Blog Archives
Ghosts of Gotham by Craig Schaefer
Ghosts of Gotham is a thrilling supernatural suspense novel. Fans of supernatural and mystery both should enjoy this one immensely.
Title: Ghosts of Gotham
Author: Craig Schaefer
Series: The Ghosts of Gotham Saga, Book 01
Publish Date: April 9, 2019
Genre: Paranormal thriller
Narrator: Susannah Jones
Source: Purchased
Publisher’s Description: Irresistibly drawn to mysteries, if only to debunk them, reporter Lionel Page exposes supernatural frauds, swindlers, and charlatans. His latest case is an obsession—at least for an ancient and wealthy heiress: verify the authenticity of a lost Edgar Allan Poe manuscript circulating through New York City’s literary underworld. But the shrewd Regina Dunkle offers more than money. It’s a pact. Fulfill her request, and Lionel’s own notorious buried past, one he’s been running from since he was a child, will remain hidden.
As Lionel’s quest begins, so do the warnings. And where rare books go, murder follows. It’s only when Lionel meets enigmatic stranger Madison Hannah, his personal usher into the city’s secret history, that he realizes he’s being guided by a force more powerful than logic…and that he isn’t just following a story. He is the story.
Now that the true purpose of his mission is revealing itself in the most terrifying ways, it may finally be time for Lionel to believe in the unbelievable.
Possible spoilers beyond this point.
Nervous Nellie says…
Hats off to Craig Schaefer…AGAIN. He never disappoints with a story.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I began this book, but it wasn’t but a couple of “pages” (I was listening to the audiobook), and I was throughly hooked. I, like the main character, knew better than to get hooked up with an eccentric, wealthy, older woman who has the connections she has but yet needs someone to investigate something for her. However, the curiosity practically killed me, so that’s why Lionel couldn’t resist. The characters that he meets and the story that unfolds is riveting.
The narrator was fantastic. I can say this because I barely noticed. Once I get wrapped up in a story, the narrator becomes the characters. It’s then that I can see the movie in my head and feel like I’m side by side with the main character. I love narrators that give dimension to a story, and this narrator definitely did that.
It behooves me to give this book a 5 star because of the ride it gave me. Around each corner, I never knew what to expect. It was fantastic!
Invested Ivana says…
This was Nell’s pick for a joint review, and it was an excellent one. Ghosts of Gotham is a thrill ride of mystery and magic. The first chapter is really compelling and hooked me immediately. I also love the relationships Lionel has with both Maddie and Brionna.
If I have one nitpick, it’s that in a story with a literal goddess and several female witches who may be thousands of years old, the NEOPHYTE MALE has to be the one to save the day. But I like this world Schaefer is building, and I like the characters, so I’m not going to get too picky about that. 🙂
I recognize the narrator, Susannah Jones, from the Kincade Strange novels by Kristi Charish. She’s an excellent narrator with a lovely voice and good character differentiation. I see she narrates a number of Schaefer’s other novels as well, so I’m looking forward to hearing more of them.
The second book in the series, A Time For Witches, came out in October of 2020. It’s available in Kindle version, but not yet in audio. I hope it does come out in audio soon, as I’m looking forward to hearing what Lionel and his coven take on next. 4.5.
Nell’s Gossip and Book Hunt 7/26/2020
Welcome to my Sunday book hunt and author gossip. Keep coming back for updates on book releases and news from favorite authors.
Back with new releases again… they keep writin’ them, we keep readin’ them.
It’s been a little slow in the reading arena for me lately. I’m behind in my Goodreads challenge even though I had been ahead of the game for months. Is it because I’m back to work? Maybe. It’s been a challenge that’s for sure.
- Anybody out there reading Daniel Faust? Author Craig Schaefer was out on the interwebs and read about some folks that were mad at the moon? maybe? Anyway, within that creative brain of his, he created a short Daniel Faust story that was a fun read. It’s about these witches who drive a minivan that have decided to curse the moon. What these inexperienced and somewhat moronic witches don’t know is that there are consequences. Hop over and experience Daniel Faust yourself. If you haven’t read him before, here’s the list of the series.
- This is an author that I like, but her characters haven’t really “grabbed” me. It could have been the state of mind I was in at the time, so when I found this series and read the description, I decided to show you in case you are a fan. It sounds like something I’d enjoy, so I’ll give it a try.
Title: The Cursing Stones
Author: Sonya Bateman
Series: Avalon Rising #1
Release date: April 12, 2017
Description: Home is where the monsters are…
Rhiannon ‘Rain’ Finlay sucks at being a druid. Her gift of communicating with animals works just fine, but she doesn’t know a Thurisaz rune from a Wunjo, and she can’t even cast a circle of protection without a cheat sheet. That’s why she decided to leave her tiny village on the Isle of Parthas, North Sea, for a normal non-magical life halfway around the world.
But when her beloved grandfather disappears along with a handful of villagers, she’s forced to return home and use her gift — and her crappy druid magic — to help them. Unfortunately, she’s not exactly prepared to face the very real monsters that are popping up all over, from mutant spiders to banshees, black dogs … and worse.
That’s when she learns all the crazy stories her father told her growing up, about the old deserted castle on the island having belonged to King Arthur, might not be so crazy after all.
The legends are real. They’re returning to Parthas.
And they have unfinished business with Rain Finlay.
Title: The Risen Bones
Author: Sonya Bateman
Series: Avalon Rising #2
Release date: July 15, 2020
Description: Be careful what you wish for …
Rhiannon ‘Rain’ Finlay never expected to fight monsters when she came home to the Isle of Parthas almost a month ago. But now she’s defeated a hideous giant spider, a faerie dog, and a few other beasties along the way, not to mention sharpened her druid skills a bit and brushed up on talking to animals.
To be honest, she’s a bit bored with nothing more to fight. At least until one of the villagers loses his head — literally — and it appears that the culprit is not human.
Rain thought it was over, but the monsters are back and bigger than ever. And that’s not the only trouble she’s having. The mysterious ‘ghost’ who saved her life needs her help to escape his hellish prison. Her father is dating, her co-worker is getting meaner every day, and her talking bird is dreaming about her death. The secrets that have been kept from her all her life are slowly surfacing to screw with everyone she knows.
And one of those secrets is about to return from the dead, to claim vengeance for an ancient grudge against Rain that she didn’t even know existed. Until now.
(Disclaimer: One Book Two nor does their reviewer receive any credits or reimbursements from Amazon, Audible or the author for this announcement.)
Follow One Book Two on Social Media via:
Nell’s Gossip and Book Hunt 6/28/20
Welcome to my Sunday book hunt and author gossip. Keep coming back for updates on book releases and news from favorite authors.
Back with new releases again… they keep writin’ them, we keep readin’ them.
- Oh, boy. This one sounds like I may have to call in to sick to work…..
Title: Morrigan’s Blood
Author: Laura Bickle
Series: Crow’s Curse #1
Release date: September 25, 2020
Description: Garnet has the blood of the legendary Morrigan – and legions of vampires and witches will go to war to possess that power.
As a trauma surgeon, Garnet Conners has seen more than her fair share of blood. But when one of her patients walks off the operating table and disappears into the night, she finds herself caught in a war between legions of vampires and witches in her city.
Garnet has dreamed of bloody battlefields for years – and a mysterious lover who controls a kingdom. In her waking life, Garnet is shocked to meet that man in a club. Merrel knows her from another life, a life in which she was the legendary Morrigan, goddess of death and war.
Garnet rejects the notion of magical incarnations altogether. But she falls in with Sorin, a handsome warlock who’s determined to protect the former bootlegger city of Riverpointe from a secret society of vampires. Haunted by crows and faced with undeniable proof of magic, Garnet scrambles to protect her career and loved ones from magical violence.
Abducted by vampires who seek to turn her into a vampire against her will, can Garnet seize the power of the legendary Morrigan to forge her own path in her embattled city? Or will she be forced to serve as a fearsome weapon in a deadly nocturnal war?
- This is not part of a book hunt, but I wanted to share a little mental health crisis. I know a lot of book worms like me may have anxiety over this COVID-19 disaster. What to do? Well, take one step at a time and know when you need to call for help. According to what I’ve learned, this is a new kind of bad place we are all in. With the anxiety, depression, or whatever you are experiencing is grief. This isolation is great for some of us that relish in the “being left alone” but even I have been having trouble with the isolation.
- I want to share a blog post by an author that I respect immensely for is Harmony Black series. I want all of you out there that are feeling “weird” or “uncomfortable in your own skin” understand that you aren’t alone. This is not something to be ashamed of or feel a need to hide. Take care of yourself and know when to ask for help.
(Disclaimer: One Book Two nor does their reviewer receive any credits or reimbursements from Amazon, Audible or the author for this announcement.)
Follow One Book Two on Social Media via:
Nell’s Gossip and Book Hunt 5/10/20
Welcome to my Sunday book hunt and author gossip. Keep coming back for updates on book releases and news from favorite authors.
Back with new releases again… they keep writin’ them, we keep readin’ them.
I finally have news! It’s like the flood gate opened and we have releases flying out the publishing door! Check it out!
- I’ve got the Daniel Faust books on my TBR pile and I keep collecting more, but this one is not something you can buy and keep. It’s on Schaefer’s website and it’s available now.
Title: Lockdown
Author: Craig Schaefer
Series: Daniel Faust short story
Las Vegas. It’s a city of big winners and bigger losers, where fortunes tumble with a roll of the dice. Under all the glitz and sleaze, though, there’s another Vegas: a city infested by monsters in human skin, drenched in occult corruption. It’s the kind of place where a dash of black magic and a gun could be the only thing standing between you and the gates of hell. The kind of place a man like Daniel Faust calls home.
Faust is nobody’s hero. He’s a card-carrying villain by trade, a thief and sorcerer just trying to make a dishonest buck in Sin City. He doesn’t have to go looking for trouble, though: trouble finds him. Surviving by his wits, he does his best to save the day (if he absolutely has to), save his own skin (preferably), and beat the odds on his way to the next big score
Release date: now
Description: This short story comes after The Locust Job
- I am camping outside the bookstore waiting for this release. It looks like it’s gonna be gooood!!!
Title: The Entity Game
Author: Lisa Shearin
Series: Aurora Donati #1
Release date: May 12, 2020
Description: A powerful United States senator and his aide die in their office of cardiac arrests. The next day, a second senator dies of an aneurysm. Officials declare their deaths natural causes, but the FBI fears there is something sinister happening on Capitol Hill and looks to psychometric detective Aurora Donati to investigate. Rory’s ability to get information from people or objects with a single touch uniquely qualifies her to explain the inexplicable. Only this time, she begins to wonder if she is up against forces that no one has ever encountered before.
The next attack strikes close to home and turns Rory’s world upside down. She finds herself entangled in a deadly mix of terrorists, corrupt politicians, and secretive intelligence agencies in a web of deception and conspiracy dating back to experiments performed in a Cold War-era Soviet laboratory and perfected by modern science.
Someone else is pursuing the truth: Gabriel Marshall, CIA operative, who has an agenda and abilities of his own. They find themselves locked in a deadly game, stalked by a seemingly supernatural assassin who puts Rory and Gabriel’s abilities to the ultimate test in a deadly duel. Time is running out and Rory must counter each move and play the game to its heart-stopping end in the halls of the US Capitol itself.
- I found this book on the kindle sale pile at Amazon. It description looks really interesting, so I went for it. It’s less than a dollar for a short while, so if it sounds good, don’t put off your decision to buy it. If you want to wait, I’ll report in after I read it.
Title: Six
Author: Carrie Thorne
Series: A Demon Hunter Romance #1
Release date: March 23, 2020
Description: Terrible conditions, yeah, he’d expected that. Rocky outcrops, fierce winds, unpredictable currents… Flights of sharp and awkwardly angled stairs. Suffocating darkness. Finally, a vicious monster that is determined to blast a tear in the veil between our world and the realm of demons, thereby unleashing thousands of monsters that would inevitably wipe out life as we know it. As nightmarish as one could imagine.
Demon hunting isn’t just Quinn Fischer’s job, but her birthright. With her plucky team at her side, she’s ready to take on anything fate may throw at them. Until one recon mission doesn’t go so hot…
Ryan Hunt is a burned-out demon hunter with a violent past. Thanks to a clever captain’s response to a growing threat around the Bering Sea, he finds a way to use his skills on a top-secret Coast Guard crew assigned to protect the waters around Alaska.
When Quinn splashes into the Arctic just off of USCG Cutter Valkyrie’s bow, Ryan knows exactly what she is, and why he shouldn’t trust her. Unfortunately for Quinn, she doesn’t have a clue who she is, but she knows the chemistry with Ryan is off the charts. Who gets amnesia anyway? Such a cliché.
Fate, destiny, coincidence… whatever nonsense brought them together just might tear them apart.
More description:
Fate sucks. Even demon hunters deserve a little normal.
Born to fight the monsters that haunt our dreams, Quinn Fischer loves her job… until a prophecy from long ago points to her plucky demon-hunting team as those destined to take down one of the most notorious monsters of all time. Despite her hesitation, she goes all in with her fearsome team. After a devastating defeat, she’s blasted from the battlefield and splashes down off the northwest coast of Alaska, without a memory to her name.
Different from his fellow demon-hunters, Ryan Hunt wanted no part in their blood-thirsty ways. Creating a covert taskforce from his loyal Coast Guard buddies, they’ve set out to protect the Pacific from the monsters that threaten humanity. He’s got a good routine, until smartass, gorgeous demon hunter lands off his bow.
Bound to their birthright, they must learn to trust each other in order to get to the source of the increased activity around the Bearing Sea… and to find out where Quinn came from.
Light and dark, love and hate… adventure and humor. Get hooked on this paranormal romance series that will leave you wanting more.
Follow One Book Two on Social Media via:
Nell’s Gossip and Book Hunt 10/13/19
Welcome to my Sunday book hunt and author gossip. Keep coming back for updates on book releases and news from favorite authors.
Back with new releases again… they keep writin’ them, we keep readin’ them.
It’s Craig Schaefer day! He is a writing maniac! I’ve got news on 3 new releases.
- Harmony Black is back!
Title: Right to Kill
Author: Craig Schaefer
Series: Harmony Black #5
Release date: October 22, 2019
Description: When two operatives go dark in Tampa, chasing the trail of an oligarch with ties to the demonic underworld, Vigilant Lock — the nation’s first and last line of defense against occult attack — sends their best to the rescue: Harmony Black, a troubled investigator and an elemental witch with a keen but tangled mind; and her partner Jessie Temple, the daughter of a supernatural slasher and the inheritor of her father’s powers.
The trail of clues leads them to the doorstep of Judah Cranston, a wealthy scientist with dark secrets and a darker agenda. Toss in an alluring marine biologist with eyes for Harmony, and a pair of demon-blooded troubleshooters on a hunt of their own, and Tampa Bay is heating up fast. As the mission takes Harmony and Jessie from the sun-drenched Florida coast to a gloomy New England fishing town steeped in forgotten history, they find themselves up against a threat far greater — and more otherworldly — than they ever expected.
2. Daniel Faust
Title: The Locust Job
Author: Craig Schaefer
Series: Daniel Faust #9
Release date: maybe January 2020
Title: The Insider
Author: Craig Schaefer
Series: Charlie McCabe #2
Release date: July 7, 2020
ALERT!! ALERT! ALERT! New anthology! 19 authors including Jim Butcher! Gotta check this out!
Title: Parallel Worlds: The Heroes Within
Author:
This anthology features nineteen stories from bestselling, award-winning, and emerging authors, and includes brand new, never-before seen stories from Jim Butcher’s, “Dresden Files,” Robert Asprin’s “The Myth-Adventures” by Jody Lynn Nye, and Neo Edmund’s “Red Riding Alpha Huntress Chronicles.”
Follow One Book Two on Social Media via:
One Book Two 