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Showing posts from May, 2024

Book Review: 'Black Water Sister' by Zen Cho

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Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was drawn to the book because of its setting. My parents were born in Malaysia, and many of my relatives still live there. Zen Cho definitely is an authentic voice for that part of the world. Her dialogue is spot on, and her characters feel so real they could be my relatives. Not only that, her description of how people in Malaysia and Singapore view the supernatural is funny, and devastatingly accurate. Cho’s protagonist Jess is a sympathetic figure. Brought up in the U.S. by conservative Malaysian-Chinese parents, she has a foot in both the West and the East, and a hard time belonging to either. Her problems are compounded when she moves with her parents back to Malaysia. She is haunted by her deceased grandmother and dragged against her will into a world of gods, gangsters and Chinese mediums. The book is an engaging read with many layers. It’s about the clash between cultures, generations, religions, and the modern versus the old. It is about the clash within

'The Soul Stealer' Is Now Available in eBook, Paperback Formats

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The Soul Stealer is now available in paperback. This means the complete Geomancer’s Apprentice series is available in both ebook and paperback. Yay! If you haven’t already read it, the series is about two underdog feng shui practitioners who find, to their dismay, that they must save the world (or at least Washington, D.C.). Please check the books out if you’re in the mood for fast-paced adventures set in a supernatural world of Asian magic, feng shui, ghosts, monsters, dragon lines and minor gods. Click here to read my thoughts on releasing the final book in the series. If you're interested in reading a deleted scene from The Soul Stealer , please subscribe to my newsletter. Get the details here . Here's the blurb for The Soul Stealer : ***************** How do you fight a phantom from a nightmare? Feng shui practitioners Junie Soong and Joe Tham are still dealing with the fallout from their last case. They are forced at the same time to work for the secretive ben

Book Review: 'Bringing Home the Rain' by Bob McGough

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Five stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I’m totally enchanted by protagonist Howard Marsh. I mean, this man is seriously flawed. He’s a down-and-out addict who lives in a storage container and is well-known to the police. He calls himself a methgician and ekes out a petty life doing small jobs with the magic that runs in his family. Marsh manages to redeem himself, however, through surprising acts of kindness and sacrifice. In Marsh, author Bob McGough has crafted a complex and interesting character. You want to hate him, but you also love him. This character will stay with me. I also love the rural lore, and the beauty that McGough brings out in the dirt roads and ramshackle buildings of Jubal County. This first book of the series has the protagonist engaged in two separate jobs. Both adventures are well-written and engaging. I especially liked the second story because it shows more facets of Marsh’s character. I highly recommend this book.

It's May! Ready for New Reads?

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Is it time to find your next favorite author or book?  I'm part of this promotion featuring a fantastic collection of urban fantasy authors.  If you love urban fantasy then you'll definitely want to browse this selection of new releases, sales, and first in series. There are some amazing books to discover and new series to binge! The promotion is on for the month of May. Please check it out:  https://books.bookfunnel.com/faka-books-may/cia0relop9