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Hi Everyone. We have had a cold spell coming through, but the sun is shining today (Friday). It always lifts my spirits when I see blue skies. Mr Wonderful and I cut our hair yesterday. It’s always an adventure when I cut his hair. Mine, I don’t worry about so much. Just cut it straight across and I’m good. Feels better now and I hope it’s easier to wash. My bum arm is getting better, but taking so darn looooooong. We still have some of our Christmas stuff up because I’m not going in the attic until it gets a bit warmer, so why take it all down. Mostly it’s just lights. I am going to take the decorations off the tree this week and make it a Mardi Gras tree. I love lights and plan to keep some up, after taking the rest of the Christmas garland down. Anything to make myself feel better right now is a good thing. I’m still having trouble coming up with a blogging schedule, but I hate having to scramble to post something because I haven’t blogged ahead, so I need to figure it out.
I got the idea and the motivation to start doing Tackling The TBR from All The Book Blog Names Are Taken.
It has helped me to keep track of my reading shelf as far as current
events and I also started doing a post for Books From The Backlog,
from Carole’s Random Life in Books,
to tidy up my shelves. I feel better about my out of control TBR and
have even knocked off a couple of those old ones that had been
hanging around for years.
Does anyone else remember this commercial? As I was sitting here and drinking a cup of hot chocolate it came to mind. It has stuck with me since the first time I saw it.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
Librarian’s note: Alternate cover edition of ASIN B005EIO02C.
Frey’s life is a lie. She doesn’t remember being bound from magic. She didn’t intend to get entangled in Council business.
But she did.
And
now she’s on the run. As the Council trackers pursue her, Frey
discovers a world beyond their lies. With the aid of a stranger, she
fights to reclaim her true identity before the others hunt her down. If
they find her, she will burn.
I added Frey (Book I of the Frey Saga) to my TBR on 11.1.12 and grabbed it from Amazon on 10.1.12. That makes me wonder if I won the book and waiting for a giveaway to be over before I added it. I do love reading Young Adult novels filled with magic, so this should be a good one for me.
I was watching the Bones TV series, the episode where Bones and Booth get married. When Cundi Lauper began singing At Last, I immediately thought of sharing it with this review. It seemed so appropriate. Funny how that happens sometimes.
GUEST POST
Sherry Asked: Why did you name
Detective Thorn…Thorn?
Chrys Fey’s Answer: Honestly,
I don’t remember. HAHAHA! Usually, I’ll have a first name for a character, and
then I have to come up with a good last name to go with it. I’ll explore
surname websites and even the credits for movies to find a suitable last name.
When it comes to my detective or law enforcement characters, I first come up
with the surname that’ll pair well with “Detective” or “Officer.” I do this
before even considering the first name. If I ever do.
For example, Officer Burnett is a character we meet in Seismic
Crimes (Disaster Crimes Book 2), and we are reacquainted with him in
A Fighting Chance. I simply considered a last name that sounded good
with “Officer.” I wanted it to be strong. Officer Burnett is a strong title and
name combo. So, when it came time to name the detective who comes in to help
hunt down the corrupt cop and murderer David Buckland aka Buck, I literally
contemplated what name would sound really badass with “Detective.” It doesn’t
get much more badass than Detective Thorn.
Pages: 154
Genre:
Romantic-Suspense
Heat Rating: Hot
MY REVIEW
It’s a great day. A Fighting Chance is the final book in the Disaster series and it it time for Thorn’s and Amanda’s story to be told.
Because you may want to start this series at the very beginning with Hurricane Crimes, I will try not to give anything away. I have loved growing and living life to the fullest with Beth and Donovan and would love for you to learn what they have been through to have a life so good they never even dreamed of it.
Thorn is a police officer and best friend to Beth and Donovan. Amanda is a survivor of domestic violence, still hiding out from her ex. She works with Beth at the Fighting Chance, and has become a very good friend of hers. These women have learned to stick together and their man will put their life on the line to keep them safe.
Amanda has found so much to live for, and when the danger comes walking through the door, she knows she cannot face it alone. Thank goodness she doesn’t have to.
She is afraid for Thorn. Afraid to hope for happiness. She is broken, but not beaten.
Thorn and Amanda’s relationship develops in a slow, realistic way. It is tentative and sweet.
I loved reading about her home remedies for defending her home. They are low tech, but they do the job. When Amanda talks about how she points her blinds, I couldn’t help but smile. I do the same thing.
Chrys Fey handles a difficult topic, like domestic abuse in a graceful and interesting way and I can’t help but believe it could be an inspiration for those who need a little bit of help to feel they are worth of a good, loving life.
The feeling of evil, of danger, of a sense of urgency, is subtle, but present throughout the story.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of A Fighting Chance by Chrys Fey.
4 Stars
BLURB
*A FIGHTING CHANCE is Book 6 in the Disaster
Crimes series, but it’s a spin-off featuring a new couple, so it can be
read as a standalone.*
Thorn has loved Amanda from afar, giving her whatever she
needs as a survivor of abuse—space, protection, and stability. He yearns to
give her more, though, to share his feelings, kiss her, love her, but he’s
worried the truth will frighten her away.
And Amanda is afraid. She’s scared of her attraction for
Thorn. Most of all, she’s terrified of her ex-boyfriend, who is lurking nearby
where no one can find him. When she grows closer to Thorn, Damon retaliates,
jeopardizing their happy ending.
Up against an abusive ex and Mother Nature, do Thorn and
Amanda have a fighting chance?
Amanda looked up from the current list of up-to-date
payments for classes. A movement outside the glass storefront caught her eye.
She tilted her head to see a man coming up the sidewalk from the side where the
picnic bench sat. Through the vertical blinds, she glimpsed a square face—a
short, rugged beard and long, dark hair pulled into a man bun. Her breath fled
from her lungs. Her body went from icy cold to flaming hot in the span of a
millisecond. She dropped to the floor and slid under the counter, beneath the
ledge where they put their purses and cell phones.
“What—” Beth peeked at the windows. Then she snapped her
fingers at April and pointed at the stools.
April jumped into action. She pushed the stools in so they
blocked Amanda. The bell attached to the door jingled as April removed the
jacket she wore and draped it across the stools, creating a curtain to shield
Amanda.
From a crack, Amanda watched Beth move to stand in front of
the twins, who were in their walkers playing peacefully. “I’m sorry, but we’re
going to be closing.”
“I don’t give a shit. I’m here for Amanda.”
The sound of Damon’s voice had her heart beating even
harder. That voice had haunted her nightmares, had come back to life in her
memories.
Beth cocked her head to the side. “Who? There’s no one by
that name here.”
Author’s
Note: I wrote The Disaster Curse to answer a few
lingering questions readers may have after reading A Fighting Chance,
and to tie the whole series together with a neat, shiny, perfect little bow.
Plus, there was one disaster that I hadn’t written about yet. *wink*
The
Disaster Crimes Series:
*The Crime Before the Storm (prequel)
Hurricane Crimes (novella, #1)
Seismic Crimes (#2)
Lightning Crimes (free short, #2.5)
Tsunami Crimes (#3)
Flaming Crimes (#4)
Frozen Crimes (#5)
A Fighting Chance (spin-off, #6)
The Disaster Curse (short story, #7)
*Free
exclusive story to newsletter subscribers.
***LAUNCHING
A WEBSITE***
TheFightingChance.org is a
website dedicated to domestic violence and sexual assault awareness. Inspired
by the Disaster Crimes series.
***GIVEAWAY***
Prizes:
Hurricane Crimes (Disaster Crimes 1) and Seismic Crimes (Disaster Crimes 2)
eBooks (mobi or epub), Hurricane Crimes Playing Cards, Girl Boss Sign, and a
Volcanic Blast Scented Candle
Chrys Fey is author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique
concept that blends disasters, crimes, and romance. She runs the Insecure
Writer’s Support Group Book Club on Goodreads and edits for Dancing Lemur
Press. https://www.chrysfey.com
Book Title: Weekend Pass by Paul Cavanagh Category: Adult Fiction (18 yrs +), 210 pages Genre: Literary Publisher: Not That London Writer Release date: Jan 19, 2021 Content Rating: PG-13 + M. Includes some f-words, religious profanities, and mature themes (addiction, adultery)
Weekend Pass packs a lot into fewer than two hundred pages. The dialogue never stutters. The writing is tight and clean and elegant with hidden depths that give pause for reflection and thought. It covers important, difficult themes in a compassionate, humanist way. It was an absolute pleasure to read. Recommended, TheBookBag.co.uk
Book Description:
Who can forgive a mother who poisons her eight-year-old son? Even if it was an accident. Tasha thought she had everything under control – her family life, her career as a nurse – until her son got into her stash of painkillers. Now, during her first weekend home from drug treatment, she must come to grips with the damage she’s done and somehow pick up the pieces. Told from the points of view of four different family members, Weekend Pass is a story about the lies we tell ourselves and the people we love. And it’s about struggling to rise above the mistakes that threaten to define us.
Paul Cavanagh is a Canadian author whose debut novel, After Helen,
won the Lit Idol competition at the London Book Fair in the UK and was
published to rave reviews in the United States, Canada, and the British
Isles. He’s been compared to Pulitzer Prize winner Anne Tyler for his
ability to be at turns funny and moving while exploring the paradoxes of
modern family relationships. He lives in London, Ontario (not be be
confused with that other London). Weekend Pass is his third novel.
Join us for this tour from Jan 11 to Jan 22, 2021!
Book Details:
Book Title: The Future of Buildings, Transportation, and Power by Roger Duncan and Michael E. Webber Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 290 pages Genre: Non-fiction Futurism Publisher: DW Books Release date: July 2020 Content Rating: G. No erotic or bad language
Book Description:
The evolution of buildings, transportation and power will determine how our future looks and feels, and in the book Roger Duncan and Michael E. Webber argue the Energy Efficiency Megatrend will shape our future technology. Buildings and vehicles will evolve into sentient-appearing machines such that we will be living, working and moving about inside robots. Buildings may develop personalities and the transportation system will have any manner of vehicle available at a moment’s notice. This complex, interconnected system will be powered by the clean and efficient conversion of fuels and energy flows that surround us.
Roger Duncan is a former Austin, Texas City Council member and the former General Manager of Austin Energy, the municipal electric utility. He is also a former Research Fellow at the Energy Institute at the University of Texas.
Michael E. Webber is the Josey Centennial Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas, and Chief Science and Technology Officer at ENGIE, a multi-national energy services and ingrastructure company.
Amanda Steel had lost her reason for living. She lost her husband and her child to a drunk driver. Since then, her life has been a series of one night stands and a loss of her desire to follow in her father’s footsteps, becoming a police chief. It takes a sleeping pill for her to get any rest. Becky, her best friend, is her salvation.
When the man responsible for her family’s death ends up dead himself, she is allowed to investigate, under the direction of her new partner, or so they say. That is the only thing I didn’t like about the book. Maybe it would happen in real life, maybe not, but Carolyn Arnold’s books are so realistic, that it stuck with me.
At times I was sure I knew where Carolyn and Amanda were taking me…then there would be a curve in the road, leading me to who knows where. Only Carolyn Arnold knows…until YOU read the story yourself.
Amanda Steele’s past comes back to haunt her, though, in truth, it never left her.
Carolyn Arnold is an amazing author, creating complex stories and characters that keep me reading until the last page is turned. I want to know, I have to know. I do hope Amanda Steele can find the life she is meant to live.
Some serious issues arise, like murder, alcoholism, death, sex trafficking, and Amanda Steele, Carolyn Arnold, and I are on the case.
Two doozies at the end of the story have me salivating, thirsting for the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed and ARC of The LIttle Grave by Carolyn Arnold.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Detective Amanda Steele stops just inside the doorway, recognizing the victim’s face instantly. He seems so vulnerable in death; soft, human, even harmless. But she can never forget the evil he has inflicted. Her heart is hammering as she remembers her precious daughter, with her red curls and infectious laugh, and how she was lowered into that little grave…
It’s been five years since Detective Amanda Steele’s life was derailed in the path of an oncoming drunk driver. The small community of Dumfries, Virginia, may have moved on from the tragic deaths of her husband and daughter, but Amanda cannot. When the driver who killed her family is found murdered in a motel room, she can’t keep away from the case.
Fighting her sergeant to be allowed to work an investigation with such a personal connection to her, Amanda is in a race to prove that she can uncover the truth. But the more she digs into the past of the man who destroyed her future, the more shocking discoveries she makes. And when Amanda finds the link between a silver bracelet in his possession and the brutal unsolved murder of a young exotic dancer, she realizes she’s caught up in something darker than she ever imagined and suspects that more girls could be in danger.
But as Amanda edges toward the truth, she gets closer to a secret as personal as it is deadly. Amanda has stumbled upon a dangerous killer, and she must face some terrible truths in order to catch this killer – and save his next victim as she couldn’t save her own daughter…
A gripping, page-turning thriller full of mystery and suspense. Perfect for fans of Rachel Caine, Lisa Regan and Robert Dugoni.
ABOUT CAROLYN ARNOLD
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning
author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She
has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon
Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has
written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers
everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action
adventures.
Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised
by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading
her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born in a small town and
enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big
city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive
imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch
the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and
empower.
She currently lives just west of Toronto
with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada
and Sisters in Crime.
Happy Monday everyone and welcome back to Music Monday! Let’s share some songs we’ve been enjoying lately! If you would like to play, and I really hope you do, please see the rules and link up below HERE
As I rang out the 2020, my thoughts went back in time. Back to the wedding of my best friend, Maria, who had Ava Maria sung at her wedding. She never met a stranger. She was a very special person and is sorely missed. May she rest in peace.
**images are linked to Amazon (I am an affiliate)**
Hello fellow bloggers. I knew when Trump was elected, that we would all receive an in your face lesson on how our government really works.
Well, it was a wild and frightening day Wednesday. Almost, unbelievable. I have read so many books that it wasn’t a total surprise, yet I do not understand how our leaders could stand by and allow such a thing to happen. Then, as I watched the electoral college (which I believe should be eliminated) roll to confirm Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as President and Vice President, I could not believe some of the politicians speaking. Why are they not totally outraged over someone trying to stage a coup…and whether anyone wants to believe it or not, that is what it was…An attack on our constitution, that they were claiming to uphold.
I normally don’t watch news, but I couldn’t tear myself away for the entire day. I am curious to see what they will do today. Are they going to stand by like they have been and let those who are behind the coup walk away? It is mind blowing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t people understand what really happened? Are THEY going to sweep it under the rug and pretend nothing happened. AND, what about all the secrets Trump and his family hold.
This is how dictators are born. Tough to face the fact that it could happen here, but why not? SO…I ASK THOSE IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE…ARE YOU A MAN/WOMAN OR A MOUSE?
I feel if I don’t say something, I am part of the problem. This is too big to be ignored.
