WWW Wednesday: May 19th 2021

IMG_1384-0

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?


Personal:

I didn’t think this was going to be an eventful week since Monday’s IMWAYR post. I was wrong!!

Miss B had an awful day on Monday. She came home from school upset because her favorite teacher is being let go at the end of the school year. The reason the teacher didn’t sit right with me: She didn’t have a good relationship with the students. If it was a private school, then I wouldn’t think anything about it. But it’s a public school and the teachers are hired by the city. What I think is that there were budget cuts and they let go of the newer teachers. Anyway, Miss B wants to go protest (her entire class is going) at the school board meeting Friday night. We’re taking her and BK is going to supervise. We believe it is important for our kids to have their voices heard.

Now, the other awful thing that happened on Monday to Miss B was that she burnt plastic in the microwave. How did she do that? Well, she was making a White Castle burger, didn’t put it on a plate (grrrr at this), and then proceeded to microwave it for 4 mins on each side. That created a smoke-filled panic. Thankfully, that’s all it was (smoke). I did talk to her about using microwaveable safe plates and reading directions. Now, all I have to do is get the burnt plastic smell out of the house….sigh.

Mr. Z passed his end-of-grade math test. His math teacher was proctoring the end-of-grade testing today (he went in for ELA) and told him. He was thrilled. We told him that if he passed the test, we’ll get him a Steam game. And we did. It’s a game called Europa Universalis and he is loving it. I am going to peek in and see what he’s doing and what the game is like.

Miss R is doing well. They are taking it easy at school for the last couple of weeks. I did request for her to start speech and am waiting for the school to call me back. Ever since her teeth were pulled, I have noticed she isn’t pronouncing her “Th’s” and “S’s” correctly. I thought it would correct itself but it’s getting worse. So, the call to the school so she can get evaluated.

BK is in NYC until tomorrow. He is at this huge meeting with the entire company. I haven’t talked to him much (other than the flurry of texts about the microwave incident). I am hoping that he brings me home either bagels or cannolis!!

BK and I binged Jupiter’s Legacy (which I mentioned on Monday). It was a different show and I can’t wait to see if they make more episodes.

Tomorrow, I start deep cleaning for my vacation. We have a pet sitter coming to make sure the cats are alright and scoop the litter box. So, I don’t want my house a mess. Which it is (not going to lie).

I haven’t made any new meals this week. I was supposed to make a creamy chicken marsala in the crockpot. But Walmart forgot it in my delivery order last week and I didn’t notice until yesterday.

Blog

I worked a little on my blog. I updated some admin things and went through tags/categories.

Reading:

I have read 2 books since Monday. I was able to sit down (and ignore my messy house…lol) and dive right into reading. I am hoping to read at least 2 more by the end of the week.


What I Recently Finished Reading:

Book Cover
Can a broken Alpha save her from the Big Bad wolves?

Lucas has lost his mate, and he’ll never claim another—his kind of broken can’t be fixed. He’s still alpha enough to rescue a young woman from the predatory Red wolf pack, but when she shows up at his office—as his sexy new intern—she stirs up feelings that need to stay buried…

Mia’s just trying to earn her degree and dig her way out of poverty. Keeping her shifter nature secret is key, but her internship at the hottest dot-com development firm in Seattle also has the hottest boss… and he’s a wolf. Who just happened to save her life.

She’d break all the rules for this guy—except he wants nothing to do with her. And the wolves who do are the Big Bad Wolf kind. The kind she’s always heard about.

Mia’s in the middle of a pack war with nowhere to turn… but to the one guy who doesn’t want her at all.

Claiming Mia is a super-hot complete story with HEA, the first in the Dot Com Wolves series.

I enjoyed Claiming Mia. It was an interesting shifter romance. I didn’t like Lucas at first but once his backstory was explained, I started liking him. This book has a lot of sex in it. A. Lot. Mia and Lucas go at it like bunnies and don’t stop. I enjoyed it but it’s a warning to those people who don’t like a bit of erotica to go with their paranormal romance.


What I am currently reading:

Book Cover
Leaving the Navy after the death of his best friend in the line of duty, ex-SEAL Ben Harper has returned home in search of some form of normalcy. He’s good at hiding his thoughts and feelings and is positive he has everyone around him fooled. After all, no one ever brings his service career up to him, and he likes it that way.

Presley James is drawn to the new Director of Security at the hospital where she works, just like every other nurse and employee in the building. Tall, dark, dangerous and sexy as hell. With a wicked grin and happy hello for everyone—he is a total contradiction. After spending most of her life caring for people, something about Ben is pulling at her. Something about his smile just doesn’t equal up to the rest of him. No matter how hard he tries, she isn’t fooled.

Will she be able to help him find his way when her own baggage is more than even she can handle?

Mature content, not intended for under 18 years of age.

I am on the fence with All or Nothing. I like the romance and the writing. I do not like that Ben basically stalked Presley (he drove by her house 3-4 times after the bar scene) before he found out she worked at the hospital with him. I also don’t like that there is zero backstory on her. There are hints about a past but nothing is explained. I should mention that I am 40% into the book and there should be more depth to her by now. I plan on finishing the book today/tonight.


What books I think I’ll read next:

I am hoping to read at least 2 of these books over the weekend. I have a feeling that The Three-Body Problem is going to be a long book, so I have allotted myself a couple of days to read it. I might have one or two library books coming off hold this week. If that’s the case, they will be read after the ARCs. My reading order for the rest of the week is Library book, ARC, ARC, ARC, TBR, ARC.

Book Cover
Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.
Book Cover
Mystery writer Brooke Davies is the new wife on the block. Her tech-billionaire husband, Jack, twenty-two years her senior, whisked her to the Bay Area via private jet and purchased a modest mansion on the same day. He demands perfection, and before now, Brooke has had no problem playing the role of a doting housewife. But as she befriends other wives on the street and spends considerable time away from Jack, he worries if he doesn’t control Brooke’s every move, she will reveal the truth behind their “perfect” marriage.

Erin King, famed news anchor and chair of the community board, is no stranger to maintaining an image–though being married to a plastic surgeon helps. But the skyrocketing success of her career has worn her love life thin, and her professional ambitions have pushed Mason away. Quitting her job is a Hail Mary attempt at keeping him interested, to steer him away from finding a young trophy wife. But is it enough, and is Mason truly the man she thought he was?

Georgia St. Claire allegedly cashed in on the deaths of her first two husbands, earning her the nickname “Black Widow”–and the stares and whispers of her curious neighbors. Rumored to have murdered both men for their fortunes, she claims to have found true love in her third marriage, yet her mysterious, captivating allure keeps everyone guessing. Then a tragic accident forces the residents of Presidio Terrace to ask: Has Georgia struck again? And what is she really capable of doing to protect her secrets?
Book Cover
When the secrets of the past threaten to destroy the future.

A tale of hope, resilience, and the indomitable spirit of a woman, this sweeping epic spans the Atlantic from New England to Morocco during the Age of Exploration.

2019: A young woman finds a relic engraved with a mysterious symbol off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. Terrorists in Morocco steal a 17th-century book engraved with the same symbol. As the woman struggles to unravel the secrets behind the symbol, her life changes in ways she could never have imagined.

1657: Transported back in time, she meets the alchemist, John Winthrop, Jr. who is plotting to lure the greatest scientific minds to the New World. But the more she learns, the more she fears for the lives of the loved ones she left behind.

In a stunning twist of fate, a modern terrorist has traveled into the past, where he has become a Barbary Corsair. He has plans of his own. And he will stop at nothing to succeed.
Book Cover
Olivia Callahan’s quiet, orderly life is shattered when she regains consciousness in a hospital and discovers she is paralyzed and cannot remember a thing. The fragmented voices she hears around her help her piece together that an apparent assault landed her in the hospital, but nobody knows who attacked her, or why. After a chilling struggle to survive, she awakens from a coma unable to remember what happened to her or anything at all, except she has been told she is an entirely different person. Or is she?

Now, in spite of a brain injury that has rewired her personality, Olivia is on a mission to reclaim her life. As clarity surfaces and she starts to understand who she was, she is shocked. Had she really been that person? And if so, does she want her old life back?
Book Cover
A Highland warrior battles to reclaim his birthright in the first of a new series filled with seduction, revenge, and soul-stirring passion…

They call him the Beast—a hardened mercenary whose heart seems as cold as his icy blue gaze. They do not know his true name: Niall Braewick, son of the Laird of Kincaid. It has been years since he escaped into the forest the night his father was murdered. Now he has returned, ablaze with a vengeful hunger. He will gain the MacClaren chief’s trust, gather his clan, and take back his lands. And take the MacClaren’s daughter as well…

Though he pulled her from the river, saving her life, Elspeth has been warned to keep her distance from her father’s hired warrior. He is a barbarian—a shame, as he is far more compelling than the lechers and fools competing for her dowry. Little does she know that, like the castle itself, she is a prize Niall intends to claim…but will he extract blood for blood and possess what is his, or will his enemy’s beautiful, innocent daughter tempt him to forsake his dream of conquest?
Book Cover
Tessa James has worked and planned tirelessly to open her own millinery shop. All she needs now is a loan from the lord who sired and abandoned her. The only problem is, she doesn’t even know his name. What’s a woman to do to find him but enter the aristocratic world by becoming a governess?

Guy Whitby, the new Duke of Carlin, has returned to London after years abroad to discover that his young daughter Sophy has become a wild-child known for scaring away every governess who’s crossed his doorstep. When Tessa James applies for the job, he hires her in desperation despite his misgivings that she’s too bold and beautiful–and that she might be fibbing about her qualifications.


Their blooming attraction leads them on a completely unexpected path to love that neither wants to deny. But when an old enemy threatens Guy’s family, their forbidden romance goes up in flames. Can they still learn to love and trust each other as forces try to tear them apart?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.


Happy Monday (well, as happy as a Monday can be…lol) everyone and I hope you all had a great weekend!!

I have several great things that happened over the weekend (well since last week’s WWW).

Miss B and Mr. Z got their first Covid shot. I was able to book their appointments that Wednesday night. Miss B got hers on Thursday. She was actually the first teenager that got their vaccine at that Walgreens. Mr. Z got his on Saturday and let me tell you, all of the people waiting for their vaccines were teenagers and their parents. There were 4 kids ahead of Mr. Z and I counted 4 more going in (Miss R was with me and I took her to wait in the van). They get their 2nd dose the first week of June (June 3rd and June 5th) and after that 2-week wait, they will be vaccinated!! All I am waiting on right now is for Miss R’s age group to get approved and our whole family will be vaccinated. Yay!!

The mask mandate was lifted in NC on Friday…if you were vaccinated. I was so happy (I have a mask phobia and wearing them was awful). I walked into the grocery store (Publix) for the first time in over a year without a mask. We also went out to eat as a family on Saturday. It felt weird to walk in without a mask (and the kids were wearing them). I also cringed because the table next to us was coughing up a fit (to the point where the server asked the guy to step outside on the patio….the guy declined).

School ends next week and they are in high gear testing mode. Mr. Z has to go on Wednesday for his ELA end-of-grade test and I believe on the 26th for his science (not sure on that, they weren’t clear). Miss B has her end-of-course testing this week and her end-of-grade test for Math 1 on Monday.

Meanwhile, in 1st grade, Miss R is having a week of fun last couple of weeks of school. I sent her in with 3 cans of shaving cream and 2 packs of spoons for an activity. Not quite sure what they’re doing. She also brought in a board game (it’s game day). Last week, they had Bring Your Favorite Book to School (Thursday and it was Dolly Parton’s A Coat of Many Colors) and Bubbles and Chalk Day (Friday). Her teacher announced that Wednesday will be their last virtual day (Thank the Lord!!).

BK and I did a lot of yard work over the weekend. I started to pressure wash our deck/pressure wash our outdoor furniture while he mowed and weed-whacked. Plus, we cleaned out under the deck (got rid of any/all toys that weren’t put away for the winter). We also made the discovery that we have a huge fire ant nest. For the time being, I told the kids to stay away from that area and we are going to pick up poison to kill them on the weekend. I also set up my birdbath, refilled the seeds/suet, and the dried corn for the squirrels.

I did do some reading over the weekend but only finished 1 book. BK and I discovered this new show on Netflix: Jupiter’s Legacy and we binged it this weekend. It is a very dark superhero series. We originally thought that it would be a good show for Mr. Z but decided that he probably shouldn’t watch it. I liked it. There is a huge twist during the last episode that made me go “WTF!!

Also, because of my bingeathon, I didn’t work on any posts. I was too involved with the show to even think about it….lol.

How was your weekend? Anything interesting happen? Read any good books? Watch any good shows?

Let me know!!


What I am Reading Now:

Book Cover
As the captain of the Chicago Aces, Marc Dupuis is all business. The apartment he shares with his teammate and best friend, Duncan, is a refuge from the pressures of fame. But when the sexiest woman he’s ever seen interrupts his early morning coffee wearing only a skimpy cami and matching panties, Marc can’t exactly say he minds. Their chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, this girl’s no random puck bunny. She’s Duncan’s little sister—and she’s moving in.

Lovey Armstrong could stare at Marc’s chiseled abs and listen to his French-Canadian accent all day. She just has no idea what’s going on inside his head: When he’s not charming her pants off, Marc makes a Zamboni machine seem warm and cuddly. Lovey knows the team’s bro code says no messing with sisters, but all these mixed messages are hard on a girl’s self-esteem—especially since she’s finally getting her new life together in Chicago. She decides he’s worth another shot . . . because if anyone can melt the ice around Marc’s heart, it’s Lovey.

This was a series I started mid-series in. I started at book 5 and finished the series out. So, I put books 1-4 on my TBR list and figured that I would get around to reading them. Well, here I am. I started reading this last night and I am about a chapter in and I am loving it. I had always wondered about Lovey and Marc’s relationship and how it got started. Now I know!!


What I plan on reading this week:

My reading order for this week is pretty set. My library book should be coming off hold at some point this week (I am #3 in the queue and they have 3 books that they are lending out). So, for this week, the reading order is TBR, TBR, Library, ARC.

Book Cover
Can a broken Alpha save her from the Big Bad wolves?

Lucas has lost his mate, and he’ll never claim another—his kind of broken can’t be fixed. He’s still alpha enough to rescue a young woman from the predatory Red wolf pack, but when she shows up at his office—as his sexy new intern—she stirs up feelings that need to stay buried…

Mia’s just trying to earn her degree and dig her way out of poverty. Keeping her shifter nature secret is key, but her internship at the hottest dot-com development firm in Seattle also has the hottest boss… and he’s a wolf. Who just happened to save her life.

She’d break all the rules for this guy—except he wants nothing to do with her. And the wolves who do are the Big Bad Wolf kind. The kind she’s always heard about.


Mia’s in the middle of a pack war with nowhere to turn… but to the one guy who doesn’t want her at all.
Book Cover
All books can be read as a stand alone or in order of the series.

Leaving the Navy after the death of his best friend in the line of duty, ex-SEAL Ben Harper has returned home in search of some form of normalcy. He’s good at hiding his thoughts and feelings and is positive he has everyone around him fooled. After all, no one ever brings his service career up to him, and he likes it that way.

Presley James is drawn to the new Director of Security at the hospital where she works, just like every other nurse and employee in the building. Tall, dark, dangerous and sexy as hell. With a wicked grin and happy hello for everyone—he is a total contradiction. After spending most of her life caring for people, something about Ben is pulling at her. Something about his smile just doesn’t equal up to the rest of him. No matter how hard he tries, she isn’t fooled.

Will she be able to help him find his way when her own baggage is more than even she can handle?


Mature content, not intended for under 18 years of age.
Book Cover
The Three-Body Problem is the first chance for English-speaking readers to experience the Hugo Award-winning phenomenon from China’s most beloved science fiction author, Liu Cixin.

Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.
Book Cover
Mystery writer Brooke Davies is the new wife on the block. Her tech-billionaire husband, Jack, twenty-two years her senior, whisked her to the Bay Area via private jet and purchased a modest mansion on the same day. He demands perfection, and before now, Brooke has had no problem playing the role of a doting housewife. But as she befriends other wives on the street and spends considerable time away from Jack, he worries if he doesn’t control Brooke’s every move, she will reveal the truth behind their “perfect” marriage.

Erin King, famed news anchor and chair of the community board, is no stranger to maintaining an image–though being married to a plastic surgeon helps. But the skyrocketing success of her career has worn her love life thin, and her professional ambitions have pushed Mason away. Quitting her job is a Hail Mary attempt at keeping him interested, to steer him away from finding a young trophy wife. But is it enough, and is Mason truly the man she thought he was?

Georgia St. Claire allegedly cashed in on the deaths of her first two husbands, earning her the nickname “Black Widow”–and the stares and whispers of her curious neighbors. Rumored to have murdered both men for their fortunes, she claims to have found true love in her third marriage, yet her mysterious, captivating allure keeps everyone guessing. Then a tragic accident forces the residents of Presidio Terrace to ask: Has Georgia struck again? And what is she really capable of doing to protect her secrets?

WWW Wednesday: May 12th 2021

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?


Personal:

Allergies and that awful cold has been banished from the house. Mr Z was the last one to get it and wouldn’t you know, he got it the worst. He is also my one kid that NEVER gets sick. So it figures that he got laid out with this cold.

Mr. Z has his end-of-grade testing coming up. He did his math today and ELA next week. I’m expecting him to pass both with flying colors. Put it this way, he has a 96 in Math and a 97 in ELA. His GPA is 4.0.

Miss B’s end-of-course testing starts next week. She has one EOG on the 24th. After that, she’s out of school. Well, according to her she’s out of school for the rest of that week. I do plan on emailing her EC (special Ed) teacher to confirm

Because Miss R is in 1st grade, they don’t do end-of-grade testing. Instead, they see how proficient the kids are in math, ELA, writing, and science/social studies. Because Miss R’s teacher contacted me last week, I know that she isn’t proficient in writing. Honestly, I am not that worried about it. I will work with her over the summer break (I got workbooks). Considering how messed up the school year was, I am happy that she is on grade level for everything else.

BK is in Baltimore/Washington D.C. this week. I am worried about how he is going to get home with the gas shortages. He took his company car there yesterday and had problems finding a gas station. He’s hoping that by tomorrow that there will be gas.

Speaking of the gas shortage, we’re good with gas. BK fills the cars (Dodge Journey and Dodge Grand Caravan) up every Saturday/Sunday. So, we’re good for a while if I only drive when I have to. They are expecting everything to be OKish by the weekend (according to the news).

BK and I finally got to watch another episode of The Nevers on Sunday. I am really enjoying that show. But, because of the shitstorm that is around Joss Whedon, I am wondering if it will be canceled….sigh. Hey, at least I still have The Magicians and Lovecraft County.

I have stopped playing Black Desert Online. The game got boring for me. I decided to redownload Elder Scrolls Online and play that. So far, I am liking it!!

I made Slow-Cooker Savory Roast Chicken and Vegetables with garlic mashed potatoes for supper last night. It was a bust. None of the kids ate it. Miss B didn’t like the taste of the chicken, Miss R didn’t like that there were mushrooms in it, and Mr. Z doesn’t like chicken, period. I thought it tasted good….shrug. Gotta love having picky kids.

Blog

I had posted this on Monday (on the IMWAYR post) but I am going to restate it here. I am finally able to edit my posts without having to scroll through all of them. I was so excited about that and I did about 5-6 posts before closing shop for the night. I am hoping to get all my posts edited/links fixed by the end of the summer!!

Reading:

I didn’t do a lot of reading last week. As I mentioned in that IMWAYR post, I had an awful migraine that lasted two days. Then it was my birthday/Mother’s day. Then on Monday, my Kindle died (that happens when you don’t charge it….lol). But I was able to finish one book last night and I am almost done with another.


What I Recently Finished Reading:

Book Cover
Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious race that we only know as the Overseers took primitive humans and scattered them on dozens of worlds across the galaxy. Now, some of those people have found their way back to Earth. A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai has tracked a criminal through unexplored regions of space in the hopes of recovering a symbiont that grants its host the ability to bend space and time. Her search leads her to Earth, where she befriends a young man named Jack Hunter. Together, they will face enemies with advanced technology as they struggle to recover the symbiont before its power falls into the wrong hands.

I wasn’t a huge fan of this book. I loved what was promised in the blurb. But once Anna and Jack got the symbiont, the book got very, very weird.


What I am currently reading:

Book Cover
What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.

I am enjoying this book, even though it isn’t quite what the blurb promised. Yes, October is a nurse but the blurb fails to mention that she has severe OCD. That is brought on by being raised by an abusive hoarder of a mother. As for her being an Omen, October wasn’t even aware of it until the night she met her mother’s new boyfriend. Other than that, I am loving it. Von is one of my favorite characters (the scene where he is trying not to feed on October was pretty funny…mainly because of what he was saying). Mason, I am not sure of, and I do NOT like Danny. He’s a little too free with his hands if you know what I mean.


What books I think I’ll read next:

I finally have new books on my TBR list for this next week. I will have a book come off hold from the library at some point this week, so I am including it on this week’s list. The order in which I will be reading these books are NetGalley ARC, Author ARC, Library book, TBR, TBR, TBR.

Book Cover
At twenty-six, Dahlia Lighthouse has a lot to learn when it comes to the real world. Raised in a secluded island mansion deep in the woods and kept isolated by her true crime-obsessed parents, she has spent the last several years living on her own, but unable to move beyond her past—especially the disappearance of her twin brother Andy when they were sixteen.

With her father’s death, Dahlia returns to the house she has avoided for years. But as the rest of the Lighthouse family arrives for the memorial, a gruesome discovery is made: buried in the reserved plot is another body—Andy’s, his skull split open with an ax.


Each member of the family handles the revelation in unusual ways. Her brother Charlie pours his energy into creating a family memorial museum, highlighting their research into the lives of famous murder victims; her sister Tate forges ahead with her popular dioramas portraying crime scenes; and their mother affects a cheerfully domestic façade, becoming unrecognizable as the woman who performed murder reenactments for her children. As Dahlia grapples with her own grief and horror, she realizes that her eccentric family, and the mansion itself, may hold the answers to what happened to her twin.
Book Cover
I, Elya Pavlovna, am a horribly wicked and unfortunate girl.

After her governess is fired for teaching her to read, Elya writes in a secret journal to continue her lessons on her own. Though, as an unwanted scullery maid, she doubts she will ever have much to say.

But when a charming stranger answers her private messages, Elya’s world turns upside down. He calls her sweet. He calls her strong. He challenges her to come to a palace celebration and leave her abusive past behind.

Each small push reveals more risks and hidden heartache. Will the magic of their words be enough to rewrite their story together, or will it all fade away at midnight?

If you like inspirational heroines, unique love stories, and untrustworthy fae, this romantic fantasy is for you! One-click now to start the magic, romance, and heart-wrenching emotional journey!

Letters by Cinderlight is a twist on the Cinderella story based in Slavic mythology and full of magical fairies with stories of their own.

What are HighTower Fairytales?

HighTower Fairytales lean more toward the original sources (NOT Disney) with rich semi-historical settings. They have magic. They have scary monsters. And, most importantly, they have unique and complex characters who are trying hard to improve themselves.

They also include plenty of humor and all the heroes marry their prince/princess charming and live happily ever after at the end!

Basically, these stories meant to inspire, but have a very difficult and occasionally dark tower to climb. They are conservatively marked at 14+ and are appropriate for teens and young adults.

Currently these stories include:

Winter Falls: A Tale of the Snow Queen (2017)
Cry Wolf: A Tale of Beauty and the Beast (2020)
Depths: A Tale of the Little Mermaid (2020)
Letters by Cinderlight: A Tale of Cinderella (2021)
Robin’s Hood: A Tale of Sherwood Forest (2021)

And more on the way!!!
Book Cover
Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth. Meanwhile, on Earth, different camps start forming, planning to either welcome the superior beings and help them take over a world seen as corrupt, or to fight against the invasion. The result is a science fiction masterpiece of enormous scope and vision.
Book Cover
As the captain of the Chicago Aces, Marc Dupuis is all business. The apartment he shares with his teammate and best friend, Duncan, is a refuge from the pressures of fame. But when the sexiest woman he’s ever seen interrupts his early morning coffee wearing only a skimpy cami and matching panties, Marc can’t exactly say he minds. Their chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, this girl’s no random puck bunny. She’s Duncan’s little sister—and she’s moving in.

Lovey Armstrong could stare at Marc’s chiseled abs and listen to his French-Canadian accent all day. She just has no idea what’s going on inside his head: When he’s not charming her pants off, Marc makes a Zamboni machine seem warm and cuddly. Lovey knows the team’s bro code says no messing with sisters, but all these mixed messages are hard on a girl’s self-esteem—especially since she’s finally getting her new life together in Chicago. She decides he’s worth another shot . . . because if anyone can melt the ice around Marc’s heart, it’s Lovey.
Book Cover
Can a broken Alpha save her from the Big Bad wolves?

Lucas has lost his mate, and he’ll never claim another—his kind of broken can’t be fixed. He’s still alpha enough to rescue a young woman from the predatory Red wolf pack, but when she shows up at his office—as his sexy new intern—she stirs up feelings that need to stay buried…

Mia’s just trying to earn her degree and dig her way out of poverty. Keeping her shifter nature secret is key, but her internship at the hottest dot-com development firm in Seattle also has the hottest boss… and he’s a wolf. Who just happened to save her life.

She’d break all the rules for this guy—except he wants nothing to do with her. And the wolves who do are the Big Bad Wolf kind. The kind she’s always heard about.


Mia’s in the middle of a pack war with nowhere to turn… but to the one guy who doesn’t want her at all.
Book Cover
Leaving the Navy after the death of his best friend in the line of duty, ex-SEAL Ben Harper has returned home in search of some form of normalcy. He’s good at hiding his thoughts and feelings and is positive he has everyone around him fooled. After all, no one ever brings his service career up to him, and he likes it that way.

Presley James is drawn to the new Director of Security at the hospital where she works, just like every other nurse and employee in the building. Tall, dark, dangerous and sexy as hell. With a wicked grin and happy hello for everyone—he is a total contradiction. After spending most of her life caring for people, something about Ben is pulling at her. Something about his smile just doesn’t equal up to the rest of him. No matter how hard he tries, she isn’t fooled.

Will she be able to help him find his way when her own baggage is more than even she can handle?

Mature content, not intended for under 18 years of age.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet up and share what you have been, and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit and comment and er… add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kidlit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle grade novels, young adult novels or anything in those genres – join them.


Happy Monday (well, as happy as a Monday can be…lol) everyone and I hope you all had a great weekend!!

For all my Mom blogger friends: Happy Belated Mother’s Day!!! I hope you had a relaxing and wonderful day with your family. I know I did :).

My weekend was great. We completed our outdoor patio area and are thinking of building an area for a firepit. We also started clearing out the area for the pool. I have talked BK into putting sand on top of a tarp so the bottom isn’t as bumpy as it was last year.

We also made our plans for a vacation to Fl. See, last year, we were supposed to go and stay at a cottage on the beach in April. Since Covid happened, our plans got canceled. Well, this year, we are going down for Memorial Day weekend. Our plans are Epcot, Legoland, my MIL’s pool, and the beach. Everyone is super excited. We even hired someone to come in, make sure the cats’ food and water are filled, scoop the litter box, and play with the cats when we are gone. FYI: Rover.com is the place to go for that.

I didn’t read this weekend. With everything that was going on (Friday was my birthday and Sunday was Mother’s Day) on top of having a migraine Thursday and Friday, I didn’t pick up my Kindle. I do plan on sitting down after this post is up and reading.

I worked on my blog for a little bit on Saturday. I had gotten an email from WordPress with the interesting news that you can switch the posts back to the admin view. Go into your account, account setting, and above the dashboard color schemes section is a tab that says “Show wp-admin pages if available.” Click it so it is green and it is changed. I’ll tell you guys, that has made a HUGE difference for me. Instead of scrolling through my posts, I can go, click an arrow to the end, and backtrack to the last post I was editing.

How was your weekend? Anything interesting happen? Read any good books? Find out something that makes your life (blogging and otherwise) 100% easier?

Let me know!!


What I am Reading Now:

Book Cover
Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious race that we only know as the Overseers took primitive humans and scattered them on dozens of worlds across the galaxy. Now, some of those people have found their way back to Earth. A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai has tracked a criminal through unexplored regions of space in the hopes of recovering a symbiont that grants its host the ability to bend space and time. Her search leads her to Earth, where she befriends a young man named Jack Hunter. Together, they will face enemies with advanced technology as they struggle to recover the symbiont before its power falls into the wrong hands.

I got into 30% of Symbiosis before my migraine started last week. Honestly, I am a little “meh” about this book. The characters aren’t my favorite and the plotline makes no sense. I am hoping that it straightens out soon or I am going to DNF it.


What I plan on reading this week:

My reading order for these books are TBR, ARC, TBR, TBR, TBR. I do have a library book coming off hold this week and I will read that before the last three TBR’s.

Book Cover
What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.
Book Cover
At twenty-six, Dahlia Lighthouse has a lot to learn when it comes to the real world. Raised in a secluded island mansion deep in the woods and kept isolated by her true crime-obsessed parents, she has spent the last several years living on her own, but unable to move beyond her past—especially the disappearance of her twin brother Andy when they were sixteen.

With her father’s death, Dahlia returns to the house she has avoided for years. But as the rest of the Lighthouse family arrives for the memorial, a gruesome discovery is made: buried in the reserved plot is another body—Andy’s, his skull split open with an ax.


Each member of the family handles the revelation in unusual ways. Her brother Charlie pours his energy into creating a family memorial museum, highlighting their research into the lives of famous murder victims; her sister Tate forges ahead with her popular dioramas portraying crime scenes; and their mother affects a cheerfully domestic façade, becoming unrecognizable as the woman who performed murder reenactments for her children. As Dahlia grapples with her own grief and horror, she realizes that her eccentric family, and the mansion itself, may hold the answers to what happened to her twin.
Book Cover
As the captain of the Chicago Aces, Marc Dupuis is all business. The apartment he shares with his teammate and best friend, Duncan, is a refuge from the pressures of fame. But when the sexiest woman he’s ever seen interrupts his early morning coffee wearing only a skimpy cami and matching panties, Marc can’t exactly say he minds. Their chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, this girl’s no random puck bunny. She’s Duncan’s little sister—and she’s moving in.

Lovey Armstrong could stare at Marc’s chiseled abs and listen to his French-Canadian accent all day. She just has no idea what’s going on inside his head: When he’s not charming her pants off, Marc makes a Zamboni machine seem warm and cuddly. Lovey knows the team’s bro code says no messing with sisters, but all these mixed messages are hard on a girl’s self-esteem—especially since she’s finally getting her new life together in Chicago. She decides he’s worth another shot . . . because if anyone can melt the ice around Marc’s heart, it’s Love
y.
Book Cover
Can a broken Alpha save her from the Big Bad wolves?

Lucas has lost his mate, and he’ll never claim another—his kind of broken can’t be fixed. He’s still alpha enough to rescue a young woman from the predatory Red wolf pack, but when she shows up at his office—as his sexy new intern—she stirs up feelings that need to stay buried…

Mia’s just trying to earn her degree and dig her way out of poverty. Keeping her shifter nature secret is key, but her internship at the hottest dot-com development firm in Seattle also has the hottest boss… and he’s a wolf. Who just happened to save her life.

She’d break all the rules for this guy—except he wants nothing to do with her. And the wolves who do are the Big Bad Wolf kind. The kind she’s always heard about.

Mia’s in the middle of a pack war with nowhere to turn… but to the one guy who doesn’t want her at all.
Book Cover
Leaving the Navy after the death of his best friend in the line of duty, ex-SEAL Ben Harper has returned home in search of some form of normalcy. He’s good at hiding his thoughts and feelings and is positive he has everyone around him fooled. After all, no one ever brings his service career up to him, and he likes it that way.

Presley James is drawn to the new Director of Security at the hospital where she works, just like every other nurse and employee in the building. Tall, dark, dangerous and sexy as hell. With a wicked grin and happy hello for everyone—he is a total contradiction. After spending most of her life caring for people, something about Ben is pulling at her. Something about his smile just doesn’t equal up to the rest of him. No matter how hard he tries, she isn’t fooled.

Will she be able to help him find his way when her own baggage is more than even she can handle?

WWW Wednesday: May 5th 2021

IMG_1384-0

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

The Three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?


Personal:

Allergies are easing up here (thank God!!). I haven’t taken an allergy pill in a little over 2 days and I am hoping that we’re over the hump.

With Miss B and Miss R being back in school, I knew that sickness was right around the corner. And oh man, has it hit our household. Everyone (except me, I think I have Mom immunity) has gotten this awful cold. It started with Miss R last Wednesday and by Sunday, BK got it. I’ll admit, I did get a little nervous when I heard the coughing. But, all symptoms were knocked out by Dayquil and everyone (except BK who is on day 3) was over it in 4 days.

Miss B found out that she will not have to take her World History final exam. She was thrilled about that. She does wish that she didn’t have to take her Math 1 or honors ELA exams.

Mr Z takes his exams starting next Wednesday. He only has to take Math and ELA. He has to go to the school and take the test. On a Wednesday (they are virtual here on Wednesdays). At 730 in the morning. Lucky for him (or not lucky depending on how you look at it), I am up by 615 on the weekdays and will be able to wake him up fairly early.

Miss R is still loving school. Her favorite classes: Music (and I like her music class too) with Art being a very close second. She has a boy in her class who likes her….lol.

BK is still traveling. He is off to Atlanta, DC, North Dakota, and NYC this month. I am enjoying the peace during the day (and at night). The only place he hasn’t been is North Dakota and he is excited about going. I told him to take pictures (I live through him).

I haven’t been watching a ton of TV. BK and I did sneak in an episode of Lovecraft County over the weekend. I had nightmares about the ghosts in Letty’s house and what was done to them. Shudder.I am still playing BDO and my games on my phone. My huge generation on BitLife died out yesterday. I was super sad because I was on generation 83.

I made Slow-Cooker Pork Burrito Bowls last night. I wasn’t a huge fan of it. It was the lettuce. If I made it again, I would leave the lettuce out.

Blog

Same old thing going on with the blog. I have had zero motivation with fixing it up.

Reading

I read 4 books between last Wednesday and yesterday. Yay me!!!


What I Recently Finished Reading:

Book Cover
The town of Whistling Ridge guards its secrets.

When seventeen-year-old Abigail goes missing, her best friend Emma, compelled by the guilt of leaving her alone at a party in the woods, sets out to discover the truth about what happened. The police initially believe Abi ran away, but Emma doesn’t believe that her friend would leave without her, and when officers find disturbing evidence in the nearby woods, the festering secrets and longstanding resentment of both Abigail’s family and the people of Whistling Ridge, Colorado begin to surface with devastating consequences.


Among those secrets: Abi’s older brother Noah’s passionate, dangerous love for the handsome Rat, a recently arrived Romanian immigrant who has recently made his home in the trailer park in town; her younger brother Jude’s feeling that he knows information he should tell the police, if only he could put it into words; Abi’s father’s mercurial, unpredictable rages and her mother’s silence. Then there is the rest of Whistling Ridge, where a charismatic preacher advocates for God’s love in language that mirrors violence, under the sway of the powerful businessman who rules the town, insular and wary of outsiders.

But Abi had secrets, too, and the closer Emma grows to unraveling the past, the farther she feels from her friend. And in a tinder box of small-town rage, and all it will take is just one spark—the truth of what really happened that night—to change their community forever.

I am not going to say too much about this book except it evoked very strong emotions while reading it. Not saying I didn’t like it but there are some strong themes running through this book that kept me up after I finished it. Mainly because there are still towns and people out there that act like the people in this book and it scares me.


What I am currently reading:

Book Cover
Ten thousand years ago, a mysterious race that we only know as the Overseers took primitive humans and scattered them on dozens of worlds across the galaxy. Now, some of those people have found their way back to Earth. A young Justice Keeper named Anna Lenai has tracked a criminal through unexplored regions of space in the hopes of recovering a symbiont that grants its host the ability to bend space and time. Her search leads her to Earth, where she befriends a young man named Jack Hunter. Together, they will face enemies with advanced technology as they struggle to recover the symbiont before its power falls into the wrong hands.

I am finally reading this book!! I only got into a couple of pages before I fell asleep but yay!!


What books I think I’ll read next:

I am finally getting to the books that have been on my TBR forever!! The order in which I will read them are: TBR, ARC, and TBR. I do have a book that can possibly come off hold this week. If it does, I will read it before the other TBRs.

Book Cover
What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shapeshifting warrior and a half-vampire plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.
Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.
Book Cover
At twenty-six, Dahlia Lighthouse has a lot to learn when it comes to the real world. Raised in a secluded island mansion deep in the woods and kept isolated by her true crime-obsessed parents, she has spent the last several years living on her own, but unable to move beyond her past—especially the disappearance of her twin brother Andy when they were sixteen.

With her father’s death, Dahlia returns to the house she has avoided for years. But as the rest of the Lighthouse family arrives for the memorial, a gruesome discovery is made: buried in the reserved plot is another body—Andy’s, his skull split open with an ax.


Each member of the family handles the revelation in unusual ways. Her brother Charlie pours his energy into creating a family memorial museum, highlighting their research into the lives of famous murder victims; her sister Tate forges ahead with her popular dioramas portraying crime scenes; and their mother affects a cheerfully domestic façade, becoming unrecognizable as the woman who performed murder reenactments for her children. As Dahlia grapples with her own grief and horror, she realizes that her eccentric family, and the mansion itself, may hold the answers to what happened to her twin.
Book Cover
As the captain of the Chicago Aces, Marc Dupuis is all business. The apartment he shares with his teammate and best friend, Duncan, is a refuge from the pressures of fame. But when the sexiest woman he’s ever seen interrupts his early morning coffee wearing only a skimpy cami and matching panties, Marc can’t exactly say he minds. Their chemistry is off the charts. Unfortunately, this girl’s no random puck bunny. She’s Duncan’s little sister—and she’s moving in.

Lovey Armstrong could stare at Marc’s chiseled abs and listen to his French-Canadian accent all day. She just has no idea what’s going on inside his head: When he’s not charming her pants off, Marc makes a Zamboni machine seem warm and cuddly. Lovey knows the team’s bro code says no messing with sisters, but all these mixed messages are hard on a girl’s self-esteem—especially since she’s finally getting her new life together in Chicago. She decides he’s worth another shot . . . because if anyone can melt the ice around Marc’s heart, it’s Lovey.
Book Cover
Can a broken Alpha save her from the Big Bad wolves?

Lucas has lost his mate, and he’ll never claim another—his kind of broken can’t be fixed. He’s still alpha enough to rescue a young woman from the predatory Red wolf pack, but when she shows up at his office—as his sexy new intern—she stirs up feelings that need to stay buried…

Mia’s just trying to earn her degree and dig her way out of poverty. Keeping her shifter nature secret is key, but her internship at the hottest dot-com development firm in Seattle also has the hottest boss… and he’s a wolf. Who just happened to save her life.

She’d break all the rules for this guy—except he wants nothing to do with her. And the wolves who do are the Big Bad Wolf kind. The kind she’s always heard about.


Mia’s in the middle of a pack war with nowhere to turn… but to the one guy who doesn’t want her at all.
Book Cover
Leaving the Navy after the death of his best friend in the line of duty, ex-SEAL Ben Harper has returned home in search of some form of normalcy. He’s good at hiding his thoughts and feelings and is positive he has everyone around him fooled. After all, no one ever brings his service career up to him, and he likes it that way.
Presley James is drawn to the new Director of Security at the hospital where she works, just like every other nurse and employee in the building. Tall, dark, dangerous and sexy as hell. With a wicked grin and happy hello for everyone—he is a total contradiction. After spending most of her life caring for people, something about Ben is pulling at her. Something about his smile just doesn’t equal up to the rest of him. No matter how hard he tries, she isn’t fooled.
Will she be able to help him find his way when her own baggage is more than even she can handle?
Mature content, not intended for under 18 years of age.