Book Review: World Tree Girl: A Shadow Valley Manor Novel (Book 2) by Kerry Schafer

World Tree Girl: A Shadow Valley Manor Novel (The Shadow Valley Manor Series Book 2) 
by Kerry Schafer
August 8, 2017
Diversion Books
280 pages
“If you like X-Files and Ilona Andrews, you'll love this awesome, well-crafted and unusual tale!” —Patricia Briggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

The girl with the full-body tattoo of a world tree is not just another runaway. She's dead, for starters, and her veins are emptied of blood and oozing a strange, jelly-like substance. To Maureen Keslyn, seasoned paranormal investigator, former FBI agent, new owner of the Shadow Valley Manor Retirement Home, this isn’t just a corpse. It’s a sign that the Medusa, a dangerous paranormal hybrid, is on another killing spree.

Maureen and her team—Jake, the local sheriff, Matt, the Shadow Valley Manor cook with knife skills that extend beyond the kitchen, and eighteen-year-old Sophronia, who has an uncanny affinity for ghosts—are determined to hunt down and eliminate the creature.

Their case is complicated by the ghost of Maureen’s former partner, Phil Evers, who refuses to cross to the other side, and his very much alive daughter Jillian, who shows up demanding to know how Maureen inherited the Manor. When Sophronia uses her power to try to help Phil across, a huge spirit storm blows up at Shadow Valley Manor, and she disappears. With the life of one of their own in deadly peril, Maureen and the team have a ticking clock to find Sophronia and bring down the Medusa.
World Tree Girl is the second installment in the Shadow Valley Manor series. The series follows retired FBI agent Maureen Keslyn, reluctant proprietor of Shadow Valley Manor, a retirement residence willed to her by her deceased former partner/lover. Having spent most of her career investigating the paranormal, Maureen is on high alert knowing all too well that sometimes mysterious occurrences have fantastic explanations. When a local morgue worker with connections to Maureen’s previous case turns up dead, she and her partner Jake are immediately plunged headlong into an investigation that defies logic and reason. Once again, the manor becomes the epicentre for paranormal activity; a quirky backdrop for a supernatural thriller.

Amidst the main mystery are several interpersonal entanglements rounding out the story. Maureen and her crew face constant danger, the origins of which remain largely unknown. As a main character, Maureen kicks ass. She’s middle aged; a touch I find refreshing and honest. In a genre dominated by 20-something heroines, I respect Schafer’s bravery in choosing to work outside of the norm. Maureen is tough, smart, and witty. Her attraction to Jake also reminds readers that older characters can also be attractive, sexual beings.

I’m excited to see where this series goes. For every answer uncovered, a slew of new questions arise. World Tree Girl has elements of government conspiracy giving it a definite X-Files vibe. Shadow Valley Manor is proving to be an intriguing, original series. Let’s hope it’s got some longevity as well.

Review: Dead Before Dying: A Shadow Valley Manor Novel (Book 1)

Five Sheep

Bianca Greenwood

About the Author:
website-FB-twitter
Kerry Schafer writes fantasy with its teeth sunk into reality, mystery that delves into the paranormal, and women’s fiction that embraces the dark and twisty realms of humanity. The first two books of her Between trilogy (Between and Wakeworld) were published through Ace Books/Penguin. Due to the ever-shifting landscape of publishing, the concluding book of the trilogy - The Nothing - was released as an Indie book, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. The first book in Kerry's Paranormal Mystery series, Dead Before Dying, will be released by Diversion Books on Feb 9, 2016. She also writes Women's Fiction as Kerry Anne King.

Kerry Schafer Guest Post: Top Ten Reasons Why Shadow Valley Manor is Not Your Average Retirement Home + giveaway

Top Ten Reasons Why Shadow Valley Manor is Not Your Average Retirement Home

1. Its owner. The Manor was recently acquired by Phil Evers, known to other paranormal investigators as the 007 of the paranormal world. The question must be asked: what on earth does a man like this want with a retirement home?

2. Its history. The Manor has only been a retirement home for a few years. The site was initially part of a military installation built during the cold war. When the site was decommissioned, the property was acquired by an unknown entity as a Home for Unwed Mothers, known to the locals as HUM. There are some strange tales told in Shadow Valley about HUM, and some people say they are true.

3. The undertaker's daughter. When deaths occur at the Manor, Sophronia often shows up to claim the body. People whisper that she has power and that maybe sick folks die a little faster around her than they might if they were alone.

4. Ghosts. This is not surprising, really, given how many people have died in this place.

5. Secret Passageways. Many structures built during the cold war have underground rooms. Not all of them have secret passageways or a hidden, underground laboratory once used for nefarious purposes

6. Frequent deaths. Sure, elderly people die. At the Manor, they die a lot. Is it always from natural causes? Maybe. Maybe not.

7. The cook. Matt is drop dead gorgeous and knows how to brew the perfect cup of coffee. He's also a shade too proficient with his knives and has some kick-ass reflexes that might make you wonder where he acquired those skills.

8. The sheriff. Jake Callahan has a reputation for being a good guy. But something about those shark gray eyes and the way he gets his hackles up at mention of the word paranormal does make you wonder if he's hiding some secrets.

9. The residents. Take Gerald Vermeer, for example. Just a gnarled, toothless, bald old geezer in a wheelchair. His belief that he's a vampire is clearly delusional, but still, the old guy is creepy.

10. Maureen Keslyn. It's not unusual to have a resident a bit under retirement age, if said person is in need of rest and rehabilitation after illness or injury. But when that person is an experienced paranormal investigator with more than her share of secrets and a shared history with Phil Evers, the 007 owner of the Manor, it makes you wonder what she is up to…

I Smell Sheep review: Dead Before Dying

Dead Before Dying
by Kerry Schafer
February 9th 2016
by Diversion Publishing
Paperback, 236 pages
Twisting and eerie, sharp and unforgettable, DEAD BEFORE DYING brings a heroine worthy of Sue Grafton to a terror worthy of Dean Koontz.

In this supernatural thriller, shot through with biting wit, Maureen Keslyn checks herself in to Shadow Valley Manor to recuperate and rehabilitate from her last job. There, she runs afoul of the stern director and makes friends with some of the other residents, mostly older, all harboring either a secret or a grudge. With secrets of her own, like why she has her own Federal Agent checking up on her, and how she injured herself in the first place, Maureen fits right in, even as she sticks out like a thorn.

But Shadow Valley isn t just for rest. Maureen is working undercover, seeking to find and eradicate whatever forces are picking off the residents (and staff) at a grisly clip. With her resources dwindling one death at a time, and unnatural forces seething to rise up once more, Maureen s experience fighting the supernatural will be her only hope to destroy a clever and powerful evil and her only chance at surviving it. She'll need people as paranoid as she is from the sheriff, to the undertaker's daughter, to a cook whose knife skills in the kitchen could prove deadly out of it if she is going to bring rest to the weary, and peace to the dead...

amazon

About the Author:

website-FB-twitter
Kerry Schafer writes fantasy with its teeth sunk into reality, mystery that delves into the paranormal, and women’s fiction that embraces the dark and twisty realms of humanity. The first two books of her Between trilogy (Between and Wakeworld) were published through Ace Books/Penguin. Due to the ever-shifting landscape of publishing, the concluding book of the trilogy - The Nothing - was released as an Indie book, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. The first book in Kerry's Paranormal Mystery series, Dead Before Dying, will be released by Diversion Books on Feb 9, 2016. She also writes Women's Fiction as Kerry Anne King.

GIVEAWAY

one print copy of Dead Before Dying (US only)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Double Book Review: Dead Before Dying: A Shadow Valley Manor Novel (Book 1) by Kerry Schafer

Dead Before Dying: A Shadow Valley Manor Novel (The Shadow Valley Manor Series Book 1) 
by Kerry Schafer
February 9th, 2016
by Diversion Publishing
Paperback, 236 pages

Twisting and eerie, sharp and unforgettable, DEAD BEFORE DYING brings a heroine worthy of Sue Grafton to a terror worthy of Dean Koontz.

In this supernatural thriller, shot through with biting wit, Maureen Keslyn checks herself in to Shadow Valley Manor to recuperate and rehabilitate from her last job. There, she runs afoul of the stern director and makes friends with some of the other residents, mostly older, all harboring either a secret or a grudge. With secrets of her own, like why she has her own Federal Agent checking up on her, and how she injured herself in the first place, Maureen fits right in, even as she sticks out like a thorn.

But Shadow Valley isn t just for rest. Maureen is working undercover, seeking to find and eradicate whatever forces are picking off the residents (and staff) at a grisly clip. With her resources dwindling one death at a time, and unnatural forces seething to rise up once more, Maureen s experience fighting the supernatural will be her only hope to destroy a clever and powerful evil and her only chance at surviving it. She'll need people as paranoid as she is from the sheriff, to the undertaker's daughter, to a cook whose knife skills in the kitchen could prove deadly out of it if she is going to bring rest to the weary, and peace to the dead...

amazon

Jeanie G's Review

I give this story 4 1/2 "kick ass Maxine" sheep!

I loved the title of this book but didn't really know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised when I found the main character, Maureen, was not a young hottie but an "almost" senior citizen. Don't misunderstand, she was still a kick-ass, die hard FBI investigative character and I loved the fact that she was closer to my age than 99% of the PNF heroines I am usually reading about.

Add to that fact that she was a "normal" telling the story and it was a refreshing take on the paranormal world. At first I thought it might be a little dull if there wasn't a little romance in the story but the storyline and suggestion of attraction between Maureen and Jake was just enough to fill that void.

Who knew that a Nursing Home would offer up the perfect place for malice and mayhem! Perhaps those that actually work in those facilities wouldn't be so surprised but the fact that the same nursing home used to be a home for unwed mothers with laboratories and cells hidden underneath the building gave it a whole new purpose. After being recruited by a long lost love who was previously in the FBI paranormal unit, she arrives at the nursing home only to find that someone or something caused the death of the only one who could help her determine what was going on, who to trust (or not trust) and why were there so many deaths happening in this one facility on a regular basis.

She is aided by individuals that she finds have "special" talents but you never know who really "dunnit" until close to the finish. And is there a hint of a new rogue PN investigative team on the horizon? I hope so. I really liked the characters and the story platform. Cozy mystery abounds!! A definite pick up and read when it comes out.

Bianca Greenwood's Review

5 Sheep

Middle-aged Maureen Keslyn is recovering from her most recent supernatural recovery operation for the FBI. With the intent to hide in plain sight, Maureen immediately relocates to Shadow Valley Manor for some convalescence and undercover surveillance. The Manor, currently under the ownership of fellow FBI phenom and former lover Phil Evers, is an independent living home for the aged and the site of some recent and disturbing incidents. Maureen is soon confronted with a menacing presence threatening the lives of everyone in the home. As the body count rises, a colourful cast of characters surrounding The Manor provide an interesting and perplexing list of suspects in this creepy whodunit. 

Dead Before Dying is an entertaining, thrilling read with some original twists. The book is very much a murder mystery with a theme of paranormal threat. One aspect of the book I enjoyed was Maureen as the heroine. I applaud Schafer’s bravery in providing her readers a middle-aged main. In a genre dominated by female characters in their twenties, Maureen is a stand out. Her age makes her smart, experienced, and interesting. She’s more than sex appeal, and I like that. She’s certainly past the point of caring about the opinion of others and isn’t plagued by the exhausting self-doubt common among heroines of this genre. “I can be rude to anybody with aplomb,” reflects Maureen; a quality this reviewer can certainly get behind.

This mystery is imaginative and clever. The paranormal aspect widens the playing field for the murder mystery-based text. It takes a genre prone to predictability and makes it considerably more perplexing. This book proves true to Maureen’s musing that “you never know which piece of the puzzle will be the key to solving a mystery.”

So if you’re looking for a paranormal read a bit off the beaten path, check out Dead Before Dying, the first of Schafer’s Shadow Valley Mysteries.

About the Author:
website-FB-twitter
Kerry Schafer writes fantasy with its teeth sunk into reality, mystery that delves into the paranormal, and women’s fiction that embraces the dark and twisty realms of humanity. The first two books of her Between trilogy (Between and Wakeworld) were published through Ace Books/Penguin. Due to the ever-shifting landscape of publishing, the concluding book of the trilogy - The Nothing - was released as an Indie book, thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign. The first book in Kerry's Paranormal Mystery series, Dead Before Dying, will be released by Diversion Books on Feb 9, 2016. She also writes Women's Fiction as Kerry Anne King.

Cover Reveal: The Nothing (Between #3) by Kerry Schafer + giveaway

Thank you all for stopping by our series spotlight today. We've got two books in Kerry Schafer's Between series available to rave about, and a third on the way. 

Vivian Maylor can't sleep. Maybe it's because she just broke up with her boyfriend and moved to a new town, or it could be the stress of her new job at the hospital. But perhaps it's because her dreams have started to bleed through into her waking hours.

All of her life Vivian has rejected her mother's insane ramblings about Dreamworlds for concrete science and fact, until an emergency room patient ranting about dragons spontaneously combusts before her eyes--forcing Viv to consider the idea that her visions of mythical beasts might be real.

And when a chance encounter leads her to a man she knows only from her dreams, Vivian finds herself falling into a world that seems strange and familiar all at once--a world where the line between dream and reality is hard to determine, and hard to control...

Here are a few things people have said about Kerry's debut novel, BETWEEN.

"I never expect a series to sweep me off my feet in the first book, which makes it all the sweeter when it happens. . .I can’t wait to read what Schafer comes up with next.”—AllThingsUrbanFantasy.com

"A smart, resilient heroine, a scarred hero, dragons that are all too real and much too close, and myriad doorways that lead from a modern ER into dreams and waking and everything in Between make for a sparkling debut novel. Most enjoyable." – Carol Berg, author 

Vivian Maylor is trying to hold it together. But her attempts to build a life with the man she loves seem doomed by the dragon inside her yearning to break free. Vivian is a dreamshifter, the last line of defense between reality and the dreamworld, and the only one of her kind.

Weston Jennings also believes he is the only one of his kind. He fears his powers as a dreamshifter, and resists learning to control them. After suffering a tragic loss, Weston heads deep into the woods of the Pacific Northwest to embrace a safe life of solitude. But when a terrible mistake leads to an innocent’s death, his guilt drives him to his former home, where he encounters what he never thought he would find: another shifter.

Now Vivian and Weston must work together to defeat a new threat to the dreamworld.

Some reader thoughts about book 2, WAKEWORLD...

"Vivian is so much stronger and really comes into her own in Wakeworld. It was clear that she’s come to terms with the fact that life is going to be crazy now and that she is the one that needs to deal with it, go Vivian!" - Anya, On Starships & Dragonwings

"Rising star Schafer continues to advance an elaborate mythology that places her heroine at the intersection of worlds. Schafer proves densely plotted and emotionally charged storytelling is definitely her forte!" – RT Magazine

“Wakeworld is a fine adventure. Kerry Schafer gives us heroes we can root for and a world that twists and turns like an Escher print so that nothing is quite what it seems.” – Anne Bishop, author

“Schafer brings a unique voice to urban fantasy, and her writing has a dreamlike, magical quality. A captivating read, a real page-turner!” – Yasmine Galenorn, author 

So... that leads us to book 3!! Kerry just unveiled the cover for THE NOTHING

Vivian has one chance to save the worlds, and it could cost her everything.

In The Nothing, the third and final book of the Between Trilogy, a mysterious illness is killing healthy people in their sleep. While doctors and world leaders scramble to determine the source of the mysterious epidemic, Vivian Maylor travels through an increasingly unstable Between on a quest to stop it. She already knows the source of the disaster: Aidan the dragon queen has poisoned the dreamworlds. Every time a dreamworld dies, any dreamer caught up in that dream dies too. Much as Vivian despises the dark magic of the Sorcieri, they hold the secrets she needs to be able to pursue Aidan through the locked gates into the Forever. She has one chance to save the worlds—if she can persuade the Sorcieri to share their secrets, and if she is willing to sacrifice everything she loves…

A message from Kerry about THE NOTHING...

A Chance to be Part of the Story…

An unfinished series is a very sad thing. As a reader I am devastated when I finish a book and there isn't another one and the story hasn't yet ended. It reminds me of the time I bought a book and for some reason the last page was missing. There I sat, holding that book in my hands and screaming inside, "But I don't know what happened!!!"

When I started writing a trilogy I made a promise to my readers that I would finish what I started. And I intend to do that. Ace Books has opted not to pick up The Nothing so I'm going to publish it independently. However, I would like for the quality of the last book to be at the same level as the first two and good editors don't come cheap.

For all of these reasons, I'm running a Kickstarter to help give The Nothing a chance to find its way to more readers. If you would like to be part of this—either by backing the project or spreading the word—you can read all about it at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/574989945/the-nothing-is-comingdream-if-you-dare

GIVEAWAY

****************************

Right now, there is a GoodReads.com giveaway for BETWEEN!!! To enter to win a copy, check out the contest here, before November 13th. You can also win a copy (either print, or ebook) by clicking on the rafflecopter link below. This Series Spotlight contest ends on November 11th. CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE SERIES SPOTLIGHT GIVEAWAY GOOD LUCK!!

Interview: Urban Fantasy Author Kerry Schafer (The Between Series) + giveaway

Today we have urban fantasy author Kerry Schafer visiting. Unfortunately she had to leave her dragons at home. We talk about totem animals, Zee cookies, flesh eating penguins and a viking (but don't touch the viking, Kerry appears to be very stingy when it comes to him)

be sure to check out her theme music

Powered by www.Mp3Olimp.net 

Sharon: Hello! Welcome to the Flock. We love dragons here. We even have our very own dragon named Jake. He lives in the dungeon over in our Facebook group…he likes gummy bears and cinnamon hearts.
Kerry: Thanks so much for inviting me over. I've left the dragons at home because they eat sheep and I'm not sure how they would get along with Jake. I've tried to instill some manners, but you know – dragons.
Sharon: I know, you can take the dragon out of the wild, but not the wild out of the dragon.
Kerry: Ain't that the truth?

Sharon: Let’s start out with telling our readers about your series The Between.
Kerry: The Between is a place between waking and dreaming where anything is possible. And in case that sounds awesome, it's important to remember that nightmares are also dreams, and those dream monsters that chase you are very real in the Between. Vivian is a Dreamshifter, which means she is not only responsible for guarding your safety by keeping the doors closed between dreaming and waking, but she can also enter dream worlds at will. (Except when she gets locked out, of course, which is what happens in Wakeworld.) She also has dragon blood burning through her veins, which results in a disconcerting tendency to turn into a dragon. This causes her some distress, especially since Zee, the love of her life, was born to be a dragon slayer.
Sharon: Dinner with the future in-laws could be a-w-k-w-a-r-d… If the nightmare monsters are real, then that mean my dream Thor would be too, right? See where I am going with this?
Kerry: I do! Be careful, though, because a dream liaison of that sort can have certain – consequences – as Zee finds out to his dismay in Wakeworld.

Sharon: I also see you have a novella series called Dream Wars. How much does it cost to hire a dream runner and would you recommend it?
Kerry: I do not recommend ever hiring a dream runner. It seems like a great idea at the time, but since you never know what it's going to cost you until after you've ordered in your designer dream, it's a proposition that could cost you your soul, your memory, or even your life.

these covers are beautiful!

Sharon: In Denise’s review of Wakeworld she mentions a penguin named Poe? What’s his story? 

Kerry: Poe is a dream penguin, and Vivian's totem animal. He follows her out of a dreamworld early in the book Between, and stays with her as a companion. Even though he never speaks, it's clear that he has thoughts of his own and he sometimes acts as a guide.

Sharon: I take it penguins aren't tasty to dragons? What would your totem animal be?
 Kerry: Oh, most dragons would be more than happy to have a nice penguiny morsel. Fortunately, Vivian has some control over her dragon tendencies. Most of the time, anyway. The first time ever that I drew a card from an animal totem deck I got a Mountain Lion. I'm sticking with that. 

Image credit

Sharon: If someone wanted to make a Zee cookie what are some of the ingredients would they need? 
Kerry: Ahh! Um, one part soul of artist, two parts warrior, infuse with essence of passionate lover. 

*Sharon starts writing shopping list*

Sharon: Dental hygiene must be a big priority for a dragon. How do they keep those teeth sharp and pearly white?
Kerry: Well, they sharpen them on the bones of their prey, but I fear their teeth are more often bloodstained than pearly white.


Sharon: If every time you walked into a room theme music played (you know, like a superhero) what would yours be?
Kerry: Another One Bites the Dust? Just kidding. Let's see – it would have to be a Mark Knopfler song. Let's go with The Bug. Apart from the fact that I adore Mark Knopfler, this song is my reminder that the good and bad things in life are all mixed up together and to just enjoy the ride.
Sharon: His voice always makes me think of early MTV. I loved Skateaway.
Kerry: I might maybe be a little obsessed.


Sharon: You are a native Canadian, but live across the border in Washington now. Is there a place in the US you haven’t been too, but hope to one day?
Kerry: Tons of places! I have seen very little of the south and would really like to visit. And I love the ocean. You know what would be really fun? Driving the entire coast all the way around the country.
Sharon: When you hit NC I can help you out. I grew up near the coast.
Kerry: Excellent. I've got some familiarity with the West Coast, but that's it.

Sharon: Your bio mentions a childhood book collection. How big is it and which book/series had a big impact on you? 

Kerry: I've lost a few along the way, but let's just say that I have more books than shelves at the moment and I really need to do something about this soon. The collection stems from early childhood, so there's a whole row of Dr. Seuss books. And then there's everything Louisa May Alcott wrote, not just Little Women. The Five Little Peppers and How they Grew books. Pretty much everything by Lucy Maud Montgomery, who wrote some other fabulous books besides Anne of Green Gables. I particularly loved her Emily books, partly because Emily was a struggling young author with huge aspirations, but also because Emily gets glimpses through the "curtain" into the supernatural. Well, that and her love story with Teddy. My mother encouraged my love of reading and our house was full of books, but she was not (and still isn't, by the way) a fan of fantasy. So my early introduction to my favorite genre came from fairy tales and King Arthur stories discovered in the library and at school. 
Sharon: When are parents going to learn? If you don’t like something then your kids will! I grew up around mysteries, literary fiction and historicals… I don’t care for those, I want books about sexy men fantasy!
Kerry: Funny how parents don't encourage those books, isn't it?

Rapid Fire 

Sharon: bookmark or dog ear?
Kerry: neither. I have place finding radar. 

Sharon: tacos or pizza?
Kerry: Pizza Hut pan pizza 

Sharon: windows up or windows down?
Kerry: how cold is it? Definitely down in the summer. 

Sharon: Pepsi or Coke?
Kerry: not big on soda, but definitely Coke
Sharon: *shakes head and wipes a tear away* damn, and I thought we could be friends… <G>
Kerry: 'tis a great sadness. Well, better to know, than not. 

Sharon: sci fi movie or romantic comedy?
Kerry: sci fi, but I do love me a good rom com every now and then 

Sharon: Is there a movie you are excited for? I can’t wait to see the new Godzilla because…GODZILLA!
Kerry: Hmmm. Right now? Nope. Actually can't think of anything I'm dying to see.

Sharon: board games or card games?
Kerry: card games

Thanks for taking the time to visit. Is there anything you would like our readers to know before we give you a tour of the dungeon?
Kerry: Dungeon? This sounds ominous. I forgot to bring gummy bears for Jake. If I don't reappear, somebody please let my Viking know to come rescue me? Also – I love hearing from readers. You can tweet me @kerryschafer, or hang out on my Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/kerryschaferbooks
Sharon: WHOA! Wait…what Viking? You never said anything about a Viking. Does he have any friends?
Kerry: MY Viking. MINE. Guarded by dragons and flesh eating penguins.

read I Smell Sheep's review of Wakeworld

Wakeworld (The Between #2)
By: Kerry Schafer

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages
Release: January 28th 2014

Publisher: Ace
Vivian Maylor is trying to hold it together. But her attempts to build a life with the man she loves seem doomed by the dragon inside her yearning to break free. Vivian is a dreamshifter, the last line of defense between reality and the dreamworld, and the only one of her kind.

Weston Jennings also believes he is the only one of his kind. He fears his powers as a dreamshifter, and resists learning to control them. After suffering a tragic loss, Weston heads deep into the woods of the Pacific Northwest to embrace a safe life of solitude. But when a terrible mistake leads to an innocent’s death, his guilt drives him to his former home, where he encounters what he never thought he would find: another shifter.

Now Vivian and Weston must work together to defeat a new threat to the dreamworld.

About the Author:
website-FB-twitter
Kerry Schafer is licensed both as a Mental Health Professional and an RN, and spends most of her daylight hours helping people–usually even with a smile. In books, she gets to blow stuff up, preferably with something more interesting than a bomb. Dragons are good; exploding giant slime toads are even better. She has published two novels with Ace Books: BETWEEN, which was released in January 2013, and WAKEWORLD, slated to hit stores in January 2014. She is also the author of THE DREAM WARS novellas, available where electronic books are sold.

Kerry and her Viking live in Colville, Washington, in a little house surrounded by rocks, trees, and gangs of deer and wild turkeys.

click images to go to amazon page

Book Review (ARC): Wakeworld (The Between #2) by Kerry Schafer

Wakeworld (The Between #2)
By: Kerry Schafer

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages
Release: January 28th 2014

Publisher: Ace

Vivian Maylor is trying to hold it together. But her attempts to build a life with the man she loves seem doomed by the dragon inside her yearning to break free. Vivian is a dreamshifter, the last line of defense between reality and the dreamworld, and the only one of her kind.

Weston Jennings also believes he is the only one of his kind. He fears his powers as a dreamshifter, and resists learning to control them. After suffering a tragic loss, Weston heads deep into the woods of the Pacific Northwest to embrace a safe life of solitude. But when a terrible mistake leads to an innocent’s death, his guilt drives him to his former home, where he encounters what he never thought he would find: another shifter.

Now Vivian and Weston must work together to defeat a new threat to the dreamworld.

Wakeworld is the second book in this series and not having read book one, jumping into Wakeworld was not a difficult leap, although it is obvious there are major world building events and introductions to the character profiles that are missed. Even with this, the story is beautifully written and the characters come alive making this reader want to know more about the Dreamworld, the Between, and penguin guardians. Yes, you read that right penguin guardian or familiar whatever he really is. 

There is a world of dreaming, the between, and a wakeworld, which is the world of our current reality. In the dream world war is always on the horizon, as the evil queen wants to destroy all worlds and all that is beautiful, and this is starting to leak over into the Wakeworld. There are magical creatures, sorcerers, dragons, giants, and of course a broken champion. I really liked Vivian, Weston and Zee and enjoyed following their journeys through the tale. There is plenty of action throughout the book, heartache, as well as determination that shines in our heroes and makes you want to know them even better. Of course Poe is the calm in the storm and I do love me some Poe, well who wouldn't love a giant penguin who is always calm, never says a thing, and leans up against you when you need a hug. 

 The story is told from multiple point of views that at times switches and can become confusing if you are not paying attention, so be aware that if this is not your reading preference. Bottom line, Wakeworld is a unique and very well written book and I would definitely recommend it to speculative fiction fans, and although it is not an absolute necessity, would recommend starting with book one Between if you are able, as there are moments in this installment I think would be better appreciated with more of the back story. The ending is a bit of a cliffhanger and I am definitely looking forward to what happens next. I received this book from NetGalley.

4 Sheep

Denise Z

About the Author:
website-FB-twitter
Kerry Schafer is licensed both as a Mental Health Professional and an RN, and spends most of her daylight hours helping people–usually even with a smile. In books, she gets to blow stuff up, preferably with something more interesting than a bomb. Dragons are good; exploding giant slime toads are even better. She has published two novels with Ace Books: BETWEEN, which was released in January 2013, and WAKEWORLD, slated to hit stores in January 2014. She is also the author of THE DREAM WARS novellas, available where electronic books are sold.

Kerry and her Viking live in Colville, Washington, in a little house surrounded by rocks, trees, and gangs of deer and wild turkeys.

click images to go to amazon page