by Michael McDowell

You have to love a Horror story that starts with a funeral. This one had a weird aspect, but that soon got explained in a perfectly plausible manner. The deep south accent comes over easily and actually helped transport me from reality into this alternate southern world.

I found the author's voice engaging and didn't mind a slow build up in the beginning. A southern family have two holiday homes in a place called Beldame which consists of three houses on a beach with sand dunes. The third house is unoccupied and no one is sure who owns it, but it is getting slowly buried in a sand dune.

13-year-old India gets curious about the place and notices that her father, uncle and grandmother are afraid of the third house. They warn her about the more practical dangers of sand dunes and structurally unsound properties, but her driving curiosity makes her keep looking through the windows and photographing things. Things start to get a little strange.

This is well written and the characters are distinctive. The plot builds slowly, revealing inter-family relationships and how they've developed over time. Towards the end everything that has been experienced in the third house comes out and the action goes berserk, leading to a breathtaking conclusion.

There was a time or two when someone didn't see something obvious, but otherwise it was believable as far as anything involving supernatural activity can be believable and definitely had some chills and tension to satisfy the Horror enthusiast.

I've discovered a new world one full of people with amazing gifts -Energetics - and right now Blaize needs to form a partnership with her new Maven Cuinn before its too late! Enjoy and don't forget to add BLAIZE AND HER MAVEN - the first book in The Energetics series by Ellen Bard to your shelves!

Blaize is a powerful but inexperienced energetic. Having only just passed her first Chakra Trial, Manipura, fire, she is sent to Canada to an expert Maven to be trained in her second energy: Ajna, or the mind.

Her Maven is the mysterious and reluctant Cuinn, who has problems of his own - disturbing dreams that appear to show him standing against the destruction of the energetics race. When he discovers that Blaize is part of the prophecy, he knows her training needs accelerating - but he’s not prepared for the heat she brings to his normally calm and ordered world.

But both Cuinn and Blaize have secrets of their own, secrets that could destroy their partnership before it’s begun - a partnership that has a far greater importance than they realize.

Will they trust each other before it's too late?

The first in a captivating new series of romance and magic, family and loyalty, love and power.

She’s a powerful but inexperienced energetic and she’s just passed her first Chakra Trial, Manipura, fire. She’s looking forward to some taking some time from her energetic studies but instead, Blaize is being sent to train in her second energy – Anja, or the mind. Quinn would rather be devoting his time to unlocking the prophecy that his disturbing dreams of the destruction of the energetic dreams are showing him that take on a trainee. But when it becomes obvious that need to work together, they both have secrets that could destroy their partnership and have a far greater importance than they realize.

This series debut story is a thrilling read in a fascinating new world where the characters are able to manipulate various types of energy through their bodies. The characters are strong, compelling and easily capture the readers’ attentions and their relationship is full of sizzling chemistry, flying sparks, steamy passion and emotional turbulence, all of which combine to make the story interesting and enjoyable, especially since the relationship starts off on the wrong foot and remains a bit rocky throughout.

The plot is steady to fast paced and full of thrilling suspense that draws the readers in, igniting the curiosity and adrenaline pumping excitement that keeps readers biting their nails in anticipation of what will happen. While Blaize is a bit predictable in some her actions, she also has plenty of surprises for the readers as well and the story has enough twists and turns to keep readers on their toes and the readers should be prepared for some new vocabulary (there is a very helpful glossary at the end of the story) and fascinatingly unique elements in this exhilarating read.

Author's Book Page

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BLAIZE AND THE MAVEN is the 1st book in THE ENERGETICS series.

The Energetics are a magically gifted race who were the original inhabitants of Atlantis – till they caused its fall.

Their magics stem from the energies of the seven Chakras that lie inside each living being. Dormant for humans, energetics have access to the magic and power of two of those energies.

The Energetics have lived quietly alongside humans for thousands of years, but now one energetic has seen a great danger – as great as the one that caused the fall of Atlantis 10000 years ago. Can a small group of gifted male and female energetics stop their race from repeating their ancestors’ mistakes?

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1 Blaize and the Maven * 2 Tierra and the Warrior * 3 Nixie and the Healer

AVAILABLE in print or ebook

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I’m a fiction author who writes paranormal romance, full of enchantment, intrigue, action and romance. My writing blends my background in psychology and my experiences travelling the world with a love of magic, fantasy and a happy ending.

I’m a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, and continue to work as an international management consultant. Over the last 15 years I’ve worked in countries across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, including China, Saudi Arabia and Malaysia.

I also write non-fiction, and recently, with UK publisher Watkins, launched ‘This is for you: A Creative Toolkit for Better Self-Care’, under the name Ellen M. Bard.

My passion for other lands and cultures helps inform my writing, as does my desire to try new things – from art classes to Krav Maga, the self-defence system.

I’m a passionate and dedicated reader myself, working through between 80-100 fiction and non-fiction books a year – read my reviews on goodreads here.

Born in the UK, I currently live in an apartment in Thailand with my Fox where I (almost) never have to feel the cold! You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and if you’d like to connect with me, contact me here.

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She’s a powerful but inexperienced energetic and she’s just passed her first Chakra Trial, Manipura, fire. She’s looking forward to some taking some time from her energetic studies but instead, Blaize is being sent to train in her second energy – Anja, or the mind. Quinn would rather be devoting his time to unlocking the prophecy that his disturbing dreams of the destruction of the energetic dreams are showing him that take on a trainee. But when it becomes obvious that need to work together, they both have secrets that could destroy their partnership and have a far greater importance than they realize.

This series debut story is a thrilling read in a fascinating new world where the characters are able to manipulate various types of energy through their bodies. The characters are strong, compelling and easily capture the readers’ attentions and their relationship is full of sizzling chemistry, flying sparks, steamy passion and emotional turbulence, all of which combine to make the story interesting and enjoyable, especially since the relationship starts off on the wrong foot and remains a bit rocky throughout.

The plot is steady to fast paced and full of thrilling suspense that draws the readers in, igniting the curiosity and adrenaline pumping excitement that keeps readers biting their nails in anticipation of what will happen. While Blaize is a bit predictable in some her actions, she also has plenty of surprises for the readers as well and the story has enough twists and turns to keep readers on their toes and the readers should be prepared for some new vocabulary (there is a very helpful glossary at the end of the story) and fascinatingly unique elements in this exhilarating read.

I should probably wait to write this after I've had a bit of time to digest what I've read, so I apologize for yet another non-review.

This was a fantastic book!

The beginning notwithstanding, this book is a bit of a slow burn. That's definitely a point in its favor. You get so caught up in the wonderfully vivid descriptions of Beldame and the families that inhabit it, that the horror sneaks up on you and pulls you in before you quite realize it.

R.C. Bray's narration is top notch, as always.

I am so glad I have two more of Michael McDowell's audiobook already on hand to read in the future.

I'd intended to stop reading for the day when I posted my last update for this book. However, as you all can tell, I was rather unsuccessful.