Author Empi Baryeh's Blog

It's October, and we probably should have chosen a Halloween themed book so readers could adjust their TBR list, but we chose a paranormal story, which I think works for the season: The Aferlife Coach by Susan E. Paul. Here's the blurb: Imagine waking up to find Napoleon Bonaparte, Janis Joplin and Count Dracula in your kitchen eating Froot Loops. For Claire Anderson, this crosses the line. To make matters worse, they’re on the lam and can’t be returned to sender until In Between, the afterlife way station, can arrange transportation to pick them up. In the meantime, Claire tries to contain this motley crew, hoping to stave off an international incident. How do they manage to walk among us? Will Claire succeed in repatriating them? And at what cost? The Afterlife Coach is a humorous tale of second chances, self-awareness and, for those among us who make bad choices, demonstrates just how hard it is to die happily ever after.

It's already another month, and you're in for another 3-for-1 review treat. We went traditional and selected Deliver Me by Farrah Rochon. As  you may guessed from the title (although not so obvious), there is some medical angle to the story. Here's the blurb: After being dumped by her boyfriend and passed over for yet another promotion, Monica Gardner moves to New Orleans, determined to make a name for herself as the new attending ER physician at Methodist Memorial Hospital. As for men--she's through with them. But when given the chance to chair the hospital's annual charity banquet, Monica must elicit the help of gorgeous Ob-gyn Elijah Holmes. Eli will do anything to thwart his matchmaking Mama's plan to reunite him with his high school girlfriend. So, when the sexy new ER doc asks for his help in planning this year's charity banquet, Eli devises the perfect scheme: He'll help put on the best banquet the hospital has ever seen, if Monica poses a...

I had a what's this day moment, which is why this post didn't go up yesterday with Prah and Constantine 's reviews (remember to check those out, if you haven't already). So our book of choice was The Librarian by Christy Sloat. Here's the blurb He’s from 1892 England, she’s in a small library in 2017. And that's just the start of their troubles. Emme never meant to stay in Maine. She'd come only to find a librarian for her Gram's library, a custodian for the collection of mysterious books she'd promised to protect. On a dark, wintery night, alone in the library, she takes her first glance into one of the antique novels and finds herself transported to 1892 England staring into the eyes of handsome and dashing hero Jack Ridgewell. As each chapter passes she learns you can truly fall in love with a character in a book, that book boyfriends are real and Emme must choose between the real world, and his. When the last page is read he's gone and...

We're still loving on historicals, so we selected Snow White Red-Handed (A Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery Book 1) by Maia Chance . Here's the blurb: Miss Ophelia Flax is a Victorian actress who knows all about making quick changes and even quicker exits. But to solve a fairy-tale crime in the haunted Black Forest, she’ll need more than a bit of charm… 1867: After being fired from her latest variety hall engagement, Ophelia acts her way into a lady’s maid position for a crass American millionaire. But when her new job whisks her off to a foreboding castle straight out of a Grimm tale, she begins to wonder if her fast-talking ways might have been too hasty. The vast grounds contain the suspected remains of Snow White’s cottage, along with a disturbing dwarf skeleton. And when her millionaire boss turns up dead—poisoned by an apple—the fantastic setting turns into a once upon a crime scene. To keep from rising to the top of the suspect list, Ophelia fights through a bramble o...

The Blurb In this new spin on an old fairytale, Guy Rumpel’s golden touch could put a wrinkle in Midori Miller’s designs. Former model, Midori Miller, left the fashion world in disgrace and now lives quietly as a small town dressmaker and single mom. When her talented daughter catches the ear of a New York record producer, the last thing Midori wants is to return to the harsh glare of the spotlight. Caught between the producer’s charms, her daughter’s dreams, and her own new chance at success, Midori isn’t sure she can design the right path for herself or her family, especially when the producer makes a play for her heart. After a string of flops, producer Guy Rumpel believes he’s lost his golden touch. He needs to turn his career around with a hit record, and the young songbird from his hometown just may be the key. But when his family’s gift for finding their one true love shines its light on Midori, he’ll have to convince her to make the deal of a lifetime. Rumpeled  is...

After, dabbling in paranormal for our last review, we decided to go for a historical romance - and we selected Second Chance Marquess by Jessica Jefferson Here's the short and sweet blurb: When Wilhelmina Turner’s younger sister runs off with a young Lothario, she has no choice but to turn to the notorious rake who broke his promise and her heart, for assistance. George Bartlett, the Marquess of Chesterton, hasn’t forgotten the woman who hurt him so many years ago, but can’t deny her request, knowing that his brother’s reputation and fortune is at risk. A series of misfortunes leave the straight-laced widow and committed bachelor stranded, sharing both close quarters and old secrets. But when morning comes, will this unlikely pair find a second chance at love?

After a month's break, we decided to change directions a bit and sink our teeth into some vampires (pun intended), so we read  Guardian of the Grail (Immortal Blood Book 1) by Elena Bryce . Here's the Blurb: Ivy's Quest: Protect the Grail, evade the Hunters, don't fall for the bad boy immortal, he bites! A fast paced adventure to get the Holy Grail to safety; battling hunters, vampires and a deadly ancient evil. Action packed urban fantasy with paranormal romance. Before vampires, they were Guardians, drinking the sacred blood of the Holy Grail, and sworn to protect it through the ages. When Lachlan Thorn is entrusted with the task of relocating the Grail to a castle in the Scottish Highlands, he requires the help of a witch to conceal it on the perilous journey. Unfortunately for him, the only one available is Ivy, who is untrained and a descendant of the woman who broke his heart. For Ivy, helping to protect the Grail gives her a chance to do something good ...