Finished Reading Two Stories and Dragon Con Starts THIS WEEK

On Wednesday, Daughter, Hubby, and I will leave for Atlanta and Dragon Con! I’m so excited about this one. The cast of Bones will be there. And so will some actors from Back to the Future as well as Buffy, The Vampire Slayer. Mainly David Boreanaz! Daughter and I plan on getting pics with the cast of Bones, so the question I need to answer… do I wear a Steelers jersey or a Penguins jersey? Only fans of Bones will get that, I think.

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 19

Dates read: August 15, 2025
Title: To the Stars
Year of publication: 2024
Author: Leah Lore
Genre: Cozy Sci-Fi Short Story
Series:  Possible, but not written yet
# of Pages: 34
Paper or plastic: Nook
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from Goodreads: In the far future, Earth is ravaged by war. Deadly skirmishes between isolated human civilizations are frequent. New technologies are discovered, but others have been lost to time.
    Paige is trying to find her place in a shattered world. She’s a flight-school cadet determined to impress her military father, but she yearns to explore the stars. Her determination and constant practice in the cockpit rocket her to the top of her class.
    Still, she questions herself.
    When Paige takes a dangerous risk, she’s left grounded. At a crossroads, she must look inside herself to decide what's important, but the question remains—will she ever fly again?
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: Entertaining. I know the author (she is in my writer group), but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed reading this short story. I look forward to her novel (which she says is in the works).

Book 20

Dates read: August 16-25, 2025
Title: The Summer Guests
Year of publication: 2025
Author: Tess Gerritsen
Genre: Thriller
Series:  Martini Club #2
# of Pages: 325
Paper or plastic: Trade paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled in for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything.
    Maggie survived, thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighborhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance.
    After a teenager vanishes—and Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect—she joins the investigation, determined to prove her friend’s innocence. But the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.
    As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets…before more lives are lost.
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: The people in the Martini Club are a hoot. I guess we all fight getting older, though, huh? This story is more mystery than thriller, but an enjoyable read. And I had no idea who did what, so I guess that makes the twists good? And there are some twists.

Writing is going well. Sales of Alien Desires is not, however. I am apparently marketing it wrong and I don’t know how to fix that. I mean, when your own newsletter subscribers aren’t even buying it… Yeah, it’s not pretty. Well… I will be at Dragon Con and there is a writing track. Hopefully I can get some tips there. But when BookBub doesn’t even have a genre for that book, I’m thinking I may be doomed.

Happy Reading!

Stacy

Finished Reading “Immortal by Morning” and Back on the Road

I’m currently in Indiana, near the Indiana Dunes. Hubby and I are visiting some sort-of local-to-us National Parks. Drove through a lot of Indiana and Illinois country. Or rather…farmland. Saw Lincoln’s boyhood home (in Indiana) and his first home (in Springfield, IL). Also visited the George Rogers Clark Memorial. I never realized that the American Revolution came all the way out to Indiana (at the Illinois border) and Clark (who is the older brother of the Clark from Lewis & Clark) was responsible for getting Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, and part of Minnesota added to the U.S. without a single person dying. See? I learn something new every time I visit a park!

Here’s what I read since my last update:

Book 18

Dates read: August 1-14, 2025
Title: Immortal by Morning
Year of publication: 2025
Author: Lynsay Sands
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series:  Argeneau Vampires #37
# of Pages: 360
Paper or plastic: Mass market paperback
How obtained: Purchased
Blurb from book: Crispinus Delacort is an immortal rogue Enforcer and a homicide detective. But in his quiet city, he’s more likely to be found rounding up truant teens than investigating murders. So when he learns that human bones have been found in the garden of a sprawling rural home, it’s unexpected to say the least.
    Abril Newman can’t believe her bad luck when she discovers a body buried on the grounds of her boss’s home while chasing after Gina’s mischievous lab, Lilith. She was just supposed to be house-sitting for a few days! And then Detective Delacort arrives. She knows she shouldn’t be thinking about love when there’s a crime scene outside the door. But ignoring her attraction to gorgeous Crispin is easier said than done.
    When Crispin realizes that a rogue is involved, he knows this won’t be a simple investigation. Especially because he’s so distracted by Abril’s presence that all he wants is to kiss her senseless in every room of the manor. But he can woo her, solve the case, and stop a dangerous rogue by morning…right?
Recommend: Yes
My thoughts: It’s hard to believe I’ve just finished the 37^th book in this series! And I still love them. So easy to step back into this world.

Tomorrow we will visit the Pullman Historical Park in Chicago and then drive up to Racine, WI to pick up the Kringles we ordered from the O&H Bakery before we head back home. Yum yum!!

FYI: It’s cheaper for us to buy a bunch for the freezer when we’re in the neighborhood (yes, Chicago is considered in the neighborhood). If bought online, they cost $22-25, plus shipping (of over $20). In person? $9. We get enough to last at least a year.

Happy Reading!

Stacy