The Terra Debacle: Prisoners at Area 51 by Marcha Fox

One of my favorite authors releases her first audiobook and it's amazing!



My Review:
This is a book I first read the digital version which I rarely do but I really adore the series. Listening to it in audio was possibly even better. The narrator does a fabulous job with the voices and pacing. I loved just as much in audio and laughed even more.

Thyron is a sentient plant. He thinks, speaks on a psi level and walks. He can be a bit overbearing as his intelligence supercedes most but its this super clever part of him that makes me laugh and how he views humans. Since we're omnivores he freaks out that humans may want him for a meal and even worse when he's put in a crate made of wood. The author put me in his head and there are some very plausible thoughts, if plants do think.

Ayways, Thyron is captured and taken to Area 51 in the late 70s. I don't remember much of the early 70s but very much remember the late 70s and the author nailed it with her references including TV. That also kept me in laughter. The story is well written and well orchestrated by the narrator. Its definitely one to listen to and no need to be a hard core sci-fi fan. Anything technical is kept in short and only furthers the plot.


A plus!

Amazon/Audible

The House of Long Shadows by Ambrose Ibsen

It seems I can't get enough of this author/ narrator combination. The House of Long Shadows is another edge of the seat horror story.



My Review:
Kevin is a videotuber with a home improvement show. He's looking for a contract from the big guys so he comes up with a 30 day challenge. He buys an old, vacant house somewhere in Detroit for a small cost. It's located on a street filled with crumbling homes and is completely isolated. The house is in reatively good shape and in 30 days he plans to renovate it.

He begins the renovations right away and creey goes to creepier . His camera catches stuff he blows off as not possible because it doesn't make sense. His mind can't process it and comes up with far fetched logical ideas to make up for what can't be explained until he has to accept the unexplainable.

The story is fast paced, perfectly narrated and well written. It's a nail biter with a few laughs. Its also mostly a monologue as Kevin is alone in the creepy house. The simplicity of that is clever. The author put me in his head and in that house and in his position. The plot steadily moves forward and the suspense moves right along with it. I mostly listen in the car on my way to work and it was difficult to tear myself away to do my job. I wanted to keep listening! I had to know what was going to happen next.


Excellent!

Amazon/Audible

Soul Redemption by Miranda Shanklin

Soul Redemption is book two in the Soul Series. Its a journey into another world, one of witches with incredible power.



My Review:
Two new students come to town, making trouble from the start. It doesn't take the guardians long to figure out they are witches with bad intentions. In this second book Anisa and the others are learning more about using their powers, their special gifts and how they draw on the power of the Origin.

What I love best about this series is the author's creativity. She builds a world that is completely believable and doesn't leave anything out. All details are described as the reader moves into unknown territory. The characters even with all their power are teenagers, regular teenagers. They go through the emotions, insecurites and such as they figure everything out and solve problems. They trust and rely on their parents guidance as they meander through learning to be witches with an important job. They are extremely powerful witches who have to work together to help  and protect humanity and other witches.

It's also a romance. Anisa has Chase and Penelope and Lamdon have each other - soul mates. The author keeps it PG13 for young readers. I love young adult books but some authors have problems with the boundary between what's acceptable for young adults and what's not. Miranda Shanklin does it well. 


Kudos to Mae Ruling as well. She did well with the first book but now in the second book she nailed it. This is a fantastic series for anyone who loves paranormal and witches or who just wants a sweet romance.

Amazon/Audible

The Occupant by Ambrose Ibsen

The Occupant is the third and final book in The Afterlife Investigations. I love how it all came together and how it was left open-ended.



My Review:
I totally love this series! Stephen is a less than stellar adjunct professor who gets involved with two students when they come to him with a proposal to head a paranormal club. He does it in hopes of a little more money. That's how the series starts. What he finds is far more and takes him on a three book journey as he searches for the occupant, a paranormal creature of death and destruction. 

The plot and writing kept me on my toes and groaning when I had to put the book down for any reason. The amount of darkness and gore is balanced. The descriptions and characterizations are compelling. Both the words and narration are on point. There is nothing about this book and series that I didn't enjoy. 


I highly reccomend this book for anyone who loves a spooky horror/ghost story!

Amazon/Audible

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to all the fantastic and amazing moms out there!

As a gift to you. Today you can pick up my first novel published, As Snow Falls, free!

Amazon

Available in audio too!

Blood and Snow by RaShelle Workman

This one took a while as its long but is well worth it!

Book Review:

Snow, that's her name. After listening there's no doubt this is a twisted vampire version of the fairy tale Snow White. In this story Snow is a teen, she doesn't get along well with her parents and spends more time at "the boys" house across the street. The neighbors are a father and his sons. One of which she has a crush on. Of course she has a special gift of sorts. It's a typical YA but its subtle differences made it very enjoyable. 

The characters are developed well. Snow has a lot of internal thinking going on which made me laugh several times. The plot is well developed and the story has a nice flow. This is my first time reading anything by this author and this narrator. In fact I'm pretty sure I picked this up on an audio upgrade hunt. This story is a gem! 


If you're looking for several hours of teen entertainment that isn't cookie cutter this is a great one to take a chance on.

Amazon/Audible

In Absentia by Ambrose Ibsen

Sooo, to be expected this was another goodie by my favorite audiobook author/narrator combination.



Review:

Excellent and delightfully spooky. This combination is peanut butter and chocolate to my ears. Absentia is a short story but enough to get to know the characters. They are a young couple, he a playwright and she a bartender until he, Julian, made it big or big enough she didn't have to work. The couple escapes the craziness of city life and heads for the country; way, way out in the country. Their closest neighbor is miles away. 

All the solitude doesn't serve the young couple well and when crazy, unexplainable events happen in the house it pushes them to the limits. It's an older home and the previous owners vanished. They don't know this going into the sale only after moving in. 


The plot thickens and the intrigue intensifies through the story built with descriptions that paint a vivid picture in the readers mind. For spook, ghost loving readers this is an excellent choice.

Amazon/Audible