ReviewsByCaroline

Two Lives in Waltz Time
By Vivien Dean
Linden Bay Romance
ISBN: 1-905393-xx-x
234 pages
2006

Moving from Arizona, Maddy now works for a prestigious museum in New York. She enjoys her job, but her colleague, Cash, grinds at her nerves. When a mysterious package arrives for him, Maddy, correctly believing it's a painting opens up the package and her normal life soon changes. Maddy, finds herself in another place, and it's definitely not New York.

Cash, soon finds his opened package and gets sucked into the same place as Maddy. He searches for her and when he finds her, he admits to himself, she sure cleans up good. Maddy is in the picture with Cash and in this world she's a dancer, attractive and the men are after her. Cash is a bouncer and in this world they are in a relationship. Cash of course doesn't mind.

Wanting to know what's happened, Maddy asks Cash to be honest and tell her the truth. He admits all and tells her he had magical powers, but he hasn't practiced magic for several years. He also informs her that he's being hunted.

Living together in this strange new world they grow closer and passion soon soars with extreme heat. Maddy and Cash realize they have a part to play in this world and the only way out is if they continue it.

Back in New York, Eva, another colleague and their boss, Aaron, start getting worried when Cash and Maddy don't show up for work. Aaron contacts Kate, Cash's sister, and she travels from England to the museum to help unravel the mystery. She's worried. Kate asks Aaron to show her the picture and is shocked at what she sees; Kate knows they're in big trouble.

Kate also knows to help Cash and Maddy she needs information about this picture. Kate soon realizes that it's not just Cash and Maddy, but Eva, too, that have gone into the world. Aaron insists on finding out what's going on and goes with Kate to try and find his employees.

They try to find the way out before they're all killed, but knowing their freedom involves death concerns Maddy.

Eva, who is attracted the attention of a bouncer named Gino, knows leaving this unique world will be difficult. Gino insists he doesn't want to let her go. He wants to be with her and to help.

TWO LIVES IN WALTZ TIME is a wonderful book with many twists and turns. With each page, the mystery unravels as the characters try to find their way back home. Author Vivien Dean, who started writing stories at a very young age, has written a marvelous book that is worth reading.

©Reviewed by Caroline Lake, gottawritenetwork.com
May 4, 2007

The Visconti Devils
By Ria Dimitra
Ragnell Press. Tallahassee, Florida
329 pages
ISBN: 0-9754174-1-X
2006

Maggie Pacelli, an artist who's currently painting a tarot deck gets introduced to Michael Le Claire, at her sister's dinner party. In the past, Maggie had nothing but romantic disasters until her sister snuck in a big surprise at her dinner party: Michael. Maggie can't believe she's falling so quickly for Michael who's the new curator at the Beinecke rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale.

Michael is interested in her art of the tarot, and Maggie is interested in his collection of the Renaissance Tarot. Maggie shows him her artwork and Michael shows her his 15th century Visconti cards and she realizes one of the cards is missing, and the same card is missing from all surviving decks.

With curiosity, Maggie wants to go to Milan to try and find out what happened to the missing card in the Visconti tarot decks, she is sure the answer is in Italy. Michael is determined she will not go alone; he wants to protect her so they travel to Milan together.

In Italy, they meet Luca Arcangeli who is an art collector and very wealthy. He offers to show Maggie the missing devil card but she soon realizes this chap is not to be trusted, and that she may be at risk. Hiding his true identity, Luca decides he wants Maggie for himself and tries encouraging her to help him get something that he believes Michael has. He informs her Michael isn't who she thinks he is.

Maggie figures out that Luca and Michael have a history, a big past, and there's still a grudge between them. Confused and in love Maggie soon gets kidnapped and Michael comes to her rescue. He loves her so much he is willing to fight to the death. There may have been a battle in heaven, but it’s now a battle on earth and the swords are out. You see, the devil is in town and he always tries to get what he wants.

Michael is not someone who plays games when it comes to protecting the woman he loves. A touch of heaven on earth as the courageous angel feels true love, anger, fear and pain and has to fight with his arch enemy, but Maggie is in the center of this struggle between the good and bad.

Michael, a once fallen angel, knows at some point he may have to leave, but he wants to stay on earth, to grow old with Maggie. He just hopes there will be mercy and that his wish will be granted. He hopes if he pays off his debt of falling that God may show mercy and he'll be granted his desire.

Rita Dimitra has once more written an outstanding book. She has shown that she can write with style and knows her craft. A wonderful read for those interested in the tarot, the devil, and a respectable angel who is willing to die for love.

©Reviewed by Caroline Lake, gottawritenetwork.com
May 11, 2007

The Wizards Spell
By Cynthia Eden
Fantasy Romance
274 pages
Imajinn Books
$14.00
ISBN: 1-933417-03-X

Courageous Sara feels like her life is normal until Torian enters her world. She fights him at all costs afraid he is a danger to her, but another feeling arises and that's attraction. Torian is strong and different from all the other men she's met so far, he's not just sheer sexy, he's one powerful man or should I say a wizard, and soon she is to be his.

Sara finds out that her life is in danger and not by who she first thought off. In fact he is her protector, her guardian, but he even has a few secrets up his sleeve. It's revealed she is a daughter of a witch and she has a mission to accomplish, that mission is to save her world and Torian's. With the Dark Ones trying to steal her magic and destroy her, Torian whisks her to his world to keep her safe, Sara just has to like it or lump it.

In this strange new world he helps her unleash her own powers so she is ready for the battle that is to come. Lazar, the mightiest of all the Dark Ones, wants her powers and wants her dead and he's set a trap. Sara and Torian fall in love and she is shocked to find out Lazar is Torian's father the evilest wizard of all.

Torian and Sara destined to be by an old prophecy have to fight hard with magic, sharing there power. It's a fight to the death and that's just what she is prepared to do. Sara is one courageous, assertive chick and she isn't going to give up easily, especially when worlds are at stake and so is the love of her life.

THE WIZARDS SPELL is a powerful book with a great story line. Two worlds exist and so does love and hate, the good and the bad, but can good defeat the wicked this time?

Cynthia Eden has written a wonderful book that has passion, pain and tears, and yearning moments for the two main characters, Sara and Torian. It's well worth the read.

©Reviewed by Caroline Lake
Feb. 13, 2007

The Saints of Midland- Book one of the Chosen Two
By T.L. Schaefer
Fantasy romance
ISBN: 1-59998-502-0
$5.50
Cover art: Scott Carpenter
Samhain Publishing Ltd.
Copyright 2007
Website: www.samhainpublishing.com
Returning to her hometown to settle down and start up her own business, Amanda Sim's intends to open a book store, but on her return she finds her brother, Danny, is missing. Joining the search party she helps look for her missing brother in Ponderosa Basin where the pines are high. As their vision by the darkness is limited, the Sheriff calls off the search party until morning, but then his deputy, Josh, shows up.

Josh assists Amanda in the search for her brother, Danny, and they find something deep in the woods and it's not what Amanda expected, there is a Keeper and he wants to make a deal. To save her brother, Amanda makes the deal unaware of what this bargain will bring her.

Landing in Midland with Josh beside her, Amanda realizes she is in a place with lost souls and the keeper was aware of this. Midland's, a place where the spirits make peace with themselves before they move on, and Amanda finds out that she's not just here by coincidence, but it was all a set up. There is a legend and part of the legend states that a human witch and am Earth walker will free the souls of Midland.

For awhile Amanda doesn't realize she has magical powers in Midland, but it soon becomes obvious she does and she starts to unleash it. Amanda feels a chemistry between Josh and herself, but she is unsure where this will take them. Let's face it, a human witch and a ghost, whose wife died forty years ago, doesn't look like the kind of relationship that's going to last. When Amanda finds out that part of the legend states they will become one, she wonders just how much becoming one is expected of her.

From their travels across Midland they find help along the way from a bird and others, who desperately want to help them. They believe the legend and believe that's why Amanda and Josh are here in Midland, to save souls. But there is a problem, the Mage who's powerful doesn't want Amanda and Josh to succeed and stop his plan. Amanda's powers grow stronger and when she faces the final battle with her friends she's prepared to fight with all the power she possess. She knows she must fight for the souls of Midland, her brother and for Josh. Amanda hopes she can save her brother and deep down she hopes there is a future with Josh, but how will it work it if she win's the battle? Will she ever see Josh again? The Saints of Midland is a book of love, hope, magic and power. Two souls are brought together for a reason, and they must fight as one.
c Caroline Lake, gottawritenetwork.com, book reviewer
November 2007