Tag Archives: Deborah Blake

Doggone Deadly by Deborah Blake – a Review

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Doggone Deadly by Deborah Blake – a Review

 

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Description:
When the woman running the big regional dog show calls out sick, dog groomer Suz Holden is asked to take over. But it’s too much for her to handle by herself– considering the president of the kennel club, Olivia Weiner, criticizes her at every turn–so she calls in her best friend, Kari Stuart, for help.
A long, stressful day goes from bad to worse when a local breeder is found dead, and the murder weapon seems to incriminate Suz.

While Kari knows her friend isn’t guilty, the police aren’t so sure, especially after a second murder points to Suz again. But trying to run a dog show and investigate a murder at the same time is like herding cats, and Kari will have to rely on the rest of the Serenity Sanctuary staff to keep things running smoothly while she–and her beloved and clever kitten, Queenie–sniff out the truth.

 

 

 

Review:

Doggone Deadly by Deborah Blake is the 2nd book in her fun Catskills Pet Rescue Mystery series.  I loved the first book, as we were introduced to the heroine of this series, Kari Stuart, and her adorable black kitten, named Queenie (who quietly gives her tips to help solve the crime).

In Doggone Deadly, Kari is helping out her best friend, Suz, in setting up the annual local dog show; she also sets up her own booth for her animal shelter, to alert people about dogs and cats available for adoptions, as well as hoping for donations. 

During the first day, Suz and Kari overhear a few arguments, one person fighting with a breeder, a woman showing her dog is convinced a breeder stole her dog, and a protest is going on outside.  Suz also has to deal with the nasty president of the kennel club, as well as also showing her dog.  Later that day, the handler (breeder) was found murdered, and the police are suspecting Suz, since it was one of her scissors that was used by the killer.  The second day another victim is found murdered. Of course, Kari and Queenie will need to find the killer.

What follows is another cute cozy mystery, with wonderful secondary characters (Suz, Angus, Sara, Bree) and fun adorable dogs and cats. Kari was a great heroine, and I continue to adore Queenie.  Doggone Deadly was a light hearted and fun small-town mystery that kept you guessing till the very end. Deborah Blake did a wonderful job writing this story, and keeping our interest throughout. I look forward to the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Furbidden Fatality by Deborah Blake – a Review

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Furbidden Fatality by Deborah Blake – a Review

 

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Description:
Kari Stuart’s life is going nowhere–until she unexpectedly wins the lottery. The twenty-nine-year-old instant multimillionaire is still mulling plans for her winnings when trying to rescue a bossy black kitten leads her to a semiabandoned animal shelter. They need the cash–Kari needs a purpose.

But the dilapidated rescue is literally going to the dogs with a pending lawsuit, hard to adopt animals, and too much suspicious attention from the town’s dog warden. When the warden turns up dead outside the shelter’s dog kennels, Kari finds herself up a creek without a pooper-scooper.

With the help of some dedicated volunteers, a cute vet, and a kitten who mysteriously shows up just when she needs it, Kari must prove her innocence all while trying to save a dog on death row. Now she just needs to hope that her string of unexpected luck isn’t about to run out.

 

Review:

Furbidden Fatality by Deborah Blake is the first book in her new Catskills Pet Rescue Mystery series.  I have read a few series by Blake, and this new series is a total genre change for her.  I will say that I loved the book, it’s heroine Kari and especially a little black kitten named, Queenie, who I absolutely adored.

We meet our heroine, Kari Stuart, who finally manages to capture an adorable cute black kitten, and takes her to a shelter to find her a home.  The shelter is overbooked and unable to take any more pets, she is told to try the failing sanctuary.  Kari, barley made ends meet, but she just won a 5-million-dollar lottery, and decides to do something constructive, and purchase the dilapidated animal shelter that is for sale.  She hires men to renovate the shelter and together with Daisy (former owner), Sara, Bryn, and her best friend, Suz, the shelter slowly opens up to bring in more dogs and cats.  Two issues though are problematic, a pending lawsuit against Buster (under Daisy’s tenure), a dog who escaped and supposedly bit someone, with the evil dog warden pushing for his death; and on the same day Kari moves into her house next door, she wakes up during the night, as the dogs are all barking. Kari discovers a dead body, and it is the dog warden.       

Since she discovered the body, Kari is immediately a suspect, as is Daisy; but since almost every dog owner in town hated the dog warden, any one could have murdered him.  There were quite a few dog owners whose dog was put to sleep on the warden’s recommendations, which leads Kari, with some help from her volunteers, to start their own investigation to the murder. Over the next few nights, the shelter is vandalized by someone who wants to destroy the shelter.  Are they the ones who committed the murder?  Why are they so determined to cause chaos? Kari will be on the case to find out.

What follows is a cute cozy mystery, with wonderful secondary characters, fun adorable dogs and cats, a few villains (that keep you guessing), and a possible future romance between two new people; the veterinarian and the new dog warden.  Most of all, as noted earlier I loved loved Queenie the little kitten, who seems to have a little magic, as she manages to help give her clues.  Did I save I love Queenie?

Forbidden Fatality was a light hearted and fun small-town mystery that kept you guessing til the very end. We also get a glimpse of shelter life taking care and meeting the abandoned animals, as well as finding homes.  Deborah Blake did a wonderful job writing this story, and keeping our interest throughout. I look forward to the next book in this series. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Veiled Enchantments by Deborah Blake – a Review

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Veiled Enchantments by Deborah Blake – a Review

 

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Description:
Still reeling from her unwitting involvement in murder and subsequent break up with a half-Dragon art forger, Witch-cop Donata Santori is grateful for the distraction when her ex-lover requests her help. Not only are Magnus’s beloved dead suddenly haunting the Ulfhednar shapechangers in his tiny rural hometown in Maine, their patron god Odin has turned his back on them, and the members of their once tight-knit enclave are at each other’s throats. Literally.

Magnus is relying on Donata’s experience in dealing with the gods, along with her magical ability to summon the dead, to help him unravel this mystery in time to save his clan. Donata only hopes to survive the ordeal so she can return home to the city and her quiet job at the precinct.

But first, she must discover who or what is behind the terrible attacks on the Ulfhednar. And the clock is ticking, in more ways than one…

 

 

Review:

Veiled Enchantments by Deborah Blake is the 3rd book in her Veiled Magic series.  Donata Santori, our heroine in this series, is a witch, who talks to the dead, and a police officer.   She is coming off of a difficult case, when Magnus (shapechanger), her ex boyfriend returns to ask for her help.  She hasn’t seen him since he went home to Maine to rekindle with his family.  Now Magnus needs Donata’s help, since he and his fellow Ulfhednar’s are being haunted by the dead during their training.  He tells her that her witch abilities would help try to find out what is happening; as well as helping them find out why Odin, their god hasn’t had contact with them for a long time.

Donata decides to take a needed break, and goes to Main with Magnus.   Donata and Magnus still care for each other very much, but his family responsibilities have kept him away.  Now with him bringing Donata home, she will have to face the brunt of his family and Ulfhednars who are not happy with her arrival.

Magnus’s mother welcomes her, and slowly the rest of the family will come to accept her and realize that she is the only one who could help them.  Donata will meet all the members of the team who are in training to be Berserkers and protect all Ulfhednars.  At first she will have a hard time getting information about the ghosts, but after some new accidents, some will open up to Donata with descriptions of what they saw.

While Donata tries to solve the problem, she will need expertise from her aunt on how to handle things that have gone wrong.  There are a few surprises that Donata will have to face along the way that she did not expect.   When she manages to summon Odin, and finds the truth of his not responding to the clan’s call for help, Donata will gain the respect of most of the town.

What follows is an exciting and romantic storyline that keeps our attention throughout the book.  Magnus and Donata are great together, as they both love each other, but can they stay together, especially when she returns home to her job.  Will love prevail?

The secondary characters, mostly from Magnus’ family were very likable.   It was an exciting last 1/3 of the book, which I cannot tell too much more, as it would be spoilers.   The truth of who is behind the ghosts, and why will be revealed.  Veiled Enchantments was a fun, entertaining story, with a hot sexy couple that you can’t help but love.  I am not sure if this is the end of the series, but I do hope it continues.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Dangerously Divine by Deborah Blake – Review, Interview & Giveaway

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Dangerously Divine by Deborah Blake – Review, Interview & Giveaway

 

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Dangerously Divine
Broken Riders series – Book #2
by Deborah Blake
Release Date: November 28,2017

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Description:
The Riders: Three immortal brothers who kept the Baba Yagas safe, now stripped of their summons to protect. But fate is not finished with them—and their new callings are even more powerful…
 
Though his physical wounds have healed, Gregori Sun, the eldest of the Riders, remains in spiritual turmoil. His search for his mother, the one person able to heal his soul and save his life, is failing—until he crosses paths with a beautiful and fascinating librarian who might be the key to his salvation…
 
Ciera Evans’s bookish ways are just a guise. The product of a difficult past, she has dedicated her life to saving lost teens—by any means necessary. She works alone, but when a dark, brooding stranger proposes they team up to solve both their problems, she is tempted—in more ways than one…
 
After Ciera and Sun’s plans are derailed by dangerous enemies, they find themselves entangled in an ungodly affair—one that will force them to either find new strength together or be forever haunted by their pasts alone.

 

Review:

Dangerously Divine by Deborah Blake is the 2nd book in her Broken Riders spinoff (Baba Yaga) series.  Having enjoyed the first book in this series (Dangerously Charming), I looked forward to reading this book, and I am happy to say I enjoyed it as much or even better.

Gregori Sun, our hero, is a broken rider, who due his torture by the hands of insane Baba Yaga witch, has lost his immortality.  Gregori feels lost, unable to feel his spirit, and enters a monastery, where he feels he is now best suited to be.  Gregori, at the same time, spends his spare time at the local library, trying to research clues to finding his spiritual mother, who can help heal him; and teach him how to use his new found healing powers.

Ciera Evans, our heroine, is the librarian, who helps Gregori find the books he needs.  Ciera, leads a secret life outside of the library.  She is hiding from Victor, a dangerous man who imprisoned her and had her on drugs.  She was saved by a friend, who was murdered, and now Ciera is a vigilante, helping abused teens, fighting the dangerous men who hurt them, and revenging the man who murdered her friend.

Gregori is intrigued by Ciera, who he keeps running into, whether at the library, soup kitchen (where she works), or on the streets. He finds himself becoming attracted to her, as she is to him.  But both know there can be no future.   When Gregori starts getting closer to finding his mother, someone is out to stop him and a god of winter brings down havoc of ice and snow that threatens the town.  Bella (one of the Baba Yaga’s) and her dragon/cat Koshki , come to help Gregori.  Together they will ask Gregori’s father (God of Spring ) to help stop the horrific storm

At the same time, Ciera finds herself in terrible danger, as the person she has been hunting has found her, and now she is at his mercy.  Will Gregori be able to find her and save her? What follows is an exciting adventure, which kept us glued to the book during the last half.  I loved Gregori and Ciera together, as they were different, but similar in both being effected by tragedies; but I  rooted for them to find their way to each other.

To tell too much more would be spoilers, which I do not want to give, as you need to read both books in this series.  Dangerously Divine  was an enjoyable read that was exciting,  intense, a sweet romance, great couple, and fun spending time with a Baba Yaga and Koshki (very funny) .  Dangerously Divine was another fun story. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Catching Up Purple

Hi Deborah.  Welcome back to The Reading Café.  

TRC:  Dangerously Divine was released yesterday, which is the 2nd book in your Broken Riders series. For those of who have not read this series, can you please tell us the premise of Broken Riders?
Deborah Blake

Deborah:  The Broken Riders is actually a spin-off from my Baba Yaga series. The Riders are three mysterious men who have aided the Baba Yaga witches for centuries. But something terrible happened to them in the third Baba Yaga book, Wickedly Powerful, and now they are broken men, trying to figure out who and what they are, since they can no longer be who they were. (Plus, there is romance, of course.)


TRC:  Can you please give us a brief description of Dangerously Divine ?

Deborah:  Though his physical wounds have healed, Gregori Sun, the eldest of the Riders, remains in spiritual turmoil. His search for his mother, the one person able to heal his soul and save his life, is failing—until he crosses paths with a beautiful and fascinating librarian who might be the key to his salvation…
 
Ciera Evans’s bookish ways are just a guise. The product of a difficult past, she has dedicated her life to saving lost teens—by any means necessary. She works alone, but when a dark, brooding stranger proposes they team up to solve both their problems, she is tempted—in more ways than one…
 
After Ciera and Sun’s plans are derailed by dangerous enemies, they find themselves entangled in an ungodly affair—one that will force them to either find new strength together or be forever haunted by their pasts alone.

TRC:  How many books do you have planned for your Broken Riders series?

Deborah:  Three, one for each Rider.

TRC:  Broken Riders is a spin off from your Baba Yaga series.  For those of our members who have not read this series, can you please give us a description of the premise of the Baba Yaga series?

Deborah:  The Baba Yagas are an updated version of the Russian fairy tales about powerful witches who are tasked at maintaining the balance of nature, guarding the doorways to the mystical Otherworld, and occasionally, if they can’t avoid it, helping a worthy seeker. There are three very different women who are responsible for the United States: Barbara, Beka, and Bella. They each travel in their own moving house (the old tales say that the Baba Yaga lived in wooden huts that traveled through the forest on giant chicken legs, but Barbara prefers her Airstream trailer, which is less likely to be noticed) and travel with their companions, the Chudo-Yudo dragons, each of which is disguised as a normal, albeit huge, animal. Barbara’s Chudo-Yudo is a large white pit bull, for instance. Who doesn’t want a dragon-dog?

TRC:  You have a another series, Veiled Magic, which you have written two books. Can you please give us the premise of this series, and how many books are you planning?
Deborah:  These books are urban fantasy, set slightly in the future in a world much like ours, where Witches are one of six major Paranormal races, and the only ones to have revealed themselves to Humans. Donata Santori, the protagonist, works as a Witch Cop, using her ability to speak to the dead to talk to the victims of crimes. It’s a dreary job, but things get a lot more interesting when she stumbles across a dangerous secret from the depths of Paranormal history, and enlists the help of a half-dragon forger, a disgraced shapechanger, and (somewhat reluctantly) a mischievous Kobold.

The third and final book in the series will be out in March of 2018.

TRC:  Can you please tell us what you working on now, and what you have upcoming in 2018?

Deborah:  I’m working on a couple of things, including the third Broken Riders book, a Women’s Fiction novel, and a romantic comedy.
TRC:  What is your writing process?  Do you like to outline your story before you start? Do you have a specific place you like to write?  Is there a special time of day that works best for you?

Deborah:  I am definitely a plotter. I usually have an outline for the story that is anywhere from twelve to twenty pages, plus extensive notes on character, setting, plot, etc. I try and write up all of that before I start writing, although of course things sometimes change over the course of the writing process.

I usually sit on the recliner couch in my living room with my laptop to write (I need peace and quiet, and am always impressed by people who can write in coffee houses), most often with a cat to supervise me. I have a day job, so I usually write in the evening, pretty much seven days a week. On the days I don’t work, I often do a second stint earlier in the day. Mornings and evenings seem to be best for me, although I have had books where that oddly wasn’t true.

TRC:  Would you like to add anything else?

Deborah:  I’m so excited to have this book out in the world (it was delayed, so it has been thirteen months since the first one in the series came out). I hope everyone loves reading about Gregori’s adventures.

Thank you, Deborah for giving us an update on Dangerously Divine, as well as what we can look forward to 2018.   It was a pleasure having you visit us again. 

 

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Deborah’s publisher is offering a paper copy of DANGEROUSLY DIVINE to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from November 29 to December 3, 2017

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Wickedly Spirited by Deborah Blake – a Review

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Wickedly Spirited by Deborah Blake – a Review

 

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Description:
Jazz, the powerfully magical teen first introduced in Wickedly Powerful, is now being trained as a Baba Yaga—and she’s determined to free the Broken Riders herself.

Jazz had a rough life before meeting her guardian, and she knows she’s lucky that Bella is training her to be a Baba Yaga. But the gifted young witch is frustrated by the slow pace of her lessons. Jazz knows she’s capable of even greater magic, and she wants nothing more than to find a spell that will give the Riders back the immortality they lost. 

With the reluctant assistance of Bella’s dragon-turned-cat Koshka, Jazz travels to the Otherworld to get the necessary ingredients to perform the spell. A willful young witch, dangerous magic, and one powerful wish—what could possibly go wrong?

 

Review:

Wickedly Spirited by Deborah Blake is a novella in her Baba Yaga series.  Blake has another series, Broken Riders, that is a spinoff of her Baba Yaga series.  Broken Riders are warrior men who protected the Baba Yaga witches, until a powerful crazed witch took away their immortality, emotionally breaking them. 

In Wickedly Spirited, Jazz, a teenage Baba Yaga in training is determined to find a way to help return the Broken Riders to the way they were.  Jazz lives with Bella, the Baba Yaga who is her mentor and training her.  Bella knows that Jazz has a lot of magical power, but tries to hold her back until she learns everything there is to know about using potions and spells.  Jazz is tired of being treated like a kid, which she is, and decides secretly to come up with her own potion. 

This being a novella makes it difficult to tell too much more, as it would be major spoilers.  What follows Is a fun storyline, where Jazz will visit the Otherworld, with Koshka, (a cat -really a dragon) to get what she needs to create this new potion.  She is determined to do what she feels is right, even if all the Baba Yago witches have failed.   Jazz is an overconfident teenager, who will not listen to warnings until she performs the spell she created, with an unexpected outcome, which will certainly teach her a lesson.  Do you want to know what happens…..you need to read this cute quick story.  

Deborah Blake gives us a fun fast read to lead the way to the next book in either Baba Yaga or Broken Riders series.   I really did enjoy Wickedly Spirited, as it was a nice quick fun read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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Veiled Menace by Deborah Blake – a Review

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Veiled Menace  by Deborah Blake – a Review

 

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Description:
Since Witches came out of the broom-closet in the early 21st century, they have worked alongside humans as police officers, healers, stock traders, and more. But they aren’t the only paranormal entities in our world…

Witch and police officer Donata Santori is no stranger to magical mayhem, but lately her life has been unexpectedly charmed. Her job as a Ghost Yanker now includes the occasional paranormal investigation, and she’s advancing her magical abilities with the help of an ancestor’s treasured spell book. And while both of her former love interests—reclusive half-Dragon art forger Peter Casaventi and disgraced Shapechanger Magnus Torvald—are nowhere to be found, she’s not averse to being wined and dined by wealthy businessman Anton Eastman.

But Eastman isn’t what he seems, and what he wants from Donata is far more than she’s willing to give. When a mysterious relic, the Pentacle Pentimento, resurfaces, along with Peter’s Dragon father and a shocking Santori family secret, Donata must fight to save herself, her friends, and just maybe the fate of the world from a magic as old as it is dangerous…

 

Review:

Veiled Menace by Deborah Blake is the second book in her Veiled Magic series. Veiled Menace picks up a few months after Veiled Magic ended.  Donata Santori , our heroine, is a witch & police officer, who has been elevated from working in the basement talking to the dead, to her own desk upstairs and helping the Captain on cases involving the paranormal. In this world, Supernaturals are known to the Humans, but they must also fight the prejudice of the Cabal against them.  

Donata has also been working with her aunt to learn and enhance her magical abilities.  During her off time, Donata has been dating Anton Eastman, as her former boyfriends from the 1st book, Peter and Magnus have not contacted her in 6 months.  Donata has been having strange dreams, which have become more sexual, and she soon discovers that Anton has been drugging her wine.

When Peter resurfaces after the death of his father, Donata will help him try to find out who killed him, as well as trying to find out clues in the painting that Peter still has, which played a major part of the previous story.  The weird weather, causing deaths; Anton’s desperate attempt to win Donata to be his wife; and the discovery of a new 6th species will force Donata to find the truth about the new species and stop them before all their lives will be in danger.

This was a nice, at times exciting story line, with a very good tough heroine. I did like Donata, and many of the other secondary characters, such as Doc, Chief, her cat and Ricky, the 3 foot kobold.  I liked Peter, but he annoyed me a bit with his quick anger.  I look forward to the next book of this series, as it has a lot of promises for Donata to become more powerful, and the return of Magnus. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Dangerously Charming by Deborah Blake – Review, Interview & Giveaway

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Dangerously Charming by Deborah Blake – Review & Interview, & Giveaway

 

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Description:
The Riders are three immortal brothers who protect the mythical Baba Yagas. But their time serving the witches has ended—and their new destinies are just beginning…
 
Ever since a near-fatal mistake stripped Mikhail Day and his brothers of their calling to be Riders, Day has hidden from his shame and his new, mortal life in a remote cabin in the Adirondack mountains. But when a desperate young woman appears on his doorstep, he cannot resist helping her—and cannot deny how strongly he’s drawn to her…
 
For generations, women in Jenna Quinlan’s family have been cursed to give up their first born child to the vengeful fairy Zilya. When Jenna finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, she is determined to break her family’s curse and keep her baby, even if it means teaming up with a mysterious and charismatic man with demons of his own…
 
To unravel the curse, Jenna and Day will have to travel deep into the Otherworld. But the biggest challenge of the journey might not be solving an ancient puzzle but learning to heal their own broken hearts…

 

 

Review:

Dangerously Charming by Deborah Blake is the first book in her new Broken Riders series.  This is a spinoff from Blake’s successful Baba Yaga series.  I have not read that series, but this book read very well without having to read the previous series,  as the author gives us information along the way to make it easier.  However, with that being said; I enjoyed this book and Deborah Blake’s writing, and I will need to find time to read the Baba Yaga series (3 books and 2 novellas).

Mikhail Day, our hero, is a White Rider, who protected the Baba Yaga witches, and was immortal.  We learn at the start that Mikhail is a Broken Rider, after being tortured by a crazed witch in a previous story, losing his immortality.  When we meet Mikhail, he is still recovering but in seclusion.  On a stormy night a lost young lady knocks on his door to get into safety from the rains.  Mikhail’s life will once again change.

Jenna Quinlan is our heroine, and she is desperately trying to escape a fairy, who is determined to find Jenna.  It seems that Jenna is pregnant, and the fairy, Zilya has come to claim her first born child.  Jenna’s family has suffered this curse for generations, and Jenna is desperate to find a way out. 

Mikhail at first wants nothing to do with her.  All he wants is to be alone.  But he does take her to meet the fairy Queen, who would like to help Jenna, but this curse was created long before the rules changed.  As in the land of the Fae, the Queen gives a sly hint to Mikhail to help Jenna and warns Zilya to leave Jenna alone until after the baby is born.  This gives Jenna a chance to solve the curse riddle that will release Zilya’s claim. 

What follows is a fun and romantic story line, where Mikhail and Jenna will travel through the Otherworld to find the clues.  Barbara, one of the Baba Yaga witches, will offer some help in trying to unravel the riddle, but Mikhail and Jenna must do this on their own.  Despite his wanting to be alone, slowly Mikhail finds himself falling in love with Jenna, and she with him.  We also get to meet Mikhail’s brother, who is also a Broken Rider, and whose story will be next. 

The key to a good story is always to have characters you enjoy and care about.  Deborah Blake gives us this in Dangerously Charming.  I loved Mikhail and Jenna, as they made a great couple.  I loved the supporting characters, such as Barbara, the Baba Yaga witch; Gregori, Mikhail’s brother, Babs, the young daughter of Barbara, and even the Fairy Queen was nice.   This was an enjoyable read, exciting, action-filled, as they had to fight off those trying to stop Jenna; a sweet romance, great couple, as well as spending time in the land of the Fae.  Dangerously Charming is in fact a charming & fun story. I look forward to the next book in this series, and to find time to read Deborah Blake’s Baba Yaga series. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Interview

Hi Deborah. Thank you for taking the time to answer some questions today.We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.  

TRC: Would you please tell us something about yourself? 

Deborah Blake
Deborah: I live in rural upstate NY in a 130 year old farmhouse with three cats, my day job is running an artists’ cooperative shop a friend and I founded 17 years ago, and I am a practicing witch. Don’t worry…I’m a good witch, not a bad witch.  

 

 

 

TRC: Have you always been interested in writing? When and how did you first start writing? 

Deborah: I’ve been writing since I was a kid. (I think I wrote my first “novel” sitting at the back of a sixth grade class.) I dabbled some when I was in my teens and early twenties, but the rejections scared me off. I didn’t get serious until I was about 45 and had my first nonfiction book published. I guess you could call me a late bloomer!

TRC: Dangerously Charming is the 1st book in your Broken Riders series. Can you please tell us about the premise of this series? How many books are you planning for this series?

Deborah: The Riders were side characters in the Baba Yaga series, companions and friends of the Baba Yagas. Something BAD happened to them in the third book (hence the “broken” in Broken Rider) and this series follows the three Riders as they try to figure out new lives…and their mysterious new abilities. The Baba Yagas do make appearance in these books, too. At the moment, the plan is for three books, one for each Rider, Day, Sun, and Knight.

Dangerously Charming
TRC: Can you please give us a brief description of Dangerously Charming?  

Deborah: Ever since a near-fatal mistake stripped Mikhail Day and his brothers of their calling to be Riders, Day has hidden from his shame and his new, mortal life in a remote cabin in the Adirondack mountains. But when a desperate young woman appears on his doorstep, he cannot resist helping her—and cannot deny how strongly he’s drawn to her…
 
For generations, women in Jenna Quinlan’s family have been cursed to give up their first born child to the vengeful fairy Zilya. When Jenna finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, she is determined to break her family’s curse and keep her baby, even if it means teaming up with a mysterious and charismatic man with demons of his own…
 
To unravel the curse, Jenna and Day will have to travel deep into the Otherworld. But the biggest challenge of the journey might not be solving an ancient puzzle but learning to heal their own broken hearts… 

TRC: Broken Riders is a spin off from your Baba Yaga series.  For those who may not have read your Baba Yaga series, can you please give us a brief description of the series? 

Deborah: The Baba Yaga series is an updated version of the Russian fairy tales about a powerful witch. These days, Baba Yaga is more of a job title than an individual person, and the series features three different women—all powerful witches, but all very different—as they cope with magical challenges (and some pretty challenging non-magical men). Luckily, they have help from the Riders, and each has her own Chudo-Yudo, the Baba Yaga’s mythical dragon companion, disguised as a giant white pit bull, a huge black Newfoundland, and a massive Norwegian Forest Cat. (People would probably notice a dragon.)  

TRC: How did you come up with the idea of Baba Yaga? 

Deborah: My agent Elaine and I were talking one day about what I should write next. We agreed that we both liked my books that had witches as protagonists, and we both liked updated fairy tales. So I tried to figure out which fairy tales hadn’t been overused (and had witches in them that weren’t completely the bad guys) and ta da! Baba Yaga.

TRC: You write multiple genres, such as Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, etc .   Do you have a preference on writing a genre, and have you thought of writing a different genre?

Deborah: I love both Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy I’ve written for Berkley (plus the nonfiction books on witchcraft I write for Llewellyn), but right now I’m actually working on a humorous contemporary romance. I love books that make me laugh. And romance, of course.

TRC: Can you please tell us what you working on now, and what you have upcoming in 2016/2017?

Right now I’m working on the romantic comedy, a book of cat magic, another Baba Yaga novella, and revisions on the second Rider novel, which will be out in November 2017. There will also be a second novel in the Veiled Magic series come spring, the novella towards fall, and I have a tarot deck coming out from Llewellyn in January 2017. 

TRC: What is your writing process?  Do you like to outline your story before you start? Do you have a specific place you like to write?  Is there a special time of day that works best for you?

Deborah: I do outline. I have since about the second book I wrote, but now that I am working with an editor, I always have to submit a synopsis for each book anyway. I actually do fairly extensive outlines, since they help when I get stuck or overwhelmed. I write sitting in a red recliner or on the couch (which also reclines) in my living room, since it seems to be the easiest on my back and arms, and it also makes it easy for the cats to supervise me. I usually work in the evenings, from about 6:30 until 10:30 (give or take), although on the weekends and days off, I sometimes also do another stint in the morning. And yes, that means I work seven days a week, most of the time. 

TRC: When you are not writing, what other interests or hobbies do you have?

Deborah: Besides cats? (laugh) I make jewelry, have an extensive garden, and I like to cook. I also am the high priestess of a small coven, so I do some magical things with the gang on occasion.   

TRC: Would you like to add anything else? 

Deborah: I love my readers—they have been so supportive of my books and my writing. I hope people will come connect with me on my blog, Facebook, and Twitter. And I hope they read and enjoy Dangerously Charming! 

To learn more about Deborah Blake, you can find her at the following links:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

 

 LIGHTNING ROUND 

Favorite Food: Chocolate. No, lobster. No, chocolate. Okay, bacon.

Favorite Dessert: Tiramisu 

Favorite Movie: The Princess Bride 

Favorite TV Show: Firefly (yes, I know it is off the air—I’m still bitter) 

Favorite Movie or TV Celebrity: Richard Dean Anderson (MacGyver) 

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark all the way 

Favorite literary character (not your own): Alanna (Tamora Pierce’s heroine) 

Dog or Cat: Cats (although I do like dogs too)   

Thank you, Deborah, for answering our questions. The Reading Café wishes you the best of luck with Dangerously Charming.

 

giveaway

Deborah’s publisher is offering a paper copy of DANGEROUSLY CHARMING to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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8. Giveaway open to USA only

9. Giveaway runs from October 7-11, 2016

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