Category: Shifter Haven Discussion

It’s Been a Minute

Posted April 23, 2025 by Faeshifter in Shifter Haven Discussion / 0 Comments

I’ve been absent from this beloved website for a bit… through no fault of my own.  Because I respect and appreciate everyone who visits Shifter Haven for whatever reason, I feel you deserve a quick explanation of why I haven’t posted recently.

In the Fall of 2023, I fell (over my cat) and broke my tailbone, along with a few other injuries, which resulted in spinal fusion surgery.  I spent almost the entire year of 2024 in rehab, recovering, healing, and learning how to walk once again.  It was a rough and rocky road to a complete recovery, but I’m home again, and while I still have some learning to do, I’m also ready to get back to living life again.  Which includes getting back to reading and reviewing Paranormal Romance, with Shifter Romance being my top choice.

I’m looking forward to spending time here again and telling you about the great books I’ve read.  Oh, and updating those lists of books that I know so many of you enjoy and visit to be updated on new books from favorite authors (me, too).

Marsha of Shifter Haven

 

 

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A Personal Journey

Posted December 31, 2022 by Faeshifter in Shifter Haven Discussion / 0 Comments

This is a post that I will place on all three of my websites for it’s the same message to my various readers and visitors to Keeper Bookshelf or Shifter Haven or Happily Ever After Romance.  All are owned and created by the same person — Me.

As another year comes to a close we often reflect back… but I’m going to go only about 10 days that have changed so much about my life in ways that I’ll be discovering in the coming weeks.  I’m careful of what I share personally online but this is a message that I feel is important and might help someone else.

Last week I had a fall, I wasn’t badly injured but looking back that was a defining event.  Recently I was admitted to the hospital with bilateral pneumonia and it was discovered at that time that I was dealing with some heart issues as well.  At my age, beyond retirement, that’s not something you really want to hear – but it was pretty loud and clear that I needed to pay attention to my own health.  Which I will be doing intensely over the next few weeks.  I’m not done with this life yet so I’m going to take the steps needed to ensure that I wake up every morning for as long as possible.

In light of this, I’m going to be cutting back a bit on the number of books I’m reading and reviewing for these websites.  To authors that I’ve promised reviews, they will still be delivered the timing will be off, but I’m not going back on my word.  My life, my health is worth the investment of time to take care of it – and if that isn’t understood, well then, I don’t know what else to say.

I will always love Romance Novels across so many genres… but right now I have to be realistic about what my personal future may hold.  I’m far from done reading and reviewing what I love, I just may do it less often for a hopefully small period of time. 🙂

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How Did I Miss An Entire Series??

Posted October 22, 2022 by Faeshifter in Shifter Haven Discussion / 0 Comments

Life got hectic and chaotic around here in the past few months.  I didn’t get as much reading in as I wanted, pleasure reading that is, too many commitment reviews due and the craziness that is often my life as well.

But how in the blue blazes did I miss reading the entire Wolves of Promise Falls series?  I bought each and every one of the books, soon after release – and I imagine with the intention of starting it when I “had time”.  But, seriously, girl… this is unacceptable.  Especially since I just completed Zombie Wolf of Piston which began the Wolves of Piston series.  Throughout Reaper’s story, I felt like I was missing something but set that feeling aside as I got deeper into his fascinating story.

Now I understand that feeling – and am I ever feeling rather foolish right now?  Yes, yes, I am.  So.  I have a choice, publish my review for Zombie Wolf of Piston which was recently released – or stay true to my reading style and go back to the previous connecting series?

I think I have to publish Reaper’s story review.  I have to.  Because I understand the importance of timely reviews to authors.  And I love T. S. Joyce and the (interconnecting) worlds she creates.  But I am so annoyed at myself right now. *sigh*

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Catch-Up Time

Posted August 13, 2022 by Faeshifter in Shifter Haven Discussion / 0 Comments

Life has just gotten so hectic and chaotic lately.  It’s been a rough couple of years for all of us.  And, truthfully, my reading has gone off track as well.  Oh, I still lose myself in a book but I’m way behind on reviewing those read books… so I’m kinda hanging my head in shame here, but being honest as well.

I had thought about just jumping into the current series for some authors – and for some that don’t connect I probably will, but so many stories in the Shifter Romance world have connections in some way (big or small) to the previous series.  So, when I can I’ll dive into the current releases, but I’ll also hold true to myself and review in order which will mean for some that I’m about a year behind.  Life happened, it’s that simple.

Now I know that this is never expected to be acknowledged, that I should simply pretend that I didn’t get lost in the maze of the pandemic, the personal issues that have happened in recent months, and so on and so forth… but the fact is I’m human, I can only read so fast, and life often gets in the way of the fun stuff.  No excuses, simply my reality.  I’ve always been honest about the books I love and talk about here at Shifter Haven, and that’s not about to change just because I got behind on stuff.

So.  Onto the reviews.  🙂

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Bear Creek Protectors Box Set by Harmony Raines

Posted February 4, 2022 by Faeshifter in Kindle Unlimited, Shifter Haven Discussion, Shifter Series, Shifters in a Bundle / 0 Comments

I have loved the Bear Creek/Bear Bluff connecting series for many years through several smaller series that always connect back to this unique world.  Now, if you haven’t yet experienced the Bear Creek Protectors series (which I highly recommend) then you can grab them all in one box set right now with the Bear Creek Protectors Box Set. (the graphic and the text links will take you to Amazon where this is available for purchase or is now in Kindle Unlimited… just so you know)

The list below (with links to the reviews done here at Shifter Haven of each individual story) will give you a taste of what you’ll discover in the Bear Creek Protectors stories).  And if you want more details you can always click on the box set link to read a bit about each story in this bundle.

  1.  Bodyguard Bear – Red & Kate
  2.   Survivor Bear – Craig & Linda
  3.   Babysitter Bear – Flint & Jenna
  4.   Protector Bear – Hunter & Cynthia
  5.   Savior Bear – Rob & Madison
  6.   Doggy Defender Bear – Guy & Jane

If you love Shifter Romance, then you should check out this boxed set of fantastic stories (IMO) right now.

 

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Brush It Off and Move On

Posted December 1, 2021 by Faeshifter in Shifter Haven Discussion / 0 Comments

2021 didn’t turn out quite the way I had anticipated, to be honest here.  There were some amazing highs, goals reached, lives changed this past year — there were also some very low moments, decisions to be made, and picking myself up off the ground far too often for my comfort.

I didn’t come anywhere near what I wanted to do here at Shifter Haven.  And I deeply regret that I practically lost a year of talking about amazing Shifter Romances here.  But… what’s done is done now.

So, right now, all I can do is move forward – plan better for 2022 – and put this year (like 2020) behind me and shake it off.  I survived 2021 and for that alone I’m grateful (even if I am posting this on December 1st – cringes)

Onward my friends, let’s see what I can do with the remainder of 2021, eh?  *smiles*

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So… Yeah, I Miss You, Too!

Posted June 22, 2021 by Faeshifter in Shifter Haven Discussion / 0 Comments

So.  I might have been missing from Shifter Haven posts recently.  But, honestly, there’s a really good reason for that.

Is a house purchase (first-time homeowner here) and packing up the current home a good enough reason to be… busy??  🙂

The move is under two weeks away now, things are moving along at the new house… and chaos reigns here in full bloom!

I’ve never considered myself as a hoarder, a collector of mugs, and a lover of books yes… but hoarder, nope, not really.  Well.  Packing up a lifetime of gathering “stuff” will change a person’s mind real quick!!  So there’s been a lot of giving away, and tossing that “What in the world is this? or What was I thinking!” kinda oddities.  I’m telling myself if I haven’t used it or opened it in five years then it’s time to part ways.  That’s working so far (for the most part).

There has been some reading during breaks but nothing like I’m used to, and especially little time to post much at all.  I’m hoping by early July or maybe mid-July to have some semblance of normal back in my life (that’s not a given by any means for I’ll never live a normal life *wink*)… it’s a goal so hopefully, it’s one that I can reach.

Although I miss my Shifter worlds like I never imagined possible (never had this long of a break from them), and the community of writers and readers who love this genre… sometimes life away from the Kindle or the keyboard has to be a priority.  I miss the interaction with other readers (and authors) here, on Twitter or Facebook – but I’m in the final stretch now.  A little more chaos to get through, then I can settle into redesigning my home, trying to remember where I put stuff in this new house… and get back to my love of Shifter Romance, which means getting lost in a book.

Hang in there with me, peeps.  The journey is far from over.  🙂

 

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Real Men Shift Romance Universe Arrival

Posted December 25, 2020 by Faeshifter in Shifter Haven Discussion / 0 Comments

Have you read any of the books in the Real Men Shift series by Celia Kyle and Marina Maddix?

Real Men Howl –  Real Men Snarl – Real Men Growl – Real Men Scratch – Real Men Bite – Real Men Claim – Real Men Hunt (I’m not caught up on all the review posts but these stories are amazing)

Yeah.  Those stories.

Well… Celia Kyle and Marina Maddix have opened up their ‘universe’ to other authors so we can now have stories set in that particular world by – Cecilia Lane, Reina Torres, Moxie North, Kate Rudolph, Willa Hart, and Anne Hale!  At least for Season One.  And who knows for the future!

I’m frankly excited because I’ve enjoyed the Real Men world and I love when authors open up their worlds to allow other authors to write their unique slant on that world in new stories.

So, keep an eye out for:

Real Men Season One – Feral Fated Mate by Anne Hale  — Howl for Me by Cecilia Lane  — Howling for You by Kate Rudolph  — Sanguine Scent by Reina Torres — Finding Her Home by Willa Hart —  The Vampire’s Pixie by Moxie North.  All release on January 5, 2021, and each is part of its own series as well as the Real Men Romance universe.

 

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Month of Binge-Reading Concludes

Posted October 30, 2020 by Faeshifter in Shifter Haven Discussion / 0 Comments

I did something on Shifter Haven in October that I rarely ever do… actually, I don’t think I’ve ever done it before… Hmm.

I had been meaning to read the connecting series that make up the “Immortal Ops World” by Mandy M. Roth for some time.  It was one of those… meh, I’ll get to it soon kind of things.  Well.  Soon came suddenly when I learned that those stories were coming out of Kindle Unlimited in November of 2020.  Yeah.  My book budget doesn’t stretch to buying all of those books at one time so I had to make a choice.  Binge-read the series while it was still in KU or just not read it at all… and the second option wasn’t really one that was acceptable to me for I really wanted to experience this world in the reading order that the author, Mandy M. Roth, suggested.

That Suggest Reading Order can be found on this page, just click the link if interested. Series that connect: Immortal Ops — PSI Ops (Paranormal Security & Intelligence) — Crimson Ops — Shadow Agents — Immortal Outcasts

So, I took the month of October and read the majority of these stories.  I still have a couple to finish up but I no longer feel the rush to get them done “yesterday” that I did.  Thanks to some sales, and clearing some space on my Kindle Unlimited shelf I have the remaining 5 books that are released on my Kindle ready to devour.  Truthfully, it will be much easier to keep up with the new releases now that I only will need to buy one book at a time.

While, admittedly, my reviews of other favorite series suffered by doing this dedicated month binge-read — I don’t regret it, at all.  I fell in love with the world created by Ms. Roth, the action is fast-paced, the villains vile as imaginable, the heroines smart and determined, the heroes sexy, dangerous, and believable (for the genre).  So, yeah, I had a blast doing this.  And hopefully, I won’t need to do it again soon for I cannot think of another connecting set of series that needs read and reviewed.  I’m sure I could find one if I looked hard enough.  🙂

Sorry if I cluttered up your timeline on Twitter or your email… but I hope you’ll give these stories a chance (if you haven’t already).  They really are well worth the time, effort, and cost for some amazing adventures of the shifter and the magical kind.

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Forever in Forbidden by Keira Blackwood & Liza Street

Posted October 20, 2020 by Faeshifter in Shifter, Shifter Connected, Shifter Haven Discussion, Shifter Series, Shifters & Magic / 0 Comments

Lusting after your best friend is hard. Being trapped in his head is hell.

As a wolf shifter in Forbidden, Kentucky, Brody’s no stranger to weird. Packing enough rat traps to maim a small army, he’s ready to battle the bad magic that plagues his old house. He knows just who to call for backup, too–the donut-crafting, magic-wielding woman of his dreams.

Years of ‘will they/won’t they’ are exhausting, even for a witch. But Pearl’s in it for the long haul, for that chance that she and her best friend will one day graduate from playing “hide and seek” to playing “hide the sausage.” To that end, she’s always wished for a peek inside of his head.

When her wish comes true, it’s way more than she bargained for.

Side-by-side, they know there’s nothing they can’t handle…until a giant, moonwalking rodent makes an appearance in their shared dream.

This is an adult 18+ story that contains language, possible violence, and sexual situations geared to an adult audience.

Titles in the Alphas & Alchemy Fierce Mates series include – Claimed in Forbidden – Fated in Forbidden  – Bound to Forbidden – Caught in Forbidden – Mated in Forbidden –  Forever in Forbidden – Destined in Forbidden (final… or is there a spin-off coming, hmmm?)

(This series is a connection between Keira’s Alpha & Alchemy series and Liza’s Fierce Mates series that is simply explosive and I suspect addictive so get started now.)

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