tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16444963538393286122024-03-13T18:33:39.598-07:00Letters of the UndeadRaven Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901787137800809508noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644496353839328612.post-37553386567070580672016-11-02T05:40:00.003-07:002016-11-02T05:41:54.527-07:00Blood Debt (Judah Black Novels) - E. A. Copen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Tasked with policing the supernaturals on a reservation in Paint Rock, Texas, Judah Black’s unconventional methods have made her unpopular with her superiors in Washington. She's just one bad day away from losing everything, including her son.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Things only get worse after a foreign vampire is murdered and the victim’s powerful cousin vows to find the killer himself. All evidence points to another vampire, Kim Kelley, as the killer but bringing her in could spark an international war. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">And turn Paint Rock into ground zero. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">But Kim’s got her own debt to settle, one that involves Judah’s new protégé, Mara. Caught in the middle of a power struggle between two hostile vampire factions, Judah must navigate a complicated web of alliances and bring a killer to justice…all before she picks her son up from school.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I loved book 1, Guilty by Association, so I was excited when I saw that book 2 was available. Unfortunately I wasn't able to read it straight away, because I was too busy, but it was so worth the wait!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">E. A. Copen hooked me in right from the start. “There was blood on the ceiling.” Just like in book 1, Judah is in the middle of a grisly murder scene, doing her job as a BSI agent.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">And with that hook, she kept me reading. I couldn't put the book down. We get introduced to new characters (half-vampire Abe and elf Creven for example!) and to new and even scarier monsters than in the last book. Hunter makes a few appearances too, just like Saloso and the rest of the werewolves. Things with Saloso become a bit tense, a bit complicated and I can't wait to see where Ms Copen takes the journey with those two.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">We are also introduced to Judah’s new protégé, Mara, who is a troubled teen with supernatural powers and who seems to be smack in the middle of the trouble.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I think part of the allure of these books is that Ms Copen does not stick with the “regular” monsters that are so popular, but uses so many different mythologies and does so brilliantly.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">All in all a solid second book. Can't wait for book 3!</span>Raven Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901787137800809508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644496353839328612.post-28856478044783921842016-11-02T05:34:00.006-07:002016-11-02T05:39:31.508-07:00Sonnet Vale: Paranormal Hunter - Gena D. Lutz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I could not put the book down! Sonnet Vale is a huntress who was hired to find a missing girl. I did have some issues with Gena D. Lutz overexplaining things (mentioning them over and over as if scared that a reader might miss them), but apart from that, it's an enjoyable read.</span></div>
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</span>Raven Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901787137800809508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644496353839328612.post-36912176880238171662016-11-02T05:29:00.003-07:002016-11-02T05:38:50.195-07:00Twenty-Eight and a Half Wishes (Rose Gardner Mystery) - Denise Grover Swank<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">“It all started when I saw myself dead.” For Rose Gardner, working at the DMV on a Friday afternoon is bad even before she sees a vision of herself dead. She’s had plenty of visions, usually boring ones like someone’s toilet’s overflowed, but she’s never seen one of herself before. When her overbearing momma winds up murdered on her sofa instead, two things are certain: There isn't enough hydrogen peroxide in the state of Arkansas to get that stain out, and Rose is the prime suspect. Rose realizes she’s wasted twenty-four years of living and makes a list on the back of a Wal-Mart receipt: twenty-eight things she wants to accomplish before her vision comes true. She’s well on her way with the help of her next door neighbor Joe, who has no trouble teaching Rose the rules of drinking, but won’t help with number fifteen-- do more with a man. Joe’s new to town, but it doesn’t take a vision for Rose to realize he’s got plenty secrets of his own. Somebody thinks Rose has something they want and they’ll do anything to get it. Her house is broken into, someone else she knows is murdered, and suddenly, dying a virgin in the Fenton County jail isn’t her biggest worry after all.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I couldn't put this book down. Denise Grover Swank is so amazing at keeping people in the dark, I found myself racing through the pages trying to find out who Rose could trust and who lied to her. I couldn't figure Joe out until the end. Suspenseful, funny, sweet and surprising!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The characters feel real. No one is purely black or white, apart from the onion fanatic (eww). Even though Rose starts out as a weak person, she sure soon shows her strength. She is a likable person and I found myself cheering for her.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">And Muffy was adorable.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Denise Grover Swank sure has a way with words.</span></div>
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</span>Raven Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901787137800809508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644496353839328612.post-17901047078290776542016-11-02T05:27:00.000-07:002016-11-02T05:38:39.597-07:00Created Darkly (Kris Chase) - Gena D. Lutz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Necromancer Kris Chase's purpose is simple. Blindly raise the dead for the primary elite, self necro-governed group, the Center. The problem is, she couldn't care less about what the Center expects from her. Instead, she is more content with snuffing out the life-force from every vile creature she can get her hands on; the same monsters her brethren indiscriminately create… for the right price. Until the life of someone dear to her is threatened. With the stakes raised insurmountably, she finds herself bound by desperation to create the very darkness she always fought against being consumed by, going against everything she has ever believed in.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I originally bought the book because I adore the cover art. It is beautiful, the red shirt a lovely contrast the the otherwise cold colors and I really wanted to know what the story is about. There might be some spoilers in the review, so read at own risk.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- The cover, like I already mentioned it's fantastic.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- I love the beginning of the novel, as Kris starts out as a strong woman who takes down a much more powerful creature than herself all alone.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- Her ghostly room mate is cute. I really hope to read more of him.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- The premise is very interesting. Having human Creators make vampires is new and I like the idea. Especially the idea that Creators can also kill vampires by touching them.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- Rafe, the vampire is funny and I really liked him.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- Kris being able to Mark her creations is interesting and I'd love to know more about it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- The novel was written in 1st person, but both from Kris' point of view and that of her love interest Rush. The problem is, there is no indication whose chapter we are on. Though Ms Lutz doesn't headjump mid-chapter and there are breaks between shifting to another character, there should be a clear indication who is talking. The way Ms Lutz handles it here might work in 3rd person, but not 1st.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- I did not like Rush. I felt zero connection to him and he'd been killed off mid-novel I wouldn't have cared. I was just waiting for him to start growling as soon as another male looks in Kris' direction, he was so possessive, it was unsexy and made me really dislike him.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- I felt as if Kris was a lot more focused on getting into Rush' pants than finding her sister Torra or getting herself though situations safely. I like it when my female lead can also function without the guy.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- The scene where the bride of Devil gave Kris new clothes when they first meet in the bathroom and EVERYONE stares at Kris because she wears a skirt. Even the people who didn't even know her. While the cover model really is a beauty, the club was packed with loads of beautiful women. It was unrealistic that each and every person would stare. You know what is sexy? A woman who is confident in whatever she is wearing. Even dirty, torn clothing, that became dirty and torn because she just raised a vampire. And after something happens at the club, Kris needs new clothes yet again. It really stagnates the plot.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- The lead character should drive the plot. While Kris had loads of fancy powers, it was the bad guy Wolf who drove the plot. Kris was never a step ahead of him.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- Unfortunately I felt there was a lot of telling and not showing and at times I thought the author wasn't confident that people will be able to follow her plot. In one instance one of the characters, Druska, tells Kris that she is looking for Torra "your sister." Yes, a character was telling the main character that she was also looking for Torra and felt the need to add that it's the main character's sister.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">- The characters tended to sound really dramatic. There was a whole lot of "HIS WOMAN" and a lot of trying to sound badass, but having nothing to back it up.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">In the end I did like the book, but with a bit more decent editing it could have been amazing. I will buy more books by Ms Lutz, as she has a lot of interesting ideas (and I would love those amazing covers on my shelves).</span></span></div>
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Raven Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901787137800809508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644496353839328612.post-68791146606024516522016-11-02T05:18:00.002-07:002016-11-02T05:38:25.425-07:00A World of My Own - A Short Story Fantasy for All Ages - Becca Bates<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93c8apI_KKnRx0Rv1sq1OWTpaC2yyoe5TrbdT7RKqYF8I_1WfFgmN7SHLufa1rq__b9D3PaOipgxa-4LpVShFsteu2tnC2dbyP-w-8NplElMmfYfOO6k_7oY8GvdxArSqbFX700exg-f1/s1600/Aworldofmyown23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93c8apI_KKnRx0Rv1sq1OWTpaC2yyoe5TrbdT7RKqYF8I_1WfFgmN7SHLufa1rq__b9D3PaOipgxa-4LpVShFsteu2tnC2dbyP-w-8NplElMmfYfOO6k_7oY8GvdxArSqbFX700exg-f1/s320/Aworldofmyown23.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">A rough life leaves Marie desperate for a way of escape. When she and her secret crush find a portal to the magical land of Sonara, it seems she has found just that. Now, she has everything she could want except the sister she left behind. Determined to save her from their abusive stepfather, Marie sets out to bring her sister with her to a new home, but Sonara may not be the idyllic land she dreamed of.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A World of My Own is based on Alice in Wonderland but a compelling tale of its own. The heroine is a huge fan the Lewis Carroll novel and is thrilled when she learns that she is to play Alice in a school play.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Unfortunately things at home don't look so good for Marie, with her mother not speaking due to trauma and her step-father being abusive. So she spends her days taking care of her younger sister Lily, daydreaming and school.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Things go downward when the play is cancelled. High School cutie Leo offers Marie a ride home and suddenly they find themselves in a cave following a strange light and ending up in some sort of Wonderland.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I can't really tell any more without spoiling something, but the Wonderland Becca describes is magical and enchanting.</span></div>
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The story is well worth its money.</div>
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</span>Raven Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901787137800809508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644496353839328612.post-68444570283991437192016-07-05T03:45:00.001-07:002016-07-05T14:08:26.366-07:00Review: Bound to Blackwood: House Blackwood Book One by Sharon Lipman<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKs1R_if7ELc0VxKkJ3dBGFuBn1UZzkLEIbo9W6HMI6GY-q-fIEkMQYlYdMWzECN24CxEIEydVXlJY2SGw5zkFOROI7bpqIudd_h0vcNW6p1eAIMF_N7Dxom6hd4dgVw0kx5D9HMTHBdHI/s1600/1517493226.MAIN.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKs1R_if7ELc0VxKkJ3dBGFuBn1UZzkLEIbo9W6HMI6GY-q-fIEkMQYlYdMWzECN24CxEIEydVXlJY2SGw5zkFOROI7bpqIudd_h0vcNW6p1eAIMF_N7Dxom6hd4dgVw0kx5D9HMTHBdHI/s320/1517493226.MAIN.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Would you surrender your soul for the love of the King? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">Lena, a vampire and a Guardian of the Order, has been honour-bound to protect human souls all her life. Acting first and thinking second is what's saved her skin time and again in the war against the Fallen, but her disregard for orders soon catches up with her when her boss is seriously injured. Forced to take responsibility for her actions, Lena is thrust into the path of her very own kryptonite; Thorn. The raw power of his soul calls to her and his mere presence lights a fire within her that she cannot contain. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">With Vampire magic waning and the race in crisis, can either of them afford to ignore Nature's call? If they do, the future of the race is in jeopardy. If they don't, they will both lose the most precious part of themselves. Their souls</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">With Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy authors popping up just about everywhere nowadays, I braced myself for another mediocre read. Still, I love vampires, so I bought the novel and started to read.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Let me get one thing straight however; this book is far from mediocre. Sharon Lipman manages to put a new, refreshing spin on vampires. Her world-building is extraordinary and her characters feel real. I was on the verge of my seat several times and found it hard to put the book down. Before I knew it I was halfway through and it was 3 in the morning.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; line-height: 19px;">I loved stubborn, reckless Lena. Very often female characters come in two catagories: cold, badass and unlikable or helpless and too-stupid-to-live. Lena is neither. As the only female Guardian she is used to having to prove herself, but she has this underlying insecurity when it comes to Thorn.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; line-height: 19px;">Thorn on the other hand is the hot, handsome King of Vampires, but sometimes I wanted to smack him. While he is a strong alpha male (which he needs to be as the king), he was not as unlikeable as some romance heroes. Thorn would rather be in the field, fighting, but after his brother's death he is stuck to rule over the vampires, a responsibilty he never wanted.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; line-height: 19px;">There are so many supporting characters, I have no idea where to start. At times I felt as if Kaden and Soraya might steal the show though (I adored those two!). </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All in all Sharon's characters are well rounded, the world is amazing and well thought out, so put this on your TBR list, even if you are growing tired of vampires, because Sharon's are unlike any other vampires.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If I had to compare her spin on vampires to other authors, I'd say it's somewhere between Charlain Harris' True Blood, Lara Adrian's Midnight Breed and JR Ward's Black Dagger novels.</span></span></div>
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</span>Raven Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901787137800809508noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644496353839328612.post-83732426116179826512016-07-05T03:42:00.000-07:002016-07-05T03:59:29.682-07:00Review: Someday I'll Be Redeemed (The Chronicles of Lorrek Book 1) by Kelly Blanchard<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5a6Hncp2HDh2fY6osBuPduKstrFKgBmV70mQ5RRkOetTBpYVMPuJhnvzMNayihJ6OC2gL2qHtf5q5wffLFBGQAhrysg1SWvllsPHwR2vwFOV7nwMRJnSBAYJ3KSxJxXcp7xxQWQH3BpbF/s1600/EbookSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5a6Hncp2HDh2fY6osBuPduKstrFKgBmV70mQ5RRkOetTBpYVMPuJhnvzMNayihJ6OC2gL2qHtf5q5wffLFBGQAhrysg1SWvllsPHwR2vwFOV7nwMRJnSBAYJ3KSxJxXcp7xxQWQH3BpbF/s320/EbookSmall.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Everyone thinks him to be dead--or guilty. Without a word or sighting of Prince Lorrek of Cuskelom these last ten years, all believe the rumors of his crimes, which he is said to have committed, are true. However, when he finally returns to clear his name, Lorrek realizes the only way to find redemption is to become the very man they think him to be in this time when advanced technology challenges ancient magic to war.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have no clue where
to start with this (and avoid spoilers, so please be aware the MIGHT
be unintentional spoilers), but I absolutely loved the book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kelly Blanchard
manages to weave an extensive plot-line and juggle a huge cast of
characters, all of which have a purpose in the story, together and at
no time did I find myself bored or confused.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have Lorrek, the
youngest of four brothers, a Prince of Cuskelom (one of the
Kingdoms). He is the main character and rightfully so. He is cunning,
the one pushing the plot forward and the only one of the princes who
has magic. He's the reason we have this book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then we have Theran,
the eldest brother. Of course, as the oldest son of the King, he
should be King after the former ruler's death, but he gave that
responsibility to Honroth when Lorrek disappeared and instead set out
to look for his brother.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Honroth, the second
eldest, now King of Cuskelom. In my opinion a far better choice, as
Theran isn't exactly the most responsible person.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Heldon, third
eldest, twin brother of Honroth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Speaking of twins,
what I found interesting was that both Theran and Lorrek had cousins
who looked like them. Therth is Theran's “twin” and Loroth is
Lorrek's double. The prince's father, King Sindric, used Therth and
Loroth to stand in for his sons whenever they couldn't make public
appearances themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The problem was
just, Loroth didn't have magic, whereas Lorrek is one of the most
powerful sorcerers, which lead to the events in this book. I can't
get into details here, but this plot point was so interesting! Loved
the idea!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course the
“twins” of Lorrek and Theran lead to a whole lot of other events.
THOSE events also add to the main conflict, the outcome at times
horrific.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Apart from the royal
family of Cuskelom, we have Vixen, wife of Loroth and renown
assassin. And apart from Lorrek, she was my favorite character. Talk
about strong female character. She is one of those characters who is
loyal, a brilliant fighter and won't ever back down from anything.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I also loved Mordora
and Moren, the Princess and Prince of Nirrorm and I hope we see more
of them in the next book.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I adore a certain
couple together and I dearly hope they can somehow be together in
book 2. I can't say their names, that would be a spoiler. But they
are so cute! Whenever I wanted to put the book down to do my work and
I saw the next scene would be about them, I kept reading.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">King Roskelem of
Serhon horrified me. Those statues. This is why a madman should not
have that much power.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
world-building Kelly has done is amazing. We have several different
Kingdoms. One Kingdom where the people practice pure magic (you
cannot use pure magic for yourself and because of that it somehow
protects the people), places like Cuskelom where people use tainted
magic. In one Kingdom magic is forbidden (Nirrorm, where Mordora and
Moren live, which is unfortunate as they are magic users).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In
Jechorm technology rules.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are several
more Kingdoms, like Serhon.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I'd describe the
genre as epic fantasy mixed with science-fiction. I'd place this book
right in with books such as the “Song of Fire and Ice” books,
“The Elven” saga by Bernhard Hennen and “The Lord of the
Rings”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I understand that
this is the first book of a series containing 3-4 books. This first
book is a build-up to events in book 2, but firmly stands its ground
as a stand-alone. It does end with a cliffhanger though, so be
prepared to anxiously wait for book 2 with the rest of us.</span></div>
Raven Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901787137800809508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644496353839328612.post-30343648622055251922016-07-05T03:36:00.000-07:002016-07-05T03:36:26.698-07:00Review: Guilty by Association (Judah Black Novels Book 1) by E. A. Copen<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LX1QwurntNIBAQewFzrUqNS8x9yF1UnV-7LMAF2DPh-Ub1e9M581ESa2VXKNFp6D1jZJBNzDONdcdvbNuok07jo_93vte2k8L4ciLgQqx8eTv8-A-xFtK7wdq-yJRcR5KW6TYN09YmEO/s1600/EbookSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0LX1QwurntNIBAQewFzrUqNS8x9yF1UnV-7LMAF2DPh-Ub1e9M581ESa2VXKNFp6D1jZJBNzDONdcdvbNuok07jo_93vte2k8L4ciLgQqx8eTv8-A-xFtK7wdq-yJRcR5KW6TYN09YmEO/s320/EbookSmall.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Everything’s bigger in Texas…Including the monsters. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;">Things look pretty crappy for Judah Black. Being forced to take an assignment in the middle of nowhere or risk losing her badge is hardly what she would call a perk of the job. But when a young werewolf is murdered on the Paint Rock Supernatural Reservation, her day goes from bad to worse.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;"> </span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;">Labeled as a drug deal gone wrong, local law enforcement passes the case off as solved. Judah knows better. An occult expert, she knows the look... the feel of magick. Despite the insistence of the authorities that the case is solved, Judah presses into the investigation but she wasn’t prepared to uncover a cunning, ancient enemy… one that proves irritated with her interference.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;"> </span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;">Using only her wits, knowledge and limited magickal abilities can Judah untangle the web of cover-ups and lies before the killer finds his next victim? Or has he already chosen one? Her son…</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;"> </span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;">Guilty by Association is the bone-chilling first chapter of E.A. Copen’s Judah Black Series. Rife with paranormal mystery, this top-notch urban fantasy will have you turning pages! If you are a fan of Patricia Briggs' Mercy Thompson series, you won’t want to miss Judah Black!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;"> </span></div>
</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></div>
<h3 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">My thoughts:</span></h3>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm a huge fan of urban fantasy
novels, especially those with strong female leads. Lately I've had a
hard time finding really good books, that don't start with a strong
woman as main character that suddenly turns into a whimpering
helpless girl as soon as the hero arrives.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Judah Black was far from helpless as
you can get. However she also isn't one of those cold, “Oh I'm so
tough and nothing can hurt me” characters you often get, no Judah
is a well rounded character with strengths and weaknesses that make
her feel real.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Judah is a BSI agent and newly
assigned to Paint Rock, a reservation for everything supernatural. Of
course, most locals regard the new arrival with dislike and
suspicion, which means she has a hard time starting to work.
</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apart from being an agent, she is also
a mother, which is refreshing in this genre. I can't remember the
last time when I read an urban fantasy with a mother as main
character.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hunter, her son is well written, E.A.
Copen put a lot of thought into portraying him correctly. Many times
kids in novels are written horribly, but here it wasn't the case.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are so many supporting
characters in this novel, I have no idea where to start.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is Gideon Reed, who is a priest
with a secret. Saloso Silvermoon (werewolf), Chanter Silvermoon (also
werewolf, the alpha), Ed (computer geek and werewolf and my favorite
character), Andre DeLuc (a mysterious guy with a secret), Robbie
Fellows (one of the most fascinating characters I've read so far),
Zoe, who is Saloso's ex-girlfriend... Gah, I really don't know where
to start, they are all well written and I was constantly on the edge
of my seat wondering who the bad guy is.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the end the villain was scary. I
don't think I ever read a book with a villain quite like him.
Villains hardly ever scare me, but he was a true monster.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The world building was superb. The
trope “supernaturals coming out in the open” was done before and
the book had a bit of a True Blood feeling, but more of a “What if
the vampires and other Supernaturals in True Blood had a harder time
being accepted and forced to live in camps”-feeling.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<br />
<div lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I had a hard time putting the down and
can hardly wait for book 2 (which I see is due soon!).</span></div>
Raven Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901787137800809508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644496353839328612.post-36600263226309608572016-07-05T03:28:00.000-07:002016-07-05T04:21:36.574-07:00Review: Restless Natives: An Ellie Gooden Mystery by Nan Sampson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrAmFphNcnXAAdO1sX27kmLy7Q78-OvP3jpgO9ZYV70055sd_HmkVTXPkLqASckHzQd2pvJ1sXwafxwJFkoFOPiQVs4P9X9Vf_QcwGKs-Sri0k0wacwbZgbwiS2urSKGIbPr9PijSu9hh/s1600/EllieGoodenEbookSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrAmFphNcnXAAdO1sX27kmLy7Q78-OvP3jpgO9ZYV70055sd_HmkVTXPkLqASckHzQd2pvJ1sXwafxwJFkoFOPiQVs4P9X9Vf_QcwGKs-Sri0k0wacwbZgbwiS2urSKGIbPr9PijSu9hh/s320/EllieGoodenEbookSmall.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The weekend before her coffee shop’s Grand Opening in the small Wisconsin town of Horizon, former Chicago marketing exec and hereditary Wiccan, Ellie Gooden, opens the back door to her new business... and finds murder. The former owner is dead in the middle of her kitchen, tied to a chair, covered in syrup and feathers, with a butcher knife sticking out of his chest. A stranger in a new town, Ellie climbs immediately to the top of a suspect list of one. To make matters worse, someone is vandalizing both her new shop and her new home, and the shade of the murdered man keeps urging her to solve the crime. As she struggles to launch her new business and salvage her reputation, she digs into the dead man’s past, unearthing long-buried, small town secrets – secrets that have driven someone to kill. And by exposing the past, Ellie could be next.</span></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3 style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My thoughts:</span></span></h3>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cozy mysteries are not my
usual go-to genre, but when a trusted friend showed me the book, I
just had to read it. After all, I'm a huge fan of crime shows (NCIS,
the Mentalist, Murder She Wrote, Person of Interest, Castle) and I
love everything supernatural (Ellie is a Wiccan).
</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Growing up with shows like
Buffy and Charmed, the supernatural aspect piqued my interest, too, so
I gave it a go.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The story starts with
Ellie driving to the town of Horizon to get everything ready for her
grand opening in seven days, just to find the former owner dead in
his shop, covered in feathers and syrup.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The author brilliantly
laid out false trails throughout the book and then proceeded to kill
my murder suspect near the end.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The characters are well
rounded, Ellie was a bit passive in this first book, but I reckon she
will take charge more in later books, when she learns to trust her
instincts better. There were quite a few characters so it was at
times a bit hard to remember who was who, but that's no fault of the
author, I tend to read too fast and miss details. I especially liked
Charlie and Kate and wished they would appear more frequently. Maybe
in book 2? I feel like Ellie might end up with Charlie, which would
be great, because he's cute.</span></div>
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The author has updated the
cover and the book since my purchase, so I'll buy myself the new
edition soon. I'm rather fond of matching covers on my shelf.</span></div>
<br />
<div lang="en-US" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Can't wait to see what
happens in book 2!</span></div>
Raven Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901787137800809508noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1644496353839328612.post-11098225641099201342014-06-07T03:10:00.001-07:002016-07-05T04:27:24.090-07:00From the Ashes - In memory of Cindy<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-US" style="line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 0; text-indent: 0.5cm; widows: 0;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">With
trembling fingers she sets the little box down. The brown eyes of the
woman sitting in front of her are filled with professional sympathy
and she feels the steadying hand of her fiancé on her back.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;">“<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It's
her”, she whispers in a hoarse voice.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Her
fiancé smiles, but the smile never really reaches his eyes.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;">“<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm
so sorry, I couldn't bring you the urn you requested, there was only
one left and it was slightly cracked, but I know how important it was
for you to have her back home.” The lady from the pet cemetery
leans forward. “I will call you immediately when we have the urn,
especially because the cat on it looks like your baby.”</span></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;">“<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thank
you”, she manages.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">She
glances at the cat's scatching post and back at the tiny box in front
of her. It seems impossible to be true. Twelve years she has had this
cat, called her her baby, felt the weight on her lap, heard her snore
in her ear at night.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Such
a tiny box.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Tears
well up in her eyes and she catches a glance of her fiancé, seeing
the tears in his eyes too, promising her that she is not alone in
this.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Shortly
after the lady of the pet cemetery leaves, leaving the devastated
parents alone in their sadness.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Carefully
they set the box in the cupboard with all the favorite toys and a
photo, the glass door providing a perfect view on everything that was
left of her world.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">A
tiny box of ashes.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Nothing
left of those beautiful green eyes, the cute, ice cold nose, nobody
to purr in her ears at night.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Numbness
follows the pain. Pain follows numbness.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">She
doesn't know how she will survive this.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Nothing
really seems to matter. Food tastes like clay.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">She
expects to hear the pitter-patter of paws every moment. Her arms feel
so empty without the tiny furry body in them. The days tick by, but
she loses track of time.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Then
her fiancé finds the tiny claw in the couch. She sees a whisker on
the bathroom floor.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Is
it just their imagination? The grief?</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">But
the gifts continue to come.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">And
when she sees her baby from the corner of her eye, healthy again,
hurrying down the scratching post to greet her, she knows she will
survive.</span></span></div>
<div lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" lang="en-GB" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Her
baby had never left her.</span></span></div>
</div>
Raven Blackburnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12901787137800809508noreply@blogger.com0