Lisa Rayns's Blog, page 30

The Last Visit Review

Winner of the Honorable Mention Award in the 2011 Warren Adler Short Story Contest, The Last Visit is based on the author's final visit with her 92-year-old father in hospice care.

Katherine Mayfield is the author of the award-winning memoir, The Box of Daughter: Healing the Authentic Self, Acting A to Z: The Young Person's Guide to a Stage or Screen Career, Smart Actors, Foolish Choices: A Self-Help Guide to Coping with the Emotional Stresses of the Business, The Box of Daughter and Other Poems, and the Kindle book Dysfunctional Families: The Truth Behind the Happy Family Facade.

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My review...
The Last Visit by Katherine Mayfield
A very heartfelt and touching short story that I really enjoyed. It’s well-written with a fundamental theme will stick with you for a while. I loved it.

Teatime Twists Review

Five short stories, each with a surprise ending.

Just when you think you know what's going on -- you discover you don't!

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My review...
Teatime Twists by Jennifer Hanning
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a great collection of intriguing short stories with delightful twists; short and sweet with enough suspense to keep me reading. The first and the last were my particular favorites.

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Nikki and the Vampire Review

A sophomore girl daringly dates a guy who is rumored to be a vampire. What will happen to her?
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My review...
Nikki and the Vampire by Yaritza Garcia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful little YA paranormal short story with and delightful unseen twist!

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Haunted Review

Have you ever heard something go bump in the night and wonder if someone was there? Only to go looking for the cause of the noise and find nothing at all. Or how about unexplainably feeling like you’re being watched when you’re completely alone? Things disappearing for no reason or strange ghostly footsteps in the hall? This book is a collage of short stories about a few of the otherworldly experiences I’ve had. Although they are not movie worthy, you may find them interesting. All the stories are 0 true. Nothing has been added for dramatic effect.

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My review...
Haunted by Willow Cross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was drawn to this book by the cover and 100% true part. Real accounts of ghosts which weren’t all spectacular but I found it interesting enough to keep reading. Great short stories, especially the last.

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Cell 3116 or How to Marry a Loser Without Even Trying Review

Lots of intelligent, attractive women with a lot going for them wind up with losers and I bet you're just dying to know how you can nab one for yourself. Well, look no further. Based on true events, this searingly funny yet sobering tale explores all of the choices we make in relationships without ever realizing how they will impact our lives. This "how to" guide can help you recognize the warning signs before you end up in "Loserville" or help you get there faster . . . if that's what you really want!

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Cell 3116 or How to Marry a Loser Without Even Trying by Dee Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book, and it’s so relevant in today’s society. Besides being well-written, funny, and animated, it’s also spot-on. I think any woman dating a man who their family and friends don’t approve of should read this book and seriously size that person up. By giving an eye-opening, blunt account of her own experiences, the author points out blatant clues/hints that you may have ignored along with undeniable proof that you need to call a loser a loser.

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St. Claws Christmas Book Blast

St. ClawsThings are not going well for Matt Haskel. He’s lost his job and the chance at his dream home, and can't even buy the one Christmas gift his son desires. His marriage is teetering, and the last thing Matt wants to do is spend Christmas Eve with his wealthy in-laws. 

But while driving there, the family SUV breaks down just outside a quaint little town called St. Claws, high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 

This last mishap convinces Matt this will be his worst Christmas ever. Little does he know just how wrong initial impressions can be. Or how consequential one little, innocuous wish can become. 

Happy holidays, Matt Haskel. You’re about to find out! 

After St. Claws, read the introduction to Alan Nayes’ powerful new paranormal romance, THE LEARNER. 

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Fadeout Review

Jan Solvang has spent her life avoiding conflict and commitment. Six months ago, she left a marriage proposal and a job in Seattle to care for her dying mother. Now she feels trapped in California with an inherited dog, working with her estranged father as a memorial event planner. Scriptwriter Roman Keller thrives on conflict. His documentaries reveal the flaws of the famous. Jan's challenge is to help him write a positive eulogy for a grandfather he despised, but Roman is more interested in her other client: a powerful attorney with a dark past his family wants buried with him. If Jan stands behind the family and Roman goes for the expose, who wins? The tension between them grows as each discovers the other is keeping secrets. Will the truth destroy their chance at love?

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FADEOUT by Rolynn Anderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a beautiful story though not what I expected. By the blurb, I thought it would be comical. I mean, fainting disorder? That screams humor to me. Instead, the humor was more subtle, mostly brought out with Roman, who is very loveable and unique. I say he is loveable because any man who realizes their mistakes and mans up to them gets points in my book. I found more mystery and serious drama, almost heart wrenching, than the lighthearted romance I was expecting. Still, it’s an excellent story that runs very deep with themes, characterizations, and understanding of the human condition. It’s very well-written and kept me interested the whole way through. I won this book in a contest and was very excited to read it. Loved it!

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Redemption Book Blast

Redemption (Legends of Graham Mansion)Be careful what you wish for. 

When the breakup of her family forces Grae White’s mother to move her two children from their privileged city life to her hometown in the mountains of Virginia, all Grae wants is to be invisible in her new life. But that’s rather hard when everyone knows that her father is the latest headline-grabbing white collar criminal, the most popular boy in school wants to take Grae to the prom, and then there’s that she lives in a haunted mansion. It would make anyone want to get away. Grae soon learns that a simple wish can reveal an unknown ability. 

Something more than curiosity spirals Grae back in time to seek the truth in the tragedy of a 200 -year-old murder. Along the way, she learns about history, happiness, and heartache in the lives of those who have lived on the property, including her own family. Her first journey reveals secrets that will lead Grae to further explore the legends of Graham Mansion. 

REDEMPTION is Book One in the Legends of Graham Mansion series. Look for the second story in the series, AMBITION, in spring 2013.
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Silver Lake Review

Rain Anderson can't decide which is more unsettling--encountering the ghost of her missing friend, or reuniting with the man whose love she foolishly rejected. But one thing is certain: the past has come back to haunt her, quite literally.

Five years ago, Rain's tight-knit group of high school friends unraveled when one vanished during their senior year. Now, a parent's deathbed request has reunited the friends at Silver Lake, including Jason Lansing, the man Rain discarded.

Rain and Jason discover the powerful attraction between them has survived, but though Jason is willing to forgive, he can't let himself forget. The possibility of falling for Rain again is too risky.

Slamming doors, crashing objects, flaring fires--clearly the ghost has a message to share. As Rain and Jason struggle to unravel the truth, they must face a desperate spirit in need of help--and a burning passion that refuses to die.

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Now for my review...

Silver Lake by Kathryn Knight
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hauntingly good!

This mystery is wonderfully crafted with lots of romance mixed in. The characters are realistic and brave. The plot and pacing kept me intrigued throughout and I got serious chills in spots. I found myself really pulling for the main characters to get together. It was a fabulous journey!



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If Wishes Were Shadows Review

Calinda Byer is all assertiveness in her daytime life, but when it comes to the bedroom, she leaves her will at the door with her clothes. Her vampire Dom, Adam Straton, refuses to turn her until she has witnessed the darker side of immortality and the true depths of his sexuality -- including his male vampire lover. A weekend at his country estate promises dark, twisted delights the likes of which Calinda could never have imagined. All she has to do is use the safe word, and she can return to the "normal" world alone. But will she?

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Now for my review...

If Wishes Were Shadows by A. Sangrey Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an adult book and if you like vampires and twisted erotica, you’ll like this. This is the first book I’ve read from this author. The characters and plot are well-developed and it is well-written. It’s not steamy, hot erotica but it has a decent story that I really enjoyed. It managed to hold a pleasing level of romance, and I was happy with the length and the ending.

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