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5* from the Paranormal Romance Guild

9/24/2021

The reviews for Redeemed By Fire are coming in! Thank you, Paranormal Romance Guild!

5*****Stars

Title: Redeemed by Fire
Series: The Fire Chronicles #3
Author: CJ Bahr
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Release Date: 9/20/21
Page Count: 249
Rating: Adult

When I was asked to read and review this book, I can honestly admit I was not thrilled, convinced that I would not like it never mind love it I agreed to give it a shot and I am so happy I did because I loved it. Sometimes I make the mistake of judging a book by either the description or the fact that it is not the first book in a series and I am convinced I will have to catch up, this time I was proven wrong because this book had everything I could want in a story, romance, suspense, angels, demons, secrets, surprises and amazing characters and no catching up because it was a standalone. Now I will ignore my first impressions of a book and give it a chance which I highly recommend doing with this book.

Cassanne (Casi) Thomas left California and a successful career when a tragedy involving two children destroyed her life because the blame was wrongly focused on her and not the person responsible. With nothing keeping her in California she returned to New Orleans where she opened a shop, a shop where she did fake tarot readings and made enough money to just get by. If she thought her life changed in California, she could never have envisioned how much it would change when she was attacked leaving her shop one late night. Casi was taken and woke up chained to a table and the one thing she knew for certain was that if she didn’t escape, she would die.

With luck and a childhood injury she was able to get out and run to her best friend Mason for help. The help he gave her was to drag her to the police to give a statement and that was the last place she ever wanted to go because the police were the last people in the world she trusted and she learned that the hard way in California.

Detective Lucas Avery has been investigating the torture and murder of a number of people, black, white, male, female, old young the serial killer had no preference they were all tortured and had an eye removed. Now there is hope that they will finally get viable information since what happened to Casi pointed to the fact that she could be a witness. The more they talked to her the more they were sure she was going to be the killer’s next victim and that she would need protection because the killer would no doubt want to get rid of someone who could ID him.

Both Lucas and Casi would find themselves involved with the supernatural something neither of them believed in or knew how to deal with. The killer is a demon and it would take an archangel to help destroy it and save Casi who is still on the killer’s radar. As Lucas takes charge of Casi’s protection the two of them find themselves falling for each other but finding the killer is the first order of business.

Chasing a demon learning about the supernatural and Casi trying to come to terms with what happened to her in California are just the tip of the iceberg this book kept me glued to it, never a dull moment and I can’t wait till the next book. I highly recommend this book and that is my personal opinion.

Reviewed by: Linda Tonis
Member of the Paranormal Romance Review Team

New Orleans, hot sultry nights, and an ancient evil who makes the French Quarter home.

Cassanne Thomas returns to New Orleans to start her life over and becomes the target of a supernatural serial killer. Escaping her close call with death, Casi is the only witness to the crime and finds herself placed in protected custody by a handsome Cajun detective. But with her dark, troubled past, trusting the police is the last thing she wants to do.

Detective Lucas Avery, the top homicide detective in NOLA, is unaware of the supernatural world surrounding him. With the killer stalking the streets, he vows to shield the beautiful, enigmatic, Casi with his life while fighting his growing attraction to her. He's been burned before.

Danger chases Lucas and Casi from the streets of the French Quarter to the wilds of the bayou. Will they be able to stop a monster, straight out of a nightmare or become victims themselves?

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5* from the Mistress Of Book Reviews

9/22/2021

The first review is in, and it's 5 stars! Well, candles, actually. Thank you, Mistress of Book Reviews!

C J Bahr's third book in her Fire Chronicles series is fantastic. If you've never been to New Orleans, you will want to go after reading Redeemed By Fire, and if you have already been, you'll want to go back. This author gives readers an excellent view of NOLA, not to mention characters who will make you want to pull up a seat and stay awhile. I've been blessed to have read the first two books in this series, and I loved both, but there is just something about a good-looking man who has the most sensual and romantic Cajun accent that will have women queuing up to find out what makes Lucas Avery tick.

Perhaps it's his always do right and follow the letter of the law, for the most part, attitude, which is a good rule to follow because Luc is a detective with the New Orleans P.D. He catches bad guys and puts them away. And that is where our adorable and feisty heroine comes into play. Although labeled a bad sort, Cassanne Thomas only wants to be left alone. Hurt by accusations that are not true send her to New Orleans, where she hopes to start a new life, but a serial killer murders her best friend and is leaving victims all over the place. A mode of operation that has Luc totally c'est fou or if you don't speak Cajun, crazy.

Well, what I can say but soon Luc and Casi find themselves in danger and hunted by a supernatural creature. The siren who kidnaps Casi bites off enough to choke, but that only puts Casi in the crosshairs, because the lovely mortal has a charm the siren will kill to get back.

Exciting, you betcha, and with the siren stalking Luc and Casi, they have their hands full. The closer they get to stopping the killer the more Luc and Casi realize they belong together. As I've said before, I don't give away any secrets when it comes to reviews. Just know this book is suspenseful, romantic, and since the city of New Orleans is filled with the supernatural, let's throw in an archangel for good measure. Now hop on a trolley and make certain you get your hands on Redeemed By Fire. Ms. Bahr does not disappoint. Oh, yeah, the cat steals their thunder. -- The Mistress Of Book Reviews

Plus, Lucas & Casi were chosen as August's couple of the month!

New Orleans, hot sultry nights, and an ancient evil who makes the French Quarter home.

Cassanne Thomas returns to New Orleans to start her life over and becomes the target of a supernatural serial killer. Escaping her close call with death, Casi is the only witness to the crime and finds herself placed in protected custody by a handsome Cajun detective. But with her dark, troubled past, trusting the police is the last thing she wants to do.

Detective Lucas Avery, the top homicide detective in NOLA, is unaware of the supernatural world surrounding him. With the killer stalking the streets, he vows to shield the beautiful, enigmatic, Casi with his life while fighting his growing attraction to her. He's been burned before.

Danger chases Lucas and Casi from the streets of the French Quarter to the wilds of the bayou. Will they be able to stop a monster, straight out of a nightmare or become victims themselves?

Click To Buy From Your Favorite Bookseller

Happy Book Birthday!

9/20/2021

It's always exciting when a new release occurs! Happy birthday to Redeemed By Fire. A book birthday takes a village. So thank you to the crew at The Wild Rose Press, especially to my editor, Amanda Barnett. Shout outs to my cover artist, Debbie Taylor, my awesome beta readers, Jen Jeske and Marla White.

Yet my hugest thanks goes to all my readers! Without you, it wouldn't be so much fun telling my tales. Plus, a heartfelt hug, to everyone who took the time to leave a review for any of my stories. I love knowing what you thought.

So in celebration of my newest release, here's a brand new excerpt for you!
Cheers!

Redeemed By Fire by C J Bahr

Casi stirred in his arms as the knock on the door dragged them both from their sleep. Luc blinked and watched the bedroom door crack open. He cringed, knowing there wasn’t anything he could do to stop what was about to happen. Regardless of which family member entered, news would spread faster than beads in Mardi Gras, as to whose bed they had found him in. He’d never live it down. The matchmaking would be instantaneous as well as the incessant teasing.

He stifled a sigh when his eldest sister, Jolie, poked her head around the door.

“Casi, you awake?” Her eyes widened when she registered him in bed with Casi. “Oh, hey there.” Grinning, she pushed the door wide open and stepped all the way into the room. Of course she did. Privacy between siblings didn’t exist.

He sat up straighter and dropped his arms from around Casi as she, too, sat up and scooted away from him to the center of the bed. Still sitting so close, he easily read her discomfort.

“Don’t you know it’s ill-mannered to enter without permission, Jolly?” Luc used Jolie’s nickname as he glared at her, which he knew wouldn’t be enough to distract his sister, but he had to try for Casi’s sake.

Jolie’s grin morphed into a smirk. “I was concerned. It’s almost noon. Besides, I come bearing gifts. Momma mentioned the dire need of clothes for Casi.” She held up the bundle of garments as she walked to the bed. Placing them down on the corner, Jolie focused on Casi. “Hi. I’m Jolie.”

“Um, hi?” Casi cleared her throat. “The tea shop owner, right?”

Jolie quirked an eyebrow as she switched her gaze back to him. “I see my brother has been sharing.”

“Jolly,” he growled. “Knock it off.”

New Orleans, hot sultry nights, and an ancient evil who makes the French Quarter home.

Cassanne Thomas returns to New Orleans to start her life over and becomes the target of a supernatural serial killer. Escaping her close call with death, Casi is the only witness to the crime and finds herself placed in protected custody by a handsome Cajun detective. But with her dark, troubled past, trusting the police is the last thing she wants to do.

Detective Lucas Avery, the top homicide detective in NOLA, is unaware of the supernatural world surrounding him. With the killer stalking the streets, he vows to shield the beautiful, enigmatic, Casi with his life while fighting his growing attraction to her. He's been burned before.

Danger chases Lucas and Casi from the streets of the French Quarter to the wilds of the bayou. Will they be able to stop a monster, straight out of a nightmare or become victims themselves?

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Character Interview - Cassanne Thomas

9/17/2021

Cassanne Thomas has recently returned to New Orleans and works as a psychic just outside the French Quarter, though don’t let her Haitian relatives know. They’d expect to embrace her internal Vodou queen and chat with the Loa. She’s making ends meet with her tarot cards and uses her degrees in psychology and sociology to read and help her clients.

Paranormal Life: Today I am interviewing the heroine in Redeemed By Fire, Cassanne Thomas. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Cassanne.
Casi Thomas: Please call me, Casi. Only my mother uses my full first name.

PL: Casi, it is. Well, let’s get right down to it. What would you most like people to know about you?
CT: I’m a bit of a loner. I’ve been burned by relationships, both professionally and personally, so I have a hard time trusting and letting people in. My best friend, Mason, <chuckles>, well my only friend really since I made the move from California, is working on opening me up. I’m not so sure it’s working though.

PL: If you have a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?
CT: <laughs> A day off would be amazing. I work all the time to pay the rent and for food. Hmmm, what would I do? Pack a lunch, grab a blanket and a good book and head to City Park. I’d find a shady spot near Tickle Bridge and spend a quiet day.

PL: Are you lucky?
CT: Sadly, no. If I was lucky, I’d still be in California.

PL: What do you worry about when you wake up at 3 in the morning?
CT: Funny you should ask…I’m usually a sound sleeper, but lately I’ve jolted awake, with my heart pounding, afraid. I have no idea why. I hope it doesn’t portend something awful in my future.

PL: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
CT: Well, I use to be a social worker, now I’m playing at being psychic, who knows? Almost anything would be better. Reading tarot cards is a placeholder for me as I put myself back together. But if we’re talking pure fantasy, I’d love to be a musician, which would be a miracle since I have absolutely no talent. I can’t play or sing at all.

PL: What would you most like to hide?
CT: My past…

PL: What are your hopes for the future?
CT: Pull myself together, trust more, and be open for new possibilities.

PL: What motto do you live your life by?
CT: Right now? Trust only yourself.

PL: Thanks for stopping by. If the readers have any questions for Casi or myself, be sure to drop them in the comments.

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Guest Author - Linda Nightingale

9/15/2021

I'm please to welcome Linda, all the way from South Carolina, to A Paranormal Life. She even brings a guest with her, Morgan D'Arcy, from her novel, Sinner's Opera.

Let's get to know Morgan, via my favorite questions in the style of Inside The Actor's StudioI.

Allow me to introduce myself. I am Morgan Gabriel D’Arcy. I am the Earl of St. Averil, a concert pianist…and a vampire. I was born just before the English Civil War in 1634 in a small village in Devon, England. In 1659, a French Duchess infected me with the Vampyre virus which mutated my DNA, and I became a vampire. I am 6’2 with blue eyes and long blond hair. I’m the hero in Sinners’ Opera, and I am a man in love. If you’d like to read of some of my peccadillos in the romance department, Morgan D’Arcy: A Vampyre Rhapsody contains a few tales of my loves over the years. Linda Nightingale has devoted a page to me on her website if you’d like to know more about me in general. https://www.LindaNightingale.com

Paranormal Life: Welcome my Lord. It is most generous to share your valuable time, so let's get right down to it. What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
Morgan D'Arcy: Writing. Linda seems to enjoy it so much I’m intrigued. Putting words on a blank page to create a picture, to establish a different world, and to immerse the reader of those words in ‘the willing suspension of disbelief’ seems well worth the time and effort,

PL: If you were reincarnated as some plant or animal, what would it be and why?
MD: The horse, most definitely. They are very spiritual creatures, proud and swift. I’ve never met an ugly horse. If a horse is mean spirited, it usually is a refection on his training or treatment at the hands of his human handler. I’ve always enjoyed a good connection with horses, even though in the movies vampires frighten the animals. I have several horses in my stables. I love the Friesian breed, but my favorite is the Andalusian and the Portuguese version of the Iberian horse, the Lusitano.

PL: Who are your favorite fictional heroes or heroines?
MD: Isabeau and me. No, that’s a difficult question to answer. There are quite a few competitors. For a hero, I guess I’d had to say Legolas in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. For the heroine, I’ve given it much thought and I still must say Isabeau Gervase. Besides the fact that I love her, she is a brilliant geneticist, a beautiful woman—inside and out—and witty as well as courageous. After all, she lives with me, and I’m the most frightening creature in any room. 😊

PL: If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?
MD: If I had a day, I’d spend it at the beach. I did that once. The story of my day in the sun (after becoming a vampire) is told in “Sunrise, Sunset” in an anthology of stories about my life and loves titled Morgan D’Arcy: A Vampyre Rhapsody. The story of my day at the beach is told in “Sunrise, Sunset”.

PL: Are you lucky?
MD: At the moment, I’d have to say unlucky. See above. Hopefully, when Linda Nightingale finishes Sinners’ Obsession, the sequel to Sinners’ Opera—our love story, Isabeau’s and mine, I will be a lucky man.

PL: What do you worry about when you wake up at 3 in the morning?
MD: Since my clock is opposite to yours, I sleep days, and vampire slumber is coma-like, I’ll have to answer hypothetically. If I were to wake up at 3 AM, I’d worry about what I worry about when I wake at sunset. How to tell the woman I love, and the mother of my miracle child, that she is pregnant with vampire’s child. Not her ex-fiance as she suspects. And that there is something terribly wrong with the child. Human DNA and vampire DNA is a perilous mix.

PL: What would you most like to hide?
MD: That I am that most feared creature—a concert pianist. No, seriously, I am forbidden by The Masquerade to reveal my true nature—that of a vampire. Do you have any idea how it is to always have to be someone else, Sometimes, the urge to tell someone what not who I am overcomes me. I’ve told many a victim my real name the instant before they died in my arms

PL: What are your hopes for the future?
MD: It is my sincere desire that Isabeau, our child, and I will be together.

PL: What motto do you live your life by?
MD: From a bumper sticker no less, “I tried to contain myself, but I escaped.” Except when I traveled—not necessarily because we wanted to—with the Wandering Prince (King Charles II) during his exile, I have always known a life of great privilege, but since 1659, it has also been a life of dark secrets. Just once I’d like to emerge as who I am to the world.

PL: Thank you for stopping by, Morgan. If our readers have any questions for him or Linda, please place ask them in the comment section.

Here's a sneak peak into Sinners' Opera.

I’ll tell you how I managed to eliminate one of my many obstacles between me and Isabeau—an old enemy, and how I helped my manservant to recover from being brutalized by this renegade vampire:

In the Battle of Worcester, I’d been caught in the blood bath at Sidbury Gate, fighting at my King’s side as Cromwell’s soldiers overwhelmed us. In hand to hand combat, you can see the color of your enemy’s eyes. In war, madness consumes you. The same madness, the same lust for blood seized me. My eyes narrowed, heart hammering. I felt light and lethal. Honed to killing fury, I charged him. He mounted a defense, but I pressed my advantage.

Sparks zinged off metal. The flashing blades blurred, both swords shivering with the force of our attacks. He cut at my head. I dived beneath his guard to gash his side, punching his face with the basket hilt as he retreated. Through the music room, we danced our deadly dance, snarling through bared fangs. Eyes flaming crimson, I waltzed him back until he crashed against the French doors. He kicked backwards, shattering wood and glass, and turned in a flash, loading his next strike with his entire weight.

Lighter but stronger, I swung the cutting edge of my blade up with vampire force. Our weapons clashed on the ring of metal and shattered, shards peppering us. The older blade broke at the hilt. I was left with a ragged length a foot long. I feinted, lunged and drove the broken sword into his heart, jerked it free. A geyser of blood sprayed me. Like a curse, I followed him as he dropped to his knees to whisper in his ear, “Patientia ut victum.”

Sufferings of the conquered. Laughing, I materialized on my feet. He vaulted over the balcony railing, landing on the grass without a sound. I followed, swinging my weapon as my feet touched the ground, catching him beneath the chin with the flat of the blade.

“Immortality ends here.” I enunciated each word.

Captain d’Alembert was staring into my eyes when I relieved him of his head. I tossed the pitiful remainder of the sword I’d carried into the final battle of the English Civil War beside the corpse, kicking my enemy’s bloody skull into the fragrant gardenias. Ah, well, nothing lasts forever, even Eternity.

“You should have quit while you were a head.”

Closing my eyes, I listened to the hiss of the fountain and drank in the clean, normal smells of the garden. As dawn leached the night pale, I hurried inside to safety but risked a glance over my shoulder to watch my old enemy crumble to dust and drift away on the sea breeze. The light sizzled on my skin, but I must see to Avery, tend him as he had always tended me. I lifted him from the blood congealed on the floor. Cradled like a child in my arms, I carried him to the light-proof master bedroom and laid him on the bed. He was deathly pale and looked so very old. My heart ached for the time that had passed, and I hadn’t noticed his youth slipping away.

“Avery.” I summoned him to light consciousness, enabling him to swallow.

His eyes opened, love and gratitude in their depths. I slit my wrist with a fang and fed him a second dose of the healing tonic. I returned him to sleep, collapsed in a chair to keep watch, but the Vampyre sandman is ruthless. Sleep as deep as the grave sucked me down into oblivion. I dreamed of evil, yellow eyes gazing ruthlessly at Isabeau.

Morgan D’Arcy is the Earl of St. Averil, a renowned concert pianist…and a vampire. He has everything except what he most desires—Isabeau. Death is the penalty. She is the prize.

Morgan D'Arcy is an English lord, a classical pianist, and a vampire. He has everything except what he desires most—Isabeau. As the Angel Gabriel he's steered her life and career choice, preparing her to become Lady D'Arcy.
Many forces oppose Morgan's daring plan—not the least of which is Vampyre law. Isabeau Gervase is a brilliant geneticist. Though she no longer believes in angels, she sees a ticket to a Nobel Prize in Gabriel's secrets—secrets that have led her to a startling conclusion. Gabriel isn't human, and she fully intends to identify the species she named the Angel Genome. Morgan is ready to come back into Isabeau's life, but this time as a man not an angel. Will he outsmart his enemies, protect his beloved and escape death himself? For the first time in eternity, the clock is ticking.

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After 14 years in Texas, Linda returned home to her roots in South Carolina. She has 8 published novels, four of which are available from Audible.com in audio. For many years, she bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses. So, she’s seen a lot of this country from the windshield of a truck pulling a horse trailer. Linda has won several writing awards, including the Georgia Romance Writers’ Magnolia Award for Excellence, the Raven Award in Anthologies, and the SARA Merritt. Sinners’ Opera is a finalist in the 2020 Raven Awards. She loves horses, sports cars, music, reading, writing, and piano—oh, and dressing up and hosting formal dinner parties.

Keep up-to-date with Linda Nightingale, and follow her at your favorite social media sites.

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