K. M. Wray

Book Review: The Merging -John P. Logsdon

Are you a fan of cop shows? Think urban fantasy/paranormal/speculative fiction mixed with a police show you enjoy and you have The Merging by John P. Logsdon.

The story begins with a routine check-in with a vampire feeding on a human. Something the PPD (Paranormal Police Department) of Las Vegas frown on. It seems regular enough until they’re attacked by a paranormal who’s too strong to take down. They have a case! Because it’s not one but many super naturals: vampire, werewolf and fairy who are wreaking havoc on a quiet Las Vegas night.

The story was a quick read that kept my attention. It was like experiencing the shift with the workers and the action was constant going from one paranormal mishap to the next. I wasn’t sure I fully understood the working of all the magic especially the lead character’s magic. He’s supposed to be special, but why he’s special wasn’t clear to me. Perhaps with future books this will make greater sense and the author reveals more of this world. The book itself is definitely episodic so each book in the series would center around solving a case (I presume).

Click this link to check out this read: The Merging

What do you think of this kind of urban fantasy read? Have you read other books like this?

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Twilight’s Curse: Behind the Scenes -Zoe

Zoe was a character I loved writing. She had such depth and pain but also incredible strength. She was in a way a real hero because she faced her fears and came out stronger. I think this is the reality for all of us when fear comes knocking in our lives. There’s the tap at the door and our hearts begin to race as anxiety clutches as us. Will we be brave enough to move forward despite the fear? Or will we let it keep us a prisoner in our circumstances?

Deep questions and when I started writing Twilight’s Curse, I hadn’t planned on Zoe being such a deep character, but that’s the fun of writing: stories often go in directions we don’t always expect. I do spend a lot of time mapping out my novels, and my conclusions seldom change, but as the character is written, I learn so much more about them that brings in a lot of dimension and complexity.

When I first imagined Zoe, I had this picture in my mind of a girl who had tattoos of daggers on her forearms. They’d separate from her skin and solidify into weapons she’d fight with. I began to ask questions about who she was, how did she get her weapons, and why is she fighting… the brainstorming process was extensive, but Zoe and her world was born and it is my privilege to share it with the world. I hope you enjoy her journey and maybe she’ll inspire you!

What kind of characters do you find the most inspiring? Is there a character that seemed to come alive on the pages of a book? I’d love to hear about these adventures.

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Book Review: Ready to Fumble -Christy Barritt

Imagine if your real life and imaginary life converged. What would that look like for you? And better yet, would you want to face that kind of life?

In Ready to Fumble by Christy Barritt, the main character, Joey Darling, was a detective on a T. V. hit series in Hollywood. But when life took a turn, she found herself in a beachside sleepy town making a living as a hair dresser Accepting her situation, Joey wonders if she even has what it takes to cut hair since her last cut left the town’s detective with a crooked edge. Then someone walks in who recognizes her as her T.V. alter-ego and offers Joey a case. She’s not sure she wants the job but the money is good and it wouldn’t hurt to sneak around… right?

The story is a sweet read that kept my attention. It was light and not my usual fantasy genre, but I do like to dip into other genres once in a while. NOTE: this is a cozy mystery with a touch of romance though nothing happens in this book. There’s just two guys: one who scowls and one who’s a laid-back surfer with magic fingers (masseuse).

I’ve read Christy Barritt before and I might continue with the series if I’m in a ‘mystery’ mood. She’s a great writer who adds humor to her stories. Her books are clean reads and come to satisfying conclusions.

Click this link to check out this book:

Ready to Fumble

So do you like the odd mystery book? Do you like the odd scare or prefer the sweet cozy mystery? Who are some of the authors you like to read?

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Twilight’s Curse: Behind the Scenes -Nix

Prince Phoenix or Nix witnessed the murders of his parents and he has no desire to take the crown, and is challenged to accept the role as the only means to save the Twilight Realm. Will he step up? Or step away? You’ll have to read to find out.

Nix’s character grew up in obscurity and meets the beautiful woman of his dreams . If you think that sounds like a bad pick-up line, then Nix agrees. But he literally had a dream where a beautiful woman tells him she’ll help him and then he finds her! One small snag, she has no desire to help him and keeps threatening him with her daggers. Will he be able to win her over? Get her to help him? And discover if there’s room for friendship and maybe more?

Nix was a fun character to write. He struggled with his identity and what that means for himself and the Twilight Realm. Because he’d seen his parents brutally murdered and grew up without parents, he feels unprepared to be king and doesn’t want to be in a role that might cost someone else their life. He stubbornly refuses the help of others and ends up getting himself into a worse mess. I liked the depth of his inner conflict because it felt real and something all of us can face at times: We’re afraid to move forward because of what it might mean due to ghosts of our past.

Is there a character who has faced ghosts they had to overcome to find their future? I’d love to hear about it. What kind of characters or struggles characters face do you find relatable?

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Book Review: Touched by Magic -Celine Jeanjean

What do you get when you have an Asian orphan raised by British parents who has a touch of magic? Celine Jeanjean’s urban fantasy series: Touched by Magic.

Apiya works in a barber shop with pathetically weak magical skills (she’s able to encourage your surroundings to remain clean). She finds herself thrown into a brewing war between those who have strong magic and regular old non-magical humans. (Apiya is human but has a ‘touch’ of magic.) She must face stronger and far more magical creatures than herself to protect the egg of a very strong but dwindling magical race.

The story is interesting and fun. I found it hard to put the story down as I was curious about what would happen next. I liked the main character and her bit of ‘snark’. It added humor to the story and made her likeable.

I also enjoyed the Asian world or background Celine Jeanjean set Apiya’s world in. It was a nice twist from the regular American or UK setting. It felt like discovering a whole new fantasy world with familiar and new fantasy characters/creatures.

I did find there were a few plot holes. They weren’t major. They mostly felt like the author assumed the reader would know something about the world she created. I could read the story without this being a major issue, but it did leave me wondering (only a little). I do plan on reading more by this author and in this series.

Check out this read by clicking the following link:

Touched by Magic

Side note: There are three books from a completed series from this author set at ‘free’, so check them out here:

The Viper and The Urchin Books 1-3

What is your favorite part of fantasy novel? What draws you in about the magic? Or character?

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Twilight’s Curse: Behind the Scenes -Royal Advisor Nate

Every good fantasy book isn’t complete without the mentor! In Twilight’s Curse, Nate, Royal Advisor to the king, has held this role for as long as… well you won’t quite know until you’ve read all three books in the series and I’m not planning to tell you. Not yet, anyway.

Nate first comes on to the scene to help Prince Phoenix or Nix escape when the royal tree has been attacked by the regents who kill his parents. We next see him as a kind of a grandfatherly character who offers Zoe refuge when she flees her parents. He’s a bit eccentric but a gentle and kind soul who seems to know much more than he lets on.

I had a lot of fun writing Nate and discovering his story as I wrote him. He’ll get his own book in a spin-off, so if you love him as much as I do, then you’ll love learning how he became the king’s advisor! How he gained his wisdom and so much more.

Who are some of your favorite mentor characters in books? Should they be all-powerful and wise? Or perhaps larger than life? Or should they have a few winkles and flaws?

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Book Review: Magical New Beginnings -Brenda Trim

Are you an older woman in your mid-life, approaching it or on the other side? Perhaps you’re experiencing an empty nest with adult kids going off to university or becoming more independent. This read might be for you!

This book attracted me because it sounded different from the regular young twentyish female lead. I thought it’d be fun to read about a middle-aged woman taking on the world because let’s face, women in the thirties, forties and fifties are amazing in all they do in this world.

Back to the review. The book didn’t fully disappoint. I liked how the story was set in a small country village. It felt cozy and the community felt tight-knit. The main character, upon arriving at her grandmother’s estate, learns that she has magical abilities and she’s very strong. It’s why she was taken from this magical community when she was young.

While the story was sweet and a nice diversion, I found the main character a bit unbelievable. I don’t think the author really knows what a forty-year-old is like because no forty-year-old I know of seems so… old. The character feels like a geriatric in someone who is middle-aged, so that doesn’t fit. There were a few areas of the story that left questions, so maybe those answers will come with future books in the series. At present I’m not sure I’ll continue in the series but mostly because (as you’ve heard me say before), I like to know how long a series is before committing.

Check out the link here for the book:

Magical New Beginnings

So what do you think of middle-age heroines? Is anyone ever too old to be a hero? Or should the role of ‘hero’ be left to the young? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Twilight’s Curse: Behind the Scenes -the brownies

Imagine if such creatures existed who could enter your home, clean your house, prepare your meals and not ask for a thing in return. Do such creatures exist? They do in fantasy!

The brownies are creatures of myth and fantasy. They are secretive and seldom reveal themselves to humans, but you always know they’ve been there because your home is clean and things are taken care of. I don’t know how the creatures came about or how they got the name of the delicious dessert! but after first reading about them, I knew they’d find their way into my writing.

In Twilight’s Curse, the brownies are first seen in the royal tree and then Nate’s tree. They are mostly housekeepers, about the size of an 8-10 year old child and are quite pleasant in beings. There were a few characteristics I brought forward in this book: their secretive natures and their nurture.

Despite Zoe, female lead, having lived with the brownies for a number of years, she still knows very little about them and their history. When she asks questions, Cocoa, the head brownie, shows a little irritation about being asked about things that are secrets to brownies. It gives the loving creatures a bit of mystery and charm because you don’t quite know what they’ll do next or even what they’re capable of and that leaves lots of room for the unexpected.

The second characteristic I focused on was the brownies nurturing ability. They’re sweet and loving creatures who mostly take care of the orphaned children Zoe brings to Nate’s home. But they also have a powerful mother bear type magic that’s tied to their nurture which saves Zoe in fight. As Cocoa is known for saying, ‘never underestimate the power of nurture.’

What kind of creatures do you like in your fantasy reads? Do know of some unique beings with unusual magic? I’d love to hear about them.

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