I received this book for free from my own shelves in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: my own shelves
Holiday Spirits
by
Yasmine Galenorn
paranormal fantasy, cozy mystery in a Kindle edition that was published by Nightqueen Enterprises LLC on December 1, 2016 and has 92 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Hexed, Witchling, Changeling, Never After, Darkling, Demon Mistress, Dragon Wytch, Bone Magic, Night Huntress, Harvest Hunting, Blood Wyne, Courting Darkness, Shaded Vision, Shadow Rising, Haunted Moon, Night Myst, Night Veil, Night Seeker, Autumn Whispers, Night Vision, Night’s End, Priestess Dreaming, Panther Prowling, "Flight From Hell", Flight From Death, Souljacker, Legend of the Jade Dragon, Darkness Raging, Fury Rising, Murder Under a Mystic Moon, Ghost of a Chance, Once Upon A Curse, A Harvest of Bones, One Hex of a Wedding, Starlight Hollow, Moon Shimmers
Sixth in the Chintz ‘n China cozy paranormal mystery series and revolving around the psychic Em. It’s three weeks until Christmas and about six month since One Hex of a Wedding, 5.
My Take
It’s a surprisingly complete story for its 92 pages . . .
Em is so very appreciative of being married, now, to someone who actually wants to be there, to participate. We know this through Galenorn’s use of first person protagonist point-of-view from Em’s perspective.
Holiday Spirits is all about Em’s fears of losing her children. Their interactions with others now, when they go away to college, and her too-soon-to-be empty future, even though Joe is there!
It does make life interesting with Kip being easily swayed into the stupid, lol. I do pity parents dealing with this sort of behavior. I really pity those who have to deal with disinterested parents — or those who believe their child can do no wrong. Not a good way to prepare them to succeed in life!
Annnd, yeahhh, turns out there’s good reason for Sly to be heading down the tubes. Oh, boy.
However, Em is good with her kids. They have rules and chores, and Em knows it’s important for them to rebel — a little, but they’re comfortable approaching her and teasing with her. The tricky bit now is fitting Joe in with his role as stepfather.
Ick, some of those legends about evil spirits that surround Christmas . . . scary. They also provide a good bit of scary action!
The Story
Christmas is coming and Joe isn’t sure it’s a good thing. Not since a neighbor boy told that horrible story about bad little boys when he was young.
A tale that turns true when Kip gets sucked into vandalism with some dangerous possibilities.
The Characters
Emerald “Em” O’Brien, the village witch who does readings at her shop, the Chintz ’n China Tea Room, has just married Joe Files, a fireman with an ability to sense the paranormal and is ten years younger than Em. Eleven-year-old Kip is blossoming and working on his newly revealed psychic abilities. Miranda “Randa” is more interested in astronomy or being an astronaut. Samantha is their cat with her grown kittens: Nigel, Nebula, and Noël. Roy is their alcoholic birth father, who has gone in to rehab.
Nanna is Em’s maternal grandmother who had taught her magic. Grandma McGrady, a lace-curtain Catholic, is her father’s grandmother who went to war with Nanna — the War of the Grandmothers. Rose is Em’s sister.
Lana is Em’s only employee at the Tea Room. Horvald Ledbetter is a neighbor and retired security guard who currently is a champion flower grower. Horvald is dating Ida Trask, a retired schoolteacher. Mrs Trundle is a librarian. The Irish Maeve Elliston, a natural-born kitchen witch with a lot of booklearning, had given her mother’s crystal ball to Em. Myrna Stander is a neighbor. Dr Arnold treats Joe for that ankle. The Bellingham Examiner is a newspaper. Miranda is tutoring Jameson in math. Mrs Mendoza is Miranda’s encouraging teacher.
Chiqetaw is . . .
. . . the town where Em and her family live. Anna Murray, a Native American, is Em’s best friend and head detective on the police force. Jimbo, a rough and tumble biker, is Murray’s boyfriend. Beatrice is the force’s dispatcher and receptionist. Officer Ron is Murray’s second-in-command.
Todd Givens is a lawyer and friend of Murray’s. Judge Weathers will preside. The Bridle Inn Shelter will be getting extra help.
Harlow is Em’s other best friend.
Sly Chase is Kip’s best friend, but not a good choice what with his interest in juvenile delinquency. Katherine is his disinterested mother. His father ran off a few years ago.
A protective elf (who looks like Hermey from Rudolph) fends off the demented Santa Ghost. Krampus is an evil wight and had been a servant to the Holly King. The neighbor boy with the Santa story grew up to be a successful horror writer.
The Cover and Title
The background of the cover has a brownish black (top) and black (bottom) borders fading into the large graphic. It begins with a hazy background of a yellowish figure on the left and a snow-laden tree on the right. A red window frame is the barrier to the inside with its holly-laden windowsill with the black-and-white Samantha sitting on the left slightly behind the red and black teapot, a greenish lit candle on the right, and the three gingerbread Christmas cookies propped up against the teapot spout. At the very top is the author’s name in white with an info blurb between first and last. In the upper right is the publisher’s colophon. Below the windowsill is the title in white while a green banner that fades out on the ends provides the series info in black.
The title is too true about the Holiday Spirits, but they are not merry spirits.
