Genres:
Young Adult, Fantasy

Blurb:
​Teen triplets are shocked to discover they are the reincarnation of three witches living on sacred land. The land magnifies their abilities, making them more powerful witches – and targets. They aren’t the only ones aware of the power the land gives . . .

Chloe, Kaiden, and Rowan Alexander can’t wait to meet the new triplets that have just arrived in town. They are determined to find out if they are anything alike. The attraction is instant, though they soon discover they share more than just being fraternal triplets – in fact, Brianna, Cian, and Xavier Silvan are also witches with a secret of their own.

They must overcome their distrust of each other and join together to fight a much stronger witch, who wants the sacred land for more than the power it gives.

It’s a paranormal coming of age story where the teens discover the purpose of their existence, explore their new powers, new relationships, and overcome family secrets, all while becoming stronger witches. They must learn quickly so they can protect themselves and the people they love from the force of dark magic bearing down on them.

My Thoughts:
​AFTER THE SUMMERLAND is the first book in The Witches of Spring Hill series and we start off in the past. That gives us a little history before we come back to the present, with the triplets now sixteen, and new witches moving into town.

This was an enjoyable story with mystery and mayhem aplenty. The big bad was there causing trouble and without any hook to make you feel sorry for them. That went to Xavier as he tried to protect his siblings and figure out just what was right.

If I had one complaint, it would be when they talked about their powers. I like it when it's spelled out for me, so I don't have to guess what those powers are. For Kaiden just to tell me his are coming in didn't really help. I went back a few pages just to make sure I hadn't missed anything, only to find out a couple of pages later just what those powers were. And why was it "Rowan, of all people," at the end? 

I enjoyed watching the teens grow during this book although I personally think they had it a touch too easy. If only coming into power was that easy and straightforward for everyone. All in all, an easy Young Adult story that wraps up nicely. 

Genres:
Historical, Fantasy, Literary Fiction

Blurb:
France, 1714: in a moment of desperation, a young woman makes a Faustian bargain to live forever and is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.

My Thoughts:
This book was recommended to me by a very good friend, so thank you, Julia! Starting off in historical France, we meet Adeline LaRue, or Addie as she prefers to be known. Trapped in the times and the restraints of being a woman, Addie hopes to become an old spinster, or live out in the woods the same as her friend, Estelle, who tells her of the Old Ways. One warning she gives to Addie is to never pray to the Gods after dark, as the ones who answer will not be the ones you want. When she is forced to marry, she makes a desperate plea, not realising the sun has gone down. Her plea is answered but the cost is high.

We stay with Addie as she learns to be a corporeal ghost, disappearing from people's memories the minute she is out of sight. The only constants in her life are a leather jacket, a wooden ring, and Luc. She travels through time, unable to write her name, text on a phone, send an email, be on a photograph - you get the idea. She figures out a way to make her mark on the world in different ways.

I found this story to be very intriguing and loved the hints of the way the story was going that were dropped throughout. The writing is lyrical and very descriptive, full of emotions. However, in places, the story seemed to drag. And the 'romance' between Addie and Henry was about as exciting as watching paint dry. I don't believe she was in love with him at all, rather being in love with the idea of being with someone who remembered her. Addie herself is a confusing character. I liked parts of her, but not all, so just as in real life, I guess. I imagine wandering through the years as a ghost would turn the most optimistic of people dour, but she was too conniving, too sly, at times. Machinations for no apparent reason apart from just because.

A thoroughly enjoyable and intriguing story that I have no hesitation in recommending. You may have to stick with it through the slower parts though.

Genres:
Upper Young Adult, Fantasy

Blurb:
​Carved from ice with blades of fire, the rigidly feminist state of Serenia breeds heroes. Unimaginably perfect, Amara the Magnificent, the legendary Ultimate Warrior is their greatest.

Five years since Amara’s mysterious disappearance, her daughter, Maryan, struggles to escape her mother’s formidable shadow. Shunned by most, her only friends are oddball characters from the edge of society.

The Queen sees Maryan as an asset to the nation, a pawn to play with and a pretty bauble to appease the neighbouring king, but lurking beneath the surface, an ancient terror plots to wipe out Maryan’s bloodline.

Friend, lover, and more, Amara’s Daughter is a turbulent, rite of passage story tracing Maryan’s growth from naive schoolgirl to the woman destiny needs her to be.

My Thoughts:
​AMARA'S DAUGHTER is the first in the Shudalandia series and we are introduced to this new world by tagging along with Maryan (the legend's daughter) as we learn about how things work, with friends and enemies, and everything in between.

​Some of the segues between scenes or people are a bit disjointed, which left me floundering until I got my bearings again. Also, some of the characters are hinted at being a major part of the story but then fizzle out, without really giving the reader any connection to them.

Oh the whole, this was a great fantasy read that I would definitely say was upper young adult due to the sexual nature of some scenes. 

And it's LIVE!!!

Woohoo! My Brothers Grimm fairy-tale retelling with the old Welsh Gods is now live. I didn't realise it would be so much fun! I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

​A kingdom in mourning… Six Princes turned dark in their grief… One maiden holds hope to save them.

Selene, the Swan Herder for the kingdom of Melthkior, once filled her days in the company of the Royal Family. She grew up as a companion for the Princes of the kingdom, and they enjoyed close friendships. But when the Queen died during the birth of her sixth son, everything changed. The King fell into mourning, and the Princes turned dark and cruel in their grief.

Now, as a maiden, Selene must endure the brutal mockery and abuse from those she once called friends. Her only allies are her beautiful swans and those on the kitchen staff who love her. Until the mysterious Conway appears and seems determined to be a part of her life.

Conway is fascinated by the girl with the silver hair and dismayed by how she is treated. He welcomes her into his heart, and Selene slowly begins to trust what she feels is real.

Can Conway show her a different way of life, or will she stay stuck in a cycle of suffering? And when the Gods become involved, a curse strikes the six Princes of Melthkior. Will Selene choose to help them, or leave them to their fate?
                                                                                                                                 
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60580281-sealed-with-a-curse
Smashbomb Link: https://smashbomb.com/s/sealed-with-a-curse
Universal Purchase Link:  https://books2read.com/SealedwithaCurse

Genres:
Young Adult, Paranormal, Mystery

Blurb:
Rayna Stone is an eighteen year old girl from a small Alabama town that just wants to save a little money for college. In order to do that she has to find a summer job.

The problem with that, the only place that is willing to take her is the upscale golf resort of The Landing. This was not her idea of a summer job, being around snobby, rich folks, but when she meets eyes with the owner’s son, Liam, she starts to see the brighter side of things. That is until she’s seeing things that she can’t quite explain and having dreams that are haunted by a being she calls The Shadow.

The Shadow begins to show her things about a few missing girls, that she wished she had never seen.

Another chilling fact, her dreams seem to be coming true. As if that isn’t enough, she learns that this ability of hers gives her an insight into what others around her are feeling. Soon after this, Rayna learns that Liam does feel something for her, but even though she wants to tell him she feels the same, something is warning her to stay away.

Not because he is dangerous, but because she is.

My Thoughts:
THE SHADOW is the first book in The Darkness Trilogy and I found myself scooped up by the story, invested in it, until it reached the for-now conclusion.

The main story is Rayna is growing into psychic powers. She's never had them before and doesn't know how to deal with them. Not only that, but they're not 'nice' powers. When she dreams, she sees and feels what abducted girls are going through, their pain, their terror. Add this to trying to be a normal teenage girl who goes from having no love live to a weird triangle, and you have Rayna's life.

This is mainly told from Rayna's perspective but it segues nicely into my biggest complaint. This book is first-person BUT not always from Rayna! This made it confusing as there was nothing to say who was speaking. I know some of it was the big bad but something should have been said/written to make it clearer. I've seen it done with chapter headings, or switching from first- to third-person. There are ways. And then towards the end, we get new characters speaking up and, once again, it isn't always clear who it is. 

The one person we DON'T hear from is the one I wanted to hear from the most - Liam. He has a story to tell but no voice with which to tell it. Maybe he will get one in the other books. I don't know.

This book needs a good edit/proofreading as there are spelling mistakes littered throughout. However, that did not stop my enjoyment of it. I don't do triangles as a rule, but this was not normal, and I do want to see what happens next.

A very good YA read with some dark scenes that some readers may find disturbing. 

Genres:
Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Novella

Blurb:
The water beckons…

Illista and her sister fled their homeland when invaders killed their parents and tried to enslave the girls’ innate water magic. Now disguised as servile Waki, Illista serves the Segra people on the dusty high plains, far from the warm oceans of her childhood.

One night, lured by the siren song of the Segra’s sacred lake waters, Illista sheds her Waki disguise for a swim and becomes witness to a murder attempt on the Segra chief’s only son and heir.

War looms…

Joral’s marriage to the daughter of another tribe will seal the peace between the warring nations and strengthen both halves of the Segra people against invaders from the West. When he is poisoned and nearly drowned on the night of his betrothal, a mysterious sprite of a woman saves his life.

Was the attempt on his life the workings of a rival, or was it tied to the sudden arrival of Western mercenaries who seek the missing water witches?

A secret revealed…

When Joral discovers Illista’s secret, will he sacrifice her to secure peace for his people? Or will he follow his heart for the sake of a water sprite who may be the Segra’s only hope for restoring the rains to the drought-ridden land? ​

My Thoughts:
CALL THE RAIN is a fast-paced novella that could easily lead to a full-length novel or even series. The world-building is good enough that you can see the different locations and types of people - some of whom have magic and some don't. 

Illista and her sister are the last survivors of a tribe that was decimated by a warlord who wanted their powers for his own. They have disguised themselves as a different race, one that blends in. That has worked so far but it appears their past has caught up with them.

There is a hint of romance here but it takes a backseat to the rest of the story. It is only at the end that it really shows its head. There are some parts that aren't fully delved into - either purposefully or accidentally, I'm not sure - which left me with questions.

​I found this to be an easy read that whisked me away to a different land that I would like to return to one day... if only to find out about Illista's sister and her sorcerer! 

Genres:
Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

Blurb:
A girl with an unknown destiny.

A boy from a hidden world.

When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets.

The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window.
He knows what she is . . .

Intriguing and deeply romantic, RUA is page-turning YA novel with a supernatural twist.

My Thoughts:
RUA is the first book in the Rua series and I'm still waiting on what the connection is between Celeste and the meaning of the word!

We start of with Celeste having just moved to a new town, an occurrence that happens frequently enough that she is not bothered about not having close friends. On her first day, she is befriended by Tink -- her new gay best friend who has a healthy interest in Wicca. A good thing for Celeste because things are about to get strange.

I love reading Celtic-based fantasy but all too often it is Irish-based Celtic fantasy, which this was. Still, there is enough information here to tease the imagination whilst certainly not overwhelm the reader.

The story itself is nicely wrapped up for this instalment, whilst leaving the overall story arc open and definitely leaving you wanting more. I have a number of questions that simply need to be answered!

A good YA read that will hopefully lead onto bigger things.

Genres:
Young Adult, Fantasy

Blurb:
Lily Mauve's parents move her 1700 miles across the country to the town of Salem and into the 400 year old family home. It's here Lily discovers the extensive magical history of the Mauve family, learns about her own powers and falls deeply in love with her new best friend's brother. She meets family she never knew she had, but she quickly grows to love them. She allies with vampires, creatures she thought were made up. Everything is tipped upside down when one of her new friends is hurt at the Homecoming dance because of who she is, and when the attempts on Lily's life start she realises fear is no longer an option. Her Uncle eventually lets slip the true meaning of her Grand-mamar's prophecy and Lily's world changes. She wants to go quietly, save the people she loves but her rare mental connection with Ava means Ava knows her every thought, and she won't let her go. But ultimately, she must fight for the safety of those closest to her, even when lightning strikes and her family's world is shattered. ​

My Thoughts:
​A MAGICAL HISTORY is the first book in The Mauve Legacy and I found this to be a great read. I found it completely refreshing that someone could move to a new school and fit in! Yep, and even be a cheerleader. The social outcast has been done to the hills and back and I loved that Lily knew what she wanted and went for it. 

The pacing is fairly fast but it works for this story. Lily is a brilliant character and spoke many a word of wisdom. She is ably supported by a cast of amazing supporting characters too. Jerome, I'm looking at you! 

It isn't all sweetness and light though. I knew something would happen but didn't know what. And when it did, it hurt! 

The ending will definitely leave you wanting more but it is a cliffhanger, so be warned. Absolutely recommended by me.

Take a look at this gorgeous picture of Nixie from Wraidd Elfennol - as drawn by Ty Siriol!!

Nixie definitely approves!

​#FanArt
#WraiddElfennol