Review – Claws by Ricky Sides #rickysides

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Amazon / KindleUnlimited / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

The fabulous cover speaks horror and I love it! A pet food company messing with Mother Nature…I know that is not going to end well. You may look at your pet a little differently after reading Claws. Is your cute, cuddly little bundle of fur looking at you funny? Is your sweet kitty licking your hand as an appetizer…getting ready to take a chunk out of it? LOL Will that make you sleep better, when kitty curls up on your chest wanting snuggles? The main issue I had was with the ‘romance’. The dialogue did not ring true, but, then, I look at a book like Claws as a B movie, not known for its sophistication, but still a very enjoyable use of my time. Greed and all that comes with it was expected. The head of the ‘operation’ will stop at nothing to get more of that all mighty dollar. Will he get his comeuppance? I loved the ending.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

I’d like to give special thanks to Jason Merrick for the great cover.

Alcorn Pet Food Corporation is working with an experimental cat food laced with hormones and appetite enhancers. The special food causes cats to add muscle, gain weight, and exhibit extremely aggressive behavior. When an employee threatens to expose the pet food as a threat to public safety, she finds herself out of work, her home ransacked, and all her carefully gathered proof missing. Meanwhile, animal rights activists release the cats involved in the testing because they are scheduled to be euthanized. These bigger, stronger, and more aggressive animals begin to prey on small game in the area. Then the ravenous cats turn their attention to people.

Lovers, runners, hunters, dogs, deer, rabbits, normal cats, and even motorists begin to fall victim to the predations of these enhanced felines. An unemployed scientist, a small special ops team, a grieving father, a chief of security, and a homeless veteran join forces to try to prevent a catastrophe.

When a murderer steals the secret formula that created the menace and sells it to eight foreign enemies of the United States, the stakes suddenly get a lot higher, because the most deadly biological weapon ever created has just been released. The genie is out of the bottle and the world will never be the same.

To make matters worse, the scientist discovers that the first generation offspring will be even bigger and more aggressive, and then they learn that the food also affects dogs and rats.

ABOUT RICKY SIDES (from Amazon)

Ricky Sides was Born in Florence, Alabama in May of 1958. He has a wife named Sue that he married at age 18. He has one adult son named Larry Dale.

The author studied martial arts from 1981 to the mid 1990s. He has been an avid camper and student of survival. The techniques described in his fight sequences are often from his own personal experience and training. He has taught women’s rape prevention seminars in the 1980’s that he conducted free to the public.

The author’s writing experience includes the ” Peacekeeper” series, the “Brimstone” series, “The Ultimate in Women’s Self-Defense,” and “Adventures in Reading,” “Claws,” which is a suspense / horror novel that will ultimately serve as the back story for an epic post apocalyptic novel that he will release in 2011. “Claws 2. After the Apocalypse,” and “Lina’s Story,” which is connected to the peacekeeper series.

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Giveaway & Review – Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski @GoddessFish

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Amazon / Goodreads

Lucifer’s Triangle by N. S. Wikarski

GENRE:   Thriller (Historical Elements)

MY REVIEW

This is one of those books I probably could have passed on, but I was intrigued…by the cover and title. Dan Brown is not a favorite author of mine and Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski is similar to his work.

Jerusalem – City of Peace. That is a misnomer if I have ever heard one. The constant battle for turf has taken many lives.

Cassie was becoming bored and figured this would be her last mission. I do love a strong female lead, and Cassie fits the bill. Her boyfriend, Griffin is fine with boring.

Cassie has a talent, she gets more than impressions from objects. She, literally, walks in the owners footsteps..

When I read a book like Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski, I am always curious about how much research was done and how factual some aspects of the story are.

Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski is Book One of The Trove Chronicles, but the mention of a Nephilim War had me confused. Is this series a spinoff?

Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski is pretty much what I expected it to be once I got into it. It is well written, with well developed characters, mystery and intrigue, but I felt no urgency, nothing that I hadn’t read before.

If you are a Dan Brown fan, you will probably love this, so don’t be discouraged by my take on the novel.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Lucifer’s Triangle by N S Wikarski.

Animated Animals. Pictures, Images and Photos
3 Stars

BLURB

In a city where belief means everything, putting your faith in the wrong person can get you killed.

THE TROVE CHRONICLES
A Series for Fans of Archaeology Adventure, Alternative History Thrillers, and Treasure Hunt Mysteries

A myth-busting adventure series pitting patriarchy against buried history in artifact hunts that span continents, centuries, and lost civilizations. Meet the Arkana: a secret society of antiquarians devoted to unearthing the buried past of humanity. Continent by continent and dig site by dig site, they have amassed troves of evidence that overturn history as we know it. Follow their ongoing adventures in The Trove Chronicles.

Volume 1 – LUCIFER’S TRIANGLE
Arkana agents Cassie and Griffin are sent to Jordan for a standard retrieval mission. What could go wrong? When a colleague’s nephew is murdered, the teen’s death leads to a suicide bomb plot and a conspiracy that could plunge the Middle East into war for decades to come. The entire Arkana team springs into action to counter a threat unlike anything they’ve ever faced before. That’s because they’ll have to square off against a villain as devious as the devil himself, who wants nothing more than to see Jerusalem go up in flames.

EXCERPT

Of course, he knew how deceiving appearances could be. He himself was living proof of that adage. Anyone who chanced to notice him would see an average-looking, thirty-something businessman with dark hair and a neatly trimmed goatee. One might easily assume he worked in an office nearby. That assessment was partially true. He was a businessman, and he was about to start his workday. However, he didn’t follow a profession as mundane as banking or law. His true vocation lay in stirring up trouble, and he was a master of his craft. After their last successful venture, Akeem had taken to calling him an agent provocateur. He liked the title. It had a certain bygone elegance to it.

Aside from that colorful descriptor, most of his current contacts knew him as Lucifer. He realized the pseudonym was a ridiculous cliche. Still, he liked the flair of it. He valued flair because it was the one trait that someone in his line of work couldn’t afford to display. That was ironic since his current venture might amplify his fame to legendary proportions among his prospective clientele. But he was getting ahead of himself. He needed to arrange all the details first. Lucifer had already zeroed in on some toy soldiers who would be perfect for this mission. Next, he needed to muster them and get them marching in the right direction before Akeem would feel inclined to greenlight his proposal.

AUTHOR Bio and Links

Nancy Wikarski is a fugitive from academia. After earning her PhD from the University of Chicago, she became a computer consultant and then turned to historical mystery and adventure fiction writing. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, the Society of Midland Authors, and has served as vice president of Sisters in Crime – Twin Cities and on the programming board of the Chicago chapter. Her short stories have appeared in Futures Magazine and DIME Anthology. Her book reviews have been featured in Murder: Past Tense and Deadly Pleasures, and her articles have been published in Mystery Readers Journal.

Her novels include the Gilded Age Chicago Mysteries set in 1890s Chicago. The series has received People’s Choice Award nominations for Best First Novel and Best Historical as well as a Lovey Award Nomination for Best Traditional Amateur Sleuth. Titles include: The Fall of White City (Rev. 2020), Shrouded in Thought (Rev. 2020), and The Black Widow’s Prey (2021).

The Arkana Archaeology Mystery series has become an award-nominated Amazon bestseller. Titles include: The Granite Key (2011), The Mountain Mother Cipher (2011), The Dragon’s Wing Enigma (2012), Riddle of the Diamond Dove (2013), Into the Jaws of the Lion (2014), Secrets of the Serpent’s Heart (2015), and The Sage Stone Prophecy (2016). The Trove Chronicles is a thriller series based on the further adventures of the Arkana. The series debuts with Lucifer’s Triangle (2022).

All titles mentioned above are available in paperback, ebook, hardcover, and audio formats.

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Giveaway – Running Out Of Time by Angie Stanton @XpressoTours

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Running Out of Time
Angie Stanton
(Carillon Time Travel Series, #2)
Publication date: October 10th 2022
Genres: Adult, Romance, Time-Travel

Time shapes those who travel through it.

Running Out of Time is a love story—spanning across decades—of a young man lost in time who risks everything to save a modern-day girl who is trapped in the past. The wrinkle is that he only travels forward and she back, and their sole means of communication is a buried time capsule.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I glance at the infuriating girl out in the middle of the lake, and am incredulous to see her standing up in the boat trying to paddle with one oar. What in God’s name is she doing? I mutter a curse. She will be the death of me yet.

I lower my head and row with all my strength hoping to reach her before she topples into the lake. Then the sky opens up and rain pours down in cold, heavy sheets and the air temperature plummets. Within a minute I’m drenched to the bone.

Finally, I’ve caught up to her and glide my boat up towards hers. She’s entirely soaked, her hair flattened to her scalp, and she’s huddled up, her arms wrapped around herself, her legs bunched close, shivering. She could have died out here.

I am so angry, I yell. “Have you gone daft!”

And she has the audacity to grin.

“Clearly, you have.” I clench my jaw ready to wring her neck but first secure her boat to mine. Then I return my attention to the foolish young woman whose cheeks are chafed and red from the cold. “You think you can climb into my boat?”

“Of course. I’m not helpless,” she yells over the downpour.

I raise an arched brow. Rainwater runs down my face and into my mouth. I spew it out. “I believe you’ve just proven otherwise.”

With one hand I grip the sides of the two rowboats and extend my other. “Take my hand.”

Her expression is a combination of relief and something else. Perhaps it’s determination as this girl is no shrinking violet. She reaches out. I grasp her hand firmly. Despite the rain, wind and rocking of the boats, I notice the delicate hold of her long fingers as she stumbles across the boats in a most unladylike fashion.

I guide her to the bench seat across from me. She’s shivering and pale, and gripping her arms for warmth.

“Are you alright?”

“Never better,” she manages, her teeth chattering.

I strain against the oars, pulling stroke after stroke, my muscles aching from the long trek. The girl, whose name I still have not learned, hasn’t stopped watching me. It’s as if she’s studying a lab specimen. She appears tiny and defenseless in her pretty little dress and shoes that are likely now ruined. With my hands gripping the oars, rain runs freely down my face and into my eyes and mouth.

Suddenly, she smiles, and her face lights up despite the rain and the leaden gray of the sky.

“What is so funny?” I snap between pulls.

“I knew you’d have to talk with me eventually, but I never imagined this is how it happens.”

Author Bio:

Angie Stanton is the award winning, best selling author of Don’t Call Me Greta, If Ever, Waking in Time, Rock and a Hard Place, Snapshot, Royally Lost, Dream Chaser, Under the Spotlight, Snowed Over, and Love ‘em or Leave ‘em.

A few of her awards include:

If Ever

★ National Readers’ Choice Award Winner

★ HOLT Medallion Award Winner

★ Write Touch Readers’ Award Winner

Waking in Time:

★ Midwest Book Award Winner

★ National Readers’ Choice Award Finalist

Angie has a Journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin. Her books have been translated in German, French, Spanish, and Bulgarian.

A life-long daydreamer, she’s put her talent to use writing contemporary fiction about life, love, and the adventures that follow. In her spare time, Angie loves to sneaks off to enjoy the best live entertainment on earth, Broadway. She is currently working on her next book and is a contributing writer to BroadwayWorld.com.

For more information on Angie and her books, please visit:

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Review – Baby Talk by Mike Wells @MikeWellsAuthor

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Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

There is no way I would pass on Baby Talk by Mike Wells, just by looking at the cover. It made me think of Rosemary’s Baby, and, as I got to reading, it made me think of The Omen. Baby Talk is Book I of a trilogy and a quick read. Mike Wells managed to pack a lot into Baby Talk. Suitably creepy and I felt bad for Neal Becker. Even though it is not such an original story, I still enjoyed (?) my time with the characters and want to see where Mike Wells takes the story.

3 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

In this creepy horror novel, Neal Becker is convinced that his 5 month old baby daughter can talk. But that’s impossible…isn’t it?  Except that Neal didn’t really want to get married in the first place – the pregnancy was the result of a one-night stand, and he preferred an abortion. Now, Baby Natasha knows it, and she’s out to get him!  Or so Neal believes…join the two in a terrifying battle for survival that will make your blood run cold.

ABOUT MIKE WELLS

Email me at mike (at) mikewellsbooks.com or follow me on Twitter (@MikeWellsAuthor) and get a FREE copy of one of my bestselling books. I’m an American author best known for my Lust, Money & Murder series and and written more than 25 other thriller and suspense novels. I also have taught in the Creative Writing program at Oxford. I’m known for my super fast-paced, ‘unputdownable’ books.

Please visit my website/blog at:

http://www.mikewellsbooks.com/

And please join me on Twitter and Facebook:

http://twitter.com/mikewellsauthor

http://facebook.com/mikewellsauthor …more

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Giveaway – Give Me Forever by Heidi McLaughlin @XpressoTours

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Give Me Forever
Heidi McLaughlin
(Beaumont: Next Generation, #5)
Publication date: October 11th 2022
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

From the New York Times bestselling author of Forever My Girl: The Motion Picture, Heidi McLaughlin delivers an emotional second chance romance about life, love, and what it means to truly be happy!

Elle James has it all: a loving fiancé in Ben, a promising career as a music manager, and a supportive family. She couldn’t be happier with her life. That is until the unthinkable happens and she must accept the consequences of her actions and figure out how to come clean to her family or continue living the lie.

Ben Miller had it all: a loving fiancée, a budding career, and the support of people who loved him like family. That was until he wanted more, and his fiancée was unable to meet him halfway. He makes a decision, one that affects everyone. When his life takes an unexpected turn and he’s diagnosed with a life changing illness, he finds himself fighting for more than just love.

With their happily ever after slipping through their fingers, will Elle and Ben be able to survive, or will life’s curveball be too much for them to handle?

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I’m listening to Elle talk instead of focusing on my current project. She’s on the phone with her mom or sister by the tone of her voice. When it’s business, she’s matter of fact. It’s her way or the highway—something I’ve learned by working for her management company over the years. In her line of business, she needs to be direct. Other managers have tried to show she can’t hack it in the industry, only for her to prove them wrong. Sinful Distraction is well on their way to stardom, and she’s in the process of signing two new bands. To say I’m proud of her is an understatement. Elle’s doing exactly what she set out to do—changing the music management industry.

I look outside at the graying sky and wonder if there’s a storm coming or if December is going to be a dreary month in Malibu. I think it’s been a week since I’ve seen the sun, although the lack thereof hasn’t deterred any of the surfers. Every morning when I go for a run, they’re out there, welcoming the early morning waves and the quiet solitude before the traffic starts and tourists arrive. I close my laptop and make my way outside to get the mail. While most of our bills are online, all our packages come to the house. I’m elated to find a catalog full of wedding invitations and internally fist pump because this means we’re one step closer to finally nailing down a wedding date. We’ve already decided to get married in Napa at one of the vineyards or in Tiburon overlooking the bay, and just need to pick a date.

Elle comes out of the office and finds me in the living room flipping through the catalog. I’ve dogeared a couple designs I like and plan to show her. She sits down next to me, leans over, and kisses me on the cheek before righting herself. “What are you looking at?”

I close the magazine so she can see the front. “Came in the mail today. It’s a sign for us to set a date and finally get the ball rolling.”


Author Bio:

Heidi McLaughlin is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of The Beaumont Series, The Boys of Summer, and The Archers.

Originally, from the Pacific Northwest, she now lives in picturesque Vermont, with her husband, two daughters, and their three dogs.

In 2012, Heidi turned her passion for reading into a full-fledged literary career, writing over twenty novels, including the acclaimed Forever My Girl.

Heidi’s first novel, Forever My Girl, has been adapted into a motion picture with LD Entertainment and Roadside Attractions, starring Alex Roe and Jessica Rothe, and opened in theaters on January 19, 2018, and is now available on DVD & Digital.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram


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Giveaway – Hungry Business Maria DeBlassie @EnchantmentLL @RoxanneRhoads

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The Terrible Delights of Spooky Stories
 
I love scary stories. I’m also a total chicken. I grew up telling stories on the playground, huddled around trees or crawling into quiet places with friends to to listen to urban legends and frightening tales, from La Llorona to to Bloody Mary, to strange tales of a woman with the ribbon around her throat that literally held her head on to creepy dolls come to life the moment you closed your eyes to sleep at night…I couldn’t help myself. I devoured them!  
 
In class, we learned more about La Llorona (a figure that inspired my novella, Weep, Woman, Weep), Baba Yaga, and all sorts of spooky stories that gave me a good chill but were rather less terrifying than what I heard on the playground.
Of course, there was no better time to tell and listen to these stories than the fall, as the season slowly ripened into Halloween, the days got shorter, and the cool evenings and turning leaves were the perfect backdrop for stories that reminded us that there is more to this world than meets the eye.
 
I would come home from school filled up on those terrible tales and, after playing in piles of leaves in my backyard, would feel a growing sense of unease as the sun began to set and darkness took over. I was certainly grateful for the comforting presence of my dogs when darkness stole across the sky. The feelings were pushed away with dinner, in the cozy brightness of the kitchen and the warmth of family, but readily came back when I was tuckedin bed later that night.
 
Every creek, howl of wind, or cricket chirp sounded like aghostly footstep, theweeping woman, or all manner of supernatural threats. Mirrors were not to be looked in, when the sun went down. Windows must be closed at night, lest La Llorona find a way in. Blankets were to be tucked around you up to your chin to protect you from whatever might be lurking under the bed.
 
I felt would never fall asleep!
 
But, of course, I did. And with the coming sun, came the confidence of youth that there was nothing truly scary in this world and I went right back to the playground ready to consume more lurid and horrible tales. 
 
They were terrifying. They were also thrilling.  I couldn’t help myself—even when they gave me nightmares and my mom tried to get me to stop listening to these stories—they had this allure to me, pulling me into a world of the strange and gothic.
 
The feeling didn’t go away as I got older. Take, for example, the time I went trick o’ treating with a friend in middle school, one of the last times I would venture out on that childhood ritual. I was no stranger to haunted houses—there were plenty in my neighborhood. I livednext door to one and there was another a few blocks away that looked like something out of a gothic novel: big, dark, looming, and a story about a murder so strange and unexpected it devolved into its own neighborhood legend with everyone having a slightly different explanation for why the house just felt…off.
 
My friend and I were alone on the street and were doing our best to casually walk past the house, feeling very brave and very adult in our fairy costumes, proud of the fact that we could trick-or-treating unchaperoned. But once we neared that house, suddenly home felt so very far away, the other groups of Halloween revelers so very far away.  There was only the darkness surround us and the specter of that gina those before us. 
 
Then we heard something—a yip, a yell, from someone in the distance—and we screamed, running for the safety of my home.Gone were the bold, brave adults and in their place were two frightened children who wanted nothing more than the warm lights and safety of home. As it turns out, the noise we heard was from a bunch of wildpartiers, but it became so much morefrightening when it was disembodied and the shadows fed my imagination, as did all the terrible tales I’d been coming that season.
 
As scary as that was, and as silly as my friend and I felt in retrospect, there was no denying the fun we had, nor the deep sense of comfort we felt in returning to my house. That’s what scary stories do for us. They bring us home. We find catharsis in facing the darkness and making it out the other side. We appreciate the light where and when we can find it.  
 
Here I am now—still loving scary stories. Still a total chicken. Still ready for a good tale of terror…in the daylight. Still not looking in mirrors and closing all my windows at night. And I speed up whenever I have to walk by that haunted house, indeed any haunted house, less the specters inside think to invite me in.
 
That’s the beauty of these early childhood frights. They gave me a solid appreciate of the thrills of a good scary story and a healthy respect for the unseen worlds or even vibes I get that tell me a person or situation is more than meets the eye. 
 
This is why I tell spooky stories today. They reveal so much more about ourselves and the world around us than many an ordinary tale. From writing horror comedy about the terrors of dating in Hungry Business to the haunting wails of La Llorona in Weep, Woman, Weep, all my tales are inspired by the ordinary gothic all around us, pairing catharsis as we face the dark and find the light.  What do you love about scary stories?

MY REVIEW

Hungry Business by Maria DeBlassie is a quick read horror story with a little snark on the side. Dating during a zombie apocalypse is not and easy thing to do. Are you eating or being eaten? Do they have a heartbeat, even if half their face is missing? Will she be alone for the rest of her days? Is there any point in leaving the house? The cat in the window….

Hungry Business by Maria DeBlassie is an okay read and the cover does intrigue me.

2 Stars





Hungry Business: A Gothic Story about the Horrors of Dating
Maria DeBlassie

Genre: horror, comedy
Publisher: Kitchen Witch Press
Date of Publication: October 12, 2020
ASIN: B08L48MVHD
Number of pages: 20
Word Count: 4400

Tagline: Dating. It’s hungry business. 

Book Description:

Looking for love can be deadly…

A short story on the horrors of dating during a zombie apocalypse by bruja and award-winning writer and educator, Maria DeBlassie.

“Simple yet detailed, unique, and innovative. A brilliantly written little gem that is equal part creepy with the plague of walking dead and equal parts cozy with the hot chocolate and watching the neighbor’s cat.”

“Drawing parallels between the pitfalls of dating and dating in the zombie apocalypse, this short story packs a big world into a few pages.”

“Just the right size to occupy your time while waiting. I hope you find the humor I found.”

You know how it goes.

You go out, hoping to meet someone.

You wade through your fair share of brainless automatons, lifeless bodies, and ravenous undead, good at passing as human.

The more you go out, the less hope you feel and the colder your body gets.

But you keep at it.

All you need is one beating heart to match your own before yours stops pumping altogether.

How hard can it be to find one living, breathing human in a city full of bodies?

Dating.

It’s hungry business.

CW: Assault



He said he’d love to have you for dinner—but you are careful.

A woman has to be careful.  Never give them your address.  Don’t drink too much.  Be aware of your surroundings at all times.  Carry grave dirt to throw at them if they get too forward.  Be ready to run to the nearest safe space if needed.  The good news is that the Hungries, while persistent, are dumb as fuck (brain rot, you know) and slower than the sickness overtaking their bodies.  Unless, of course, they are well fed, which is rarely the case.

This one looks a little better, you think optimistically.

You sit across from each other at the dinner table.  The white tablecloth is as smooth and unblemished as his collared shirt.  He has dressed for the occasion, taking care to hide the evidence of his affliction as best he can (though truly there is only so much he can do with a missing ear and half a brain).  Still, the tuxedo and carefully applied makeup are enough to create the illusion of pumping blood beneath his pallid, blush-stained cheeks—in the right light. Which is another reason why you chose this place.  Candlelight can hide a multitude of sins.

His manners are studied and smooth, as if he has spent a lot of time practicing more human-like movements and behavior. You admire a man who makes that kind of effort.  He watches you as much as you do him, as if he is trying to remember what it was like to be alive. When you reach for your wine glass, so does he—only his thick decaying fingers almost crush the stem, whereas your nimble live ones carefully bring the dark red liquid to your mouth. You try not to notice how he stares at your lips—stained now from the wine—wondering, perhaps, how you taste. As it turns out, he does get a taste of you. You’ve been surreptitiously picking at a hangnail on your pinky finger—that’s how scintillating the conversation is—when you looked down and realize it is your whole fingernail that has come off.  You stare at it in horror, letting the truth of your situation sink in.  

At least he has the decency to wait until you’ve left the table before grabbing your napkin and stuffing your bloodied nail in his mouth.  A little color comes back into his face.  He groans in ecstasy.

Nice to know you could still have that effect on a man.




About the Author:

Maria DeBlassie, Ph.D. is a native New Mexican mestiza blogger, award-winning writer, and award-winning educator living in the Land of Enchantment. Her first book, Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic and Daily Conjurings (Moon Books 2018), and her ongoing blog, Enchantment Learning and Living are about everyday magic, ordinary gothic, and the life of a kitchen witch. When she is not practicing her own brand of brujeria, she’s reading, teaching, and writing about bodice rippers and things that go bump in the night. She is forever looking for magic in her life and somehow always finding more than she thought was there.


Find out more about Maria and conjuring everyday magic at www.mariaddeblassie.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/enchantmentll

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/enchantmentll

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mdeblassie.writer

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7rY-gLkSH-w8uuVyrhVALA





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Sherry’s Shelves 10.2 – 10.8.22

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Hi Everyone. Hope you are doing well and enjoying the weekend. I am watching my MICHIGAN play football. Looks like the officials are having trouble. GO BLUE!

We went to Biloxi for Crusin’ The Coast. I love watching all the cool cars and the FLAME OUTS.

Stay safe.

LAST WEEK ON fundinmental

COMING UP ON fundinmental

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Tackling The TBR 10.1 – 10.7.22

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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: 2054

Currently Reading

Books Read

I couldn’t find Monsters by S M Reine on Amazon, so the cover is linked to Goodreads.

Books Added

Books DNF-ed: 0

Books Deleted: 0

Duplicates Removed: 1

New TBR Total:

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New Release Review – Only Child by Casey Kelleher #Onlychild #NetGalley @caseykelleher

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I want to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the opportunity to read and review Only Child by Casey Kelleher.

Amazon / Goodreads

MY REVIEW

When I saw the cover, then read the blurb, I had to read Only Child by Casey Kelleher. The story twisted and turned, just like my mind. Great job, Casey.

I have been reading more books with diverse characters and I am so happy that I have found new authors to keep an eye on. Casey Kelleher is one of them.

Some may say that Sherrie is a helicopter mom, but she does what she always does, makes things all better for her daughter, Kayla.

The resilience of youth is alive and well in Kayle. Things don’t keep her down for long.

I knew the villain early on, but I didn’t know what made him the villain. I know the victim, now it’s a matter of getting the details.

Panic attacks. Blackouts. PTSD.

The mins is an amazing organ that does its best to protect us when our lives becomes so overwhelming we can no longer cope. I love psychological thrillers and delving into the minds of the characters. Why they do what they do. We have some great ones here.

Well…I though I knew what was coming, but I was so wrong. I love when an author can surprise me and there were plenty of surprises to keep me glued to the pages.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Only Child by Casey Kelleher.

4 Stars

GOODREADS BLURB

The police are here. The feeling of pure dread swirls in my stomach as a million scenarios start playing out in my head. My whole life I’ve expected something bad to happen to my daughter. It is as if part of me has been expecting it. As if I deserve it.

Fifteen-year-old Kayla is the apple of her parents’ eyes, their beautiful only daughter. They tried for so long to have her that she was even more precious when she arrived. But deep down, her mother Sherrie has always been terrified that their worst fear would come true: that Kayla would be taken from them.

Then one day – just as Sherrie had dreaded – Kayla fails to return home after a sleepover. In desperation, Sherrie and her husband Richard call Kayla’s friends. They scour the streets, their search becoming more and more frantic. Until the police arrive and deliver the shocking news, when their worst nightmare comes true: someone has their daughter.

As Sherrie and Richard grill friends, family, and even each other, Sherrie starts to wonder, has the secret they’ve been hiding all these years finally caught up with them?

Because Sherrie and Richard are living a lie. A lie so huge, so shocking, that it could destroy the one thing they hold most dear – their daughter.

And if the truth comes out, their family will never be the same. But if it doesn’t, they will never see their precious girl again…

ABOUT CASEY KELLEHER (from Amazon)

I was born in Cuckfield, West Sussex, and i grew up as an avid reader.

Whilst working as a beauty therapist and bringing up our three children together with my husband, I penned my debut novel Rotten to the Core. Its success meant that I could give up my day job and concentrate on writing full time. I have since written fourteen books. (all listed below)

I love connecting with my readers, and there are plenty of ways you can get in touch.

  • Website: www.caseykelleher.co.uk
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Giveaway – Pets In Space: A Science Fiction Romance Anthology @XpressoTours

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Pets in Space 7: A Science Fiction Romance Anthology
Publication date: October 4th 2022
Genres: Adult, Romance, Science Fiction

Pets in Space® is back for a new year of adventures!

Pets in Space is back and better than ever! Featuring 13 original, never-before-released stories from some of today’s bestselling science fiction romance authors, starring your favorite sci-fi pets. These furry, feathered, and slightly alien friends are always ready for a new adventure with their two-legged human and alien companions. From dogs to cats to sea creatures and unicorns, these romantic tales show that pets are more than just animals – they’re family.

This limited-edition anthology includes novellas by some of the biggest names in science fiction romance. New York Times Bestseller S.E. Smith and USA Today Bestsellers R.J. Blain, Grace Goodwin, Skye MacKinnon, Carol Van Natta, Honey Phillips, Carysa Locke, S.J. Pajonas, JC Hay, and Kyndra Hatch, plus Leslie Chase, Winnie Winkle, and Candace Colt.

The Pets in Space 7 authors continue their vital support of Hero-Dogs.org, the non-profit charity that improves quality of life for veterans of the U.S. military and first-responders with disabilities.

Don’t miss out — grab this limited-edition anthology before it’s too late!

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

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SNEAK PEEKS:

Marked Mate by Grace Goodwin

Elite Hunter Stark, Earth

What was the human doing here? No sane female would seek out these bastards.

Until she appeared, everything had been going to plan. Humans in a black vehicle had arrived to pick up some Quell at the odd window on the side of the building. I’d marked their vehicle so I could track them once I was done here.

Then? Chaos. Human weapons firing. The female was injured, severely.

The Siren operatives didn’t know I was here. Not yet. But I would take pleasure in ending their lives. Males of worth did not harm females of any species.

“Let her bleed out. Kill the animal. We can dump the bodies later.”

I moved closer without making a sound.

“No!” The female’s voice rang out.

I watched the Rogue 5 hybrid lift his ion blaster and point it toward the animal. I could not afford to intervene. Rokor, their leader, was dangerous. Deadly. I could not lose foc—

I felt the blast to my hip as if I were the one shot. The barrier in my mind shattered like broken glass and suddenly I was seeing through two sets of eyes.

She held up her small, blood-stained hand and begged for her pet’s life. “Don’t hurt her. Don’t. Please.”

I saw myself through her eyes, a shadow moving closer, Death himself. She was not afraid of dying, nor of me. She wanted—me. My cock twitched. Hard. Hot. My hand burned. She wanted to be in my arms. She ached for me.

She was mine.

The connection faded yet I clung to the fleeting warmth in my mind, desperate to feel it again. It had only been a few seconds, but I was out of time.

Her beast must have sensed the danger as well. The golden animal charged the male who held the ion blaster.



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