Recommended Read: The Copper Promise (Copper Cat #1) and a Personal Update

I hope you enjoy this Recommendation! For those of you kind enough to wonder how I’m doing, I’ve added a personal update at the end of this post.

Thank you for your concern and support!

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The Copper Promise by Jen Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description from Amazon

A trio of reckless adventurers unleash a terrible danger in this thrilling, high-fantasy romp.

There are some far-fetched rumours about the caverns beneath the Citadel: some say the mages left their most dangerous secrets hidden there; others, that great riches are hidden there; even that gods have been imprisoned in its darkest depths.

For Lord Frith, the caverns hold the key to his vengeance. Against all the odds, he has survived torture and lived to see his home and his family taken from him … and now someone is going to pay.

For Wydrin of Crosshaven and her faithful companion, Sir Sebastian Carverson, a quest to the Citadel looks like just another job. There’s the promise of gold and adventure. Who knows, they might even have a decent tale or two once they’re done.

But sometimes there is truth in rumour. Sometimes it pays to listen. Soon this reckless trio will become the last line of defence against a hungry, restless terror that wants to tear the world apart. And they’re not even getting paid.

What I thought of it

I consumed the last 200 pages of The Copper Promise as though they might go up in dragonflame at any instant…

And after following sassy Wydrin, the princeling, and the knight through their escapades, who’s to say that might not happen!

There were SO many things to enjoy in the start to this series, but I hate spoilers, so I don’t want to get entangled in specifics.

Quite simply, The Copper Promise is a magical book, one I found totally absorbing, and pure joy to read. From a writer’s standpoint, I’m guessing writing the book was a hell of a ride, too!

I’ve since read The Iron Ghost, the second in the series, and that was just as good! The trilogy ends with The Silver Tide, which awaits me on my Kindle.

Have you read any of the Copper Cat series, and did you enjoy it? 🙂

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Personal Update

My recovery continues in fits and starts. Following a welcome short break in Cornwall with my husband earlier this month, I finally succumbed to the virus going round – with its attendant, disruptive cough – so that’s really not helped the spoonie situation all that much!! 😛

As a result, our third novel progresses more slowly than a dozy snail, but I’m trying to keep in touch with it and add a few paragraphs whenever I can. Since my previous update in early February, I’ve written chapter 27 and started chapter 28, which has tipped the word count past 67,300 words. Yippee! 😀

Hopefully I’m not making too much of a hash of it as I progress! Being a pantser (figuring things out as I go, for the most part) only time, Ron’s continued, valued input, and lots of editing will tell! 😉

Occasionally I craft something short to read at Writers’ Circle. I missed the last meeting – a workshop – as I didn’t want to pass on the virus to other members of the group, particularly those in their 70’s and 80’s! I’m hoping to make it to next Monday’s meeting. 🙂

So that’s where I am right now – hanging in there, making the best of things, and hopefully getting the right balance between rest and activity (mental/creative, as well as physical!) so that I can get stronger and feel better! (Fingers crossed!)

I’m learning to hold less resistance – there are so many things I would like to start, progress, complete, that I don’t currently have the energy for, and in the past I’ve been very frustrated by that. But I’m getting better at giving my body the rest it demands: going with the flow, and with accepting and allowing how things are – thank you Lord Charls of Cordello for the reminder!

With lovelight blessings,

Joanna ~*~

Recommended Reads: The Tassamara Trilogy by Sarah Wynde

The Tassamara series is one I’m very happy to recommend to readers of urban paranormal fantasy – particularly if you enjoyed the TV show ‘A Town Called Eureka‘!

I originally blogged my review of A Gift of Ghosts here but I am including that review in this post, too, for the sake of completeness. 🙂

When reading each of my reviews in this post, please bear in mind that they were written independently of one another, immediately after reading each book!

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A Gift of Ghosts by Sarah Wynde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description

Akira Malone believes in the scientific method, evolution, and Einstein’s theory of relativity. And ghosts.

All the logic and reason in the world can’t protect her from the truth—she can see and communicate with spirits. But Akira is sure that her ability is just a genetic quirk and the ghosts she encounters simply leftover electromagnetic energy. Dangerous electromagnetic energy.

Zane Latimer believes in telepathy, precognition, auras, and that playing Halo with your employees is an excellent management technique. He also thinks that maybe, just maybe, Akira Malone can help his family get in touch with their lost loved ones.

But will Akira ever be able to face her fears and accept her gift? Or will Zane’s relatives be trapped between life and death forever?

My Review

A Gift of Ghosts is a book I enjoyed on many levels.

The lead characters are strong, with doubt and uncertainty as much a part of their relationship as the attraction.

I thought the conflict between Akira’s scientific, analytical approach to her gift, and the reality of her experiences, was realistically portrayed. As she learns more about her gift, and its apparent limits, we in turn discover more of her past, such as who broke the bones in her hand – and why.

There’s plenty of humour, too, not least from the cast of ghosts in attendance. Akira’s interaction with the ghosts brings an unusual and quirky feel to the story.

No dull moments, no wasted scenes, just a really enjoyable, intelligent read. So glad it’s the first in a series… the sequel, A Gift of Thought, awaits!

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A Gift of Thought by Sarah Wynde
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Description

At seventeen, Sylvie Blair ran away from the small town of Tassamara, Florida. She joined the Marines, traveled the world and made a life for herself, but she never forgot what she left behind. Now a close protection security consultant (aka bodyguard) for a spoiled teenager in Washington DC, her empathic gift helps her keep her charge safe, if not out of trouble. When her past catches up with her, though, in the form of her telepathic high school sweetheart, Lucas, she’s forced to face her regrets even as she tries to decide whether his ridiculous stories about ghosts and Mexican drug cartels are signs of insanity or somehow true.

For Dillon Latimer, meeting his mom comes too late—it’s been five years since the drug overdose that killed him. But a little thing like death isn’t going to get in Dillon’s way when he decides that his parents would be much better off together. Unfortunately, it’s not easy for ghosts to influence the world of matter, especially when every choice Sylvie makes takes her deeper and deeper into danger. Can Dillon keep his mom alive long enough for her to live happily ever after with his dad?

My Review

Another great read from Sarah Wynde! I really do enjoy her writing, and the world and characters she’s created within (and beyond) Tassamara.

I liked finding out more about Zane’s brother, Lucas, and his past; and also more about Dillon as he continues his existence as a ghost. This isn’t Akira’s story (her tale was told in A Gift of Ghosts, the first in the series) but I was pleased to see her character pop up again here!

The only trouble is, the more I read of this series, the closer I get to finishing it…

A very strong 4 stars.

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A Gift of Time by Sarah Wynde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description

She thought she could see everything. Time is proving her wrong.

Ten years ago, Natalya’s ability to remember the future cost her the life she wanted when her vision of her fiancé’s death tore them apart. Ever since, she’s considered her precognition more of a curse than a gift. How can she live in the present when the future looms so large?

But when the night she’s long dreaded finally arrives, Natalya’s vision and reality diverge. She and her ex, Colin, are drawn into a web of the unexplained, led by a mysterious little girl. Who is Kenzi? And where did she come from? The little girl might be the reason Fate has spared Colin’s life, but could she also bring Natalya and Colin together again?

With Colin, Kenzi, her family, the townspeople of Tassamara, and a set of circumstances that nobody could foresee, Natalya must solve the puzzle of a lifetime. Her discovery that her gift is not the only one at work will change the lives of everyone around her as time becomes precious in a most unexpected way… and the clock is ticking.

My Review

I really enjoyed this book (the third in the series) – it was like meeting up with an old group of quirky friends! I was pleased that Akira and Rose had important supporting roles, and key character Nat is easy-to-like.

But for me, the show-stealers were one little girl, and a sheriff named Colin, which really did add that Sheriff Jack Carter/A-Town-Called-Eureka vibe (definitely a bonus as far as I’m concerned!)

I think this might be my favourite book in the series. If you’ve read and liked the earlier books then I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy this one.

[I can’t find a Twitter account for Sarah Wynde, but she has a Facebook page here.]

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Have you read any of this series? Did you enjoy it? If you haven’t read it yet, does it appeal to you?

~ Joanna

P.S. If you enjoyed this post, please do leave a comment, and/or share the post on your favourite social media site(s). We’re so grateful for any support like that! 🙂

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Recommended Read: Energy Medicine for Women by Donna Eden

Energy Medicine for Women: Aligning Your Body’s Energies to Boost Your Health and Vitality by Donna Eden

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description from Amazon

A women’s guide to using energy medicine to promote and maintain optimal physical and mental well-being.

For more than three decades, Donna Eden has been teaching people to understand the body as an energy system, to recognize their aches and pains as signals of energy imbalance, and to reclaim their natural healing capabilities. In this long-awaited new book, Eden speaks directly to women, showing them how they can work with energy to tackle the specific health challenges they face.

Hormonal health is essential to a woman’s well-being, and in this groundbreaking book Eden reveals that a woman can manage her hormones by managing her energies. In fact, energy medicine is effective in treating a host of health issues. From PMS to menopause, from high blood pressure to depression, it offers solutions to women’s health issues that traditional medicine often fails to provide.

In Energy Medicine for Women, Eden shows women how they can work with energy to strengthen their immune, circulatory, lymphatic, and respiratory systems to promote health, vitality, and inner peace. Blending a compassionate voice with a profound grasp of how the female body functions as an energy system, Eden presents what is sure to become a classic book on the subject of women’s health.

Energy Medicine for Women was awarded the prestigious 2009 Nautilus Gold Award in the Health, Healing & Energy Medicine category.

What I thought of it

A superb book, one which is both informative and empowering.

Through sharing stories and insights from her vast experience of working with subtle energies, Donna Eden ably demonstrates why she is perfectly (perhaps uniquely) qualified to write this particular book.

The authors offer a wide selection of tools for shifting the body’s energies in order to naturally and safely enhance health, wellbeing, and vitality. All of the techniques have been developed so that anyone can apply them, even if they don’t feel or see subtle energy themselves. The text includes detailed instructions interspersed with plenty of photographic illustrations.

There are tools for helping with period pain, issues during pregnancy, infertility, menopause, and weight management, and a helpful chapter offering guidance on energy testing.

Because Donna has experienced severe difficulties with her own cycles and hormones, she knows PMS ‘inside out’, too! Hence there are a number of techniques included here for relieving stress, as well as for balancing specific meridians which might be keeping the energy system (and hence body, mind, and spirit) in a state of stress and ill health.

As a Reiki Master, and someone familiar with EFT/tapping, acupressure, qi gong, and pranic healing, Donna’s words – and the tools she shares here – make sense to me, and resonate at a very deep, intuitive level.

The book is a practical guide, so of course an improvement in a reader’s energetic balance and wellbeing could only occur if the tools are used regularly. But like Reiki and EFT, they cost nothing but time and a little effort to implement, and are available 24/7, so for me it’s definitely worth the investment.

This review has been written following my second reading of the book in April 2016. I hope you’ve found it interesting! Why not leave a comment to let us know? 🙂

~ Joanna

View all my reviews on Goodreads

Recommended Read: Earth Angel Series Boxset

Earth Angel Series Boxset: The Earth Angel Training Academy, The Earth Angel Awakening & The Other Side by Michelle Gordon

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book Description

This is the Earth Angel Series Kindle Boxset, which includes the first three books in the series – The Earth Angel Training Academy, The Earth Angel Awakening and The Other Side.

The Earth Angel Training Academy:
When Head of the Earth Angel Training Academy, Velvet, receives a call from an Elder on the first day of term, she knows that the new class will be unlike any other she has taught. While experiencing the most tumultuous time of her very long existence, Velvet must remember her buried past, and open her eyes to the future so that she can prepare the Earth Angel trainees for the toughest missions of their existence – to Awaken the humans before the world ends. Time is running out… The is the second edition.
Review: “The Earth Angel Training Academy packs wonderful and ancient truth into an imaginatively original tale that both delights and enlightens. The result: a read that is both fun and inspiring.” – Neale Donald Walsch

The Earth Angel Awakening:
Twenty-five years after leaving the Earth Angel Training Academy to be born on Earth as a human, Velvet (now known on Earth as Violet) is beginning to Awaken. But when she repeatedly ignores her dreams and intuition, she misses the opportunity to be with her Twin Flame, Laguz. Without the long-awaited reunion with her Twin Flame, can Violet possibly Awaken fully, and help to bring the world into the elusive Golden Age?
The Earth Angel Awakening is the sequel to the Earth Angel Training Academy, also available on Kindle. Warning: Contains expletives and therefore may not be suitable for younger children.

The Other Side:
Mikey is an ordinary boy who just happens to talk to the Faeries at the bottom of his garden. So when an Angel visits him in his dream and tells him he must return to the Earth Angel Training Academy in order to save the world, despite his fears, he understands and accepts the task. Starlight is the Angel of Destiny. By carefully orchestrating events at the Academy and on Earth, she can make sure that everything works out the way that it should, even though it may not make sense to those around her. Leon is a Faerie Seer. He arrives at the Academy as a trainee, but through his visions he realises that his role in the Awakening is far more important than he ever imagined. The Other Side takes the first Earth Angel Training Academy story and helps you to see it from a completely different perspective.

What I thought of it

I purchased this boxset after reading only the first chapter of The Earth Angel Training Academy: I had a sense that the whole series would be fun to read, as well as being sprinkled with spiritual truths. Will every theme and concept in the series resonate with you? Well, as with all books, that will be different for everyone, as we are each unique. Personally, I found a lot to enjoy, and was also left with much to think about.

Aside from the spiritual themes of the books in this boxset, I got caught up in the relationships between the various characters – human, angelic, faerie, and … well, I’ll say no more about them, as I don’t want to spoil your own Earth Angel Training Academy adventure!

The instant manifestation theme was certainly fun for me as a reader, as I imagine it must have been for the author to write! There are more practical topics now and then, too – like dowsing with pendulums, and guided meditations; and the struggles we awakening humans pass through as we gradually gain more understanding of ourselves and of our possible role in this vast, energetic universe.

If you’re aware you’re on a journey of spiritual awakening, and/or simply want to allow new ideas and perspectives to expand your thinking, then I think you’ll really enjoy this boxset. After reading the first three books, I have already purchased the fourth. I know that I’ll read it at precisely the right time, as and when I’m nudged by the gentle voice of my intuition!

View all my reviews

So does this series appeal to you? Perhaps you’ve already read one or more of the books forming the series? Did you, too, find it thought-provoking and an enjoyable read? 🙂

~ Joanna

Recommended Reads: Vampires and Romance, Oh My!

If you’re a fan of the paranormal romance genre,  then I think you’ll love the five books I’ve selected for this Recommended Read post!

So without further ado, let’s get started! 🙂

Hidden by Shalini Boland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book description

Hidden is a paranormal romance that spans the centuries from modern England to 19th century Paris and ancient Cappadocia.

Sixteen-year-old Madison Greene is in foster care until one day she inherits a fortune, she inherits a house, she inherits a cellar full of danger.

Eighteen-year-old Alexandre Chevalier lives in 19th century Paris. On an archaeological expedition, he discovers a lost underground city where his life changes forever.

For each of them, life is finally beginning. Little do they know it is closer to ending. Something lies buried that should have been forgotten. A Pandora’s Box that was meant to stay shut. But Madison and Alexandre have never been any good at following the rules. They are about to find everything they’ve ever desired and everything that could destroy them.

Falling in love has never been so dangerous.

My thoughts

What a great read! I don’t want to give too much away, but I loved how the dual storylines of 1881 and the present intersected.

Shalini writes with great skill, with each character having a distinct voice. I look forward to reading more. If the option existed, I would have raised this rating to 4.5 stars.

Since reading and rating the first two books of this Marchwood Vampire series, Shalini’s republished the books with some truly stunning covers:

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Thicker Than Blood by Shalini Boland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book description

Chilling and fast-paced, Thicker Than Blood is the supernatural sequel to Hidden. It combines passion and drama with a historical twist.

Aelia lives in 6th century Byzantium. She is sixteen years old and her life is about to change forever. She doesn’t yet know it, but she holds the fate of thousands in her hands and her actions will echo across the centuries.

Fourteen hundred years later the lives of Madison and Alexandre are once again plunged into danger. To save Madison, Alexandre is forced back to a world he thought was dead and buried. But time is running out.

The chase is on…

My thoughts

THICKER THAN BLOOD was a fabulous read. Shalini Boland is a highly accomplished writer, bringing her characters and locations vividly to life with a wonderful skill. I loved the imagery as much as the storytelling.

Alexandre is a beautiful hero, and young Maddy is a courageous and likeable heroine. We are introduced to new characters, Aelia and Zoe, both of whom are crucial to the unfolding story. The ending was an unexpected twist, and paves the way for Book 3, “Hunted” . . . I can’t wait!

Another page-turner, and a worthy successor to HIDDEN. This series is a keeper.

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No Such Thing as Immortality by Sarah Tranter
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book description

I will protect you until the day I die … forever!

A vampire does not have to feel any emotion not of his choosing. And Nathaniel Gray has spent two hundred years choosing not to feel. But when he accidentally runs Rowan Locke off the road, he is inexplicably flooded with everything she’s feeling, and that’s rage, and lots of it.

He is consumed with the need to protect Rowan at all costs, including from himself. To Nate what is happening is unthinkable, and is pretty much as unbelievable as the existence of faeries.

But you see, there is no such thing as … immortality.

This is Nate’s story …

My thoughts

Right from the start, Nate and Rowan are a scintillating combination – one so cool and intense, the other so fiery. It’s a wonder one doesn’t melt the other!

The additional contrast between the immortal earl (yummy!) and the sassy, modern woman is hilarious at times, making the book a fun read as well as a compelling one.

Nate’s family is a story in itself. They form a great cast of support characters, each with their own hopes and dreams and fears; I’d love to meet them again.

Loads of drama, tons of humour, and a highly engaging storyline means I rate this as a solid 4 stars – and hoping there *will* be a sequel as some reviewers have indicated.

This is the first book I’ve read by Ms Tranter, and I’m pretty sure it won’t be the last!

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Vampire State of Mind by Jane Lovering
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book description

Jessica Grant knows vampires only too well. She runs the York Council tracker programme making sure that Otherworlders are all where they should be, keeps the filing in order and drinks far too much coffee. To Jess, vampires are annoying and arrogant and far too sexy for their own good, particularly her ex-colleague Sil, who’s now in charge of Otherworld York.

But when a demon turns up and threatens not just Jess but the whole world order, she and Sil are forced to work together, and when Jess turns out to be the key to saving the world it puts a very different slant on their relationship. The stakes are high. They are also very, very pointy and Jess isn’t afraid to use them, even on the vampire that she’s rather afraid she’s falling in love with …

My thoughts

​This hugely enjoyable book is a lively blend of vampiric charisma, snappy dialogue, Otherworld strangeness and magic, and love in its many forms … all delivered with a deft sprinkle of humour.

Wonderful characters and an entertaining story … one I didn’t want to end.​ More, please?!

A solid 4 stars.

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Falling Apart by Jane Lovering
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Book description

Jessica Grant liaises with Otherworlders for York Council so she knows that falling in love with a vampire takes a leap of faith. But her lover Sil, the City Vampire in charge of Otherworld York, he wouldn t run out on her, would he? He wouldn t let his demon get the better of him. Or would he?

Sil knows there s a reason for his bad haircut, worse clothes and the trail of bleeding humans in his wake. If only he could remember exactly what he did before someone finds him and shoots him on sight.

With her loyalties already questioned for defending zombies, the Otherworlders no one cares about, Jess must choose which side she s on, either help her lover or turn him in. Human or Other? Whatever she decides, there s a high price to pay and someone to lose.

My thoughts

Another cracking book from Jane Lovering! The vampires are brilliantly characterised, while quirky Jess, lover of Hobnobs and a certain Otherworlder, is easy to like and a lot of fun to read.

Well-written, with great dialogue and a fun and engaging narrative, this novel was hugely enjoyable from start to finish.

With plenty of unresolved questions and newly-revealed secrets, I really hope book three will be written soon!

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See all my reviews on Goodreads.

We really hope you enjoyed this Recommended Reads selection ~ if you did, please let us know by Liking, leaving a Comment, and/or Sharing the post. Thanks so much! 🙂

~ Joanna

 

 

Recommended Read: Reiki for Life (Penelope Quest)

Reiki for Life: A Complete Guide to Reiki Practice by Penelope Quest
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

As far as energy-healing systems and techniques go, Reiki is my first love.

I decided to re-read this book on Reiki to see if I came across any fresh insights. Having done so, I am really happy to include the book in our Recommended Read blog series. 🙂

Starting with a definition of Reiki, Penelope Quest offers a detailed account of how this energy technique was discovered, and how Reiki as a holistic system became as popular and accessible as it is today. She also discusses the electromagnetic spectrum, vibration, and frequency, and explains that Reiki (Rei-Ki) is a specific band of Ki (life-force energy/prana/qi), which is why the ability to open to Reiki energy in particular is normally through an ‘attunement’ or an ‘empowerment’’.

There is a detailed and graphically-illustrated section on treating yourself and others with standard hand positions after Reiki First Degree. Later chapters offer a variety of ways to apply the Second and Third Degree symbols and energies. Quest makes it clear that Reiki works intelligently, and that it assists with improving balance, harmony and wellbeing on the spiritual and mental/emotional levels as well as the physical. Healing can be about so much more than relieving a cramped muscle or toothache – and indeed, it often is!

I particularly like the creative uses of the symbols, as I like to work with intent and to see what my imagination and intuition can come up with. Reiki is pure energy, and intent, as always, is the key! (No doubt you can see where a lot of the concepts integrated into The Cordello Quest and Mosaic of Light come from!)

As you’d expect (if you are familiar with healing work) there is also guidance on both self-healing and on working with others both in-person and remotely (“distance healing”). Additional suggestions are offered for self-cleansing. The importance of spiritual development is also highlighted.

This is a practical, informative, and useful guide for those learning to work with the Reiki energy and its techniques, including advice for readers who are setting up as practitioners. It’s one I shall refer to time and time again as my experience develops and my healing requirements change!

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If you are Reiki, have you read and enjoyed this book? Do you think you might find it useful, if you haven’t already come across it?

And do you have other Reiki texts that you would like to recommend in the Comments?

(For my trio of free, crystal-based Reiki self-attunements, please visit the Quartz Crystal Reiki Trilogy page which is now featured in the Bonuses section of our website.)

~ Joanna

Recommended Reads: The Wind Weeps & Fire and Ice

Today I’m including two novels in one Recommended Read post. What both novels have in common is a wilderness backdrop – one which is as dangerous as it is beautiful. The first of these novels is set in British Columbia, Canada, while the second is set in the Alaskan Bush.

I’m not expecting to visit either location (oh, for a TARDIS or something of that ilk!), so I really enjoyed being immersed in them through the writers’ words and local knowledge. Oh, and the stories were pretty good, too. 😉

The Wind Weeps by Anneli Purchase
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description
Andrea leaves big-city boredom in Ontario to search for love and adventure on B.C.’s rugged coast. As she seeks independence and romance, the love of two men and a relationship with a woman lead her into the world of commercial fishing. She is drawn into a rough life alternating between savage beauty and serenity.

But adventure turns to terror and Andrea’s survival is threatened. Will her newly acquired wilderness skills be enough to save her life? This is a pure Canadian tale of love, betrayal, and triumph, told with gusto, humour, and bold insight.

My review
The main appeal of this book for me was the promise of being immersed in the author’s landscape – that is a character in itself! However once Andrea began her story, I found it hard to leave the book alone. While I may have found Andrea’s decisions rash and impulsive (even irritating, sometimes) she does, at her core, simply want to fit in and be liked and loved. She is doing her best to learn; she is endearing and human.

But as the story progresses, the menace of control begins, hinting at a lurking violence. It’s like in the horror movies … you can barely watch, but you have to know how it unfolds, and how the characters will handle their difficulties. Will they quake and crack under the pressure, or will they find determination and the strength to survive?

The Wind Weeps is easy to read, partly because it’s well-written, and partly because the story keeps you hooked on its line right until the last sentence … and beyond.

The sequel, Reckoning Tide, is now out – and safely ensconced in my TBR pile!

Fire And Ice by Dana Stabenow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Description
Newenham, Alaska, is a long way from the big-city comforts of Anchorage, where Sergeant Liam Campbell was an up-and-coming state trooper with everything going his way. But that was before his life unraveled.

Transferred in disgrace to this rough-and-tumble fishing town on the shores of Bristol Bay, Liam knows Newenham is the end of the line. It’s also his last shot at getting his life back.. He’s about to come in for a very rough landing.

Stepping onto the airstrip at Newenham, Liam walks into a crime scene: a body torn apart by the propeller of a Piper Super Cub. As if that isn’t enough of a welcome, the woman bending over the corpse is Wyanet Chouinard, the only woman Liam ever truly loved – and soon to be his prime suspect.

Next, a man is held hostage in the town’s only decent burger joint–held for shooting out a jukebox that was playing Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville.

And Liam still doesn’t have his uniform on.

My review
With an interesting mix of characters, multiple crimes, humour, tricky relationships, and an insight into Alaskan life, Fire and Ice held my attention right until the last sentence.

I purchased book two in this series (So Sure of Death) just minutes after finishing Fire and Ice. I’ve since read that one, too, and can happily state that it was another solid 4-star read for me! The next in the series awaits . . .

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Do you like reading about locations you may never have the chance to visit? Do either of the books appeal to you? Or perhaps you’ve already read one or both of them?

– Joanna