Interviews. Reviews. Book Announcements.


Dedicated to writers, readers, and lovers of Paranormal Mystery everywhere!

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Author Toni Lo Tempio paranormal books

As T.C. LoTempio Toni pens the Nick and Nora mystery series for Penguin, but as Toni LoTempio she has several paranormals published via Amazon.





No Rest for the Wicca
Communing with the dead is an everyday occurrence for PI Morgan Hawkes. A half-Wiccan witch who can commune with spirits of those caught between worlds, Morgan uses her talents to exorcise the trapped ghost or demon as part of the Paranormal Investigation Squad – until a string of murders with a voodoo slant prompts the Special Forces Agency to ask for her assistance. Someone’s killing pure blood witches- and the SFA’s convinced Morgan’s heritage (her father was a voodoo priest) could be instrumental in solving the mystery. Teamed with dashing SF agent Cole St. John – an Inheritor Vampire that sets her blood racing – the two of them fight their attraction for each other as they race to stop a madman from unleashing a demonic force upon the world.






Raven’s Kiss
Raven Grace was a college senior with ambitions of a career in law enforcement when she met the demon Aega, whose bite turned her from mortal to shape shifter. Now a member of the Recovery Organization, Raven keeps the peace between humans and errant hell hounds, trolls, wizards and the like while trying to track down Aega and bring him to justice. After a particularly dicey encounter one night with a hell hound, she goes to the aid of a girl who’s been attacked and near death—and is amazed to find Aega’s bite mark on the girl’s arm. Determined to get to the bottom of this, she revisits the victim’s apartment and there discovers her closet is a portal to a parallel universe, where people she knows lead vastly different lives. She also gets a glimpse of the Recovery Captain there—a six foot, redheaded Scotsman named Finn McPhee, whose sexy accent and even sexier bod sets her senses aflame. Seeking answers, Finn takes Raven to the magickal underworld, where an ancient fae informs them the demon’s quest is rooted in Scottish mythology and magick. As they delve deeper into legend, the truth comes to light—Aega is only a pawn, subservient to another, darker demon…a being who knows the truth about Raven’s heritage, and who orchestrated her return to this parallel universe for the ultimate showdown. Now, Finn and Raven find their passion for one another must take a backseat to Raven’s battle with a dark force who won’t be satisfied until he’s claimed her soul for his very own…





Raven’s Quest –a Novella
Shapeshifter Raven Grace and her psychic lover, Finn McPhee, are back, traveling to parallel time in search of a demonic klller.


All books are available at Amazon or can be ordered from the author’s website, www.tclotempio.com


Thursday, January 22, 2015

One Garish Ghost and Blueberry Jam by Jennifer Fischetto





One Garish Ghost and Blueberry Jam



Interview with Jennifer Fischetto

1 - What do you enjoy about writing paranormal fiction?

I love the freedom that a fictional world gives. I have flexibility with my world's rules, and that's a lot of fun. Plus, I love the supernatural and the "what ifs" of ghosts, witches, time travel and other paranormal phenomenon. It's exciting. :)

2 - Who is your favorite character in this book and why?

I love my lead, Gianna. She has a goofy side that I find refreshing and a lot of fun to write. She doesn't take herself seriously. She's not overly concerned about appearances or how she comes across to others, which allows her to have the freedom of acting silly. And she has a super close, loving, and loyal family. She'd do anything for them.

3 - What are you working on right now?

I am writing book 4 of the Jamie Bond Mysteries, with Gemma Halliday.

4 - Have you ever had a paranormal experience? If yes, please elaborate.

When I was between 3 and 5, I was lying on the top of my toy chest. One side was close to the wall, and I allowed my arms to hang over the sides. It wasn't that wide of a box. My left arm was between the box and wall, and I felt someone grip my hand. I don't recall what happened next, but I assume I got scared, lol, because I remember crying to my mom. She tried to play it off as not a big deal (she definitely believes in the paranormal) and told me that it must've been one of my dolls. But I knew none of them could move, and I definitely felt someone close their hand around my fingers.

5 - What has your experience as an author been like so far? Easy? Hard? Different than you thought? 
Something you'd never do again?

I've been writing since I was a child. I still recall my first original short story in 8th grade, with its own construction paper cover. haha When I started writing seriously though, I assumed I'd sit at my computer and the words would flow from my brain through my fingers, and the pages would fly by. Excuse me while I laugh uncontrollably for a moment. :)

I learned that most of the time it is very hard. It's like walking uphill in a foot of fresh, firm, packed snow in slippers. It's cold, I'm all alone, and I forgot my ski poles at home. But then some days you get to sit at the top of the hill and slide back down on a totally shiny, cool sled and you know there's hot cocoa waiting below. Despite it being so much harder than I ever imagined though, I wouldn't do anything else. :)

6 - Please share your favorite line from the book.

Oh wow, that's hard. I have more than one from the same scene. Taken out of context it isn't nearly as much fun, so I'll write the whole paragraph, but my favorite is the last line:

Izzy perches halfway in and halfway out of the window in some delicate dancer-type pose. She took ballet as a child. I colored with my box of 96 Crayolas. I don't think Burnt Sienna could've helped with my landing.


--
Jennifer Fischetto


Saturday, January 17, 2015

Choices: Make Me Paranormal Book 1 by Cora Maxine





Title: Choices: Make Me Paranormal Book 1
Author: Cora Maxine
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 206
Price: $2.99

Description:

I always wondered which paranormal being I would choose to be, but never thought I'd be forced to make the decision.

As an urban fantasy author, Jupiter Hayes knows all about the things that go bump in the night, but she never dreamed that those beings could be real.

Summoned to a secret paranormal facility within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Jupiter finds out that not only are these beings real, but she's destined to become one of them.

Soon she's cut off from the life she once knew as she spends time getting to know each society in need of new members. But, some of those societies may be a better fit than others, due to her own bloodline.

Throw in a sexy vampire and a gorgeous warlock and it's easy to see that Jupiter Hayes has some tough choices to make.


Excerpt:

Chapter 1

I always wondered which paranormal being I would choose to be, but never thought I'd be forced to make the decision.


I rubbed my eyes and tried to let them adjust to the room. Though my eyes adjusted quickly, my brain didn't. I wasn't sure where I was, but I was certain I had been kidnapped by someone from the 100 Acre Wood. The bear, rabbit, or pig had some explaining to do. The walls of the room honestly made it appear as if the room was created inside a hollowed out tree. As I raised my hand to touch the wall, there came a gentle knock on the door and an old woman peeped around the opening.

“Oh good, you're awake,” she said coming into the room and closing the door gently behind her. I guessed her age to be around late 60s or early 70s. She had her white hair up in a bun and was wearing a light brown dress that cinched at the waist, but did nothing for her figure. “I'm sure you have many questions, including why you're here.”

Actually, I had been wondering how I got here. I was a very light sleeper and someone shouldn't have been able to move me without waking me.

“All the answers will come in good time, my dear.” She smiled sweetly and clasped her hands together in front of her body, looking quite harmless. “First, why don't you freshen up a bit? Everything you need is in the bathroom, including a fresh set of clothing. Once you're done, I'll be down the path, in the room on your right.”

Something inside nagged at me that I should thank the woman, but another part of me was still in shock about the whole situation so I just stared at her.

“Well, I'll just be going.” And she was gone. Either my eyes hadn't properly adjusted or that woman was damn fast because people don't just disappear...do they? I guess if a stuffed bear could pull off a high-stakes kidnapping, old ladies could also disappear.

Wow, I was really beginning to lose it.

As I climbed from the bed, I found a pair of fuzzy slippers anxiously waiting for my feet. The interior of the slippers was warm and upon standing I found that they were lined with memory foam. It was like walking on air. As I walked past the mirror, I noticed that I must have gotten taller or the furniture was shorter. Then I noticed my feet in the mirror.

“Holy...,” I said as my hand flew to my mouth. I was floating at least six inches above the floor. I immediately kicked the slippers across the room, ran into the bathroom, and locked the door.  I stood there for a second feeling relieved, but then I just felt stupid for running from a pair of slippers. I carefully peeked out the bathroom door and saw the slippers gliding back into place, at the side of the bed. “Eek!” I closed the door back and stumbled backwards into the toilet, which made me scream even louder.

I sat there, on the toilet, slowly trying to gain control over my emotions. Last night had been my 29th birthday party, and while I'm not a drinker, someone must have slipped something into my sweet tea. I rubbed face with both hands and just sat there for a few minutes.

Obviously, I was having a vivid dream. Damn melatonin. Vivid dreams were a common side effect of the medication, but without it, I couldn't sleep at all.

I pulled my hands from my face and stared at the wooden wall before me. I have to admit, my imagination was still in top form. The room looked so real and every detail was perfect. I reached out to touch the wall and it even felt like real wood.

The bathroom was huge for a hollowed out tree. There was a separate Jacuzzi tub and a large shower with a rainfall shower head and numerous jets. Pretty fancy for the forest.

I couldn't help but succumb to the giggle fit that followed. It might have been just a dream, but I was feeling extremely nervous. It was time for this to end. I pinched myself hard enough to leave an angry red spot on my arm. Nothing. I was still lost in the forest. A yellow stuffed bear in a small red shirt had some 'splaining to do, but first I needed to take a shower.



Buy Link:



Author Bio:

Cora Maxine lives in Western North Carolina and uses the towns around her as inspiration for her urban fantasy novels. When she's not writing, she can usually be found reading, baking, and spending time with her amazing boyfriend and houseful of pets.

Author Links:








Saturday, January 10, 2015

The Accidental Alchemist by Gigi Pandian




The Accidental Alchemist
By Gigi Pandian


Why I Wanted to Write a Paranormal Mystery
By Gigi Pandian

I’m a huge fan of the paranormal mystery genre (Victoria Laurie and Juliet Blackwell are two of my favorites), but I was never drawn to writing one until I had the idea for the main character in The Accidental Alchemist, a centuries-old female alchemist who discovered the Elixir of Life by accident and isn’t sure if it’s a blessing or a curse.

I was drawn to the subject of alchemy and the Elixir of Life after a breast cancer diagnosis at age 36. I wrote a first draft of the novel while undergoing chemotherapy, when it was great to have a fun project to throw myself into. Alchemist Zoe Faust and her sidekick, a gargoyle who was accidentally brought to life by a French stage magician, both discovered immortality by accident rather than design.

Why the gargoyle? I’ve loved gargoyles since I was a 10-year-old kid tagging along with my professor mom on one of her research trips to Europe. To me, they represent everything mysterious. Dorian the gargoyle started off as a small character, but grew into the heart of the book.


BLURB for The Accidental Alchemist:
Unpacking her belongings in her new hometown of Portland, Oregon, herbalist and reformed alchemist Zoe Faust can’t help but notice she’s picked up a stowaway. Dorian Robert-Houdin is a living, breathing three-and-a-half-foot gargoyle—not to mention a master of French cuisine—and he needs Zoe’s expertise to decipher a centuries-old text. Zoe, who’s trying to put her old life behind her, isn’t so sure she wants to reopen her alchemical past... until the dead man on her porch leaves her no choice.
Includes recipes!

“Zoe and Dorian are my new favorite amateur-sleuth duo!”
—New York Times bestselling author Victoria Laurie

EXCERPT

A three-foot stone gargoyle stared up at me from the wreckage that used to be carefully-organized antique alchemy artifacts.

Instinctively, I stepped backward. How had this statue been added to my sealed crate? And why on earth would someone do so?

I ran out the front door, but movers had already departed. The porch sagged beneath my feet and the rickety front door banged shut behind me in the strong wind. When I turned the door handle to let myself back inside, the brass knob came off in my hand. Be careful what you wish for, Zoe Faust.

Thankfully, a strong shove was all the door needed to open. Back inside my new home, I returned to the crate for a closer look. The gargoyle reminded me of the stone carvings on Notre Dame in Paris. The gray creature looked to be modeled after the famous stone “thinker” gargoyle, with short horns and folded wings. The main difference was that this gargoyle held an old, leather-bound book in his arms. That was odd. I would have expected any added detail to be made of stone, not this real book with leather binding. I couldn’t place the type of stone used to carve the gargoyle. Granite? 
Sandstone? Or perhaps a softer soapstone? It wasn’t like any stone I’d seen. I leaned in for a closer look. There was something...

The gargoyle blinked.

My fist tensed around the crowbar. I stumbled backward, falling into the large couch.
Sprawled out on the couch, I laughed at myself. I’d seen a fair share of magic shows in my time. I knew what this gargoyle was. He was something that had been a popular attraction over a century ago: an automaton.

“You’re the best looking automaton I’ve ever seen,” I said.

The gargoyle’s shoulders moved, as if it was stretching. It was a wonderfully constructed piece. It must have been programmed to awaken when light shone on him. A good trick for the stage.

“I am no automaton,” a deep voice emanating from the automaton said. He—for his voice assured me he was male—climbed out of the crate onto the hardwood floor.

I gasped and fell off the edge of the couch. Ouch.

I’d seen ingenious automatons created by stage magicians. None were as advanced as this one. If I were to believe my eyes, I would have sworn he was alive. But then again, technology had progressed since automatons were popular in stage shows of the 1800s. A famous example of an early automaton was The Turk, a chess-playing machine that drew huge crowds to watch him play chess against famous chess players. Automatons were a combination of technical wizardry and stage showmanship, and the most famous automatons were aided by human helpers. There was no way a person was inside the crate with this creature, so he had to be completely mechanized.

 “Where are my manners?” the creature said, bowing before me. “I did not mean to startle you. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Dorian Robert-Houdin.”  He spoke in English with a thick French accent.

I pulled myself together and stood up. “Either I’m going crazy, or your creator had a mischievous sense of humor. Incorporating a recording of his voice—”

I broke off when the gargoyle who called himself Dorian Robert-Houdin blinked at me again. The effect was quite disconcerting. His eyelids looked like granite, but the eyes themselves were a liquidly black substance.

“I assure you,” he said, “I am not a robotic automaton, nor are you going crazy.”

Most people would have run screaming from the room if they saw a walking, talking gargoyle emerge from their storage crate. I admit I was surprised, but I’ve seen many things in my lifetime…
Did I mention that when I was born in Massachusetts, it was 1676? I’ve been around for a while. But even my many years hadn’t prepared me for what I’d find in Portland.

Bio: Gigi Pandian is the USA Today bestselling author of the Jaya Jones Treasure Hunt mystery series (Artifact, Pirate Vishnu, and the forthcoming Quicksand) and the new Accidental Alchemist mysteries. Gigi’s debut mystery novel was awarded a Malice Domestic Grant, and her short fiction has been short-listed for Agatha and Macavity awards. A cancer diagnosis in her 30s taught her two important life lessons: healing foods can taste amazing, and life’s too short to waste a single moment. Gigi spent her childhood being dragged around the world by her cultural anthropologist parents, and now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with an overgrown vegetable garden in the backyard. 

Visit her at gigipandian.com and connect with her on Facebook (facebook.com/GigiPandian) and on Twitter (@GigiPandian).




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