Finished Reading “It Will Only Hurt for a Moment” and Enjoying Myrtle Beach

Hubby and I are spending a week in Myrtle Beach. He got a gift card for an AirBnB and we decided to use it here. We’re right on the beach! Pretty nice. Unfortunately, it might rain every day we’re here. So far we’ve gotten lucky. Fingers crossed it stays that way (but the radar is showing a huge storm coming our way).

Still… I love the beach. Don’t like the sand, but love the waves and the air and everything else about it. Yeah, I’m weird. But then, you knew that already, right?

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 10

Dates read: April 27 – May 9, 2025
Title: It Will Only Hurt for a Moment
Year of publication: 2024
Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Genre: Horror
Series:  N/A
# of Pages: 351
Paper or plastic: Hard cover
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Goodreads: Sarah Carpenter is starting over.
    She’s on the run—leaving behind her unsupportive, narcissistic ex-boyfriend and alcoholic, abusive mother—and headed for a new beginning at Tranquil Falls, a secluded artists’ colony on the grounds of a closed hotel. There, with no cell signal or internet to distract her, she hopes to rediscover her love for pottery and put the broken pieces of her life back together.
    But when Sarah uncovers the body of a young woman while digging a hole for a pit kiln, things start to fall apart. Her fellow artists begin to act in troubling ways. The eccentric fiber artist knits an endless scarf. The musician plays the same carousel song over and over until his fingers bleed. The calligrapher grins with ink-stained teeth. Not to mention the haunting dreams Sarah has night after night.
    When she discovers glass shards in her clay, Sarah wonders if someone is out to get her—or if she’s losing her grip on reality out here in the wilds, where the pounding of the waterfall never, ever fades. As she investigates the beautiful valley and the crumbling resort looming over them all, she unearths a chilling past that refuses to remain buried...
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Interesting horror story. Even has a haunted/abandoned hotel that was creepy. But I felt some things were not exactly wrapped up, especially since it seemed to be written in an omniscient POV. But we are only with Sarah the whole story, so…maybe not.

I kind of thought I might get some writing done on this trip, but I’m beginning to think not. But I am getting some reading and crocheting done. Oh, and walking. Can’t forget the walking!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “Slay” and a Book Event

I went to a book event in the Indianapolis area yesterday. Sold 7 books. Not enough to break even, but better than I expected. And a lot of people seemed interested in Alien Desires (which I only had a postcard for). Hopefully I get some preorders. A lot of people were also interested in my other series, and I get the feeling they might buy the e-books later. Fingers crossed!

Overall, I would attend this event again, but alas, next year (Aug 8, 2026) I’ll be on a cruise. I know, you feel really sorry for me, huh? Haha!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 9

Dates read: April 12-26, 2025
Title: Slay
Year of publication: 2023
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series:  Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #30
# of Pages: 412
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Goodreads: Anita Blake is small, dark, and dangerous. Her turf is the city of St. Louis. Her job: U.S. Marshal—Preternatural Branch. She’s faced horrifying monsters and brutal killers and come out the other side still standing.
    Considering how things in her life tend to go, Anita never expected her walk down the aisle with Jean-Claude to go smoothly. They’ve already been confronted with naysayers and a power-hungry ancient evil, but now Anita has to do the one thing that actually scares her: introduce her very religious, very human relatives to her fiancé—the newly crowned vampire king of America.
    As Anita tries to keep the peace between the family she left behind and the family she’s chosen, dark forces jump at the chance to take advantage of the chaos. With her happy-ever-after at risk and everyone’s immortal souls hanging in the balance, Anita grapples with a hard truth: Blood makes you related, but loyalty makes you family.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: There were actual times I did NOT want to put the book down, but had to. Talk about frustrating. But now I’m wondering where #31 is. It’s been almost two years. She usually has the new one in hard cover by the time the latest is in paperback, but I don’t see anything. I won’t panic. Yet.

FYI: Registration for Literary Love Savannah (July 9-13) ends May 1^st, so if you’re looking to attend, don’t wait too long. This is the last LLS for a while. Which is sad, but highly understandable. Just comment that you’re interested and I’ll send you the details (or just go to their FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/283444507738356). I really like this convention (and it is a convention, not just a book signing). I have a lot of fun with the readers.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “Smolder” and I Selected a Release Date!

Alien Desires is now with my copy editor. That’s the last step before I publish it. So… I chose a release date.

July 1.

This weekend I plan to set up preorders. When I do, I will then share all the buy links. But I picked a date! That was probably the hardest thing for me to do. This book has been so long in the making, I really doubted it would be available to everyone. I’m so glad I stuck with it. Because I really LOVE this story!!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 8

Dates read: April 3-11, 2025
Title: Smolder
Year of publication: 2023
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series:  Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter #29
# of Pages: 358
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Book: Vampire hunter Anita Blake is no stranger to killing monsters. It’s part of her job as a preternatural U.S. Marshal, after all. But even her experience isn’t enough to stop an ancient evil that is bent on destroying everything—and everyone—she loves.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: It’s been awhile since I read book #28. I was able to just dive in like I hadn’t read a bunch of books inbetween! I have #30, and will read it next. Somehow, I’m wondering if this is the end of the series. Guess I’ll find out soon enough. I really love this world, though.

After I set up Alien Desires at all the places I sell at, it will be back to work on The Alien’s Change of Heart. If I keep at it, that one will be released next year. Fingers crossed!!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “An Enchanted Knight”

Again, I finish a book and go to blog about it and something else, but that something else never materializes. So… book it is, then.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 7

Dates read: March 25 – April 3, 2025
Title: An Enchanted Knight
Year of publication: 2025
Author: Hildie McQueen
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series:  The Cursed Kingdom #1
# of Pages: 246
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Book: Gwyneth “Gwen” Lockhart has a rare and powerful gift—she helps lost spirits find peace and cross over. When she takes on a job a beautiful Scottish Castle, she expects it to be like any other. But when she encounters the ghostly presence of Lord Tristan McRainey, a knight who died centuries ago, something feels different. Drawn to him in ways she can’t explain, Gwen begins to wonder if Tristan is not a ghost at all, but a man cursed and trapped in time by dark magic.
    Lord Tristan McRainey has been imprisoned for three hundred years, bound by an evil wizard’s spell along with four of his fellow knights. When Gwen enters his world, he’s certain that she holds the key to breaking the enchantment. Confident that he can make her fall in love with him and sacrifice whatever it takes to free him, Tristan has no doubt the plan will work. But what he doesn’t expect is to find himself falling for her first.
    And as their bond deepens, the cost of breaking the curse may be higher than either of them imagined.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Interesting story. I enjoyed it. This is the first book I’ve read from this author because I believe it was the first paranormal-type book I’ve noticed she’s written (she has a LOT of historical & contemporary romances, if that’s your thing). Since this is a new series for the author, hopefully I remember to get book 2 once it’s written. But we all know how well my memory works… It doesn’t! :D

I got Alien Desires back from the editor (this was the second go round), so now I’m reading it out loud, fixing the minor things she found, and then after all that, will send it to my copy editor (aka my daughter—and yes, I pay her!). Publication day is almost here!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “You Can Hide” and Back at Writing

Since Alien Desires is with my editor, I have been able to get back to The Alien’s Change of Heart. I made a lot of changes to Book 1 which made a lot of what I had previously started in Book 2 obsolete. But I’m having fun coming up with new stuff. It’s been so long since I actually wrote something new. I forgot how much fun it could be. Well, until I hit a dead end. At least that hasn’t happened too much this go round. But the book is young…

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 6

Dates read: March 8 – 24, 2025
Title: You Can Hide
Year of publication: 2022
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series:  Laurel Snow #2
# of Pages: 341
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Book: Calling Laurel Snow’s relationship with her newly discovered half sister challenging is an understatement. Not only does Laurel suspect Abigail is behind the mysterious disappearance of their father, but her erratic behavior also makes life in Laurel’s small hometown interesting, to say the least. Still, when Abigail claims someone is now out to kill her, Laurel’s instinct to protect her sister goes into overdrive. Then things get even more dicey as dead bodies start turning up in the icy waters of the Sauk River and there’s only one connection among them: Abigail…
    Having Fish and Wildlife Captain Huck Rivers bringing in those bodies with his dive team only complicates matters. Huck is as impulsive and fiery as Laurel is coolly analytical, which makes their alliance risky at best. But standing up to such a demonically brilliant killer is going to take all the help Laurel can get. Because Laurel’s attempt to save her troubled sister’s life might cost her own…
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Parts of this dragged on a little, which made it easy for me to put down at times. I still enjoyed it, though. I like the characters very much. And while the romance is barely there, it is there, which is fine by me!

Some days interesting ideas run through my head and I think, “I should write a blog about that. Maybe after I finish the book I’m reading.” Thing is, I don’t write ANYTHING down, thus forgetting the interesting idea. Sometimes I wonder if I will ever learn!

I must remember to WRITE IT DOWN! Do you have this same problem? It’s frustrating, isn’t it?

Happy Reading!

Stacy