Review: Cold Shadows (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #2) by J.L. Bryan

Title: Cold Shadows (Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper #2)
Author: J.L. Bryan (website)
Publication Date: November 28, 2014
Source: Via the author in exchange for review.

Footsteps in the attic. Toys that play by themselves. A dark presence in an upstairs room. 

Paranormal investigator Ellie Jordan faces a difficult new case. Her new clients are a family haunted by multiple ghosts and a poltergeist that wrecks their home at night. Their seven-year-old son’s invisible friends may not be imaginary at all, but the restless spirits of dead children. 

To clear her clients’ house of the dangerous entities, Ellie must unravel the mysterious deaths of another family who lived in the old mansion more than a hundred and sixty years ago—and she must do it before the ghosts can carry out their malevolent designs on her clients and their children.

AMAZON / KOBO / GOODREADS

Cold Shadows is the second book in the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper Series. Cold Shadows was another great read by J.L. Bryan. This story features a whole ghost family who haunts the old house of Ellie's new client. Cold Shadows has suspense, thrills and a twist ending that I did not see coming!

I still love Ellie's character. She is a girl on a mission but never misses the chance to throw in a bit of sarcasm. And Stacey, bless her heart, she is a trip. I love watching her grow into the job of ghost trapping. Its fun to still see her quirky, came from money side show through at times. And the fact that she is all about some Jacob! I would definitely be OK with these two getting together. I wouldn't object to seeing more of Jacob in this series.

Now, this story started out not blowing my mind. It was still super interesting to read about but I just wasn't feeling it as much as the first book. This little ghost family is more self contained. Their history is just about them. While they had a tragic story to tell, it just didn't get my engine going. That is, until the end. Even I, miss self proclaimed horror buff who can predict everything, didn't see this one coming. 

And that is what makes for an excellent book.

I've heard that there is going to be lots more to come in the lives of Ellie, Stacey, Jacob and their boss (dear lord, I can't remember his name!). I already have my little paws on Book 3, The Crawling Darkness (which comes out on February 5th) and I can't wait to dive in a little deeper!

If you love anything and everything about ghost stories, pick up the Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper series. You can thank me later. :)

4 Hearts!

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Review: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper by J.L. Bryan

Title: Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper
Author: J.L. Bryan
Publication Date: August 27, 2014
Source: Via the author in exchange for review.

Ellie Jordan’s job is to catch and remove unwanted ghosts. Part detective, part paranormal exterminator, Ellie operates out of Savannah, Georgia, one of the oldest and most haunted cities in North America.

When a family contacts her to deal with a disturbing presence in the old mansion they’ve recently purchased, Ellie first believes it to be a typical, by-the-book specter, a residual haunting by a restless spirit. Instead, she finds herself confronting an evil older and more powerful than she’d ever expected, rooted in the house’s long and sordid history of luxury, sin, and murder. The dangerous entity seems particularly interested in her clients’ ten-year-old daughter.

Soon her own life is in danger, and Ellie must find a way to exorcise the darkness of the house before it can kill her, her clients, or their frightened young child.

AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE / KOBO / GOODREADS

I thought Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper was fantastic! J.L. Bryan weaved a fascinating story of ghosts, the occult and survival. I'm a huge fan of horror, but never so much of ghosts. That didn't matter with Ellie Jordan, I was sucked in from the beginning.

Ellie Jordan is a ghost hunter. She works for a small paranormal investigating firm. She's taken on a new partner named Stacey to help out. Ellie likes to work alone. She's open to bringing Stacey along but doesn't hold out much hope for her working out. Watching the friendship bloom between these two through out the book is fun. It reminds me a lot of myself. I don't take very well to new people and tend to push them away at first. 

Ellie is a beast. She gets scared but never shows any fear. There is no way I could make myself do half the things she did. She has one mission and that is to get rid of the ghost, no matter what. Stacey comes from money but wants to branch out on her own. She gets started working with ghosts accidentally but ends up loving it. She is spunky and funny and I really enjoyed her character. 

I actually don't want to reveal to much of this story because it's more fun for you to uncover it own your own! Ellie Jordan has many twists and turns and discoveries that you are constantly questioning what the big picture is. And the ending? Awesome. I almost think it was the best part of the whole book. 

Some of the plot line is kind of predictable. I've spent most of my life watching horror movies, so it wasn't hard for me to guess the outcome of certain happenings. But that didn't take any of the enjoyment away. I literally ate this book up in one sitting. I just couldn't put it down!

You will not be disappointed with picking up Ellie Jordan: Ghost Trapper. J.L. Bryan's writing is fantastic and this story is one that you don't want to miss out on!

5 Hearts!

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REVIEW: The Unseen by J.L. Bryan

Title: The Unseen
Author: J.L. Bryan
Publication Date: October 31, 2013
Source: Via the author for review.

Cassidy is a young tattoo artist living in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta. She’s always suffered terrible nightmares, and sometimes the hideous creatures seem to follow her out of her dreams and into her waking life, though she’s the only one who can see them. Drugs and alcohol can blot them out, but never entirely chase them away.
When a demonic cult begins to take control of the people in her life, including her younger brother, Cassidy discovers that the unseen world of monsters is very real. She can no longer avoid it. To protect those she loves, she must accept her own hidden supernatural talents and face the forces of evil before the sinister cult achieves its twisted goals and casts the world into darkness.

AMAZON // KOBO

This post is about The Unseen by J.L. Bryan and how wonderfully awesome it is! I have adored every one of Jeff's books that I have read so far & The Unseen is no different. He takes it back to the creepiness of his Jenny Pox series. The Unseen is a crazy mixture of good vs evil. Demons vs well, normal people. Throw in a few witches & you've got a great story!

The Unseen centers around Cassidy. After an incident in high school, she has been able to see all of the unseen things in the world. Monsters & demons that are invisible to the average person. Thinking she's just going crazy, Cassidy starts using drugs & alcohol heavily. When she's high or drunk, she doesn't see the monsters. But, of course, it isn't long before she has to face her fears & stop the demons once & for all.

The Unseen is a very dark story. There isn't many warm, fuzzy moments. I, personally, love that. Cassidy has to learn to trust herself & others in order to face her fears. Her best friend, Brenda, has stuck by her side since the incident in high school. Sometimes a good friendship beats romance any day. I love how they stick together no matter what. Brenda dabbles in the witchcraft scene, so she always believes the crazy things that Cassidy tells her. Through out this book, you will see relationships begin & end but Cassidy & Brenda always remain the same.

This story isn't for the faint of heart. It gets real disturbing at parts. It has some pretty heavy drug & alcohol use in several different scenes. It also has some strong language.  There is even a demon orgy that happens. My mind will never be the same. Jeff puts a really twisted spin on satanic worship. It's interesting & terrifying at the same time. But I really wouldn't recommend this to anyone under the age of 18.

If you don't mind blood, guts & demons getting it on, then you will love The Unseen. Your imagination will go places you didn't think it could. The Unseen is simply fascinating. I suggest you get to reading it, now!

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BOOK BLITZ - The Unseen by J.L. Bryan

Today, I have something pretty exciting to share with you! One of my absolute favorite authors, J.L. Bryan, has a new book coming out! It is called The Unseen and it sounds incredible. I am currently reading, although I'm only a few chapters in so far, but I am loving it! Keep on reading to find out more and get the links to buy this gem for yourself! Plus, there's a pretty sweet giveaway!!

The Unseen by J.L. Bryan
Publication date: October 31st 2013
Genres: Horror

Goodreads: Click Here!

Cassidy is a young tattoo artist living in the Little Five Points neighborhood of Atlanta. She’s always suffered terrible nightmares, and sometimes the hideous creatures seem to follow her out of her dreams and into her waking life, though she’s the only one who can see them. Drugs and alcohol can blot them out, but never entirely chase them away.
When a demonic cult begins to take control of the people in her life, including her younger brother, Cassidy discovers that the unseen world of monsters is very real. She can no longer avoid it. To protect those she loves, she must accept her own hidden supernatural talents and face the forces of evil before the sinister cult achieves its twisted goals and casts the world into darkness.

 BUY NOW:

Amazon // Barnes & Noble // J.L. Byran's Site

The Unseen by J.L. Bryan has a special release price of 99 cents through Halloween.

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on the English Renaissance and the Romantic period. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He enjoys remixing elements of paranormal, supernatural, fantasy, horror and science fiction into new kinds of stories.

He is the author of The Paranormals series (starting with Jenny Pox), The Songs of Magic series, Nomad, and other books. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, his son John, and some dogs and cats.

Website: www.jlbryanbooks.com
Twitter: @jlbryanbooks

Demon-Summoning Do’s and Don’ts

So you’ve cast a circle and you’re ready to bring an infernal spirit into your home for a visit.  Or are you?  Summoning demons takes care and consideration—it’s nothing to jam in between doing the dishes and catching the new episode of Walking Dead.

These simple tips will help you put together an exciting evocation, without all the messy embarrassment of getting your soul ripped from your flesh and devoured.

DO offer a blood sacrifice.  Your guest has traveled across endless darkness from the lower pits of Hell and will be expecting a snack.  Chicken or lizard blood will do nicely for a lesser spirit.  For an archdemon, you’ll want to sacrifice a human being instead—anything less is considered rude.  Virgins are still preferred, but no longer expected by more modern demons.  Finally, an activity you can do with that annoying neighbor you’ve always wanted to eliminate from the earth!

DON’T call up the wrong kind of demon.  Incubi and succubi will arrive with certain expectations, because these unholy hornballs only have one thing on their evil minds at all times.  If you’re not ready for a swingers’ sabbat, avoid them.  If you do summon them, you’re going to need a little more protection that the typical enchanted circle provides—the beasties get around.  Also avoid gluttony demons, because these corpulent creatures not only look like disgusting mountains of flab with enormous mouths, they’ll also destroy your snack bar and leave an unpleasant flatulent odor that takes weeks to remove from your carpet.

DO be polite.  Powerful demons resent being summoned by mere mortals, but minding your manners can go a long way towards creating a more pleasant evening.  When you say, “I bind thee and summon thee, foul Mephistopheles!” and the enraged horned demon appears in a flash of fire and brimstone, don’t forget to add, “Thank you!”

DON’T expect them to bring wine or a hot dish.  Again, they’ve come a long way and can’t be expected to carry host gifts up from the abyss.  Also, demon food tends to be rotten and vermin-infested, so how badly did you really want that casserole, anyway?

DO remember to take pictures!  Remember, the only reason to do anything extraordinary in life is so you can brag to your friends on Facebook.  A picture of you and Beelzebub with his host of flesh-eating flies will totally shut up that one friend who’s always bragging about the time she met Colin Farrell on an airplane.

DON’T forget to banish!  If you don’t send that demon right back to Hell when you’re done, it may move onto your couch and stay there for months.  Demons don’t pay rent, they don’t do chores, and they never, ever give up control of the remote.  They will, however, watch home shopping channels twenty-four hours a day and max out your credit card to ordering useless knickknacks.  They won’t take subtle hints to go home, either, no matter how many you drop—you have to order them out.  Exercise your right to excorsize!

Following this list is sure to make your demonic encounter a more successful one!  When you summon horrific spirits from the fiery underworld into your living room, you don’t want it to ruin the rest of your weekend.

Enter below to win both these fabulous prizes that are pictured PLUS 

a signed copy of The Unseen!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Nomad by J.L. Bryan

Title: Nomad
Author: J.L. Bryan
Publication Date: July 26, 2013
Source: Via the author in exchange for a review.

They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.
By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.

GoodReads // Amazon

Nomad was a fast paced, funny, action packed thrill ride. I absolutely loved this story!

Our main character is Raven (Riley). She's sent back in time to assassinate the future dictator before he comes to power. What she doesn't expect is to fall in love with him.

Raven is a fighter. She's been through some crap in her life but she never gives up hope. She's more soldier than girl but I love how she adapted to her "new life".  She seemed to fall into the "normal" ways of our present day time so flawlessly. After living in the battle field that she called home, it's interesting to see her adjust to a normal time period. She's amazed at how beautiful everything is. And how much food is available for such a small price. The things that we always seem to take advantage of. But we do get flashbacks of her child hood through out the story. I, for one, love that. I hate books that have the longest history to read through all at one time. Nomad was nothing like that. Mr. Bryan kept it fresh and the story just flowed. It was incredibly nice to get small bursts of history instead of a whole chapter at once. History looses my interest ridiculously fast.

Logan is our target. He has no idea that he'll turn into the monster he is in the future. Right now, he's just a normal college guy. Sometimes a little too cocky, but what guy who's rich and semi famous isn't? I really liked Logan. His character was funny and caring. His heart has not yet been corrupted and Raven couldn't help but see his potential. She knew she would have to get close to him to change the course of history but she could have never prepared herself for the roller coaster that was to come.

Nomad will keep you on the edge of your seat. You never know what's going to happen next. And that's the best feeling when you're reading a book. Not knowing! The writing was fantastic. The worlds were described perfectly. I seriously could not get enough! 

If a futuristic, dystopian, time traveling, butt kicking story peaks your interest, then you must read Nomad. I guarantee you will love it!


*18+ due to some sexual content & language.

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Nomad by J.L. Bryan: Excerpt + Giveaway!

Today I have an awesome excerpt from Nomad by J.L. Bryan to share with you guys! You may not have already known this about me, but I am a huge J.L. Bryan fan! I adore his writing and everything that I have read so far. Nomad was no exception. It is amazing, you guys! Be sure to check back on Wednesday for my review!

Nomad by J.L. Bryan
Publication date:  July 26th 2013
Genre: NA time travel dystopian novel

A new dystopian novel from the author of Jenny Pox - coming July 26.
They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood.
By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.

 About the Author:

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in the metro Atlanta sprawl with his wife Christina, where he spends most of his day servings the toddler and animal community inside his house. He is the author of the Paranormals series and the Songs of Magic series.

His novel Jenny Pox is currently free on Kindle, Smashwords, Apple, Sony, Kobo, and Nook!    

Author Links:

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

An excerpt from the first chapter of Nomad by J.L. Bryan

Her hands were red with blood, but the cold rain washed it away.  Whose blood?  She couldn’t remember. 
She became aware of pain throughout her body.  Freezing water and tiny hailstones lashed her face as she stumbled through a storm.  Dying thunder echoed in her ears, and crackles of lightning faded in the night around her.
A pair of lights rushed toward her through the darkness, but her brain couldn’t interpret what her eyes saw.  A long screech ripped through her ears, followed by shrill bleats. 
Car horns, she realized as the lights loomed closer.  Through her thick, fuzzy brain, it dawned on her that she was staggering along a multi-lane road, seconds away from getting splattered across the oncoming grill of an eighteen-wheeled truck.
She discerned a dark space off to her left and moved into it, stepping from hard pavement into squishy wet earth.  The truck that had nearly killed her squealed past as the driver braked, dousing her with a wave of cold mud.  Horns blew at the stopped truck blocking up the left lane.
She rubbed her eyes and tried to grasp her surroundings—a grass median dividing an interstate highway, up to her ankles in frigid mud.
She couldn’t remember where she was, or how she’d come to be there.  After a moment’s reflection, she realized she wasn’t entirely sure who she was, either.
Raven, she remembered.  She clung to that word like a lifeline. My name is Raven.  It is now, anyway.  She’d once had a different name, but that original, scribbled-on-the-birth-certificate name no longer mattered.
She wore black boots and a long black jacket.  A backpack weighed down her shoulders, but she didn’t know what it contained.  She trudged on weak, trembling legs toward an overpass bridge ahead.  Once she was out of the downpour, she could gather her brains and figure things out.  She didn’t seem to be bleeding, so the blood on her hands must not have been her own.
“Hey!  Hey there, girl!  You all right?” shouted the truck driver who had almost flattened her.  More cars honked and swerved to avoid crashing into the back of his trailer, which was decorated with puffy pink sheep.
Raven squinted up at him.  The man was in his forties, severely overweight, with a handlebar mustache and scratchy, graying beard stubble.  His blue and white cap read: MoonPie: The Original Marshmallow Sandwich!
“I’m fine!” she shouted through the downpour. “Keep going!”
“You got a car?” he asked.
“No,” she told him. “I don’t think so.”
“Where you headed?”
“I don’t know.”
“The troopers gonna lock you up if they see you!  You drunk or what?”
“I don’t think so.” She raised a hand to her mouth to check her breath.  Not drunk.
The trucker eyed her up and down, a soaking wet girl stumbling along the interstate alone at night, and then he swung open the passenger door. 
“Best climb on up in here with me,” he said. “Gonna freeze your pants off out there.”
Raven looked at the gruff, obese man and the warm, sheltered transport he was offering, and then at the overpass bridge in the distance.  Her legs were rubbery.  She might not make it to the overpass before she collapsed.
“Lady, I got to get moving,” he said. “You want a ride to the exit or what?”
“Yeah,” Raven said.  She had no reason to trust him, but he seemed soft-bodied and slow.  If he tried to get rough, she would break his wrists.   Even in her current state, she knew she could take him if he pushed her to it.
Raven stumbled around to the passenger side and struggled to climb with her weakened limbs until he took her arms and pulled her up.
“Thanks,” she whispered, still shivering.  She was almost too weak to pull the door closed.
“Just glad you ain’t tore in half.” He settled back into the driver’s seat, and it groaned under his weight. “You musta been one, two, three, four inches from me.  Or less.  Just popped up outta nowhere when that lightning hit.” He drove cautiously through the storm. “Didn’t seem like no normal lightning, you ask me.  What was you doing out there?   That big flash hit the road, then you come stumbling out....Did the lightning get you?”
“I don’t know,” she said.  The interior of the cab smelled like cigarette smoke and old hamburgers.  A collage of small objects was glued to the dashboard—action figures, an old watch face, postcards, salt and pepper shakers.  Hail clattered on the cab’s roof.
“You don’t know?” he asked.
“Sorry.” Raven shrugged off her backpack and set it on the floor between her wet boots.  She wanted to see what was inside it, but not while he was watching.
“It’s Jebbie, by the way.” He offered his calloused hand, and she hesitated a moment before taking it. “Jebbie Walters.  From Yazoo City, Mississippi.  You got a name, darling?”
“Angela.  That’s my name,” Raven said.  She knew not to trust a stranger with data about herself.  He might be the enemy, and she felt informants and spies were everywhere, looking to report those who resisted.
“Huh.  Where you from, Angela?”
She tried to remember, but finally shrugged.
“You ain’t gotta tell me,” he said. “You going north?  Cause that’s where I’m going, way up north of here.  You might want to hop out quick if that ain’t your plan.”
“I’m not sure.”
“You ain’t sure about much of nothing, are you?”
“Not right now,” Raven said.
“I guess I ought to drop you up at the exit.”
“You can.” Raven shrugged. “I think I’m lost.”
He looked her over again. “Tell you what.  About three, four, five miles from here’s a good spot, the Big Porcupine Travel Plaza.  Got showers, motel rooms, an all-night-you-can-eat place.  We could stop there, get you a place to sleep.  Maybe in the morning you’ll start to remembering things.  I figure you just need to sleep it off.  You’re on drugs or something, ain’t you?”
“Maybe,” Raven said.
He laughed. “It’s okay by me.  I don’t do drugs, myself.  Just pills and booze.  Well, you think about what you want to do.” 
He turned up the radio, where a woman sang a slow, gentle song that Raven gradually recognized.  Someone—her mother?—had once played it on the piano.  It was an old song called “The Rose.”
“Uh, sorry.” Jebbie blushed pink and spun the radio knob. “I, uh, usually find a good honky-tonk or country gold station.  Don’t know how my radio ended up on that soft-rock junk, or whatever that was.  Yeah, here we go.” He found a song with a steel guitar and a man singing about his wife leaving him for his boss.
Raven looked at herself in the rain-streaked side mirror.  She was about twenty years old, maybe nineteen.  That felt right.  Her black hair was pulled into a short ponytail with a rubber band.  She wore all black: boots, fatigues, blouse, backpack, jacket.  The knee-length jacket was made of a stretchy artificial material with a texture like a crocodile’s back.  She felt a web of metallic fibers between the layers of leathery fabric. That’s armor, she realized, and she wondered why she might need armor.  Her only jewelry was on her left wrist, a thin silver bracelet with a large moonstone.
She tried to reach back in time with her mind.  She’d been stumbling along the highway.  The moment before that: what?  It was a solid blank slate, as though a giant magnet had wiped her brain clean.  Perhaps the trucker was right, and she’d been struck by lightning.
Raven, she reminded herself. I know my name.

Be sure to like/add Nomad to your GoodReads TBR! You won't regret it!!

GIVEAWAY

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a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Nomad by J.L. Bryan COVER REVEAL!

NOMAD is a brand new release from J.L. Bryan, author of Jenny Pox (The Paranormals) series & The Songs of Magic series! I, for one, am stoked about this book! I am a huge, HUGE Jenny Pox fan, so Nomad just has to be epic! This cover is pretty bad ass if you ask me. Pink hair & platform boots? Yes, please.

 I. Can. Not. Wait.

*Cover by PhatPuppy Art ( http://phatpuppyart.com/ )*

NOMAD by J.L. Bryan
Expected publication: July 26th 2013

They took everything: her family, her home, her childhood. By the age of nineteen, Raven has spent most of her life in the sprawling slums of America, fighting as a rebel against the dictatorship. When the rebellion steals an experimental time-travel device, she travels back five decades to the year 2013. Her plan: assassinate the future dictator when he is still young and vulnerable, long before he comes to power. She must move fast to reshape history, because agents from her own time are on her trail, ready to execute her on sight.

Check out Nomad's GoodReads page & add it to your TBR list!!

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford, with a focus on English Renaissance and Romantic literature. He also studied screenwriting at UCLA. He lives in Atlanta with his wife Christina, dogs Violet and Tiger Lily, and cats Shadow and Sue.
                                   Connect with J.L. Bryan:

WEBSITE - TWITTER - GOODREADS

FACEBOOK - AMAZON

PS. This was my very first cover reveal. I couldn't be more excited that it's for one of my favorite authors! Hopefully I didn't screw anything up! *crosses fingers*

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