Finished Reading “Starter Villain” and … My Normal

For having metastatic kidney cancer, I’m one of the lucky ones. My disease seems to be in remission and the treatments to keep it that way haven’t given me horrible side effects (like losing hair). But the disease DOES kind of tie me to the oncology clinic. Every four weeks, at least.

It also comes with quarterly CT scans and the occasional MRI. And those can be a nuisance. It’s not just having the scans; it’s having the contrast with the scans. I have to drink something prior and then have some dye injected via an IV during.

I was supposed to have my last CT scan on Tuesday. I drank the contrast two hours before and checked in at radiology 15 minutes before my scheduled scan. Except the system was down. They could conduct the scan, but they didn’t have access to my lab work to see if they should DO the scan. It got so late, that the stuff I drank was no longer viable and they had to reschedule.

So now I gotta repeat the process on the 11^th. I can’t imagine drinking that stuff is all that healthy. Or even getting injected with the dye. But there’s not much I can do about that.

Like I said, it’s a nuisance. It hasn’t gotten me sick…yet. Same with the hormone-therapy pills I have to take for my breast cancer. I have some side effects, but they aren’t debilitating. Thank goodness!

I guess this is what normal is for me now. Just like getting old!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 5

Dates read: February 26 – March 7, 2025
Title: Starter Villain
Year of publication: 2023
Author: John Scalzi
Genre: Humorous
Series:  N/A
# of Pages: 262
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Book: Inheriting your uncle’s supervillain business is more complicated than you might think. Particularly when you discover who’s running the place.
    Charlie’s life is going nowhere fast. A divorced substitute teacher living with his cat in a house his siblings want to sell, all he wants is to open a pub downtown, if only the bank will approve his loan.
    Then his long-lost uncle, Jake, dies and leaves his supervillain business (complete with island volcano lair) to Charlie.
    But becoming a supervillain isn’t all giant laser death rays and lava pits. Jake had enemies, and now they’re coming after Charlie. His uncle might have been a stand-up, old-fashioned kind of villain, but these are the real thing: rich, soulless predators backed by multinational corporations and venture capital.
    It’s up to Charlie to win the war his uncle started against a league of supervillains. But with unionized dolphins, hyper-intelligent talking spy cats, and a terrifying henchperson at his side, going bad is starting to look pretty good.
    In a dog-eat-dog world…be a cat.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: This was an interesting story and I enjoyed it. Certainly different than what I normally read. But I follow John Scalzi on social media and he lives in Ohio, so I just had to try him out and that cover is kind of what hooked me. If you like humorous stories with a bunch of weird stuff, give it a try.

I finally finished watching Star Trek: Voyager. I’m still surprised at how I knew all the characters, but it was like watching the series for the first time. Bizarre, huh? Now I’m starting Quantum Leap (w/Scott Bakula). I loved that show when it aired, but I’m guessing my re-watching will be like Voyager: seeing it for the first time. I just don’t know if I can blame my lack of memory on old age or the cancer drugs. Heck, it might be both!

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “A Bloom in Winter” and Editing is Moving Along

Editing Alien Desires is moving along pretty well. I had a bit of a hiccup on one of the comments my editor made, but thankfully after talking to some writer friends, the fix was super easy (and I had the perfect spot for it, too). I really do enjoy this part of the writing process: finding out where my problems lie. I know I have them, but I’m just too close to the darn thing to see them.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 4

Dates read: February 17-25, 2025
Title: A Bloom in Winter
Year of publication: 2024
Author: J.R. Ward
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series:  Black Dagger Brotherhood #22.5
# of Pages: 447
Paper or plastic: Hard cover
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Book: For his entire life, and especially during his century in the prison camp, Apex never believed the bonded-male vampire myths. But when he crossed paths with a sexy wolven, the assassin was done being a lone wolf himself. Tragically, fate had other plans for them, and in the decades since, the world has held little interest—and even less warmth—for him.
    He has never forgotten the male, however…
    Even after all this time, Callum remains haunted by the horrible abduction that destroyed him down to his marrow those many years ago. Living as a loner, drifting from place to place, the wolven has finally returned to upstate New York—and he is not expecting to see the vampire who has always been on his mind.
    As a plot to overthrow the King threatens the Brothers down in Caldwell, Apex and Callum find themselves face-to-face—and caught up in a deadly, treasonous plot. Can two lonely, lost souls find a way back to each other…or will destiny once again condemn their hearts to isolation?
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Two romances in this book. For a half book (#22.5), it packs a lot. And while it has 447 pages, it is a small hard cover and the print is larger than normal. This is no novella, though. It’s probably the length of what your average author writes. And like I said it packs a lot. I had a lot of fun reading it.

Not much else is going on right now. Our next trip isn’t until May. Shocker, huh? But that should give me all the time I need to finish Alien Desires and get that thing published. As long as I don’t come across another hiccup. And yes, I skimmed over the comments, but that doesn’t mean they hit me as a problem. The first hiccup (and hopefully only) didn’t hit me when I first read it. It’s not until I’m actually back in the story that I get the comment. And I appreciate every comment I get. I’m all for making the book better. That’s my goal.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “Crescent City” and We Got Snow (ugh)

It snowed today, which was a good excuse to read. I had plans to see my grandson in the play he was starring in, but because of the stupid snow, they cancelled the last performance. I’m sad I didn’t get to see him perform. I was really looking forward to it. So I just sat and read instead. Seemed like the best thing to do.

I was kind of hoping to be done with the snow, but that’s not what Mother Nature wanted it seems.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 3

Dates read: January 12 – February 16, 2025
Title: Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood
Year of publication: 2020
Author: Sarah J. Moss
Genre: Fantasy romance
Series:  Crescent City #1
# of Pages: 799
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased from B&N
Blurb from Book: Half-Fae, half-human Bryce Quinlan loves her life. Every night is a party, and Bryce is going to savor all the pleasures Lunathion—also known as Crescent City—has to offer. But then a brutal murder shakes the very foundations of the city, and Bryce’s world comes crashing down.
    Two years later, Bryce still haunts the city’s most notorious nightclubs—seeking only oblivion now, trying to put the past behind her. When the murderer attacks again and an infamous Fallen angel, Hunt Athalar, is assigned to watch her every footstep, Bryce knows she can’t forget any longer.
    As Bryce and Hunt fight to unravel the mystery, the threads they tug ripple through the underbelly of the city, across warring continents and down to the deepest levels of Hel, where things that have been sleeping for millennia are beginning to stir…
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Took me a little over a month to finish this behemoth. Granted, even with the cruise and stays in various Florida cities, I wasn’t always able to read it like I thought I would (for some reason I didn’t read any of it in the car). Once I returned home, I spent more time on it (read the second half much quicker than the first). It’s a good book and I will probably get the next two in the series. Although, they’re even longer than this one. A mystery I didn’t figure out and lots of suspense. And I did wonder if there was going to be any kind of romance. That didn’t come to light until about half-way, which made me happy. A lot happens in this book, that’s for sure. But if you like big books, you’ll probably love this one. Plus, NO CLIFFHANGER! Yay!

Because I thought we were going to go out today, I had cleared the driveway. Then I got the news about the cancellation. If only they had contacted me earlier. I could have saved myself all that work.

Well… maybe. I guess it DOES need to be cleared. Haven’t bothered with the cars, yet. Hoping it’ll get warmer. But with that howling wind, I don’t think that’s gonna happen any time soon.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Next Book Almost Ready

I got the edits back for Alien Desires and I was pleasantly surprised. So much so, that I have finally added the book to Goodreads and I’m sharing the cover. And here it is…

Isn’t it pretty? This is the blurb (which I may still tweak):

An alien crashes on Earth and discovers love.

Annie’s anger and an icy walkway put a medical boot on her foot, forcing her to rely on her brother for a ride home. When he accidentally hits a giant of a man, she wants to call for an ambulance, but the phones are out and she finds out her brother’s license is suspended. The man doesn’t appear to be badly injured and her place is close, so they take him home. But man, what a hunk! If only she’d met the hot stranger anywhere other than at the end of her brother’s bumper.

Calix is from a planet that is in the path of a comet. Normally a teacher, his mission is to discover if Earth would accept his people. But his ship isn’t working, he’s injured, and he’s not sure what to do. His urge to confide in Annie is overwhelming. He’s never had feelings like he’s experiencing. Is it an effect of Earth’s atmosphere—or is it just Annie?

Annie has a hard time believing Calix is an alien because he looks so…human. Then he shows her his spacecraft. Oh great. She’s falling for an alien. 

How can they stay together and keep his people from taking over Earth?

If you’d like to add this to your Goodreads reading list, here is the link:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227940142-alien-desires

I don’t know when I’ll actually publish the book, but if all goes well, it should be in a couple of months. Which means, I gotta get to work!

Oh, and by the way, I’m still reading that 800-page book. And yes, I am enjoying it.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “One Sad Kitty” and Tired of the Snow

I’m already tired of the snow. It snowed on Monday (6”). It snowed Friday on top of that (2”). Nothing is going to melt for a good long while. I’m really looking forward to leaving on Thursday. Don’t know how warm it will be as we drive toward Florida, but it’s gotta be warmer than here. It’s expected to be in the single digits on the morning we pack up the car. Brrrr!!!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 2

Dates read: January 6-12, 2025
Title: One Sad Kitty
Year of publication: 2017
Author: Pepper McGraw
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series:  Murrysville Coalition #2
# of Pages: 171
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased from author
Blurb from Book: In the aftermath of tragedy, even the mating bond Julie never knew she had isn’t enough. It will take every bond of friendship, every bond of community and Coalition to carry her into the future.
    For ten years, Brian has denied the mating bond, protecting Julie from the true nature of his love for her. Then his best friend is murdered and Julie falls apart in the aftermath. To save her, to tie her to the community and home she loves, Brian will end a decade of silence, break the promise he made her brother and finally claim the mate he’s always loved.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: So… this isn’t a continuation of book 1, but is taking place DURING book 1. So… a lot of the story in this book was duplicated and sort of boring (because of the duplication). I pretty much KNEW how this book would end since it was implied in book 1. Again, I expected a little more humor in this book than I thought I’d get.

Barnes & Noble was having a book sale just after Christmas (plus bonus stamps for purchasing). It was buy one paperback, get one 50% off. I already had one of the paperbacks in my wish list so I went searching for another that I might like to try. I saw this book by Sarah J. Maas. It was the first in the series and figured now would be a good time to try her out. I didn’t bother reading any of the details of the book (besides the blurb) and now I’m thinking maybe I should have. When I received my order, I gasped as I pulled this 800-page tome from the box! I’m taking it on our trip, figuring I won’t finish it in 3 weeks. Hope I like it. Just in case, I’m also bringing my Nook. Oh, and some crochet projects. Always gotta have crochet projects.

So don’t be surprised if you don’t hear from me for awhile. Especially if I like the book.

800 pages. And it’s only Book 1? I’m still shaking my head.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “The Crazy Cheetah Lady” and Stuff

New year, new reading goals. I decided to stick with 30 this year since I managed to reach that goal last year. Not gonna put any stress on my reading and I don’t see this year being all that different from last.

I have started the year off right, though. I finished a crochet project before the 4^th. I had been working on it since October and realized that I wouldn’t meet with the woman I give my projects to until February if I didn’t finish it by the 4^th, because I was meeting her that day. I made it (on the 3^rd—talk about cutting it close) and she was very thankful.

I also finished revising Alien Desires! I still need to go over the last chapter I “fixed,” but that shouldn’t take long (hopefully will get to it today). I emailed my editor to see if she could start working on in next week. She can! Now I just have to get the blurb written so I can get the cover made. Let’s see if I can get that done before the 16^th, when we leave for Florida to cruise and spend time with friends.

Yep, we’ll be gone about three weeks. Some of it on a cruise. Some of it in Ft Lauderdale. Some of it with our friends in their timeshares (Titusville & Kissimmee). At least it should be warm down there. Well…warmer than here!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 1

Dates read: December 30 – January 5, 2025
Title: The Crazy Cheetah Lady
Year of publication: 2015
Author: Pepper McGraw
Genre: Paranormal romance (MMMF)
Series:  Murrysville Coalition #1
# of Pages: 172
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased from author
Blurb from Book: Abby doesn’t exactly believe in the paranormal, even though she’s made a career of writing about it. Then she saves a trio of cheetah cubs from the river and everything changes.
    Alpha shifters, Marcus, Peter, and James are on the trail of their kidnapped triplet nephews. They’ve tracked the cubs to Abby’s town and heads are going to roll.
    When the men reclaim their nephews and leave Abby behind, she follows their trail, determined not to lose the cubs she saved. This is fine with the alphas since they’ve decided she’ll make an excellent shifter mate. For them.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Didn’t realize that this was a male/male/male/female erotica paranormal story when I bought the two books. I thought it was going to be a funny series. It’s light-hearted, but not humorous. And very short. I thought there would be more to it, but when it's erotica, it’s all about the sex, I guess. I don’t mind reading these when I’m prepared. And frankly, with my memory, it could be I just forgot what these books were about when I bought them from the author I sat next to at a book convention.

We’re expecting a lot of snow later today. I’m hoping it’s all hype and blows over. Or maybe it just shifts away from us. I really don’t want to clean up snow. Why do I live in Ohio again? Oh yeah, family. I have so little as it is, don’t want to be away from it. So I guess I just deal with snow. Ugh.

Happy Reading!

Stacy