Cover Reveal - And No, It's Not Mine (YET)

This is the first time I’ve ever helped another author with a cover reveal. But I’ve been following Jimmy’s BLOG for years now, and was excited to help. Then I found out Maria Zannini designed the cover, which made me doubly excited. So without further ado (**drum roll**):

 

“Seeing Ghosts” by James Garcia Jr. Blurb: Paul Herrera finds himself bequeathed a mysterious old house near the California central coast by a deceased aunt he never knew. The woman who shows it to him is the spitting image of his wife, taken from him three years before in a senseless car accident which also took his unborn son. While he deals with the ghosts of a past he cannot let go, there are new ghosts Paul must deal with - alone for the week in the expansive two-storey house that he will soon discover holds many secrets. Eventually, he will see that he is surrounded by ghosts as he struggles to hold onto the only thing that he has left in this world - his sanity.

Jimmy’s previous books are in the horror genre, but I guess the romance bug bit him (or something) and he decided to write a paranormal romance. I have not read the book, but I will because I am, you know, CURIOUS. Isn’t that what every writer hopes to instill in his readers? Here’s what Jimmy has to say about coming to write in this genre:

So, you ask, how in the world could a guy who started reading and writing horror fiction end up writing a romance? Well, it is a paranormal romance, so it really isn’t that big of a leap…

Truth be told, although I grew up reading The Amityville Horror and early works by Clive Barker and Mr. King, and watching films like The Thing, Poltergeist and the original Friday the 13^th films, my tastes have evolved with age. Now in my 40’s I find myself more comfortable with horror suspense than horror gore. If it’s splatter or torture porn, I’m really not interested. As one may excuse language and nudity when it’s necessary for the plot, I feel the same about violence. There’s certain rough aspects to The Exorcist, The Silence of the Lambs or more recently Let Me In, but the stories are so good that they work on every level.

Though I grew up with horror fiction and heavy metal music, my teenage years and a real lack of dating brought me to face issues of the heart. Even though my wife and I have been together now for twenty five years, I still remember those teenage years where every sad song seemed to be about me. Perhaps one might suggest that there is still a small part of me that wonders if love can be forever, and whether I might yet find myself alone once more? Only God knows. We have a wonderful life together, yet there’s still a part of me in touch with those feelings of love and loss.

My favorite novel is not scary in the least: “Beach Music” by Pat Conroy. It is a work of genius. It is not paranormal, and I never wanted to read it; however, a sister in law of mine coerced me into picking it up. All these years later I have yet to put it down, reading it or at least parts of it periodically over that time. It is great drama and has a bit of everything in it. I will go to my grave a happy man if I’m considered half as good a writer as Mr. Conroy. Couple this with the fact that I’m most comfortable with a romantic comedy on my television, and you will now begin to understand how it came about that I ended up writing “Seeing Ghosts.”

I always hoped to write a haunted house story before my writing days were finished, but I did not want to rush it. I had seen too many films or books begin with so much promise, but fall flat in the end. This is not to say that I have written the greatest haunted house story in the history of mankind. But I do think I have come up with something that is very special – it certainly is to me.

And I hope it is for you as well. You’ll have to let me know.

As I say over at my blog, we’ll talk soon.  

If you are interested in reading his horror works, you can find them on Amazon HERE. Oh, and Maria designed those covers, too. If you’re in the market for a cover artist, check her out HERE.

 

So what do you think? Isn’t the cover gorgeous? Has this book hit your reading radar?

 

Stacy

 

Social Media Overload

Gosh, is it Friday already?

Haven’t had a chance to try my new walking shoes yet. Why? Rain. Cold. You pick and you’ll be correct. Looks like the weather will be drying out and warming up this weekend, so I’m hoping to get more walking in next week.

I signed up for a free class with RWA regarding Social Media. Yikes! Too many people signed up for that. Frankly, I didn’t really learn anything new with what I’m doing already. I doubt I’ll ever tweet - not unless I owned a smart phone first anyway. And regarding an author page on Facebook, I think I’ll worry about that if I ever get close to 5000 friends. I’d be surprised if that ever happened, though. But don’t let that stop you from friending me (pick me! pick me!). My badge is located on the side panel, below all those blogs I follow!

The thing that gets me is that all these writers are setting up author pages and asking everyone to LIKE them. Why? I mean, if I had a page, I would want people who will read or have read my books to like my page. But to have likes just to have likes? It doesn’t make sense. Don’t you think it’s better to have 5 people like your page who have read your work and are willing to buy your next book than 100 likes of people who only liked you because you liked them back?

FYI: If I like your page, it’s because I like your work. I thought that’s how Facebook was supposed to work. Am I wrong?

Then there’s my blogging. In case you never noticed, I don’t do blog hops. Maybe they generate followers, but they’re time suckers. Not only do I have to come up with one or more postings, I’m kind of required to visit everyone else, too. Sometimes I feel like I spend TOO much time blogging as it is, but hey, it’s about the only time I’m actually interacting with other people. Besides, it’s fun now. Why turn it into work?

 

I'm hoping to see "Oblivion" this weekend. Anyone else interested in that? Don't know when we'll see it, though. We have tickets to a Dragons Game Saturday night. At least this Saturday night won't be as cold as last Saturday night, but I'll probably still need to bundle up.

On Monday I hope you’ll stop by. I’m helping James Garcia Jr. in revealing the cover to his new novel, and it’s pretty cool!

Have a great weekend!

 

Stacy

 

Wednesday Reads and Other Stuff

I did it! I bought new shoes. After walking 6.5 miles (round trip) on Monday (destination: lunch with my husband), my feet said, “Enough!” That’s what I get for using older shoes (which are still fine for bumming around the house). So I gave my feet a break on Tuesday and stayed inside. I wore the new shoes only to get used to them. It was hard, too. Tuesday morning was warm enough to walk and today it’s raining (figures). Oh well…I did enjoy that Monday walk, though. It was an absolutely BEAUTIFUL day!!!

Now on to what I’ve read in the past week:

Apr 19: “Hunted” by Rebecca Zanetti. This is book three in the Protector series, a paranormal romance. Blurb on back: Moira Dunne is a witch--the quantum physics kind. Time and space are her playthings. Which might explain why her one-night stand from a hundred years ago has burned up to “claim” her--and request her family’s assistance with the war he’s brewing. But the more she learns about Connlan Kayrs, the more she comes to think this is normal behavior for him… When Conn and Moira tumbled on the moonlit grass, Conn hadn’t meant to mark her as his mate for all time. She was only twenty! But it wasn’t easy to wait for her. It was even harder to forget her. So when he finally returns for his wicked-hot witch, he’s ready to let the sparks fly. Even if he burns up in flames… Funny thing: I had this book on my shelf to read and was given it to judge! I enjoyed the previous two books (there is a novelette out there, too--book 2.5--but I haven’t read it), even though the heroes in those books were a bit on the mean side. Alpha bad boy to the extreme, I guess. However, I didn’t get that same vibe from Conn and I liked him a lot more. And the couple for the next book has been featured a bit in the past two, so I won’t have any problems picking up the next one in the series. Once I own it, that is. I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.

I’m now in round 3 of my content edits. Doesn’t appear to be anything major, so I expect to get it done in the next day or so. Still puts a hold on my revision project, and ultimately my writing project, since the edits aren’t all that taxing to my brain. At least, not YET.

 

Happy Reading!

 

Stacy

 

Baseball, Websites and Writing

I spent Saturday night at the Dragons game freezing. Okay, maybe it wasn’t snowflake weather, but still, 36 degrees is close enough. Do I like to exaggerate? You betcha! At least the Dragons won, so it made sitting out there a little more bearable.

And even though I was shivering, I had some fun with my honey. In what he claims was a rush to get ready (I did NOT rush him!), he wore his summer slip-on shoes instead of the warmer athletic ones. He realized this after we parked that his feet would probably get cold. Then later, he had given his friend’s daughter his gloves and mentioned about getting some hot chocolate. I told him that sounded good. He tried to get me to go get it. I said I could wait until he got cold enough to go. He said I’d get cold before him. I leaned over and whispered, “Well, I didn’t give my gloves away or wear the wrong shoes.” Got a good laugh out of that. Turns out, neither one of us got up and got hot chocolate. I wasn’t about to leave the blanket!

One of the things that killed me was watching these young girls in front of us eating ice cream. Really? I guess they didn’t have to worry about it melting. But still… Brrrr!

I spent Sunday helping my husband update my website, and by helping, I mean telling him whether or not I liked what he was doing and then actually making decisions - THAT is not easy, at least not for MY brain. I can’t tell you what color goes best, I’m not a decorator/designer/whatever.

There will be changes, though. Hopefully GOOD ones. I’ll let you know when it’s live. Then maybe you can be kind and visit, and then let me know your opinion. There sure is a lot involved with websites, though. Yikes! Glad I’m not in that business. It would drive me nuts.

Writing stats from last week: I kept 2286 words in Book 6 (I probably wrote more than that, but I also deleted a lot), while I added 903 words to Book 5. Not too shabby. If not for the editing/revision, I would have probably written more of Book 6, but Book 5 comes first. One chapter a day (M-F), that’s my goal, and so far I’ve been doing pretty decent. Only 7 more chapters to go and then it’s on to my next editing project: Book 1.

So, how was your weekend? Do anything fun? Was it warm? You can tell me. I won’t hate you TOO much! J

 

Stacy

 

Spring Pictures

I remembered to take pictures! Lame pictures, but pictures all the same. Whoo hoo!

Yep, spring has finally arrived on our street. The blossoming pear trees are in blossom. We don't have any in front of our house (we like to park in front of our house and I've seen what a tree can do to a car!), but many of the neighbors planted them. I love driving down our street when the trees look like this. Unfortunately, it never lasts long. At least, it never seems to. A storm usually comes through shortly after they bloom and blows all the petals away.

It was only a couple of weeks ago this street was covered in snow! Nice that it didn't take that long for the grass to green up.

Anyway, hope you enjoy the pictures. Maybe they'll cheer me up, too. It stinks when you think you have a project ready to query and then find out it still needs works. Ah, but what can you do but go back and fix it. Still stinks, though.

Have a great weekend!

Stacy

Wednesday Reads and Other Stuff

Weather is starting to get warmer. The blossoming pear trees are blossoming (must get pictures!!). I think spring has finally arrived. Oh wait. We have a Dragons game to go to on Saturday night. Do you see that? NIGHT. High? 50! Which means we won’t be feeling anything close to that. Figures (grumble, grumble).

Now on to what I’ve read in the past week:

Apr 10: “Kiss of the Goblin Prince” by Shona Husk. This is the second book in the Shadowland series, a paranormal romance. Blurb on back: He is like a prince in a fairy tale: tall, outrageously handsome, and way too dark for her own good. Amanda has been hurt before, though. And with her daughter’s illness, the last thing she needs right now is a man. But the power of Dai King is hard to resist. And when he threads his hands through her hair and pulls her in for a kiss, there is no denying it feels achingly right. After being trapped in the Shadowlands for centuries with the goblin horde a constant threat, Dai revels in his newfound freedom back in the human realm. But even with the centuries of magic he’s accumulated, he still doesn’t know how to heal Amanda’s daughter--and it breaks his heart. Yet for the woman he loves, he’d risk anything…including a return to the Shadowlands. I did not read the first book in this series first (my bad), but luckily, it wasn’t required. Well, not completely. Strange thing is, I have the first book, so I read it next, just to see if I wasn’t far off on my assessment and I wasn’t. Not totally. If you plan on reading this series, it would benefit you to read them in order. I wished I had (some things would have made more sense at the time). Anyway, I enjoyed the story and the ending (although I believe there is a third book in the series) didn’t leave me wanting (yay), so I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

Apr 13: “The Goblin King” by Shona Husk. This is the first book in the Shadowland series, a paranormal romance. Blurb on back: Once upon a time… A man was cursed to the Shadowlands, his heart replaced with a cold lump of gold. In legends, he became known as The Goblin King. For a favored few he will grant a wish. Yet, desperately clinging to his waning human soul, his one own desire remains unfulfilled: A willing Queen. But who would consent to move from the modern-day world into the realm of nightmares? No matter how intoxicating his touch, no matter how deep his valor, loving him is dangerous. And the one woman who might dare to try could also destroy him forever. I’m glad I went back and read this book. I enjoyed it, even though it was slow at parts, even toward the end. Don’t expect a fast-paced book, but the ending was satisfying and you really have no idea another one is in the works, which is the way I like my series. If you like paranormal but are tired of vampires and shifters, this series will be a nice change. I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.

J J J

My Sunny Vampire is still with my editor (hoping she approves of my fixes!), so I’m still free to work on other stuff. Revisions to Book 5 are going well (trying to get a chapter a day done) and writing Book 6 is a blast so far. Let’s hope I can keep it up AND continue to read. Because I can’t give that up.

Happy Reading!

 

Stacy

 

Books in Series

Does it seem like almost every book is part of a series? Well, except for maybe horror, it sure seems like it.

I don’t mind series, as long as each book has an individual story and it ends with that book. Then I go and read one that leaves me hanging, leaving me screaming for the next book, which I hungrily buy once it’s out. Some authors are so evil, it’s gotten where I won’t even consider reading the first book in the series unless I know the series has ended. Case in point: Richelle Mead. I loved her Vampire Academy series, really LOVED it, but thank GOODNESS I started it after the last book had been released. She would have driven me NUTS and is the number one reason why I haven’t started on her next series. Once that one has ended, THEN I’ll read it (and I really want to read it, but know better than to put myself through that).

It’s bad enough that television shows have cliff hangers at the end of the season. Do I really need it in my books? No, I do not.

Yet, I read series all the time. Currently: JR Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood AND Fallen Angels), Lynsay Sands (Argeneau Vampires), Kerrelyn Sparks (Love at Stake), Laurell K.Hamilton (Anita Blake), Charlaine Harris (Sookie Stackhouse), Allison Brennan (Lucy Kincaid), Tess Gerritsen (Rizzoli & Isles), and Darynda Jones (Charley Davidson), to name several. For the most part, the story is contained in these series. Usually. Of course, by now, I’m so engrossed in the series, it’s too late. They hooked me.

Before 2008 (and Twilight), I rarely read a series (Dark Tower series by Stephen King is the only one I can recall - which, by the way, frustrated me, too). I don’t know if it’s the new way of writing or if I was too absorbed in horror to notice (because before 2008, that’s about all I read).

Reminds me of when we moved to Ft. Monmouth, NJ in 1982. Bruce Springsteen was very popular there. I had never heard of him before. Was he popular because he was a hometown boy (Asbury Park is just down the road from the army post), or was he suddenly popular everywhere? I couldn’t tell!

Just as I can’t tell about book series. I’m sure they’ve been out there all along and I just haven’t noticed them until I started reading more.

Do you enjoy reading series? Do you like them leaving you hanging, having an overall story where you wonder if it will ever end? Or do you like it where each book is unique, each story begins and ends with that book?

J J J

By the way, I did chicken out on Friday night’s game. It was not only cold out (in the 40s), but windy, too. That pretty much decided it for me. I like going to a baseball game when it’s warm and I can enjoy sitting outside. Sort of how it was on Sunday. We made it to the 2:00 game and it was very nice out (70 degrees). Too bad the Dragons lost, though. Oh well, guess I can’t have everything (although I do try!!).

Have a good day!!

 

Stacy

 

 

New Project News - Book 6!

Someone asked on one of my loops if anyone worked on two projects at the same time. You know, edit one project while writing the first draft of another. I checked my Excel spreadsheet (because I keep track of all my writing there) and discovered I had - back when I had the day job. I wrote “Alien Desires” at work and edited “Ghostly Liaison” when I got home. But since I lost the day job?

Nope, didn’t do it.

But there was a reason. My editing project was completed and waiting for feedback by then, so I was free to just write the first draft of “Alien Desires.” I finished that first draft back in October and have been editing stuff ever since. So why wasn’t I doing two projects now?

Hmmm… Could it be because no shiny new idea had poked me in the brain? Probably!

So I asked my husband what he thought my next project should be: vampires, ghosts, or aliens? “My Sunny Vampire” will be published by Lyrical Press. I’m hoping they’ll be interested in “Bite Me, I’m Yours” (once it’s ready to show them--and no, I refuse to work on two editing projects at the same time; the editing side of my brain can only do so much). He asked me what I would do with “Bite Me” if Lyrical Press didn’t want it. Well, I’d probably self-publish it. So he suggested I write another vampire story.

This from a man who has read ALL my work EXCEPT my vampire stories!

But I agreed with him. Plus, I was knee deep in my vampire world already. Question was: which couple would I pick?

This is where taking NOTES come in super handy! All this time I thought Sam and Janie would be the next book I wrote. But they weren’t screaming to be written--I had no story, just a couple and a tiny situation. Not enough. My Russian vamp needs a book or two to lead into it, so he wasn’t working out, either. Then I opened the notes on Ben and Victoria. I had forgotten all about them.

I had motivation. I had conflict. I had a story! And it fit! WhooHoo! I even got the first 700 words written yesterday (after, I repeat, after I added 500 words to “Alien Desires”--my editing goal for each day). I’d forgotten what a rush writing NEW stuff can be. Man, I really missed it.

“Blind Temptation” (Book 6) is born. Does that title do anything for you? It may change, but it seems to fit for now.

Tonight I expect to either be freezing at the Dayton Dragons game or be a chicken and stay at home, where it’s warm. Do I hear clucking?

 

 

Wednesday Reads & A Happy Birthday

First off, I must wish my darling daughter a Happy Birthday!! Twenty-eight years ago she decided to award us with her presence. And she picked this day to be born, no one forced her! J

Now on to what I read in the past week:

Apr 3: “Immortally Yours” by Angie Fox. Don’t know whether this is a paranormal romance or an urban fantasy, since it’s written in first person. There is romance, although it’s all given one-sided. Blurb on back: No one patches up the incoming wounded like Dr. Petra Robichaud.  Recruited by the gods for her uncanny medical skills, she’s the best M*A*S*H surgeon in the Army. Along with a nosy guard sphinx, vegetarian werewolf, and other paranormal paramedics, she bandages soldiers who are built like Greek gods (literally). But when one sexy immortal ends up on her operating table--half-dead and totally to-die for--Petra’s afraid she’ll lose her patient and her heart… Commander Galen of Delphi is one gorgeous but stubborn demi-god. When his spirit tries to slip out of his fatally wounded body, Dr. Petra has to slip it back in--unwittingly revealing her ability to see ghosts. Now that Galen knows her secret, he’s convinced she’s part of an ancient prophecy. If the oracles are right, Petra could lead Galen’s army to peace. And if he seduces her on the way to hell and back? Heaven knows--all’s fair in love and war… Even though first person isn’t my favorite (how do I manage to READ so many of them??), I liked Petra. She was funny. Galen was hot (I would have enjoyed his POV, though). It’s the first of a series, but the ending didn’t leave me wanting to pull out my hair (yay!). I could stop reading here, although I might not because I like the characters. I gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads.

Apr 7: “Perpetual Light” by Jordan K. Rose. Paranormal romance or urban fantasy? It’s written in first person, and I have a hard time labeling this one as a romance. Blurb on back: Fate is cruel. Especially when the one you’ve sworn to love for all eternity-the very soul who changed your destiny-is the last person you should trust. After more than three hundred years of running, Lucia Dicomano must make a choice. Forced to take her place as a Pharo of Redemption, the divine slayer needs to master her forgotten powers. Lucia turns to Vittorio, the one vampire she’s failed to deliver from eternal damnation. But overcoming smoldering remnants of love, lust and anger aren’t their only obstacles. Samuel, who may know Lucia better than she knows herself, hunts her with a fervor stoked by a thousand years of vengeful hatred. His plan--capture and enslave the weakened Pharo then take control of her elusive power. Can Lucia trust Vittorio long enough to reclaim her powers? Or will she have no choice but to kill him and battle Samuel alone? I think this book would have been so much better if presented in third person. Instead, it confused me with the back and forth of memories/dreams and there were two POVs, but both in first person. I stuck it out, though, hoping the end would satisfy me. No such luck so it must be a series, although it isn’t mentioned. It’s possible all the problems I had with the book are my fault (other reviewers seemed to love it). The story was interesting, so I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.

JJJ

Walking has been going…painful. I love walking, but apparently my feet don’t. I’m not listening to them, though. The only thing that can stop me is the weather and so far it’s been cooperating. My feet will learn to toughen up (although I may go out and buy new shoes to help them along).

Oh, and remember when I said I would freeze at our first Dragons game? Well, it won’t be too far from that. While we’re enjoying the 70s now, the forecast for Friday shows a high of 48. That’s WITH the sun out. Yikes! Guess I better make sure I have the gloves, scarf, and ear muffs, as well as that blasted winter coat. That’s what you’re supposed to wear to a football game, not a baseball game! Argh!

Oh well… Happy Reading!

Is Spring Finally Here?

Temperatures are supposed to be in the seventies this week. The lows in the fifties. I might actually get to go out walking! I might actually get to go outside without a winter coat on!!

Warm weather!!!!! I thought it would never get here.

The daffodils are even trying to bloom. We’ll see if they succeed. And if they do and I can get a picture of them without showing the weeds (I’m not the gardener, my husband likes to play in the dirt and he hasn’t played there in a while), then I’ll post them later on. However, the tulips haven’t shown any blooms yet. Maybe they’ll surprise me.

****

Does anyone remember me mentioning a short story I wrote back when I was 15? If not, you can read about it HERE. Would you believe I finally found that short story? (Titled “It’s One of Those Weeks”) I couldn’t believe I found it exactly where I thought it was (that rarely happens). But what’s even more amazing is that I have the typed, mimeographed AND the hand-written versions. While I thought I had written it in the ninth grade, the date (Fall of 1972) indicates I wrote it in the tenth grade (see, my memory is shot).

I transcribed it to Word and discovered it’s over 6000 words (Who knew I wrote so much back then? Certainly not me!!). Anyway, because of its size, I’m thinking it wouldn’t work that well as ONE blog post. Talk about lengthy. However, each section/chapter is named as the day. Is ANYONE interested in reading a story written back in 1972 by a goofy 15-year-old? I could possibly post each day on that day (Sunday on Sunday, Monday on Monday, etc.). Might even do it during a week I was unable to blog (like on vacation - or just give myself a vacation).

Yes, it’s goofy. Yes, it’s horrible. But even when I re-read it, I still laughed at parts. I had a very strange mind (and apparently loved similes).

So, what do you think? Would you post such a thing (with errors and all)? Or would you let it stay hidden? It’s not like I plan on publishing the thing, that’s for sure! More likely I’ll just embarrass myself. Ah, but that’s nothing new.

 

Dreams

First off--Yay! Got through the edits. One more read-through and it’s back to the editor. Then I remembered I had written the following and never used it. Perfect for a day when I didn’t have time to write a post. I’ll have to remember to stock-pile some more. They can come in handy!

DREAMS

I’m lucky to remember my dreams, that’s for sure. But sometimes I’ll have a dream that was similar to another. I like to call these themes.

I have had multiple dreams in the following themes (the ones I remember, anyway): finding a bathroom, exploring a house, and driving over a cliff. Luckily, I haven’t had that last one in quite a while. But the others? Yeah, they happen more frequently.

FINDING A BATHROOM

It’s not like I’m actually looking for a bathroom. No, I found the bathroom. It’s the toilet I’m having trouble with. It’s either dirty or not working or exposed to the public. Very weird. I have no idea what it all means, either. I just know when I wake up from one of these dreams, I’m frustrated. Pretty bad when I can gross myself out, too, because some of those dreams have been pretty rank.

Hey, if you know what this theme means, then by all means, share. I’d like your opinion.

EXPLORING A HOUSE

I love these dreams. The house is always larger than it seems. Rooms and stairways appear out of no where and lead to other areas I never knew existed. Almost never ending and never scary. Just a lot of exploring. All I know is when I wake up, I wish I were still in that house because I hadn’t had a chance to explore it all.

Hmmm… Does this mean I’m nosy? Well, I guess I am. I just never follow through in real life. These dreams let me do that.

DRIVING OVER A CLIFF

I hate these dreams. Or should I say nightmares? I’m usually driving in the mountains, on a narrow two-laned road. Weather sometimes plays a part, but there always comes a time when there’s a white fence on the curve and instead of taking the curve I just plow through the fence. And yes, this is when I wake up. Don’t know why I want to drive over a cliff, or what would happen if I hit bottom. I don’t think I want to find out!

I’ve also had repeat dreams. I only realize it’s a repeat when I wake up, but I have never written it down, so it’s long gone out of my head now. But at the moment of waking, I realize I’ve dreamed it before. The next time that happens, I really need to write it down. Heck, I should just write down my dreams. Sometimes they’re quite entertaining (to me anyway).

So, have you had themes in your dreams? Have you ever had a repeat dream? Or am I just a freak?

 

What I Read Since Last Week

When it rains it pours. Yeah, it’s a cliché, but ain’t it true? Case in point: I received three books I want to read (and I have another on order) at the same time I received four books I have to read (judging). True, I have a couple of bookcases full of books I haven’t read, but when you have a favorite author, you want to read them first. Right? Well, guess they’ll just have to wait. Because before I can do any serious reading, my edits are due first. Doesn’t mean I won’t read, just means I won’t spend all day doing it! Oh well… On to what I read this past week (as if you didn’t know):

Mar 27: “Reckless” by Allison Brennan. Book/Novella 5.5 in the Lucy Kincaid series. Blurb from Goodreads (in blue): FBI trainee Lucy Kincaid's spontaneous weekend camping trip with her boyfriend, P.I. Sean Rogan, turns into a deadly nightmare when they come across two hikers looking for their lost son. But when Lucy and Sean split up to help find the missing child, each quickly realizes that the parents have a dark secret they'll kill to keep. Nice, short story to hold me over until the next Lucy book comes out. And until I got “Lover at Last” from my daughter (who surprisingly did not finish it in one sitting). I’m beginning to think Lucy and Sean will NEVER have a normal vacation. Ah, but then, what’s really normal? I gave this short story 5 stars on Goodreads.

Mar 29: “Lover at Last” by J.R. Ward. Book 11 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. Blurb from Goodreads (in blue): Qhuinn, son of no one, is used to being on his own. Disavowed from his bloodline, shunned by the aristocracy, he has finally found an identity as one of the most brutal fighters in the war against the Lessening Society. But his life is not complete. Even as the prospect of having a family of his own seems to be within reach, he is empty on the inside, his heart given to another.... Blay, after years of unrequited love, has moved on from his feelings for Qhuinn. And it’s about time: The male has found his perfect match in a Chosen female, and they are going to have a young—just as Qhuinn has always wanted for himself. It’s hard to see the new couple together, but building your life around a pipe dream is just a heartbreak waiting to happen. As he’s learned firsthand. Fate seems to have taken these vampire soldiers in different directions... but as the battle over the race’s throne intensifies, and new players on the scene in Caldwell create mortal danger for the Brotherhood, Qhuinn finally learns the true definition of courage, and two hearts who are meant to be together... finally become one. I believe this one is now my favorite book and was sad when it ended! Still amazes me how Ms. Ward keeps all the separate plotlines going (I’d get confused without a chart). It was also hard to read these new plotlines, since I (and my daughter) was more interested in reading about Qhuinn and Blay, but I was patient. This is definitely not the end of the series, but in this case I don’t care. I love it too much to gripe, I guess. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.

Don’t be surprised if I do not post anything on Friday. I really want to get my edits finished on time and don’t want to wait until the last minute because there are instances where I have to ~gasp~ THINK of how to fix. And I ain’t a fast thinker. At least where it counts anyway.

Happy Reading!!

Basketball, Hockey, Baseball, and April Fool's

I pretty much lost interest in the NCAA tournament once Ohio State lost, and while I feel really bad for that kid on Louisville who broke his leg, I’m so glad I didn’t witness it (besides giving up watching, we were traveling from Columbus and couldn’t see it anyway). I do hope he recovers from that injury.

So, while basketball is out for me (I like the NCAA tournaments, but hate the NBA), hockey is still in. Fifteen in a row for my Penguins. Hope they keep it up. Only wish their games were telecast more often. But Columbus is closer, so the Blue Jackets games are usually aired in this area. Bummer!

And I guess baseball is back in swing (pun intended). Think there will be any snow-outs this week? I mean, there’s gotta be at least one, right? This winter has just lasted tooooo long! While the temps were mild this weekend (in the 50s even!), it’s expected to dip back down to the 30s later in the week. Ugh!!! Enough already.

At least the Dayton Dragons (Single A team of the Cincinnati Reds) season doesn’t start until April 11. We own the tickets to the April 12 game (as well as the April 14 game). Sure hope it’s warmed up some by then. Oh, who am I kidding? We’ll be freezing for sure!

I was hoping to come up with something good to April fool everyone, but my brain just can’t seem to think up anything good (that isn’t mean, anyway). So did you fool anyone today? If so, please share. Maybe it’ll give me some ideas.