That Mama is a Grouch is a clever story. We get to explore the child's perspective about wanting to have fun and the mom's perspective of wanting a quiet, clean house.

This is a story that all mothers will praise as it roots for them and stands up for their right to be grouchy when their kids do bad things. Kids will also get a kick out of this story as I'm sure they've done the things the little girl in this story has. And hopefully it'll teach them to have fun but to stay tidy and not do things they know they'll get in trouble for. At least to keep their mom from turning into a grouch.

Ten Zany Birds is a fun counting story. I enjoyed all ten of the unique birds at their party. One by one each bird is distracted by something and leaves the party. Finally one bird is left. The repetitive lines in this story are like verses in a song, making it impossible not to sing whether reading aloud or in your head.

Kids will delight in this story. It's funny, colorful, and they'll have a blast counting birds with stripes and dots on every page. And parents will enjoy seeing their kids counting as well.

The illustrations by Charu Jain are a real treat too. Each page is a masterpiece.

Emily Livingston is the daughter of a woman hung at the Salem's Witch Trials. On page one, Emily and her coven are running for their lives from the witch hunters who killed their family members. Left and right her followers are killed as she flees. Her and the remaining members of her coven escape by putting their souls into 13 host cats. This first chapter was riveting!

Chapter Two begins the story of Bob and Debbie Steven's in the modern age. Debbie wants kids and to start a business. Bob wants to be financially stable but then they both end up unemployed. Honestly, I was confused when their storyline started. Where was Emily and her coven in cat bodies? I was curious to see how they'd make it back into the story. It takes several chapters for them to return.

When Bob and Debbie purchase land to start a bed and breakfast, 13 baby kittens are found in the rubble of the previous establishment. After the B&B opens, the witches start killing guests. My first reaction was "Why?" It took me a while to understand and get used to their bloodlust, but once I did I was intruiged.

Things get real interesting when Bob and Debbie are looked at as suspects for every murder, a paranormal television show crew comes to investigate, and a shaman becomes a guest.

Stephen Tremp did a great job of creating twists and turns. I usually can predict what'll happen next in a book and how it'll end, but not so with this one. That's why it was so fun to read!

Some parts were rather gory. When cats were killed, I couldn't help but cringe because I'm a cat lover. While reading this book, I always had 2 cats sleeping next to me. Not such great visuals to have....

I did notice some errors (missing words, spelling errors, etc.) in my copy, but that didn't influence my rating as I understand the author has fixed much of it.

I did debate over this rating. I couldn't decide if I felt it should be a 3.5 or a 4. I'm still not sure, so I'll leave it at 4. But let me state clearly that I did very much enjoy this story. :)

If you like murder stories, witch stories, mystery and paranormal, you'll enjoy this one.

Thanmir War takes place in a world divided among territories and clans for air, water, fire, earth, and void. There are Thanmirs, elementals, guardians, jespers, upholders, and of course humans.

Derek is an interesting character. He's a landscaper with a coffee addiction. He gets chronic headaches, has a strange scar on his back that he's had his whole life, and he's a virgin because a "curse" won't let him be intimate. When he tries, fires break out and other dangerous things happen to stop him. He becomes even more interesting when he wakes up in Chikara (the other world) surrounded by dead men with a woman he doesn't know-Matisha.

Matisha was on her way to meet Aito, the leader of the Earth clan, when something happened that resulted in dead soldiers, her powers being sealed, and Derek arriving into her world. From there the story takes off and becomes even better when we find out Derek is "possessed" by another. When this "other" takes over, his eyes turn red and black markings cover his skin. I had to say that he sounded quite hot when he changed like this. *wink*

I enjoyed all of the other characters as well: Jake, a tall silver-haired man with a love of weapons and fighting; Cameron, a commander leading thousands; Naomi, a sexy battle guardian; and even Zinnia, a snake with a real personality.

Loni Townsend does a wonderful job crafting a sweeping story with many characters and interweaving story lines. And her descriptions are captivating. She describes plant life that comes to life to lash out when Aito, the Earth clan leader, is enraged. As well as the wind as it picks up when Harim, the Wind clan leader, becomes angry.

One thing I wished was that some events to be fully written out like a battle we learn about second-hand, an intimate brainwashing, and a few other moments that I think would've been entertaining to read. And it did become confusing and a little too much when another entity seemed to possess Derek. There were too many transformations, identities, and seals when it came to Derek. I often asked, "What happened to the original Derek? Will he come back?"

But the climax was amazing. I had no idea what to expect. Loni Townsend surprised me several times and made me happy. Everything from the first page comes together beautifully at the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I couldn't stop myself from skipping ahead to the next chapter to peek at what would happen next. I only do that if I'm excited about the story and it doesn't happen all the time.

Five stars! Highly recommended to anyone who loves any form of fantasy.