Tag: WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesday: April 7th 2021

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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:

It looks like my infection is gone. The medication that the Dr prescribed to me is working (knock on wood). So I am doing a cautious yay!!

Miss R got braces on her upper teeth last week. I have had a lot of people (in real life) question why I chose braces at 7. Here’s my answer: When she got her teeth pulled back in August (she had two extra teeth that needed to come out), the oral surgeon pulled 7 extra teeth. When her orthodontist found out, he was upset because the oral surgeon didn’t consult him before hand. The result of the extra teeth being pulled was her adult teeth shifted on top. She had a huge gap and a top tooth that was coming in sideways. Plus, the way the teeth shifted, her other adult teeth couldn’t come through. So, she needed to get braces to A) turn the sideways tooth and B ) push together the teeth and to make room so her other teeth can come in. She will only have them on for 6 months but still. If the oral surgeon just pulled the teeth that he was supposed to, then this mess wouldn’t have happened.

Miss B got selected to join The Beta Club. I am so proud of her. For those of you who are new to the blog, Miss B has ADHD, GAD, and a non specific math learning disability. When we moved, Miss B was found to have a kindergarten math level in 4th grade. Thanks to a school with a great special ed program (they call it Exception Children here) and teachers that were willing to help (unlike her previous school), she is almost up to grade level. She is super excited (as is her EC teacher) and there is an induction ceremony in a couple of weeks. If she keeps her grades up, she gets to wear a special cord with her graduation gown. So, yes, I am very proud of her!!

There is nothing new going on with Mr. Z. He’s not going back to school next week (I gave him the choice) and he is pretty pumped to be doing his school work without interruptions from his sisters.

I have gotten sucked into the world of The Magicians. I am at the end of Season 1 (there are 4 seasons) and am in shock. Unfortunately, I will not be watching it until next week (when BK is traveling for work). I also have been watching a lot of YouTube with Miss R. She watches this one YouTuber, Gloom, who is freaking hilarious. She is among the very few YouTubers that I can watch without wanting to poke my eardrums out.

I made Slow Cooker French Onion Chicken last night. It was eh. The chicken was dry (it almost always is when I cook chicken in the crockpot). But the taste was fantastic!! I will not be making this again. Dry chicken doesn’t do it for me when I eat.

Blog

I did nothing to my blog last week. Nada. I wasn’t feeling it (plus, I got busy). I plan on doing more work on it this year.

Reading

I actually got through 95% of the books from last weeks WWW. I surprised myself with that. I also had one book come off hold from the library, with 2 more looking like they will come off within the next couple of weeks.

What I Recently Finished Reading:

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It’s been 20 long years since a night of horror where Detective Jess Antler’s 10-year-old brother Billy was abducted. Despite Jess seeing the intruder face to face, neither he or her brother were ever found. After enduring a terrifying adolescence at the hands of her abusive Aunt, Jess has learnt to push away her feelings about her brother, and her drive to find him.

As everyone says, Billy’s never coming back. It’s time to move on.

However after uncovering Billy’s secret diary, Jess begins to unravel the mystery further and discovers shocking truths about her family and what Billy was really mixed up in.

This book was OK until the last chapters. Then it did a total 180 (that didn’t make sense). I was left with a WTH feeling after reading it.

What I am currently reading:

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Cursed with the ability to weave thread into gold, Brie has learned to trust no one. Her parents keep her around so they can gamble their money away and now her boyfriend’s only staying because he’s got a collection of game systems to grow.

When Brie grabs the attention of Stilt, the new guy in town, it changes everything. Brie is a Legend—a character in a fairytale—and she belongs in a realm of magic called Fable. But when she crosses over to the new world with Stilt, she soon learns that the cruel ruler of the realm has taken an interest in her ability-and it could cost Brie her life.

Stilt promises that he can help her escape, but in return, he asks for something that she might not be able to give. Can Brie put her trust in Stilt or will she die at the hands of greed?

I am enjoying this book. What I am enjoying is that this isn’t your typical fairytale retelling. It is a darker retelling (much darker than the original one). I can’t wait to see what Fable has in store for Brie. I also can’t wait to see if Brie takes her own destiny in her hands.

What books I think I’ll read next:

The first two books, I will definitely read. One is a library book and the other an ARC that I need to read. I am iffy about the other 4 books. I have 2 books that are on hold at the library that could come off hold. If that happens, then I will read those first.

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Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.

2000. Bright, ambitious, and yearning for adulthood, fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her magnetic and guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher.

2017. Amid the rising wave of allegations against powerful men, a reckoning is coming due. Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa, and now Vanessa suddenly finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? Is it possible that the man she loved as a teenager—and who professed to worship only her—may be far different from what she has always believed?

Alternating between Vanessa’s present and her past, My Dark Vanessa juxtaposes memory and trauma with the breathless excitement of a teenage girl discovering the power her own body can wield. Thought-provoking and impossible to put down, this is a masterful portrayal of troubled adolescence and its repercussions that raises vital questions about agency, consent, complicity, and victimhood. Written with the haunting intimacy of The Girls and the creeping intensity of Room, My Dark Vanessa is an era-defining novel that brilliantly captures and reflects the shifting cultural mores transforming our relationships and society itself.
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For decades, people have been warned about the Cold Creek Highway. Hitchhikers have vanished along it over the years, and women have been known to have their cars break down… and never be seen again. When Hailey McBride decides to run away from an unbearable living situation, she thinks that her outdoor skills will help her disappear into the Cold Creek wilderness, and she counts on people thinking that she was the victim of the killer.

One year later, Beth Chevalier arrives in Cold Creek to attend a memorial for the victims of the highway, but it might as well be one week for the amount of pain that Beth is still dealing with after her sister, Amber, was murdered the previous summer. Beth has quit university, is lying to her parents, and popping pills like Tic Tacs. Maybe this will finally bring her peace.

When she gets a job at a local diner where Amber once worked, she connects with people who knew her sister. Beth wants to find who killed her sister and put her own life back together, but as she gets closer to the truth, she learns that there is more than one person lying in Cold Creek.
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Could finding love be his greatest scandal of all?

The Duke of Griffin has never lived down his reputation as one of the Rakes of St. James. Now rumors are swirling that his twin sisters may bear the brunt of his past follies. Hiring a competent chaperone is the only thing Griffin has on his mind–until he meets the lovely and intriguing Miss Esmeralda Swift. In ways he could never have expected, she arouses more than just his curiosity.

Esmeralda Swift considered herself too sensible to ever fall for a scoundrel, but that was before she met the irresistibly seductive Duke of Griffin. His employment offer proves too tempting for her to resist. She can’t afford to be distracted by his devilish charms because the stakes are so high for his sisters’ debut Season. . .unless one of London’s most notorious rakes has had a change of heart and is ready to make Esmeralda his bride?
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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.
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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.

WWW Wednesday: March 31st 2021

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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:

So, I still have that flipping bladder infection. Cue in long, frustrated scream. If this new round of antibiotics don’t work, then off I go to a specialist. I am not very happy and very frustrated.

My garden is doing well. Nothing has sprouted yet (knock on wood). My bird feeders, though, are a whole different story. I am getting a ton of birds….and squirrels. I ended up getting a squirrels feeder, hoping that it would keep them out of my feeders. Nope. Instead, I have a heavily pregnant squirrel using my deck feeder as her personal buffet. I have named her Mama and can’t wait to see the babies!! I also have an opossum visiting. I caught it on camera sitting on my back deck. I think it was debating on going after the suet feeder….lol. I don’t mind them. They keep the ticks and bugs down in the yard. Plus, they eat mice and rats, which make them my best friends (I have a mice/rat phobia).

I made the decision last week to send Miss R back to school 4 days a week. I had noticed that she wasn’t as into her virtual lessons as she was. Plus, it seemed that she was missing out when there was a substitute. So, after talking with BK, I decided to send her back after Easter break. After getting the OK from the teacher/principal, I told her. It was like someone flipped a switch. She has been so excited to do her schoolwork and all she talks about is going back to school.

I made the non refundable deposit for Miss B’s driving school. It took me and the instructor about a week of going back and forth before we finally connected. So, for a week in July, she will be going to driving school, 9-5. Then she will start driving (6 hours on the road). She is super nervous but also excited.

I am still watching The Magicians. I was a little iffy about it for the first couple of episodes but I have gotten into it. Unfortunately, Miss B has decided to watch Criminal Minds by herself. She says its because she wants to “absorb the episodes.” Don’t ask me to translate….lol. BK and I have started watching The Irregulars. I really like it even though I got freaked out by the first episode.

I made Slow-Cooker Sesame Chicken with Cashews this past week. It was alright. The kids weren’t crazy about it. It tasted fine but the chicken was dry. So, I will not be making this again.

Blog

I changed my theme for the blog. I had Rosalie originally but changed to Independent Publisher 2. I am liking this theme a whole lot better than the Rosalie one. There were a lot more options for customization.

I started going through my posts again. I am slowly, but surely, updating links/covers/blurbs or just taking posts down for books that aren’t even on Goodreads/Amazon anymore. Its tedious, but needs to be done.

I am not sure if I like the new changes that WordPress pushed through earlier this week. I am used to having the admin page open up to a different window, not having it all on one page. But, I will get used to it. I don’t have a choice.

Reading

I didn’t do so great reading since last week’s WWW. I think I read 2 books between Thursday and yesterday? I was stuck on a book that I got from the library. I thought that I was going to love it. Instead, I was “eh” about it and it took me 3 days to finish. So disappointing when that happens.

What I Recently Finished Reading:

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When headstrong West Indian heiress Patience Jordan questioned her English husband’s mysterious suicide, she lost everything: her newborn son, Lionel, her fortune—and her freedom. Falsely imprisoned, she risks her life to be near her child—until The Widow’s Grace gets her hired as her own son’s nanny. But working for his unsuspecting new guardian, Busick Strathmore, Duke of Repington, has perils of its own. Especially when Patience discovers his military strictness belies an ex-rake of unswerving honor—and unexpected passion . . .

A wounded military hero, Busick is determined to resolve his dead cousin’s dangerous financial dealings for Lionel’s sake. But his investigation is a minor skirmish compared to dealing with the forthright, courageous, and alluring Patience. Somehow, she’s breaking his rules, and sweeping past his defenses. Soon, between formidable enemies and obstacles, they form a fragile trust—but will it be enough to save the future they long to dare together?

I was so disappointed by this book. I had seen a couple of reviews by people that had loved it and thought to myself “Well, this seems like something I would like to read.” It is a favorite genre with a twist. Plus, having a POC as a main character for that era was brilliant. Then I read the book and cringed. I couldn’t get into the romance between Patience and Busick. The plotline bored me. I called the ending. It was a relief when the book ended.

What I am currently reading:

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It’s 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more–even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.

Then she meets Archie Carmichael. Handsome, wealthy–the only man she’s ever met who seems to accept her modern ways–her independent nature and passion for success. But once she accepts his proposal of marriage he starts to change his tune, and Olive must decide if she is willing to reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice the life she loves for the man she loves.

Words can’t begin to describe how much I am enjoying this book. Olive McCormick (aka Olive Shines) is unusual for the era that book is set in. She is a strong woman who is living her life the way she wants. I am about 20% into the book and so much has happened. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the book will be like!!

What books I think I’ll read next:

I was pretty set with the books I had on the list for next week. It was going to be a repeat of last week’s books. Then, last night, a library book came off hold, unexpectedly. So, I had to tweak things a little bit. The library book is first and then the books from my TBR.

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After the first season of her true crime podcast became an overnight sensation and set an innocent man free, Rachel Krall is now a household name―and the last hope for thousands of people seeking justice. But she’s used to being recognized for her voice, not her face. Which makes it all the more unsettling when she finds a note on her car windshield, addressed to her, begging for help.

The small town of Neapolis is being torn apart by a devastating rape trial. The town’s golden boy, a swimmer destined for Olympic greatness, has been accused of raping a high school student, the beloved granddaughter of the police chief. Under pressure to make Season Three a success, Rachel throws herself into interviewing and investigating―but the mysterious letters keep showing up in unexpected places. Someone is following her, and she won’t stop until Rachel finds out what happened to her sister twenty-five years ago. Officially, Jenny Stills tragically drowned, but the letters insists she was murdered―and when Rachel starts asking questions, nobody seems to want to answer. The past and present start to collide as Rachel uncovers startling connections between the two cases that will change the course of the trial and the lives of everyone involved.

Electrifying and propulsive, The Night Swim asks: What is the price of a reputation? Can a small town ever right the wrongs of its past? And what really happened to Jenny?
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A lightless tower maze…

…Four powerless teens. Or are they?

Each child in Valkryion has one chance to prove their magical prowess or they must face the most feared abomination ever created: the Depths.

A group of teens find themselves cast into the lightless labyrinth meant to channel the hidden potential in their Signets and lynths.

The one rule for those downcast is simple – descend further into the Depths to try to escape while mastering the environment to defeat all that stands in their path. With descent comes more challenges and enemies intended to either make the teens more powerful or snap them from existence.

Rules are meant to be broken, but can the teens break free from contained chaos?

Magic. Awe. Discovery. Wonder.

Enter the Depths NOW.
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How far will a man go to protect his family? Mason Seaforth is about to find out.

Mason Seaforth, a mild-mannered accountant. wakes up the morning of his 20th wedding anniversary to find that his wife, Sami has disappeared. A search of Sami’s computer uncovers a past she has buried for more than 20 years.

Together with their strong-willed friend, Marcie Kane, Mason leads an investigation that takes them from the home he and Sami share in Gulfport, Florida to a casino in Gatineau, Quebec. As he and Marcie close in on Sami’s whereabouts, so do Aaron Marshall and his enforcer, Greg Johnson, AKA, “The Force” – deadly serious men willing to kill the entire Seaforth family to protect Sami’s secrets.

Action-packed crime thriller with suspenseful storytelling and a surpising twist.

Mason is thrust into a race against Marshall and Johnson, thrown into a life that is meant for other people. He must put his quiet job on hold and quickly learn how to handle a Glock 17. Each decision he needs to make is deadlier than the last, and one wrong move could result in the death of his family.
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It’s been 20 long years since a night of horror where Detective Jess Antler’s 10-year-old brother Billy was abducted. Despite Jess seeing the intruder face to face, neither he or her brother were ever found. After enduring a terrifying adolescence at the hands of her abusive Aunt, Jess has learnt to push away her feelings about her brother, and her drive to find him.

As everyone says, Billy’s never coming back. It’s time to move on.

However after uncovering Billy’s secret diary, Jess begins to unravel the mystery further and discovers shocking truths about her family and what Billy was really mixed up in.
Book Cover
Cursed with the ability to weave thread into gold, Brie has learned to trust no one. Her parents keep her around so they can gamble their money away and now her boyfriend’s only staying because he’s got a collection of game systems to grow.

When Brie grabs the attention of Stilt, the new guy in town, it changes everything. Brie is a Legend—a character in a fairytale—and she belongs in a realm of magic called Fable. But when she crosses over to the new world with Stilt, she soon learns that the cruel ruler of the realm has taken an interest in her ability-and it could cost Brie her life.

Stilt promises that he can help her escape, but in return, he asks for something that she might not be able to give. Can Brie put her trust in Stilt or will she die at the hands of greed?

WWW Wednesday: March 24th 2021

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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

My bladder infection still isn’t going away. It has been better (I feel 100% better than I did last week) but it hasn’t gone away. I do have a Drs appointment tomorrow and I will be letting her know then.

I do have news other than my health. I got my Covid shot on Saturday. Shots for people in group 4 (high risk medical, people in group homes/jails, and other public servants) opened up on Wednesday. Since I have an autoimmune disease and I am obese, I qualified (the only time being fat worked for me….lol). I started trying Wednesday and kept missing the appointment window. I ended up lucking out on Friday and got my shot on Saturday. My arm hurt like heck on Sunday and I was super tired. But, by Monday, I was back to myself.

I started planting on Sunday (fun thing to do with a sore arm). BK built me a raised planter box on Saturday. I was thrilled about that because now I don’t have to worry about groundhogs or rabbits getting into my vegetables. I do have to worry about the stray cat we are trying to adopt using it as a litter box (so far, he’s been avoiding it). I planted in that 2 types of peppers and 2 types of lettuce. On our deck, in planters, we went nuts. We planted two types of tomatoes (beefsteak and grape), catnip (we plant every year), cat grass (2 containers), chives, dill, sage, cilantro, rosemary, basil, parsely, two types of blueberry bushes (they are made for planters), a starter kit for jumbo water melons, jalapenos, and sweet peas (Miss R wanted them). I also have sunflowers to grow on the fence in the backyard. Keeping my fingers crossed for no frost or colder weather.

The school district has decided to let grades 6-12 go back to school 4 days a week. I was emailed and called by both the middle and high school (plus the district itself). Miss B is super excited because she’s going all the time. Mr. Z has opted to stay home and finish out the year (he is going back in the fall). Miss R is jealous because she wants to go back full time (I opted to keep her home and finish out the school year. It ends the end of May).

Miss R is starting Drivers Ed in July. I am still in shock that she will be driving soon. BK and I are discussing what type of car to get her. He wants a beater and I want something that is a little more reliable. We’ll see what the compromise is….lol.

BK started traveling for work again. He has flights booked out unto the end of April. This week was the first time he has been away from home in a year. Put it this way, he came home from NYC right before they shut it down and he hasn’t been out since. I do have mixed emotions about it. But I figure we are both halfway protected (he got his first shot when Group 3 opened up).

Since BK has started traveling, I have started watching shows that I like. I am still watching Expedition Unknown (I am fascinated with it). I also have started watching The Magicians and resumed watching Bridgerton on Netflix. On top of that, Miss B and I are watching Criminal Minds together. Since she wants to be in law enforcement (she is leaning towards being a federal agent), I felt that Criminal Minds would be a great show for her to watch. She is fascinated with what they do. If I knew it wouldn’t be too much for her, I would have her watch Mindhunters too. But it is too much for even me to watch at some points.

I made 5 Ingredient Slow-Cooker Balsamic Chicken for supper on Monday. It was freaking delicious. The kids were iffy about it (of course). I had to serve the chicken next to the pasta and then had to put the tomatoes on the side too. They also didn’t want anything to do with the Balsamic Vinaigrette. But, they ate it!! That’s all I can ask for….lol.

Blog

I posted 2 reviews last week!! I couldn’t even believe it when I posted them…lol. I haven’t been working on updating my old posts either. I am hoping to start doing that maybe by the end of this week.

Reading:

Well, I have offically gotten over my reading slump. I have read 5 books since last week’s WWW. Yay me!!!!

I have fallen way behind in all of my reading challenges. So, I am working to catch up.

I am in the middle of going through my Goodreads shelves and adding any books that are in series to my Want to Read shelf. I won’t lie, it is a huge undertaking but I am chipping away at it.

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A Thriller That Won’t Let Go
Gino Cataldi is a man hanging on by a thread. Cancer took his wife, and drugs put his son in rehab. All he has left is his badge. 

When a teenage girl is kidnapped it brings back nightmares from the worst case he ever worked—the one that tore his life to shreds and forced him out of Philadelphia.

Gino doesn’t want this case but he knows he has to take it. Not just to save the girl, but to earn redemption for what went wrong in Philly. 


What do you do when you’ve lost everything?

Gino—a cop who pushes the limits of the law…
Lonny—a good man struggling to feed his family…
Scott—a biotech executive who has everything a man could want…
A band of ruthless kidnappers…

They all come together in a thriller you won’t be able to forget.

Everyone has decisions to make. This one could cost Gino his badge—and a young girl her life.

I won’t lie and say that this was one of my favorite books to read (it wasn’t). But it did have an appeal. It was gritty. It wasn’t a pretty book to read. There were a couple of twists that took me by surprise and the end wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.

What I am currently reading:

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It’s 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more–even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.

Then she meets Archie Carmichael. Handsome, wealthy–the only man she’s ever met who seems to accept her modern ways–her independent nature and passion for success. But once she accepts his proposal of marriage he starts to change his tune, and Olive must decide if she is willing to reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice the life she loves for the man she loves.

I am pretty excited to read The Show Girl. I have read books by Nicola Harrison before and have enjoyed them. I didn’t get that far into The Show Girl….just the first couple of pages. So far, I like it.

What books I think I’ll read next:

I am pretty excited to read all of these books. They have all been on my TBR since 2018 and have just sat there for 3 long years. The book I am most excited to read is You Won’t Find Him. I am hoping to get to all of these books this week.

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A lightless tower maze…

…Four powerless teens. Or are they?

Each child in Valkryion has one chance to prove their magical prowess or they must face the most feared abomination ever created: the Depths.

A group of teens find themselves cast into the lightless labyrinth meant to channel the hidden potential in their Signets and lynths.

The one rule for those downcast is simple – descend further into the Depths to try to escape while mastering the environment to defeat all that stands in their path. With descent comes more challenges and enemies intended to either make the teens more powerful or snap them from existence.

Rules are meant to be broken, but can the teens break free from contained chaos?

Magic. Awe. Discovery. Wonder.

Enter the Depths NOW.
Book Cover
How far will a man go to protect his family? Mason Seaforth is about to find out.

Mason Seaforth, a mild-mannered accountant. wakes up the morning of his 20th wedding anniversary to find that his wife, Sami has disappeared. A search of Sami’s computer uncovers a past she has buried for more than 20 years.

Together with their strong-willed friend, Marcie Kane, Mason leads an investigation that takes them from the home he and Sami share in Gulfport, Florida to a casino in Gatineau, Quebec. As he and Marcie close in on Sami’s whereabouts, so do Aaron Marshall and his enforcer, Greg Johnson, AKA, “The Force” – deadly serious men willing to kill the entire Seaforth family to protect Sami’s secrets.

Action-packed crime thriller with suspenseful storytelling and a surpising twist.

Mason is thrust into a race against Marshall and Johnson, thrown into a life that is meant for other people. He must put his quiet job on hold and quickly learn how to handle a Glock 17. Each decision he needs to make is deadlier than the last, and one wrong move could result in the death of his family.
Book Cover
It’s been 20 long years since a night of horror where Detective Jess Antler’s 10-year-old brother Billy was abducted. Despite Jess seeing the intruder face to face, neither he or her brother were ever found. After enduring a terrifying adolescence at the hands of her abusive Aunt, Jess has learnt to push away her feelings about her brother, and her drive to find him.

As everyone says, Billy’s never coming back. It’s time to move on.

However after uncovering Billy’s secret diary, Jess begins to unravel the mystery further and discovers shocking truths about her family and what Billy was really mixed up in.
Book Cover
Cursed with the ability to weave thread into gold, Brie has learned to trust no one. Her parents keep her around so they can gamble their money away and now her boyfriend’s only staying because he’s got a collection of game systems to grow.

When Brie grabs the attention of Stilt, the new guy in town, it changes everything. Brie is a Legend—a character in a fairytale—and she belongs in a realm of magic called Fable. But when she crosses over to the new world with Stilt, she soon learns that the cruel ruler of the realm has taken an interest in her ability-and it could cost Brie her life.

Stilt promises that he can help her escape, but in return, he asks for something that she might not be able to give. Can Brie put her trust in Stilt or will she die at the hands of greed?

WWW Wednesday: March 17th 2017

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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

My bladder infection from hell is back. Actually, according to my Dr, it never went away. The antibiotics knocked it down but didn’t wipe it out. So, I am on a longer course of antibiotics and if these don’t work, then I need to talk to a specialist. Fun times…..bleh.

Nothing new happening with the kids. They’re still doing the same things that they did the last time I did a WWW Wednesday.

I’ve been watching a lot of Expedition Unknown on Discovery. Actually, I have been bingeing on it. I love the show. Next on my list to binge is The Pioneer Woman.

I am still playing Black Desert Online. I am currently a 34 (almost 35) Lahn. I am excited because they released a new race, the Sage, today. I can’t wait to see how that is going to work!!

I made Slow-Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup yesterday. It was super simple and was delicious. Everyone except for Miss R liked it (she’s super picky). Tonight, BK made Corned Beef and Cabbage in the crockpot (along with potatoes and onions). I am still debating on what I am making next week. I am going between breakfast for dinner from The Pioneer Woman or an Instapot dinner from Ina Garten.

Blog

I have been writing posts. I promise. The only thing is that they are dated pretty far out (April). I do have a blog tour coming up tomorrow and I do need to write reviews for 2 books that were published March 2nd and March 16th. Other than that, I haven’t done anything I wanted.

Reading:

I have gotten zero reading done since the last time I did WWW. I blame it on being sick. I have had zero energy to do anything (including reading). I am hoping to finish the book I am currently reading tonight and then I am going to start on my backlog.

In the past 2 weeks, I have read approximately 2 books and that is not how I do things. I usually gobble books up.

I did do something last week, though. I went through and I rearranged my Goodreads shelves. It took me forever (mainly because I got headaches/tired) but I have them the way I want them.

I recently finished reading:

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Fifteen-year-old RJ Armante has never known a life outside his dead-end hometown of Arcangel, CA. The Blackjacks still rule as they have for generations, luring the poorest kids into their monopoly on petty crime. For years, they’ve left RJ alone…until now.

When the Blackjacks come knocking, they want RJ to prey upon an old loner. But RJ is at his breaking point. It’s not just about the gang who rules the town. It’s about Charley, his younger brother, who is disabled. It’s about Roxanne, the girl he can’t reach. It’s about the kids in his crew who have nothing to live for. If RJ is to resist, he must fight to free Arcangel of its past.

I enjoyed reading Bones of a Saint. It was an interesting look at what small town life was like in the late 70’s. I will say that I didn’t quite get the beginning until I finished the book. Then, it was like a lightbulb went off and I was like “Oh, that’s who that was!!“

What I am currently reading:

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Adrian Rizzo was seven when she met her father for the first time. That was the day he nearly killed her—before her mother, Lina, stepped in.

Soon after, Adrian was dropped off at her grandparents’ house in Maryland, where she spent a long summer drinking lemonade, playing with dogs, making a new best friend—and developing the stirrings of a crush on her friend’s ten-year-old brother. Lina, meanwhile, traveled the country promoting her fitness brand and turning it into a billion-dollar business. There was no point in dwelling on the past.

A decade later, Adrian has created her own line of yoga and workout videos, following in Lina’s footsteps but intent on maintaining creative control. And she’s just as cool-headed and ambitious as her mother. They aren’t close, but they’re cordial—as long as neither crosses the other.

But while Lina dismisses the death threats that Adrian starts getting as a routine part of her daughter’s growing celebrity, Adrian can’t help but find the vicious rhymes unsettling. Year after year, they keep arriving—the postmarks changing, but the menacing tone the same. They continue after she returns to Maryland and becomes reacquainted with Raylan, her childhood crush, all grown up and as gorgeously green-eyed as ever. Sometimes it even seems like the terrifying messages are indeed routine, like nothing will come of them. Until the murders start, and the escalation begins…

It is taking me forever to read Legacy. Not that I don’t like the book, I do, but I have been sick and not wanting to pick up my Kindle. Now that I am feeling better, I am hoping to try and finish this book tonight.

What books I think I’ll read next:

As with previous WWW’s, I have put these books in order that I need to read. I put any ARC’s/author requests first and then filter down. I am hoping to read the first 3 books by the beginning of next week.

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Harlyn bristled under the weight of unknown eyes dissecting her every move. Skin at her nape crawled from the mal intent focused in her direction. From behind the trunk of a spreading oak, she scanned the isolated meadow in search of the unknown threat.
Nothing stirred but shadow arms sprouting budding leaves. It’d been years since she’d turned the tables on the predator intent on breaking her.

Harlyn Colton has never run from a fight, not until her best friend’s murder sends her to the mountains of Pennsylvania. Shredding her ID and ditching electronics, she assumes she’s bought time to sort the mystery before federal officers knock on her door.
Brice Crenshaw works with the Ferndel foundation, a group organized to help returning military Veterans learn valuable skills and smooth out the rough edges before joining civilian life.
When a kickass, knife wielding female arrives with a target on her back, the group closes ranks to protect one of their own.
Accidents stack up while dead bodies reveal conflicting evidence. With the help of her K9 companion and the distraction of a well-intended protector, Harlyn must uncover the identity of the killer before he eliminates his final witness. Harlan.
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I try to forget her.
It’s impossible.

Growing up together, Conor and I shared all our firsts.
First love, first kiss, first…
Not all our firsts.

We were sixteen the night she was violently assaulted while I helplessly watched.
I’ll never forget the sounds of her suffering.
Or my inconsolable agony when she left Oklahoma.

Years later, she returns to honor our teenage pact.
Except the boy she loved is gone, replaced by a ruthless cattle rancher knotted with secrets.
She doesn’t know my dark cravings or the trails of sin that lead to her.

I don’t deserve her, but one truth remains.
She’s mine.

TRAILS OF SIN series (HEAs with no cliffhangers – must be read in order):
Knotted #1 – Jake and Conor
Buckled #2 – Jarret and Maybe
Booted #3 – Lorne and Raina
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Sophie Diem’s boss has skipped town, abandoning their counseling firm and taking her investment money with him. As she seeks to rebuild her professional career she is distressed by the appearance of a stranger. The man keeps to the shadows, but he is definitely stalking her. In an attempt to flee him she accepts a job offer…in London. Surely crossing the Atlantic would be enough to deter her Shadow.

Glenn Barber is a desperate man. He sorely wants answers. The man that can supply them has gone missing, though. Now all Glenn can do is go after the next best thing, the man’s former employee, Sophie Diem.

Sophie is shocked to spot her shadow in London. What she learns is that Glenn, the Shadow, is not a stalker, but rather her only protection. As her attraction to Glenn grows, together they conspire to locate her former boss and stop him before he can harm others.
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Discovering new worlds. What could be better. What was supposed to be a six month cruise of discovery had turned into a gloried baby sitting adventure for a bunch of civilians. Leave it to the Imperial Navy to ruin a good thing. Petty Officer Tanner just wanted to finish the patrol and get back to normal. That, and as far away from the enticing Miss Nora Johnson as possible. All that changed when the ISS Intrepid was threatened with destruction and he quickly became the only thing between these civilians and instant death
Book Cover
Gino Cataldi is a man hanging on by a thread. Cancer took his wife, and drugs put his son in rehab. All he has left is his badge. 

When a teenage girl is kidnapped it brings back nightmares from the worst case he ever worked—the one that tore his life to shreds and forced him out of Philadelphia.

Gino doesn’t want this case but he knows he has to take it. Not just to save the girl, but to earn redemption for what went wrong in Philly. 

WWW Wednesday: March 3rd 2021

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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

The antibiotic worked!! My bladder infection is officially gone. I finished the last pill yesterday and did a happy dance around my living room (to the amusement of my kids).

Things are still the same for Miss R. She is still disliking virtual school and loving horseback riding. Last week, she was able to trot by herself. That is huge for her because she was afraid. Her instructor is thrilled with her progress. As for school, we’ve told her that she will be able to go back in 2nd grade (fingers crossed).

Miss B had her cardiologist appointment on Monday. She has heart palpitations but the Dr didn’t seem to think that they were serious enough for further treatment. He asked me to call if they get worse. We were both relieved!!

Mr. Z is enjoying his project free week. Of course, after I typed this, I went in and checked his powerschool. Guess what? He has two projects due in his Introduction to Office Productivity class (a required class in this school district). They are due by the end of the week.

BK is getting his Covid shot on Saturday. NC is allowing other essential workers to get their shots starting this week. Because of his job, he is considered essential. I am happy because he has to start traveling for work within the next couple of weeks. I probably won’t be able to get mine until later (even though I have an autoimmune disease).

I have gotten into watching Babylon 5. That is all BK wants to watch. On the rare occasion I get to watch TV, I watch Discovery Plus. I have watched 2 1/2 episodes of Fear Thy Neighbor.

I have been playing a lot of Black Desert Online and doing a lot of coloring on my phone (via coloring apps). I have preordered the PC version of Kingdom Hearts through Epic Games (here if you want to check it out). I am super excited for this.

I was going to make Slow-Cooker Rosemary-Garlic Beef Roast on Monday. I was exhausted, BK had the day off and he decided to do it for me (how sweet, right). It would have been perfect except…he left the crockpot on warm for 9 hours. We ended up eating McDonalds for supper and throwing everything out….lol. I am planning on remaking it on Friday. Next week, I am looking at making an Ina Garten recipe (not sure which one)

Blog:

I haven’t touched my old blog posts this week. To be honest, I was still feeling awful and I didn’t feel like doing it. I will be resuming that soon (maybe tomorrow??)

Reading:

I did better with reading last week. Actually, it was my most productive reading week since after Thanksgiving!! I read 4 books. Go me!!

I recently finished reading:

To Kill a Kingdom
Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most–a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen and or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavory hobby–it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of sirenkind for good–But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the snarky references to The Little Mermaid. I loved that it took Ancient Greek myths and gave them a dark spin. I couldn’t read it fast enough and was worth the wait (a month on hold at the library).

What I am currently reading:

House of Enchanted: The Revelations of Oriceran (Soul Stone Mage, #1)
The Kingdom of Virgo has lived in peace for thousands of years…until now.
The humans from Terran have always been real assholes to the witches of Virgo. Now a silent war is brewing, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Princess Azure will soon be crowned queen of the Kingdom of Virgo.

In the Dark Forest a powerful potion-maker has been murdered.

Charmsgood was the only wizard who could stop a deadly virus plaguing Virgo. He also knew about the devastation the people from Terran had done to the forest.

Azure must protect her people. Mend the Dark Forest. Create alliances with savage beasts. No biggie, right?

But on coronation day everything changes. Princess Azure isn’t who she thought she was and that’s a big freaking problem.

Welcome to The Revelations of Oriceran.

A magical world tied to Earth, and nothing like it.

I am a few chapters into House of Enchanted and I am liking it. I thought, by the description, this book was going to be one of those YA books where the heroine is super sugary sweet, the bad things happening are not that bad (Hell no to that one), and the mystery was no big deal. Yeah, well that is not the case. This book is turning into a dark YA fantasy that has some meat to it.

What books I think I’ll read next:

I am finally getting to those neglected books!! I have pushed these three books back so much that I did wonder if I was going to get to them. If I don’t have any books coming off hold from the library, I should be able to read these this week.

Blue
Blue Williams shines no matter the circumstance.
-Prettiest in her hometown
-Most talented cheerleader on her high school squad
-Valedictorian of the senior class
-Prom queen and runner up for Miss Teen Colorado
And the list goes on…

That’s until college, when she finds out nobody recognizes her, and if they do they couldn’t care less. Blending in is something Blue has longed for her entire life. Living in a dorm with a set of new friends is just what she needed to escape her stale life back home. For the first time, she’s seen for her talent and not her name or looks.

Cheer is her number one priority, considering a full-ride scholarship landed her at a prestigious university, and she intends to take advantage of it. A true beauty inside and out, Blue’s heart has always pumped competitive blood.

Until one night changes her forever…the beauty is gone, and all she has left are nasty, ugly memories. The man who saved her has a story of his own, with ninety percent of his body scarred.

What happens when the Beauty falls for the Beast?
Flesh and Blood (The Vampires of Shadow Hills #1)
“It’s like Riverdale meets Big Little Lies meets Romeo and Juliet, but with vampires!”
What if you can’t trust your own family?

Robyn’s parents are ruining her life. As if their constant bickering and embarrassing behavior wasn’t bad enough, they’ve forbidden her from hanging out with her crush just when a flirty new girl moves to their block. Strangely enough, Robyn’s parents look the other way when her big brother breaks curfew… even after a local girl’s violent murder.
With the neighborhood on high alert, strange sightings are on the rise and the accusations begin to fly. Between her brother’s nighttime excursions and her parents’ odd behavior, Robyn starts to worry that the killer may be living under her own roof. In a town where neighbor has turned against neighbor, deciding whom to trust with her dark fears could be a matter of life and death…
Flesh and Blood is the first book in a fun and frightening series of romantic paranormal mysteries. If you like terrifying thrills, flesh and blood characters, and vampires without the sparkle, then you’ll love Willow Rose’s tale of suburban terror.

WWW Wednesday: FEBRUARY 24th 2021

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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 am on my 3rd round of antibiotics for this stupid bladder infection. I am hoping that this stuff kills it because I have no idea what will happen if it doesn’t.

Nothing going on in Miss R’s world. Same old stuff going on. I plan on her playing outside tomorrow and Thursday. It’s going to be in the 60’s here and she needs the exercise/fresh air.

Mr. Z has finished up all of his projects and is relieved. He’s hoping that his teachers (mainly his social studies and science) will give him a break with projects.

Miss B has her cardiologist appointment next Monday. She’s a little nervous (I don’t blame her) but we will finally get answers to what is going on.

I got a new laptop on Saturday and we got Miss B a new one on Sunday. In turn, Mr. Z got my gaming desktop and Miss R got Miss B’s touch screen 2 in one. It worked out for everyone. All 3 kids are thrilled with what they got and I love my laptop (gaming and I got an Alienware).

I still haven’t been watching much TV. I have been watching bits and pieces of Babylon 5 when BK watches it. I just don’t have the energy to watch it at night. I am wiped by 6pm.

I made Crockpot Lemon Pepper Chicken for supper on Monday (my weekly recipe) and served it with salad and white rice. It was OK. If I make it again, I will add more lemon pepper. Strangely enough, there wasn’t a strong lemon pepper taste and I used a ton of it. I plan on either making a Pioneer Woman recipe or an Ina Garten recipe. Not sure which ones, though.

Blog:

I have started updating my old blog posts. That consists of checking (and replacing) links, making sure that the book is still on Amazon (and removing the post if the book isn’t listed), updating the cover/blurb (and adding an alternative cover link if there are more than one cover), making sure that the tags are right, and adding the other books in the series. So, if you see any posts with the word “next” in the title, that is a hint to myself where I left off. It’s tedious but needs to be done.

My WordPress issue from last week has been resolved. But, like I said in that post, I changed my passwords and added two step verification. Still, it was weird.

Reading:

I still wasn’t feeling 100% over the weekend and didn’t read much. But, I did finish two books by Tuesday. Go me. I’m hoping to get back to reading regularly by the end of the week.

I recently finished reading:

White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements #1)
One Kiss could be the Last

Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal—fit in at school, and go out on a real date with the gorgeous Zayne, whom she’s crushed on since forever. Trouble is, Zayne treats Layla like a sister—and Layla is anything but normal. She’s half demon, half gargoyle, with abilities no one els possesses. And even though Zayne is a Warden, part of the race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe, Layla’s kiss will kill anything with a soul—including him.

Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know her secrets. Though Layla knows she should stay away, it’s tough when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue. Trusting Roth could ruin her chances with Zayne—and brand her a traitor to the Warden family that raised her. But as Layla discovers she’s the sole reason for a violent demon uprising, kissing the enemy suddenly pales in comparison to the looming end of the world.

I loved this book so much that I actually got mad when it ended. The storyline was original and the characters were wonderful. Plus, I couldn’t get enough of Roth. Or Layla. Or Roth and Layla. I didn’t like the triangle that was forming, though. Zayne just didn’t do it for me <shrug>.

What I am currently reading:

Hidden Fury (Annie Fitch Mysteries Book 2)
As a former cop turned private investigator, Annie Fitch hopes to never be in the line of fire again, so she’s expanded her business to include installing security systems. She’s thrilled to be hired by Preston Farr, a farmer with a vandalism problem on his family’s historic apple orchard and farm.

Preston’s roots in the community run deep. His family has held the same property in Leesburg, Virginia, since the 1700s. The two get to know each other over the course of the job. When Preston asks her out after the work is done, she accepts. After all, Annie’s on-again, off-again love affair with her childhood best friend, Ford, is currently off. Why should she mope until he decides it’s on again?

What she intended to be a fun, casual romp with Preston turns serious quickly when Annie’s newly installed security cameras record startling footage. Family secrets begin to unravel, echoing over two hundred years of heartache and violence.

I just started reading this book last night. So far, I like it. This is a review copy (book won’t be published until 2-2) and I realized Saturday that I needed to read it.

What books I think I’ll read next:

I had one book come off hold from the library. I am pretty excited to read this book. I had originally requested this on NetGalley and got turned down. After that book, I have 1 NetGalley ARC and 2 long term books that have been sitting on my TBR. The first 2 will definately be read. The TBR’s might not be gotten to until this weekend/early next week.

The Marsh King's Daughter
The mesmerizing tale of a woman who must risk everything to hunt down the dangerous man who shaped her past and threatens to steal her future: her father.

Helena Pelletier has a loving husband, two beautiful daughters, and a business that fills her days. But she also has a secret: she is the product of an abduction. Her mother was kidnapped as a teenager by her father and kept in a remote cabin in the marshlands of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Helena, born two years after the abduction, loved her home in nature, and despite her father’s sometimes brutal behavior, she loved him, too…until she learned precisely how savage he could be.

More than twenty years later, she has buried her past so soundly that even her husband doesn’t know the truth. But now her father has killed two guards, escaped from prison, and disappeared into the marsh. The police begin a manhunt, but Helena knows they don’t stand a chance. Knows that only one person has the skills to find the survivalist the world calls the Marsh King–because only one person was ever trained by him: his daughter.
A Cowboy Kind of Love (Heart of Texas #6)
Jace Wilder has been rebuilding his life since the love of his life, Taryn, up and left town unexpectedly. But when she mysteriously returns, Jace’s dependable world comes crashing down. Taryn is hiding a dangerous secret, and no matter how hard he tries, Jace can’t stay away―especially when Taryn is at risk. And especially when the attraction he thought he’d buried long ago is back and hotter than ever. Will he be able to trust Taryn again?

Taryn Hillman’s world fell apart one horrifying night, and it’s never been the same since. When she sees a small chance at untangling herself, she takes it, though it means returning to Clearview – and seeing Jace again. But when he vows to protect her, will Taryn take a chance, and this time, never let him go?
House of Enchanted: The Revelations of Oriceran (Soul Stone Mage, #1)
The Kingdom of Virgo has lived in peace for thousands of years…until now.
The humans from Terran have always been real assholes to the witches of Virgo. Now a silent war is brewing, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Princess Azure will soon be crowned queen of the Kingdom of Virgo.

In the Dark Forest a powerful potion-maker has been murdered.

Charmsgood was the only wizard who could stop a deadly virus plaguing Virgo. He also knew about the devastation the people from Terran had done to the forest.

Azure must protect her people. Mend the Dark Forest. Create alliances with savage beasts. No biggie, right?

But on coronation day everything changes. Princess Azure isn’t who she thought she was and that’s a big freaking problem.

Welcome to The Revelations of Oriceran.

A magical world tied to Earth, and nothing like it.
Blue
Blue Williams shines no matter the circumstance.
-Prettiest in her hometown
-Most talented cheerleader on her high school squad
-Valedictorian of the senior class
-Prom queen and runner up for Miss Teen Colorado
And the list goes on…

That’s until college, when she finds out nobody recognizes her, and if they do they couldn’t care less. Blending in is something Blue has longed for her entire life. Living in a dorm with a set of new friends is just what she needed to escape her stale life back home. For the first time, she’s seen for her talent and not her name or looks.

Cheer is her number one priority, considering a full-ride scholarship landed her at a prestigious university, and she intends to take advantage of it. A true beauty inside and out, Blue’s heart has always pumped competitive blood.

Until one night changes her forever…the beauty is gone, and all she has left are nasty, ugly memories. The man who saved her has a story of his own, with ninety percent of his body scarred.

What happens when the Beauty falls for the Beast?
Flesh and Blood (The Vampires of Shadow Hills #1)
For fans of Twilight and A Shade of Vampire comes a new addiction impossible to put down.
“It’s like Riverdale meets Big Little Lies meets Romeo and Juliet, but with vampires!”
What if you can’t trust your own family?

Robyn’s parents are ruining her life. As if their constant bickering and embarrassing behavior wasn’t bad enough, they’ve forbidden her from hanging out with her crush just when a flirty new girl moves to their block. Strangely enough, Robyn’s parents look the other way when her big brother breaks curfew… even after a local girl’s violent murder.
With the neighborhood on high alert, strange sightings are on the rise and the accusations begin to fly. Between her brother’s nighttime excursions and her parents’ odd behavior, Robyn starts to worry that the killer may be living under her own roof. In a town where neighbor has turned against neighbor, deciding whom to trust with her dark fears could be a matter of life and death…
Flesh and Blood is the first book in a fun and frightening series of romantic paranormal mysteries. If you like terrifying thrills, flesh and blood characters, and vampires without the sparkle, then you’ll love Willow Rose’s tale of suburban terror.

WWW Wednesday: FEBRUARY 18th, 2021

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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

Same things going on with me!! I am getting better but still. I’ve learned an important lesson from this debacle….don’t put off going to the Dr. Sigh.

Miss R’s horse show got cancelled for this weekend. It also got cancelled for the next 2 shows. Her instructor is going to let us know when the next show (well the next one she can compete at) will be. According to her, it won’t be until mid to end March. I look at it like this, more time for her to practice!!

Mr. Z is almost at the end of his Black History Month project. All he has left is to write his narrative, submit it to the teacher, and film his spot (loving FlipGrid for this). I can’t wait for this to end because he is stressed out about it.

Miss B is at the top of my worry list this week. She had a Dr’s appointment on Tuesday. At this appointment, she informed the Dr (and myself) that her heart rate would randomly speed up during the day/night AND that this has been going on for 2 years. Talk about a huge WTF moment. I had no idea that this was happening. So, she is being referred to a pediatric cardiologist. I did have a talk with her about letting me know these things when we left the Dr’s office (btw, she’s fine otherwise. A normal, mouthy, moody 15 year old).

I haven’t watched a ton of TV, again, this week. The antibiotics are still kicking my ass and all I want to do is sleep. BK has been watching random videos on YouTube and Babylon 5.

Blog:

I went through my tags and categories this week. I deleted everything that I wasn’t using or that was misspelled (and other mistakes). I do plan on going through my posts but with everything that is going on, it is going to be pushed to the backburner.

I did have something weird happen today. I had noticed that I got a follower on my About Me section. When I went to click on it, I accidentally clicked my name. Instead of bringing me to my blog, it brought me to another blog with the same name. I couldn’t figure out why it was linked to my profile. I tried everything that I could think of before contacting WordPress Support. It ends up that I needed to go to account settings and change the web address to my blogs (it was the other blog for some reason). I was flabbergasted because I have owned the domain for 3 years. But, its fixed now and I have enabled 2 step verification.

Reading:

I have been reading the same book since Saturday night. It is now Thursday. I have been reading every single night and it seems like I am getting nowhere with it. Hopefully, I will be able to finish it tonight and be finally able to get to the other books on my TBR.

I recently finished reading:

Exploited (The Dark Redemption #1)
WARNING: This book contains some dark, dirty and dangerous situations before ending in a jaw-dropping cliffhanger. The debauchery will continue in the second book in the series, Redeemed.

I’m going to hell, and my angel’s about to lose her wings.

For years I’ve left a path of death and destruction wherever I go. I promise myself that after one last job I’ll have the money I desperately need to quit taking lives. That’s how I find myself back in my hometown of Lexington.

So beautiful and innocent, I unknowingly end up saving the life of the one girl I was supposed to keep silent…the one girl I was supposed to end.

She’s my fallen angel sent from above.

I can’t resist staining her pure white wings with my darkness when I use her. Defile her. Deceive her.

The two of us were both ruined by our pasts when they intersected. Pasts that we’re still trying to escape with the hounds of hell on our heels.

Fate brought us together. Now, I’ll do anything to protect my angel from the demons that haunt her. I won’t stop until I slay the devil himself to keep her safe, the man who ruined both of our lives.

The only problem is, my silent angel is keeping secrets from me – the biggest of which is that I’m not the only one who wants to exploit her.

I like dark, taboo romances but this was a little too dark for me. Saying that, I did enjoy the sex scenes. They were amazingly hot!!

What I am currently reading:

The Last City of America
A virus stole fertility from many people long ago, ending society over several generations. The United States became the Seven Cities of America.

Chicago, cut off from the other cities, ruled in darkness, is home to the scientist who created the virus. Hateful of humanity, hateful of himself, the dying scientist passes his knowledge on to his apprentice, who he believes will use it to damn all life to everlasting misery.

The apprentice, Harold, his own past stained with unforgivable acts, does not share his master’s hatred. But he wants this knowledge, and would shamelessly kill innocents to get it. But to what end, he struggles to realize— all the while wondering if humanity, worthless as it seems, deserves compassion more than he deserves omniscience.

As Harold struggles with his future and his identity, Chicago’s ruler, the host, learns of the knowledge he has. Harold is has to flee his home.

The host, Grakus, is on a journey of his own— to prove that humanity should never have existed, to guide it to its destiny of self-destruction. He will not allow the apprentice to thwart his delicate plan to do so.

But the apprentice will not allow the host to steal his decision before he’s had the chance to make it.

The Last City of America is a character-driven epic touching every corner of America, exposing every level of its beauty. The individual emulates humanity, and humanity’s faults are written in the individual. The two walk with one another into the final decision. Cities fall one-by-one to man’s ignorance. The world is ending. This time forever. Two hands reach out to save it: good and evil.

This is the story of how we will be remembered.

This is the book I was referencing above. Now matter how much I seem to read at night, it seems like I am getting nowhere. I am hoping to finish this book by at least tomorrow. If not, I am DNF’ing.

What books I think I’ll read next:

I had two books come off hold from the library. They will be read first, then one of my NetGalley books, and then the rest. This might change if more books come off hold, but we’ll see.

Cold-Hearted Rake (The Ravenels, #1)
A twist of fate…

Devon Ravenel, London’s most wickedly charming rake, has just inherited an earldom. But his powerful new rank in society comes with unwanted responsibilities… and more than a few surprises. His estate is saddled with debt, and the late earl’s three innocent sisters are still occupying the house… along with Kathleen, Lady Trenear, a beautiful young widow whose sharp wit and determination are a match for Devon’s own.

A clash of wills…

Kathleen knows better than to trust a ruthless scoundrel like Devon. But the fiery attraction between them is impossible to deny—and from the first moment Devon holds her in his arms, he vows to do whatever it takes to possess her. As Kathleen finds herself yielding to his skillfully erotic seduction, only one question remains:

Can she keep from surrendering her heart to the most dangerous man she’s ever known?
White Hot Kiss (The Dark Elements, #1)
Layla just wants to fit in at school and go on a date with Zayne, whom she’s crushed on since forever. Trouble is, Zayne treats Layla like a sister–and Layla is a half demon, half gargoyle with abilities no one else possesses. And even though Zayne is a Warden, part of the race of gargoyles tasked with keeping humanity safe, Layla’s kiss will kill anything with a soul–including him.

Then she meets Roth–a demon who claims to know her secrets. Though Layla knows she should stay away, it’s tough when that whole no-kissing thing isn’t an issue. Trusting Roth could ruin her chances with Zayne, but as Layla discovers she’s the reason for a violent demon uprising, kissing the enemy suddenly pales in comparison to the looming end of the world.
A Cowboy Kind of Love (Heart of Texas #6)
Who wants to rodeo again?

Jace Wilder has been rebuilding his life since the love of his life, Taryn, up and left town unexpectedly. But when she mysteriously returns, Jace’s dependable world comes crashing down. Taryn is hiding a dangerous secret, and no matter how hard he tries, Jace can’t stay away―especially when Taryn is at risk. And especially when the attraction he thought he’d buried long ago is back and hotter than ever. Will he be able to trust Taryn again?

Taryn Hillman’s world fell apart one horrifying night, and it’s never been the same since. When she sees a small chance at untangling herself, she takes it, though it means returning to Clearview – and seeing Jace again. But when he vows to protect her, will Taryn take a chance, and this time, never let him go?
Flesh and Blood (The Vampires of Shadow Hills #1)
For fans of Twilight and A Shade of Vampire comes a new addiction impossible to put down.
“It’s like Riverdale meets Big Little Lies meets Romeo and Juliet, but with vampires!”
What if you can’t trust your own family?

Robyn’s parents are ruining her life. As if their constant bickering and embarrassing behavior wasn’t bad enough, they’ve forbidden her from hanging out with her crush just when a flirty new girl moves to their block. Strangely enough, Robyn’s parents look the other way when her big brother breaks curfew… even after a local girl’s violent murder.
With the neighborhood on high alert, strange sightings are on the rise and the accusations begin to fly. Between her brother’s nighttime excursions and her parents’ odd behavior, Robyn starts to worry that the killer may be living under her own roof. In a town where neighbor has turned against neighbor, deciding whom to trust with her dark fears could be a matter of life and death…
Flesh and Blood is the first book in a fun and frightening series of romantic paranormal mysteries. If you like terrifying thrills, flesh and blood characters, and vampires without the sparkle, then you’ll love Willow Rose’s tale of suburban terror.
Blue
Blue Williams shines no matter the circumstance.
-Prettiest in her hometown
-Most talented cheerleader on her high school squad
-Valedictorian of the senior class
-Prom queen and runner up for Miss Teen Colorado
And the list goes on…

That’s until college, when she finds out nobody recognizes her, and if they do they couldn’t care less. Blending in is something Blue has longed for her entire life. Living in a dorm with a set of new friends is just what she needed to escape her stale life back home. For the first time, she’s seen for her talent and not her name or looks.

Cheer is her number one priority, considering a full-ride scholarship landed her at a prestigious university, and she intends to take advantage of it. A true beauty inside and out, Blue’s heart has always pumped competitive blood.

Until one night changes her forever…the beauty is gone, and all she has left are nasty, ugly memories. The man who saved her has a story of his own, with ninety percent of his body scarred.

What happens when the Beauty falls for the Beast?
House of Enchanted: The Revelations of Oriceran (Soul Stone Mage, #1)
The Kingdom of Virgo has lived in peace for thousands of years…until now.
The humans from Terran have always been real assholes to the witches of Virgo. Now a silent war is brewing, and the timing couldn’t be worse. Princess Azure will soon be crowned queen of the Kingdom of Virgo.

In the Dark Forest a powerful potion-maker has been murdered.

Charmsgood was the only wizard who could stop a deadly virus plaguing Virgo. He also knew about the devastation the people from Terran had done to the forest.

Azure must protect her people. Mend the Dark Forest. Create alliances with savage beasts. No biggie, right?

But on coronation day everything changes. Princess Azure isn’t who she thought she was and that’s a big freaking problem.

Welcome to The Revelations of Oriceran.

A magical world tied to Earth, and nothing like it.

WWW Wednesday: FEBRUARY 10th 2021

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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 have been sick and it stinks. It isn’t the Rona, instead I stupidly decided to let a simple UTI go for too long and it turned into a bladder infection….sigh (sorry if TMI). I got a lecture from my Dr and a script for a strong antibiotic. Now, I am feeling better from the infection but the antibiotic side effects are kicking my ass :(. Teaches me to put something off for months (yes, about 3 1/2 months).

Miss R is going to her first horse show in a week!! Her trainer/instructor told me that she thinks she’s ready to start showing. They are going to enroll her in a part of the show where they judge on how the kids sit and how they control the horse. She is super excited and to be honest, I am too.

Mr. Z is plugging away at his Black History Month project. He’s almost completed it, just needs to film the video. He is stressed out about it. He has 2 more social studies project, an introduction to office management (a required class here) and 2 science projects due by the end of next week. That’s too much, if you ask me.

Miss B is still walking to the beat of her own drummer. She does her own thing. She has a ton of projects too but they are spaced out. The funnest one that she’s doing: She is making a clay model of the Colosseum for her World History class. All she has to do is add detail and she’s done.

I haven’t watched a ton of TV this past week. I have been watching Jeopardy regularly. At night, we’ve been watching shows from Discovery +. We are going between Bizarre Foods and Expedition Unknown. BK has been watching Babylon 5 on HBOmax.

Blog:

Nothing too much going on with my blog. So this is going to be a small section.

Reading:

I read next to nothing from Thursday to Tuesday of this week. I am hoping to knock some of my books off my currently reading stack. I am currently 8 books behind on my Goodreads challenge. Hopefully I can catch up!!

I recently finished reading:

How to Train Your Earl (First Comes Love, #3)
A roguish earl must fight using his honor and not his sword to win his lady’s hand in How To Train Your Earl, the third book in the First Comes Love trilogy from bestseller Amelia Grey.

Brina Feld has settled into a life devoted to helping others since the sinking of the Salty Dove left her widowed. She has no need for a man in her contented life. But when the notorious and handsome Lord Blacknight returns and awakens her desires, her peace and serenity vanish. If she agrees to an alliance with him, she knows she will have to battle her heart to keep from being snared under his spell.

Zane, the Earl of Blacknight, was never supposed to inherit the earldom, so he didn’t much care to lead a respectable life before then. Fistfights, card games, and drinking are the order of the day. Now he’s determined to change his rakish ways and he knows the proper lady who can help him. There’s just one problem: He’s already bet he’ll win her hand before the Season is over. With her resolve to out-scheme him, how can he show her that his love is true?

I was a little disappointed with How to Train Your Earl. I didn’t connect with Brina or Zane. There was definite sexual chemistry but that was ruined for me by Brina’s attitude. Her attitude sucked. She jumped to conclusions (mainly at the end) and flipped out.

What I am currently reading:

A Private Heaven
Helicopter Adventure
Prison Survival
Family Struggle

A Private Heaven is an adventure-filled drama based on a true story. Like Norman Maclean’s A River Runs Through It, this is the story of two brothers as opposite as Cain and Abel.

When Dave, the impulsive, younger brother completes his tour of duty in Vietnam, he moves his young family to Newfoundland, where he embarks on a challenging, often dangerous career as a helicopter pilot. Dave’s older brother, a six-foot-four, muscle-bound convict, has Hollywood good looks, a charming smile, and a serious penchant for violence.

With the stunningly beautiful island of Newfoundland as one backdrop and the Oklahoma State Penitentiary as the other, A Private Heaven is brimming with helicopters, rescues, icebergs, poachers, a prison rodeo, and even a prime minister’s wife.

Dave quickly learns the harsh realities of bush flying and wonders what will explode first-his fragile marriage or his beat-up, antique helicopter.

This is a different type of book for me to read. I am absolutely enjoying this book. It was wonderfully written and the dual plotlines are compelling. Also, I like that it is semi-autobiographical. I am about halfway through reading this book and should finish it up tonight.

What books I think I’ll read next:

I am hoping to read the first 3 books by next week’s WWW Wednesday. The other ones are a maybe.

MacFarland's Lass (Scottish Lasses #1)
(Formerly published as Captured by Desire by Kira Morgan)

SCOTTISH LASSES

Meet the lasses in the world of Mary Queen of Scots…Like the Scottish thistle, they’re lovely yet tough, beautiful yet prickly, and only the strongest and wisest heroes are able to elude their thorns to discover the tender blossom within.

MacFARLAND’S LASS
by Glynnis Campbell – writing as Kira Morgan (formerly Captured by Desire)

A woman on the run…a man on the hunt. He has forty days to earn her trust. She has forty days to win his heart. They have forty days to outwit their enemies.

When Florie Gilder, the once-respected jeweler to Queen Mary, claims sanctuary in an abandoned church for a crime she didn’t commit, huntsman Rane MacFarland, a local hero of the common folk, vows to protect her. But when his overlord charges him with preventing the fugitive lass’s escape, Rane finds himself torn between duty and desire when he begins to fall for his spirited captive. And when powerful foes conspire to turn Rane and Florie against each other, they need courage, wits, and, most of all, love, to survive.
Exploited (The Dark Redemption #1)
WARNING: This book contains some dark, dirty and dangerous situations before ending in a jaw-dropping cliffhanger. The debauchery will continue in the second book in the series, Redeemed.

I’m going to hell, and my angel’s about to lose her wings.

For years I’ve left a path of death and destruction wherever I go. I promise myself that after one last job I’ll have the money I desperately need to quit taking lives. That’s how I find myself back in my hometown of Lexington.

So beautiful and innocent, I unknowingly end up saving the life of the one girl I was supposed to keep silent…the one girl I was supposed to end.

She’s my fallen angel sent from above.

I can’t resist staining her pure white wings with my darkness when I use her. Defile her. Deceive her.

The two of us were both ruined by our pasts when they intersected. Pasts that we’re still trying to escape with the hounds of hell on our heels.

Fate brought us together. Now, I’ll do anything to protect my angel from the demons that haunt her. I won’t stop until I slay the devil himself to keep her safe, the man who ruined both of our lives.

The only problem is, my silent angel is keeping secrets from me – the biggest of which is that I’m not the only one who wants to exploit her.
The Last City of America
A virus stole fertility from many people long ago, ending society over several generations. The United States became the Seven Cities of America.

Chicago, cut off from the other cities, ruled in darkness, is home to the scientist who created the virus. Hateful of humanity, hateful of himself, the dying scientist passes his knowledge on to his apprentice, who he believes will use it to damn all life to everlasting misery.

The apprentice, Harold, his own past stained with unforgivable acts, does not share his master’s hatred. But he wants this knowledge, and would shamelessly kill innocents to get it. But to what end, he struggles to realize— all the while wondering if humanity, worthless as it seems, deserves compassion more than he deserves omniscience.

As Harold struggles with his future and his identity, Chicago’s ruler, the host, learns of the knowledge he has. Harold is has to flee his home.

The host, Grakus, is on a journey of his own— to prove that humanity should never have existed, to guide it to its destiny of self-destruction. He will not allow the apprentice to thwart his delicate plan to do so.

But the apprentice will not allow the host to steal his decision before he’s had the chance to make it.

The Last City of America is a character-driven epic touching every corner of America, exposing every level of its beauty. The individual emulates humanity, and humanity’s faults are written in the individual. The two walk with one another into the final decision. Cities fall one-by-one to man’s ignorance. The world is ending. This time forever. Two hands reach out to save it: good and evil.

This is the story of how we will be remembered. 
A Cowboy Kind of Love (Heart of Texas #6)
Who wants to rodeo again?

Jace Wilder has been rebuilding his life since the love of his life, Taryn, up and left town unexpectedly. But when she mysteriously returns, Jace’s dependable world comes crashing down. Taryn is hiding a dangerous secret, and no matter how hard he tries, Jace can’t stay away―especially when Taryn is at risk. And especially when the attraction he thought he’d buried long ago is back and hotter than ever. Will he be able to trust Taryn again?

The Show Girl: A Novel by [Nicola Harrison]
Nicola Harrison’s The Show Girl gives a glimpse of the glamorous world of the Ziegfeld Follies, through the eyes of a young midwestern woman who comes to New York City to find her destiny as a Ziegfeld Follies star.

It’s 1927 when Olive McCormick moves from Minneapolis to New York City determined to become a star in the Ziegfeld Follies. Extremely talented as a singer and dancer, it takes every bit of perseverance to finally make it on stage. And once she does, all the glamour and excitement is everything she imagined and more—even worth all the sacrifices she has had to make along the way.

Then she meets Archie Carmichael. Handsome, wealthy—the only man she’s ever met who seems to accept her modern ways—her independent nature and passion for success. But once she accepts his proposal of marriage he starts to change his tune, and Olive must decide if she is willing to reveal a devastating secret and sacrifice the life she loves for the man she loves.

WWW Wednesday: February 3rd 2021

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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 skipped doing all bookish meme’s last week and Sunday of this week. I have a couple of reasons. The first one being: I was busy. I had appointments almost every single day last week and by the time I got home, I wasn’t in the mood for sitting at the computer and blogging. The second reason: A lot of the weekly memes were repeating themselves. I don’t know how many times I could answer what books/authors I want to read in 2021. So, I made the decision to skip them until February.

Miss R has to get braces on her top teeth. We had an orthodontist appointment yesterday and he had made the decision that she needs them. The oral surgeon removed too many teeth on top and they all shifted. Now, she doesn’t have enough room for her canines to come through. Add to that they are coming in sideways. I feel that I am going to get judged because she’s only 7. Sigh.

Mr. Z has an interesting project that he’s doing for social studies. To celebrate Black History Month, his school does a wax museum featuring prominent and famous African Americans. For this project, he has to dress up and deliver a speech about his chosen person. The person he chose was Thurgood Marshall. We got glasses (which Mr. Z wears anyway) and a fake mustache. On the list of what we need to get: a robe (Thurgood Marshall was a Supreme Court Justice), a collared white shirt and a tie.

Nothing to say about Miss B. She’s doing well in school (right now: A/B honor roll) and is generally loving life.

I finished His Dark Materials last week. I was NOT happy about how it ended and wanted to scream!!!! I also have made it to episode 5 of Bridgerton. The end of the episode was….memorable. If you’ve watched it, you know what I’m talking about….lmao. I’ve also started Titans on HBOMax. Talk about a darker take on the Teen Titans!!! I’m also thinking of restarting Raised by Wolves. BK and I watched episode 1 but never resumed the series.

Blog:

Like I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I started taking review requests again. I posted 1 review request last week (along with 1 review of a book that I had on my TBR). I have two upcoming reviews this week. It feels good to be back reviewing!!!

I still need to clean up my previous posts. I did start on my Tag/Categories section last weekend but got sidetracked by cleaning and family stuff. I plan on doing more at some point.

Reading:

I had a good reading week last week, for the most part. I finished 4 books last week.

I recently finished reading:

The Death of Vivek Oji
What does it mean for a family to lose a child they never really knew?

One afternoon, in a town in southeastern Nigeria, a mother opens her front door to discover her son’s body, wrapped in colorful fabric, at her feet. What follows is the tumultuous, heart-wrenching story of one family’s struggle to understand a child whose spirit is both gentle and mysterious. Raised by a distant father and an understanding but overprotective mother, Vivek suffers disorienting blackouts, moments of disconnection between self and surroundings. As adolescence gives way to adulthood, Vivek finds solace in friendships with the warm, boisterous daughters of the Nigerwives, foreign-born women married to Nigerian men. But Vivek’s closest bond is with Osita, the worldly, high-spirited cousin whose teasing confidence masks a guarded private life. As their relationship deepens—and Osita struggles to understand Vivek’s escalating crisis—the mystery gives way to a heart-stopping act of violence in a moment of exhilarating freedom.

Propulsively readable, teeming with unforgettable characters, The Death of Vivek Oji is a novel of family and friendship that challenges expectations—a dramatic story of loss and transcendence that will move every reader.

Reading The Death of Vivek Oji destroyed me. It destroyed me in a good way. I was in no way prepared for the range of emotions this book put me through. Now, saying that, there were some parts of the book the made me go “eh“. I’m not going to go into it now (wait for my review) but that did not affect how I viewed the book.

What I am currently reading:

How to Train Your Earl (First Comes Love, #3)
A roguish earl must fight using his honor and not his sword to win his lady’s hand in How To Train Your Earl, the third book in the First Comes Love trilogy from bestseller Amelia Grey.

Brina Feld has settled into a life devoted to helping others since the sinking of the Salty Dove left her widowed. She has no need for a man in her contented life. But when the notorious and handsome Lord Blacknight returns and awakens her desires, her peace and serenity vanish. If she agrees to an alliance with him, she knows she will have to battle her heart to keep from being snared under his spell.

Zane, the Earl of Blacknight, was never supposed to inherit the earldom, so he didn’t much care to lead a respectable life before then. Fistfights, card games, and drinking are the order of the day. Now he’s determined to change his rakish ways and he knows the proper lady who can help him. There’s just one problem: He’s already bet he’ll win her hand before the Season is over. With her resolve to out-scheme him, how can he show her that his love is true?

I just started reading How to Train Your Earl and I am loving it. The way Zane and Brina were introduced was funny (and a little scary) and I am a little irritated by how Zane’s family treated him (if you read the first few chapters, you know what I’m talking about). I am hoping to have this read by Friday and the review up on April 27th.

What books I think I’ll read next:

MacFarland's Lass (Scottish Lasses #1)
(Formerly published as Captured by Desire by Kira Morgan)

SCOTTISH LASSES

Meet the lasses in the world of Mary Queen of Scots…Like the Scottish thistle, they’re lovely yet tough, beautiful yet prickly, and only the strongest and wisest heroes are able to elude their thorns to discover the tender blossom within.

MacFARLAND’S LASS
by Glynnis Campbell – writing as Kira Morgan (formerly Captured by Desire)

A woman on the run…a man on the hunt. He has forty days to earn her trust. She has forty days to win his heart. They have forty days to outwit their enemies.

When Florie Gilder, the once-respected jeweler to Queen Mary, claims sanctuary in an abandoned church for a crime she didn’t commit, huntsman Rane MacFarland, a local hero of the common folk, vows to protect her. But when his overlord charges him with preventing the fugitive lass’s escape, Rane finds himself torn between duty and desire when he begins to fall for his spirited captive. And when powerful foes conspire to turn Rane and Florie against each other, they need courage, wits, and, most of all, love, to survive.
Exploited (The Dark Redemption #1)
WARNING: This book contains some dark, dirty and dangerous situations before ending in a jaw-dropping cliffhanger. The debauchery will continue in the second book in the series, Redeemed.

I’m going to hell, and my angel’s about to lose her wings.

For years I’ve left a path of death and destruction wherever I go. I promise myself that after one last job I’ll have the money I desperately need to quit taking lives. That’s how I find myself back in my hometown of Lexington.

So beautiful and innocent, I unknowingly end up saving the life of the one girl I was supposed to keep silent…the one girl I was supposed to end.

She’s my fallen angel sent from above.

I can’t resist staining her pure white wings with my darkness when I use her. Defile her. Deceive her.

The two of us were both ruined by our pasts when they intersected. Pasts that we’re still trying to escape with the hounds of hell on our heels.

Fate brought us together. Now, I’ll do anything to protect my angel from the demons that haunt her. I won’t stop until I slay the devil himself to keep her safe, the man who ruined both of our lives.

The only problem is, my silent angel is keeping secrets from me – the biggest of which is that I’m not the only one who wants to exploit her.
The Last City of America
A virus stole fertility from many people long ago, ending society over several generations. The United States became the Seven Cities of America.

Chicago, cut off from the other cities, ruled in darkness, is home to the scientist who created the virus. Hateful of humanity, hateful of himself, the dying scientist passes his knowledge on to his apprentice, who he believes will use it to damn all life to everlasting misery.

The apprentice, Harold, his own past stained with unforgivable acts, does not share his master’s hatred. But he wants this knowledge, and would shamelessly kill innocents to get it. But to what end, he struggles to realize— all the while wondering if humanity, worthless as it seems, deserves compassion more than he deserves omniscience.

As Harold struggles with his future and his identity, Chicago’s ruler, the host, learns of the knowledge he has. Harold is has to flee his home.

The host, Grakus, is on a journey of his own— to prove that humanity should never have existed, to guide it to its destiny of self-destruction. He will not allow the apprentice to thwart his delicate plan to do so.

But the apprentice will not allow the host to steal his decision before he‘s had the chance to make it.

The Last City of America is a character-driven epic touching every corner of America, exposing every level of its beauty. The individual emulates humanity, and humanity’s faults are written in the individual. The two walk with one another into the final decision. Cities fall one-by-one to man’s ignorance. The world is ending. This time forever. Two hands reach out to save it: good and evil.

This is the story of how we will be remembered.
A Cowboy Kind of Love (Heart of Texas #6)
Who wants to rodeo again?

Jace Wilder has been rebuilding his life since the love of his life, Taryn, up and left town unexpectedly. But when she mysteriously returns, Jace’s dependable world comes crashing down. Taryn is hiding a dangerous secret, and no matter how hard he tries, Jace can’t stay away―especially when Taryn is at risk. And especially when the attraction he thought he’d buried long ago is back and hotter than ever. Will he be able to trust Taryn again?

Taryn Hillman’s world fell apart one horrifying night, and it’s never been the same since. When she sees a small chance at untangling herself, she takes it, though it means returning to Clearview – and seeing Jace again. But when he vows to protect her, will Taryn take a chance, and this time, never let him go?

I am hoping to read at least 3 of these books by the next WWW. I think I can do it (without late nights hopefully). I am also hoping to knock some books off my reading challenges (3 out of the 4 are on there).

WWW Wednesday: January 20th, 2020

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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:

Some of you might have noticed that I skipped last week for WWW. It wasn’t because I wanted to. No, I overbooked myself with appointments. I had 2 on Wednesday….sigh. By the time I got home, I was too tired and too grumpy to blog. Instead, I logged onto Sims 4 (after supper) and took my frustrations out there.

I have been watching His Dark Materials (based on the Golden Compass books) on HBO Max and Bridgerton (based on the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn)on Netflix. I am loving both of them!!!

Blog:

I started to go through my past posts and fix broken links. I think I got to about 20 of them before getting sidetracked. I plan on starting that back up shortly. I can’t stand it when I stop something and don’t complete it. It drives me absolutely NUTS!!

Over the weekend, I have made the decision to start accepting reviews again. That means I need to put up my contact info page again and redo my review policy and rating system pages. That is something that I have been putting off doing for a while and it is the push I need to start posting reviews again. I am going to cap my reviews at 6 a month (Thursdays and Fridays are going to be book review days). That way, I don’t feel rushed or pressured into accepting/writing reviews. It also means that I will have time to read books that I like.

Reading:

I am reading steadily. I did take a small break last week, on Wednesday (see above), but started reading again on Thursday. I had only one book come off hold. I added Alex, Approximately and that book looks like it should come off hold shortly (I am number 2 out of 6 people waiting for it).

I recently finished reading:

Fire and Sword (Sword and Sorcery, #1)
Condemned to hang for their crimes, they’ll march instead to perish as heroes, or live as free men.

A broken nation in need of a savior – ravaged by plague, decimated by dark magic, infiltrated by a foreign evil seeking to dominate from within. Three will rise to save the beleaguered land. But will they be enough?

Three men condemned to die: Aldous Weaver, a heretic monk turned sorcerer, imprisoned for accidentally incinerating the leader of his order. Kendrick the Cold, an infamous crusader turned fugitive, is a villain who knows he can never be a hero. Theron Ward, an aristocrat with a penchant for slaughtering monsters, and a legend in his own mind.

When the kingdom of Brynth is threatened by a far greater evil, the unlikely trio must make a choice — seek to escape this land that cries for their execution, or find the true heroes within themselves. And then, armed with fire and sword, march together against the forces of darkness. But can three such disparate warriors ever prevail?

I enjoyed reading Fire and Sword. It wasn’t your typical fantasy. All 3 main characters were very flawed. One was a teenaged monk who finds out he is a sorcerer. The next one is a soldier who gained an infamous reputation during a genocide but lives with mind numbing guilt every day. And the last main character is a man who is an aristocrat who slaughters monsters but who has a dark secret. The plotline was fast moving and the characters were engaging.

What I am currently reading:

Ghost Detective (Myron Vale Investigations, #1)
Everybody dies. Nobody leaves … Award-winning author Scott William Carter returns with his tenth novel, a spellbinding tale of a man who bridges both sides of the great divide.

After narrowly surviving a near-fatal shooting, Portland detective Myron Vale wakes with a bullet still lodged in his brain, a headache to end all headaches, and a terrible side effect that radically transforms his world for the worse: He sees ghosts. Lots of them.

By some estimates, a hundred billion people have lived and died before anyone alive today was even born. For Myron, they’re all still here. That’s not even his biggest problem. No matter how hard he tries, he can’t tell the living from the dead.

Despite this, Myron manages to piece together something of a life as a private investigator specializing in helping people on both sides of the great divide–until a stunning blonde beauty walks into his office needing help finding her husband. Myron wants no part of the case until he sees the man’s picture … and instantly his carefully reconstructed life begins to unravel.

I am about halfway through reading Ghost Detective and I am loving it. I have read a few mysteries that involve a person that can see ghosts but this one is the most original. My only issue is that the flashback scenes are not clearly marked. So, I have been getting confused when it goes back and forth. Other than that, loving it!!!

What books I think I’ll read next:

MacFarland's Lass (Scottish Lasses #1)
SCOTTISH LASSES

Meet the lasses in the world of Mary Queen of Scots…Like the Scottish thistle, they’re lovely yet tough, beautiful yet prickly, and only the strongest and wisest heroes are able to elude their thorns to discover the tender blossom within.

MacFARLAND’S LASS
by Glynnis Campbell – writing as Kira Morgan (formerly Captured by Desire)

A woman on the run…a man on the hunt. He has forty days to earn her trust. She has forty days to win his heart. They have forty days to outwit their enemies.

When Florie Gilder, the once-respected jeweler to Queen Mary, claims sanctuary in an abandoned church for a crime she didn’t commit, huntsman Rane MacFarland, a local hero of the common folk, vows to protect her. But when his overlord charges him with preventing the fugitive lass’s escape, Rane finds himself torn between duty and desire when he begins to fall for his spirited captive. And when powerful foes conspire to turn Rane and Florie against each other, they need courage, wits, and, most of all, love, to survive.
Once Removed (Blackhawk Security, #1)
When Lainey becomes trapped in a burning building with her almost-divorced husband’s body, Brody rescues her just in time. And when she realizes the killer is now after her, she takes refuge at Brody’s Montana ranch.

Lainey and Brody have been fighting their attraction for years. But as the barriers between them fall, Lainey rescues Phoebe, a runaway teen, from the compound where her husband died. Now they’re forced to focus on Phoebe and an invisible threat.

Whoever murdered her husband has eyes on Lainey. Will their fragile new family survive a desperate predator? Can they protect Phoebe, identify the killer and find their happily ever after?
Once Burned (Blackhawk Security, #2)
After a number of threatening incidents, Chef Julia Stewart seeks help from Blackhawk Security. They recommend bodyguard Nico Elliott. The Seattle chef is reluctant, but finally agrees. To stay close, Nico poses as a busser in her restaurant.

As the dangerous incidents escalate, Nico and Julia grow closer. Nico keeps Julia safe, but they need to figure out who’s trying to kill her. And why.

Amid rising threats, their attraction flares out of control. With everything at stake, Julia faces her tormenter. Will he kill her? Or will the truth destroy her first?
Alex, Approximately
Classic movie buff Bailey “Mink” Rydell has spent months crushing on a witty film geek she only knows online by “Alex.” Two coasts separate the teens until Bailey moves in with her dad, who lives in the same California surfing town as her online crush.

Faced with doubts (what if he’s a creep in real life—or worse?), Bailey doesn’t tell Alex she’s moved to his hometown. Or that she’s landed a job at the local tourist-trap museum. Or that she’s being heckled daily by the irritatingly hot museum security guard, Porter Roth—a.k.a. her new arch-nemesis. But life is whole lot messier than the movies, especially when Bailey discovers that tricky fine line between hate, love, and whatever-it-is she’s starting to feel for Porter.

And as the summer months go by, Bailey must choose whether to cling to a dreamy online fantasy in Alex or take a risk on an imperfect reality with Porter. The choice is both simpler and more complicated than she realizes, because Porter Roth is hiding a secret of his own: Porter is Alex…Approximately.
Exploited (The Dark Redemption #1)
WARNING: This book contains some dark, dirty and dangerous situations before ending in a jaw-dropping cliffhanger. The debauchery will continue in the second book in the series, Redeemed.

I’m going to hell, and my angel’s about to lose her wings.

For years I’ve left a path of death and destruction wherever I go. I promise myself that after one last job I’ll have the money I desperately need to quit taking lives. That’s how I find myself back in my hometown of Lexington.

So beautiful and innocent, I unknowingly end up saving the life of the one girl I was supposed to keep silent…the one girl I was supposed to end.

She’s my fallen angel sent from above.

I can’t resist staining her pure white wings with my darkness when I use her. Defile her. Deceive her.

The two of us were both ruined by our pasts when they intersected. Pasts that we’re still trying to escape with the hounds of hell on our heels.

Fate brought us together. Now, I’ll do anything to protect my angel from the demons that haunt her. I won’t stop until I slay the devil himself to keep her safe, the man who ruined both of our lives.

The only problem is, my silent angel is keeping secrets from me – the biggest of which is that I’m not the only one who wants to exploit her.
The Last City of America
A virus stole fertility from many people long ago, ending society over several generations. The United States became the Seven Cities of America.

Chicago, cut off from the other cities, ruled in darkness, is home to the scientist who created the virus. Hateful of humanity, hateful of himself, the dying scientist passes his knowledge on to his apprentice, who he believes will use it to damn all life to everlasting misery.

The apprentice, Harold, his own past stained with unforgivable acts, does not share his master’s hatred. But he wants this knowledge, and would shamelessly kill innocents to get it. But to what end, he struggles to realize— all the while wondering if humanity, worthless as it seems, deserves compassion more than he deserves omniscience.

As Harold struggles with his future and his identity, Chicago’s ruler, the host, learns of the knowledge he has. Harold is has to flee his home.

The host, Grakus, is on a journey of his own— to prove that humanity should never have existed, to guide it to its destiny of self-destruction. He will not allow the apprentice to thwart his delicate plan to do so.

But the apprentice will not allow the host to steal his decision before he’s had the chance to make it.

The Last City of America is a character-driven epic touching every corner of America, exposing every level of its beauty. The individual emulates humanity, and humanity’s faults are written in the individual. The two walk with one another into the final decision. Cities fall one-by-one to man’s ignorance. The world is ending. This time forever. Two hands reach out to save it: good and evil.

This is the story of how we will be remembered

Going to be truthful here, I am thinking that I am going to read only 2-3 of these books. Maybe 4, if I really push it. I give myself 6 as a challenge to see if I can actually do it, read 6 books in a week. So far, I haven’t been able too. Maybe this will the week.

So, that’s it. My WWW for this week. Hope you enjoy and please leave yours in the comments below!!