THE RECKONERS begins a series where the supernatural world is thriving all around us, and this innovative book tells the specifics of those who know this usually hidden area extremely well. Doranna Durgin cleverly brings many fantasy elements to life with much imagination, leaving you wondering about what is really out there.

Her ability to converse with spirits led Lisa “Garrie” McGarrity to a career of ghost hunting, and she even has a team to help her get the answers required when she is on a case. Lately, her ability to appease those who have never left the world of the living does not make her happy, and she is thinking it might be time to do something else with her life. Before Garrie can change professions, a man shows up at one of her assignments and says he desperately needs her help. However, she is extremely busy and cannot talk at the moment, yet the man is persistent and comes to see her the next day.

The explanation given to Garrie by Trevarr as to why he needs her aid is exceedingly vague, but she is intrigued by both him and the case in San Jose. She has wanted a challenge in her life and believes this may be demanding, so she and part of her team travels from Albuquerque to the ghost infested home in order to see if she can bring any relief to the disgruntled spirits. As Garrie and her supportive team begin their investigation, they quickly discover there is much darkness associated with the structure. They also cannot get many concrete answers from Trevarr, as he seems content to let her work out any episodes by herself without any reasoning from him. As the situation becomes bleaker, Garrie and her team plus Trevarr know they have to come up with a workable plan or much could be lost.

Doranna Durgin is a notable writer, and her eclectic style is apparent all the way through THE RECKONERS. This creative author entwines numerous genres to make the story more captivating with interesting situations, and will leave you eager to see what occurs next. The paranormal genre is definitely front and center, as ghosts plus strange occurrences repeatedly crop up and even seem plausible. A real historical home is featured for much of the contemporary setting, and Ms. Durgin lets resourceful ideas make up what is not public knowledge and the outcome is cleverly believable. Toss in some fantasy aspects, add in a sprinkling of romance plus a hefty dose of humor and you have a well-balanced story which will mesmerize. The plot is certainly inventive with numerous layers, as mysteries abound and emotional issues continuously arise with way too much frequency. Numerous atypical characters star in the skillfully depicted scenarios, and their countless quirks in addition to diverse personalities make them more realistic and enjoyable. There are also the beginnings of romantic sparks between Garrie and Trevarr, with the potential for them becoming even closer expertly portrayed.  Striking visuals and detailed descriptions make the surroundings more perceptible to the reader, thus causing the scenes to seem more credible. Let your imagination run free and enter the world created by Doranna Durgin, where the improbable comes across as possible. THE RECKONERS is an original paranormal adventure which will fuel your imagination on every page.

When Logan is called before the cearnnards, the leaders of the Gineal, he is afraid that they have discovered the problems he has been having recently with his magic. To his relief, he is being assigned to guard a Dormant, one of Gineal decent but without access to her magic. The cearnnards have recently found out that she is being stalked by a Tàireil. Logan is also tasked with keeping all knowledge of magic and the Gineal from this Dormant, Shona, as well. But it doesn’t  take long for him to realize that this job is more than a simple protection job and he’d better watch his heart or he could be in even deeper trouble.

Shona is a glass artist who has lost her creative spark and energy. That becomes a secondary concern however when she is suddenly attacked by a man. Her rescuer, Logan both intrigues and frightens her. The heat between them is intense and soon explodes between them, but as more attacks happen Shona is wondering what on earth is going on.

What Logan can’t tell her about the attacks is that they are by the Tàireil and magic is being used. Will what Shona doesn’t know put her in even more danger?

This book is a magical thrill ride with twists and turns all over the place. I enjoyed the dynamics between Logan and Shona, who both acknowledge the fear of such a strong attraction and the developing emotions between them on such short notice. While it seems crazy to them, it is also undeniable. I also enjoyed the dynamics of  Logan’s struggle of whether to follow orders as he has sworn to do and keep the information about magic from Shona, or to follow his instincts about what the right course of action to take is.

I suspect there are a few little things I missed because I came into this series in the third book. However that had no effect on being able to follow and understand this story. (Though now I need to read the first two In the Midnight Hour review here http://singletitles.com/?p=68 and In Twilight’s Shadow review here http://singletitles.com/?p=393.)

Enjoy!

BETRAYED included angels, demons and other assorted supernatural beings in a fascinating storyline, and numerous characters introduced in this compelling book are once again featured in CURSED. Jamie Leigh Hansen takes her original idea for this intriguing world and turns it into a romance with plenty of thrilling plus unexpected turns.

As a dream weaver, Elizabeth Raines experiences both enjoyable times and painful moments when she lets certain images come to her. Some of her most pleasurable dreams are the ones shared with Alex Foster, the boy she secretly adored in high school but never let him get close before leaving her hometown after graduation. Even though it has been twelve years since they were in school, neither Elizabeth nor Alex has gotten over the feelings they previously felt for the other. When he has a separate dream showing she could possibly be harmed by a supernatural enemy, he must decide what course of action to follow.

With the lives of her family members being in complete turmoil, Elizabeth has come home to help wherever she is needed. Sadly, she seems to be the only one who is willing to try and bring their home life back to normal, and she begins to feel her responsibilities dragging her down. When a chance meeting between Elizabeth and Alex has him taking her home, he quickly realizes there is only one choice for him to make now that he has actually seen her outside of his dreams. He just hopes their decisions will be the right ones to stop the evil which threatens their futures.

When the inventive thoughts of Jamie Leigh Hansen lead to a book, it is always stirring from her vivid imagination. The world this talented author has crafted for her first two books is totally ingenious, and she brings these stories to life through convincing scenarios where the paranormal elements seem realistic. With the main characters in CURSED being portrayed as normal, everyday individuals who just happen to possess supernatural abilities, this story will make readers speculate if the depicted occurrences could actually be taking place without their knowledge. Ms. Hansen has a gift for creating likable characters whose emotional lives touch the reader on many levels. Alex and Elizabeth are two very complex characters as there is much going on in both of their lives, some things known to each other and a couple of extremely well-hidden secrets. With the reader being profoundly aware of these undisclosed truths, there are several anxious moments during the story as this couple sorts through their exceedingly complicated dilemmas. Getting to see how these two tried to balance what was presently happening to them is movingly told with genuine plus sincere feelings, and their inner compassion is clearly shown throughout the story. There are many characters whose futures became important to me, and Ms. Hansen definitely had some surprises in store for several of them. CURSED is a love story of second chances, and the myriad of paranormal situations will keep the reader guessing as to the outcome of the book.

Maia Frasier ceded her powers some years ago and thought she would never have to deal with another demon but that changed when Creed Blackwood shows up on her door step. Injured, Creed claims Maia’s sister is in danger and he needs her help. Maia nurses him back to health but knows the power of dark magic holds strong allure. She is not sure if Creed has turned into it or not. She is determined to help him until she is sure he is safe. As his magic becomes increasingly erratic and their attraction grows, Maia must help. After all, she has experience with demons from the days prior.

Maia Frasier is an admirable character. Giving up that kind of power would have broken a lesser person but Maia did and survived. Unfortunately, she now lives in a half world until Creed comes along. Coming from a troubled past himself, Creed was searching for what he thought he wanted – power. Instead he found Maia. With his arrogance and his confidence taking a beating, Creed could find that Maia holds the key. A fantastic plot, well developed characters and tense action make In Twilight’s Shadow an excellent read and proves Patti O’Shea to be an incredible talent in the paranormal genre.

What a superb first novel by Jamie Leigh Hansen, as the turning of every page only heightens the anticipation of learning additional information about the characters and their fascinating lives. And as each disclosure is revealed, these dynamic characters become more and more real.

The day starts out like many of her more recent ones since Kalyss started her life over after being married to a controlling man, one who left her afraid of committing to another relationship. However, on this fateful day, two unknown men come into her life, and she quickly finds things will never be the same again. These men each confuse her with their words and actions, and when the confrontation ends deadly, Kalyss suddenly finds herself drawn into her past lives of which she has no recollection.

Despite the fact that she has experienced visions before, her encounter with these men seems to make her ability more powerful, especially when she begins to dream of a life long ago spent during medieval times. She also comes to realize the stone statue of a man which she discovers is important to her in some mysterious way. The statue is actually Dreux, the man whom Kalyss married almost a thousand years before. Now after having been reincarnated for nine times and then dying each time by the hand of their enemy from long ago, she has the chance to finally set Dreux free from his prison of stone. Unfortunately, the curse following them both and others for centuries still has its hold over them, and it will take both physical and emotional strength to completely break free from it.

Though this is the debut book from Jamie Leigh Hansen, this gifted author has created an exceptionally noteworthy story. From the first attention-grabbing sentence to the last compelling scene, BETRAYED never disappoints and continuously captivates with exceptional storytelling. As each new fact about the lives of the characters is made known, readers will find their own emotions being touched in dramatic ways. The scenes are made even more real by the graphically depicting words conveying every second of the story, and the images drawn forth while reading will stay with one long after the final word is devoured. The numerous characters whose lives are portrayed are each mesmerizing in their own way. From their displays of outrage to heartache to even wittiness, the personalities of these individuals constantly surprise while coming through loud and clear, whether it is their present life or one from their tragic past. Dreux and Kalyss are such an endearing couple, from what they have suffered over the centuries to their appealing and vibrant natures. As the story progresses, readers will become totally caught up in the lives of this couple while hoping for a miracle to finally happen this time. Their passions and dreams are sincere with heartfelt feelings, and there were even tears which I could not contain during the story. Stunning in detail from all perspectives, BETRAYED elicits emotions while capturing the full attention of its readers.