Review: Spellbound by Ann Charlotte

Title: Spellbound 
Author: Ann Charlotte

Publication Date: November 11th, 2008

Publisher: Authorhouse

Genre: Historical Fantasy Fiction

Pages: 336

Source: Purchased from Author

Rating:

Synopsis (from Goodreads): In 1861, Clarissa Montgomery was beside herself with grief as her husband, Charles, prepared to enlist in the Confederate Army. Raised by her Cajun grandmother in the bayous of Louisiana, Clarissa had learned the art of black magic, spells and incantations, though never really did believe in its power. But when she could not talk Charles out of going off to war, she resorted to the next best thing?she cast a spell to keep them all safe.Little could she have known the ramifications the frivolous little rhyme she just made up on the spur of the moment would have on their lives.A century and a half later, after the sudden death of her husband, the temptation to explore the historic Shenandoah Valley of Virginia was too strong for Claire LePaige to resist. Yet the closer to Shenandoah she found herself, the more eerily familiar the area seemed. And when she stumbled upon an old, ramshackle house by the river, Claire knew she had to have it even though it was rumored to be haunted by the ghost of a Civil War soldier. The children saw him . . . tried to convince her he was real. However, Claire no more believed in ghosts than she did in reincarnation.It took a series of unexplainable coincidences for Claire's resolve to crumble.

Proceeds go to the Heart & Stroke Foundation in Canada or the American Heart Association in the U.S. when purchased directly from the author.

 

From an early age, Ann Charlotte has been writing stories. Encouraged by her Creative Writing professor, she has pursued her dream of a career as an author. A short story has been published by Readers Digest (Canadian Edition) and a work of poetry has been published in an anthology of verse. Of three full-length novels completed thus far, Spellbound is the first to be professionally produced. She is currently working on a childrens book, The Adventures of Skeeter Marie. Originally from Nova Scotia, Ann Charlotte was raised in Ontario, Canada. She is the mother of two children, Jeremy and Jenni Lynn, and currently lives in Missouri, U.S.A., with her husband, Ken.

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     I met Ann Charlotte at a few local festivals and sought her out to ensure my purchase of her book materialized into a donation instead of simply ordering off Amazon. An interesting tidbit about this author is that she is very talented in several areas. She makes and sells several different crafts and fundraises for several charities such as St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, Breast Cancer Awareness, Heart & Stroke Foundation, Animal Rescue Organizations. It really speaks volumes about an author when I see them using their craft to give back to those in need. Kudos to you, Miss Charlotte!

As for the book, it was actually pretty intriguing. There was a lot of foundation to lay in the beginning, and at first it was a little bit confusing, but the I was is able to swiftly move passed it and delve into the storyline. The plot was filled with mystery, history, and she even threw in a little romance.

In terms of technicality, I thought Ann wrote very well. There were times that her sentence structure seemed a bit wordy or "fluffed," but the content was very rich and kept me interested. The only other thing I would complain about is the cover. I can understand the intention with the blurry image within the frame, but it's so hard on the eyes that I actually feel frustrated looking at it. I would probably rethink the cover.

A good book and an interesting read.