New Review from Shannon: Review, Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Haunting of Elmwood Manor (A Pekin Dewlap Mystery) by Pamela McCord (Young Adult Paranormal Mystery)

The Haunting of Elmwood Manor
Pamela McCord
(a Pekin Dewlap Mystery)
Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: March 1st 2019
Genres: Middle-Grade, Mystery

Pekin Dewlap hasn’t seen a ghost since she was twelve. But she’d do anything to get them back. Starting a ghostbusting business with her two best friends, Amber and Scout, seems like the perfect way to accomplish her goal. Of course, playing with ghosts isn’t high on their wish list, so Pekin has to do some arm-twisting to get them on board.
Once committed, Pekin and her friends find themselves in deep, trying to solve the disappearance of fourteen-year-old Miranda Talbert. Miranda went missing in 1918, and her spirit has wandered the halls of Elmwood Manor for the last hundred years.
In the midst of finding Miranda, discovering her budding feelings for Scout, and consoling a terrified Amber, Pekin is met by an angry ghost set on thwarting her plans. Will the Ghosties be able to help Miranda, or will Pekin’s business die before she solves the mystery?

The Haunting of Elmwood Manor by Pamela McCord is a beautifully executed tale of intrigue, mystery and terror. Ms McCord intricately weaves the threads of this story in an easy to read style that all middle schoolers, as well as the older crowd, will enjoy reading. 

In addition, Ms McCord has created some realistic and enjoyable young people in the characters of Pekin, Amber and Scout. Those difficult to navigate early teenage years are accurately depicted throughout the story. 

I found this to be gripping and lovely. I never was quite sure what was going to jump out at me, and I certainly didn't anticipate the villain. This story does get very dark without going into too much detail, but it can be scary for those kids who scare easily. However if you're a fan of mystery, and horror, this is right up your alley. Again, this is absolutely age appropriate for middle-graders. 

I would grab this up for your kids who love a good paranormal mystery... or any adult as well!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks

Pam was born in Arkansas several decades ago. She’s not sure if that makes her a Southern Girl or if moving to Southern California when she was five revokes her Southern Girl card. She started writing later in life when she was challenged by a friend to create a book out of his story idea. Reaching the first 5,000 words was a milestone, but with time and hard work she managed to finish an entire book, much to her surprise. Since then, she’s written several novels, in several genres. Romance, middle grade and paranormal comprise most of her work. Pam has spent over 40 years working as a legal secretary at a law firm in Orange County, California. Aside from writing, she follows the stock market, buying, selling and trading stocks and options. In contrast to that, she loves trips to Las Vegas where she can spend many happy hours at the Pai Gow tables. She shares a condo with her very own My Cat From Hell TV star, Allie, who manages to exude just enough affection to make her scary feral ways tolerable. 

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Review, Book Tour & Giveaway: Memories of Ash (Book 2 of the Sunbolt Chronicles) by Intisar Khanani

 Book Cover and Info

Title: Memories of Ash

Series: The Sunbolt Chronicles, Book Two

Author: Intisar Khanani (http://booksbyintisar.com)

Cover Designer: Jenny Zemanek (http://www.seedlingsonline.com)

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Release Date: May 30, 2016

Publisher: Purple Monkey Press

Price: US $3.99 (eBook), US $TBD (paperback)

Goodreads Rating: (To early to determine, April 2016)

Synopsis:

In the year since she cast her sunbolt, Hitomi has recovered only a handful of memories. But the truths of the past have a tendency to come calling, and an isolated mountain fastness can offer only so much shelter. When the High Council of Mages summons Brigit Stormwind to stand trial for treason, Hitomi knows her mentor won’t return—not with Arch Mage Blackflame behind the charges.

Armed only with her magic and her wits, Hitomi vows to free her mentor from unjust imprisonment. She must traverse spell-cursed lands and barren deserts, facing powerful ancient enchantments and navigating bitter enmities, as she races to reach the High Council. There, she reunites with old friends, planning a rescue equal parts magic and trickery.

If she succeeds, Hitomi will be hunted the rest of her life. If she fails, she’ll face the ultimate punishment: enslavement to the High Council, her magic slowly drained until she dies.

I'll start by stating that I usually love YA Books, and the plot pf this story had me really excited. I hadn't read the first book, but I'm pretty good at jumping in the deep end, so I was ready to go. Magic, adventure and a daring rescue sounded great, but I was mostly disappointed, however,I will start with what I felt was good. 

I loved that the main character was from, what I believe to be, an Asian and Middle Eastern background. It was nice to see some diversity. I also love the use of language to describe the scenery. Ms. Khanani has beautiful grasp of words, and the descriptions are easy to see. 

Now, the bad... unfortunately, mostly for me I know, this book is written in first person present. I must say that I loathe first person present, but if you have no problem with this, please don't let this hinder you. I tried desperately to feel something for the characters in this book, but to no avail. I just didn't care. I never made a connection. So, for me, this book never made it out of the gate. In addition to the lack of connection, I also felt the dialogue was stilted.

This book is a Fantasy YA, and if first person present doesn't bother you, and you're looking for an alternative world/ dimension, this might be your cup of tea, it just wasn't mine. 

Add to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17969479-memories-of-ash

Purchase Your Copy of Sunbolt Here:

Amazon  |  Barnes & Noble |  Apple  |  Kobo

Author Bio

Intisar Khanani grew up a nomad and world traveler. She has lived in five different states as well as in Jeddah on the coast of the Red Sea. Until recently, Intisar wrote grants and developed projects to address community health with the Cincinnati Health Department, which was as close as she could get to saving the world. Now she focuses her time on her two passions: raising her family and writing fantasy. Intisar's current projects include a companion trilogy to Thorn, featuring the heroine introduced in her free short story The Bone Knife, and The Sunbolt Chronicles.

Website: http://booksbyintisar.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/intisar_Khanani

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/booksbyintisar

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BooksByIntisar

Book Excerpt

I start forward, my eyes on the bundle ahead of us. I cannot quite make out what it is. Something sticks out from the bulk of it, reaching across the floor like an errant branch, dried twigs.

Filled with foreboding, I draw closer, straining to make out the thing in the light of the glowstone. The mage slows beside me. My throat closes up. I stare, frozen mid-step, at the shape stretched out before me: a body that is nothing more than papery skin curled over the brittle bones within. A mummified corpse, preserved by the endless heat, untouched by nature, its clothing long since dissolved away. Its bones protrude obscenely: each rib tracing a line around its chest, the pelvic and hip bones encased so tightly in skin that the gaps, the natural spaces formed by the bone, seem translucent, as if the light were shining through thin parchment.

My stomach tightens into a ball. I swallow hard, forcing down the bile in my throat. The skull bears no expression, dull teeth showing through leathery lips, the eyes long since shriveled away. But that hand, outstretched... A plea. Or a single, hopeless attempt to escape death.

Beside me, the mage breathes a curse.

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