Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Reading Update and MRI Results

So… My doctor called me the day after my MRI to give me the results. All’s good! I asked the doctor why he wanted one. Seems that kidney cancer likes to travel to the brain. Okay, didn’t know that. So I’m in the clear. For now, I guess. He told me when he sees me on April 11 (I have a CT scan on the 4th), we’ll talk about treatment. This probably means more pills (chemo doesn’t work on kidney cancer). Ugh. I just hope it doesn’t delay having my heart surgery. I’d like to get that done so I can get on with my life!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 10

Dates read: March 22-29, 2022
Title: The Sorority Murder
Year of publication: 2021
Author: Allison Brennan
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Series: N/A
# of Pages: 440
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from the book: Lucas Vega is obsessed with the death of Candace Swain, who left a sorority party one night and never came back. Her body was found after two weeks, but the case has grown cold. Three years later while interning at the medical examiner’s, Lucas discovers new information, but the police are not interested.
    Lucas knows he has several credible pieces of the puzzle. He just isn’t sure how they fit together. So he creates a podcast to revisit Candace’s last hours. Then he encourages listeners to crowdsource what they remember and invites guest lecturer Regan Merritt, a former US marshal, to come on and share her expertise.
    New tips come in that convince Lucas and Regan they are onto something. Then shockingly one of the podcast callers turns up dead. Another hints at Candace’s secret life, a much darker picture than Lucas imagined—and one that implicates other sorority sisters. Regan uses her own resources to bolster their theory and learns that Lucas is hiding his own secret. The pressure is on to solve the murder, but first Lucas must come clean about his real motives in pursuing this podcast—before the killer silences him forever.
My thoughts: Although Allison Brennan has tons of romantic suspense books out there, this is a straight suspense/thriller. And a very good one at that. I had no issues sitting and reading for hours at a time, something I haven’t done in a long, long time.  

I still haven’t gone back to writing, but I am thinking about my story more. I figure that’s a start, since I hadn’t been thinking about it for a long time. Sometimes I wonder if I just need to be somewhere else. Like the library or something. Until I lose this stupid cough, I won’t feel comfortable in the library.

I don’t know if I have COVID cough or just the regular cough I usually get after a cold. The kind that just won’t go away. The flem is in my throat, so I guess it’s from my sinuses. And, of course, allergy season is upon us. That doesn’t help me, either. But once the cough is gone, I’ll look into going somewhere else and see if that helps jumpstart my writing. I can only hope!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Wednesday, March 23, 2022

Reading Update and Getting Back to Normal

Luckily, my bout with COVID was minor. I’m no longer required to quarantine and actually left the house on Sunday (yay!). I started back with my exercises on Monday, too. It was kind of nice since I didn’t have to keep it easy like I did after my surgery. But, of course, I’m feeling it, too. Walking on the ship (for the few times I could) was nice, but it really doesn’t work all the muscles. Walk Across America (with Jenny Ford) really is a good 30-minute work OUT. At least my muscles say it is.

So, it’s nice to get back to normal. Hopefully, that will include getting back to Ghostly Protector. I have a feeling that won’t happen until after my oncologist appointment on April 11, to go over what my brain MRI and chest CT discovered. Keeping fingers crossed that everything inside me is back to normal, too!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 9

Dates read: March 15-21, 2022
Title: You Can Run
Year of publication: 2022
Author: Rebecca Zanetti
Genre: Romantic suspense
Series: Laurel Snow #1
# of Pages: 352
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from the book: Laurel Snow wouldn’t call hunting a serial killer a vacation but with a pile of dead bodies unearthed near her Genesis Valley, WA, hometown, she’ll take what she can get. Yet something about this case stirs her in unexpected ways. Like the startling connection she feels to Dr. Abigail Caine, a fiercely intelligent witness with a disturbing knack for making Laurel feel like she has something on her. Then there’s Laurel’s attraction to Huck Rivers, the fish and wildlife officer guiding her to the crime scene—and into the wilderness…
    A former soldier and trained sniper, Huck seems to have his own secrets, not least of which are his whereabouts the night yet another woman disappears. And when the body is dumped where Laurel can’t help but find it, she knows this cat and mouse game is deeply personal…
    Once in the heart of darkness with Huck, Laurel must negotiate her conflicting feelings for him, her complex rapport with Abigail—and her mission to find a serial killer among a growing list of suspects and a danger that’s far too close to home. So close in fact, Laurel fears she will never find her way back to the woman she once was…
My thoughts: New series from an author who writes across several genres. I seem to enjoy everything she writes, too. I liked the characters in this story and look forward to reading more.  

The weather was nice enough to walk last week, except I wasn’t really allowed to leave the house and any kind of exertion was a bit tiring . But after working out to my DVDs, I’m thinking it’s a better workout than just walking around the block. But I do like walking outside, so we’ll see which I end up doing when the weather warms up some more.

So… what’s your exercise of choice?

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Reading Update, Playing in the Casino, and I got COVID

That’s right. I got COVID. On the last day of our 2nd cruise of the back-to-back cruises we took (Friday), I started getting flemmy. As we disembarked (Saturday), I needed Kleenex and my coughing increased. Oh, and just moving around was wearisome. But I had to move around. I had to get off the ship and help take our luggage to our car. It pretty much wiped me out. Of course, I thought it had to do with my heart, since I was feeling that way every time I took the stairs!

Took us two days to drive home and I wasn’t feeling any better. As soon as we got home, I took one of our at home COVID tests (that I ordered for free) and it came back positive. Hubby’s showed negative, but we decided to get the official test at Walgreens the next day, Monday. I had a CT scan scheduled for later that day, an MRI on Tuesday, along with follow-up doctor appointments and wanted to make sure of the results before I went and changed them.

Unfortunately, both of those tests came back positive (meaning, Hubby also got it). I had to move some appointments, cancel others. What a pain. But at least out symptoms are mild (if you call having a cold mild) and I’m feeling better now than I did on Sunday.

So now we’re quarantined to the house for 10 days and our daughter is back to running our errands. At least she should be immune to us. She had COVID back in January!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 7

Dates read: February 22 – March 8, 2022
Title: Minding Their Manners
Year of publication: 2021
Author: M.G. Barber
Genre: D/s ménage
Series: Neighborly Affection #6
# of Pages: 533
Paper or plastic: Nook
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from the book: Facing their families is turning out to be the trio’s toughest test.
    Life should be grand for Henry, Alice, and Jay. They’ve defeated the doubts that kept them apart and embraced a relationship that suits all three of them.
    But the arrival of Alice’s sister threatens to upend their cozy routine. Skepticism and accusations erupt in a visit bristling with tension as the sisters tear open old wounds.
    Even worse, Jay’s springing a new idea on his partners: it’s time to come out to his family. His decision might destroy them all—but Henry’s hunger for Jay’s public embrace makes it almost worth the risk.
    Henry, Alice, and Jay must redefine who they are to each other and what they want for their future—together or apart. Can they trust in their love enough to survive the consequences?
My thoughts: I don’t read a lot of erotica, or Dom/sub for that matter, but I love this series because I love the characters. It’s always a treat to see what’s next in their lives. And yeah, they can get pretty hot! This book was rather lengthy, but you know what? I didn’t care. Actually, I was kind of sad when I reached the end.

Book 8

Dates read: March 9-15, 2022
Title: Keeper of the Bride
Year of publication: 1996
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Genre: Romantic suspense
Series: N/A
# of Pages: 182
Paper or plastic: Nook
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from the book: If Nina Cormier’s wedding had taken place, she would be dead. But after the bride was left at the altar, the church stood empty when the bomb exploded. It wasn’t until a stranger tried to run her off the road that Nina realized someone actually wanted to kill her. But who?
    That’s what Detective Sam Navarro has to find out…fast. With a nightmare unfolding all around them, Sam and Nina must try to decipher the terrifying truth: they are at the mercy of a brilliant madman, one who is playing for keeps…
My thoughts: This was a re-release (in e-book format) of a book first published in 1996. You forget how much technology has changed since then until you go back in time. Kind of fascinating in that regard. I enjoyed the romance and suspense of this book, even though it was a bit on the short side. Probably would have finished this on the drive home if I hadn’t have gotten sick…

I learned something new on this past cruise (it pays to have dining partners who know things). Because Carnival can’t have casino parties right now (due to COVID), they give Platinum & Diamond members (we’re both Platinum) $25 (CASH) to play in the casino. I didn’t know this back in December (no one at our dining table mentioned this back then) and lost out on getting $50 (since Hubby and I each get the $25) on that cruise. But anyway…

We collected our money and decided, why not play their money? I had no idea how the slot machines really worked, but I stuck $5 in the machine and pushed play.

I thought I had played 5 cents. Turns out it was probably closer to $4.60. Anyway…

The machine made a lot of noise. Bell ringing noise. The screen was showing coins being thrown about. When it was all done, my balance was $300! I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Yeah, I cashed that sucker in.

Used those winnings (and the subsequent $25, since we sailed on back-to-back cruises) to play in the casino for the rest of the cruise. And I kept winning, too! But I made sure to play no more than $20 a night. I can have fun with $20. Especially if I can come out ahead (and overall, I did come out ahead)! Oh, and by the way, I’m beginning to understand those slot machines and what is what. It can be addicting, but I tend to be on the frugal side, so I’m not afraid of getting sucked in. At least, not with my own money! Haha!

My thoughts on HOW I contacted COVID on the cruise. On cruises that started before March 1st (which was our December and the first of our back-to-back cruises), masks were mandated. You had to wear one indoors (except while eating). But our second of our back-to back started after March 1st, which is when they lifted the mask mandate (although it was highly recommended). Hardly anyone wore a mask. And yes, I became lax because everyone else was lax. Of course, once I started coughing, I wore the mask again, but by then it really was too late, huh? So I think the mask mandates worked and removing them made it easier to catch COVID. That’s my theory. Will it keep me from cruising again? No. Our next cruise isn’t until January 2023, anyway. Things will probably be different then.

Happy Reading!

Stacy