Finished Reading “Dead of Winter” and Getting Away…Again

I’m sitting in a hotel in Gainesville a little pissed because the TV in this hotel doesn’t have an NBC station so I could watch the Olympics. Last night, the hotel we were at showed the Olympics, but it was so pixelated, it was hard to watch. Guess I wasn’t meant to watch the last couple of days. Doesn’t make me feel any better, though. I was kind of looking forward to watching the ice skating gala.

Tomorrow Hubby and I will take off on another cruise (14 days long), which is why we’re in Gainesville tonight. We’ve spent the last couple of days visiting some National Parks on our way down here. The three we saw yesterday had to do with the Revolutionary War (Kings Mountain, Cowpens, and Ninety Six, all in South Carolina). Today we visited the Ocmulgee Mounds (Macon, GA), Andersonville, GA (Civil War prisoner camp), and Plains, GA to see Jimmy Carter’s National Historic Site (which was in the old High School). Planned to see the grave of him and Roselyn, but it was raining so bad, I stayed in the car while Hubby went to take pictures.

After the cruise, we plan on hitting more National Parks in North Carolina and Virginia as we drive home.

But right now I’m looking forward to this cruise and some warm (and hopefully dry) weather (although the temps in SC and GA have been pretty nice, it’s been raining a lot, too). It’s supposed to snow again back home and I’m sooooo not missing that!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 3

Dates read: January 26 – February 20, 2026
Title: Dead of Winter
Year of publication: 2025
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Genre: Romantic suspense
Series: Knife’s Edge, Alaska – Book 1
# of Pages: 330
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased at B&N
Blurb from book: Brock Osprey has spent years in the rugged Alaskan wilderness, far from civilization and even farther from his past. A former Navy SEAL, Brock is now the unwilling protector of Knife’s Edge, a remote town with more secrets than residents. But when FBI Special Agent Ophelia Spilazi arrives to investigate the unsolved murder of Brock’s guardian—and recent unexplained disappearances in the area—Brock’s carefully guarded world is thrown into chaos.
    Agent Ophelia Spilazi has one last chance to save her career, and Knife’s Edge is her shot. The isolated town is full of secrets, and she’s certain Brock knows more than he’s letting on. The town’s recent string of mysterious disappearances only heightens her suspicion, but the more time she spends with the brooding Alaskan, the harder it becomes to ignore the dangerous chemistry between them.
    As a brutal storm traps them in the isolated wilderness, Brock and Ophelia’s growing attraction ignites, even as shadows from their pasts threaten to tear them apart. But with a dangerous conspiracy and powerful enemies lurking in the shadows, their only hope is to trust each other—before the wilderness consumes them both.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: I love Zanetti’s books (her paranormal and romantic suspense) and this new series piqued my interest in that it is set in Alaska (and I used to live there way back when). Plus, with all the snow on the ground at home, it just felt like the right time to read something set in winter. Haha! Anyway, I enjoyed this first book in the series and look forward to reading the others (once they’re released).

So… Did you watch the Olympics this year? What was your favorite event? I always like watching the ice skating, but I also enjoy the hockey. So happy the USA women won gold. Hoping for the same for the USA men! Will check the score when we get to Port Canaveral in the morning.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “Sweet Revenge” and Digging Out

So… it snowed here this past weekend. Record breaking snow (for our area). There’s about 14” of the white stuff on our driveway and we still haven’t removed enough of it to get a car out. The frigid temps aren’t helping with the removal, either.

Some “kids” (they were in their late teens/early twenties) offered to shovel it for 60 bucks. Hubby is wishing now that he took them up on their offer. It’s not that it’s heavy (nope, fluffy stuff fell this time around), but just that there is so much of it! I don’t know where to put it all. Our piles are almost as tall as me (and I’m 5’6”) and we’re nowhere near finished.

Thankfully we’re in no hurry to get anywhere.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 2

Dates read: January 10-25, 2026
Title: Sweet Revenge
Year of publication: 2022
Author: Aedyn Brooks
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Grave Intentions #4
# of Pages: 284
Paper or plastic: Nook
How obtained: Purchased at B&N
Blurb from Goodreads: Wyatt “Viper” Raine is two weeks from tapping out of his fifteen-year military career when he’s offered an easy assignment that could net him half-a-million-dollars. All he has to do is provide protection detail for K.M. O’Conner on a reality show. Once the mission was complete, he would be financially set to fulfill a promise he never forgot. When he meets the tantalizing and extremely talented contestant, Wyatt can’t help but wonder if he has bitten off more than he can chew.
    Keller O’Connor’s dreams were about to come true—she’d been selected to be on Hometown Advantage, a reality TV show where contestants compete in physical and cooking challenges. Her chances of winning are good—that is, if an escaped serial killer who’s hellbent on eliminating her permanently doesn’t get to her first. She isn’t happy when the show’s director assigns her a hard-as-nails Navy SEAL bodyguard/partner. Her plans didn’t include splitting the million-dollar winnings, nor getting unexpectedly married in Vegas. Of course, the idea of being chopped in real-life by a killer focused on revenge wasn’t appetizing either.
    As the chemistry heats up between Keller and Wyatt, so do the threats. Can he keep her alive long enough to make both of their dreams come true, or will a deadly killer exact his own brand of sweet revenge in front of the world?
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Very entertaining. Kind of like reading about a contestant from the Amazing Race (which is the only reality show I watch). I found it interesting that there is now a culinary reality show coming soon to TV (forget which channel), which is what the reality show in this book is portraying. Still, lots of action and suspense in this, along with some ghosts and other paranormal stuff, made for a fun read.  

I know we don’t have it as bad as those places that got ice. I know what ice is like and I’m glad it didn’t happen here. Still, I wish the weather would at least cooperate and melt some of this snow, but that’s not gonna happen anytime soon. The highest it will get all week is 19 and that is on Friday. We got several below zero mornings to get through first. Ugh.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “Devil’s Due” and Doing Nothing

Well, I’m not actually doing nothing. It just feels that way. I’m currently on cruise 2 of 2 (which ends this Saturday) and I’m not writing. I’m barely reading! I just don’t feel like doing much of anything except chill out. I play Royal Match on my phone more than anything (until I run out of lives and have to wait for them to regenerate—I refuse to pay for any plays). I blame most of my doing nothing feeling on the fact I feel like I royally messed up my current WIP. I was hoping to talk to some writer friends for a little brainstorming help before we left, but with the holidays, that just wasn’t possible. So… no writing. Only because I don’t know how (or if) I should fix what I have.

It's frustrating when you realize that maybe the plot of the book you’re writing isn’t working.

I could work on my vampire story (that I started years ago), but even that has its problems.

I just need to talk to other writers. I need help. And, unfortunately, Hubby can’t give it.

So I’m chilling. Trying to read a little. Trying to work on my crochet project. But mostly playing that stupid game.

I’m pathetic, aren’t I?

Well, at least the weather is warmer than back home. Not warm. Low seventies is not exactly warm, but a heck of a lot better than the thirties.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 1

Dates read: December 26, 2025 – January 9, 2026
Title: Devil’s Due
Year of publication: 2021
Author: Aedyn Brooks
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Grave Intentions #3
# of Pages: 269
Paper or plastic: Nook
How obtained: Purchased at B&N
Blurb from Goodreads: Where there is evil… Michaela Herald is half human/half angel and she sealed her fate when she signed a contract with Satan in exchange for saving her life. She doesn’t mind being his assassin because ridding the world of evil serves mankind. What she doesn’t understand is why Satan needs her to do it. Her next assignment is to kill a doctor experimenting on children. This time, she’s going to find out what Satan’s hiding.
    There is deception… Widower and fishing guide Brock Dalgaard has lost most of his family and now leukemia is endangering his young daughter. When a group of guys hire him for a weekend fishing trip, Brock discovers they’re not who they say they are. They’ve come to find an angel. She’s the same person he hired to help handle tackle for the weekend. An angel who is hellbent on killing his daughter’s doctor.
    And time is running out… Brock insists on helping Michaela investigate the doctor. They’ll need to rely on strangers in order to put the pieces together quickly. But will it be in time to save his little girl’s life?
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: I’m enjoying this series. The author says it can be read as a stand-alone, but I think it would be better to read them in order since the couples in books 1 & 2 are in this one.  

Today we docked at Celebration Key. I’ve never been there before. Doubt I return. If you like going to a water park and don’t mind paying for a lot of things, then you’ll probably enjoy it. Tomorrow we dock at Bimini. Never been there before, either. This cruise is showing us lots of new stuff. Which is kind of a miracle at this point!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “The Running Man” and Merry Christmas!

Well… I started writing this on Christmas, since that’s when I finished my book, but then something drew me away (don’t remember what), and family came over, and then there was a movie to see (we went out to see Song Sung Blue), dinner to cook, and more movies at home (Lethal Weapon 2 & 3—we saw 1 on Christmas Eve), well, you get the picture. Anyway, hope you had a good Christmas (if you celebrate, that is).

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 31

Dates read: December 21-25, 2025
Title: The Running Man
Year of publication: 1982
Author: Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman
Genre: Horror
Series: N/A
# of Pages: 212
Paper or plastic: Paperback
How obtained: In a collection I THINK I got at a yard sale between 1992-1997
Blurb from book: In the year 2025, the best men don’t run for president, they run for their lives…
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: The latest movie came out and I vaguely remember the first one coming out and then realizing it is a Stephen King/Richard Bachman story. I have The Bachman Books (which is in a pretty bad shape) and recognized three of the four stories. For some reason, I did NOT remember The Running Man. So I decided to read it. Turns out I had NEVER read that particular story. Have no idea why, either. The other stories are more disturbing than this one. Anyway, it was kind of cool to see how Stephen King pictured 2025 way back in 1982. Some of it was way off. Other stuff…not so much!

It’s foggy this morning and laundry day for me. Being retired has its perks (like not having to wait until the weekend to wash clothes!). But I do like my routines, so laundry day just moved from Sunday to Friday.

What weekly chores would you move to a weekday if you didn’t have to work during the week?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “Sunrise on the Reaping” and I Reached my Goal!

I did it. I reached my goal of 30 books read in 2025. Just barely, too. Whew!

And I’m almost ready for Christmas. All the presents are purchased and most of them are wrapped. Yeah, I got the tree up, but I didn’t put up the ornaments. I seem to do that every other year (at least, according to my memories on Facebook).

My last CT Scan came back great. Still no sign of disease. My oncologist is NOW saying that I may be able to go off the immunotherapy. Apparently, people who have been on it for two years and went off it still show no sign of cancer after two years. While I have been on immunotherapy for three years, I had a reoccurrence of the disease in January 2024, so he’s waiting for that actual two years to pass before discussing the possibility. But he said that doctors are considering those people cured. CURED! I’d sure like that to be me.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 30

Dates read: December 8-20, 2025
Title: Sunrise on the Reaping
Year of publication: 2025
Author: Suzanne Collins
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Hunger Games (between 0 and 1)
# of Pages: 382
Paper or plastic: Hard copy
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from book: As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
    Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
    When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all the dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight…and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Took longer for me to read because I was being stupid. Or I just wasn’t in the mood to read. That happens. But once I realized I wanted to make 30 books (31, if I’m lucky) this year, I dove into the book. Then, the book hooked me, which made it easy to finish. This is a good story. Sure, we know what happens to Haymitch in the Hunger Games, but it was neat figuring out what made him the drunk he was in book 1. It is sad. But how could it NOT be sad?

I’ve decided to try and get 31 books read this year, so I’m re-reading The Running Man (by Stephen King writing as Richard Bachman). I’ve most likely read it a long time ago. It’s in a collection I have and I remember the other three stories with no issues, but not The Running Man. Why that is, I have no idea. I have 11 days to read it. Let’s see if I do it! In the meantime, Merry Christmas and…

Happy Reading!

Stacy