Monday, October 31, 2016

Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Island of Exiles (The Ryogan Chronicles #1) by Erica Cameron

IslandofExilesIsland of Exiles (The Ryogan Chronicles, #1) 
by Erica Cameron
To Be Released on February 7th, 2017

In Khya’s world, every breath is a battle. On the isolated desert island of Shiara, dying young is inevitable. The clan comes before self, and protecting her home means Khya is a warrior above all else. But when following the clan and obeying their leaders could cost her brother his life, Khya’s home becomes a deadly trap. The only person who can help is Tessen, her lifelong rival and the boy who challenges her at every turn. The council she hoped to join has betrayed her, and their secrets, hundreds of years deep, reach around a world she’s never seen. To save her brother’s life and her island home, her only choice is to trust Tessen, turn against her clan, and go on the run—a betrayal and a death sentence.  

ericaAbout the Author: After a lifelong obsession with books, Erica Cameron spent her college years getting credit for reading and learning how to make stories of her own. Erica graduated with a double major in psychology and creative writing from Florida State University and began pursuing a career as an author. Erica is many things but most notably the following: writer, reader, editor, asexual, dance fan, choreographer, singer, lover of musical theater, movie obsessed, sucker for romance, Florida resident, and quasi-recluse. She loves the beach but hates the heat, has equal passion for the art of Salvador Dali and Venetian Carnival masks, has a penchant for unique jewelry and sun/moon décor pieces, and a desire to travel the entire world on a cruise ship. Or a private yacht. You know, whatever works. Her debut novel, Sing Sweet Nightingale, released March 2014 and it was the first volume of The Dream War Saga. In May 2015, Erica and her co-author Lani Woodland launched the Laguna Tides series with Taken by Chance. Riptide’s new YA imprint Triton Books will release both books in the Assassins series, Discord and Nemesis, in 2016. The Ryogan Chronicles, a fantasy trilogy set to launch through Entangled Teen, will launch in 2017 with Island of Exiles.
Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/byericacameron/

Giveaway:
 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Dead of Winter (The Arcana Chronicles #3) by Kresley Cole

Book info:
TitleDead of Winter
Author:  Kresley Cole
SeriesThe Arcana Chronicles #3
Genre:  YA Fantasy/post-apocalyptic
Published:  January 6th, 2015
Source:  I purchased book
My Rating:  5 stars









I read and finished this book while I was in New Orleans, while I got to meet the author even!  Here's my picture with her.




Once again I am so in love with this series!  I know a lot of people hate love triangles, but this one was okay, in fact I loved both guys, and can't decide who I want her to choose!  Well, I kind of know, maybe.  If you haven't read the first two books in the series, you probably ought to stop reading here.  Go back and read my reviews of the first two instead, Poison Princess and Endless Knight.  I won't be able to help any spoilers for those two books from here on out.

At the end of the last book, Evie had taken off, left Death in order to try to save Jack.  He's been taken by the Lovers, and the way that they "love" their prisoners is torture.  And most people don't survive the torture in one piece.  But her allies from before have joined up with an army, and are using it to protect themselves and others.  While in their search to not only save Jack, but also other people that the Lovers kidnap, Evie will run into other members of the Arcana, some foes, others that may become allies.  Death will return, and will decide to do what he can to convince Evie that she is meant to be his.  But Jack will do the same, that Evie is his.  

Evie must determine if one is really better for her, or if she is really right for that one, would Jack be better off with someone else? And can she trust Jack?  Is he still keeping things from her, like what actually happened with  her mother?  And then there is the Fool, who seems to be not so much on their side, but also still trying to help them when he can.  

So  many twists and turns in this.  I can't wait to read on!

 

Sunday, October 30, 2016

October End of the Month Wrap-Up Post

October was very busy, but I intend for November to be crazy busy with writing for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo).  So.... I will most likely not be doing any weekly posts, and very few posts that will require me to go return comments.  Instead I'm hoping to just go comment on blogs when I have time instead of feeling like I have to go comment on all the WOW or Sunday Posts that come up.  Also, I'm doing my October wrap up a day or two earlier than normal, because I want to be done with it before November starts as well!  This will probably be another quick post like last time, and I might also do some normal Sunday post topics in this as well.  We'll see.

Another month where I didn't get a discussion post done.  Not sure I'll meet my goal for the year, as I don't know how I'll get a discussion post done in November either.  Maybe December will get a few instead.


I got a few in this month.  If you're wondering what this challenge is about, you can go check it out HERE.
  1. Hudson Valley series by Alice Clayton
  2. Wendy Darling series by Colleen Oakes
  3. There's Wild, Then There's You by M. Leighton
  4. Six of Hearts by LH Cosway





Only one that I think counts this month.







Two books this month:




Got three of these this month.


I'm going to skip my Bookish Resolutions wrap-up for the month, which means I'm not meeting some of them kind of.

Some Statistics from Last Month:
  • #of books read:  20 as of today, maybe one or two more by actual end of month
  • # of full reviews posted on blog:  14
  • # of mini-reviews posted on blog:  6
So that's my month at a glance.  Not going to list out a possible TBR either.  Just know that I'll hopefully be writing my 1,667 words every day in November in hopes of getting 50,000 done by the end of the month!

Saturday, October 29, 2016

Six New Adult/Romance Free/Cheap E-book Mini-Reviews

Wasn't sure if I'd get one of these posts done in October. But, since a few of the ebooks I've read this month were for specific tours, I decided to go ahead and do a post with just these six. 

First Night (Seductive Nights #0.5) by Lauren Blakely:
*Note: This is a free prequel to the NYT and USA Today Bestselling full-length sexy romance novel NIGHT AFTER NIGHT now available on Amazon.
It was only supposed to be one night…
When the sinfully handsome man walks into her bar in San Francisco, Julia Bell simply wants a break from the troubles that keep chasing her. That escape comes in the form of sexy, confident and commanding Clay Nichols, who captivates her mind AND turns her inside out with pleasure. The attraction is electric and they share one scorchingly hot night together, but they also discover there is more than just off-the-charts chemistry; the connection between them runs deep. Clay never thought he’d return to New York with this woman still on his mind. But he can’t get her out of his system, and he needs more of her…He wants more than just the first night… 


My rating:  3 stars

A quick, easy read.  Nothing too different.  I might read on in the series at some point.  No rush at the moment.

The Write Stuff by Tiffany King:
Twenty-two-year-old historical romance writer Nicole Blake, or N.S. Blake to her readers, hasn't taken an official poll, mind you, but she is convinced she may be the only romance author on the planet who is still a card-carrying member of the virgin club.Not that she hasn't tried to end her membership. Life just keeps finding pesky ways to interfere. With no prospects on the horizon, Nicole begins to feel like the closest she will ever get to experiencing a man is within her own stories.

Opportunity presents itself in the form of hot-as-sin-on-a-lollipop-stick bartender/premed student Alec Petropoulos, who agrees to be the cover model for her upcoming book. Sparks fly instantly between them, and Nicole begins to entertain the possibility that she's finally found the right guy to hand over her tattered V-card. Alec has all the makings for a perfect one-night-stand candidate except, much to Nicole's surprise, he seems to be the only man in existence not interested in bagging a virgin.

Stuck between a rock and a stubborn male, what's a virgin to do? Seduce him, of course. How hard could it be? If it works for the characters in her stories, why wouldn't it work for her? After all, what happens under the cover…stays under the cover.
 

My Rating:  5 stars

I LOVED this book!  It was one I could barely put down to do anything!  At first Nicole isn't quite sure about the guy, thinking  he might be kind of a jerk, and not the kind of guy that would be interested in her.  Then, when it seems he is, and things start to get hot and heavy, it all comes to a screeching  halt when he finds out she is a virgin. He doesn't get with virgins anymore.  Soon though, he will see that he misses her, and when Nicole finds out what his reasoning is behind his "ban" on virgins, things will take some talking out, but they will be able to figure out what to do.  I guess this is part of a series, I still need to get the second one.  I'm also very excited to meet this author at Apollycon in March!

Six of Hearts (Hearts #1) by L.H. Cosway:
Step right up and meet Jay Fields: Illusionist. Mentalist. Trickster.

I think in triangles. You think in straight lines.

I show you a table and make you believe it’s a chair.

Smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand, misdirection. I trick and deceive.

But most of all, I put on a good show.

The world thinks I killed a man, but I didn’t. Bear with me. It’s all a part of the plan.

Revenge is what I want. I want it for me and I want it for her.
I want it for all six of us.

She doesn’t remember me, but she’s the reason for everything. She’ll be my prize at the end of all this – if I can hold onto my willpower, that is. Maybe I’ll slip up a little, have a taste, just a small one.

So go ahead and pick a card. Come inside and see the show. Look at my hands, look so closely that you can’t see what’s happening while you’re so focused on looking. I’ll be destroying your world from right here in the spotlight.

You’ll never see me coming until it’s too late.

I’ve only got one heart, and after I’ve pulled off my grand deception I’ll hand it right to her.

So, sit back, relax, and let my girl tell you our story. You’re in for one hell of a ride.   






My rating:  5 stars


I downloaded this as a free book, and started reading as a favorite author of mine (Samantha Young) was going on about this being one of her favorite authors as she read a book further on in the series.  And when I picked this up, I was in love!  The love interest, Jay, was definitely very swoon-worthy.  But the main character, Matilda, I totally got where she came from.  Of course the "mystery" about who Jay was, well that was apparent right away, even if Matilda didn't get it.  But the twist in why Jay was going to the extremes with the person he was suing, that was definitely a twist that I didn't get until it began to unravel in the story.  I loved it, it had some very steamy scenes, and I can't wait to read on in the series!

Royal Rock:  A Bad Boy Royal Romance by B.B. Hamel:
I won’t kneel for anyone, especially not that filthy prince.

It was like a dream when the crown prince of Starkland flew me and my family out to his castle. We thought it was just another vacation, but of course the prince had other plans.

He goes by Trip, and he’s one filthy a-hole. He’s a notorious bad boy and jaw-droppingly handsome, as much as I hate to admit it.

And I slapped him across the face the first time we met.

Just because he’s royalty, doesn’t mean he can whisper dirty things in my ear!

I don’t want anything to do with that cocky jerk. He talks to me like I’m a servant, and it drives me crazy. He wants me to be his princess and demands I wear nothing but his crown.

Now I’m stuck, practically a prisoner in his castle. Who knows if I’ll ever get home.

Or if I really want to leave . . .    




My rating:  4 stars

This was another really quick read, and it had some very steamy parts.  The interactions between the two main characters was very fun.  I haven't read a lot of stories with "royalty" that weren't also either YA or dystopian or fantasy.  So some of this was a little weird to read to deal with someone actually in charge of a country/kingdom.  A real monarch situation.  In the end I did really enjoy it.  I will probably read more by this author in the future.

Candy Boys by Jo Raven:
Joel and Jethro. Roommates. Total hunks. Inseparable friends. Hot as hell.
Meet my fantasy boyfriends. Aren’t they just the sexiest, cutest thing? I know, right? They totally are. They are hot, too hot for a quiet – and obsessed with them – girl working in a bookshop.
That’d be me, by the way.
There’s also the tiny problem of Joel wanting another girl. And as for Jethro, well… he doesn’t do girls. Or maybe he doesn’t do relationships. He certainly doesn’t do boys, so he isn’t doing his best and very male friend… right? Much less his male friend and me at the same time.
So it’s fine to crush on them. And write a serial story on my blog in which we have tantric sex in every possible position.
All three of us. Together. Touching, and licking, and sucking, and screwing.
Whew.
I mean, it’s okay. It’s perfectly safe. They’ll never even know I exist, much less find out about my blog and my secret fantasy about them.
Right?
Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.
 

My rating:  4 stars

Okay, so I'm not sure that I enjoy the two guy part of the story, but the rest of this was pretty hot.  I don't have a problem with the two guys together, it's just not what is my type of read in a romance/erotic story.  But, I do have to admit that at times, the whole story all together worked.  I think it was just the relationships between all of them, and how it worked.  I liked the characters, they all had their own issues.  The whole online story part was very interesting to add into the story, and made for some good tension at certain points in the story.  It was another fast read for sure.  And I did enjoy it overall.

Insta-Hate (Instant Gratification #1) by CL Bond:
When Alexandria Ray’s romance series becomes an overnight sensation, the world and its demands close in on her. After years of struggling to maintain the pace her publisher, agent and the world expects, she needs a break. Enrolling as a student at Columbia University is step one to finding herself again. Finding Arsen Daniel was not on her list.

Arsen Daniel, along with his best friend, built an empire in the form of an exclusive, psychology-based dating service. When an old friend invites him to teach a course at Columbia, he accepts. The course? The Psychology of Love. Sounds simple enough and the publicity alone will make it worth his time.

Arsen didn’t expect to meet his match in the form of a sarcastic blonde, hell bent on holding to her belief that true love doesn’t actually exist. After all, what woman, especially a world-renowned romance writer, doesn’t believe in happily ever after?

Something in Alexandria’s eyes tortures him. She reminds him of someone from his past and that is a very bad thing.
  

My rating:  4 stars

I liked this one, although I did have a few issues with the relationship.  I could totally see the connection between Arsen and Alexandria.  I didn't quite see the twist coming, and it was a very interesting one.  But the way Arsen reacted, well I felt it was a little extreme, and his refusal to give in, and to compromise or see Alexandria's side when the truth all comes out, it really irritated me. Especially how quickly he seemed to turn around at the point that he did.  Before that happened though, i was definitely really enjoying it and would have finished it much quicker had I not had other review books I had to get finished during the time I'd started this one.  A good read, I recommend it, and now will just have to decide if I will read on in the series, although I know I would read other stories by this same author for sure.

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Audiobook Review: One King's Way (On Dublin Street 6.5) by Samantha Young

Book info:
TitleOne King's Way
Author:  Samantha Young
SeriesOn Dublin Street #6.5
Genre:  Contemporary romance
Published:  November 3rd, 2015
Source:  Digital audiobook downloaded from public library
My Rating:  4 stars

This book was so hard to finish, as it brought the On Dublin Street series to a close.  And as the author has mentioned, she has no plans to write any more books in the series at this point in time.  :-( Makes me so sad because I love these characters so much.  While I did like this book, it only got a 4.5 star rating, and not the 5 stars I usually give this author's books.  

This story was actually told from the man's point of view for a change, along with the girl.  Craig was one of the bartenders where Joss and Jo used to work.  He was definitely an interesting character, and it was fun listening to a male narrator with a Scottish accent this time.  Craig is a bit of manwhore, doesn't want anything more than a good time from women.  Partly because he is the "man" of the family, taking care of his sister and mother.  Rain is our female character/love interest.  Craig first notices her when she shows up to the bar one night, partly because of how she is dressed, very pin-up like.  I was reading this right about the same time that I was reading some other books where the woman was described as a pin-up girl.  I'm enjoying that description. 

Anyway, Rain is at the bar because she heard that her sister's ex hangs out there.  Rain's sister has left the country because of what he did to humiliate her.  So Rain is out for revenge.  You see Darcy's boyfriend had shown interest in Rain right in front of her sister, and so Rain hopes she can use that interest to get on his good side, and be able to get the video back to save her sister.  Maybe to even get some kind of embarrassing dirt on him.

Craig is immediately intrigued with Rain, even though the first night she doesn't even leave the wall near the entrance of the bar. The second time she comes she sits down at the bar, and he tries to strike up a conversation.  Of course Rain can see Craig for exactly the type of guy he is, a player.  And she lets him know that she is not interested at all.  But soon after she is there several different nights, a tentative friendship forms between the two of them.  When Craig finds out her plan, of course he tells her she is crazy and tries to talk her out of it.  

The two of them will of course give in to their feelings at some point.  But even then, not only Rain's plan, but also issues with her sister will only serve to try to keep them apart.  In the end, both will have to decide if revenge is worth it, or if the life they have is one that could be uprooted and moved to a new location to be with the person they love.

Definitely worth reading or listening to as I did.  I loved the accent and the way they said things, like "sangwich" for sandwich.  I also kinda want to start cursing using the word "bugger."  It was a great little novella though, and you can't skip it, or any of the other novellas in this series.

Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Waiting on Wednesday: Long May She Reign by Rhiannon Thomas

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases that we're eagerly awaiting.  I've picked a book by an author I've enjoyed in the past.  While I feel like there needs to be one more in her A Wicked Thing series, this new book sounds like a really unique story to me.  Here is the blurb from Goodreads:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns meets The Queen of the Tearling in this thrilling fantasy standalone about one girl’s unexpected rise to power.

Freya was never meant be queen. Twenty third in line to the throne, she never dreamed of a life in the palace, and would much rather research in her laboratory than participate in the intrigues of court. However, when an extravagant banquet turns deadly and the king and those closest to him are poisoned, Freya suddenly finds herself on the throne.

Freya may have escaped the massacre, but she is far from safe. The nobles don’t respect her, her councillors want to control her, and with the mystery of who killed the king still unsolved, Freya knows that a single mistake could cost her the kingdom – and her life.

Freya is determined to survive, and that means uncovering the murderers herself. Until then, she can’t trust anyone. Not her advisors. Not the king’s dashing and enigmatic illegitimate son. Not even her own father, who always wanted the best for her, but also wanted more power for himself.

As Freya’s enemies close in and her loyalties are tested, she must decide if she is ready to rule and, if so, how far she is willing to go to keep the crown.


Sounds good to me, what do you think?  What book are you eagerly awaiting this week?

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

Review: Wait for You by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Book info:
TitleWait for You
Author:  Jennifer L. Armentrout
SeriesWait for You #1
Genre:  New Adult Romance
Published:  September 3rd, 2013
Source:  Purchased at Half Price Bookstore
My Rating:  5 stars

I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy the NA books by JLA, but I shouldn't have had any doubts, Armentrout knows how to write characters that I fall in love with. And this book was no different.  That's why meeting her at NOLA StoryCon the beginning of this month was so cool!  Can't wait to see her again at ApollyCon in March!  I'm also very eager to read on in the series.  And will be looking for  more of them soon!

It's been about a month since I read this, so some of the details I would normally talk about in a review are fuzzy in my head.  But Avery and Cam were really great characters.  I felt for Avery, understand what she had gone through.  But also liked Cam, he was really a good guy that I fell in love with as I read.  As the characters were totally what sold me as usual with JLA's books.  I'll share the synopsis from Goodreads here, and just let you know that I loved it!

Some things are worth waiting for.

Traveling thousands of miles from home to enter college is the only way nineteen-year-old Avery Morgansten can escape what happened at the Halloween party five years ago--an event that forever changed her life. All she needs to do is make it to her classes on time, make sure the bracelet on her left wrist stays in place, not draw any attention to herself, and maybe--please God--make a few friends, because surely that would be a nice change of pace. The one thing she didn't need and never planned on was capturing the attention of the one guy who could shatter the precarious future she's building for herself.

Some things are worth experiencing.

Cameron Hamilton is six feet and three inches of swoon-worthy hotness, complete with a pair of striking blue eyes and a remarkable ability to make her want things she believed were irrevocably stolen from her. She knows she needs to stay away from him, but Cam is freaking everywhere, with his charm, his witty banter, and that damn dimple that's just so... so lickable. Getting involved with him is dangerous, but when ignoring the simmering tension that sparks whenever they are around each other becomes impossible, he brings out a side of her she never knew existed.

Some things should never be kept quiet.

But when Avery starts receiving threatening emails and phone calls forcing her to face a past she wants silenced, she's has no other choice but to acknowledge that someone is refusing to allow her to let go of that night when everything changed. When the devastating truth comes out, will she resurface this time with one less scar? And can Cam be there to help her or will he be dragged down with her?

And some things are worth fighting for.


Honestly as usual it had it's very sexy moments, more so than the YA books I've read by Armentrout of course.   I wish I could have picked it up during the summer to read, because this was a book that kept me in my bubble bath long after the water got cold and the bubbles were all gone.  It was a book that when I picked up just to read a chapter or two before bed, I had so much trouble putting down so I could go to sleep, even though I had school to get to early the next morning.  

Release Day Blitz and Giveaway: Threesome Bonds (Threesome Series #3) by Sienna Matthews

Tour Graphic
Announcing a new book release!
THREESOME BONDS
by
Sienna Matthews!
Hot, sizzling and sensual romance, Threesome Bonds is the long-awaited, much-anticipated, reader-requested sequel to Sienna Matthews' Threesome series.
Grab your copy now. Available at:
Amazon
Threesome Bonds Cover

About Threesome Bonds

Series: Threesome Series, Book 3
Genre: Erotic Romance, Contemporary Romance, Ménage à Trois
Add to Goodreads
The long-awaited, much-anticipated, reader-requested sequel to Threesome Interlude and Threesome Play is here!
What happens after Lynne Morrison's passionate elevator interlude with hunky twins Mark and Ash Thompson? Well, they realize it isn't enough so they had to try out the bedroom and the kitchen table and the wall…er, you get the picture. When Lynne finds herself unexpectedly pregnant, she faces a serious dilemma: she doesn't know who the father is! When Mark finds out, will it derail their growing relationship?
Meanwhile, her best friend Cara Wilson, aka Hot Blonde, isn't feeling so hot. In a relationship with lovers Kyle Lockwood and Max Brannigan, she comes home early one day and stumbles upon Kyle secretly proposing to Max. Her world shatters. Amidst her heartbreak, she decides to take the biggest gamble of her life, even if it means losing the thing Kyle cherishes the most…
Product Warnings
This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, male/male sexual acts, anal sex and ménage a trois (m/f/m and m/m/f).
Note
This book can be read as a standalone. Enough backstory has been provided to help new readers understand the characters' situations. However, if new readers would like to read how the characters met, the previous books, Threesome Interlude and Threesome Play, are now discounted at $0.99 for a limited time only.
Threesome Bonds is available now.
Grab your copy today!
Amazon

Other books by Sienna Matthews

Grab these equally tantalizing books in the Threesome series by Sienna Matthews. Available now with new covers!
Threesome Interlude Cover

Threesome Interlude

It's no hardship being stranded with two gorgeous guys...
Threesome Play Cover

Threesome Play

When opportunity comes, grab it. Or them.

Giveaway

Join the Threesome Bonds giveaway contest from Oct 25 - 28, 2016!
You could be the lucky winner of
One set of the Threesome series
by Sienna Matthews
-----
Get your copy of Threesome Bonds today. Available at:
Amazon

About Sienna Matthews

Sienna Matthews writes deliciously erotic romance. She goes wherever the muse calls. Check out her stories which are no holds barred sinful and seductive and where anything can happen. Visit her blog at http://siennamatthews.wordpress.com/. She welcomes readers' feedback on her books. Write to her at SiennaMMatthews@gmail.com.
Visit the Official Sienna Matthews Website:
http://siennamatthews.wordpress.com/
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Monday, October 24, 2016

Blog Tour and Giveaway: Spells and Sorcery by S. Usher Evans


Book info:
Title:  Spells and Sorcery
Author:  S. Usher Evans
Series:  (Lexie Carrigan Chronicles, #1)
Publication date: October 4th, 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
You have magic.
One sentence, three words, four syllables. Enough to change my life forever. And I’m not talking about the whole spells and sorcery thing.
Lexie Carrigan thought the weirdest thing about her was she preferred watching documentaries and reading the newspaper to reality TV and Twitter. But on the eve of her fifteenth birthday, her aunt and sisters drop a bomb–she’s magical.
Now the girl who never made waves is blowing up her nightstand and trying to keep from wreaking havoc on her school. When a kind stranger shows up with all the answers, Lexie hopes he’ll be able to help her control her newfound powers. But Gavon may not be as kind as he seems, and soon Lexie finds out that being magical is the least weird thing about her.
Spells and Sorcery is the first YA fantasy from S. Usher Evans, author of the Razia series, the Madion War Trilogy and Empath.

Excerpt:
Magic?
Was real?
Not only was it real, but I had it. So did that make me a witch or a wizard or…?
Or nothing. Magic didn't exist.
But it did, because I'd seen with my own two eyes.
I crossed the grassy park, headed for the swing set. I plopped down on the swing and leaned against the chain. After a moment, I began to swing back and forth, allowing my mind to go blank for just a moment. I took a deep breath in and out and stared at the empty suburban streets.
"Yer a wizard, Lexie…" I whispered to myself.
"Rough day?"
My head bobbled up at the sound. An older man stood on the sidewalk. He wore casual khaki pants and a polo shirt, and his salt-and-pepper hair was neatly trimmed. He stood under one of the street lamps, which gave him an almost angelic sort of glow.
"W-what?" I said, realizing he was still talking to me.
"I asked if you were all right," he said, stepping out of the spotlight and closer to the swing set. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Have you ever questioned everything you thought was real?" I asked, for lack of anything better to say.
"Once or twice," he responded with a charming smile. "Mind if I join you?"
I shrugged, and he sat down on the other swing beside me. I might have thought it strange, a middle-aged man on a swing set, but I didn't have a clear definition of weird anymore.
"Want to talk about it?" he asked.
"I doubt you would believe me," I said. "I don't believe me."
"That's a tough spot to be in. Let me guess: did they tell you about magic?"
I nearly fell out of the swing. "W-wait, you know? Does everybody know?"
He laughed, his few wrinkles deepening with smile lines. "No, of course not. Just those of us who have magic."
"A-and how did you know I have it?"
"We can tell," he said. "You'll get there, I'm sure. But I only assumed—teenage girl, looking the way you did, magical…"
I slumped lower against the metal chains. "I wonder what else people are lying to me about…"
"You know about the Easter Bunny, right?"
I sat up, wide-eyed. A man-sized rabbit existed?
"He's not real," the man finished with an amused smile.
"Very funny," I said, clutching my still-pounding heart. "After tonight, I'm pretty sure I'd believe anything is real."
"Magic is real. The Easter Bunny is not. How about we start there?"
 

Author Bio:
S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a “real job” as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.
Evans is the author of the Razia series, Madion War Trilogy, and Empath, published by Sun’s Golden Ray Publishing.

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Sunday, October 23, 2016

Sunday Post #73 and Stacking the Shelves October 23rd, 2016

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted  @ Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news ~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme.   Saturday was my birthday!  And since I ended up  having a free weekend, I had time to do a Sunday post this week.  Family issues on one side of my family meant not doing anything with them this weekend. Then the other side of my family was all out of town.  So Saturday was a "me" day for sure!  I got up and drove to a bakery across town that makes the best sugar cookies with icing on them.  The two bakeries I like close by me were already booked when I called to get my favorite type of birthday cake. So this year I had cookies!  Then I went to a Dollar Tree over on that side of town (looking for $1 books!), and also to a Half Price Books store that I haven't been to before.  Neither had a lot that I wanted, and I was pretty disappointed in the HPB, but the cookies are delicious!  I also went this afternoon to play with a bunch of dachshunds, and the house had a fenced yard, so I took my two dogs to get to play outside.  Just to make your mouth water, here is a picture of  my cookies:

It was also one of my dogs, Argyle's birthday this past week.  Here he is with his "cookie" from Go Pet Go.
 

Last week on the blog:
I only did one post a day this week.  Yay for me!  I'm cutting back a bit, again, to try to get ready for November and NaNoWriMo.  Plus, the school year is picking up in the library, and it's been pretty busy, no time for posting and commenting, etc.  And even though I was trying to get caught up on all the books I have sitting waiting for reviews, I am going ahead and reviewing more at one time, but just scheduling ahead with them to fill in days in November.

Coming up this week on the blog:
  • Promo posts:  Spells and Sorcery (Lexie Carrigan Chronicles #1) by S. Usher Evans
  • Reviews:  Wait for You by Jennifer L. Armentrout, and One King's Way (On Dublin Street #6.5) by Samantha Young (audiobook)
  • Waiting on Wednesday
  • Possible reviews:  Forgiving Lies by Molly McAdams, Free/Cheap ebook mini-reviews, The One Real Thing by Samantha Young (audiobook)
  • Maybe Top 10 Tuesday - Top 10 scariest covers?
This will be a busy week with Parent Teacher conferences, but I only work next Saturday, at our big Harry Potter event at the bookstore.  And it is the last full week before NaNoWriMo, I need to get as organized and ready to go as possible!  I'm also behind on my Blog Ahead Challenge, I only have like 6 or 7 posts done.  Not sure if I'll get all the way up to 30 posts, but that needs to be done this week.  The Walking Dead comes back tonight.  I'm going to be so upset if they don't kill the person who dies in the comics.  As much as I like that character, sometimes you have to kill them off to keep the story going close to the original comic storyline.  I haven't walked since before I went to New Orleans.  Not sure when I'll get back to it, again, want to get writing done.    

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  It is a way for us to share the new books we have collected. I didn't do too bad with physical books this week, although I did do some Half Price Bookstore and Dollar Tree shopping.

Physical books:
The first book I found at the one Half Price Books I went to on Saturday, back in the clearance section for $2!!! And it's in good condition, at least as far as I can tell.  I've already listened to it on audiobook, but I liked it, so need to own it.  The second book was at the Dollar Tree for $1.  The last two books were in my October package from my OTSP Secret Sister.  I have been waiting on the final Slayer Chronicles book forever, so that was an awesome gift!  And I am a huge fan of Jonathan Maberry, and this was a book I missed out on getting the last time I went to BEA, 2014, thanks to an  issue with my sister while I was in NYC visiting her.

E-galleys:
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 The first book is from Netgalley, the rest are from Edelweiss.
 
 Free or cheap e-books:






















All of the books above were free, except for the last one, That One Moment, which my OTSP  Secret Sister sent me for my birthday!

  This one was 99 cents, but I totally now see why everyone has been making a fuss over this one.  It is so good!  I will probably be buying the next two books when I can!

That's what I added to my shelves this week.  How about you?