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Memory Guild #1
A Magic Touch
Be careful what you touch.
My name is Darla, and people think I’m weird. I know this because I’m a telepath.
After my second husband bails without a word, I’m moving back to my hometown, San Marcos, Florida, one of the nation’s oldest cities.
I’m here to open a nearly 300-year-old inn, and, hopefully, begin a new life. It turns out the inn comes with ghosts and other supernatural features. And the paranormal in my genes is going haywire.
My telepathy has always been hit or miss. But now, along with the arrival of my first hot flashes, I gain a new ability: psychometry. By touching an object, I can read the thoughts and emotions of other people who have touched it.
Good thoughts as well as creepy thoughts. Sweet emotions as well as memories of murder.
Yep, I help a detective investigate a murder. And not a bad-looking detective, I should add.
Living in an ancient city and running an old inn, I’m constantly touching things filled with memories.
And some of them could kill me.
Enter a world of mystery, magic, murder, and mischief, with ties to the Freaky Florida humorous paranormal series.
My name is Darla, and people think I’m weird. I know this because I’m a telepath.
After my second husband bails without a word, I’m moving back to my hometown, San Marcos, Florida, one of the nation’s oldest cities.
I’m here to open a nearly 300-year-old inn, and, hopefully, begin a new life. It turns out the inn comes with ghosts and other supernatural features. And the paranormal in my genes is going haywire.
My telepathy has always been hit or miss. But now, along with the arrival of my first hot flashes, I gain a new ability: psychometry. By touching an object, I can read the thoughts and emotions of other people who have touched it.
Good thoughts as well as creepy thoughts. Sweet emotions as well as memories of murder.
Yep, I help a detective investigate a murder. And not a bad-looking detective, I should add.
Living in an ancient city and running an old inn, I’m constantly touching things filled with memories.
And some of them could kill me.
Enter a world of mystery, magic, murder, and mischief, with ties to the Freaky Florida humorous paranormal series.
258 pages, Paperback
First published March 22, 2021
755 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
About the author
Ward Parker
40 books59 followersWard is a Florida native and author of the the Memory Guild midlife paranormal mystery thrillers, the Monsters of Jellyfish Beach paranormal mysteries, and the Freaky Florida humorous paranormal series, all of which are chock full of psychics, witches, vampires, werewolves, dragons, and other bizarre, mythical creatures, such as #FloridaMan. He also pens the Zeke Adams series of noir mysteries. He lives in Florida (of course) with his wife, cats, and a demon who prefers to remain anonymous.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
October 20, 2021
Lots of laugh out loud moments in this paranormal mystery. I enjoyed it and will read the next one in the series.
July 9, 2021
Intrigued but disappointed
Ever since the paranormal Women's Fiction team got started I have been devouring books & finding new authors. I like having leading characters my age. This book has an interesting premise & I'm interested in learning more, but Darla seems pretty lame to me. She can't seem to get herself out of anything or really accomplish anything on her own. I guess I've gotten used to these women being better at leadership & courage & smarts that Darla seems to have. I'll give it another try, but if her common sense & strength don't improve, I'll have to move on.
Ever since the paranormal Women's Fiction team got started I have been devouring books & finding new authors. I like having leading characters my age. This book has an interesting premise & I'm interested in learning more, but Darla seems pretty lame to me. She can't seem to get herself out of anything or really accomplish anything on her own. I guess I've gotten used to these women being better at leadership & courage & smarts that Darla seems to have. I'll give it another try, but if her common sense & strength don't improve, I'll have to move on.
November 5, 2021
I am always so excited whenever I see a new book by Ward Parker. This is a new series called the Memory Guild. Our protagonist in this series is a woman named Darla and she is a psychometrist.. A psychometrist. Is a . person that can read other people's memories by touching objects they have touched. This can be a beneficial ability when you are seeking to solve a mystery but she says it isa dangerous ability to have when you live in 500-year-old city, run a 300-year-old bed-and-breakfast, This gift is why she I was recruited to the Memory Guild, and it helps her investigate mysteries from the present and the past. She has recently moved to San Marcos, Florida. She is there to open a 300 year old inn, and begin a new life. Darla invites to enter a world enter a world of mystery, magic, murder, and mischief, with ties to the Freaky Florida humorous paranormal series.
Ward is a gifted author, and brings this talent to this series. This is a brilliant read! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. The world building is detailed and imaginative. This novel has strong, well developed characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages. I recommend this novel and would read more novels by this author. I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the novel.
Ward is a gifted author, and brings this talent to this series. This is a brilliant read! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. The world building is detailed and imaginative. This novel has strong, well developed characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages. I recommend this novel and would read more novels by this author. I gave this honest, voluntary review after being given a free copy of the novel.
March 23, 2021
Having been a telepath all her life, Darla Chesswick is used to picking up a stray thought here and there, but after her husband walked out on her (and no he didn't even have the decency to" think "to tell her) So she sold the inn that they ran together and moved back to the Floridian town of San Marcos, where she has bought an old inn that she plans on fixing up.
Her plans to stay with her friend are scuppered, when Darla goes to her friends coin shop and finds her dead, beaten over the head, but all of her expensive stock is still in the store and a strange coin in her mouth , when Darla inadvertently picks up the murder weapon she is flashed into her friends murder, seeing and feeling from the murdered point of view. With Menopause apparently comes new powers! Darla now has the power of psychometry, can she use this power for good? Can she help solve her friends murder and what exactly is the strange coin that was in Danielle's mouth and who is after it?
With help from her cousin Missy, a gargoyle in her new inn, shadowy guilds, and a moving door, can Darla find out who murdered her friend? And survive to tell the tale?
I enjoyed the story and the action and whilst I liked getting to know Darla, she seemed to be a strong woman who take's everything in her stride, I would say that was where the story lacked slightly, there was not a lot of emotion coming from her. she never seemed to get sad or scared or excited, she just did.. And whilst there is nothing wrong with a strong older woman character, Darla was perhaps a little 2 dimensional. Hopefully in the next book we will find a little bit more about Darla. I would have liked if the author had gone into the relationship with Darla and Sophie a bit more than they did, it was vaguely mentioned that there had been an issue with Sophie and addiction and she was "messed up" and now living with Darla's mum (who seems to have issues of her own) but it was not elaborated on which I found strange, she Darla never even check with her mother if Sophie has been getting on ok or if there had been any issues. However this book may just be setting the foundations so to speak and there will be more in the following ones. It doesn't take anything away from the story but it would have lifted the book from 4* to the 5*
I had not read anything by this author before but I know now that there is a series before this one based on cousin Missy, which introduces Darla and her daughter Sophie., I will go back and read them and see if that helps me get to know the characters better.
Her plans to stay with her friend are scuppered, when Darla goes to her friends coin shop and finds her dead, beaten over the head, but all of her expensive stock is still in the store and a strange coin in her mouth , when Darla inadvertently picks up the murder weapon she is flashed into her friends murder, seeing and feeling from the murdered point of view. With Menopause apparently comes new powers! Darla now has the power of psychometry, can she use this power for good? Can she help solve her friends murder and what exactly is the strange coin that was in Danielle's mouth and who is after it?
With help from her cousin Missy, a gargoyle in her new inn, shadowy guilds, and a moving door, can Darla find out who murdered her friend? And survive to tell the tale?
I enjoyed the story and the action and whilst I liked getting to know Darla, she seemed to be a strong woman who take's everything in her stride, I would say that was where the story lacked slightly, there was not a lot of emotion coming from her. she never seemed to get sad or scared or excited, she just did.. And whilst there is nothing wrong with a strong older woman character, Darla was perhaps a little 2 dimensional. Hopefully in the next book we will find a little bit more about Darla. I would have liked if the author had gone into the relationship with Darla and Sophie a bit more than they did, it was vaguely mentioned that there had been an issue with Sophie and addiction and she was "messed up" and now living with Darla's mum (who seems to have issues of her own) but it was not elaborated on which I found strange, she Darla never even check with her mother if Sophie has been getting on ok or if there had been any issues. However this book may just be setting the foundations so to speak and there will be more in the following ones. It doesn't take anything away from the story but it would have lifted the book from 4* to the 5*
I had not read anything by this author before but I know now that there is a series before this one based on cousin Missy, which introduces Darla and her daughter Sophie., I will go back and read them and see if that helps me get to know the characters better.
March 27, 2022
After two failed marriages, Darla Chesswick decides to start a new life and returns to her hometown, where she purchases a 300-year-old inn in hopes of getting herself on her feet. Her plan was good, but the second day back, she finds her best friend murdered in her shop with a strange coin hidden in her mouth. But Darla is not like any other fifty-something woman; she is a telepath and can read people's memories through objects they touched. This is how she finds out about her friend's murderer, and makes her mission to find him and avenge her friend's death.
This was a fun and entertaining story. I'm not so used to reading paranormal books, but I like urban fantasy, so I gave this audiobook a try. Darla is not the most charismatic of characters, but her actions awoke something in me. She is initially a bit of a mess, but who wouldn't be at discovering a new superpower? She grows over time, though, and I quite liked her towards the end of the book. Some fantastic characters inhabit Darla's new home that I found very endearing: my favorite ones were a gargoyle with a British accent and a vampire that's been trapped for many years. It's all so hilarious that it made me want to live in the rickety old inn.
But not everything is funny in this book. The murderer soon catches wind of Darla's nosing around, so she will fear for her life. There is quite some action and thrill, especially in the book's second half.
To show how Darla's telemetry works, Parker wrote monologues as they were "thought" when touching a specific object. I'm not so sure about this approach. I usually like flashbacks in stories, but this way of doing them broke the story's rhythm. There's also the fact that not everyone thinks in words. I usually don't, so it felt weird hearing characters describing their actions while performing them.
While the story in this book was generally light and entertaining, the glimpse about what we may see in future books really caught my interest. I'm looking forward to the next installment!
Still, my favorite part of this audiobook was Madeline Mrozrek's narration. She brought the characters to life with exquisite interpretations and different voices and styles for them all. In addition, the audio production was spotless. This is one of those cases where a good story becomes excellent thanks to the narrator.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This was a fun and entertaining story. I'm not so used to reading paranormal books, but I like urban fantasy, so I gave this audiobook a try. Darla is not the most charismatic of characters, but her actions awoke something in me. She is initially a bit of a mess, but who wouldn't be at discovering a new superpower? She grows over time, though, and I quite liked her towards the end of the book. Some fantastic characters inhabit Darla's new home that I found very endearing: my favorite ones were a gargoyle with a British accent and a vampire that's been trapped for many years. It's all so hilarious that it made me want to live in the rickety old inn.
But not everything is funny in this book. The murderer soon catches wind of Darla's nosing around, so she will fear for her life. There is quite some action and thrill, especially in the book's second half.
To show how Darla's telemetry works, Parker wrote monologues as they were "thought" when touching a specific object. I'm not so sure about this approach. I usually like flashbacks in stories, but this way of doing them broke the story's rhythm. There's also the fact that not everyone thinks in words. I usually don't, so it felt weird hearing characters describing their actions while performing them.
While the story in this book was generally light and entertaining, the glimpse about what we may see in future books really caught my interest. I'm looking forward to the next installment!
Still, my favorite part of this audiobook was Madeline Mrozrek's narration. She brought the characters to life with exquisite interpretations and different voices and styles for them all. In addition, the audio production was spotless. This is one of those cases where a good story becomes excellent thanks to the narrator.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
September 19, 2022
5 Wine Only Makes Me More Charming Stars
A Magic Touch is the first book in the Memory Guild series by Ward Parker.
This book was so hard to put down. Which is a blessing, since I recently DNR'd multiple books in a row. I enjoyed the magical blend of mystery, hope, and curiosity that infused the pages of this book. I tend to enjoy the midlife Paranormal sub-genre, probably because of how uplifting and 'can do' it is.
Darla has just been left by her second husband, out of the blue. In an effort to restart her life she journeys back to her hometown, full of history and a hidden world of magic, to refurbish and open a 300-year-old inn. This seemingly simple endeavor doesn't go to plan. There's a ghost infestation for one, a capricious gargoyle that lives on her fireplace occasionally, and a vampire long imprisoned in the wine cellar.
Worst yet is when she discovers her childhood friend dead inside her antique coin store. Seems someone was a little over zealous in possessing a religiously symbolic coin that recently found its way into her hands. In a somewhat related manner, my absolute favorite portion of this entire book is the absolutely ridiculous and hilarious bird poop.
Why is there a randomly appearing and disappearing doorway to the attic popping up all over her inn? Why, and how, is it connected to her? Did her husband really leave her? Is this mysterious and worrisome door to fault? Is he even still alive? How will she safely run an inn with a door to the In Between randomly popping up? Won't it risk potential guests?
Totally unrelated, what happened to the woman at the window, when she touched one doorknob to the bedroom? Is that one of the ghosts, or only ghost, inhabiting the inn?
I wonder if her powers will simply keep growing from here? Or if the spell Missy put on her to help her communicate telepathically will be more permanent than intended? What trouble can she get into next?
A Magic Touch is the first book in the Memory Guild series by Ward Parker.
This book was so hard to put down. Which is a blessing, since I recently DNR'd multiple books in a row. I enjoyed the magical blend of mystery, hope, and curiosity that infused the pages of this book. I tend to enjoy the midlife Paranormal sub-genre, probably because of how uplifting and 'can do' it is.
Darla has just been left by her second husband, out of the blue. In an effort to restart her life she journeys back to her hometown, full of history and a hidden world of magic, to refurbish and open a 300-year-old inn. This seemingly simple endeavor doesn't go to plan. There's a ghost infestation for one, a capricious gargoyle that lives on her fireplace occasionally, and a vampire long imprisoned in the wine cellar.
Worst yet is when she discovers her childhood friend dead inside her antique coin store. Seems someone was a little over zealous in possessing a religiously symbolic coin that recently found its way into her hands. In a somewhat related manner, my absolute favorite portion of this entire book is the absolutely ridiculous and hilarious bird poop.
Why is there a randomly appearing and disappearing doorway to the attic popping up all over her inn? Why, and how, is it connected to her? Did her husband really leave her? Is this mysterious and worrisome door to fault? Is he even still alive? How will she safely run an inn with a door to the In Between randomly popping up? Won't it risk potential guests?
Totally unrelated, what happened to the woman at the window, when she touched one doorknob to the bedroom? Is that one of the ghosts, or only ghost, inhabiting the inn?
I wonder if her powers will simply keep growing from here? Or if the spell Missy put on her to help her communicate telepathically will be more permanent than intended? What trouble can she get into next?
March 31, 2024
This book has a major character who is an older woman, a trend which seems to be gathering steam. Darla's first husband is dead and her second husband ran away so she returns to her hometown. Darla is also a telepath, her mother was a witch and her young sister is happily married in California. Darla also has the ability to touch an object and 'read' it to learn about who has touched it and what happened to it.
Danielle is a friend she makes who runs a rare coin shop. Things don't go well for her. Darla now works to find out just what happened and why. Even Darla's hoarder mother will become involved.
It all revolves around an old coin. Someone wants it and is willing to kill for it. It's up to Darla to find out just why the coin is different, solve what happened to Darla and, rather importantly, remain alive long enough to see justice done.
There's also a Guild which could instruct her on things she needs to know, a talking gargoyle, a villain named Fathead, memories of a massacre, a vampire, a werewolf and something called the in-between.
Since I like archaeology I was particularly interested in the coin and its memories. The idea is that an object can, over time, absorb feelings/memories/something from the things it has been exposed to.
It's not that impossible of a thing. Have you ever walked into a church, even an empty one, and felt a sort of peaceful feeling? This is the result of the physical church somehow taking on the peaceful feelings of the people who have been there over many years.
Anyhow, I liked the book and the characters.
Danielle is a friend she makes who runs a rare coin shop. Things don't go well for her. Darla now works to find out just what happened and why. Even Darla's hoarder mother will become involved.
It all revolves around an old coin. Someone wants it and is willing to kill for it. It's up to Darla to find out just why the coin is different, solve what happened to Darla and, rather importantly, remain alive long enough to see justice done.
There's also a Guild which could instruct her on things she needs to know, a talking gargoyle, a villain named Fathead, memories of a massacre, a vampire, a werewolf and something called the in-between.
Since I like archaeology I was particularly interested in the coin and its memories. The idea is that an object can, over time, absorb feelings/memories/something from the things it has been exposed to.
It's not that impossible of a thing. Have you ever walked into a church, even an empty one, and felt a sort of peaceful feeling? This is the result of the physical church somehow taking on the peaceful feelings of the people who have been there over many years.
Anyhow, I liked the book and the characters.
March 20, 2022
**This review is for the audiobook on Audible.**
A Magic Touch by Ward Parker, narrated by Madeline Mrozek is Book 1 in the Memory Guild series. This is the first time I have read anything by this author, but I promise it won't be my last! This isn't my usual genre, but I went out on a limb and gave it a try anyway. I'm so happy I did! I loved it! The writing flows at a great pace and the well-developed characters kept me engaged and listening to every word from start to finish.
The narration by Madeline Mrozek was outstanding, as always. She brings the story to life in ways that literally place me in each of the scenes alongside the characters as the events unfold. I absolutely love listening to her performances. The voices she uses for each character are superb; not once was I confused about who was speaking, which makes listening so much more enjoyable!!
A Magic Touch: Memory Guild, Book 1 by Ward Parker, narrated by Madeline Mrozek is very deserving of 5/5 stars across the board. Those who enjoy fictional novels with elements of the paranormal and supernatural are in for a treat! If you're like me and are looking to mix things up a bit or give a different genre a try, I promise that this is the one for you!! I'm already on the lookout for the next in series! :-)
Thank you for reading my review. I hope it was helpful. Happy listening!! :-)
A Magic Touch by Ward Parker, narrated by Madeline Mrozek is Book 1 in the Memory Guild series. This is the first time I have read anything by this author, but I promise it won't be my last! This isn't my usual genre, but I went out on a limb and gave it a try anyway. I'm so happy I did! I loved it! The writing flows at a great pace and the well-developed characters kept me engaged and listening to every word from start to finish.
The narration by Madeline Mrozek was outstanding, as always. She brings the story to life in ways that literally place me in each of the scenes alongside the characters as the events unfold. I absolutely love listening to her performances. The voices she uses for each character are superb; not once was I confused about who was speaking, which makes listening so much more enjoyable!!
A Magic Touch: Memory Guild, Book 1 by Ward Parker, narrated by Madeline Mrozek is very deserving of 5/5 stars across the board. Those who enjoy fictional novels with elements of the paranormal and supernatural are in for a treat! If you're like me and are looking to mix things up a bit or give a different genre a try, I promise that this is the one for you!! I'm already on the lookout for the next in series! :-)
Thank you for reading my review. I hope it was helpful. Happy listening!! :-)
March 29, 2021
Here We Go Again !!
When you see this author’s name, before you even turn a page, you will know the laughter and fun is about to start. I have not read one of his books that has every disappointed me. So if this is your first experience, dive in with confidence. You are in for a treat!
Darla is heading home to San Marcos, Florida, intending to open a 300-year-old inn and begin a new phase of her life. For the reader’s delight, the inn comes with ghosts and other supernatural things. And Darla gets a new ability to practice with when she discovers the psychometry. This one should be quite interesting since touching an object allows her to “read” the thoughts and emotions of others who have touched it, even homicidal memories, which gives her a valuable skillset to help investigate a murder. The detective may feature somewhere in her future, or at least he will be in her current dreams!
When her witch cousin, Missy, shows up, get ready for the exciting stories to come.
Humor is the touchstone for this author, and he does it so well. Dive into this new series and enjoy the relationships and the craziness that is guaranteed to keep you entertained.
When you see this author’s name, before you even turn a page, you will know the laughter and fun is about to start. I have not read one of his books that has every disappointed me. So if this is your first experience, dive in with confidence. You are in for a treat!
Darla is heading home to San Marcos, Florida, intending to open a 300-year-old inn and begin a new phase of her life. For the reader’s delight, the inn comes with ghosts and other supernatural things. And Darla gets a new ability to practice with when she discovers the psychometry. This one should be quite interesting since touching an object allows her to “read” the thoughts and emotions of others who have touched it, even homicidal memories, which gives her a valuable skillset to help investigate a murder. The detective may feature somewhere in her future, or at least he will be in her current dreams!
When her witch cousin, Missy, shows up, get ready for the exciting stories to come.
Humor is the touchstone for this author, and he does it so well. Dive into this new series and enjoy the relationships and the craziness that is guaranteed to keep you entertained.
October 14, 2023
3 Stars
Overall Rating ★★★
Plot ★★★
Humor ★★★
Characters & Character Development ★★★
Narration ★★★★
Story: This was a weird story. It seemed as if there were no rules or order in the paranormal universe. I'm not sure how I feel about the religious undertones. The main character, Darla, meets with a guild yet they do nothing to help her when her friend has been murdered possibly because of magical reasons. They don't do much to help her with her magical abilities. There's a gargoyle that only appears a handful of times. The vampire living in her house only appears a couple of times. The cat appears and then only appears once more. The plot didn't make complete sense to me. The Darla's mother was also magical but was of no help when her daughter is nearly murdered. Only Darla's cousin helps and it seems like she wasn't a significant amount of help on her own. The last thing that didn't make sense was the disappearing and reappearing door. I found this book lacking. We'll see about the next. I just don't care for books where nothing makes much sense.
Narration: Narration was pretty good. New to me narrator.
Overall Rating ★★★
Plot ★★★
Humor ★★★
Characters & Character Development ★★★
Narration ★★★★
Story: This was a weird story. It seemed as if there were no rules or order in the paranormal universe. I'm not sure how I feel about the religious undertones. The main character, Darla, meets with a guild yet they do nothing to help her when her friend has been murdered possibly because of magical reasons. They don't do much to help her with her magical abilities. There's a gargoyle that only appears a handful of times. The vampire living in her house only appears a couple of times. The cat appears and then only appears once more. The plot didn't make complete sense to me. The Darla's mother was also magical but was of no help when her daughter is nearly murdered. Only Darla's cousin helps and it seems like she wasn't a significant amount of help on her own. The last thing that didn't make sense was the disappearing and reappearing door. I found this book lacking. We'll see about the next. I just don't care for books where nothing makes much sense.
Narration: Narration was pretty good. New to me narrator.
September 12, 2022
Memory Guild bk1
Moving to San Marcos, her childhood hometown, to open a 300 year old b&b Inn,
was meant to be a new start for Darla Chesswick. Darla is a supernaturally gifted (or cursed depending upon her mood at the time) mid(ish) fifties woman with mild bipolar tendencies.
Finding the dead body of her close friend with an unusual coin hidden in her mouth causes Darla’s latent psychometric talent to emerge and she embarks upon the quest to find her friend’s killer and the motive behind it. Soon she’s embroiled in a plot replete with varied supernatural beings, black magic, a rather attractive detective and a whole lot of bird crap.
The plot moves at a fast pace, the assorted characters are amusing and entertaining the inn itself being one such character and containing several other unusual ones. Fans of Ward Parker’s other series will relish this new one and new readers will be left wanting to read Ward’s other series especially as there is one major crossover character.
Moving to San Marcos, her childhood hometown, to open a 300 year old b&b Inn,
was meant to be a new start for Darla Chesswick. Darla is a supernaturally gifted (or cursed depending upon her mood at the time) mid(ish) fifties woman with mild bipolar tendencies.
Finding the dead body of her close friend with an unusual coin hidden in her mouth causes Darla’s latent psychometric talent to emerge and she embarks upon the quest to find her friend’s killer and the motive behind it. Soon she’s embroiled in a plot replete with varied supernatural beings, black magic, a rather attractive detective and a whole lot of bird crap.
The plot moves at a fast pace, the assorted characters are amusing and entertaining the inn itself being one such character and containing several other unusual ones. Fans of Ward Parker’s other series will relish this new one and new readers will be left wanting to read Ward’s other series especially as there is one major crossover character.
Read
July 19, 2024too weird and violent - I'm not interested.
Amazon synopsis:
My name is Darla, and people think I’m weird. I know this because I’m a telepath.
After my second husband bails without a word, I’m moving back to my hometown, San Marcos, Florida, one of the nation’s oldest cities.
I’m here to open a nearly 300-year-old inn, and, hopefully, begin a new life. It turns out the inn comes with ghosts and other supernatural features. And the paranormal in my genes is going haywire.
My telepathy has always been hit or miss. But now, along with the arrival of my first hot flashes, I gain a new ability: psychometry. By touching an object, I can read the thoughts and emotions of other people who have touched it.
Good thoughts as well as creepy thoughts. Sweet emotions as well as memories of murder.
Amazon synopsis:
My name is Darla, and people think I’m weird. I know this because I’m a telepath.
After my second husband bails without a word, I’m moving back to my hometown, San Marcos, Florida, one of the nation’s oldest cities.
I’m here to open a nearly 300-year-old inn, and, hopefully, begin a new life. It turns out the inn comes with ghosts and other supernatural features. And the paranormal in my genes is going haywire.
My telepathy has always been hit or miss. But now, along with the arrival of my first hot flashes, I gain a new ability: psychometry. By touching an object, I can read the thoughts and emotions of other people who have touched it.
Good thoughts as well as creepy thoughts. Sweet emotions as well as memories of murder.
April 10, 2022
I'm not a Floridian, but I do really geek history, and this book has lots of it!
Magic runs in her family so she's accustomed to it, but she suddenly discovers a talent for psychometry, her mother's new talents, her daughter's lack of direction since college, AND the dead body of her dear friend. AND a historic coin with some really bad effects. And THAT"S just the beginning! Lots of humor, several centuries of Floridian historical tidbits, a skeptical (but hot) police detective, and lots of characters who are memorable and delightful. Loved it!
Madeline Mrozek has the monumental task of narrating this great story, giving life to the cast of many, and managing to keep from laughing out loud!
Magic runs in her family so she's accustomed to it, but she suddenly discovers a talent for psychometry, her mother's new talents, her daughter's lack of direction since college, AND the dead body of her dear friend. AND a historic coin with some really bad effects. And THAT"S just the beginning! Lots of humor, several centuries of Floridian historical tidbits, a skeptical (but hot) police detective, and lots of characters who are memorable and delightful. Loved it!
Madeline Mrozek has the monumental task of narrating this great story, giving life to the cast of many, and managing to keep from laughing out loud!
April 12, 2022
Darla is telepathic, she can touch stuff and see past scenes. Darla finds her friend dead with an old coin in her mouth. Now she must investigate and find the killer. I'll admit I got this audiobook cause I liked the look of the cover and I had no clue what it was about, I'm glad to find out that it's a paranormal mystery. I liked this book, Darla is a good character. I have nothing against fast paced mysteries but sometimes you just need a good slow burn mystery, this is a slow burn. This audio drew me quickly, soon I was doing my guessing game of who did it, I never win that game. I can't wait to listen to the other books in this series. Ward Parker is new to me and I'm glad I found him. The narrator of this audio did a very good job.
May 25, 2022
This is the first book by this author that I have read or listened to. I was offered an audio copy by the narrator. I am not required to positively review the book nor the narration. These are my own opinions.
At first, I felt I was being talked down to but that is not on the narrator.
Our protagonist is Darla, and she is a psychometrist. A psychometrist defined in this book is a person that can read other people's memories by touching objects they have touched. This can be beneficial unless you haven’t learned to manage it. A side effect can be death if you relive the death of another.
I laughed out loud often while listening to this story. I found it entertaining and am looking forward to the next episode.
At first, I felt I was being talked down to but that is not on the narrator.
Our protagonist is Darla, and she is a psychometrist. A psychometrist defined in this book is a person that can read other people's memories by touching objects they have touched. This can be beneficial unless you haven’t learned to manage it. A side effect can be death if you relive the death of another.
I laughed out loud often while listening to this story. I found it entertaining and am looking forward to the next episode.
March 9, 2024
Wow - this author crafts a great story that flows perfectly. Characters are well-described and pace is about perfect. The story is interesting, with seemingly real characters and without excessive emphasis on the characters "perfect features" or how much money they have. They have real challenges with real-life jobs and a bonus of some magic/witchy skills, also not excessive. Interesting twists with the "in-between" and a suddenly appearing door, a message from a long lost love with "lip gloss", a skill that could only be described as dangerously effective with danger to the main character and possible danger (or save) to those affected. This author writes so so well and keeps me coming back. Now on book 2 and 3!
April 6, 2021
Good
An enjoyable, paranormal mystery book, featuring a fifty-something witchy heroine, and her family and friends.
Darla is starting her life anew, after the mysterious disappearance of her second husband.
She is thrust into a murder mystery, with deep and dark motives behind it, and she’ll have to use her newly discovered psychometric talent to figure it out.
This is a quick, quirky read, in the paranormal women’s fiction genre. Filled with magical happenings, it’s quick pace makes for an enjoyable piece of escapism.
Recommended for paranormal women’s fiction lovers and paranormal mystery fans.
An enjoyable, paranormal mystery book, featuring a fifty-something witchy heroine, and her family and friends.
Darla is starting her life anew, after the mysterious disappearance of her second husband.
She is thrust into a murder mystery, with deep and dark motives behind it, and she’ll have to use her newly discovered psychometric talent to figure it out.
This is a quick, quirky read, in the paranormal women’s fiction genre. Filled with magical happenings, it’s quick pace makes for an enjoyable piece of escapism.
Recommended for paranormal women’s fiction lovers and paranormal mystery fans.
July 13, 2021
This book was witty and intriguing, and the perfect balance between the paranormal and reality. When I finished this, I immediately bought the next book in the series. I wasn’t left wondering how a witch could do this but not that, because actions seemed to make sense. The other creatures had a place in the story, and weren’t just written in to include vampires and werewolves. I also appreciated Darla being attracted to a man, even though she’s over 50. But since her husband left her a year ago (or did he?) she wasn’t ready for a serious relationship. I appreciated the maturity of her feelings. There’s a whole lot to appreciate about this book. I recommend it.
October 11, 2021
Change of the mind…
So I don’t usually leave reviews, call me lazy it’s ok…
BUT this time I hope to maybe reach out to a few reader like me. What I mean by that is I want read books, paranormal midlife fiction, by a man. What would a man know about a midlife women anyway?
BUT Ward has completely change my mind. The first book was pretty darn good! I enjoyed the story and I’m continuing with the next book In the series. I’m not here to give any spoiler but the book kept my attention, made me laugh and even had it’s sad parts..
Give this book a read I think you’ll be happily surprised!
So I don’t usually leave reviews, call me lazy it’s ok…
BUT this time I hope to maybe reach out to a few reader like me. What I mean by that is I want read books, paranormal midlife fiction, by a man. What would a man know about a midlife women anyway?
BUT Ward has completely change my mind. The first book was pretty darn good! I enjoyed the story and I’m continuing with the next book In the series. I’m not here to give any spoiler but the book kept my attention, made me laugh and even had it’s sad parts..
Give this book a read I think you’ll be happily surprised!
February 21, 2023
A Magic Touch by Ward Parker (Memory Guild #1)
This e-book was free on amazon.com and is a new to me author. The premise sounded interesting. A paranormal cozy mystery story that sets the scene for the rest of the books in the series. I liked the story telling, but for me the story bogged down a bit with all the details about the Spanish coin, which became a bit repetitive and for me did nothing to enhance the main story of solving the death of her friend. The main character Darla discovers new abilities and as the saying goes "has potential". Overall, it was a nice story but I was not engaged enough with the characters to purchase the next book in the series. 3 stars.
This e-book was free on amazon.com and is a new to me author. The premise sounded interesting. A paranormal cozy mystery story that sets the scene for the rest of the books in the series. I liked the story telling, but for me the story bogged down a bit with all the details about the Spanish coin, which became a bit repetitive and for me did nothing to enhance the main story of solving the death of her friend. The main character Darla discovers new abilities and as the saying goes "has potential". Overall, it was a nice story but I was not engaged enough with the characters to purchase the next book in the series. 3 stars.
March 25, 2021
Loved this story. Missy traveled to San Marcos to help out her cousin, Darla. Darla needed help in more ways than even she imagined. Together they are one powerful force against evil.
This story has it all, adventure, mystery, greed, hope and a touch of romance. The series is fantastic. So many elements of the paranormal are incorporated, along with a slew of ghosts, vampires, witches, werewolves and even a gargoyle. You will laugh at the antics and situations that arise in weird Florida. Highly recommend as a fun book to read.
This story has it all, adventure, mystery, greed, hope and a touch of romance. The series is fantastic. So many elements of the paranormal are incorporated, along with a slew of ghosts, vampires, witches, werewolves and even a gargoyle. You will laugh at the antics and situations that arise in weird Florida. Highly recommend as a fun book to read.
May 25, 2021
What a GREAT story from the first page to the last! Great for people of any age to enjoy this thrilling who dun it! Darla is a wonderful person, who gets into a deadly position several times, her guests are getting murdered, she still wonders where Cory, her husband who disappeared a year ago, went and why.... she thought they were doing good between them...
I loved this second book in this series, and I'm SO looking forward to the next book! It is fast paced, but not so fast as to lose you.
Thank you Mr. Ward Parker for a Great continuing story about Darla and her misadventures!
I loved this second book in this series, and I'm SO looking forward to the next book! It is fast paced, but not so fast as to lose you.
Thank you Mr. Ward Parker for a Great continuing story about Darla and her misadventures!
September 8, 2021
Excellent and unique
Usually it's women who write in this genre but if you want great books that aren't the typical midlife paranormal then you should give Ward Parker a read. I read books in his Freaky Florida series and was honestly shocked by how good they were. The book covers to that series are a bit weird but don't judge the books by the covers. This series is well-thought-out with great characters and tons of imagination. Parker also has talent for quirky humor that's refreshing.
Usually it's women who write in this genre but if you want great books that aren't the typical midlife paranormal then you should give Ward Parker a read. I read books in his Freaky Florida series and was honestly shocked by how good they were. The book covers to that series are a bit weird but don't judge the books by the covers. This series is well-thought-out with great characters and tons of imagination. Parker also has talent for quirky humor that's refreshing.
December 23, 2021
Not as expected
I finished reading my last book which was written by a different Author. It was the 19th and final book. No letter what, I read them to the end! I was so very disappointed!
Then I 'ran' into this series! I thought for sure I'd be disappointed again Beverly seemed like it was going to be the 'same ole same ole'!
I am most pleasantly mistaken! This first book in this series has got me so mesmerized! I can't wait to stop typing and start reading more! Adios! Happy reading! ~Jules
I finished reading my last book which was written by a different Author. It was the 19th and final book. No letter what, I read them to the end! I was so very disappointed!
Then I 'ran' into this series! I thought for sure I'd be disappointed again Beverly seemed like it was going to be the 'same ole same ole'!
I am most pleasantly mistaken! This first book in this series has got me so mesmerized! I can't wait to stop typing and start reading more! Adios! Happy reading! ~Jules
February 1, 2022
Witches psychics vampires
Darla could touch things and see the history of what she touched but every time she got in trouble she never thought to call the detective. Why I have no idea it sure would’ve made her life a lot safer lol. I had a hard time getting into it but once I got into it it was pretty good. Her cousin Missy is a witch who comes to help her with her problems. Detective who she thinks is cute but she’s already got two husbands behind her. One just up disappeared..😱
Darla could touch things and see the history of what she touched but every time she got in trouble she never thought to call the detective. Why I have no idea it sure would’ve made her life a lot safer lol. I had a hard time getting into it but once I got into it it was pretty good. Her cousin Missy is a witch who comes to help her with her problems. Detective who she thinks is cute but she’s already got two husbands behind her. One just up disappeared..😱
April 13, 2022
I really wanted to like this book as it had a paranormal theme and a heroine over 40. However, I could not move past the heavy-handed plot, the poor dialogue and the TSTL heroine. It reminded me of the old black and white 'B' movies when we could laugh at the settings and dialogue and wooden actors. Unfortunately, no laughter here - just me shaking my head. I hope the author continues to write this series because we need many more heroines in books, movies and real life who are in middle age and have a full life even if it feels crazy making.
March 10, 2023
A Magic Touch indeed!
This book drew me in almost immediately. It felt real, the characters felt real and the place felt real! I have no doubt that readers of paranormal fiction will love it. It's so satisfying to read about a character that I root for from the beginning. She's middle-aged, barely magical and has lived such a normal but hard working life. It is comic in parts, tragic in parts and the storyline moves along speedily. I thoroughly recommend it!
Four stars and I'm so looking forward to reading the next one in the series!
This book drew me in almost immediately. It felt real, the characters felt real and the place felt real! I have no doubt that readers of paranormal fiction will love it. It's so satisfying to read about a character that I root for from the beginning. She's middle-aged, barely magical and has lived such a normal but hard working life. It is comic in parts, tragic in parts and the storyline moves along speedily. I thoroughly recommend it!
Four stars and I'm so looking forward to reading the next one in the series!
March 31, 2021
Finding her way past her broken past relationships and broken family is not as simple as she hoped
A fanatic or three, plus at least one dark witch and one or more ex husbands make for a challenging return to her hometown.
Is there hope for a fresh start or at least some resolution for part of her past?
Dramatic and magical
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A fanatic or three, plus at least one dark witch and one or more ex husbands make for a challenging return to her hometown.
Is there hope for a fresh start or at least some resolution for part of her past?
Dramatic and magical
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 1, 2021
A Magic Touch is the first book in the Memory Guild and is a fantastic start to this new series.
I loved this new book. The characters are well depicted and I'm looking forward to learning more about them. The story is well written and has humour, murder, mystery, danger, and paranormal talents and entities. I can't wait for the next book in this new series.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
I loved this new book. The characters are well depicted and I'm looking forward to learning more about them. The story is well written and has humour, murder, mystery, danger, and paranormal talents and entities. I can't wait for the next book in this new series.
I read and reviewed this book with no obligation.
May 3, 2021
Darla, who is related to Missy the Freaky Friday heroine, has come home to San Marcos. Getting back on her feet after her second husband and hoping to run a bed and breakfast. But, with the purchase of the Hidalgo Inn there are a few extras besides the furniture. A grotesque, a vampire, and like all good old historical homes this one is haunted. Darla becomes involved in a murder investigation right away. And that's where the story really starts. This one wasn't as humorous as Ward Parker's other series.
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