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Decisive Magic
Childhood friends Lucas and Renee reunite as adults thanks to their mysterious smarter-than-average smart phones. Their Crossroads apps work more like Choose-Your-Own-Adventure books, tossing trouble at them and seemingly knowing the future.
This can only be the work of otherworldly forces. Strange happenings drive Lucas and Renee together at every turn, and the reluctant duo have to own up to the grave mistakes from their past if they hope to have a future.
Like D. Spangler's first romance novel WE THREE MEET, DECISIVE MAGIC conjures up a modern day romance that immerses the reader in the points of view of the two leads through their childhood and adult lives.
This can only be the work of otherworldly forces. Strange happenings drive Lucas and Renee together at every turn, and the reluctant duo have to own up to the grave mistakes from their past if they hope to have a future.
Like D. Spangler's first romance novel WE THREE MEET, DECISIVE MAGIC conjures up a modern day romance that immerses the reader in the points of view of the two leads through their childhood and adult lives.
170 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 15, 2015
2 people want to read
About the author
D. Spangler
3 books2 followersD. Spangler - it's a pen name. I'm really Brian Clopper, an elementary school teacher and writer of middle grade and young adult, science fiction/fantasy novels. Because the tone of this story is more suited to those who are romantically inclined, I went with a penname. I wanted We Three Meet to have more simple heart than what seems to infect most modern rom-coms: juvenile raunchy humor. Hopefully, you feel I've succeeded.
My work for younger readers features the same heart and crisp creativity. In fact, Ned Firebreak is a fantasy romance. Don't tell the kids that. I've tried my best to distract them from the romantic bits by writing a rowdy adventure with dragons, talking trees, and far too many princesses. Maybe start with that one and then move on to Overrun. It's a YA End-of-the-World series where the lead boy and girl don't grow smitten with each other and clutter up the narrative with sappy stuff. After all, they're too busy fighting off zombies with wings.
And then there are my books on gargoyles, gremlins and smudges. You'll find them filled with mirth and mayhem as well.
Drop by http://www.brianclopper.com and let me know what you thought of We Three Meet. Plans are already underway to write more books under the D. Spangler pen name.
My work for younger readers features the same heart and crisp creativity. In fact, Ned Firebreak is a fantasy romance. Don't tell the kids that. I've tried my best to distract them from the romantic bits by writing a rowdy adventure with dragons, talking trees, and far too many princesses. Maybe start with that one and then move on to Overrun. It's a YA End-of-the-World series where the lead boy and girl don't grow smitten with each other and clutter up the narrative with sappy stuff. After all, they're too busy fighting off zombies with wings.
And then there are my books on gargoyles, gremlins and smudges. You'll find them filled with mirth and mayhem as well.
Drop by http://www.brianclopper.com and let me know what you thought of We Three Meet. Plans are already underway to write more books under the D. Spangler pen name.
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November 10, 2015
Decisive Magic by D. Spangler is similar to his first book, We Three Meet, in that two people are brought together in a very unconventional way. In We Three Meet, the two were strangers but in this book, these two had a history that didn’t end well. Given this second chance, can these two forgive the past and perhaps see each other through new eyes?
Lucas Reynolds has a good job he enjoys and thought he had a brand new marriage. But soon after a whirlwind romance and wedding, he finds himself staring at a stack of divorce papers. What went wrong? Should he fight for his marriage or just sign and be done with it?
Renee Hunt has been working herself up the corporate ladder and loves her job. But she doesn’t save any time for a personal life.
Both Lucas and Renee have a past. They were childhood best friends. Each and every day they could be found running and playing together, swinging on the rope, playing in the tree fort. They were each other’s other half. But in middle school something happened. Something that hurt Renee deeply and ended their friendship. They haven’t spoken since.
Lucas and Renee both receive a mysterious delivery of a non-descript cell phone. There is no brand name, no return address. And when they turn it on, there is only one app on it. It is of a cross roads with a person at the center deciding which way to go. There is also only one person listed on each of the contact lists on the phones and it is each other. Suddenly, the phone comes to life and asks them specific questions pertaining to exactly the circumstance taking place at that moment with multiple choice answers. Where did these phones come from? How does it know what questions to ask? Is someone orchestrating this or is it magical, otherworldly?
“Why give them phones that asked leading questions? What was up with the memory sharing? Why subject two people who were no longer in each other’s lives to such an intimate bond?”
The questions and the answers Lucas and Renee choose direct them to each other. Together they try to unravel the mystery of the phones. But at the same time, they begin to experience memories, always at the same time. The memories take them back to those days that they were best friends. It helps them to see each of the memories from the other’s perspective.
This really was a unique and interesting book. The things that happened to Lucas and Renee as they tried to unravel the mystery were so strange and even sometimes a bit scary. I could not figure out what in the world was going on. I loved experiencing their childhood memories along with them and watching them interpret them through now adult eyes. Each memory brought them closer to the one that neither of them wanted to confront. And once they did, would they be able to deal with it?
The author teases us but really doesn’t let us know what or who is orchestrating these events until the very end, in the epilogue, we get a hint. I do know that D. Spangler is planning on one more book in this trilogy so I can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve for that one.
“Magic is more potent when you take chances.”
Lucas Reynolds has a good job he enjoys and thought he had a brand new marriage. But soon after a whirlwind romance and wedding, he finds himself staring at a stack of divorce papers. What went wrong? Should he fight for his marriage or just sign and be done with it?
Renee Hunt has been working herself up the corporate ladder and loves her job. But she doesn’t save any time for a personal life.
Both Lucas and Renee have a past. They were childhood best friends. Each and every day they could be found running and playing together, swinging on the rope, playing in the tree fort. They were each other’s other half. But in middle school something happened. Something that hurt Renee deeply and ended their friendship. They haven’t spoken since.
Lucas and Renee both receive a mysterious delivery of a non-descript cell phone. There is no brand name, no return address. And when they turn it on, there is only one app on it. It is of a cross roads with a person at the center deciding which way to go. There is also only one person listed on each of the contact lists on the phones and it is each other. Suddenly, the phone comes to life and asks them specific questions pertaining to exactly the circumstance taking place at that moment with multiple choice answers. Where did these phones come from? How does it know what questions to ask? Is someone orchestrating this or is it magical, otherworldly?
“Why give them phones that asked leading questions? What was up with the memory sharing? Why subject two people who were no longer in each other’s lives to such an intimate bond?”
The questions and the answers Lucas and Renee choose direct them to each other. Together they try to unravel the mystery of the phones. But at the same time, they begin to experience memories, always at the same time. The memories take them back to those days that they were best friends. It helps them to see each of the memories from the other’s perspective.
This really was a unique and interesting book. The things that happened to Lucas and Renee as they tried to unravel the mystery were so strange and even sometimes a bit scary. I could not figure out what in the world was going on. I loved experiencing their childhood memories along with them and watching them interpret them through now adult eyes. Each memory brought them closer to the one that neither of them wanted to confront. And once they did, would they be able to deal with it?
The author teases us but really doesn’t let us know what or who is orchestrating these events until the very end, in the epilogue, we get a hint. I do know that D. Spangler is planning on one more book in this trilogy so I can’t wait to see what he has up his sleeve for that one.
“Magic is more potent when you take chances.”
June 21, 2015
We clamor for romance, especially second chance romances, fantasy romances and romances with a touch of humor and a little mystery. Decisive Magic by D. Spangler has all of that, but the fantasy has a technological twist that includes an everyday scientific technological device we use every day, the smart phone.
Lucas and Renee were best friends as children until one unfortunate and completely cruel mishap that crushed one of them and never was explained, discussed or forgiven.
Now, years and hurt separate them until a strange app on their phones plays cupid and brings them puts them into some strange circumstances that seem to be controlling their lives. Is it a case of Techno-Big Brother is watching them or are they meant to at least come to terms with the childhood event that tore them apart?
D. Spangler brings two very regular people on a collision course to renew, repent and possibly redeem a relationship that was meant to be lifelong. Will there be a deeper bond that is re-connected and allowed to flourish filled with quirky moments, bonding moments and some comedic relief along the way?
If we can reach for romance between fantasy creatures, why not discover romance through technology gone all hearts and flowers? Two normal people, in a world of normal people have a chance to find true happiness, does it matter if Cupid is a series of I’s and O’s? Isn’t that more believable than bat wings and furry shifters? One mystery may remain, WHO is manipulating them?
Take a walk through D. Spangler’s world, laugh, remember your own past and wonder, what if? A quick read where reality and fantasy may not be so far off with the light-hearted style of D. Spangler!
I received this copy from D. Spangler in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: Vintage Path Books
Genre: Adult Romantic Comedy | Science fiction
Print Length: 170 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews and More Check out: http://tometender.blogspot.com
Lucas and Renee were best friends as children until one unfortunate and completely cruel mishap that crushed one of them and never was explained, discussed or forgiven.
Now, years and hurt separate them until a strange app on their phones plays cupid and brings them puts them into some strange circumstances that seem to be controlling their lives. Is it a case of Techno-Big Brother is watching them or are they meant to at least come to terms with the childhood event that tore them apart?
D. Spangler brings two very regular people on a collision course to renew, repent and possibly redeem a relationship that was meant to be lifelong. Will there be a deeper bond that is re-connected and allowed to flourish filled with quirky moments, bonding moments and some comedic relief along the way?
If we can reach for romance between fantasy creatures, why not discover romance through technology gone all hearts and flowers? Two normal people, in a world of normal people have a chance to find true happiness, does it matter if Cupid is a series of I’s and O’s? Isn’t that more believable than bat wings and furry shifters? One mystery may remain, WHO is manipulating them?
Take a walk through D. Spangler’s world, laugh, remember your own past and wonder, what if? A quick read where reality and fantasy may not be so far off with the light-hearted style of D. Spangler!
I received this copy from D. Spangler in exchange for my honest review.
Publication Date: June 2, 2015
Publisher: Vintage Path Books
Genre: Adult Romantic Comedy | Science fiction
Print Length: 170 pages
Available from: Amazon
For Reviews and More Check out: http://tometender.blogspot.com
December 26, 2015
Wow. I am so glad that I had the chance to read D. Spangler's new book. I loved his first, and I loved this next one just as much. Both books are so similar, yet vastly different with qualities that make both of them stand out above other books. I cant wait to see what books the future brings us and I can not wait to read them!
Decisive Magic has a duo point of view, following the characters Lucas and Renee. They were friends as children, but something happened between them that was inexcusable until both sides were heard. After being gifted with mysterious phones with one app and one contact of each other, they are brought together to search for the reason behind these phones. The app gives them questions to answer that are specific to the situation they are in and can tell what is to come.
I really did not find anything that I did not like in the book. I was worried that I would not know who sent the phones to them, but we learned who was behind it. I wish that the characters did learn who set them up though.
I really enjoyed how the romance was not created in a way that would never happen in real life. The lives of the characters and events that happened were more relatable than occurrences in other romance novels. The relationship built between Lucas and Renee was also nice and steady rather than them making out the first minute they see each other.
While the memory sharing was a bit confusing at the beginning, I loved how it explained events in their past. The characters had the thoughts of the children while the event was going on and how the character, now an adult, sees the situation. It was a unique way to have flashbacks within a story.
Overall, Decisive Magic was a fantastic book. I am glad that I got the opportunity to read both We Three Meet and Decisive Magic. I have now added an author to one of my favorites and found a new style of book to read. I hope more people discover these books and give them a chance. They are both worth the read and you will not regret it.
Decisive Magic has a duo point of view, following the characters Lucas and Renee. They were friends as children, but something happened between them that was inexcusable until both sides were heard. After being gifted with mysterious phones with one app and one contact of each other, they are brought together to search for the reason behind these phones. The app gives them questions to answer that are specific to the situation they are in and can tell what is to come.
I really did not find anything that I did not like in the book. I was worried that I would not know who sent the phones to them, but we learned who was behind it. I wish that the characters did learn who set them up though.
I really enjoyed how the romance was not created in a way that would never happen in real life. The lives of the characters and events that happened were more relatable than occurrences in other romance novels. The relationship built between Lucas and Renee was also nice and steady rather than them making out the first minute they see each other.
While the memory sharing was a bit confusing at the beginning, I loved how it explained events in their past. The characters had the thoughts of the children while the event was going on and how the character, now an adult, sees the situation. It was a unique way to have flashbacks within a story.
Overall, Decisive Magic was a fantastic book. I am glad that I got the opportunity to read both We Three Meet and Decisive Magic. I have now added an author to one of my favorites and found a new style of book to read. I hope more people discover these books and give them a chance. They are both worth the read and you will not regret it.
June 2, 2015
DECISIVE MAGIC is a successful follow-up to D. Spangler's already successful WE THREE MEET.
Lucas and Renee were the very best of childhood friends. They grew apart thanks largely to one particular incident that neither is willing to talk about even when they meet "by accident" twenty-something years later. With Lucas in the middle of a divorce, things are a little strained... but maybe Renee is the distraction he needs.
Their reunion comes about because of a bizarre cell phone left on Lucas's doorstep. With only one app -- a "make a choice from the following" program called Crossroads whose questions are disturbingly relevant -- Lucas finds himself face to face with Renee only to discover that she's recently acquired a similar phone of her own. Where did these all-knowing devices come from? Is someone playing matchmaker? Enter Milton Snodgrass, another childhood friend. He claims to know nothing about the phones despite being an electronics genius and a fan of the old "choose your own adventures" books.
With its romantic theme and a touch of otherworldly meddling, DECISIVE MAGIC is similar to WE THREE MEET. But the characters and setting are unique, making this a completely standalone story that can be read before or after the previous book. That said, DECISIVE MAGIC ends with a hint at something bigger in Book 3, so in that sense, reading them in order would be best.
The best thing about this story is the flashbacks to childhood adventures -- playing Tarzan, attending a funeral, dealing with the death of a beloved dog, and some genuinely cringe-worthy events the characters would have preferred to forget. It's worth noting that the author injected some of his own reality into these flashbacks, and so the shame Lucas feels is very real.
A great follow-up. Roll on Book 3 in this trilogy!
Lucas and Renee were the very best of childhood friends. They grew apart thanks largely to one particular incident that neither is willing to talk about even when they meet "by accident" twenty-something years later. With Lucas in the middle of a divorce, things are a little strained... but maybe Renee is the distraction he needs.
Their reunion comes about because of a bizarre cell phone left on Lucas's doorstep. With only one app -- a "make a choice from the following" program called Crossroads whose questions are disturbingly relevant -- Lucas finds himself face to face with Renee only to discover that she's recently acquired a similar phone of her own. Where did these all-knowing devices come from? Is someone playing matchmaker? Enter Milton Snodgrass, another childhood friend. He claims to know nothing about the phones despite being an electronics genius and a fan of the old "choose your own adventures" books.
With its romantic theme and a touch of otherworldly meddling, DECISIVE MAGIC is similar to WE THREE MEET. But the characters and setting are unique, making this a completely standalone story that can be read before or after the previous book. That said, DECISIVE MAGIC ends with a hint at something bigger in Book 3, so in that sense, reading them in order would be best.
The best thing about this story is the flashbacks to childhood adventures -- playing Tarzan, attending a funeral, dealing with the death of a beloved dog, and some genuinely cringe-worthy events the characters would have preferred to forget. It's worth noting that the author injected some of his own reality into these flashbacks, and so the shame Lucas feels is very real.
A great follow-up. Roll on Book 3 in this trilogy!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews