Do You Believe?

“Most of us don’t experience life. We experience what we focus on.” 

—Tony Robbins

    Motivational Speaker and Life Coach.

I waited until near Halloween to read this Paranormal/Thriller/Romance by one of my favorite authors: KA Moll. I bought the book as soon as it came out because I am all about that kind of support, but I wanted the right kind of autumn ambience to engross myself in the paranormal aspects of the story. Then, I literally devoured this insane page-turner of a story in one sitting and now I am happily here with a review!

What’s the Deal:

Anna Crestwood and Gabe Gurst are in their early 40’s. Anna is a social worker raised with a strict religious background which has unfortunately emotionally crippled her, and left her with lots of scars and internal baggage. She has believed in and focused on those teachings her whole life. She has tried constantly to do what she thought was right, much to her own detriment. But…she is a lesbian. Just one of many things that has been frowned upon by her religious leaders.

Gabe is a juvenile police officer trying to exist past the death of her wife three years ago. She is stuck in a rut of a routine, and unsure if she can see a future past the next month. She is also a sensitive and able to detect supernatural entities. She has baggage of her own and she needs to heal enough to see that maybe there is a future left on this Earth for her, and that everything left to live for is not in the great beyond.

It is the supernatural that brings Anna and Gabe together, but Anna doesn’t believe in ghosts. She doesn’t believe in the supernatural She doesn’t believe that there is love out there for her. Hell, she doesn’t even believe that she can be a lesbian. She doesn’t believe that she can do any of this. So can they push past their fears, and their respective baggage to find a future? And can Gabe protect Anna enough to get that far? Because there is something sinister out there, and it’s out to get Anna. And maybe Gabe is the only one who can save her.

Real Talk:

I love, love, LOVED this book! At the heart of this story is the question: Do you believe? Do you believe in happiness? Do you believe in the supernatural? Do you believe in same-sex relationships? It’s all there. And that quote from Mr. Tony Robbins, who I also love, is such a poignant thought for this book.

“Most of us don’t experience life. We experience what we focus on.”

Gabe is so focused on the death of her wife and being true to her wife long after she is gone that she can’t see life happening right in front of her.

Anna is so focused on her religious beliefs and trying to do what is “godly” that she has completely denied herself the right to live. I’ve been there, battling with religious beliefs while denying myself what I feel inside, especially when it comes to same-sex relationships. Hell, I’m still there. I battle it everyday. And a lot of days, I lose that fight. It’s so difficult to leave the support group that you’ve known for most of your life to follow love which is such a fleeting notion most of the time. Especially when you see how many relationships don’t last for one reason or another.

And that brings me to another question: do we believe in love? Can it heal? Can it fix us? Are there soul mates? Is there more than one soul mate? And how do you know? Gosh, this book was such a beautiful exploration of all of those questions. As always, KA Moll has given me hope for a brighter and love-filled future. She has encouraged me as a reader to be gentle with myself without shoving philosophy down my throat. She has gently re-opened my mind to another possibility where even I could be happy. Just as Anna and Gabe both found out.

This story becomes a story not just about love lost or love found, or a house, or a haunting, but it becomes a story about the fight for the soul and how what we focus on can change our outward perception so much that we can fully embrace the darkness within us, thinking that it’s all there is. It’s a fight between good and evil and how we can find light in the most unlikely places. And it’s a lesson in how different isn’t always evil or malicious.

Anna punishes herself in order to be “good” and Gabe does the same. They both come to find that their realities have not exactly been “real” the entire time and they find a new reality together. One that they conquer together. And they make a new version of “right” and “good” by the end of the story. There is the feeling by the end of this book that the pain of the past doesn’t have to swallow up a person completely, and that there is always a chance for redemption and for new beginnings.

It feels like KA Moll really hit her stride as an author in this book. The way she wrote and introduced characters was so good that the editor that I always try to stamp down because I am by no means perfect, was standing up and cheering the entire time. The pacing was just right and there was a beautiful confluence of characters that never felt forced or unrealistic. Her characters were introduced at just the right time in what felt like just the right way. I was always engaged and never bored, as is evidenced by the fact that I really couldn’t move until I finished the book.

I remember the last time I reviewed one of her books, I talked about showing versus telling and how I wished she had given me more practical scenes between her characters instead of narration. Those complaints were non-existent in this book. Everything was perfect. The scenes were just right, the narration was just right. It was beautiful! Graceful! With just the right amount of her usual poetic, profound, philosophy which shown light on some of greatest issues in life.

KA Moll is such an open, humble, down-to-earth author, that it is impossible not to want to learn from her constantly. She is still available for a word or some encouragement and people like that just don’t come along that often. I am looking forward to reading so much more from her and learning anything and everything I can from her as both a writer and a good human being.

This book is another hit. Five stars! A bouquet of roses! The whole damned rainbow!! I see myself re-reading Haunting Love very very soon. So, thank you KA Moll! You’re reinforcing my hope in the future and in love. Anything is possible. So yes, I believe.

Feel Free to connect with her

Email: kamollwrites@gmail.com

Website: www.kamollwrites.com

Twitter: @ka_moll

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I got it on Amazon

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Wishing you Romance and Whimsy

Happy Halloween!

Ava