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.

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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.

Blaize has just finished her first chakra trial and is an adept for fire – Manipura – and is now moving on to train her secondar chakra, Ajna, with renowned dream walker and prophet, Cuinn

However, Cuinn has had a terrible history with his previous adherent and is definitely not ready for another one. Especially since his dreams have been hinting at a terrible future he needs to uncover. The last thing he needs is an adherent under his feet

But Blaize may be an important part of the prophecy – and their enemies seem to think so when they target her.

This book is, firstly, a paranormal romance, it was how it was marketed and labelled. And that normally makes me look at the people who sent me this book and asking them if they’ve made any effort to examine Fangs because, in all honestly, we’re not a big fan of many of the paranormal romance we read

But I liked this book

The story works extremely well in addition to the romance. Yes, there’s a romance there, but there’s  plot there that exists above and beyond the romance. I have found a lot of paranormal romances have a plot line in addition to the romance, but it often exists just to further the romance – and you can tell. It’s generally shallow, under-developed and with plot holes you could drive a double decker bus through. Here the plot and the romance weren’t co-dependent on each other (which, when we think about it, makes a lot of sense. Romance may be important to the character, but it’s unlikely their love life is really going to have that much influence on the fate of the world etc. No, not even with the earth shattering orgasms).

There were some clichés to the romance I didn’t care for, or I’ve just seen so many times that I just don’t have patience for them any more. Both characters have past issues that make them reluctant to venture into a relationship (both of which are a little dubious). Both have tragic or semi-tragic pasts. Both get over said tragic pasts in such an unseemly length of time that I’m left wondering why the author felt the need to have them there at all. It’s like someone looked up a trope list and decided “hey, we need to have X, Y, and Z, put them in”. And, really, if you’re going to give your characters a compelling developed reason why they avoid relationships… fine – but actually have them avoid relationships. If it takes them 3 days to resolve these terribad issues before getting to the humping then maybe those issues shouldn’t be there

But there were also some nice subversions. While there are many exceptions, we still do see a lot of celebrating virginal or “gently used” women next to experienced, older and sexually more capable man. In this case neither party is a virgin and, if anything, Blaize is the instigator of a sexual relationship – she’s confident, experienced, a happy pleasure seeker. And she is the one who wants a sexual relationship rather than a romantic one. At no point is she shamed for this or looked down on for this – she is a sexual being and that’s never seen as a bad thing

She’s also the more capable fighter with more direct, fighting powers. She is trained to be a soldier, her element (fire) is considered the element of the Energetics who fight, while Cuinn is more cerebral with a psychic super power which is all about dream walking and seeing the future. She is the more physical and dangerous of the pair. It’s probably depressing that this is a subversion, but it generally is.

She is kidnapped – as seems to be an utter requirement for every female main character in a romance. But she does rescue herself almost entirely which does a lot to help remove the problem of this repeated trope.

I actually really like both characters – they’re very well realised with their own histories and viewpoints and their own very discernible opinions and voices. They’re very well realised and not just in terms of their romance. The secondary characters are only touched on so they’re much less developed - but we’re missing any of the usual female antagonism. There’s even a considerable level of sympathy for the villain no matter how angry Blaize is with them. While they’re not extremely well developed, I rather suspect that many of them will be developed in future books, if nothing else because I suspect they will be future romantic pairs in future books.

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