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 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.
COME ON….JOIN IN.
Previous Total: 2048
Currently Reading
I am super excited about Stranger Sins by Michaelbrent Collings. I love Legion.
Rebounding with the Billionaire Tina Gabor (Bronson Billionaire Romance Series, #4) Publication date: October 31st 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
She’s an outcast from a billionaire family. He’s her brother’s best friend and business partner.
They hate each other.
But when she bolts from the church on her wedding day, and they wind up trapped in a snow storm,
the heat between them is undeniable.
She’s on the rebound. He’s a workaholic who needs to let off some steam. One weekend with no strings attached. Right?
It wasn’t wedding day jitters. Something was up.
I stood up and headed to the door.
The camera guy and sound guy tried to stop me, but I ignored them. I opened the door, and Mackie was there in her bridesmaid dress.
“Did you need me?” she asked.
“No, wait here. I’m just going to talk to Peter,” I said.
I marched down the hall toward the groom’s suite. Even more people tried to stop me.
That only confirmed that some shit was going down, and everyone else knew but me. I knew exactly what was going on.
The security guard stepped in my way.
“Get out of my way, or there is no wedding.” I said.
The large man stared down at me and didn’t move.
“I will have you fired,” I said, in my iciest bitch voice. The man cowered and stepped aside.
I threw the door open.
There was my groom, making out and groping Cindy!
“I knew you were fucking cheating on me, Peter!” He started to speak, but I threw my hand up, signaling him to stop. “Don’t bother. He’s all yours, Cindy,” I said, and then I hightailed it out of there, tearing off the lavalier mic they’d strapped to me as I ran.
My slippers slowed me down, so I kicked them off and ran barefoot. I tore down the hall and out onto the church grounds.
“Meredith!” a male voice yelled.
I looked up to see who it was, and I spotted Nick’s Spyder at the valet.
I sprinted over to him, tears streaming down my face. But I didn’t care. Those camera crews would never catch me. Their equipment was too heavy. I jumped into Nick’s car and yelled at him. “Drive!”
Author Bio:
Are you like me?
Do you enjoy funny, contemporary romances with spicy love scenes?
Because if you do …
You’ve landed in the perfect place.
I’m Tina Gabor, and it’s so much fun getting to write the books I love reading. Gorgeous men and fierce, feisty, and funny women are my jam.
And since there’s nothing like a love story with a dash of sun and fun …
I set most of my in Southern California and Florida. I grew up in South Florida, and now I live in Southern California with my fiancee and a stray cat we named Fred.
To get special deals on new releases and updates on what your favorite book couples are doing after the story ends, go to SparksFlyRomance.com/Tina
Black Water is my first Ninie Hammon book, but it won’t be my last. I want to thank NetGalley and Sterling & Stone for the opportunity to red Black Water.
Black Water by Ninie Hammon was free at time of posting, so, if this sounds interesting, check it out and pick up a copy for yourself HERE.
Well, I am sure glad I grabbed a copy of Black Water by Ninie Hammon. I have not read any of her work, until now. There is a lot going on and the story is told my multiple points of view. A novel like Black Water, with the title and the cover, lures me in. I love any books that deal with water, whether on it, in it, or under it.
It all starts with Bailey Donahue moving into the Watford House. She is on the run from the Mafia and Witness Protection landed her in the small town of Shadow Rock. She has no intention of being there for long…suicide is on her mind, but she has not met T J and Dobbs…yet.
This unlikely cast of characters, T J, Dobbs, and the sheriff, Brice, come together when Bailey shoots herself. I love the mix of the paranormal and supernatural world, along with realistic characters and the situations they find themselves in. Their need to do something about a danger only they can see does not allow them to turn their back. They risk their lives to save innocent people from losing theirs.
The whole ‘coal country’ crap had me so pissed off, I wanted to do…something. I believe this type of thing continues to this day, companies walking away, leaving their toxic waste behind, leaving it for someone else to clean up. This being the twenty first century, I am amazed that it still happens. What does that say about those who are supposed to be the watchdogs, keeping us safe? I could continue to rant about this part of the book, but there is more to the story and I want you to experience it for yourself.
Through the beginning of the book, I read along, no sense of urgency, but I was curious and the characters quickly began to grow on me. The slow build up made it easy for Ninie Hammon to catch me off guard when the danger overflowed the pages, making the last third or quarter of the book unputdownable. Even though it ended in a predictable manner, sort of, I was happy at the outcome and breathed a sigh of relief when the last word was read.
Bailey finds her purpose, as do T J, Dobbs, and Brice. I love that Black Water is part of the Through The Canvas series. I can see where the series is headed and hope to be along for the ride.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
From Ninie Hammon, master of psychological suspense, comes the long-awaited thrilling new series you won’t be able to put down.
Bailey Donahue has to stay dead.
After witnessing her husband’s murder, Bailey is ripped from her life and placed in the Witness Protection Program in the sleepy town of Shadow Rock.
Believed dead by the mafia, Bailey is trapped in a torturous limbo, unable to return to her life — and her eighteen-month-old daughter — without risking the lives of those she loves most.
Losing all hope, she attempts suicide, only to wake in the hospital and discover that not only is she alive, she’s woken with a “gift” – she can paint portraits of events that haven’t happened… yet.
Her first picture: a girl drowning. She doesn’t know who or where the girl is, or how to stop her prediction from coming true.
When two locals offer their help, she feels like she must accept, even though her instincts are screaming that these good samaritans know too much about her.
Can Bailey find the girl and prevent a tragedy — without letting anyone know that she’s still alive?
Black Water is the first book of Ninie Hammon’s new series, Through the Canvas. A riveting psychological thriller series about an ordinary woman ripped from her life, and drawn into dark and thrilling tales by mysterious forces she can’t explain.
ABOUT NINIE HAMMON
I was born in Socorro, New Mexico, sometime shortly after the earth cooled off. It’s clear that from the outset my parents never intended for me to amount to anything. How could I? With a name like “Ninie?” Please.
Fame and fortune do not come to people named Ninie Bovell (My maiden name.) Gabriella Bovary? You could work with that. Even something as pedestrian as Madeline Bovell or Rebecca Bovell or (though you’d lose points here for lack of originality) Elizabeth Bovell. But Ninie? I never had a chance.
If I sound a mite hostile, bear in mind that in one decisive stroke my parents sentenced their precious newborn daughter to a lifetime of explanations that began my first day at Muleshoe Elementary School. (Yeah, Muleshoe. The hits just keep on coming.) After a painful week, I had a rap down that I still use today:
“No, it’s not Ninnie like skinny and penny. It’s Ninie—rhymes with tiny and shiny. 9e…get it? And no, it doesn’t mean anything, it isn’t short for anything, long for anything, or a substitute for anything. It just is. (Pause here for the inevitable ‘Why?’) You got me, pal, I couldn’t tell you.”
I grew up in Texas, got a BA in English and theatre from Texas Tech University and snagged a job as a newspaper reporter. Didn’t know a thing about journalism, but my editor said if I could write he could teach me the rest of it and if I couldn’t write the rest of it didn’t matter. I hung in there for a 25-year career as a journalist. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, but as soon as I figured out that making up the facts was a whole lot more fun than reporting them, I never looked back.
In every book I write I try to keep this promise to Loyal Reader: I will tell you a story in a distinctive voice you’ll always recognize, about people as ordinary as you are–people who have been slammed by something they didn’t sign on for, and now they must fight for their lives. Then smack in the middle of their everyday worlds, those people encounter the unexplainable–and it’s always the game-changer.”
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Book Title: Valencia and the Velvet Dress by Lorri Smith Jackson Category: Middle-Grade Fiction (Ages 8-12), 88 pages Genre: Children’s Early Chapter Book Publisher: Mascot Books Release date: Nov 1, 2022 Content Rating: G
Book Description:
Valencia is a kind ten-year-old, who always sees the good in others. When she receives a dress for a special performance at school, she can’t stop wearing it. After many taunts, rumors, and finger-pointing—especially from neighborhood boy Joseph-Kelly Hunter—Valencia’s parents come up with the perfect plan to stop the ugly rumors before Valencia gets word of them. Will they be successful?
Lorri Smith Jackson has been writing since she was a teen. Lorri graduated from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, with a degree in Communications. She currently works for the City of Manassas in Virginia, and is happily married to her husband, Bruce, and they have five daughters: Lorrin, Samantha, Corin, Elizabeth, and Renee. They also have four grandchildren: Hazel, Micah, Sydnei, and Kaleigh.
While on a mission to avenge the death of his lover, the immortal peyote-eating magician Celwyn is hired to deliver an automat, Professor Kang, to a priest. But Celwyn quickly learns that everything the priest told him was a lie. Now his ship, the Zelda, is stuck in a horrific storm and Celwyn knows he must reconsider his allegiance if he is to steer his vessel in the right direction and continue his quest.
EXCERPT
San Francisco, 1865
Late in the evening, thick ribbons of fog moved like a living animal, breathing, then thinning to vapor before revealing the shadows between the wooden barrels that lined the docks. Beyond the Opera House’s silhouette, oily glimmers of the bay cut through the darkness, only to be obscured by the fog again.
As Celwyn neared the docks, he heard virulent cursing above the commotion from a carriage as it charged down the cobblestones toward him. When the coach drew level, the driver raised a whip above his horse. On its descent to the horse’s back, the tip suspended mid-air and snake-like, the whip shimmied out of the coachman’s hand.
The man steered the hackney to a stop. As he slithered out of the high cab, the whip followed him, wrapping around his ankles, lifting him feetfirst into the air. His cursing echoed to screams as he disappeared into the night sky. A moment later, a splash could be heard, and a satisfied smile crossed Celwyn’s lips; he couldn’t stand to see anyone mistreating an animal. The horse trotted down the street, rather jauntily, back toward the stable yard as the magician stepped around a snoring drunk and into Salty’s tattered and dingy atmosphere. Celwyn could have sworn it was the same drunk he stepped over last night.
AUTHOR Bio and Links
Early work was horror and suspense, later work morphed into a combination of magical realism, mystery and adventure painted with a horrific element as needed.
I’m one of those writers who doesn’t plan ahead, no outlines, no clue, and I sometimes write myself into a corner. Atmospheric music in the background helps. Black by Pearl Jam especially.
More information is available at LouKemp.com. I’d love to hear from you and what you think of Celwyn, Bartholomew, and Professor Xiau Kang.
Milestones:
2009 The anthology story Sherlock’s Opera appeared in Seattle Noir, edited by Curt Colbert, Akashic Books. Available through Amazon or Barnes and Noble online. Booklist published a favorable review of my contribution to the anthology.
2010 My story, In Memory of the Sibylline, was accepted into the best-selling MWA anthology Crimes by Moonlight, edited by Charlaine Harris. The immortal magician Celwyn makes his first appearance in print.
2018 The story, The Violins Played before Junstan is published in the MWA anthology Odd Partners, edited by Anne Perry. The Celwyn series begins.
Book 1, The Violins Played before Junstan reissue with the publisher, the 4 Horsemen on 10-17-22. The 4 Horsemen will publish the remaining books in the series beginning with Music Shall Untune the Sky, The Raven and the Pig, The Pirate Danced and the Automat Died. The companion book, Farm Hall continues the story of Pelaez, another immortal magician and Celwyn’s brother will also be available.
I love the awesome cover and stories that take place on the water, in the water, or around the water. I am also a huge fan of Stephen King and Dean Koontz, so it was a no brainer to grab Look At Me by Hash Black for review. I did enjoy the story, but never connected to any characters or found myself hanging by my fingertips wondering what comes next. There are two novella/short stories that are quick, easy reads. I won’t spoil anything by telling you why you need to Look At Me, but BEWARE….
2 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
I SEE HER EVERYWHERE I GO
Cinder Bay is a rotting dump and Harry wants out. A boat ride with the richest tech genius in town and a foolproof pitch is exactly what he needs to change his life forever.
If only he knew how right he would turn out to be.
Sea and Ocean Horror stories have never been this scary! LOOK AT ME is inspired by a real traditional folklore story off the coast of East Africa.
If you enjoy reading Stephen King, Jack Ketchum, Paul Tremblay, and Dean Koontz, then you’ll love reading Hash Black.
ABOUT HASH BLACK (from Amazon)
Hash Black is a horror author with an affinity for the vile and the ungodly. Ironically, his educational background is rooted in marine biology and has an innate love for coral reefs. However, he has always enjoyed writing his heart out as he grew up. R. L. Stine was a major influence during those days, with Goosebumps and Fear Street series getting lots of traction among his peers. Finally, at the age of 30, Hash gave in to his passion. A passion for writing.
More recently, Hash has taken up exploring books from other renowned authors, with Dean Koontz’s ‘Nameless Series’, and Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’ being his most beloved at the moment. His other favorite authors include Peter Straub, Clive Barker, Anne Rice, and Neil Gaiman.
Enjoy the fruits of his efforts here and support his journey along this winding journey of writership.
Book Title: Holy Terror by John R. Dougherty Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 275 pages Genre: Supernatural Mystery Publisher: Self-Published Release date: September 2022 Content Rating: PG-13 +M – There is very little mild bad language, but there is a lot of somewhat graphic violence depicted.
Book Description:
The Miami police force is utterly baffled by the horrific crime scenes they are finding. The victims are being executed in unimaginable ways, and unlike most crimes perpetrated against humanity, these victims do not fit the usual murder victim profile. These victims are themselves criminals. In fact, some are very well-known criminals. But this scenario is not unique to Miami. Locales worldwide are seeing the same kind of maniacal homicides.
Who is responsible for carrying out these crimes, and how can they be stopped?
Two of Miami PD’s finest, Detectives Ian Jelani and Lane Madigan, are on the prowl, trying to solve these mysterious crimes. But they are being drawn into something far beyond their imaginations, something more than they have ever bargained for. These men may think they have seen it all, but that is quite the understatement. They are on a collision course with the most terrifying vigilante they have ever encountered. When their families become embroiled, the gloves come off, no holds are barred, and the rage of the vigilante spills onto them as well.
The forces of good and evil have waged war since long before Creation. Angels of heaven, both good and evil, have struggled to expand the borders of their kingdoms, and humankind has long been caught in the middle of that raging turf war. Men and women have faced the choices of good and evil since the Garden of Eden, and everyone knows where that original choice landed the rest of us. But humans are not the only ones tempted by the wares of evil. Angels have stared those same choices in the face too. Some have fallen away from the Creator, while some have remained faithful to Him. What of an angel caught betwixt good and evil, an angel who thinks he is serving his Master, but he is actually teetering on the edge of his own fall? What if that angel was the greatest warrior angel of all time, and decided to take it upon himself to rid the Earth of evil people? What might happen to those evil people who are trying to exert their malevolent power and intentions upon their fellow humans if such an angel was to go after them?
In Holy Terror, Thumos, the greatest warrior of the Creator’s angelic army, the fiercest of all heavenly soldiers, has had enough of what he perceives to be a pattern of deference. He decides to take matters into his own hands. But the path he starts down is a path that other angels have traversed before. And many of them have ended up in the camp of the Evil One, the most destructive force the universe has ever known. Thumos comes face to face with Satan himself, and he have even more decisions to make.
John has spent his professional career working in information technology by day and dabbling in a variety of other diversions by nights and weekends, including a few decades of serving in lay ministry. While serving in this capacity he preached hundreds of sermons, taught countless Bible study classes, and wrote dozens of inspirational articles.
He enjoys golf, guitars, grandchildren, and all things Kansas City – the Chiefs, the Royals, Sporting KC, KC Symphony, and KC Broadway, to name a few. He thinks (if not for his long-lost metabolism of youth) he could eat the famous Kansas City barbecue every day…maybe not for breakfast, but lunch and dinner for sure!
Now he is enjoying bringing to life his angelic hero, Thumos, and a host of other characters that he hopes you will find both entertaining as well as either inspiring or repulsive (after all, there are both good guys and bad guys in this story). This is the first book of a series, featuring detectives Lane Madigan and Ian Jelani, whose experience with Thumos will yield life changing results. And if you happen to be interested in such things, happy Bible Easter Egg hunting while you read, since many are planted throughout the book.
Ever since I binged on the Lucifer TV show, I look for books like The Devil In Disguise by Cynthia Eden. I loved everything about the TV show and this book. The writing was easy to read and the pace unputodwnable. The story sounded so familiar, yet was filled with twists and turns of its own. I loved the characters. Of course, we have the devil and his twin brother,good and evil, BUT, we also have a unique individual in Mina James. She is strong, determined, and in love with the devil. I hope to continue the series.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Don’t make the devil angry…
Luke Thorne loves having one hell of a good time. As the ruler of every dark creature to walk the earth, he certainly has more than a bit of a bad side. He lives for danger and isn’t the type to lose his heart—mostly because he doesn’t have one. Then she walks into his life.
Mina James is seduction in the flesh, a perfect temptation that the devil himself couldn’t pass up. Too late, Luke realizes he’s let a real siren into his life, a woman who is bent on using his dark powers to free herself from hidden enemies. Since Luke isn’t the type of man to be used, he should walk away from her, but…something about Mina draws him close.
Soon he’s realizing that she isn’t who she appears to be. Not dark and cold, but burning red hot. Mina is a woman fighting for her life—and the Lord of the Dark suddenly finds himself in an unlikely role…hero. Luke isn’t going to let her enemies destroy Mina. He will fight heaven and hell to keep her. But in the end, the secrets they both carry may just rip apart a love that should never have been…
There are Bad Things in the world…very, very bad. Are you ready for them?
Ex Appeal Cathy Yardley (Ponto Beach Reunion, #3) Publication date: November 1st 2022 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
A hacker and a fixer—who just happen to be high school exes—reunite to help each other out in this witty second-chance romance from the author of Love, Comment, Subscribe.
Vinh Doan has a problem. Ten million of them, in fact. He’s a high-level fixer for global conglomerates, which means big money…and big troubles. When ten million dollars go missing from one of his accounts, he needs a top-notch hacker to find it. His first thought? Emily MacDonald, his high school ex.
While Vinh has been taking the financial world by storm, Emily has been struggling. After her dad died, she dropped out of college and put her dreams aside. Her job in tech support has seriously tested her sunny disposition and her finances. Now, there’s an unexpected solution: Vinh, the guy who dumped her when she needed him most.
When Emily finally lets herself listen to Vinh’s request, she realizes that this is a desperately needed chance to get paid…and get payback. But the more time they spend together, the more they recognize that even though they’re not the same people they were a decade ago, their off the charts attraction is just as strong as ever. As they give in to their simmering chemistry, can Emily and Vinh let go of their past, figure out their futures—and hack a second chance at love?
The man answering the door was taller than her, with jet black hair in a short, stylish cut, and obsidian eyes framed by mile-long sooty eyelashes. Cheekbones you could probably chisel marble with. His broad shoulders filled the hell out of – she swallowed hard – a gray Henley long-sleeved shirt, with the sleeves pushed up to reveal some really hot forearms. He was wearing a pair of worn jeans that completed the look. She could feel her mouth go dry. Holy hotness, this man is…
Wait.
She shook her head, then blinked. “Vinh?” she croaked.
He nodded, staring at her intensely. Just like she remembered. “Hello, Em,” he said, and his voice did that rumbly low baritone that had melted her for years.
Her first love.
Her first heartbreak.
And the one man she was not expecting to see here today.
She dropped the pie. Then she turned and, without one ounce of shame, ran.
Author Bio:
Cathy Yardley is an award-winning author of romance, chick lit, and urban fantasy, who has sold over 1.2 million copies of books for publishers like St. Martin’s, Avon, and Harlequin. She writes fun, geeky, and diverse characters who believe that underdogs can make good and that sometimes being a little wrong is just right.
She likes writing about quirky, crazy adventures, because she’s had plenty of her own: she had her own army in the Society of Creative Anachronism; she spent a New Year’s on a three-day solitary vision quest in the Mojave Desert; she had VIP access to the Viper Room in Los Angeles.
Now, she spends her time writing in the wilds of East Seattle, trying to prevent her son from learning the truth of any of said adventures, and riding herd on her two dogs (and one husband.)
I have been reading books in Tony Bertauski’s Claus Universe since Claus: Legend of the Fat Man came out in 2012. I have missed some of the books, but I am always eager to enter the fantasy realm Tony as created.
Hiro’s world expands when he finds the dreams he has been having are of Toyworld. He finds friends he never would have made, danger that could keep him trapped in Toyworld, and the reason the real world is so gray and dreary. Christmas has disappeared. Hope and happiness has been stolen.
Dreams aren’t just dreams, they’re windows. Not windows, doorways. Most nights we’re just looking through the, seeing what’s over there. But you can crawl through a window if you open it.
People say anything is possible even when we know it isn’t true.
It’s hard to review a book like Toyworld by Tony Bertauski without giving all the good parts away. The adventure is definitely something a reader would want to experience on their own. The world building is out of this world. HA HA HA The descriptions are vivid and detailed. The characters are richly developed, and, if you are anything like me, you will find it hard to choose a favorite. They all have a role to play and it will take all of them to save Christmas.
Can the villain be redeemed? Isn’t that always the question?
I find it hard to name an age group. I got lost in the adventure, but it has been so long since I have had a youngster in my home that I can’t remember their reading level. I did some searching, so I would recommend middle grade and up.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Toyworld: Home of the Christmas Thief by Tony Bertauski.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Book 10 in the Claus Universe.
Hiro’s parents rearrange the furniture every December.
They make space in the corner for something tall. They plug in string lights and leave them on the floor. Sometimes, they cut down a tree but don’t know what to do with it. It’s not just Hiro’s parents. Everyone does it. Come January, they all straighten up their living rooms and everything goes back to normal. They do this every year.
No one knows why.
Something’s missing and they all feel it, but they never wonder what it is. And every year that passes, the world becomes colder and grayer. Until Hiro has a dream.
It’s a world of magic, where he can taste sounds and hear thoughts, see things that defy the laws of physics and biology. It’s a place where trees are decorated and stockings are hung above the fireplace. Every day is celebrated with gifts.
It’s the last place where joy exists.
Someone has stolen the Christmas spirit from the universe and hidden it in the dream. Hiro doesn’t remember a jolly fat man or flying reindeer, or elves on the North Pole. No one in Hiro’s world remembers Christmas at all.
Hiro and others like him need to free the Christmas spirit. This is their one and only chance. If they fail, his world and all others like it will stay cold and gray without Christmas… unless they discover the thief’s true identity.
My grandpa never graduated high school. He retired from a steel mill in the mid-70s. He was uneducated, but he was a voracious reader. I remember going through his bookshelves of paperback sci-fi novels, smelling musty old paper, pulling Piers Anthony and Isaac Asimov off shelf and promising to bring them back. I was fascinated by robots that could think and act like people. What happened when they died?
I’ve written textbooks on landscape design, but that was straightforward, informational writing; the kind of stuff that helps most people get to sleep. I’ve also been writing a gardening column with a humorous slant. That takes a little more finesse, but still informational for the most part.
I’m a cynical reader. I demand the writer sweep me into his/her story and carry me to the end. I’d rather sail a boat than climb a mountain. That’s the sort of stuff I wanted to write, not the assigned reading we used to get in high school. I wanted to create stories that kept you up late.
Fiction, GOOD fiction, is hard to write. Having a story unfold inside your head is an experience different than reading. You connect with characters in a deeper, more meaningful way. You feel them, empathize with them, cheer for them and even mourn. The challenge is to get the reader to experience the same thing, even if it’s only a fraction of what the writer feels. Not so easy.
