boeklogboek: Entangled, A Paranormal Anthology.

A collection of stories by Allison Brennan, Lori Brighton, Michelle Diener, Cynthia Eden, Jennifer Estep, Misty Evans, Nancy Haddock, Liz Kreger, Dale Mayer, Michelle Miles and Edie Ramer, published September 7, 2011.
Genre: paranormal romance / urban fantasy

Ghosts, vampires, demons, and more! Entangled includes ten suspense-filled paranormal short stories from authors Cynthia Eden, Jennifer Estep, Edie Ramer, Lori Brighton, Michelle Diener, Misty Evans, Nancy Haddock, Liz Kreger, Dale Mayer, and Michelle Miles, plus a Seven Deadly Sins novella by Allison Brennan.
Stacia Kane contributed the foreword. Formatting and cover art were also donated to the project by Lori Devoti and Laura Morrigan.

All proceeds go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Stories include:

Jennifer Estep – Halloween Frost
Mythos Academy 1,5
It's Halloween at Mythos Academy, but Gwen Frost and her friends are in for more tricks than treats when they run into a mythological monster intent on killing them.

I really enjoyed this story, which is set in the Mythos Academy series. Gwen, Daphne and her boyfriend Carson are out in the village downhill from the Mythos Academy trick or treating, when they are attacked by a Prowler. Luckily, Gwen’s crush Logan Quinn is nearby to safe them. Together with Gwen, they attack the Prowler, and kill the beast. And just when Gwen and Logan have a moment together, Logan’s current girlfriend interrupts.

Great short story, I enjoyed it a lot.
8 stars.

Edie Ramer – The fat cat
In a battle for the souls of seven women, a wizard has the god of war on his side; all the witch has is a fat, black cat.

Tory just broke up with her boyfriend, and has decided to take a cat this time, no more men! So she goes with her brother and sister-in-law to a cathouse? to pick up a cute little kitten. But instead of that kitten, she takes home with her an old black cat named Samson. Because he can mind speak with her, and he will be killed if she doesn’t take him. And against better judgment, Tory takes him. Samson is not an easy cat, he has all the bad habits of cats and men, but Tory loves him anyway.
As she is a witch, and she does not want to loose him to old age and his many ills soon, she tries a spell to make him a young cat again. It does not work. Then the mother of a friend calls her, asking for help. Her daughter Nikki is under the wicked influence of a warlock, and is acting like a zombie, and could Tory please rescue her.
The warlock is a rich and famous man, and the police won’t do anything. Of course Tory has to try, which makes the warlock smile. He will just add her to his collection. But Samson has other ideas, he will protect his witch!

What a lovely story, the love between woman and cat, a magical battle, and a very surprising but fun ending. I liked it a lot.

8,5 stars.

Nancy Haddock – Medium Rare.
What's spooking the spirits of St. Augustine? As the witching hour of Halloween approaches, ghost seer Colleen Cotton must team with a by-the-book paranormal investigator to locate the one ghost who can save the city's specters. If she fails, her own great grandfather's spirit may be lost forever.

The spirits of St. Augustine are restless, apparently the ghost of a pirate is coming back to steal their souls, and only the spirit of the young girl who vanquished him over 300 years ago, can defeat him again. So with the help of the other spirits, she calls out for Guillelmina. And it is all being witnessed by her nemesis, Brick and his paranormal investigation team. Will he believe in her now, and the technical evidence he is trying to gather? Or will he continue to slander her name?

I’ve never read anything by Nancy Haddock before, but I certainly will try her books! I really liked this very short story, the atmosphere it conjured. And I was oddly moved by it all. Which means Nancy Haddock can create great characters in just a few words.

9 stars.

Misty Evans – Sweet Demon
When Chicago's vampire king insists Kali Sweet join his empire, the vengeance demon must rely on her ex - the half-human, half-chaos demon who left her at the altar three hundred years ago - in order to escape the vamp's clutches.

Kali Sweet is ordered by the Supernatural council, the Bridge, to caution the local Vamp King Nudra. He has been trafficking in blood slaves, which is against the law. One more violation, and he will be punished. By castration, which will kill his bloodlust, and will dethrone him all at once. The Vampire King is not happy with that threat, and that after he tried to buy her. So he sends his demon goons after her, only to have them fail when her ex-fiancé shows up. After almost 300 years all he can comment on is her hair? Really? But the next day he is at her door, wanting to talk, but Kali just closes the door in his face after grabbing the coffee he brought with him. But Rad is persistent, and shows up every day. And Kali gets used to it, lets down her guard, and gets kidnapped by the goons after all.
Tortured, and forced to have bloodslaves of her own, so she cannot refuse working with Nudra anymore. But then Rad comes to safe the day. Or does she safe herself afteral?

I have read some of Misty Evans’ stories before, but this one is really good, even though it is so short. I want to read more about Kali Sweet and her life, this little preview only whetted my appetite. I like Misty’s writing style and sense of humor, and the world she has created.

9 stars.

Dale Mayer – Sian’s Solution
When a vampire discovers the human man she loves has been captured and hung in a blood farm, she goes against her own kind and risks everything to save him.

I have not read anything by Dale Mayer, nor can I remember ever reading about her books. This is a very short story. Vampires and humans co-exist, kind of, though relationships between the two species are frowned upon. Some vampires are operating an illegal blood farm, keeping humans like cows on meathooks, harvesting their blood. When Taz is taken, Sian goes undercover to try to rescue him. She tried to brake up with him, but he followed her into vampire territory.

I liked it, though it is really very short for me to be able to get a good understanding of the authors writing style. Still, I liked this worldbuilding.

Cynthia Eden - A bit of a bite
A killer is stalking the streets of Crossroads, Mississippi, and it's up to Sheriff Ava Dushaine to stop him. But when suspicion falls on werewolf alpha Julian Kasey--Ava's ex-lover and the man who still haunts her dreams--Ava knows that she'll either have to prove his innocence...or watch the whole town go up in flames.

Another story that makes me long for more. Sheriff Ava Dushaine is sheriff in a town divided between humans, vampires and werewolves. She is supposed to keep the peace between them. But someone, or something is killing humans, and the humans are getting afraid, afraid enough to form a mob soon and kill all the vampires and werewolves before they are to be killed themselves.
Ava has a history with the werewolf Alpha though, and now she will have to take him in for questioning. Julian can hardly believe it, but Ava is deadly serious. There is almost a civil war on her hands if she cannot stop those murders. And the dead journalist wanted to interview Julian. Julian claims to have been set up, but who would be fool enough to do that? But when all the vamps are killed, Ava has no choice but to believe him.
Could the legend of the Blood Moon be true after all? Werewolves are born, but on the night of Halloween, humans can be changed into werewolves, by the Alpha …

I really liked this story. I have never read a book by Cynthia Eden before, but I do like her writing style. It is fluent, fast paced, and her characters are very likable. Ava is a strong woman, and no matter the attraction she feels for Julian, her duty comes first. I admire that in her. There is no background story on Julian, but he is strong, and he wants Ava. But he is patient enough to wait for her to come to him. Until she is in danger, and then the wolf takes over, protecting her.
Yes, I liked it.

8 stars.

Michelle Miles – Sinfully Sweet
When Chloe bakes a little magic into her pastries, she attracts the attention of Edward, the sexy half-demon, half-witch, who's come to warn her those who murdered her sister are now after her.

Chloe ran from the coven who murdered her sister, and opened up a little bakery. She can’t resist to put a little magic in her muffins and cupcakes and cookies though, and that is how she is found by Edward, a half witch-half incubus. But just when they are getting naked, another demon shows up, determined to take her back to the coven, and with her sister’s pendant. Can she trust Edward, or are they working together?

A sweet tidbit of a story, and I really want to know more. The writing style is fluent, and I think this could become a story with very hot lovescenes. Looking forward to reading more by Michelle Styles.

8,5 stars.

Lori Brighton – A night of forever
Who is Aidan Callaghan? Mary Ellen James is intent on uncovering the truth about the mysterious man, but as she soon finds out, some things are best left buried in the past.

I really could not get into this story. Historical vampire mixture. DNF this one, so no rating.

Liz Kreger – Feel the Magic
Jenna Carmichael's magical attempt to rectify Jessica Manfield's birth identity takes an unexpected turn when the past comes back to haunt her.

This was a very fun story, a Practitioner is contract to turn a woman into a cat. Jessica claims she was born a cat in a woman’s body, and she wants to be turned. Everything has been organized legally, which took months. And now, on the eve of Halloween, Jenna attempts the spell. But when someone interrupts, the magic goes awry. But is that really a wrong thing?

This little story definitely puts Liz Kreger on my want to read list!

8,5 stars.

Michelle Diener – Breaking Out
Imprisoned in a secret facility, powerful telekinetic Kelli Barrack and two other 'special' inmates grab a chance to escape, only to confront their worst nightmares on the outside.

Wow, this little story makes me want to keep on reading, to find out more. Unfortunately, this is it, as it is not her “normal” genre. I want to know what Giles is, and more about the why and the who and the how, and just everything! Michelle Diener really grabbed my attention with this short story.

9 stars.

Allison Brennan – Ghostly Justice
Demon hunters Moira O'Donnell and Rafe Cooper are dragged into the dangerous world of nocturnal predators to find "Ghostly Justice" for a virgin sacrificed to an ancient blood demon.

The last story in this anthology, and the longest. It was good, but still could not really hold my interest for long periods of time. There was just something missing, some suspense, some more explanations. It is part of the Seven Deadly Sins series, which I haven’t read. Moira and Rafe’s powers are increasing, and well, sometimes very conveniently they just knew what had happened, and what would happen next. A bit too easy perhaps. More tell than show. I will read the series though, as I am curious about this worldbuilding, and the fighting of the seven deadly sins who escaped from Hell as demons.

7 stars.

It is only $ 2,99 at Amazon at the moment, and in my opinion totally worth it. All proceeds go to breast cancer research. So, what are you waiting for? Here is the Amazon buy link:
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