Voodoo Love by Victoria Richards--Review!

Oh man, I love summer reading! I can't ever seem to squeeze enough reading in before it's time for me to return to my second love after writing: teaching. This summer I've been blessed with some great books to read, as well as, a few stink-o-ramas. Next Wednesday I'm going to pretend to be Oprah and post my top summer reads.

Today I'm focusing on a great read that I think you'll enjoy--Voodoo Love by Victoria Richards. It's perfect for that last minute trip to the beach or just lounging on a hammock with a dirty martini. But be sure you have a someone your romantically involved with nearby--you're gonna need them after reading this book!

Yes, it is a paranormal romance, but it isn't all sex and damsel in distress type stuff. In fact, the protagonist is a pretty sassy chick named Elizabeth who has a wry sense of humor and a talent for getting into trouble.

Here is the synopsis from the book:

Elizabeth Brown is a gun totin' hottie--though she claims on the gun totin' part is right! Elizabeth knows what adventure is about or at least she would if her memory would ever come back to her. She's been told that two years ago she was chased by a greedy thug, Diego Martes, who believed she knew the location to a pirate treasure cursed by voodoo and hidden deep in the sultry bayous of Louisiana. During the process of escaping, Elizabeth's lover and assassin for hire, Juan Carlos Montoya, drowned trying to save her. Though she now lives in a government arranged marriage to a cop in the small town of Barataria Bay, Elizabeth is still trying to remember the past, remember the danger, and most of all remember Juan Carlos, the dead Latino dreamboat who dragged her into the mess in the first place.

When Elizabeth's idyllic new life is interrupted by a ghostly visit from a still sexy Juan, she finds herself once again plunged into unwanted intrigue. With his help, her memory of the past begins to come back, along with her memories of their nights of passion. Together they must outwit an insane villain, Diego and go back to where Jean Lafitte's cursed pirate treasure is hidden in order to lift a deadly voodoo curse that threatens to end their love forever.

Victoria Richards does a good job of blending humor, romance, and the paranormal together, drawing the reader in and holding their attention. Fast paced, the book is an easy read. By the way, it's actually episodic on Amazon, meaning you can buy each section individually for .99 or you can buy the whole thing. I think selling episodes is an interesting idea. It gives the reader a chance to see if they like it without committing to the whole thing. I know that Amazon already offers the sneak peek option, but this lets you go just a little bit further.

So let's talk characters: Elizabeth is a hoot and not a push over, despite her situation. She handles things with humor and sarcasm, but comes across as tough and confident, too. I would like to have known a tad more about her back story, but hey--it's meant to be episodic. I think she and Eddie have an interesting marriage and Eddie was full of surprises that kept me wondering what he was really up to.

I liked the relationship between Elizabeth and Juan. It's sexy, but got some funny moments that surprised me and that you don't usually find in this type of book. Think of Stephanie Plum and Joe Morrelli or that '80s movie, Romancing the Stone, and you'll understand what I mean. Diego was a strong bad guy, if not a bit of a stereotype, and I loved how the ghost of a long dead pirate affected him. I think having victims of your past crimes haunt you would be a pretty gruesome thing to deal with!

Each episode ends with a cliffhanger and I have to admit that there were a few endings that really surprised me! These days that's tough to do.

Of course, I'm always a sucker for a tale that takes place in the bayou or in New Orleans and in this book, I got the best of both worlds. I hope Victoria Richards is busy writing something new!

You can check out Voodoo Love for yourself or learn more about the author at the following links:

http://www.amazon.com/Voodoo-Episode-Totin-Hottie-ebook/dp/B008CTCKSG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344003379&sr=8-1&keywords=voodoo+love

http://victoria-richards.com/

The Finding by Timothy Cavinder--Excerpt and Giveaway!

I love discovering great new summer reads, don't you? That's one of the many reasons I enjoy being a tour host for Innovative Online Book Tours. Today I'm sharing with you an excerpt from Timothy Cavinder's novel The Finding. We are also giving away a free copy of the book too! Be sure to enter the raffle below!

Excerpt:

On the day Horace’s truck wouldn’t start he called Henry Bill to give him a ride into town. Horace needed to pay his property taxes, today being the final day allowed for such transactions and also he needed to purchase a new white shirt. The reason for the new shirt was the occasion of an impending visit from his older brother Donald and his wife of several years Vivian. Donald visited Horace every year much like a pilgrimage as Donald had promised their mother on her death bed that he’d keep an eye on Horace. The reason for this request remains unknown perhaps it was just a mother’s worry or it may have been the effects of the painkillers and the sips of Kentucky whiskey she liked to take from her bedside bottle.

Horace got along fine with Donald who managed a shoe store in the next county but he always felt nervous around Vivian. For Vivian was as they say “taken by the Lord.” She was as devout as they come, underneath her cold steely eyes lurks all the wrath that fire and brimstone could offer. Horace felt she never seemed happy and if that was what loving the Lord turned a person into he’d just as well remain in the liking column, nothing wrong with that he thought: nothing wrong with just liking the Lord and then I can still be happy.

Horace always wanted to look and act his best around her as he felt she looked down on him. So, a new shirt every year was Horace’s manner of proclaiming “I’m doing just fine. I have a new shirt don’t I?”

And so Henry Bill, driving his old four door that used to be a taxi, pulled up in front of Horace’s house to give him a ride into town.

“Hey ya,” Henry Bill calls out with a slight wave.

Horace nods and begins walking down the steps of his front porch and down the short sidewalk to the street. Having received his passenger Henry Bill slowly pulls away from the curb.

“What’s wrong with it?” He asks his friend.

”It’s making a grinding sound, then nothing,” Horace answers.

“Bouts where?”

“Under the hood, right side. I think anyway, I’m not sure.”

“That truck’s been trouble for you lately ain’t it?”

“Yeah, but it’s a good truck. I’ve had it for so long I don’t want to give up on it. I just need to figure it out that’s all.”

“Yep,” Henry Bill says as they approach town. “Where ya headed Horace?”

“Just downtown is fine, gotta pay at the courthouse and then to the Dixie May.”

“New shirt? Your brother coming again?”

“Yep, that time of year.”

“Boy, oh boy time sure flies,” Henry Bill says.

“That it does Henry. That it does.”

 

Horace felt quite comfortable calling Henry Bill for a ride as they have known each other since childhood. Henry Bill was the only child of Dee and Vernon MacArthur. When Henry started school Dee took a housekeeping job for the Ginleys. They were and always have been the richest family in Fair County, the only rich family actually. Vestor Ginley, the old man, made his money investing in Texas oil fields and foreign stocks. He wasn’t from here originally he showed up one day fifty years ago and bought up the seventy three acres that once made up the Winnie Ladlow farm (Winnie the window died with no known heirs.) And so Vestor hired a staff, put in crops, brought out his wife and raised five children all of whom divided their time between the farm in Fair county and New York City where Vestor owned a townhouse and liked to stay close to his business contacts.

When Dee took the job, Ginley had been there for forty years and was now as they say “getting up there in years.” His hearing and eyesight weren’t nearly what they used to be. Dee neither attempted to avoid him or interact with him. She saw him occasionally sitting in the parlor drinking coffee or sitting out on the porch with his large black Newfoundland at the old man’s feet.

Dee took the job for the sole reason that most folks take jobs: she needed the money. Since her husband Vernon had been let go from the machine shop he tried his hand at farm help but it tore up his back so bad the doctor gave him some pain pills that Vernon liked so much he took them every day for a week sleeping the entire week away. He said it gave him good dreams but by the time he got back on his feet his job had been filled. So, Vernon went out looking for work and the best he could come up with was a position selling shoes door to door, he did okay but was gone a lot and what money he sent home wasn’t enough to make ends meet so Dee took the job not always sure how she was going to pay the bills and not sure if Vernon would ever return.

Her premonition proved correct as one week when Vernon was due home he didn’t show up. As she washed the dishes in the kitchen sink she didn’t need to think twice she knew; “he’s gone.”

This was when Henry Bill was ten years of age. He learned to help bring in the badly needed money and help around the house. He learned to live life as an only child without a father and was never heard to say much about it then or now.

“Here be good,” Horace says as they approach the courthouse. Henry Bill pulls over to the curb and stops.

“You want me to look at your truck sometime? I be glad too,” Henry Bill offers.

“Well, all right but let me ask Roy first,” Horace says stepping out of the car and onto the sidewalk.

“Let me know then,” Henry Bill waves.

Horace waves back then turns and walks toward the courthouse.

Timothy Cavinder Online:

Website http://www.cavinder.com/

Blog http://wwwtimothycavinder.blogspot.com/

Good reads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13491255-the-finding

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