Author K. Celeste Bryan Spins two stories that will take the reader back in history Where the Rain is Made and Sojourn With A Stranger
Sojourn With A Stranger, K. Celeste Bryan• E-book: electronic, digital formatting
• Publisher: New Concepts Publishing
• Language: English
• ISBN: 978-1-60394-246-1
Where The Rain Is Made(312 pages) Rating (Spicy)
Review from Paranormal Romance (PNR), CHOSEN BOOK OF THE MONTH AT PARANORMAL ROMANCE REVIEWS, JUNE, 2009
“Historical Romance to Sweep You Back in Time!”
Orphaned when her parents died in a fishing accident in Virginia , Raine Brinsley wants nothing more than to head straight home to Maine and forget her sadness and trauma of nearly drowning. Unfortunately, without her parents’ protection, Raine is penniless and homeless. The owner of the boat on which they were sailing, Derek Stafford, has graciously offered to let her stay as long as needed and also to pay her passage to return home. Raine refuses to receive charity, so they agree that she will become a chambermaid at Stafford House until she has earned enough money to return home.
Stafford House has an underlying sadness that Raine does not fully understand, but Derek explains that his wife Lucinda passed on six months previously, and Raine believes this to be the reason – until she feels the presence of an unsettled spirit inhabiting the upstairs hallway.
Derek Stafford is torn between grief for his wife and the duty he feels to his father. Julian Stafford is an old-fashioned and unyielding man who is most insistent that either Derek or brother Lyman father a male heir to carry on the proud name of Stafford . Lyman and his wife have three daughters, while Lucinda suffered both miscarriages and stillborns. Julian offers the first son to produce a male heir Stafford House and its vast acreage, and Derek, loving Stafford House and his way of life, hatches a plan. He has a contract drawn up that offers Raine ten thousand dollars if she will agree to bear the male heir his father so desperately wants, and then relinquish the child, never to see him again. Raine is taken aback when Derek presents his proposal but eventually agrees. Will Raine honor the contract as presented? Will Derek reconsider the decision?
I applauded Raine for her strength in the face of her parents’ deaths, especially during a time where women were seen as needing constant protection. Her determination not to accept Derek’s charity was admirable, as was her willingness to tackle any job she was assigned. Although she was a strong woman, her gentleness was demonstrated in her concern for the spirit and her attempts to understand its message. The contrasts within the family were quite believable, and the characters were well developed and realistic, though not always likable. This story has everything and then some – romance, birth, death, voodoo, adventure, psychic ability, and a touch of Civil War – and I could not put it down. K. Celeste Bryan has once again done a wonderful job of involving the reader in the lives of her characters, and I highly recommend this book.
5 out of 5 stars
Spanish Author Glenn Stuart Brings Reader The Well of Despair and his Newest Release Cold Hell in Darley Dene released date Oct 2009
![coldhell_cover_single[1]](http://yvonnemason.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/coldhell_cover_single1.jpg?w=197&h=300 "coldhell_cover_single[1]")
The action of this story takes place in the years immediately after the end of the Second World War. The details are recalled by ‘Uncle Ben’ who was a twelve year old at the time. He and his friends play in a derelict area known as ‘Darley Dene’. This place used to be an army camp during the War. During the terrible March blitz on Merseyside in 1941, the camp was suffered a direct hit and many men were killed. When the story unfolds, the underground bunker in which the men sheltered is long forgotten, buried under a mound of rubble and earth. But Ben’s adventurous streak leads him to rediscover the bunker. In so doing, he uncovers a great deal more. He is being ‘visited’ by the spirit of his dead father, who was killed in a commando raid in the War. His father seems to be guiding him and protecting, most notably against the horrible bully, Neville, who is intent on making Ben’s life a misery.
Ironically, it is Neville who is with Ben when they become trapped inside the bunker, and both boys relive the terrible events of that awful night, being witnesses to the fate and suffering of the men sheltering inside.
The story weaves mystery and antagonism to create an atmosphere of suspense and, in the final scenes, real horror. It is a story, I believe, which would appeal to a young adult audience, most especially boys, who will relate to the characters and exploits depicted.
REVIEW
We have now had time to go through your above-mentioned manuscript,
and have found it to be a splendidly written and compiled piece of
work. It is extremely precise and beautifully presented…and is a
wonderful story!
As your protagonist proceeds on an exciting and thrilling journey back
into the past, you have cleverly managed to create a diversity of
atmospheres with which to feed the imagination of the reader. From
normal everyday life (not without its ups and downs) you gradually
transport one – alongside Ben – into the strange world of the
metaphysical with its ghostly apparitions and materialisations, along
the way eliciting a variety of emotions ranging from compassion for
the fatherless boy; fearfulness each time Neville appears on the
scene; bewilderment over the things he begins to see and hear;
confusion at the attitude of his Mother and Nan; humility and sadness
as you re-create glimpses of the horrors of war; and eager expectation
as one tries to anticipate the final outcome. Particularly moving was
Ben’s ‘meeting’ and final ‘parting’ with his father.
You have also introduced elements of uncertainty, surprise, outrage,
eerieness (is there such a word?), a touch of gruesome horror, and
vengeance, as you slowly build up towards a very moving and touching,
but also very satisfactory, ending – the whole resulting in an
enthralling package of mystery and adventure.
Your characters are well described; the dialogues believable, and the
story line intriguing. In particular your scenes in the shunting yard
and the tunnel are exceptionally well narrated.
Speaking personally now, I related to this work very well, as mention
of the old mangle; the ‘clip on the ear’; the being pushed underneath
the kitchen table (in my case) when the sirens went off; and the stoic
attitude of the women who simply ‘got on with what had to be done’,
etc. all brought back memories of my own childhood very strongly, and
of the wonderful esprit de corps which prevailed amongst the majority
of ordinary people pulling together against a common enemy.
…as he looked in the glass he could still see the figure. He frowned. Yes, it was definitely the same figure, but now…
His heart almost stopped and tiny beads of cold sweat began to break out across his forehead.
The figure he could see was no longer standing at the top of the path.
What he could see was a reflection.
The figure, dressed in its coarse brown habit with its face hidden by the deep folds of its hood, was standing behind him, in his room!’
When twelve-year-old Robbie moves to his new home, he begins to explore the surroundings. Together with his friends, he uncovers the long forgotten remains of a Dark Age priory. But in so doing, he unearths something far more sinister. He is not the first to have come here, and each visitor has suffered in some way. And now, an ancient evil has been re-awakened, one which is intent on regaining the hidden secrets of the Well of Despair. Robbie’s life is about to change forever!
Glenn Stuart lives with his family in the mountains of southern Spain. ‘The Well of Despair’, a fantasy/horror for young adults, but with themes that everyone will enjoy, is his first book. He believes in ghosts!
His second release Cold Hell will be out in October
VISIT MY WEB SITE AT www.horroronthecosta.com
Celtic Evil By Sierra Rose
The first in a five part paranormal series in which five brothers must each face their own personal challenge against a foe that seeks to destroy their very line.
Once a world famous young singing group, the Fitzgerald Brothers of Fitzgaren, Ireland believed they had it all. Until an ancient witch took the lives of their parents and ended up separating them
Now, it has been fifteen years and that evil has returned to finish the job since the long-time family prophecy has said it will only take one of the five brothers to fall in death or surrender to evil to make it fail.
Reuniting for the first time since their parents deaths, the brothers must get past the pain, their differences and years apart to begin stopping the threat,.
Roarke Fitzgerald, the fourth born son, has been many things in his twenty-six years but mainly he has been running from his past since the fateful day he witnessed his parents’ murder.
Now, forced to return to the land of his birth to face his shame and pain to protect those he cares for from harm or all that he loves will end. Can he do that or will his own demons destroy his chance for peace and love.
Can he forget his past and the bitterness he left behind and reform a bond between his brothers that many, both within their family and without, have worked hard to shred?
It will take all his power and that if his brothers to take the first step in defeating the demon who sought his death so long ago and now will seek it again if he cannot face and overcome this first challenge.
Some Links:
Amazon book
http://www.amazon.com/Celtic-Evil-Fitzgerald-Brother-Roarke/dp/1448619831/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246062292&sr=1-1
Kindle edition:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0028AD7CS
Webpage:
http://sierra-rose-books.webs.com/
Amazon author page:
http://www.amazon.com/Sierra-Rose/e/B002BM86U6/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/sierrarosebooks
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/sierra_rose09
Amazon Reviews:
1- By Joseph Perrone Jr. “Joe Perrone Jr.” – See all my reviews
Here is a Celtic tale woven with imagination and energy. Miss Rose has a flair for dialogue, and captures the authentic feel of Ireland in this fast-paced, exciting novel of witches and magic. If you’re a fan of this type of book (who isn’t?), you must read “Celtic Evil.” Good job, Miss Rose. My bad; I hit 4-stars, it should have been 5-stars.
2- The characters are intriguing, the story is captivating, July 11, 2009
By D. Fortney – See all my reviews
Wow! From the first page to the last page author Sierra Rose keeps the reader entertained and engaged. The characters are intriguing, the story is captivating. I look forward to reading the future installments of this series.
3- Unique and well-written, June 28, 2009
By Holly Christine “hollychristineonline.com” (Pittsburgh, PA) – See all my reviews
Independent author Sierra Rose has successfully developed an intriguingly unique paranormal romance series. Celtic Evil takes place in Dublin and tells the story of Roarke, the fourth born in the Fitzgerald “circle of five.”
The first in the Fitzgerald Brother series, Roarke is filled with magic, charm and enchantment. The Prologue introduces the reader to the evil Sebastian, casting a spell of destruction on the family five: “A circle of light, a circle of five. Five into one, one becomes five to unite the circle and protect the light.” The novel is filled with an exceptional combination of poetic prose and thrills.
Roarke’s story is unique because as a witness to the murder of his parents, he has led an emotionally troubled youth. After years of keeping his secret safe, he is forced to deal with his painful memories in order to keep those closest to him safe. Roarke’s story is one of redemption and love.
Well-written and equally spellbinding, Sierra Rose has developed a creative series with characters to love and adore. Her research is deeply imaginative. Sierra’s website features an in-depth character list, causing the reader to patiently ponder the next in the series. Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
4- Enjoy the Paranormal, July 22, 2009
By Wicked Sunny (Kolkata, India) – See all my reviews
“An excellent novel that follows well with its genre. Interesting characters that seem to come alive, well-written scenes. Those who enjoy the paranormal will like this book.” Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Sierra Rose Books Online Website: http://sierra-rose-books.webs.com/
authorcjblack
marthacheves
yvonnemason
