Finished Reading “Witches Get Stuff Done” and I’m in Italy

I still find it hard to believe that I’m in Italy. And right now, Venice. Got a little down time today (mainly because it’s raining) and finally finished a book, so thought I would post it now.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 27

Dates read: September 21 – October 2, 2024
Title: Witches Get Stuff Done
Year of publication: 2022
Author: Molly Harper
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Starfall Point #1
# of Pages: 222
Paper or plastic: Nook book
How obtained: Free from B&N
Blurb from Goodreads: Juggling newfound witchy powers, a house full of ghosts, and verbal battles with the handsome local librarian is almost too much for a new witch to manage. A new witch with a coven, however, can get so much more done...
    From the moment Riley Everett set foot in Starfall Point, magic bubbled inside of her. But with only her late aunt's journals and a cantankerous live-in ghost butler to instruct her on all things witchy—including her newly inherited Victorian haunted house—Riley seeks out a coven for sisterhood and support. The last person she expects to be drawn to is the town's frustrating, yet ridiculously attractive head librarian.
    Edison Held knows almost everything there is to know about Starfall Point, but Shaddow House was always off-limits, thanks to its elusive owner. If he can convince the new owner, Riley, to let him take a peek inside, there's so much he could learn. But as he gets closer to Riley, he's fascinated by her dazzling wit and fiery spirit. Edison will do whatever he can to help Riley keep her family legacy alive, especially if it means spending more time with the captivating new witch in town.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: I enjoyed it for the most part. But the romance was a bit…rushed? Not a lot of sexual tension. I got this book free from B&N (because I’m a member), but I doubt I get the next book. Mainly because I have so many books now and it just didn’t hold my attention. Doesn’t mean it won’t hold yours.

So far I’ve visited Florence, Pisa, Siena, San Gimignano, and Venice. Tomorrow we head to Sorrento (via Naples). I liked Pisa (and took one of those cheesy photos where it looks like I’m holding the tower up). And Venice is really cool (except St Mark’s square does like to flood every now and then). We visited the Murano glass factory today, but I didn’t buy anything. The prices were ridiculous!

Still, I’m having quite the experience. Now, if it would just stop raining.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “The Taken” and Recovering from Dragon Con

I came home from Dragon Con with con crud, or a cold, or maybe it’s just allergies. What I do know is it’s not COVID. I took three tests just to be sure.

My nose is a faucet. And I’m going through tissues like crazy. My oncologist prescribed Zyrtec (the prescribed version) and Flonase. I hate taking them. Zyrtec just wipes me out. I feel like a zombie when I take it. I try to remember to take Flonase, but that’s not fun, either. I hope I’m all dried up by next Friday. That’s when we leave for Italy!

I am anxious about that trip since I’ve never been to Europe before. I’ll actually get my passport stamped (that’ll be a first, too, since they don’t stamp them in the Caribbean). I also expect to be doing a lot of walking. Sure hope I survive the trip!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 26

Dates read: September 7 – 20, 2024
Title: The Taken
Year of publication: 2023
Author: Brett Battles
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Series: Jonathan Quinn #16
# of Pages: 320
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from Book: The world thought Dmitri Melnikov was dead.
    Especially Quinn. Why would he have believed otherwise, since the bomb intended for Melnikov had nearly killed Quinn and several members of his team?
    But Melnikov is not dead. He has been taken by someone who wants to shut him up. And the former chess champion isn’t the only one who has been abducted.
    US Intelligence can’t do anything about it. Not officially, anyway. The risk of causing an international incident is too great. What the agencies can do is ask someone who’d been there when Melnikov was kidnapped to do something for them.
    It’s not a normal mission for Quinn and his friends, and the chances they’ll all survive are slim, but this one is personal. So how can they say no?
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Good story. Almost seems like the end to the series. It’s all wrapped up as if it were the end. But I’ll gladly read more if it continues. I love this series.

Sure seems like summer is fighting to stick around, doesn’t it? It’s been in the 90s the last few days. We’re going to a high school football game tonight and will probably sweat in the stands. It will be our last game of the season for us (since we’ll be out of town for the last 5 games), so no cold or rainy games to look forward to. Looks like we won’t be missing much, either. Our first string QB broke his collar bone on the first game. The back-up broke his leg on the second game. We’re down to the third string with a running back as backup. They haven’t won a game since the first game. Worst season in quite a while. I feel bad for the seniors.  

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “Love, Lies & Hocus Pocus—Revelations” and I’m at Dragon Con

It’s Labor Day weekend (well, almost) and that means…Dragon Con! We got into Atlanta yesterday to a bigger crowd than we’ve ever seen on that day. I mean, we come a day early because it’s quieter. Apparently, not anymore. Wednesday has become the new Thursday and Thursday the new Friday. I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out to be a whole week long at this rate.

But I’ve pretty much got my whole stay planned. And daughter and I already have appointments for group photos: cast of Roswell and cast of Resident Alien. It’s more than I’ve ever spent on photos, so I’m not looking to get anymore. Well, except maybe some selfies in the Walk of Fame. Provided they aren’t charging a fortune for one.

And we’ll see if I can last the day of busy panels and standing in line (in 90+ degree heat, at that). I’ve been known to say “screw it” and go back to my room until the next day. You wouldn’t think it would be exhausting, but fighting crowds of over 70,000 people is exactly that. Still, we keep coming back.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 25

Dates read: August 23-29, 2024
Title: Love, Lies & Hocus Pocus—Revelations
Year of publication: 2016
Author: Lydia Sherrer
Genre: Paranormal
Series: The Lily Singer Adventures #2
# of Pages: 259
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from Book: Being a wizard, Lily Singer likes her magic logical and systematic. So when her cat suddenly starts opening locked doors and telling her what to do, she is not pleased. Before Lily can deal with her errant feline, however, her witch friend Sebastian warns of a heist plot at the very museum she was just hired to ward.
    Lily must lay a trap for the would-be thief and figure out why Sebastian is suddenly acting so suspicious, all while wrangling her newly magical cat. To make matters worse, a mysterious wizard waltzes into her life claiming to know the truth about her past, and Lily must decide who, amid all the chaos, she can trust. Will discovering the past reveal her future? Or doom it?
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Okay, the cat finally started talking in the first chapter. But I still haven’t found the snark or the love (as the titles implies), so I’m not going to bother buying anymore. That’s not to say I didn’t like them. They were okay to read. Just not what I look for in a book.

It’s not like I don’t have a pile of books to read as it is. And since I’m away, I’ll pick something on my Nook next. Maybe the one of vampire short stories that I stopped reading while in California. Just so I can get the thing marked as read!

I brought my crochet projects with me. Not just to work during the car drive here and back, but also because there’s a panel on crafts (for us to bring our own) and I had started working on this little vampire bat that the instructions don’t really show how to assemble it! It was a kit I purchased, so it wasn’t like I could see the pattern beforehand. I made sure to complete all the parts and I’m really hoping someone shows up in the panel and can show me how to attach the ears and wings. I also brought another project that is way easier to do (a pretty lacy scarf). I may work on it while I’m waiting in line for one of the many panels I plan on attending. I don’t need to count stitches and rows with that (unlike the vampire bats). I really don’t know what I was thinking when I ordered the kit. But they were so cute, I couldn’t resist. However, I did post a review on the kit saying if someone needed detailed instructions (like I do, plus it states it’s a pattern for beginners), not to buy it. If I had seen such a review, I would have rethought my purchase.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “Love, Lies & Hocus Pocus—Beginnings” and We Might Have a Problem

Yesterday, Hubby and I booked our 6th, 7th, & 8th cruise. I think we might have a problem.

But when an interesting cruise is brought to our attention, we can’t seem to say no to it. And this time the interesting cruise was an eclipse cruise in August 2026. It sails out of England. And if we’re going to fly over there for a cruise, well, we look for other cruises. We’ll be taking back-to-back-to-back cruises (that’s 3 connecting cruises for those of you who can’t count) for a total of 32 days.

Like Hubby told our kids: we’re spending your inheritance. He’s not kidding, either.

Who knows what life will throw at us next. We’re taking advantage right now and hoping for the best. Better than sitting around doing nothing. Right?

Hey, when my oncologist said to live my life, I listened.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 24

Dates read: August 17-22, 2024
Title: Love, Lies & Hocus Pocus—Beginnings
Year of publication: 2016
Author: Lydia Sherrer
Genre: Paranormal
Series: The Lily Singer Adventures #1
# of Pages: 203
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from Book: Wizard Lily Singer is kept busy managing library archives, studying magic, and trying to keep her witch friend Sebastian from dragging her into trouble. Unfortunately, he loves adventure even more than she loves being left alone.
    She doesn’t want to investigate a malignant spell in a haunted house, but Sebastian is promising rare books as the reward…
    She doesn’t want to hurt her family, but she is tired of being lied to about her past…
    She definitely doesn’t want to get stuck in a dangerously unstable time loop, but Sebastian is in trouble—again…
    Strangling her friend, as satisfying as it might be, won’t fix her problems. If she wants answers—and to not miss tea—she had best find the right spell for the job before everything unravels and ends them both for good.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: I’m not sure exactly what these books are about. I saw an ad that hinted these were funny and that the cat talks. With birthday money in hand, I bought the first two in the series. But so far the cat has remained quiet. And it really wasn’t all that humorous. But they were interesting and since I did buy the next book in the series, I’ll read it. But if that cat remains quiet, I’m not buying any more.

I’m off to a concert (seeing Green Day). Lots of concerts this year. I might have a problem with them, too! Haha!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “Holly” and the Olympics Took Over

I feel like I’ve been on hold for a few weeks. And I blame the Olympics. I keep saying I’m not interested, but then I start watching and guess what? I’m interested!  So they basically took over my life. Not that there’s much to TAKE over. Mainly reading and writing.

And while I finally finished reading the book I started before the Olympics took over, I’m slowly getting back into Alien Desires (the next book I hope to publish). I thought I had finished it last year. Had given it to my editor, even. But then a respected author told me that my hero wasn’t very heroic.

Well, shit. Can’t have that!

So I recalled the book while I was working on getting Ghostly Protector published. I kind of know what I need to do, but as I started writing the next book in the series, The Alien’s Change of Heart, I realized I didn’t really know my alien character’s world all that much and I do now. So, that’s also getting added. All good stuff. Just taking longer than I had hoped. But it will make for a better book, and that’s what counts. Right?

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 23

Dates read: July 26 – August 16, 2024
Title: Holly
Year of publication: 2023
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Series: N/A
# of Pages: 446
Paper or plastic: Hard cover
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from Book: When Penny Dahl calls the Finders Keepers detective agency, hoping for help locating her missing daughter, Holly is reluctant to accept the case. Her partner, Pete, has Covid. Her (very complicated) mother has just died. And Holly is meant to be on leave. But something in Penny Dahl’s desperate voice makes it impossible for Holly to turn her down.
    Mere blocks from where Bonnie Dahl disappeared live Professors Rodney and Emily Harris. They are the picture of bourgeois respectability: married octogenarians, devoted to each other, and semiretired lifelong academics. But they are harboring an unholy secret in the basement of their well-kept, book-lines home, one that may be related to Bonnie’s disappearance. And it will prove nearly impossible to discover what they are up to: they are savvy, they are patient, and they are ruthless.
    Holly must summon all her formidable talents to outthink and outmaneuver the shockingly twisted professors in this chilling new masterwork from Stephen King.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: I would have read it faster if not for the Olympics (that pretty much shut me down for a couple of weeks, but what can I say, I love the Olympics!). This is one GROSS story. Yes, I enjoyed it (I love Holly, Jerome, & Barbara—ever since Mr. Mercedes). I guess that makes me one sick puppy. And while you don’t need to have read The Bill Hodges trilogy, The Outsiders, or If It Bleeds, it might be helpful to understand Holly better. Especially the trilogy.

So… I’ve been getting some physical therapy regarding my left hip and knee. Walking has been aggravating them so I went and saw a doctor to make sure I wasn’t making things worse. I might have bursitis in the hip so I’ve been given some exercises. Don’t know how well they’re helping since I don’t always feel the pain, but it certainly isn’t hurting. Well, except when I do some of the exercises. It’s been awhile since I used those muscles!! Yeah, totally out of shape. But I’m trying to do better. I hate being so slow.

I’ll get a real chance to try it out, though. Dragon Con is only 11 days away!! Whoo hoo!

Happy Reading!

Stacy