Psychic Storm

by C.J. Ellisson, Deanna Chase, Dale Mayer

PSYCHIC STORM: Ten Dangerously Sexy Tales of Psychic Witches, Vampires, Mediums, Empaths and Seers

Ten books. Ten internationally bestselling authors. Ten different tales of sexy psychics, empaths and seers who solve crimes, fall in love, make magic and fight to save the world.

Over 2,000 pages of extrasensory reading await, with three brand new, original novels and over 1,400 5-Star Reviews for the rest!

From Bestselling Author, HEATHER TOPHAM WOOD –– NEW REVELATIONS –– Life should’ve been perfect. Kate Edwards won the heart of police detective Jared Corbett and is coming to terms with her psychic ability. Things are blissful—until the day she meets Declan Brayden. Kate doesn’t trust the damaged and arrogant seer, but knows combining their abilities would allow her to help more people. When visions of a missing fitness instructor turn into a race against time to save her life, Kate might have no choice. HEAT LEVEL: 2

From Bestselling author, APRIL AASHEIM –– ARMAND –– "Never trust a warlock…” Before Maggie Maddock and her sisters returned to Dark Root, Oregon, a generation of witches and warlocks reigned over The Council -- 13 men and women devoted to holding back the dark they believed would eventually end the world. This is the origin story of Dark Root's most notorious warlock: Armand. HEAT LEVEL: 2

From USA TODAY bestselling author, DALE MAYER –– TUESDAY’S CHILD –– What she doesn't want...is exactly what he needs. Shunned and ridiculed all her life for something she can't control, Samantha Blair hides her psychic abilities and lives on the fringes of society. Against her will, however, she's tapped into a killer--or rather, his victims. Sam knows she must go to the authorities, but will the rugged, no-nonsense detective in charge of tracking down the killer believe her? HEAT LEVEL: 3

From bestselling author, JESI LEA RYAN –– JUST A LITTLE NUDGE –– Marley Sexton never aspired to be a stripper. But it’s the only job that puts a dent in her mother’s medical bills. It’s also the only job where she feels justified using a little talent she calls nudging. But JC Moreno figures out Marley may have taken the nudge too far. Marley’s not big on trusting people, especially a man with a gun, a badge, and a story that doesn’t add up, but maybe they can work together to both get what they want…if they don’t end up dead. HEAT LEVEL: 3

From NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author DEANNA CHASE, HAUNTED ON BOURBON STREET –– Jade loves her new apartment—until a ghost joins her in the shower. When empath Jade Calhoun moves into an apartment above a strip bar on Bourbon Street, she expects life to get interesting. What she doesn't count on is making friends with an exotic dancer, attracting a powerful spirit, and developing feelings for Kane, her sexy landlord. But when the ghost moves from spooking Jade to terrorizing Pyper, the dancer, it's up to Jade to use her unique ability as an empath to save her. HEAT LEVEL: 4

From bestselling author, MORGAN HANNAH MACDONALD –– SPIRITS AMONG US –– WHAT HE SEES WOULD SCARE YOU TO DEATH. Cajun bad boy and ex-FBI profiler Jon-Luc Boudreaux is in Paris hunting a serial killer. That's nothing new, neither is being haunted by the victims, but watching the murders through the killers eyes, now that's something new entirely. Jon-Luc is on the hunt for the most diabolical killer he's ever encountered, and Angela Henderson, fashion designer, is next on the killer's list. HEAT LEVEL: 4

From bestselling author, JC ANDRIJESKI –– LONDON –– If there was ever a race-traitor job, this was definitely it. Revik arrives in London with a new job, a new home…and new people watching him, seemingly more than he has helping him watch the Bridge, a holy warrior hidden among humans to keep her safe from dark Seers called the Rooks. Meanwhile, in San Francisco, Allie has no idea that she’s the Bridge…or even that she’s a Seer. Then she meets Jaden. HEAT LEVEL: 4

From bestselling author, JORDAN CASTILLO PRICE –– AMONG THE LIVING –– Victor Bayne, the psychic half a PsyCop team, is a gay medium more concerned with flying under the radar than making waves. He hooks up with handsome Jacob Marks, a non-psychic from an adjacent precinct at his ex-partner’s retirement party and it seems his luck has taken a turn for the better. But then a serial killer with a gruesome M.O. surfaces--and no one agrees what he looks like. HEAT LEVEL: 5

From NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY bestselling author, C.J. ELLISSON –– VAMPIRE VACATION –– Meet Vivian. She's a 580-year-old vampire who exudes sex, has a talent for drama, and is passionate about two things: her human husband, Rafe, and their resort for the undead. Her ability to project physical illusions creates the perfect vacation spot—a dark, isolated Alaskan hideaway where visitors can have their wildest fantasies come true. The powerful vamp is put to the test when she discovers a corpse in a locked guest room minutes before the next a...

Genres: Anthologies, Paranormal, Romance, Paranormal Romance, M M Romance, Mystery, Ebooks

1735 pages, ebook

First published February 3, 2015

About the author

C.J. Ellisson is the USA Today Bestselling author of the NYT Bestselling book, Vanilla on Top, the bestselling V V Inn series, and several erotica shorts. She lives in northern Virginia with her husband, two children, three dogs and two cats. She's battled severe chronic illness for years and is thrilled to report she’s finally approaching the end of treatment. She turned to writing when she could no longer work outside the home and claims the escape of penning contemporary erotic romance, urban fantasy, and erotica has helped save her sanity.

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Reviews

[Marte - Thunderella]

Pre-order this and get ten books for $0.99? Hell, yeah!

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"Can PsyCop go mainstream?" Read Jordan's newsletter here! (scroll down to read)

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

New Revelations by Heather Topham Wood - 2 stars

Oh boy. This book. What do you do if you like parts of the book but you think your heroine is a whiny, vapid brat? I had numerous problems with her character and ideas towards women. Kate Edwards is constantly jealous, insecure, immature, whiny, bitter, pissy, so MUCH OF A BRAT that I wanted to smack her...repeatedly...with a shoe. And what was the deal with her not eating? Like several actual discussions of her doing the maple syrup and cayenne pepper water diet. And did her best friend really tell Kate it was her fault that her boyfriend wasn't sleeping with her? Because there is some kind of time limit on things or whatever. And her best friend's boyfriend, yeah, he was an ASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSHOLE.

That boyfriend of hers I can't tell what his deal is and whether I like him. On one hand, he seems too perfect and I don't believe he'd be attracted to someone as immature as Kate, so I thought he might have ulterior motives, but that didn't go anywhere, so I could be wrong about that. It would be far more interesting if he does have them, just saying.

The new character of Declan interested me. He's the typical brooding stranger, hurt by the past, an outsider, and mysteriously sexy and looking at the heroine. I know it's been down a thousand times, but I still kind of liked him. I had zero idea why he'd like Kate, but maybe he's just a ho.

But, OK, let's talk about the plot. The idea that Declan finds Kate so that they can maybe work together and earn extra money was actually smart on his part, but it just really didn't go anywhere. I mean Kate is still fixated on the case from the first book, the new case of the missing boy, and then another case of a missing woman. None of them got the focus and care they needed, though. A little bit of this and a little bit of that. No tension at all. No mystery. And then the book JUST ENDS. That made me very, very cranky. It. Just. Ends.

Oh, but the prologue? I actually really loved that. The writing felt visual and I could see everything the author was painting for me. More of that and this would have been a very different review and rating.


Haunted on Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase - 2 stars



So when you write a story in a city famed for culture and architecture and a real vibe, make that come to life. There are sounds your feet make walking in the quarter, the constant music, the tourists who never grasp it isn't actually Mardi Gras 365 days a year and no, no one wants to flash you their tits in the middle of winter. There's the smells of the food, the street artists, the visual of the lights, the carriage horses, the market, and all the beautiful buildings lining the streets.

This book could have been set anywhere because I got zero sense of New Orleans, other than the paranormal, which seems a bit tired plot device in the city, but whatevs - I knew what I was getting in to with the title alone.

Then, there are the characters, which I got no depth from and felt no emotion towards. And when you refer to a ghost as 'Mr. Sexy' a part of me dies. Standard brooding guy likes standard woman who likes brooding guy and I struggled to remember her name. Bea was an all right character, if only because she reminded me of Zelda from Poltergeist.

But come on, this is paranormal. The ghosts should be scary or tragic or even funny, but these in the end felt anticlimactic and barely served a purpose. And the empath and other magical tricks didn't feel explored enough to be interesting, but rather checked boxes.

It gets two stars because I can see some people liking this if you want a cozy-type mystery with light romance. Alas, it was a disappointment for me.

Touched by Hazel Hunter - 3 stars



So, this had the potential to be pretty great. I'm pretty easy with mysteries and I always love when something paranormal is tied in to help a criminal investigation.

Isabelle is a psychic, but not one that can see the future. Rather through her hands and touching objects or people she can see and read the past. And she always wears colorful gloves to prevent her from continuously reading people or items she doesn't want to read. She kind of reminded me of Elsa from Frozen in that regards. She feels isolated and lonely not forming relationships with others from the lack of understanding.

But she has numerous clients and one just happens to be the wife of an FBI agent, and their daughter is kidnapped. The mother insists Isabelle helps and the husband (who has an ad version to Isabelle and her power that I never fully understood) calls in the man he mentored at the FBI, Mac.

OK, so a few things. I liked Mac. I liked Isabelle. I could see liking them together and the sex was pretty nice if that's your thing, but it felt so out of place within the novella. One minute everything was focused on the investigation and BAM they'd be fucking for long passages. I hate insta-love and while I wouldn't classify this as that exactly, it felt it went beyond simple lust. There was no flirting, no teasing, no tension before the throbbing cock entered her wet folds. The feelings and statements made no sense based on what was on the page. They'd been together what a day and Isabelle is saying after Mac disappointed her "Except, once upon a time, she'd also thought Mac was different." WUT??? And dennnnn...cue wacko God speaking serial killer scene.

I liked parts of the investigation and the serial killer may develop better later, but he felt just dumped on the page and I'm asking myself: wait, what are his motives, why does he want to speak to the psychic, why when the "twist" happen did he get so upset, etc. Build this stuff up.

It honestly felt like two different novellas smashed together to create a mystery erotica with neither getting the attention they deserved.

It will be interesting where the series goes, but I hope in future installments the books feel more balanced.

Armand by April Aasheim - 4 stars

This one really surprised me in the best way, though. Armand is like that clueless, crass lover who sleeps around with numerous women, probably is a great lover, but definitely gives himself more credit than he probably deserves. Whenever he makes love to a woman, he steals a bit of their life force and the opening chapter with the English woman CRACKED me up. Armand is one of those characters that no matter how often he screws up or says or thinks something rude, you still kind of love them anyways.

He's a warlock and their are witches and other paranormal activity that come into this in interesting ways, and his chemistry with character Sasha was humorous, sensual and dark. I wasn't a fan of that Isabella character mainly because she seemed a little too whiny and naïve, given how she was originally introduced and came across fiery and strong-willed.

Really, really enjoyed this one and I could see myself reading more from this author.


Among the Living by Jordan Castillo Price - 5 stars

OK, first things first, I LOVE VICTOR BAYNE. I love him. This book is fun and creepy, with that hint of edge where you realize that this book just oozes coolness.

Victor thinks the things I think, and he's smart, awkward, sarcastic, self-depreciating, drug addicted, sexy, and at times completely baffled at what draws others to him. He's such a real character and despite the hard edges, the low self-esteem, the addictions, and dark humor, Victor is really, really lovable. And SO funny - I lost track of how many times I actually laughed out loud while reading. Furthermore, his relationship with Jacob the cop (not a psycop) is just ugngjfjalkd. I'm huge drawn to opposites and these two in many ways shouldn't work, but they do. They so do. The differences frustrate them, the excite them, the turn them on. Jacob and Vic are where it's at in books.

But the plot is fantastic too. A guy who sees dead people and takes drugs willfully fighting his power and solving crimes with Jacob? Yesssssss.

Finally, this author is fantastic at writing POC characters without making a production, and female characters who are strong, smart, and likeable. All of her characters are multi-dimensional, layers upon layers that you see eventually pulled back, and this entire series is my happy place.

[Cindy Caron]

I posted reviews to the individual books as I read them. overall, I enjoyed each one I read, even though this is not my preferred genre. well done

[Michelle Baldwin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to get an ARC of this box set....I buy box sets as they are great value and it introduces you to more authors....I New a couple of the authors in this set and they are amazing ...I hoped that if there books was to go by I'd enjoy the others too....I am pleasantly surprised how many I truly enjoyed....

New revelations (book2) HEATHER TOPHAM WOOD
Good from start to finish an enjoyable read story line is great easy to follow and I couldn't put it down...... glad there is more in this series.. I read a lot and this is in my top books I've ever read....

ARMAND by APRIL AASHEIM
I really enjoyed this book it was nice and easy to follow and it didn't take long over get into the storyline.... I will be trying more books from this author.....

TUESDAY’S CHILD by DALE MAYER
This book is fantastic easy to get into storyline gets you hooked and I could not put it down....it is book 1 in amazing psychic visions series.....dale is one of my all time top authors.....

JUST A LITTLE NUDGE by JESI LEA RYAN
Reading now...

HAUNTED ON BOURBON STREET by DEANNA CHASE
Still to read....

SPIRITS AMONG US by MORGAN HANNAH MACDONAND
Still to read.....

LONDON by JC ANDRIJESKI
Yet again another brilliant book ... I love the way this author writes and I give this book a well earned 5*....I will be reading more books by this author....

AMONG THE LIVING by JORDAN CASTILLO PRICE
Still to read...

VAMPIRE VACATION by C.J. ELLISSON TOUCHED by HAZEL HUNTER
Still to read....

TOUCHED by HAZEL HUNTER
Still to read....

[Iphonereader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rounding up to 5 Stars for collection. Must read for PR/UF fans!

New Revelations: 5 Stars

Armand: 5 Stars

Tuesday’s Child: 4 Stars

Haunted on Bourbon Street: 4 Stars

Just a Little Nudge: 5 Stars

Spirits Among Us: 5 Stars

London: 5 Stars

Among the Living: 5 Stars

Vampire Vacation: 4.5 Stars

Touched: 4.5 Stars

[Shayla Mist · Rating 5 out of 5]

HEATHER TOPHAM WOOD –– NEW REVELATIONS - 4 stars
At the beginning I was unsure about New Revelations. Firstly, the story was obviously a sequel, the characters had backstory that I hadn't known firsthand and I usually, out of principle more than anything else, prefer reading stories that come from a series in the order they were meant to be read. That instantly put me in a bad mood because I would have liked to get to know the character from the very beginning, experience their first adventures together with them. Having landed in the middle of a longer story, I felt irritated and a bit cheated. And then the heroine turned out to be this very unsure girl, sexually frustrated, not confident in her lover's feelings towards her, barely just getting comfortable with her new psychic gift. Her boyfriend, on the other hand, seemed to perfect to be real—too kind, too patient, too understanding, and, honestly, I didn't feel they were right for each other at all. No matter how in love Kate insisted she was in every chapter, I only felt her insecurities, rather than their chemistry.
That being said, Kate slowly grew on me, just like mold—her words, not mine. I was taken by her candid kindness and her desperate need to help people. I loved how honest she was and how sarcastic she could be. And I loved, that unlike some other heroines, she wasn't obsessed with fashion and looking good. She's definitely a great, lovable character. Just like Declan. Unlike Jared, Declan was real—snarky, playboy-ish, unashamed. He was an imperfect character, which made him very interesting and very fascinating.
The plot was interesting too, though a bit lacking in action. All along, there are just visions that Kate follows to save the victims, but, in fact, all the action consists in her letting the families know what happens and then crying her eyes out. There is little external conflict. In fact the real external conflict only happens at the end of the book—the cliffhanger. If you wanna read this book, I strongly suggest buying the whole series, otherwise you won't be truly satisfied.
All in all, in spite of its imperfection, I did enjoy the story and I will certainly buy the whole series. Thumbs up!

APRIL AASHEIM –– ARMAND - 3.5 stars
Armand was a very unique read for me because it was unlike most books I read and enjoy. I wish I could rate it higher, but, unfortunately, the style really didn't match my tastes and I had to struggle to read it, even though the execution was impeccable, in terms of plot and characterization. What I truly missed was humor and a lighter vibe. True, there was teasing between the hero and heroine, but there's not enough to dampen the dark, depressing atmosphere of the book.
The story takes place is a strange universe where electricity, televisions and all modern appliances coexist with misogyny and primitive religious beliefs. From the start, I was particularly repulsed by the view society, in this universe, has on women.
If that wasn't enough, the hero himself is a phychic that feeds on sexual energies and uses women to satisfy his urges without caring what happens to them after he leaves them.
I usually love imperfect characters, but I found Armand had too many flaws to be completely likable. He only managed to redeem himself at the end by righting his wrongs and his finding his father's grave was such an emotional scene that it truly made me weep for him and almost made up for all the scenes I didn't like.
I did like Armand, the character, in the end, especially when he insisted he couldn't love anyone, because characters who build a wall around their feelings are the most interesting and turn out to be the most profound.
However the story ended just when I was getting into the action and starting to love where it was going.
If I were to summarize what this book is about, I would say Armand is a dark, quite lyrical tale about a lonely man's journey to finding himself and his purpose. Although psychic gifts play a part of the story, it is more a character driven account rather than an action book and I have the feeling it's one of those books you love from the start or you won't ever be completely comfortable reading, depending on your personality. If you enjoy dark tales and highly troubled heroes, this is definitely the book for you.
DALE MAYER –– TUESDAY’S CHILD – 5 stars
I loved everything about this book. The plot was very good, the pacing was perfect and the characters were all amazing. It's hard for me to find words for praising books, so usually the ones I like most get the shortest review. I will try, however to describe why this book took me from the start.
First of all, it began with visions of death. From the very first chapter I was sympathetic toward the main character, Samantha. Not only does she see the experiences of murder victims, but she feels their physical pain, which manifests on her own body. She bleeds together with them, both metaphorically and physically. Despite all that, and despite how mistreated she's been all her life because of her unusual gift, Samantha shows incredible braveness and strength. She goes against her fear to do what she believes she's right and, eventually, she earns people's respect thanks to that.
But her journey isn't easy. The police treat her like a suspect and a looney. The only person who believes in her is detective Brandt, who ends up falling in love with her. Brandt sees her hidden strength and falls in love with her vulnerable side as well as her brave side. Together they battle against the system until their voices are heard and they manage to capture a serial killer, bringing justice to his numerous victims.
In the process, Samantha learns how to open up and trust people, how to control her psychic gifts and how to rely on the people who love her. I loved that, on a micro level, her dog Soldier, whom she saved from euthanasia, goes through the same emotional journey of learning to trust. Ultimately, Soldier overcomes his trauma by saving Samantha from his former trainer, who's none other than the killer.
I can't wait to read the next books in this series.


JESI LEA RYAN –– JUST A LITTLE NUDGE - 4.5 stars

I had mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I liked the plot and Marley's powers and well as the idea of a stripper and a CIA agent solving a case together. It was original and written in an upbeat style. However, I felt like the whole plot was a bit rushed, there wasn’t enough time for a real connection to be created between the main characters. The heroine's feelings for JC were a bit muddled.
It feels like the author concentrated so much on Marley coming off as a strong female character that she completely ignored giving her a real vulnerable side. True, her vulnerability came from her mother's health state and her financial issues, but I didn't feel it was enough. I feel at her core, she was all strength—no hang-ups, no bad choices, no complexes and self-doubts. I didn't see any of that. She was smart, which I liked, but too cold, whereas, in comparison, JC seemed like a puppy drooling over her. That wasn't a good match, in my opinion.
That being said, the writing wasn't poorly executed at all, so, despite voicing those objections, I found it a fun and enjoyable read. If romance isn't the main reason you buy this book…

DEANNA CHASE - HAUNTED ON BOURBON STREET - 5 stars
Wow! This story was intense. Perverted ghosts, witches, strippers, dreamwalkers, nasty exes, lesser angels, ghost hunters and…I'm sure I could come up with more if I think about it. I bet that's exactly what the author told herself when she brainstormed this book. It had pretty much anything you could imagine. Seen from this point of view, you'd expect a disaster, but I was amazed how well they all fit together. The author managed to create a very entertaining read, lovable character and a captivating plot. That tells me she's a master at GMC – goal, motivation, conflict. There was simply no chapter without some sort of obstacle the heroine had to overcome. I loved the pacing and the intense chemistry between characters. I'm not only referring to the sexual chemistry between MCs, but the relations between all characters. The bonds of friendship felt real, the supporting characters were strong and had their own distinct voices. I loved this book!

MORGAN HANNAH MACDONALD –– SPIRITS AMONG US - 4 stars
What can I say? This story was perfectly executed, but I didn't fully enjoy the atmosphere. I loved that it was written from a man's perspective and I loved Jon-Luc's character a lot.
However, some things weren't as enjoyable. For instance, I felt his and Angie's instant attraction and instant "love" was a bit forced or, rather, the way the author described it all was implausible. Moreover, Angie's experience with ghost is coming out of nowhere, like the perfect solution to Jon-Luc's doubts. That seemed to be solved too easily and with no preamble whatsoever—another implausible detail. It's like the author though: "Hmmm, 'kay, I need Jon-Luc to confess to Angie he's a psychic, but how do I do this? Oh, I know, I'll just give her a past ghost experience! I'm a genius!" All of a sudden, when we were already at two thirds of the story with no mention of this whatsoever before this point? Didn't work for me.
I also didn't enjoy the descriptions of the ghosts. For me it was a complete turn-off the scene when Jon-Luc has a vision of having sex with one of the victims. That scene grossed me and I didn't think it was a necessary scene either. And after that scene, all the ghosts apparitions grossed me out. If the author was aiming for horror, it was a total success.
From the point of view of the plot, however, I have no criticism, aside from Angie's ghost experience scene I mentioned before. The plot was well-thought. The characters were charismatic, the killer was interesting and I really didn't expect that turn of events, which is a huge plus! Unlike 90% of the stories where you know who the killer is, this one came as a surprise and it really tied the plot like a perfect bow placed over the gift box. I loved it. The scene at the end seemed a bit rushed, but all in all, the plot was full of adventure and interesting twists and the characters were really likable.
So, despite my reservations, I recommend this book. I think readers of the genre will enjoy it a lot.

JC ANDRIJESKI –– LONDON – 4 stars
In terms of plot and originality, this book was a masterpiece. I was so impressed with the universe the author has created and with the complexity of the intrigues she's woven. In fact, this series is so big I can't help feeling it's all happening in an alternate universe for real.
But, the reason I gave it a tad lower rating is the lack of a satisfying ending. The whole story was full of angst and abuse. I cried 90% of the time and I craved that ending which would have made the pain worthwhile. The ending however showed Allie falling in love with her abuser while Revik was forced to witness her confession and withstand the pain that came with it.
From a logical point of view, I get that this was necessary for the story to come and I applaud the author for bearing to do this to her characters. I think this is one of the most skilled writers whose books I've ever had the honor of reading. On the other hand though, the story was so depressing and the ending so bitter-sweet that I don't think I want to read more. Because I have the feeling there will only come more pain in the future volumes. This is not a story for those of us who like humorous, light reads.I don't want to say it's a story that has more depth, because that would mean implying humorous stories have no depth and that is absolute BS, but it's definitely a story that treats very serious subjects. Disguised as a fantasy book. It's not just a fantasy book, just an adventure book, just a story about unrequited love. It is also a story about the human condition, about abuse, about human behavior under particular circumstances. I couldn't help feeling, at certain points, that it was a lot like a study in psychology.
London is only a prequel to a long series and the world the author built is so complex and amazing that I'm sure many of you will be fascinated. So, give it a try, see what you think. I think this is one of those that you either like or not, depending on your personal tastes and the events you're going through in your own personal life. Either way, whether you'll like this particular prequel/series or not, keep an eye on this author because she's a true gem! Warning: You will need a lot of tissues and a certain bitter mood to be able to stomach some of the scenes.

JORDAN CASTILLO PRICE –– AMONG THE LIVING – 5+ stars
I may be a bit biased because the whole reason I wanted to read this collection of stories was Jordan Castillo Price's Among the Living being featured in it. I've already read Among the Living twice and, even though it's not my favorite out of Jordan's works, it holds a very dear place in my heart because it's the first story I ever read by this amazing author. This review is more about the whole Pyscop series, because this book is just a small bite ad the entire development of the story is much more complex. I feel the need to explain what exactly psycop is about for those readers who are completely new to M/M and/or Jordan Castillo Price's works.
Among the Living is the first book of the Psycop series, a series about a medium who helps ghosts cross over and solves mysteries in his own special way.
What I love about this author's books is the way she builds characters. Her boys are always troubled, rough guys who, deep inside, fear intimacy, fear opening up to others, making friends, falling in love. This series essentially follows Victor in his own personal battle against himself and his innermost fears. We see him falling in love, slowly making friends and maybe even realizing that not everyone wishes him harm.
Among the Living, in particular, introduces readers to a universe where psychics are pretty much government dogs. Victor is one of the first generations psychics, meaning that before him the people who had real psychic powers were catalogued as mentally ill. As such, Victor has been experimented on and virtually held prisoner in what his generation's psychics called Camp Hell. As a result, Victor doesn't trust authority figures, he doesn't trust anyone—this is, in fact, the main internal conflict of the whole series. He was smart enough not to show his true power while he undergone Camp Hell and, even so, he's considered one of the strongest mediums in the world. No one is actually aware of the true extent of his powers. And that is the main external conflict—him trying to keep his powers hidden.
As all of Jordan's characters, Victor has a snarky, sarcastic personality that instantly amuses you. At the same time, readers will fall in love with him due to his unawareness to how amazing he is and, especially, thanks to his weaknesses and vulnerabilities.
From a romantic point of view, the whole series isn't extremely graphic so I doubt any new readers of the M/M genre will be scarred for life reading sex scenes between male characters, however the books have a certain heat level and I, personally, believe the author is quite a master when it comes to passionate scenes.
I could write a whole book about the Psycop series alone so I will try refraining from singing its praises further before this turns into an essay. Bottom line is, I can guarantee this book is worthwhile and, more so, the books to come. You will fall in love with the world-building and the amazing characterization. Hands down one of the best authors ever!

C.J. ELLISSON - VAMPIRE VACATION – 5 stars
Woot! This book was written to match my tastes like a glove. Loved the very original idea of a vampire resort. Loved that it had lots of sex, yet it wasn't so overwhelming to the point of wanting to browse over it. And, most of all, I loved the main character. She is the strong, lonely type, only truly trusting her husband. However her hidden strength attracts everyone and makes them naturally gravitate around her.
In this story, we're shown how Vivian/Dria slowly, albeit reluctantly, opens up to others by allowing them to witness her true abilities and by welcoming new people into her family.
Hot guy, snarky humor and a meddling hostess playing matchmaker—this had all the ingredients of a really fun books. I loved the plot so much I will definitely buy the next books in the series.

HAZEL HUNTER – TOUCHED - 3.5 stars
The idea behind Touch is very nice and I liked the execution. My only complaints are the short length and the lack of a satisfying ending. I love the twist about the killer, but it felt like it all ended too abruptly. Still, this being a novella, I think the author did a great job. But, obviously, if you want to get the nice ending you'll be waiting for, you have to buy the following books, otherwise, there'll be no point.
I loved the characters and the way Isabelle's powers manifests. I think it's worth buying the whole series.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first time I've ever requested an ARC and im glad I did. This bundle is amazingly, awesomely great! It has a little bit of everything and even if you have never read anything in the genre, guaranteed you will find some gems in this book that will have you hunting down more books by the same authors. I thoroughly enjoyed reading these stories im going to go look into a few of the authors included and see what else they might have for me. Psychics, Vampires, Witches, demons, ghosts, uber sexy alpha cops...there is a lot to like all over these pages. Definitely worth picking up!

My Favs: AMONG THE LIVING and TUESDAY’S CHILD


HEATHER TOPHAM WOOD –– NEW REVELATIONS: Very simply written, good story line not enough depth of character for me. I liked the MC's but I didnt love them. Read kind of like a YA.

APRIL AASHEIM –– ARMAND: Armand was a pretty much a dick for most of the story but ended up redeeming himself in the end. I could see myself looking into this series as the characters were likable and believable. Warlocks, witches and demons, who doesnt like that?

DALE MAYER –– TUESDAY’S CHILD: Loved it! Great story, thrilling and evil. I will read more Sam and Brandt for sure!

JESI LEA RYAN –– JUST A LITTLE NUDGE - Bit of a slow pace but an ejoyable read, great suspence!

DEANNA CHASE - HAUNTED ON BOURBON STREET - Im still not sure about this one...

MORGAN HANNAH MACDONALD –– SPIRITS AMONG US - Loved John Luc...great pace and I was left wanting more when I finished!

JC ANDRIJESKI –– LONDON - Loved the story, Im definetley going to see what else is going on with this series.

JORDAN CASTILLO PRICE –– AMONG THE LIVING - This book was the reason I read the whole collection and it is just , in a word, Amazeballs! I love JCP's book and Victor Bayne is probably one of my all time favorite characters. From the opening to the last sentence I was totally and completly hooked and in love with him and Jacob. Reading this will make you immediately want to pick up the next book and the next....

C.J. ELLISSON –– VAMPIRE VACATION - Almost dark vampire erotica...No yucky bloody stuff, just super fun and very sexy :)

HAZEL HUNTER –– TOUCHED - Umm, I have a thing about at least somewhat of an ending and this one didn't seem to have one? Not my fav in the bundle but was an entertaining read.

Thanks to all the authors involved!

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Boxed Set!
This is a great boxed set, by some wonderful authors. This boxed set has 10 wonderful books about psychic witches, vampires, mediums, empaths and seers. I have read some of these authors before, and some were new to me. Each book kept my attention and the characters were great. They were all an enjoyable read and the story lines were awesome. I love paranormal books and these were all great. I highly recommend this boxed set; if you love paranormal books then you need to read this series. I am looking forward to reading more books by each of these authors in the future.
A Review copy was provided to me in exchange for a fair and honest review. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughts on early reviewer copy:

I LOVED collection. Each book only took a day or two to read and I loved how different each author's style was. Although I'd recommend all the novels, my favorites were Haunted on Bourbon Street, Tuesday's Child and New Revelations. I'll work up full reviews for each novel ASAP.

[Jeannie Zelos · Rating 5 out of 5]

 
 
 

 
Psychic Storm,  C.J. Ellisson , Deanna Chase , Dale Mayer , Heather Topham Wood, Hazel Hunter , Jesi Lea Ryan, J.C. Andrijeski , April Aasheim  , Morgan Hannah MacDonald, Jordan Castillo Price
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Thriller, Suspense Romance, Paranormal, Fantasy

Wow – these multi author bundles are a great way to try out new authors at a bargain price, over 2,000 pages in this one. Of course this one was a must for me as its got a new Allie’s War story, featuring the great Revik, that man is just so....well...anything that has more of him is a must read for me. I love the AW series, and the relationship between Allie and Revik is sensual and incredibly complicated. Here we see him while she’s still living and thinking she’s human and Revik is guarding her, watching over her unseen and slowly falling in love though he was determined not to like her. Her birth heralded his former relationship ending, as he and his lover were needed for different duties. He resented her birth, and yet having watched her from afar since she was seven he’s slowly become to love her. Its a tough job though, and as his attachment has become more personal its harder to keep to the policy of non intervention. The Seer Council want her to grow up feeling empathy with humans, and there’s one horrific incident where their orders conflict with what Revik wants to do, and thus starts a long and complex period for both of them. Its a fascinating world and yet though its futuristic it feels so real. Here I was thinking about this non intervention policy and wondering  how far can you simply observe and let things go?  That’s where Revik and the Council are different – they’re looking at Allie as a subject and thinking of the end result, the overall good, while Revik is seeing her as a person, who can be hurt both mentally and physically. What happened had such huge repercussions for him – that man has been through so much in his life already I really felt for him, and the conversation at the end with the lady at the uni function – ( Miranda?) comparing him to the Revik she met a few months previously shows just how much it had affected him. A great read and though JC classes these as Novellas they’re longer than many supposed full length stories. Great for those like me who want a story to get totally lost and engrossed in. 
 
Of the other novels I’ve read  Dale Mayer’s Tuesday's Child, a long while back when it was first out, and now see there’s many more so they’ll go on my wish list, plus of course the fabulous  Deanna Chase’s Haunted on Bourbon Street, same thing, read it back when it was first out, and it’s on my list to read the rest when time allows. I read the Ellison book but that one wasn't for me sadly – that’s how it goes, and that’s what’s so good about the chance to try different authors and styles in bundles like this. I’d have been interested in the Castillo Price book if it was longer, but at under 100 pages its not for me, and the same for the Hunter novel. I’ve bought book one of Heather Topham Woods novel – its currently free and book two is on here so that’s a great start, and am intrigued by the Jesi Lee Ryan book, but think at 40,000 words that’s probably too short for me. I’m definitely intrigued by the Morgan Hannah Macdonald book too – its so great to see new ( to me) authors, where if I find I like their style there’s lots of new books for me to read. Time – that’s the biggest stumbling block  so many books, so little time. I’d just got my TBR list down to manageable proportions and now its way back up again!!
 
    
Stars: Five, its a great bundle for anyone who loves fantasy/paranormal and a way to try out new authors at bargain price.  
ARC supplied by authors.

[Bocal1971yahoo.Com · Rating 5 out of 5]

Metaphysical & Paranormal Stories Galore?! YES PLEASE!!!

What more could a girl ask for? This bundle has all sorts of metaphysical and paranormal stories. I pre-ordered it and now that it's here, I can't wait to read them all!

I've only made it through JC Andrijeski's latest installment, London, so far. This novel is a prequel in her Allie's War series that provides a more in depth history for one of the main characters in her series, Revik.

Andrijeski has masterfully written this book so it can stand on its own without having prior knowledge of the series whilst still providing scintillating details of Revik's history that goes a long way to explain how this hard core, deeply flawed, yet lovable seer came to be who he is. I didn't think I it was possible to have more compassion for this character...that is until I finished this book.

In addition, many of the scenes in this book take place in the Barrier, a metaphysical space in which seers can communicate with one another. I absolutely love these scenes because they are always beautifully written and come pretty darn close to what I imagine people with clairvoyant or psychic abilities have access to all the time. To my detriment, I COULD NOT put this book down until I had finished it. Curse you, JC Andrijeski, for writing another intense, thrilling read, leaving me wanting more.

Next up...Armand, by April Aasheim. After reading the other novels in the Dark Witch series, I've been waiting for her latest installment with baited breath. If it's anything like her preceding novels, I know it won't disappoint! Armand, what are your secrets? I'm looking forward to getting more acquainted with you, you bad boy!

[Maureen Willmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can I just say this is a fantastic deal? If you're at all interested in paranormal books, you're bound to like at least one of these ten. For less than the price of an impulse buy in the checkout lane. Take a chance on it; you won't be disappointed.

That said, there were some books I enjoyed more than others. My favorite one was Among the Living by Jordan Castillo Price.

Victor Bayne is a psychic detective. Not like those lame psychic detectives who have "visions" and study maps to find a place underwater where you can hear a train or whatever. Vic is different. He sees ghosts on a daily basis and can (sometimes) talk to them to gain valuable information about the crimes. It's especially handy when the victim itself is sticking around. The latest crime he's working on is a serial killer--only every witness gives a different account of his face, making him nearly impossible to track down.

But you can get all that from the summary. What you can't get is how addicting Jordan's writing is. It flows naturally; everything is organic like human speech, but gritty in a way that reflects the screwed up world she writes about. (Well, it IS partially about a serial killer.) And the sex she writes is hot. No pretty way to put that, no way to really expand on it other than to just say it's hot and you should read it.

And read the other nine, too. :) That one may have been my favorite, but I also enjoyed Armand and Tuesday's Child.

[Vettech · Rating 5 out of 5]

VAMPIRE VACATION>>>>>>Holy Vampire Alaska vacation spots Batman!!!! This was my first read of author C.J. Ellisson and I must say this was a very good read for me. As you all know I'm a vampire fanatic, so when I spotted this vamp author on FB I jumped to check her out.

Loved the character, especially the lead female Dria (aka Vivian). Lest we forget her ever so hot sexy hubby Rafe! I was also happy to see a Werewolf in this one as well. This author also writes some of the most awesome love scenes (fanning myself just remembering them)!! The story line was very interesting....killer on the loose in the wilds of the backwoods of the Alaska, at a Vampire vacation resort hot spot. The owners enlist the help of the willing patrons of said resort....thinking it'll be great fun! Don't worry "Vivian", it'll all work out in the end!!

I recommend this one to all my fellow vampire lovers. No icky bloody stuff in this one, just fun sexy, exciting good fun~~

I look forward to the other books in this series.

More reviews to follow.......

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like all of the stories. I will let you about my favorite two. First is Just A Littie Nudge by Jesi Lea Ryan. Awesome book the characters are amazing. I love so many thing about this book I can't just name one. Come join Marlay and JC on adventure to save Lucas. I hope to have more of this series. Vampire Vacation by C.J. Ellison. Love this story. The best vampire book I ever read. You need to read this book to find out why Vivian said "I 'm torn between wanting to run screaming from the room to bleach my eyeballs and wishing the floor would open at my feet to swallow me whole.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far I have read Haunted on Bourbon Street, and loved it! Everything about this story is fun and exciting! Jade is new to New Orleans and not sure how to use her special abilities. As if that isn't exciting enough, there are complications with ghosts, and lots of interesting characters. This is the first book in one of my favorite series. Definitely give it a try! I have not read the other books in this box set yet, but if they are anything like Haunted on Bourbon Street, then this set is a phenomenal deal!

[Cindy T · Rating 5 out of 5]

NEW REVELATIONS -- Kate Edwards is in a relationship with police detective Jared Corbett and is coming to terms with her psychic ability. Things are great until she meets Declan Brayden. Kate doesn't trust Declan but knows combining their abilities would allow them to help more people.

[50shadesreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading them in order and so far 5 stars for: New Revelations, Armand and Tuesday's Child. More to come soon...

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I finally finished it and even though there was 2 books that I didn't like I did love 8 of the books.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an honest review given in exchange for an advanced readers copy.

**Note** I have read half of these so far--I'm a slow reader and wanted to get the reviews out for the ones I've read, and will continue to add reviews for the others as I finish them. I have not yet read:
Vampire Vacation
Haunted on Bourbon Street
Touched
London
Spirits Among Us


Psychic Storm: Boxed Set—Review

New Revelations: Second Sight Book Two
By Heather Topham Wood

I am not sure if my reaction to this novel was because it was the second in a series that so quickly followed the first, and I felt as if I was missing a lot, or if I just simply didn’t mesh well with the characters. I don’t know that starting off a set of books with one that’s the second in a series is the best idea, but that’s just my personal thought.

So, given that I felt I was missing a lot, I tried to give the book a little/lot of wiggle room. I ended up rating the book 3/5 stars, and here’s why: I felt for Kate and the fact she couldn’t control her visions, and I empathized with her getting “too close” to the victims. I felt as though there wasn’t much development as to her character, however—just a lot of talk about how she needed to distance herself more from Declan, but not a whole lot of advice as to how, although there were some tentative beginnings there.

Jared was too perfect. It’s the nature of police work that his schedule would be the way it was. I know this is fiction, and a romance, but if a character has no flaws at all, it’s a little hard to identify with them—and when a flaw does show up, and it’s something like jealousy over something that’s fairly legitimate to be jealous about, it just makes, to me, sort of a two-dimensional character. He’s either perfect, or angry and jealous—there’s no in-between. He’s either with Kate, or running back to Nikki (in Kate’s mind, at least, there’s no actual proof of that in the book; there may be in the third one).

As a counter to Jared, Declan was either cold and indifferent, or warm and caring, which is just as bad as being too perfect. Maybe I’m just getting old and cynical, or maybe it’s just that there are tropes that are used a lot, which is why they’re tropes in the first place, and it’s the way they’re used that makes the difference in the story. Declan’s dragging Kate around without telling her what he was doing was akin to kidnapping.

Kate was a difficult one to pin down. Not having read the first novel, I don’t know what she went through that she’s recovering from, so I have to give her the benefit of the doubt there. She’s young, which I kept having to remind myself. I wasn’t sure why Jared would be interested in her in the first place. At least Declan came right out and said why he was, so he was honest. Kate didn’t protest about Jared’s schedule, so maybe he thought she’d be a good detective’s wife. I didn’t see a lot of growth in her character in the book.

I glanced at some of the other reviews for this book, and I think that it’s really important that this book be read in series order, because others seem to love it. That doesn’t automatically mean I should love it as well, but it does hint at the fact that maybe including the second book in a series isn’t the best choice for the first book in a series of books on psychics. Especially one that ends on such a cliffhanger. I always want to like a book, so was disappointed that I didn’t like this one more, because the premise is interesting. A lot of other people did like it more than I did, though, and I think that reading it in the order it was meant to be read in could make a really big difference.


The Council of Dark Root: Armand
(A Daughters of Dark Root Companion Novella)
April Aasheim

I found myself enjoying this more than I thought I would at the outset of the novella—after all, there wasn’t much to like about Armand. In fact, I thought he was fairly despicable, and even after Sasha and Dora entered the picture, when he became a more intriguing character, I still wasn’t all that enamored of him. Even Sasha seemed puzzled why they were there for him, and she was the nicest of the two women to him.

One thing that I liked about the novella is that, even as a companion novella, it didn’t need the Dark Root books to understand what was going on, and even when Dora and Sasha arrived on the scene, for someone who hasn’t yet read the books, it wasn’t obvious where they were from or what they were doing. It was also nice that they didn’t particularly like Armand either, and amusing when it came to their exchanges.

It was fun to see Armand put into the position of being the submissive one, with Sasha the perky, energetic one—the role reversal so nice after knowing what Armand has been doing for decades upon decades is taking energy from women. They are both convinced, at the end, that they can’t/won’t fall in love, but I have a funny feeling that they may be headed that direction, like it or not, and that would definitely be interesting.


Tuesday’s Child
Dale Mayer

Overall, an enjoyable story once/if you can suspend your disbelief that the psychic character manifests all of the victim’s wounds, including blood loss, and then recovers in about 20 minutes. I had a really hard time with that one, and I’m not entirely sure why—I think it’s because while having seen those types of abilities in other characters in other paranormal/fantasy type books, the character normally having manifested those injuries hadn’t actually died from them. To start right off with one of those incidents required a lot of “you must be kidding me” sort of comments—I mean, she keeps extra blankets around to staunch the wounds (which doesn’t make a lot of sense given that she’d have to come to enough to pull them over her, which she actually does in one scene, so I guess it does make more sense than I’m giving the author credit for). I think what makes this one a little more difficult to read is the editing, mostly of pronouns, but there are other less glaring grammatical errors as well. Knowing that this book has appeared on its own, I’m a little surprised that it made it into a collection with the same errors.

The biggest example of this is that I actually thought the Captain of the police force was a woman…until we actually meet him as a character. He kept being referred to as “her,” and I thought having a female captain was fairly novel (no pun intended) and was interested in that idea, especially with a female psychic, and wondered where that could go. Yet the Captain is repeatedly referred to as “she” or “her” throughout the rest of the novel, and even Brandt once is referred to as either “her” or “she.” The only thing I can think of is that at one point the Captain’s character really was a woman, the sex was changed, but all the accompanying pronouns weren’t. Or the Captain was Trans, which would have been revolutionary, and along with the female psychic could have really made an interesting story.

As it stands, I felt the characters were engaging enough—I liked Brandt’s mom and her friends. It was nice not to have the elderly portrayed as lifeless characters. I liked Sam—she didn’t give up, and while she had mostly given up on humans, she hadn’t on animals. That aspect of the book I think was very true to life—in my experience, unfortunately, humans do tend to repeat the things that make you want to retreat from them in the first place if you’re at all different from the rest of society. Brandt seemed a little closed off—in a way, somewhat the opposite of Sam; he had given up on having a “normal” life with the job he had, yet seeing what Sam had to go through, and the fact that she still stumbled around with as “normal” a life as she could, I think, made him rethink that. I don’t mean to make it sound as if all this analyzing means this is a great piece of literature, because it’s not, but it was better than I’d thought it would be. The killer was never really given any real motive, but his emotions seemed true enough for a serial killer. I gave it three of five stars.


Just a Little Nudge
By Jesi Lea Ryan

I felt this was a really good addition to the set of books in Psychic Storm. The characters were ones I was able to empathize with, and I liked the way the point of view switched from chapter to chapter between Marley and JC. That might annoy some people, but I thought it gave insight as to how they were perceived by the person most interested in them—that in itself could make them a bit of an unreliable narrator, but it showed how they went from not trusting the other yet feeling an attraction at the same time. It was interesting to see how those feelings evolved over the course of the novel; personally, I like having different points of view.

I could definitely feel for Marley, thinking she could make some quick money and help her mom and then get out of the “field” after just a short time. I grew up poor and understand her frustration and how expensive medical treatment is and how the medical profession just expects you to do it as if you have money coming out your ears. That struck a chord with me, definitely. Personally, I knew a woman in college who worked at a similar type of establishment, and she graduated debt free. People have all sorts of motivations that I think aren’t often considered; “a stripper’s a stripper.” Okay, off soapbox.

Another aspect that resonated with me was the fact JC wanted to get Lucas out he’d promised Lucas he would. I think that’s really important to mention, because often we make promises without thinking about them, or without really intending to keep them. The fact that JC has every intention of keeping his promise is part of what makes him the man he is. It was nice to see Marley starting to find something she could use her abilities for she liked using them for, and thinking of a life for herself outside of just taking care of her mother.

Her mother dying was, I suppose, sort of predictable, but I had thought maybe it would work out that Marley would be able to do what she wanted and still have her mom around. On the other hand, maybe her mother gave herself her own little “nudge” so Marley could be free to do what she wanted with her like (pure supposition on that one).

I also liked the idea that Marley, Neil, and JC were going to be a team, although I don’t know how “true to life” it would be to have a couple working together. But, when you’re using psychic abilities and don’t have a lot to choose from, you have to pair who you can. I do have to admit that I am more of a sucker for the law enforcement types of novels like this, with the crime solving and mysteries and such, and I think that was one of the reasons I liked this one. It had a feasible story, and Marley’s being untrained and not knowing what she was capable of added to the interest level. I would give it a 3.5 out of 5.


Among the Living (PsyCop#1)
By Jordan Castillo Price

I still have five novels to read out of the collection (unfortunately, my reading speed, or lack thereof, caught up with me, and I only finished half of the books by the deadline), but of the ones I read I liked this one the best. I really, really liked Vic’s character, partially because I identified with him so well (not that I’m psychic, or even gay, but I know only too well what it feels like to not fit in and the way you’re treated when you’re different in any way, and the way people see you—like you’re a bug from Mars, and the spiral of self-doubt and insecurities that can send you into. Are we still talking about Vic, here? Yes.) Such as why someone like Jacob Marks would possibly think he was handsome or want to be with him. I definitely have no desire to be psychic after reading this. But that’s what a good job the author does—I know that I wouldn’t want the abilities he has, without a doubt. It sounds awful, and the way Vic describes it, and his exhaustion, and the harassment from the prostitute down the street (and the baby in the basement!)—there are so many little touches that just show that being psychic isn’t all fun and chuckles.

But I still understand Vic’s worry that Jacob is interested in him precisely for that aspect, and once that wears off, and the shiny newness is gone, Vic won’t be as much fun.

Castillo Price captures so much emotion that I couldn’t help but really get attached to the characters. They’re all interesting (the four main ones—even Maurice, in his brief stay). Lisa tried so escape the sì-no, but couldn’t, because of all things her absolute normalcy is what ended up trapping her. And despite Vic’s seeming aloofness, the last thing he wants is for her to end up in Camp Hell, so for her to end up finding someplace else, and going to check it out with Carolyn at the end, was so cool. (I know that’s not very professional reviewing, there).

I really liked the way the two teams, even though one wasn’t officially a “team” anymore, came together and learned to trust each other, and how, to put it really basically, you simply can’t judge a book by its cover. No pun intended, even though this book does have a cool cover. None of the four of them are really what they seem. Lisa’s sharp professional appearance becomes more disheveled as she lets the psychic part emerge more (a là Vic?), and Carolyn’s tight, controlled appearance conceals a much warmer interior. No one is quite what they seem, which is quite appropriate considering that neither is the killer they’re seeking.

I loved that touch as well, the lack of a ghost for Vic to talk to, that leads him to question his abilities even further until he comes up with the idea that what they’re dealing with might not be human itself.

Vic’s observations in the apartments of the victims, since he has no ghost to talk to, are hysterical—my favorite; the miniature furniture with the scotty dogs.

I think this is a great start to a series, and I loved Jacob’s statement at the end of this first installment, which I won’t put here, too much of a spoiler, but it goes back to not judging a book by its cover, and also how self-doubt can make you forget how competent you really are in the eyes of other people (while you soundly berate yourself in the meantime).

I am definitely going to check out the rest of this series. I want to see what happens with everyone! 4-4.5 out of 5.

[Taznia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only read Tuesday's Child and Touched from this anthology. Tuesday's Child was more of
a full length read than a novella. Both were fast paced and highly enjoyable. Thanks to this antho I have found 2 new authors to try books from. So, I may come back later to read others.
I recommend this to those who needs a quick reading fix or just looking to try new authors work.

[Mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Only read Just a Little Nudge

[Vishnupriya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice collection of stories. Most of the stories were first book of their series or sequel. I didn't like Armand - April Aashem story.

[Ben Lilley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love psychic abilities in my speculation fiction, and this bundle had everything from dream-walkers to life-stealers to clairvoyants, and yes, a few of our protagonists can talk to dead people. Most of these novels were Urban Paranormal Romance, but there was an urban fantasy story. Also to be noted, quite a few of these stories are a part of a series, but most are book one (some aren’t). I didn’t have any trouble keeping up, and most felt like a single work with a complete plot and everything. Overall I liked the ten-book bundle and it’s a really good deal; I’ll touch on my favorite stories.

“Among the Living” by Jordan Castillo Price.

This novel had an amazing character (Victor Bayne), a fantastic plot, tension of all kinds, and smoking hot sex. Bayne is a psychic for a law enforcement branch that deals with the paranormal aspects of the world. People know about it, but he and his cohorts aren’t exactly popular. Bayne has an...impressive resume; he’s a drug addict, awkward as hell, and has a load of anxiety issues, and most of all of these stunning traits are due to the fact that he can talk to dead people. He’s also the best at what he does, and he hates it.

The story starts out with Bayne at a retirement party for his old partner, and he gets cruised by another cop, Jacob Marks. Bayne’s awkwardness is offset beautifully by Mark’s charm. The two make quite a pair, in and out of the bedroom (or guest bathroom - whatever). There’s a delightfully humorous edge to this novel and a fun plot, so sit back and enjoy!

“Armand” by April Aasheim

Armand is a warlock, only he doesn’t really consider himself one. Really, he fucks women and right as they come he sucks a bit of their life force out. He calls his power “wishing”. With the life force he steals, he wishes for more power, more strength, or even more charm. But it doesn’t last and he has to do it again. He’s an addict in so many ways, and an asshole. I love it.

Unfortunately he’s not in the States. In Spain there isn’t that convenient idea of “free love” and Armand gets into trouble with the locals, namely the local flower he’s plucked. Also unlucky for him, it seems his past has come back to haunt him - literally - and he’s one step from making the plunge into the afterlife himself.

Luckily he has some witches looking out for him, he’s like their troublesome younger brother or something. Hopefully he’s not too much of an ass to accept their help.

I’m a huge fan of assholes and I was instantly in love with Armand. The scenes were vivid, his frustration was palatable, and his misery provided me great amusement.

“Tuesday’s Child” by Dale Mayer

I didn’t much like the protagonist, but Mayer did a great job characterizing Samantha Blaire, and I found Blaire’s psychic power interesting. Blaire dream walks, but not only is she being that person in the dream, she also feels everything they feel while she’s dream-walking them. Oh, and these people she’s dream walking? They all end up being violently murdered by serial killers while she’s in their heads. Yeah…

“Spirits Among Us” by Morgan Hannah MacDonald

I liked the protagonist for this story as well, Jon-Luc Boudreaux is a Cajun FBI agent who goes to Paris to solve a murder. The setting was amazeballs. I loved all the French (I looked up a few words), I loved the atmosphere, and I thought Boudreaux’s power was pretty neat too. He can hitch a ride in people’s heads, even a murderer’s. Unfortunately he can’t really control it, and it’s not clairvoyance, he’s real-timing the action, which is a little less than helpful at times. I loved that.

I also liked our main squeeze, a fashion designer, Angela Henderson. She’s got spunk. I liked her better from Boudreaux’s POV, and I have a feeling that this piece would have been even more powerful in first person.

“Touched” by Hazel Hunter

Isabelle de Grey is a free lance psychic; she gets impressions when she touches things. This was one of the books in the bundle where the setting is so contemporary it’s pretty much our world right now - the paranormal aspects are very toned down. Psychics aren’t well known - or even respected.
I really like psychokillers, and this novel had a good one. Our killer wasn’t a paranormal monster, but he was a monster in so many other ways.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review (I'm just not too good with the timely part).

I had mixed feeling about reviewing this book. I don't normally read romances - or books about vampires or ghosts, or werewolves - and did I mention romances? I wanted to read the stories and offer an unbiased review. I thought I would have a problem with that, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised when I began to read.

Yes, there was romance - some pretty steamy scenes - and vampires, ghosts, and werewolves. But there were also engaging characters, relationships that did not feel forced, creative plot twists, and some darned good writing too. Even when I hit a story where there was so much focus on sexual desire and activity that I thought surely they would not have the time or energy for any other activity (Ellison's "Vampire Vacation), including solving the mystery, the writing and story was still so good that I was able to suspend my disbelief and just go with it. Stories were written from the focus of male characters and female characters; Price's "Among the Living" was an unexpected surprise as the collection included a story with a main character who is gay. All of this helped to show that love, sex, and desire - as well as psychic ability - are not limited to a single gender or orientation. In addition to Ellison's story, which was a delicious romp, I especially enjoyed MacDonald's "Spirits Among Us," with a truly likeable couple who are beginning a relationship while hunting a serial killer with closer ties than expected. I was most concerned about reading "London," by J. C. Andrijeski. I have long been a fan of the Allie's War series, and thought a prequel would not hold of interest since I have read all of the other books in the series; what could she show me about Allie and Revik that I could not anticipate? I was surprised and incredibly pleased to find that she was able to do just that - without giving away any details, she offers a story that is unexpected and draws you into the lives of the characters even more. The story is interesting to those who already know the characters, and could serve as an excellent introduction to the entire series (read them! you won't be sorry!).

I also appreciate the fact that all of the books I read seemed to have gone through a good deal of editing and revision. Were there little slips here and there? Sure, no one's perfect. But the mistakes were few and far between - as a college English professor, one of the things that will make me put down a book unfinished is poor editing. As someone else said, if you don't like the book you're reading, just go to the next one - you'll find plenty to enjoy in this collection!

[ItsAboutTheBook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review can be read at It's About The Book

Like a good girl I started this collection of books at the beginning. If I’m honest I was very excited at the concept of a Jordan Castillo Price book, but I wanted to give the other writer’s their opportunity to wow me. I do love a good wowing.

I was reading this on my kindle, which just dives right into the story. It turns out the first one is NEW REVELATIONS by Heather Topham Wood. Unfortunately it’s not new. It’s a sequel. Never mind, I can catch up riiiiiight??? The answer is yes, but I hate reading a series out of sync. Nonetheless I persevered.

Our main character is a slightly whiny college student called Kate. In her dreams she delves into the memories of others. In the past this was to aid in the solving of a crime, rescue a victim and win the heart of her current beau, police detective Jared Corbett. I admired Jared’s patience at dealing with his insecure and needy girlfriend.

Enter stage left: spanner in the works – the arrogant bad-boy psychic, Declan Brayden. He wants to help Kate develop her powers in a way that is similar to the way some men would like you to see their ‘etchings’. The plot thickens as they have to combine their powers to rescue another victim and it all got quite exciting!

Although I jest and was at times irritated by this story, it did also stay with me. I could put it down; but then I would pick it back up again!

The next story I jumped to is by Jordan Castillo Price and is called Amongst the Living:

The fly in my ointment is that I have read this before. It blew me away at the time; it is gritty, the writing is fluid, the characters are delightfully messed up and the plot is fast paced. However I was hoping for something new so I was a tad gutted. It is entirely my own greedy fault. I saw ‘Jordan Castillo Price’ and promptly ripped arms off.

This collection is currently on offer at £0.99 for the kindle download at Amazon UK and the equivalent price in US$ – an absolute bargain if you love paranormal romance or urban fantasy and there is bound to be something among the ten stories available to make it worth ripping an arm off for.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC to read & review & have so far read 6 of the 10 books in the collection. If you enjoy books with a paranormal background you're sure to find something you love in there, and all for such a bargain price!

New Revelations - Heather Topham Wood: The dramatic opening to the book and subsequent hints about what had already happened made me want to read the first book (which I have just downloaded), and the ending definitely made me want to find out what happens next! Well paced story with great characters.

Vampire Vacation - C. J. Ellisson: Really enjoyed this book. Great storyline and some exciting chapter endings making me want to read just that bit more to find out what was going to happen next. Looking forward to the next book in the series.

Armand - April Aasheim: A tale full of mysterious hints at what or who Armand is; what are his powers? Does he even realise what his powers are? An intriguing introduction to the Council of Dark Root series.

Tuesday’s Child - Dale Mayer: This story gripped me right from the start. Very exciting with plenty of twists, building up to a great conclusion. The characters are very believable; you almost feel Sam’s pain as you experience her visions. Great build up of the developing relationship between Sam and Brandt, with plenty of antagonists to add to the mix.

Just a Little Nudge - Jesi Lea Ryan: An great tale with the two main characters using their different psychic abilities to work together against a dangerous drug cartel. Intriguing start with Marley accidentally killing a man by ‘nudging’ him, all she wanted him to do was stop attacking her friend. Told from the perspectives of both characters.

Haunted on Bourbon Street - Deanna Chase: When Jade moves into a room above a strip club the last thing she expects is for her dreams to be haunted by a sexy ghost! This book has plenty of action, romance and a variety of psychic and magical activity; added to the sexy ghost is a sexy landlord, a witch, an angel and an angry, psychotic ghost, plenty to keep the reader entertained!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished book 1, New Revelations, by Heather Topham Wood in this collection. It turns out that this is book 2 of a series. I absolutely detest reading books out of order. So now I'm left with a conundrum. Do I go back and read book 1 of the series or do I move ahead to book 3 since the author left us readers at a not so nice cliff hanger?

The 2nd book, Armand, is by Heather Aasheim. I managed to make it to chapter 5 but no further. I was so incredibly bored.

Book 3, Tuesday's Child, by Dale Mayer is rather dark but good.

Book 4, Just a Little Nudge, by Jesi Ryan. I enjoyed this story. It had a decidedly unique paranormal twist. I will be looking at more from this author.

Book 5, Haunted on Bourbon Street, is by Deanna Chase and anything written by her is addictive.

Book 6, Spirits Among Us, is by Morgan MacDonald and is #2 in a trilogy. However, it's a stand alone book and a well written romantic thriller.

Book 7, London, is by JC Andrijeski and is # 8.5 in a whole slew of novels. I've found that this author uses bisexual characters. The story moves quite slow and tends to put me to sleep. Unless you count rape, torture, and degradation as hot, then this is not an enjoyable book. :(

Book 8, Among the Living, is by Jordan Price. I have never before read a homosexual romance novel and found it strange that it was part of this particular collection. However the story line was different, the story interesting, and the novel well written.

Book 9, Vampire Vacation, is by C.J. Ellison and has a slew of interesting characters. The mystery was good, but the ending felt anticlimactic and rushed, however, the story was well written enough that I plan on giving #2 a read.

Book 10, Touched, is by Hazel Hunter. A cute/short mystery/romance. The author leaves you with a bit of a cliff hanger and hoping that book 2 will offer a resolution. And yet, I'm not sure if I'm wholly tempted to read book 2.

[Myka · Rating 4 out of 5]

(02/05/15) I got this as an ARC. I'm going to try and read all the stories here. Only two read so far.

Initial impressions - Seems like a nice, with a little bit of everything, collection. Raging from multiple levels to different types of psychs. I can never make up my mind which to read next. It's also nice to see m/m in what any other day would an only m/f collection, but sadly there is just one.

New Revelations: TBR - This seems like a second book in a series. Will likely remain unread until I read the first one.

Armand: ★★
I felt like I was missing something and I understand that this is like a prequel of a character of a longer series, but as a standalone Armand really wasn't a very likable character. The story also felt sluggish and it took me longer than I thought to finish it.

Tuesday’s Child: TBR

Haunted on Bourbon Street: TBR

Just a Little Nudge: TBR

Spirits Among Us: TBR

London: TBR

Among the Living: ★★★★★
This collection was a great excuse to reread this. I love it even more the second time around. Vic is just such a great character with a power that alienates him, and makes him a unique cop at the same time. One that can talk to dead victims. I originally found this story because it has m/m, but that is the least thing I read it for. I'm more interested with Vic and his power. I also always thought this would make a brilliant TV show.

Vampire Vacation: TBR

Touched: TBR

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great collection of 10 books by some great authors. Please be aware that most are part of a series and you will be left with many cliffhangers. Here are a few notes on a few of the stories that stood out to me.

Among the Living by Jordan Castillo Price
Victor, a PsyCop who can see the dead, is working an investigation of a serial killer who is preying on gay men. He is working the case with Marks, who is non-psychic and his partner. This is a m/m romance and left me wanting more. The chemistry was off the charts between these two cops.

Just a Little Nudge by Jesi Lea Ryan
Marley, a down on her luck stripper, witnesses a murder that has the Mexican cartel after her. In comes JC, a CIA agent who has his own agenda with regards to the cartel. Marley's psychic ability is that she can nudge people, or get people to go along with what she says. They work together while a romance blooms.

Touched by Hazel Hunter
Mac, FBI Profiler and Isabelle, a psychic work together investigating the disappearance of Esme, the daughter of a mutual friend. Mac is skeptical of Isabelle's ability, but they do what they must to find the college student.

Overall, a wonderful collection of work....just be prepared to be left hanging and decide if you want to continue.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[cindy hackney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fantastic

One story after another and I still want more. has mystery and suspense. The finding of love and friendships. Over coming evil. This just full of it all. You must give it a try.