Magic and Macaroons by Bailey Cates

Another sweet and magical treat from Bailey Cates! Since I've started reading this series a while back, I've really come to enjoy the characters and the small town feel of Savannah, Georgia. Personally, I don't know much about the practice of magic and Wicca, but I always feel like what the characters practice might actually be authentic.

Katie Lightfoot hasn't been practicing as a witch for very long but as a catalyst/lightwitch, her magical powers are curiously strong. Trouble seems to find her at every corner, but always for a good reason. With her intuitive mind and the help of her fellow coven members, she helps solve murder mysteries. This time, the murdered victim is particularly close to Katie and she feels it's her duty to help solve the mystery, especially since the victim's niece and protogée appears to be magically cursed into a coma. The niece's life might depend Katie fishing out the truth, but Katie's own life is at risk when she is targeted for asking too many questions. Since she suspects voodoo is part of the answer, she has been sleuthing around, asking questions about voodoo and black magic. Obviously someone isn't thrilled that Katie is poking her nose in the voodoo community. However, the near-death experience doesn't stop Katie for long.

In this book, Declan, Katie's boyfriend, seems to have embraced Katie's magical side and is more open to that aspect of her life. He almost doesn't have a choice because he has recently discovered that he, himself can channel his great-uncle from the after life. Katie's other "suitor", Steve, seems to have finally acknowledged Katie's rejection by getting engaged, which is a whole other story. Suffice to say, nothing is ever boring when it comes to Katie's love life.

I keep coming back to this series mainly because it's an easy and light read, but let's be honest, I'm also interested in the food. Although I've never tried any of the recipes at the end of the books, they have me salivating throughout the story. Since I love coconut, and macaroons are some of my favorite deserts, I've decided to try one of the recipes at the end of this book. I'll make sure to come back and let you know in the comments how they turned out.

MAGIC AND MACAROONS is the fifth book of the Magical Bakery Mystery series, and as the series goes on, we learn more about Katie and what her purpose as a lightwitch might actually be. The series is nothing too complicated but I do recommend reading the books in order. I would recommend this book and series to any fan of cozy mysteries. The magical elements makes it that much more original and adds a little flair to some of the eccentric characters. Personally, this book is the best of series so far. The last few chapters are particularly gripping and I hope the author is already working on the next book.

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by Tynga at Monday, August 31, 2015

 A Magical Bakery Mystery, Bailey Cates, Library, Magic, murder mystery, Mystery, Obsidian, Penguin, Review, Voodoo, Witch  1 Person left their mark

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Andersonville by Edward M. Erdelac

Andersonville is the bold new entry in the world of magic and historical fiction from author Edward M. Erdelac.  Prisoner of War camps are never an pleasant subject, and Andersonville (Fort Sumpter POW Camp) with it's infamous history, made for an interesting backdrop.

This fictional account of some of the happenings there is brought to us primarily from the point of view of one Barclay Lourdes.  Barclay becomes a resident of Andersonville by unique circumstance in that he went there on purpose.  I won't go too deep into the why's and how's of it because, I think the exposition of Mr. Lourdes is half the journey of this story.  To be sure, he and many of his fellow captives and even some of the captors are compelling characters.  We not only get to struggle with our perceptions of people in this world but, Barclay's perceptions as well.  This is a story that has characters development set down layer by layer until we start to see who are the good, the bad and the evil.  There are a few scattered flat characters that serve as plot devices but, they are used judiciously and don't crowd the scenes.

The scenes are where I start to have some difficulty.  The difficulty, however, is all mine.  I was blessed (or sometimes cursed) with an excellent imagination.  Wonderful when it comes to flying on dragon back or walking through an elfin forest.  When it comes to spending time in a Confederate POW camp of the American Civil War, an excellent imagination can make things difficult.  When the descriptions are so well done, it can be downright disturbing ( I had to limit my reading to non-meal times).  Conditions of that era were hard and in any prison more so.  In a place where human life became a bargaining chip to a lost cause, conditions had to be horrific.  To do this in any other fashion would take away from the total impact of the story.  While it's hard to bear at times, the stark realism of the story is necessary to the narrative.

The story as a whole is well done.  The pacing is done so that revelations are made at the best time to maintain the sense of suspense and drama.  Edward Erdelac masterfully pulls back the veil of each scene and character and draws us deeper into this macabre world.

Andersonville by Edward M. Erdelac is a journey back to a time when the world was simpler, more barbaric and yet full of mystery and magic.  This is one I definitely put in the PG13  bordering on R range due to its disturbing imagery and some mature subject matters.

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by Tynga at Wednesday, August 19, 2015

 American Civil War, Book Tour, Edward M. Erdelac, Publisher, Random House LLC, Review, Voodoo  4 People left their mark

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