy mystery series. Southern Ghost Hunters characters Verity and Frankie are funny and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page, I kept coming back for more until I was done with all three books.

I fell in love with Verity before the second chapter even started, she broke, and in need of money to save her family home, which by the way is in very much need of some TLC so you think she has enough on her plate all to find she trapped a ghost on her property. These two become a dramatic crime-fighting duo, which will take on any human or ghostly ghost. 

Author Interview with romance author: Sue-Ellen Welfonder

Good Morning everyone, let’s all welcome romance author Sue-Ellen Welfonder and her Highland Warriors series with us today.

                                                                     

First off please tell everyone a little about your series?

SEW:  Highland Warriors is a Scottish medieval trilogy. I wanted to explore the deep love Highlanders have for their home glen. The glen in the series is shared by three clans and each one believes they have sole claim to the land. The three heroines are sisters of the warring chieftains and they are weary of the strife and bloodshed so they join together to end the feud by each vowing to wed a man from an enemy clan. 

Here is a mini-blurb for Sins of a Highland Devil:

When a king commands three feuding clans to resolve their dispute with a trial by combat, a proud Highland warrior soon learns that he’s fighting for much more than his beloved glen and that his greatest triumph will be winning the love of his enemy’s sister.

Introduce everyone to book one Sins of a Highland Devil hero and heroine.

SEW:  James ‘The Devil’ Cameron is a proud clan chieftain who, though fierce, is known for his honor as much as the strength of his sword arm. When the Scottish king orders him to fight or see his people banished, he has no choice but to enter a staged battle that will determine which clan is to possess the glen. Highlander to the bone, he believes the glen clans should resolve their feuds without royal interference. He never expects to find an ally in Catriona MacDonald, the fiery, high-spirited sister of his worst foe, but he does – and when they come together, their lives are forever changed.

What year are the story settings?

SEW:  Sins of a Highland Devil, book one, opens in 1396 with the other two books set progressively a year onward. This was the turbulent reign of King Robert II (Robert Stewart, grandson of Scotland’s great hero king, Robert the Bruce)  

Can you tell our readers a bit about the paranormal elements that are added in the story?

SEW: All my books have paranormal elements. Celtic legend and lore, Highland magic, belief in curses, second sight, mythical creatures and such, were all an integral part of life in medieval Scotland and so I enjoy weaving in these elements. Readers can expect the following paranormal threads in Sins of a Highland Devil: myth and legend, curses, magic, standing stones, ghosts, enchanted beasties, ancients who practice the old ways, and more.

One of my favorite magical elements is an enchanted white stag. He was created in honor of Big Boy, a friendly red stag who enjoyed greeting visitors at a viewpoint in Glencoe. Tame and trusting, Big Boy delighted travelers from all over the world. I’d seen him a few times on my own visits to Scotland and was heartbroken to learn he’d met a bad end. So I put him in this series and named him Rannoch after the Rannoch Moor which is where ‘his’ overlook is located.

For the readers out there who have never tried your books can you please add a few of your favorite teasers from the book?

SEW:  Sure, here are two with James and Catriona, and one with Grizel, the magical wise woman in the series…

Excerpt I ~ Sins of a Highland Devil

A Fiery Wench…

     The MacDonald wench stood at. He stepped closer to the wall, hoping he erred. Unfortunately, he hadn’t the edge of the chaos. On seeing her, James felt an even hotter flare of irritation. She was truly there, hands on her hips and looking haughty as always.

     Joining him, his cousin gave a low whistle. “She’s Catriona MacDonald, the chief’s sister. The wildest of that heathenish lot.”

     “I know who she is.” James did. “And she is wild - so prickly some say she sleeps in a bed of nettles.”

     Colin laughed. “She’s bonnie all the same.”

     James scowled at the lass. “So is the deep blue sea until you sink in its depths and drown.”

~*~

Excerpt II ~ Sins of a Highland Devil

         

 A Laird and a Lady Clash…

     “Lady Catriona.” His smile deepened, turning devilish.

     “You…” She took several steps closer to him, then stopped when she realized she’d moved. “You shouldn’t be here with me-” She started to tell him to leave, but broke off when he raised a hand.

     “I am no’ with you, regrettably.” His meaning brought a flush to her face. “If I were” – he gave her a look that made her feel naked – “rest assured you’d no’ be spluttering like an angry hen. You’d be purring in sweet, female contentment.”  

~*~

Excerpt III – Grizel & Gorm (her partner)

A Crone Interrupted…

    

     “What are you about, woman?”

      Grizel spun around, sending the peat-bricks flying through the air. Gorm stood just inside the threshold, his face stern. His usually merry eyes were suspicious. And his splendid, near-to-his knees beard riffled in an unseen wind, a sure sign that he was in a dangerous mood.

     Grizel glared at him, peering past his shoulder at the now-empty door stoop. Even the fine bed of heather and bracken that she’d made for her four-legged friend had vanished. Everything was gone except the rocks and whirling mist.

     “Glower all you wish, it’ll change naught.” Gorm’s beard ends fluttered wildly. 

     “Where be Rannoch?” Grizel thrust out her chin, ignoring the beard-riffling.

     “No’ doing the fool guarding you ordered him to do, that’s true.” Gorm shut the door and came forward, bending to snatch up one of the peats as he crossed the stone-flagged floor. “Thon creature heeds me more than he does you, if ne’er you noticed.”

~*~

What can readers expect next any upcoming releases?

SEW:  Books two and three in Highland Warriors will be out this autumn. Likewise, a holiday novella connected to the series…

Temptation of a Highland Scoundrel, #2

Seduction of a Highland Warrior, #3

Once Upon a Highland Christmas, series-related holiday novella

I also have a story in Meows and Mistletoe, a Cat’s Paw Cove holiday collection. It’s set in a Florida beach town full of cats, magic, and romance. The Cat’s Paw Cove series was created by Wynter Daniels and Catherine Kean.

    

Are you working on any more series or books? 

SEW: A spin-off on my Ravenscraig Legacy series, Scottish contemporary paranormals. I’m hoping to get it out this summer. After that  – so many ideas and too little time.  

~*~

Thank you so much for having me. If any readers would like a closer look at Highland Warriors, they can download Highland Interludes from my website. It’s a free mobi download and includes two series prequels…

Highland Interludes

http://www.welfonder.com/Highland-Interludes.mobi

The Foretelling is a series prequel that lets you meet the three heroes as lads. It sets the stage for the events that unfold when they are grown men, proud and powerful Highland warrior chieftains.

         

The Glen of Many Legends – A Tour is also a prequel but is set immediately before the series opens. With a fierce battle on the horizon, a danger that could destroy a sacred glen, one of the warrior chieftains makes a journey across the story world.     

~*~

Also, I’ll draw a reader from all comments for a Mobi file of Sins of a Highland Devil.

I’ll sign off by with my contact info…

Mailing list:

https://madmimi.com/signups/102456/join

Website:

www.welfonder.com

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/SueEllenWelfonderAuthor

Facebook Personal Page: http://on.fb.me/1N5fSqg

Twitter: http://twitter.com/SE_Welfonder

Romance review of Happily Ever After, Again by D.F. Jones

Title: Happily Ever After, Again
Author: D.F. Jones 
Source: Author Request
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Length: Novel
Rating: 4
Sexual rating: 2
Reviewed by Laurie 

Happily Ever After, Again is electrifying, heart-pounding romance suspense melding sensuality, danger, and intrigue in this fast-paced page-turner.

Who killed Bratten Drake?

Bratten’s murder leaves Lauren grief-stricken while questioning the motives of his partner, his assistant, and his best friend.

Against Ever-After protocol, Bratten’s ghost mysteriously appears to help Lauren solve the murder, but places her in danger.

Will Lauren live Happily Ever After, Again?

If you like mystery, paranormal and romance this book is for you.

As a mystery lover, I was totally surprised as I kept turning the pages to try to find out who done it.

Lauren and Alex's romance is very different, you see, Lauren just lost her husband in death and Alex was her husband’s best friend. These two quickly find romantic connections with each other as they are forced together to find out who killed Bratten’s. Oh, and Bratten also comes to help them, hint, the paranormal elements in the story. The romance between these two starts rather quickly, but I have to say it’s done tastefully considering the turn of events that happens rather fast. 

About me

Hello everyone!

Welcome to my corner, where you’ll find a fusion of a few of my passions: animals, reading, baking, gardening, and jewelry brought together in one corner.

Growing up surrounded by all kinds of animals, they have become such a huge part of my daily life. Throughout my 56 years, I have never been without an animal around me. Currently, my life is taken over by one Border Collie and 9 cats, of which 8 are rescues, and one sassy Maine Coon named Sookie from one of my favorite book characters.

Over 15 years ago, I went on a romance reading kick and created a blog named Bitten by Paranormal Romance, which changed to Bitten by Romance and is now Laurie's Cozy Corner. I have not given up reading romance, but I have returned to reading cozy mysteries alongside romance. At one time there were several reviewers on the blog, but they all have busy lives, and it's just me left so I wanted to change it and create a blog just for me and my life. 

With the creation of social media, I found so many animals needing homes, so I try to help when I can with local rescues and trapping feral cats in my city to get them fixed. My husband is very supportive because he, too has always been a cat lover. I have one rescue named Roxie, who came from a high-kill shelter. She will have a special spot right here on the blog to help you realize how bad the needs of animals are. All of the other animals, too, will have a special spotlight right here on the blog.

Whatever your passion is—animals, reading, baking, or gardening—I hope you will find something here to help you along your way. 

Here are some details about my clower clan and our crazy schnauzer. 

Roxie came from a high-kill shelter in GA, and yes, my husband drove over 8 hours to get her and bring her back to middle TN. 

Pandora was rescued after her mother was killed on the road. We took the whole family in, thinking we would re-home them all since we had 3 cats already, but Pandora and her brother captured our hearts, and they stayed. 

Wolverine is Pandora's brother. He has a special mark on his belly that looks like a heart. 

Sookie, our Maine Coo,n and yes, she is named after Sookie Stackhouse. LOL 

Trubel (AKA Booboo). We found her on the side of a busy road near starvation. We decided to name and keep her. 

 
Mitten was found at one of the feral colonies. She is a polydactyl cat with horn toes

Spuds, our Schnauzer, was rescued from an abusive neighbor. Sadly, Spuds passed away in 2021. RIP 

 















Daisy is our new sable Border Collie

Cozy Mystery Review of Southern Discomfort (A Southern B&B Mystery #1) by Caroline Fardig

Title: Southern Discomfort (A Southern B&B Mystery #1)  

Author: Caroline Fardig

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Cozy mystery 

Lenght: Novel

Reviewed: by Laurie

Rating: 5 

Southern hospitality meets deadly deception in the start of a charming new mystery series from the USA Today bestselling author of the Java Jive novels.

Quinn Bellandini loves her life in Savannah, Georgia, where she runs her grandfather’s B&B with her sister, Delilah. From baking fresh scones and serving up grits every morning to ensuring the guests see the best of their historic city, Quinn can’t imagine doing anything else—even if it means dealing with nuisances like the occasional malfunctioning commode. But when Quinn drops by the local restaurant owned by her friend Drew Green, and stumbles upon a murder, her whole world comes crashing down.

Drew’s brother was always a little surly, but Quinn can’t imagine that someone disliked the prickly chef enough to kill him. The police, on the other hand, don’t believe that Quinn was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Before her guests can even digest the next morning’s gourmet breakfast, Quinn learns that she and Drew are suspects.

Drew thinks they should do some investigating of their own. Quinn is pretty sure she’s better suited to playing hostess than amateur sleuth. But with Delilah as her cynical sidekick, Quinn starts looking for the real killer—before she gets put away faster than you can say “sugar.” 

Caroline Fardig, has made my favorite authors list with her upcoming release of Southern Discomfort.

You get an engaging mystery with elements of paranormal and romance and a surprising twist at the end, I was totally enthralled thought the story. The author really digs deep and shows you colorful fun love characters that you are rooting for way before the end and the story and the story setting is just fabulous.

I really enjoyed this story because this Quinn is not your typical mystery sleuth, she is thirsted into helping her close friend and herself from being convicted of murder.  She first has to get up the courage and then she has to figure out what she has to do to in order to find the real killer since the cops are only looking surface deep in the investigation. 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo

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Romance review for Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon (The Embraced #3) by Kerrelyn Sparks

Title: Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon (The Embraced #3) 

Author: Kerrelyn Sparks

Source: NetGalley

Genre: Paranormal Romance 

Lenght: Novel

Reviewed by Laurie

Rating: 5

Sexual Rating: 3

From the brilliant imagination of Kerrelyn Sparks comes a bold new fantasy romance series in which passion and magic collide. Behold the Embraced…

Gwennore has a talent. An Elf able to track down the cause of an illness and heal it, she’s a valuable asset to her people. But when the kidnapping of a young girl thrusts Gwennore into the very heart of the realm of the dragons, she discovers not only a place of power and magic, but also a haunted land, plagued by an ancient curse that all but ensures extinction to the royal family. But when she meets the smoldering General Silas Dravenko, they strike a bargain—save the country from its cursed illness, and he will return the kidnapped girl. She’s been raised never to trust a dragon, but never did making a deal with the devil feel so good…

Silas has no way of curing the family he’s loyally served for years. But when a beautiful elf, long considered the enemy of the dragons, comes bursting into his world, Silas is awakened to passion and desire in a way he’s never felt before. But can he trust a sworn enemy to save the very existence he holds dear? And can their love survive those that threaten to tear them apart? 

Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon is breath of fresh air in today’s paranormal Romance, its humors, sexy and exciting! 

I haven’t had this much fun reading a romance book in a long while! Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon is my favorite out of the Embraced series so far, I loved both Gwennore and Silas and latterly devoured their story in a few hours and I didn’t want their story to end. 

I love the story, characters and they way Sparks brought out Gwennore past into light. The only downside I could really see in the story was at times Silas could be a bit corny as he was joking with Gwennore, but I thought they were mostly funny how they all tied together. I just couldn’t believe it took Gewnnor so long to catch on who he really was. 

I recommend Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon, to all of us Kerrelyn Sparks lovers out there and to anyone who loves dragons, elves and a magical world. 

Avalanche by Cambria Hebert

Title: Avalance (BearPaw Resort #1)

Author: Cambria Hebert

Genre: Adult, Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Independent

Release Date: March 26, 2018

Don’t get caught in the surge.

Through a bullet hole in a wall, I watch a man bleed to death.
Those responsible think their crime died with the victim, until I identify them.
What’s a girl to do when she’s being hunted by murderers
witness protection can’t even stop?
Run.
My only refuge is a place I vowed to never go again.
When it’s do or die, an eight-year-old heartache suddenly seems trivial.
Besides, he won’t be there anyway.
But he is.
Turns out my old pain feels brand new the second his eyes meet mine.
I can’t leave. I can’t stay.
This snowy town that’s supposed to be my shelter
suddenly exposes me more than before.
With no one else to lean on, Liam becomes my lifeline.
Now we’re both running for our lives,
trying not to get swept away.

Goodreads | Amazon

Excerpt from Avalanche:

I got up and went to the bed, yanking down the blankets in one move.

“What are you doing?” She was cautious.

“In you go.” I pointed.

“I’ll walk you out.” She glanced between me and the door.

I laughed. “Subtle. I’m not leaving.”

“Well, you aren’t sleeping with me!” She planted her fisted hands on her hips.

I tried real hard not to smile. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”

A little bit of hurt flashed in her eyes, and I was a bastard because I was glad for it. I wanted her to want me—even just a fraction of the way I wanted her.

I cleared my throat and added, “At least not tonight.”

Her eyes whipped up to mine.

This time I smiled, letting some of the desire and possessiveness I felt shine through.

She ran for the bed and jumped in, pulling the covers nearly over her head. “You can see yourself out!”

I threw my head back and laughed.

Then I returned to my chair.

Making a noise, Bellamy sat up, pushing down some of the covers to glare. “What are you doing?”

“Staying ‘til you fall asleep.”

Her mouth opened. Closed. Opened again. “But why?”

“Because you want me to.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“You didn’t disagree.”

She fell back on the bed with a groan.

I grinned and settled my hands over my middle. “Go to sleep, Bells. I’ll watch over you.”

AUTHOR BIO:

Cambria Hebert is an award winning, bestselling novelist of more than twenty books. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair.

Besides writing, Cambria loves a caramel latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching movies. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chorkie (the real boss of the house).

Cambria has written within the young adult and new adult genres, penning many paranormal and contemporary titles. Her favorite genre to read and write is romantic suspense. A few of her most recognized titles are: The Hashtag Series, Text, Torch, and Tattoo.

Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC.

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Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

Title: Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood #8)

Author: J.R. Ward

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Length: 528 pages

Publisher: NAL

Release Date: April 27, 2010

Source: Purchased (Audiobook)

Reviewed by: Jasmyn

John Matthew has come a long way since he was found living among humans, his vampire nature unknown to himself and to those around him. After he was taken in by the Brotherhood, no one could guess what his true history was- or his true identity. Indeed, the fallen Brother Darius has returned, but with a different face and a very different destiny. As a vicious personal vendetta takes John into the heart of the war, he will need to call up on both who he is now and who he once was in order to face off against evil incarnate.

Xhex, a symphath assassin, has long steeled herself against the attraction between her and John Matthew. Having already lost one lover to madness, she will not allow the male of worth to fall prey to the darkness of her twisted life. When fate intervenes, however, the two discover that love, like destiny, is inevitable between soul mates.

**********

John Mattew is quite an intriguing character to me. His mysterious background, his strange link to Darius, and the bond he has with Bella all made him really stand out among the strong characters in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Since then, he's grown into quite the vampire and fighter, but not quite fully finding his place yet.

Xhex is one of the physically strongest females we've seen in the series and I love how she just doesn't take any crap from anyone. One of my biggest overall complaints about the series is the lack of recurring female characters. Yes, the shellens pop up from time to time, but I thought Xhex had real potential to be part of the team and give the series a female character that is more than just a utility. We see a lot of her potential and strength showcased during her ordeal and recovery from Lash.

Tons of things happening in the background including a bombshell with Payne. Blay and Qhuinn continue to tip-toe around each other, but with the addition of Saxon and Layla to the scene things might just be reaching their tipping point. 

The fight with the Lessers continues and on one hand, I really enjoy the continuity this brings to the series, but I'm also sort of hoping that a new "bad guy" will pop up and really add some twists and turns. 

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