When the Great War is over, will their love be enough?
After two years at the mercy of the Canadian Expeditionary force and the German war machine, Harry ran out of metaphors for death, synonyms for brown, and images of darkness. When he encounters color among the floating islands of Amiens and life in the form a widow and her little son, hope ensnares him. Through three more long years of war and its aftermath, the hope she brings keeps Harry alive.
Rosemarie Legrand’s husband left her a tiny son, no money, and a savaged reputation when he died. She struggles to simply feed the boy and has little to offer a lonely soldier, but Harry’s devotion lifts her up. The war demands all her strength and resilience, will the hope of peace and the promise of Harry’s love keep her going?
Uncaged Review: I really hesitated reading this book, as even though I love a good historical romance, I tend to lean toward the Regency, Victorian and Highland romances and have never been a huge reader of war-time stories. Secondly, it’s past the holidays and I normally don’t read them so soon after a holiday is over. But passing this book by, no matter what time of year, would have been a huge mistake. This is an epic love story – and the author’s descriptions and characters will pull you into the story and make you feel the emotions and love that Rosemarie and Harry build upon throughout the book. This is as real as it gets – the author makes me believe it’s her story and she lived it as the historical time period is so perfectly done. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Cyrene
Uncaged: You have a new book releasing on February 18, called The Lady is Trouble. Can you tell readers more about this book? This is the first in a series, how many books are planned for the series?
The Lady is Trouble is a book I had in my mind for YEARS! There’s a scene I don’t actually show in the book (though it is mentioned) that I can still see that was the start of the book for me. (The hero and heroine meeting as children.) The Lady is Trouble is a bit of a departure for me because so far I’ve only published historical romances set in the south. Trouble is set in England AND features magical realism (think supernatural activities that were actually very popular in the Victorian era). It tells the story of Julian Alexander, Viscount Beauchamp, and Lady Piper Scott — soulmates who find a second chance at love, mostly due to Piper’s stubborn conviction that they are destined to be together. Julian has the gift of sight and Piper is a healer. He has sworn to protect her but not love her–and the love story rolls from there. My books are fairly high heat (steamy) and aside from the mystical slant, it’s a true Victorian romance.
Trouble is the first in the League of Lords series, which will run five books (maybe one of those being a holiday novella) unless I’m loving the characters and it runs more! I’m already hard at work on the next in the series, Finn Alexander’s love story. Supposedly the most gorgeous man in England, so there is that. 😉
Uncaged: What inspired you to write in the historical romance genre?
Oh, boy. I started reading romance in college and the first I picked up was a historical. I called them the Lords & Ladies books. I just loved them and still do (I’m a huge reader of the genre — check out my Bookbub, that’s only from like the last 1.5 years!) So, when I decided to write (I was a journalism major, so writing no far off from what I wanted to do), I started a historical. But I’m southern, even though at that time I lived in New York City, so I set them there. I love the deep south settings. Small town, etc!
Uncaged: Several of your books are already in audio format. Is that a long process to turn the book into audio? Has it been well received by readers/listeners?
Yes, audiobooks are just booming! I’ve released three so far (The Garrett Brothers series) with three more coming up by March (including The Lady is Trouble). All can be found on Audible or my website www.tracy-sumner.com. I’ve worked with two narrators — and reviews are great so far. I’m just happy to reach readers in any way. It’s a love of the genre thing for me. And…it’s a new world out there for writers.
Uncaged: What are you working on next that you can tell us about?
I’m working on the second book in the League of Lords series. Still percolating about the title. He’s gorgeous, intelligent, sensitive (but alpha when he needs to be) and a mindreader. 😉 Yes, really. Of course he falls for the only person whose mind he can’t read. And…he’s the bastard of a viscount, so life is complicated. I love him already!
Read the rest of this interview in the issue below
Tracy’s story telling career began when she picked up a copy of LaVyrle Spencer’s Vows on a college beach trip. A couple of degrees (BA, Journalism-MA, Media Arts) and a thousand romance novels later, she decided to try her hand at writing a southern version of the perfect love story. With a great deal of luck and more than a bit of perseverance, she sold her first novel to Kensington Publishing.
Tracy has been awarded the National Reader’s Choice, HOLT Medallion, the Write Touch and the Beacon – with finalist nominations in the HOLT Medallion, Heart of Romance, Rising Stars and Reader’s Choice. Her books have been translated into German, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish.
She lives in the south, but after spending a few years in NYC, considers herself a New Yorker at heart. She loves hearing from readers about why she tends to pit her hero and heroine against each other or that great novel she simply must read.
FUN FACT
Tracy wrote part of To Seduce a Rogue in a hostel in Taipei, Taiwan and Tides of Love while living in Paris, in a building George Sand occupied on Rue de Seine.
In the first in Tracy Sumner’s captivating League of Lord series, mysticism in Victorian England is the setting for a captivating love affair . . .
What’s a rebellious woman to do when the man she’s meant for doesn’t believe in love?
After three years of waiting for Julian Alexander to realize they are destined to be together, Lady Piper Scott takes matters into her own hands. Because her gift as a healer has never done anything but distance her from the most principled man in England. A meaningless diversion as a medium, all done to gain a certain wandering viscount’s attention, backfires. As most endeavors have for a woman known in the ton as Scandalous Scott.
What’s a reluctant viscount to do when the woman he can’t have becomes the woman he can’t live without?
Julian Alexander, Lord Beauchamp, battled his way from the lowliest slum to assume his title. He carries not only a turbulent past, but a mystical gift that separates him from society. Honorable to his core, he is committed to protecting a community of outcasts with abilities like his own. He has no time, no place, for love. Or repeatedly rescuing the most outrageous, beguiling woman he’s ever known. Even if she needs his protection most—and he desires her above all others.
Seduction, intrigue and desire lead to an explosive passion… Julian vowed to shield Piper from the deadly foes seeking to possess her powerful gift. Although he needs her help in controlling his own, the mix could be deadly. Soon what was once a simple agreement to work together becomes enchantingly complex as they surrender to a timeless love…
Excerpt
There is nothing stable in the world; uproar’s your only music. John Keats
Chapter One London, 1865
Allowing the lady to lure him into her carriage had been a brilliant idea.
Julian Alexander stared at a spider crack in the ceiling of his Mayfair townhome and wondered when he might start to believe it. He could presume encountering a former lover outside Hatchards on an otherwise lonely evening was a fortuitous event if there weren’t the niggling—familiar—pinch of regret the moment his cock settled.
A faint sense of having erred, gone off the path and into a twilight woodland where one could be easily lost.
As lost as he’d felt stepping into her dimly lit carriage.
Julian watched Marianne wrap herself in his silk dressing gown, her chatter lulling him into a state of satiated distraction. Only the first and third word of each sentence filtering through, he found the conversation definitively complete. Earl, garden, tryst, scandal. Titles and the men who held them occupied her undivided interest. Each day spent investigating a riddle that had no solution.
Was not, in fact, worth the attention she devoted to it.
In all fairness, Julian could not judge.
His mystical gift separated him from a normal existence and made the world he’d been born into at times unrecognizable. Out of a sense of duty, he played the part of the gentleman for the solitary purpose of propping up the viscountcy, adhering to society’s rules while struggling to preserve his secrets and the secrets of those he protected. Of course, he tendered his title when it benefited himself or the League. But a barony would have profited as well and knocked him down a notch, perhaps enough to slip beneath the waves and be carried from view.
He closed his eyes and let the waves crash over him.
Then Marianne mucked it up by kicking the door to the past wide open.
He rose to his elbow, knocking the counterpane aside. Dragging his hand through his hair, he asked, “Repeat that, will you?” Alarm vibrated through his belly, like swimming in the sea and realizing a massive wave crested behind you. No, it couldn’t be. “Come again?” Marianne’s gaze settled where the sheet hung low on his hips. “So, you were listening.” She reached to touch, a stroke on air. Licked her lips in the event he didn’t register her appreciation. “Jules, with you, I never know.”
He slid high in the bed, suppressing his annoyance. Jules. He’d asked her to refrain from calling him that. Too. Many. Memories. “Marianne, the clairvoyant?”
Her smile grew luminous, her delight underscoring the scant attention he offered. Without trying to be a disdainful cad, it seemed he was precisely that. “Oh, darling, it was the most farcical evening! Ashcroft arranged for a fortune teller to entertain, and you know him. For a duke, he pushes the boundaries of propriety while always staying within the limit.” She leaned in, clutching the lapels of his dressing gown to her bosom. “I heard there was absinthe served to the men. Why, the festivities were enough to make a stuffed bird laugh!”
Julian hummed low in his throat and rose from the bed. He didn’t know but could imagine. Hell’s teeth, he thought and reached for his clothes, which lay in a tidy pile next to the chiffonier. Taken off without haste, neatly folded.
Slayer Princess Miranda, heir to the throne, has hated the Vampyres for a thousand years. Since the Awakening, she’s fought to protect her people, choosing to be a warrior more than a royal. When a female Vampyre washes up on the shore of her compound’s riverbank, she seizes the opportunity to take the offensive.
Sathan, King of the Vampyres, distraught at his sister’s disappearance and captivity, agrees to travel with Miranda to resect the Blade of Pestilence, also hoping to change his people’s state of endless war. Although the woman hates him due to the constant raids on her compound for the Slayers’ life-giving blood, he can’t help but admire the stubborn and strong princess.
As their journey progresses, both begin to understand that they are aligned in their hatred of Crimeous, leader of the Deamons, as well as their hope for peace between the Slayers and Vampyres. Determined to fight their growing attraction, they forge a tentative truce. But old wounds run deep and trust is scarce. Their faith in each other must remain strong or all will be lost…
Uncaged Review: What a great surprise this book turned out for me. It started a tad slow as the world was built and before I really got a firm grasp on the characters and how the different species were all linked together. But watch out, once this book starts moving, it is a fast moving train. In this world, the Vampyres only exist on Slayer blood, but instead of a peaceful existence between them, there is constant war. This story revolves around the Slayer, Princess Miranda and Vampyre, King Sathan. Miranda is looking to find peace between their people, and unfortunately she will need Sathan’s help.
There is a lot of great action – good sex scenes and a bit of humor sprinkled in. The chemistry between Miranda and Sathan is off the charts – and even though the overall arc in this story continues on for the series, it does wrap up and cement Miranda and Sathan’s bond. Well worth picking up. Reviewed by Cyrene
Uncaged: You have had a very busy 2019, and you are not slowing down at all in 2020! You have two new releases in January with co-writer Dawn Brower. Can you tell readers more about how that collaboration came about?
Dawn Brower and I have often worked together. When we started talking about an idea for heroines who do unusual things-fence, racehorses, run gaming hells-we knew we had to write it! As we talked about the possibilities, we decided it would be fun to write the series together, and so we did. What we planned as a four-book series has turned into eight books, with the final two releasing in early February.
Uncaged: You also have collaborated on several new box sets coming out in 2020. Can you tell readers more about them?
Oh Yes! 2020 is going to be an exciting and busy year! I am leading 5 box sets to release in February, May, August, September, and November 2020. The first two, Mad About Dukes and A May Day to Remember, are on preorder now! All of them are Regency/Victorian collaborations, including 6-9 authors, and two of them will be all-new material. In addition to the sets, I have 5 new books planned to release in 2020.
Uncaged: I’m almost afraid to ask this, but what are you working on next that you can tell us about?
I am currently finishing up Believe in Love, my January 21, 2020 release. It is book 5 in the Scandal Meets Love Series we talked about above. This one features Lady Brooke, who is a card shark and a horsewoman. “Lady Brooke Linwood never could have guessed what would happen after she saved the Earl of Templeton from a cutthroat in the ally behind Fortuna’s Parlor.” It is a blast to write!! After Believe in Love is completed, I will be starting work on book three in my A Rogue’s Kiss series, His Perfect Hellion. A fun Regency with a little spice, and the final book in that series. His Perfect Hellion is also on preorder and releases in March of 2020. After that, I will be writing my novella for one of the new material box sets, then diving into a secret connected worlds project with several other fabulously talented authors. In the meantime, I am also working on having my books translated into French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. Many of them already are. And I also have audiobooks in the works.
Uncaged: Past or present, which authors would you love to sit and have lunch with and why?
Johanna Lindsey would be my top pick. She is one hundred percent responsible for my love of Historical Romance, and I can only imagine she’d be a wealth of knowledge.
Read more of this interview in the issue below
USA Today Bestselling author Amanda Mariel dreams of days gone by when life moved at a slower pace. She enjoys taking pen to paper and exploring historical time periods through her imagination and the written word. When she is not writing she can be found reading, crocheting, traveling, practicing her photography skills, or spending time with her family.
Visit www.amandamariel.com to learn more about Amanda and her books. Sign up for Amanda’s newsletter while you are on her website to stay up-to-date on all things Amanda Mariel and receive a free eBook!
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A chance encounter… Finding herself in a rogue’s arms was the last thing Lady Phoebe Summerville imagined would happen while she was perched in the branches of a tree. Startled at her willingness while in the mystery man’s arms, she determined to forget him and return to Yorkshire. Little did she know, they would meet again.
An undeniable attraction… Graham Markham, Duke of Fairfax, knew better than to trifle with a debutante. Yet he found himself unable to refrain where Lady Phoebe was concerned. The woman created a desire in him that could not be ignored. A passion, that much to his dismay, did not cease when her family demanded he marry her.
A love that won’t be denied… Sickened at the notion that his past would bring shame and hurt to Phoebe, Graham does all in his power to end their engagement. Equally determined, Phoebe refuses to beg off and sets out to win the dukes heart. Unbeknownst to her, she already has. It is the very reason Graham wishes to protect her.
Can true love be denied? Or will Phoebe and Graham embrace their hearts desire come what may?
Excerpt
Graham stared up at the woman perched like a curious little bird in flowing skirts. What the devil was she doing in the tree? And who was the lovely creature?
He held out a hand as though he could reach her. “Allow me to help you down.” The woman did not reply but continued to stare back at him, her face shielded behind a plume of white feathers. His curiosity grew more with each beat of his heart. Who was the woman? A guest from the ball no doubt, but what was her name? And why was she stashed away in a tree? “What are you doing up there?” he asked.
She wriggled on the branch. “Go away. Forget you saw me, and I shall do the same.”
“I cannot leave you up there. For all I know, you’re stuck. A gentleman does not abandon a lady in need.” Even through the darkness he saw her eyes spark with annoyance, or was it anger? Either way it amused him.
“I am not in need of anything you have to offer. If you are a gentleman, you will leave me alone as I’ve asked you to do.” “Prove that you are not in need of rescue and I shall.”
She peered down at him. “I have no reason to prove anything.”
“Oh, but you do.” He stepped back, his gaze moving to the branches. He looked back up as he grasped a branch.
She watched in horror as he hefted himself into the tree. “Stop,” she called from her perch. “I’ll come down on my own.”
Graham fought the urge to continue his climb and dropped back to the ground, his gaze trained on the woman who now ascended the trees limbs. He should not give a damn about her reasons for being up there, but for some reason found himself beyond curious.
After all, t wasn’t everyday one found a lady in a tree.
When the local vampire coven hires him to stop an undead outbreak at the city graveyard, it sounds like money in the bank to everyone’s favorite down on his luck druid, Colin McCool. But when you’re cursed by an ancient fae sorceress with a score to settle, nothing is ever as it seems…
Colin McCool here, otherwise known as the Junkyard Druid. Not my favorite title, but since it’s my only title I guess I’m stuck with it.
But hey, things are looking up. Sure, a powerful and sentient magical artifact may have taken up residence inside my skull, and I’m still burdened with a nasty curse cast by an ancient sorceress of the Tuatha Dé Danann…
…but I’m trying really hard to look on the bright side of things.
Seeing as how I’ve been dragged back into the world of the fae, I figure I may as well be of use. And if I can make a little scratch while using my druidic talents for good and not evil, so much the better.
Which is why I took this job working for Austin’s vampire coven, cleaning up a ghoul infestation at the city cemetery. It’s not their work and they don’t want the heat, so they hired me to take care of it before it gets out of hand.
Easiest. Job. Ever. I’ll just whack a few ghouls, hide the bodies, and collect my fee.
I mean, seriously—what could possibly go wrong?
Uncaged Review: The second installment of this series has the author and his character really coming together nicely. This series is one of those that gets better and better. This time out, Colin has to bring down a powerful necromancer – but it won’t be easy and Colin will need help. I like that Colin is different than the normal heroes in the urban fantasy genre and the pacing is much better in this second book. The world here is building nicely and the snarky Colin is on point. There are some great secondary characters that Colin has built around him, whether he did it on purpose or not. Looking forward to book three. Reviewed by Cyrene
Ever since Callie—the Vatican’s rookie monster hunter—killed a demon a few weeks ago, Kansas City’s been eerily quiet.
But she soon learns it’s just the calm before the storm.
Because werewolves begin abducting young women in Kansas City, and a new church opens its doors, pronouncing death to all idols, including these ‘make-believe’ monsters and wizards.
But when one of their congregation is disemboweled by a monster on the steps of the church with the phrase God is dead painted in blood, someone in the church decides to take a lesson from the Salem Witch Trials… And the police seem to be helping.
Callie must catch the killer before Kansas City erupts in civil war. A civil war she inadvertently started. Before everyone decides to kill each other. Or worse yet, her.
But she’s being stalked. By something unseen. More than one something… And with so many new faces coming to Missouri—gods, legends, and nightmares—Callie begins to realize it’s all someone’s sick idea of a game.
And that Hell never really left Kansas City. Or Callie Penrose.
After all, they say Missouri loves company…
Uncaged Review: In the 2nd installment of the Feathers & Fire series, we learn more and more about Callie. I’m still not 100% sure exactly what she is, and maybe the author meant it to be that way. We see new alliances forming for Callie, some for pure reasons, some not, but as Callie’s world builds – things get more and more intricate. This series is set in Nate Temple’s world, and Nate does make a brief appearance and he’s mentioned often, but this book is all Callie and the group she is building around her. I think that the author is settling much better into this character than he did in the first book, and I’m liking the Kansas City world (this series) as much as St. Louis (Nate’s city). I like to see them intertwine once in a while, but Callie is definitely coming into her own. This series has a lot more religious undertones to it than the Nate Temple series, even though it’s not preachy, and no one should be offended, one way or the other.
The action scenes were spot on, and the suspenseful part of this book kept you guessing until the end, the twists and turns the book takes was pretty sweet. There are still a few things that need to come into enlightenment, but even though this series is a spin-off, it’s definitely earning it’s way. Reviewed by Cyrene
Hell hath no fury…like an angry god of the underworld.
Persephone is missing. When Hades uses every resource at his disposal and fails to locate his wife, he takes drastic measures. He hires the Montague & Strong Detective Agency to locate her, bring her back to him, and most importantly, find out who dared to kidnap his wife.
Now Monty & Strong must uncover a plot to overthrow Hades and steal the underworld, return Persephone to her husband unharmed, and prevent a god from unleashing his wrath and starting a celestial battle royale.
It’s not the end of the world…but it’s going to be close.
Uncaged Review: I loved some of the Easter eggs in this one, I share the same love of scifi that Mr. Sanchez does, may the force be with him. This is a great installment in this series, we even meet Cerberus. With Persephone kidnapped, Monty, Simon and Peaches are recruited by Hades to help retrieve her and re-seal Tartarus, but this time they are going up against the Lightbringers, Lucents under Tartarus’ control. And the Dark Council is coming to eliminate Monty and Peaches. A very intricate plan is laid out and it is a great fight. It’s hard to wrap my head around some of the action in these books, they are so well thought out.
I don’t understand how, but this series is just getting better and better. Eight books in, and I am still as thrilled with reading it as I was the first couple books, maybe even more so the more I know the group. You can’t go wrong with this series, and if you’ve never read this genre and want to give urban fantasy a try, this is a great series to jump in with. Can’t recommend it any more than I already do. Reviewed by Cyrene
I’m Natasha. Friends call me Tash. The world calls me troublemaker. No one knows I possess a deadly magic.
It was supposed to be a simple surveillance job, just like the zillion others I had run for my tough-guy benefactor, Tobias. An hour into it, I’m sitting with a dead body after barely surviving a warlock’s rampage.
I thought things couldn’t get any worse, but what did I know? Running point for Tobias or being witness to a murder was the least of my worries. Now I’ve been blackmailed into working with paranormal cop Ian, and I must help him find what the warlock is up to before he destroys whatever is left of our world.
Piece of cake, right? Sure, if you ignored the dark magic I was born with. I just might save the world from a warlock’s evil plans, but can I save it from the darkness that lies within me?
Uncaged Review: As the first book in a series, I see a lot of potential in this story. This is a futuristic, post-apocalyptic book that has a virus called the Scourge that wiped out half the population and messed with the DNA of many others and a magical world is born. What a great concept, but it has its flaws. The world building needed work, it’s not clear about a lot of stuff, and the reader has to piece it together little by little to make a broader view. This is told in Tasha’s point of view, which limits us to seeing through her eyes and she really needs to take better ownership of herself, and quit putting so much pity and blame on herself. That was rife throughout the book, and I really just wanted to choke her at times to make her see herself more clearly. I think if the book hadn’t been in her POV only, it would have given the reader a better clarity and the author really needs to get Tash out of her self-loathing attitude and give the readers a stronger minded heroine.
The action sequences were terrific, and I liked the magic that was presented in them. The evil that they fight, is pure evil, and the author did a good job not backing away from it. I am definitely looking forward to the next outing. Reviewed by Cyrene
Uncaged: Can you tell us more about your series, How To Be The Best Damn Faery Godmother In The World (Or Die Trying)?
Even though, they’re the ones with all the power, the fairy godmothers in old stories are never the heroines! I figured it was about time that they had a voice and I love the idea that there’s an office of fairy godmothers somewhere who are working flat out to grant wishes. Unfortunately, however, the office in this series is not a happy place, for all sorts of reasons. Think of it as The Office meets Mean Girls meets Cinderella. And then some!
Uncaged: You write mainly in the paranormal/urban fantasy genre. Where do you get your ideas for your stories?
I love the escapism of urban fantasy but the part that makes it enjoyable for me is that it’s rooted in real life. Usually there’s something from the real world that will set off a series of ideas for me – for example, I’m from Scotland originally and was brought up in a town that’s at the start of the imaginary line between the Highlands and the Lowlands. That sparked an idea about a series of books called Highland Magic, where the Lowlands are over-run by demons and only the Highlands are free. Or then there’s The Lazy Girl’s Guide To Magic, which came about from a chat with a friend where we agreed that we’d be useless in any ‘heroic’ situation because we’re both just too lazy at heart!
Uncaged: What are you working on next that you can tell us about?
I’m just about to begin a brand new series about a police officer who is murdered. She then wakes up in a morgue without any injuries – and realises that she’s just as magical as the vampires and werewolves she’s been hunting. But she has no idea who killed her or why and she’s determined to find out. I love starting a new series when everything is shiny and fun and all the kinks and details still have to be worked out!
Uncaged: Past or present, which authors would you love to sit and have lunch with and why?
Jane Austen! I’d love to talk to her about what it was like to write back then – and to see her face when she found out that her books and characters are still very much celebrated today. JRR Tolkien as well – I had a tutor at university who’d been taught herself by Tolkien at Oxford University and I’m still jealous all these years later!
Read the rest of the interview in the issue of Uncaged Book Reviews below
After teaching English literature in the UK, Japan and Malaysia, Helen Harper left behind the world of education following the worldwide success of her Blood Destiny series of books. She is a professional member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and writes full time, thanking her lucky stars every day that’s she lucky enough to do so!
Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland.
She currently lives in Devon in the UK with far too many cats – not to mention the dragons, fairies, demons, wizards and vampires that seem to keep appearing from nowhere.
Muddled magic. Missing faeries. She’s having one spell of a day at work…
Saffron Sawyer has ambition by the bucketload and magic at her fingertips.
When she lands a position at the esteemed Office of Faery Godmothers, she thinks all her dreams have come true.
But it’s not all glitter and glass slippers, especially with emerald eyed Jasper, the Devil’s Advocate, who is looming over everything. And when Saffron learns that other faery godmothers have been going missing, she realises that she might just be in over her head.
Wishful Thinking is the first book in the refreshingly original How To Be The Best Damn Faery Godmother in the World (or Die Trying) urban fantasy series. If you love determined heroines, enchanting spins on old tales, and clever twists and turns, then you’ll love Helen Harper’s captivating story.
Excerpt
Chapter One
The monster was bloody massive. Despite the soupy fog surrounding us, his features were still clear. His angry red eyes glowed, almost laser sharp in their intensity, while his green skin glistened wetly in the drizzle. He opened his mouth, jaws yawning wide. The roar which ensued just after was in equal measures ferocious and terrifying. I beamed proudly.
The bolder of my three trainees raised his hand. Normally, I wouldn’t countenance questions in the middle of a client session. For now, however, I’d allow it. I had a few seconds to spare and I was feeling generous.
I nodded towards him. ‘Yes?’ He swallowed. ‘Isn’t it rather derivative? I mean, giving him green skin and all. It’s not very original.’
The kid deserved to go to the top of the class. I snapped my fingers at him. ‘Exactly! It’s not supposed to be innovative. You have to ensure that you are creating something which is connected in some way to reality. If you stray too far and let your imagination run riot, then you run the risk of either at worst turning your client psychotically crazy or at best making him completely dismiss your conjuration and forget about what he’s seen.’ I pointed at the hunched over figure in the doorway. ‘If he can believe that his own mind created that monster, then you’ll have more success in your endeavours.’
‘I thought that as dope faeries we are supposed to give them the best trip possible.’
‘We are.’ I explained further. ‘And the best trip possible is the one that your client can believe in. To a certain extent anyway. You can’t give them more than their own minds can cope with. When Duncan Smith here properly sobers up, he’ll believe that the mushrooms he ate were fantastic. He’ll think that he hallucinated a monster akin to the Incredible Hulk because last week he saw part of the film when he sneaked into the local cinema. He’ll be more inclined to have mushrooms again, instead of progressing to harder substances which will only lead to his eventual demise. And,’ I gestured to his expression, ‘he’ll continue to enjoy himself.’
All three trainees stared at Duncan’s glazed expression. His mouth was indeed curved up into a goofy smile, with his tongue lolling out happily. The trail of drool curling down from his bottom lip was somewhat off-putting but fairly par for the course.
October, 1962 It’s almost Halloween, but something a lot scarier than ghosts is on everyone’s mind: nuclear war. After President Kennedy’s speech to the nation about the Cuban Missile Crisis, Grace Ingraham overhears her parents’ plans to keep her safe. She’ll be sent off to live with a wealthy uncle—in the nineteenth century.
Gracie’s from a family of Travelers, people who can escape into time. Too bad her mom and dad haven’t Traveled since their honeymoon trip to the Lincoln Inauguration. So Grace will have to go alone—even though taking a wrong turn can have serious consequences: like heading for 1890, and ending up …in 2018.
Uncaged Review: Gracie Ingraham comes from a family of Travelers—time travelers. Except she’s never actually seen her parents travel. They just talked about when they had. In October 1962, Gracie is a normal teenager living in New York. With the threat of the Cuban Missile Crisis looming, Gracie’s parents decide to send her back in time to her uncle in 1890. Except something goes awry and Gracie finds herself forward instead of backward, and suddenly plunked into 2018. Gracie is taken in by fellow Travelers Claire and Amp, a kindly couple who help her navigate the strange new world. She meets Dylan. The fast attraction and slow romance between Gracie and Dylan is sweet, and organic. Music and culture play strong roles in 2018. Gracie soon learns she can unwittingly travel through time, which brings new elements of danger her parents never expected. While entertaining, this story is not a romance in the sense of a happily for now or happily ever after. Gracie and Dylan are both teens, so a serious commitment would be out of place, but a few dates and a couple kisses are reasonable. Also, there was no conflict between them. Gracie travels, Dylan does not. Their easy acceptance of that short-changed any conflict that could have been between them.
This is a fantastic blend of Young adult, time travel, and suspense. Readers who enjoyed Ms. Potter’s previous three books in the series will recognize some familiar Travelers making guest appearances. This is the fourth book in the Bean Books series. Reviewed by Ryan Jo
Tracy’s story telling career began when she picked up a copy of LaVyrle Spencer’s Vows on a college beach trip. A couple of degrees (BA, Journalism-MA, Media Arts) and a thousand romance novels later, she decided to try her hand at writing a southern version of the perfect love story. With a great deal of luck and more than a bit of perseverance, she sold her first novel to Kensington Publishing.
After teaching English literature in the UK, Japan and Malaysia, Helen Harper left behind the world of education following the worldwide success of her Blood Destiny series of books. She is a professional member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and writes full time, thanking her lucky stars every day that’s she lucky enough to do so!