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
What a fabulous voice and I did let the music take my mind!
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
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.
WOW…I mean…WOW. Each story in Michaelbrent Collings Stranger series keeps getting better and better, but seeing my rating system only goes to 5…I have a full page of notes and I think that means I’ll be doing some editing. Don’t want to give away too much…only want to teeeeease you. 🙂
Not everyone that Legion seeks out dies, but you better be on your best behavior. If he has any doubts….
Legion is one of those characters I fall in love with and never want to lose, never want his story to end, even though I wonder how it will. He reminds me of Dexter, meting out his own version of vigilante justice. How can his ending be a good one? I don’t see it, yet I want it. Like all people, he is neither all good or all bad. Where his journeys are taking him, I don’t think even he knows, but there is a destination he seeks.
Warning…Set aside some time. Once I began, I couldn’t stop. Listening to him talk to Fire, Water and The One had my head spinning, at times. Each individual voice has it’s own personality. But…something is changing. He doesn’t know what, but he feels it all the same.
There are discriminating, racist, sexist, gangs, white supremicist elements, but isn’t that like real life? A mother trying to save her and her son, a Wolf after revenge…and Legion. Even with all the danger and violence…no punches are pulled… in Michaelbrent Collings Stranger series, there are moments of levity.
Michaelbrent Collings Stranger series is at the top of its class. Love, love, love Legion. He is such a tortured, complex individual. I don’t know how Michael takes each story to a new level of breath taking suspense and so many book surprises, they even last until the last page. I am desperate for more!
What a fabulous TV series The Stranger stories would make!!!! I’m sure it would do fantastic as movies, but I am a TV addict. Is anyone listening? Who would you choose to play the lead? I’m going to have to think on that.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Stranger Danger by Michaelbrent Collings.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
He will teach you the lesson… … he knows you’re dying to learn.
Legion is a teacher. An avenging angel. A murderer.
A madman.
Raised
in the underground hideout of an insane father, he searches for those
who keep secrets and sins. Then he teaches them how to leave those
mistakes behind. Even if it means killing them to do it.
Because sometimes murder is the cost of a proper education.
That’s why, when he comes to a neighborhood in the grips of a vicious gang war, he knows the time has come to teach.
Soon
Legion – and his imaginary brothers, Water and Fire – are caught in the
middle of a vicious fight for control of the Downs, the worst part of a
city on the verge of anarchy.
Legion is facing enemies on all sides. Hundreds of men will stop at nothing to capture or kill him.
Legion will teach the lessons. And the students will never forget, no matter how long – or short – their lives may be.
The students are ready.
And the teacher will never stop.
ABOUT MICHAELBRENT COLLINGS
Michaelbrent Collings is an internationally-bestselling novelist,
multiple Bram Stoker Award nominee, produced screenwriter, and one of
the top indie horror writers in the United States.
He hopes someday to develop superpowers, or, if that is out of the question, then at least to get a cool robot arm.
Michaelbrent
has a wife and several kids, all of whom are much better looking than
he is (though he admits that’s a low bar to set), and also cooler than
he is.
Michaelbrent also has a Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/MichaelbrentC…
and can be followed on Twitter through his username @mbcollings.
Follow him for cool news, updates, and advance notice of sales. You
will also be kept safe when the Glorious Revolution begins!
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
I was watching the Twilight series for the umpteenth time and this is the first time I realized Bruno Mars had a song on the track.
“It Will Rain”
If you ever leave me, baby,
Leave some morphine at my door
‘Cause it would take a whole lot of medication
To realize what we used to have,
We don’t have it anymore.
There’s no religion that could save me
No matter how long my knees are on the floor (Ooh)
So keep in mind all the sacrifices I’m makin’
To keep you by my side
To keep you from walkin’ out the door.
‘Cause there’ll be no sunlight
If I lose you, baby
There’ll be no clear skies
If I lose you, baby
Just like the clouds
My eyes will do the same, if you walk away
Everyday it’ll rain, rain, ra-a-a-ain
I’ll never be your mother’s favorite
Your daddy can’t even look me in the eye
Ooh, if I was in their shoes, I’d be doing the same thing
Sayin’ “There goes my little girl
Walkin’ with that troublesome guy”
But they’re just afraid of something they can’t understand
Ooh, but little darlin’ watch me change their minds
Yeah for you I’ll try, I’ll try, I’ll try, I’ll try
I’ll pick up these broken pieces ’til I’m bleeding
If that’ll make you mine
‘Cause there’ll be no sunlight
If I lose you, baby
There’ll be no clear skies
If I lose you, baby
Just like the clouds
My eyes will do the same, if you walk away
Everyday it’ll rain, rain, ra-a-a-ain
Oh, don’t you say (don’t you say) goodbye (goodbye),
Don’t you say (don’t you say) goodbye (goodbye)
I’ll pick up these broken pieces ’til I’m bleeding
If that’ll make it right
‘Cause there’ll be no sunlight
If I lose you, baby
There’ll be no clear skies
If I lose you, baby
And just like the clouds
My eyes will do the same, if you walk away
Everyday it’ll rain, rain, ra-a-a-ain
The Dead Meat series reads like current events…except for the walking dead.
The virus is spreading and, even though, I was immediately drawn to some of the new characters in Dead Meat 6 by Nick Clausen, I knew not all of them would survive. Everything happens over the course of one day. Each story in the series leads to the next, so I highly recommend reading in order.
As usual, Dead Meat grabbed me from the beginning and never let me go.
Gory, grisly horror, but amongst the dark some light shines in the people who sacrifice their lives to save others. Some wonderful characters are still alive, fighting for survival. All the good and bad humanity has to offer comes forth in this novel of terror and horror. Some show courage and grace, others show the despicable side of us humans.
Unputdownable. Want to be grossed out? Want to fret and worry about characters and have to know what happens next? This series is for you.
And Dan…he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. He’s just a boy, but quickly grows up to meet what fate has in store for him. He shows great courage.
WOW! The suspense level is off the charts, the characters fabulous, even the not so good ones. I love watching the rag tag groups grow, change and learn to do whatever must be done…against all odds.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Dead Meat 6 by Nick Clausen.
4 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
The dead have awakened. The world is ending. Can the disaster still be stopped?
The
group of survivors head for the Faroe Islands in the hopes of reaching
safety. But their journey won’t be easy, as the dead are following them
every step of the way, and not everyone is destined to make it.
This is Day 6 of the zombie apocalypse.
Fans
of Mark Tufo, TW Piperbrook, Bobby Adair and Camille Picott will devour
this action-packed zombie book. And if you liked The Orphans, Dead
State or The End of Everything, you’ll love Dead Meat.
What readers are saying about Dead Meat:
★★★★★ “like reading an episode of The Walking Dead” – Amazon review
★★★★★ “I’ve read a lot of zombie series, and this is the best” – Amazon review
★★★★★ “terrifying, nightmare-inducing, impossible to put down” – Amazon review
ABOUT NICK CLAUSEN
Born 1988 in North Jutland,
where I still live with my wife, who also happened to be my earliest
childhood girlfriend. From 2017 I have lived as a full-time writer. Up
until then, I had different jobs beside the writing. I have been
studying as a carpenter for three years, and have also read two years of
psychology at Aalborg University. It turned out that the writing had a
much more powerful pull on me.
I decided early on that I would be an author when I grew up. In
fact, the decision came to me already when I read my first book,
Snevampyren by Dennis Jürgensen. My first “real” stories I wrote at
14-15 years of age. They were rejected by the publisher, but still got
praise. There were some years when I was busy with being a teenager and
trying to get an education before I suddenly remembered that I should
be an author.
That day I made a promise
to write 1,000 words a day until I got a book published. I sat down and
started writing. I continued to write every single day for a year and a
half. I sent the finished manuscripts to different publishers, and the
rejections piled up. Twelve of them by the end. But each time I could
feel it was a little bit better. The criticism became more positive. The
thirteenth story was called Tidevandet, and it was adopted by the
publisher and came out a year later.
I have always enjoyed writing, although in the beginning I put a lot
of pressure on myself. My approach to the process has become much more
free over the years. For example, I no longer plan my stories. That
way, I feel that I’m experiencing the story while writing it and the
characters feel like real people. I do not know where the ideas come
from, but I’ve never had trouble finding them.
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
Auld Lang Syne is a song that always brings a tear to my eye as we ring out the old year and welcome the new. Auld Lang Syne is a song that brings people together and gives us all a feeling of hope. Take care, be safe, and I hope the new year brings all your hopes and desires to light.
Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
And surely you’ll buy your pint cup! and surely I’ll buy mine! And we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
We two have run about the hills, and picked the daisies fine; But we’ve wandered many a weary foot, since auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
We two have paddled in the stream, from morning sun till dine; But seas between us broad have roared since auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
And there’s a hand my trusty friend! And give me a hand o’ thine! And we’ll take a right good-will draught, for auld lang syne.
For auld lang syne, my dear, for auld lang syne, we’ll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne.
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
Boy does this bring back memories. An oldie, but goldie that keeps on giving. Feel free to tap your toes or get up and dance as you sing along….like I did.
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
Boy does White Christmas by Bing Crosby bring back memories. When I was a kid, we used to watch it every year and I loved it. Some things are timeless and according to the Guinness Book of Records, White Christmas by Bing Crosby is the number one song of all time, selling more than 50 million copies worldwide.
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
Santana was an ear opener for me and made me appreciate the depth of music so much more than I had used to…or maybe that was the Marijuana I was smoking. Santana was the first concert I ever went to and did partake of the joints that were being passed around. Someone would light it and it would be passed from person to person, row to row, until another one came around. I was quite the novice and could hardly walk out when it was over. LOL
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Lyrics
Got a black magic woman Got a black magic womanI got a black magic woman Got me so blind I can’t see That she’s a black magic woman She’s tryin’ to make a devil out of meDon’t turn your back on me baby Don’t turn your back on me babyYes, don’t turn your back on me baby Stop messin’ around with your tricks Don’t turn your back on me baby You just might pick up my magic sticksGot your spell on me baby Got your spell on me babyYes you got your spell on me baby Turning my heart into stone I need you so bad magic woman I can’t leave you alone
