Tag Archives: Jenn Bennett

Grave Phantoms by Jenn Bennett – Review & Giveaway

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Grave Phantoms by Jenn Bennett – Review & Giveaway

 

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Grave Phantoms
Roaring Twenties series – Book #3
by Jenn Bennett
Release Date: May 5, 2015

Grave PhatomsAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository / BAM

Description:
Feisty flapper Astrid Magnusson is home from college and yearning for the one thing that’s always been off limits: Bo Yeung, her notorious bootlegging brother’s second-in-command. Unfortunately her dream of an easy reunion proves difficult after a violent storm sends a mysterious yacht crashing into the Magnussons’ docks. What’s worse, the boat disappeared a year ago, and the survivors are acting strangely…

Bo has worked with the Magnusson family for years, doing whatever is needed, including keeping his boss’s younger sister out of trouble—and his hands to himself. Of course, that isn’t so easy after Astrid has a haunting vision about the yacht’s disappearance, plunging them into an underground world of old money and dark magic. Danger will drive them closer together, but surviving their own forbidden feelings could be the bigger risk.

 

 

Review:

Grave Phantoms by Jenn Bennett is her 3rd book in her Roaring Twenties series, and is the final book in this series. The Magnusson brothers, Winter and Lowe have been the heroes of the first two books. From the start, we have waited for Astrid, the younger Magnusson to have her story. Bo Yeung is our hero, and the man Astrid is destined to be with, as we have known how both have secretly felt about each other. Bo is the right hand of Winter, in the Magnusson bootlegging business, and he is Chinese.

In 1928, during the prohibition era, where this takes place, any kind of relationship between them is forbidden and illegal, but both Astrid and Bo find themselves wanting more than just a friendship. Bo has always watched over Astrid, and now with her home from college for a few weeks, she is not a little girl anymore.

While looking for Bo on their dock, Astrid finds herself accidently in the middle of a strange phenomenon, which is a paranormal mystery that will drive this story. It seems a yacht has appeared on the dock that was mysteriously missing for a year.   After touching a fallen object, Astrid has visions of the past, especially the missing ship and the people on it. Her aura has changed, and between her and Bo they need to resolve the mystery to save Astrid from the dangers it is causing.

What follows is an wild and exciting adventure that will put them in the middle of dark magic from the past that will rear its ugly head. We will get a dose of history in this mystery. The romance between Astrid and Bo heats up, and they are determined to solve the mystery, and find a way for them to be together. I thought Astrid was a great character, and loved her strength, her bubbly vivacious personality, and her fearlessness. She and Bo made a great couple.

Jen Bennett did a wonderful job putting the final pieces to this fascinating trilogy of the Magnusson family in an era of the prohibition and the Roaring Twenties. I loved the epilogue allowing us to see them all in the future. This was a fun and exciting series, with great characters.   I wholly recommend you read this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Giveaway

Jenn’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of GRAVE PHANTOMS  to ONE (1) lucky commenter.

1. Please register using the log-in at the top of the page (side bar) or by using one of the social log-ins.

2. If you are using a social log-in, please post your email address with your comment.

3. LIKE us on FACEBOOK and then click GET NOTIFICATION under ‘liked’ for an additional entry.

4. LIKE us on Twitter for an additional entry.

5. Like Jenn Bennett on Facebook for an additional entry

5. Giveaway is open to USA only

6. Giveaway runs from May 12 to May 16, 2015

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Grim Shadows by Jenn Bennett – a Review

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Grim Shadows by Jenn Bennett – a Review

 

Grim Shadows
Roaring Twenties series – Book #2
by Jenn Bennett
Release Date: June 3, 2014

Grim ShadowsAmazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

Description:
It’s the Roaring Twenties in foggy San Francisco. Prohibition is on, inhibitions are low, and dark magic is rolling into town…

Archaeologist Lowe Magnusson is packing something everyone wants. The djed amulet, a priceless Egyptian artifact, will fetch Lowe a hefty paycheck from one of San Francisco’s wealthiest. But when the handsome Swede runs into his patron’s uptight daughter, what he once considered easy money becomes maddeningly complicated…

Cursed with deadly spirits as her constant companions, curator Hadley Bacall must keep calm to hold her dangerous specters at bay and prevent them from lashing out at anything—or anyone. Trouble is, Lowe is driving her crazy, but her father needs the artifact he’s transporting. While Hadley can feel the amulet’s power, she can’t fathom the destruction—or the desire—it’s about to stir up.

 

Review:
Grim Shadows by Jenn Bennett is the 2nd book in her Roaring Twenties series. Of course, knowing the series title, you know this series takes place during the prohibition era, and in San Francisco, with a paranormal/magic background theme. Wheras, Bitter Spirits (first book) was about bootlegging and ghosts; Grim Shadows is about Archaeology and specters (evil spirits).

Our hero is Lowe Magnusson, who is Winter’s (first book hero) younger brother. He is a con-man, but also a charming and gorgeous hunk, whom you fall in love with early on. Lowe lies easily, and we find ourselves laughing at the stories he tells people, when trying to escape a bad situation or just to get where he wants. Having discovered a priceless Egyptian artifact (djed amulet), Lowe makes his plans to head home and sell the amulet to the highest bidder. But before he leaves, he meets Hadley, our heroine.

Hadley is the daughter of renowned Archibald Bacall, who wants the amulet for his museum, and will pay a hefty price. Hadley, who is an archaeologist expert, helping her father run the museum, approaches Lowe, in behalf of her father, to make an immediate deal and ensure they receive the amulet. Lowe finds her attractive, but cold and distant; but has no qualms lying to her, since he plans to have a fake amulet made to help him cover his debts to some bad people. However, they are thrown together in a wild and dangerous trip home.

What follows is a wonderful exciting and fun filled story, with Lowe and Hadley working together to discover the mystery of the amulet, and trying to put together the clues to find the missing pieces to complete the amulet. Lowe finds himself falling hard for the strangely distant Hadley. She too finds herself attracted to Lowe, but because of a childhood devoid of love, Hadley keeps herself aloof. She also carries a curse that plays a major part of her life, and why she cannot let herself allow anyone in.

But Lowe is determined to discover all that is Hadley, even when he learns the truth about the dangerous spirits that hover over her, he refuses to back down. This turns out to be a beautiful romance, and it was so wonderful to see how Lowe slowly breaks down her defenses. The sexual chemistry between them was hot, and to see Hadley come out of her shell was a joy to see. Bennett did this so well. I loved Lowe and Hadley. So different, and yet so perfect for each other.  

The story was an a tense and exciting ride to the finish, as each missing piece is discovered, each creating much danger with various mythical creatures trying to stop them from completing the amulet. In the middle of this, is a sinister villain, who will stop at nothing to find those pieces himself.

Jenn Bennett has impressed me with all the research that she had done to create this wonderful story that deals with Egyptian Mythology, and was so well written, we totally understood everything. But best of all, our two heroes, Lowe and Hadley were such a fun couple, not to mention being a hot sizzling romance that steamed the pages. If you want an exciting, tense adventure, action filled mystery, and a fun sexy flirty couple, then Grim Shadows should be your next read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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An Interview and Giveaway with Jenn Bennett

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An Interview and Giveaway with Jenn Bennett

Bitter Spirits Banner
The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Jenn Bennett as our guest today.

Jenn Bennett

Jenn is here to discuss her book, Bitter Spirits, which was released last week, and is the first book in her Roaring Twenties series

Our review of Bitter Spirits is below this post.

Let’s meet Jen.


Interview

Hi Jenn!  Thank you for taking the time today, to answer some questions for your fans at The Reading Café.  We are always looking forward to learning more about the author behind the book.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Jenn:  It’s my pleasure to be here, so thank you for having me! For those who don’t know, I write the Arcadia Bell romantic urban fantasy series for Pocket Books (the fourth book comes out in May). BITTER SPIRITS is the first book in my new 1920s paranormal romance series with Berkley Sensation. In addition to writing, I’m also an artist. And I currently live in Atlanta with my husband and two (very) bad pugs.

TRC:  Did you always have an interest in writing?  When and how did you first start writing?

Jenn:  A few years ago, I decided I wanted to write a book. A year after that, I’d written a couple more, signed with a literary agent, and sold two books to a major publishing house. I’ve since sold six books and never looked back. I don’t think my story is the typical path to traditional publishing, but I like to think all the daydreaming I’ve done over the years finally got put to good use. Writing feels like what I was meant to do.

TRC:  You have a new series, Roaring Twenties.  How did you come up with the idea of this series? Any particular reason that drew you to the 1920’s as opposed to other historical time periods? Tell us a little something about the premise of this series…

Jenn: I’ve always been attracted to the 1920s, especially in America—Prohibition, flappers, jazz… But from a writer’s point of view, the most interesting thing is that it was a decade in which women broke social barriers and ventured into institutions that were previously regarded as Men Only. Women got their hair bobbed at the barbershop, smoked cigarettes, and sat at the bar alongside men. They moved to big cities to find work. Drove cars. Voted. They were pioneers, learning how to be independent, and that’s exactly the kind of heroine I like to write. And though I’ve seen a few romances written in 1920s New York, my series takes place in San Francisco, where the hills and fog and Pacific Ocean give things a very different flavor.

Bitter SpiritsTRC: BITTER SPIRITS, which was released last week, is your first book in this series.  Can you please give us a brief description of the book?

Jenn:  Spirit medium Aida Palmer channels the dead on stage at the Gris-Gris speakeasy. She meets Winter Magnusson—a scarred, brick wall of a man known around town as the “Viking Bootlegger”—who is haunted by the ghost of a murdered Chinese prostitute and enlists her help to exorcise it. The mystery of why he is haunted draws the two of them together and takes them through foggy San Francisco, from luxury homes to the backstreets of Chinatown—during which, they fall wildly in love. It’s spooky, thrilling, erotic, and terribly romantic. (At least, I think so!)

TRC:  How many books are you planning for your Roaring Twenties series?

Jenn: Hopefully three, at least, and they all center on the Magnusson family. BITTER SPIRITS is Aida and Winter’s story, and GRIM SHADOWS is Lowe and Hadley’s story (Winter’s archeologist brother and a museum curator). The third will feature Bo and Astrid (Winter’s baby sister, who is secretly in love with his assistant).

TRC:  The bootlegging culture was such a business of intrigue and back alley deals, what kind of research did you do to get such a great understanding of the business back then? And have you ever been to a modern-day speakeasy?

Jenn:  Aside from the countless hours I’ve spent online looking through San Francisco archival photos, I’ve amassed a small library’s worth of 1920s research material, including both original material (1920s magazines and maps of San Francisco) and secondary sources (books and films about Prohibition). Though gangsters like Al Capone snagged all the splashy headlines, I’m more interested in people like Roy Olmstead, a former Seattle cop known as “the Good Bootlegger,” who didn’t dilute his liquor or mass-murder his rivals to make a buck.

And yes, there are a couple of speakeasies here in Atlanta (Prohibition in Buckhead, Edgewood Speakeasy), but I’d really love to visit PDT in New York or Bourbon and Branch in San Francisco. Who’s up for a cocktail?

TRC:  You have written Urban Fantasy and now Paranormal Romance.  Do you have a preference of either genre?  Are there any other genres you’re itching to try? 

Jenn: The bootlegging culture was such a business of intrigue and back alley deals, what kind of research did you do to get such a great understanding of the business back then? And have you ever been to a modern-day speakeasy?The bootlegging culture was such a business of intrigue and back alley deals, what kind of research did you do to get such a great understanding of the business back then? And have you ever been to a modern-day speakeasy?For me, it’s all about romance, no matter what I’m writing. My urban fantasy is a May-December love story between a magically gifted bartender and a sexy Earthbound demon, told over several books, with an HEA at the series’ end. The Roaring Twenties series is one couple/one HEA in each book. One day, I’d like to try my hand at contemporary romance. As long as I can write characters that fall in love, I’m happy.

TRC:  Please tell us what you working on now, and what you have upcoming in 2014?

Jenn: I have three books out this year: BITTER SPIRITS, BANSHING THE DARK (Arcadia Bell #4, May), and GRIM SHADOWS (Roaring Twenties #2, June). I’ve recently written a sexy contemporary young adult romance—no paranormal!—and am currently working on a 1940s young adult mystery/romance.

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? Or how about writing fuel? Candy/coffee/cereal?

Jenn: I only need to know two things before I start a book: how it begins and ends. I outline a few chapters at a time and readjust the story as I create the characters. I do all my writing in my office, day and night, with lots of tea and Fox’s Glacier candy.

TRC:  Many authors have friends or family, that they bounce ideas and information back and forth.  Do you have anyone you like to discuss your story with? 

Jenn:  My husband. He’s a copywriter, smart and creative, and he’s a terrific brainstormer. I occasionally use beta readers after I’ve written a first draft, but not always. My agent, Laura Bradford, is also hands-on with editing after the first draft and her feedback is invaluable.

TRC:  Your website details your extensive travels. What are some of your favorite places you visited?

Jenn:  Taipei, Taiwan. I love that city; it’s given me great stories about drunken karaoke with transsexual bar owners and insane, near-death cab rides. I also love Hong Kong—it’s vibrant and exciting, day or night.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Prosciutto, olives, and tater tots—but not necessarily all at once!

Favorite Dessert: Cake with French buttercream frosting

Favorite TV Show: Twin Peaks

Favorite Actor & Actress (TV or Movies): Cary Grant and Irene Dunne

Last Book You Read: SHADOWDANCE by Kristen Callihan

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own): Lyra Belacqua

Milk or Dark Chocolate: Both, but I’m snobby: no Hershey’s!

Dog or Cat: My pugs are in earshot…so I’ll choose dog.

Thank you Jenn, for taking the time to answer our questions!  We wish you the best of luck with BITTER SPIRITS.  Please keep us informed about your upcoming new releases, as we look forward to working with you again!

If you want to learn more about Jenn, you can reach her at the following links:
Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads


giveawayJenn and her Publisher, have graciously offered to give One member of The Reading Café a copy of her new release, Bitter Spirits.

1.  Please register using the Log-In at the top of the page, or by using one of our social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in e.g. Twitter, please leave your email address along with your comment.

3.  Giveaway open US only.

4.  Contests runs from January 15 to January 19, 2014

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Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett – a Review

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Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett – a Review

Bitter SpiritsLinks to order Bitter Spirits: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / The Book Depository

 

Description:
It’s the roaring twenties, and San Francisco is a hotbed of illegal boozing, raw lust, and black magic. The fog-covered Bay Area can be an intoxicating scene, particularly when you specialize in spirits…

Aida Palmer performs a spirit medium show onstage at Chinatown’s illustrious Gris-Gris speakeasy. However, her ability to summon (and expel) the dead is more than just an act.

Winter Magnusson is a notorious bootlegger who’s more comfortable with guns than ghosts—unfortunately for him, he’s the recent target of a malevolent hex that renders him a magnet for hauntings. After Aida’s supernatural assistance is enlisted to banish the ghosts, her spirit-chilled aura heats up as the charming bootlegger casts a different sort of spell on her…

On the hunt for the curseworker responsible for the hex, Aida and Winter become drunk on passion. And the closer they become, the more they realize they have ghosts of their own to exorcise

 

 Review:

Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett is the first book in her new Roaring Twenties series.  As you can tell from the series title, this takes place in San Francisco, during the prohibition era.  We meet our heroine, Aida, who works in a speakeasy, as a medium.  Aida can summon the dead or send them away. It is because of this ability, she meet our hero, Winter, who is a hulk of a man, & in trouble.  Aida’s boss, Velma, has magic ability, and calls in Aida to help Winter, who is being besieged by ghosts, as well as having been poisoned by magic.  Between the two of them, they manage to help Winter; but not before Aida begins to feel the attraction to this huge, scarred, but otherwise gorgeous man.

Winter, who is a bootlegger and rich, can’t get Aida out of his head, and in short time the two of them find themselves in a hot, steamy relationship, which both agree will be with no commitments.  Though their attraction to each other was strong, both have their own private issues and the romance was a nice slow to build.  The first half of the book was mostly the attraction between them, which they acted on quite often, with off the wall sexual chemistry. The other side of the story was the paranormal storyline of who was using magic to hurt Winter, which eventually affects Aida too. Once the danger escalates, with both Winter and Aida getting hurt along the way, they both work together to try to resolve these attacks. 

The unlikely couple of sweet, but independent Aida; and Winter, the gorgeous hunk, whom most people were afraid of, was the main part of the story.  It was fun to watch them together, the witty comments between them, and their sexual scenes, which created sparks throughout.  Each were totally in denial about their true feelings, due to their past issues.  Aida, having lost her family at a young age, was totally alone and survived on her measly salary as a spirit medium.  Winter, lost his mother, father and wife to a tragic car accident years before; not to mention being in a loveless marriage, makes him avoid any kind of relationship.

The second half of the book was very exciting, with the non stop action, danger and the race to survive the magical curse aiming to destroy them.  The mystery was tense, but also a bit confusing trying to understand the Chinese unrest, and bootlegger war.  Bennett kept us on our toes, and it wasn’t until the very end did we discover who was indeed behind the mystery.  Despite all the mystery, action and danger, it is the romance between Aida and Winter that made this book fun to read.  It was a different type of romance, though very hot, it had it humor that made it so enjoyable.  Jenn Bennett’s writing style is very nice.  If you want a hot, steamy romance; a fun flirty couple, and a tense, action filled mystery, with a paranormal twist; then Bitter Spirits is perfect for you.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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