Rachel thought: "Oh brother, she really was ill-equipped for this, but too late for remedial space alien protocol. Worse yet, she was the alien!"
Reluctant Medium Rachel Blackstone watches in horror as a friend vanishes into a painting at a posh Santa Fe gallery. Unable to find her by normal methods, the reporter must look for her via the astral plane. There she will meet her most frightening nemesis and defend herself on the Terror of the Threshold. Will it be the Mesoamerican deity who enjoys human snacks or the evil spirit she crossed paths with before? What she doesn't expect is to land in an ancient civilization intent on keeping her--and her unproven powers. Part of this territory is inhabited by gentle people, flora and fauna that communicate telepathically. But the other residents are decidedly ruthless. Legend says the lost continent of Lemuria sank eons ago. Rachel's visit must be brief or she could be caught up in the cataclysm. She employs crystal power to help her communicate with friend Chloe back home in New Mexico and to defend herself from cosmological attacks.
In Santa Fe, Chloe and soul navigator F Dominic Magellan search frantically for the body of their friend in its altered state. They must return it to the art gallery so she can reclaim it. That proves difficult when they run across someone, or something, who will do anything to stop them.
On the astral plane, Rachel has to multitask, coping with earthquakes and volcanoes as the end of the long-lost culture is set in motion, all while staging the rescue of her friend. Catching the red-eye home to the 21st century could prove difficult as she desperately looks for a way to escape a violent society. They must find Rachel's silver cord or they cannot return.
Can Rachel become a successful astral-naut? Or will she be forever lost in the cosmos?
Extras: Christmas Eve Canyon Road Farolito Walk, a ghost hunting assignment.
G G Collins loves the southwestern US where many of her stories are located. She can be found hiking through ruins of the ancient ones and enjoying New Mexican cuisine. When not traipsing about, she makes up stories with great friendships, quirky characters and, oh yeah, dead bodies. In real life she shares her time with a man, several neurotic—and psychic—cats and the ongoing struggle to grow a garden.
Inspired by the American southwest, its many cultures and Native American traditions, GG Collins writes two mystery series set in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Whether you enjoy chilling paranormal mysteries/thrillers or cozy cat-inhabited puzzles, Collins delivers. The Rachel Blackstone Paranormals are infused with shamans, power animals and spirits while being grounded in contemporary issues and events. Rachel often finds she becomes part of the stories she reports while trying to avoid becoming the headline. The Taylor Browning Cozies are more time-honored. Taylor, a mystery editor at a book publisher, does a little sleuthing on the side. She finds she can’t edit her way out of real murder.
Rachel Blackstone is a gifted magazine writer and enjoys her work. She is also a paranormal investigator whether she likes it or not. The disappearance of her co-worker and friend at a recent art show has her back on a case to find her friend. Strange occurrences at the Art show causes her friend to vanish. Now Rachel has to find the way to find her missing friend and get her back. She starts first investigating what she knows with her boss and when he gives her the necklace he had given the missing woman one touch tells Rachel she is again dealing with the supernatural. Once she has the necklace at her home and goes to lay it out she begins to see her problem when it turns into an ancient serpent god. Now she has dealt with malevolent spirits before but nothing this big. Her search takes her on journey to ancient Lemuria via Astral Projection. Finding her friend there and getting her back to the real world is going to be a challenge since the huge snake god wants to now destroy her if she can’t stop the volcano from destroying Lemuria. All of this would destroy most people but Rachel Blackstone will worry about that after she solves the mystery. This is full of twists and turns and well I had to read it all the way through as I couldn’t put it down. Grab it now while you visit Lemuria and get ready to hold your breath till the end. Bella Doerres MaEd
The author writes in such a way that you are drawn in to what seems like the life of a typical young reporter. What follows is an interesting, fun adventure that includes astral travel, spirit guides, and friendships.
I love the historical insight within the pages of G G Collins paranormal mysteries. The two Rachel Blackstone books I have read have been intriguing and thoughtful. The carefully crafted mystery within a historical accounting of the paranormal keep the reader engaged with guessing what will happen next. The lightheadedness between friends and the family atmosphere between employees makes for a seamless transition between scenes and events. I look forward to reading the next Blackstone adventure and more from G G Collins.
The thing I like the most about these stories is that Rachel Blackstone is a normal woman who cares about people. She definitely showed that in this story. Maybe she has some kind of abilities with the supernatural or maybe she doesn't but helping her friends get out of danger is her greatest concern. Even if it means risking her own life and going into territory she is not sure about to do things she doesn't know she is really capable of. This makes the story all the more compelling and you cant help but root for her. The entire saga of the Lemurians was fascinating. I had heard of Atlantis but not Lemuria. You will enjoy this book when you read it, there is no doubt about that.
From the very beginning, this book had me completely absorbed. The author does an incredible job of weaving suspense with rich character development. Stella’s mysterious disappearance and Rachel’s determined search create a tension that builds naturally, and I found myself turning the pages almost instinctively, wanting to know what would happen next.
What really stood out to me was the way ordinary settings, like the gallery, are described with such precision that they feel alive. I could visualize the high-gloss red moldings, the silent TV, and the slightly awkward interactions with the gallery staff as if I were there myself. The author also captures subtle human reactions so well, from confusion to worry, which makes the characters feel relatable and real.
I also appreciated the smaller details, like the mentions of the other characters’ unique quirks, Sheldon “Shorty” Smith reading a comic book, or the way Rachel retraced her steps through the gallery. These touches made the story feel lived-in and authentic, adding layers to the suspense without ever slowing down the pacing.
Overall, this book is a fantastic blend of intrigue, atmosphere, and character-driven storytelling. I can’t wait to read more from this author and see where the story goes next!
The Lemurian Medium gives us a little bit of everything: paranormal, clairvoyance, astral projection and time travel. All this with descriptive prose that paints New Mexico as a travel mecca. Be sure you can sit back and relax for a time as you journey into the search for a different lost Atlantis because you won't want to set the book down.
Unlike its title suggests, Lemurian Medium by G.G. Collins doesn’t feature the ghosts and ghouls variety of paranormal entities, but instead focuses on the more spiritual side of things in keeping with the legends surrounding the lost continent of Lemuria, which forms the backbone of the story.
Rachel Blackstone is a reporter covering the latest display at the Spirit Vision Gallery in Santa Fe, and it doesn’t take her long to realise that there is something seriously unnerving about one of the paintings. The artwork seems to change as she looks at it, drawing her in and inviting her to step just that little bit closer, as if something is calling to her from beneath its surface.
Rachel’s misgivings are soon confirmed when her friend and co-worker Stella vanishes into thin air – mid conversation with the strangely enigmatic artist Angelo Sombrío amidst unnatural and disturbing circumstances.
It’s clear that Santa Fe’s finest aren’t going to be able to get to the bottom of Stella’s mysterious disappearance, so Rachel confides in her open minded boss Julian, and best friend Chloe who step up to help her locate Stella’s whereabouts, and most importantly, to bring her back. The discovery of their missing friend’s favourite necklace causes Rachel to experience a series of visions which indicate that she is being held captive ⚊ but where?
The trio’s investigation sees them consulting both a Soul Navigator and a man of the cloth turned Astral Traveller, staking out houses with Champagne and high heels, breaking, entering and a subsequent hurried run for it, and several spine chilling encounters with the blood drinking, people eating Aztec Deity Quetzalcoatl.
The Author’s love for both Santa Fe and the legend of Lemuria is clear throughout, although at times, and especially when referring to places which are prominent in the city’s rich history, it can feel more like reading a tourist information brochure than a fantasy novel. That aside, Lemurian Medium features witty dialogue and humour throughout (especially where Champagne-guzzling Chloe is concerned), along with vivid descriptions of the fantastical.
I’d recommend reading book one in the Rachel Blackstone series (Reluctant Medium), to gain a greater insight into some of Lemurian Medium’s secondary characters, although the story arc does enable it to be read as a stand alone novel.
The ‘info-dumping’ in places along with a couple of tense changes and minor spelling mistakes (fowl/foul and latter/later for example), put Lemurian Medium at a 3 out of 5 for me which I feel could be easily improved with further editing, given its engaging plot and colourful characters.