Thursday, April 30, 2020

Wednesday, April 29, 2020

When a Series Goes In a Different Direction #LongandShortReviews #BlogChallenge


This week's topic: Reason Why I Stopped Reading a Series I Loved


There's one series that pops into my brain when I read this week's topic.

The Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton

I started reading this series in August 2001. I was working at Waldenbooks and we got a sampler of her newest novel, I think it was Obsidian Butterfly. It looked good, but I knew that this wasn't the first in the series and I like to begin at the beginning.


So, I bought Guilty Pleasures to give it a try.

I was so hooked. It was deliciously dark. Anita was a heroine with issues, but brave, strong and with a good heart. And she raised the dead for the living. How neat is that? She also assisted the police with their preternatural crimes division during the more nastier investigations dealing with supernatural monsters. Oh, did I mention she was also a vampire executioner?

Then there were characters like Jean-Claude, the vampire, and Richard, the science teacher werewolf. Not only were they possible love interests, but there was a mystery to solve with them, too.

This series had everything I could ask for, romance, horror, mystery, suspense. It was seriously page-turning and I was addicted.

That year, I took a road trip with a bunch of my friends from Pennsylvania to New Orleans. Of course, I bring books with me no matter where I go. I bought all of her available books to bring with me to read along the way.

And I read them back to back, down to New Orleans and back. Which is something I don't normally do. I was in reader heaven.


And then something strange happened around book #10-ish. 

The romantic horror series suddenly shifted to erotic horror. That alone didn't bother me. In fact, I might have enjoyed it. But suddenly Anita was sleeping with all these guys, sometimes all at the same time. And it was always for some mystical reason, not that she really wanted to (at the beginning of this change). Anita wasn't exactly forced, but she wasn't given many options not to...for reasons

It felt more like the author didn't wish to admit that she wanted her character to sleep with so many people and made it seem like Anita had to for her own good.


It was a dilemma that Anita had to face. If it would have been one book, or two, I wouldn't have minded... but every single book after? She's dealing with all these relationships with these many men and the drama and whining about who gets her attention and blah, blah, blah. They are a whiny bunch. I'm not sure how she can stand them all. Then again, she started getting whiny, too.

I just want her to go back to killing monsters and raising the dead. You know? The simple life.

I guess now as I look back, this might have been my introduction to reverse harem. This would be something I normally don't mind. I've read reverse harem romances and enjoyed them, but I didn't start reading this series expecting the horror novels to turn in the direction of erotic novels and then on to the drama of a soap opera.

And Anita has a lot of sex in the newer books. A lot. In my opinion, the sex scenes don't always move the plot forward. You can skip those scenes and it won't matter much for the rest of the book. To me, that feels unnecessary.

I stopped reading this series for a while. But because I still remember my love for these characters, I try reading another every so often. I still have hope that the old type of story-telling that I loved might show itself in some way. 

Frankly, I miss the characters and the simple love triangle between Anita, Richard and Jean-Claude. I was excited to see who she would choose and what monster-of-the-week she had to fight. I didn't expect her to fall into bed with Micah, Nathanial, Asher, Damian, Jason, among others (is she sleeping with Edward, yet? Because then, I'm absolutely done!) and suddenly the monster-of-the-week wasn't really so dangerous, life-threatening or important.

Even though I'm personally disappointed with the direction the author took these books, I still recommend this series to others. These books are absolutely amazing up until about 10, if you like horror mixed with romance and mystery. If you like reverse harem romances mixed with a bit of horror and mystery with a side of relationship issues between the characters, then you'll love book 11 and onward. 

Readers might be interested in these books for different reasons, and I hope you enjoy them.


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Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...


I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!
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From shapeshifters to vampires to witches and wizards, this collection has something for every fan of the supernatural.

Heart of a Phoenix includes all the best in paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and reverse harem romances from today's hottest New York Times, USA Today, and award-winning best selling authors!



Monday, April 27, 2020

Oldies & Goodies Multi-Genre #Bookfair #mustread



Need something to read?

These books may not be brand new,
but they are still worth a read!

Check them out to find new favorites!


Love, Interrupted: A Heartswell Harbour Novel (Heartswell Harbour Romance) by [Mavis Williams]Lose Me.: (New Adult Billionaire Romance) by [M.C. Frank]The Witch And The Vampire by [Tricia Schneider]Ruined: a Gothic Regency Romance retelling of Jane Eyre (Regency Retold Book 1) by [M.C. Frank]

Friday, April 24, 2020

5-Star Reviews for Loving Boone! #bookreview #pnr #shifters



I'm so pleased that people are enjoying the first book in the Cougar Series! This book means so much to me. I can't tell you how grateful I am that readers are reviewing their thoughts and feelings about the book. It seriously brings tears to my eyes. I've spent hours writing about Boone and Beth-Ann. Sometimes agonizing over whether I can finish or is it worth writing? It amazes me that all those hours can mean so much to so many people.





To all the reviewers out there, everywhere, I want to say thank you! When you take the time to write book reviews, you're helping authors in more way than just one. Your words can make an author smile and let them know that all those hours of writing were well-spent. 

Thank you so much!





Look at what these reviewers are saying about Loving Boone!

"I couldn't put this book down! Right from the beginning I was hooked, the suspense, the action, the romance, this book had it all. Highly recommended." ~Goodreads reviewer

"This book has elements of romance, suspense and paranormal, and there are enough twists and turns to keep your attention. Definitely a HEA ending." ~Amazon Reviewer

"This book pulled me in and kept me entranced till the end. The feelings of love, hate, and pain coming out in waves making you want to cry while you read. This was such a beautiful book! I loved the characters wholesomeness!" ~Amazon Reviewer


"This is a great shifter story. Imagine being the daughter of a survivalist and being in love with a shapeshifter. People are killed. Shapeshifters are disappearing. There is a mystery to be solved. The characters are great and the story is good. I enjoyed this book very much and would highly recommend it." ~Amazon Reviewer


"I totally loved this book, Loving Boone the 1st book in the Cougar Shifter Series. I have bought this book to read again. Action from beginning to end. I love the shifters, and there are mysteries to be solved. If you love shifter series with stand alone books you will love these. HEA with a continuing story. Could not put down once started." ~Goodreads Reviewer

"This is a really entertaining shifter romance. The story is engrossing and has a fantastic storyline. This is a beautiful story in regards of Beth-Ann and Boone's romance and is exciting in regards of the mystery, suspense, and action. This captured my attention from the very beginning." ~Amazon Reviewer


About Loving Boone...


Beth-Ann Miller returns to her Tennessee mountain home to find chaos erupting between her survivalist family and their shape-shifting neighbors. Her father is convinced the were-cougar clan is responsible for the murders occurring in their area and interrogates one of the shifters, Boone Evans, her childhood sweetheart. When Boone declares several members of his shifter family have gone missing including his little brother, Beth-Ann suspects someone else is behind both the murders and abductions.

Boone never expected to see Beth-Ann again. When she frees him from her father's cabin and promises to help find his brother, Boone doesn't plan on rekindling their passionate love affair or facing the pain of past mistakes. Nor does he plan on coming face to face with the man responsible for altering his family's life forever.

With men hunting the were-cougars, can Beth-Ann and Boone risk all to have a future together? Or is loving Boone too high a price to pay?







Thursday, April 23, 2020

April is for Unicorns #BookFair #KU #Fantasy #FantasyCreature


April is for Unicorns (and other Fantasy Creatures!)

Fantasy Novels and Series Featuring Magical Creatures Big and Small...

FREE on Kindle Unlimited
From April 1 through April 30

Every magical creature imaginable, and maybe a few that are beyond imagination, this book fair as something for every 
fantasy fan.

Shifters, mermaids, dragons, unicorns, and more...


Mermaidia: A Limited Edition Anthology by [Pauline Creeden, Catherine  Banks, Kai Ellory Viola, Mia  Ellas, Anthea  Sharp, Kristi  Lea, LA Fox, Nicole  Zoltack, Mara  Amberly, Raine  English, Margo Bond  Collins, Sara  Elizabeth, Mikayla  Symonett, Tricia  Schneider, Merrie  Destefano, Bokerah Brumley, Rachel A.  Marks, Pauline  Creeden]Dragons and Mages: A Limited Edition Anthology by [Pauline Creeden, Amy Proebstel, J.E. Feldman, Becky Murray, C.A. King, Day Leitao, Jocelyn Dex, Joynell Schultz, Juliet Vane, Laura Greenwood, Majanka Verstraete, Margo Bond Collins, Mary Kit Caelsto, Nicole Zoltack, Sheri-Lynn Marean, Mara Amberly, Victoria DeLuis, Bokerah Brumley, Shereen Vedam, Melinda R. Cordell]Secrets of Green & Gold: A contemporary fantasy adventure (Green & Gold, book 1) by [Jo Holloway]A Flight of Marewings (Wyld Magic Book 1) by [Kristen S. Walker]

Wednesday, April 22, 2020

Silly... or Not so Silly Pet Peeves #LongandShortReviews #BlogChallenge


This week's topic: My Silliest Pet Peeves


I'm sure I have some silly pet peeves, but as my brain is fried from this lockdown, I can only think of two pet peeves and it's because of my children.

I don't know if these are considered silly or not (maybe by some people who don't have kids), but here goes...

1.) I can't stand when there's stuff on the floor in my house. I don't mean stuff that's supposed to be there such as a coffee table, sofa or a box of toys (insert my 14 year-old's sarcasm with this one), but the other stuff. The stuff that has a home and it is not the floor. Like blankets, toys, books, paper, legos... 

The list can go on and on in my house. I find such random things on the floor and it boggles my mind how it gets there. Batteries, headphones, the TV remote, puzzle pieces, socks, erasers, pencils, candy wrappers, a soda can. 

I mean, really?? Do we not know where things go?

Also, I might need to put this in perspective for those of you who don't know me. I have four kids. Count 'em. FOUR. Between the ages of 14 and 5. And I also have this mysterious kid who always gets blamed for stuff. I have yet to meet this one, but the poor thing gets blamed for everything. Such as when I found the crust of a peanut butter sandwich under the coffee table. Every one of my children exclaimed, "It wasn't me!" So who does that leave? 

Yep. Some kid named, I Don't Know.

It's a never ending battle in my house to get my kids to pick up after themselves. I seriously feel like if I don't follow them around all day long, reminding them to put things away, they instead simply toss whatever item is in their hand over their shoulder and the action is mysteriously wiped from their brain.

Don't get me wrong, my kids are amazing! They are really wonderful kids. Well-behaved, polite, kind-mannered... for other people! When we visit friend's houses, I always get compliments on how my children pickup after themselves and they are so neat and clean.

Well, obviously, there's some sort of mutation that begins in their brains when they enter my abode, because neat and clean they are not!

I just want to be able to vacuum the living room floor without having to spend an hour picking up stuff first. And what's with all the tiny, itty-bitty pieces of paper? Where does that even come from??



2.) I make my bed every morning, and I wish (pray, dream, envision, beg?) that my children make their beds every day, too. (Yeah, that doesn't happen.)

I think a bedroom looks better when the bed is neatly made. The rest of the room could be disorganized chaos with everything else (bookshelves, night stands, dressers, etc), but if the bed is made, I feel somewhat content and I feel like I've accomplished something first thing in the day.

Yet, despite my continued efforts to make my bed every morning, invariably throughout the day, I need to make it again and again and again.

"Why?" do you ask.

Because for the last 14 years, I've had children growing in my house and they seem to find some appeal in destroying a neatly made bed. 

Not theirs... mine

Whether its because of bouncing or playing hide-and-seek or some other inventive game-play, my bed is somehow made an integral part and the neatness of my blankets, quilts and pillows is inevitably destroyed as a result.

Friends and family promise me that one day, I'll miss having stuff on my floor and my bed a constant heap of blankets and pillows. One day, my kids will all be grown and living lives of their own and my house will remain neat and clean.

And I hope each of my kids has children just like themselves!

Of course, if it goes on as such (and I'm lucky enough to live that long), I'll be a grandparent one day and I'll probably have grandkids at my house throwing stuff over their shoulders without a second glance and bouncing on my bed to see who can go highest. So I don't foresee my life changing much.

Life with children.

I love it. I love it so much! (Seriously, I do!) But it will drive me crazy one day.

Is it any wonder why parents go gray??

Okay, my little rant is over. Go about your day.


Be sure to check out the other blogger's suggestions at ...


I write sensual paranormal and historical romances. Interested in learning more about my stories? Sign-up for my newsletter where you'll learn about my new book releases, updates on my works-in-progress, writing tips, book reviews, contests, and other fun book-related info!
You can Follow me on ...


BookBub | Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Pinterest Instagram




From shapeshifters to vampires to witches and wizards, this collection has something for every fan of the supernatural.

Heart of a Phoenix includes all the best in paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and reverse harem romances from today's hottest New York Times, USA Today, and award-winning best selling authors!


Tuesday, April 21, 2020

#BookReview ~ Stargate SG-1: Hostile Ground by Sally Malcom and Laura Harper #scifi


Hostile Ground by Sally Malcolm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It was meant to be an easy mission, a walk in the park. But SG-1's first trip off-world after Colonel O'Neill's return from Edora (STARGATE SG-1: One Hundred Days) proves anything but easy.

Tapped for a cover assignment, O'Neill must conceal the truth from his team at all costs. So when Dr. Daniel Jackson is injured and the mission begins to go awry, tensions quickly reach breaking point. Stranded on a hostile planet, and desperate to find a way home before it's too late, O'Neill leads his fractured team on a desperate journey across a barren and forsaken world.

Faced with an enemy more vicious than anything they've encountered before, only SG-1's strength as a unit will keep them alive - if the secret O'Neill is hiding doesn't tear them apart first...

My Review

I loved this book! From the very first page, it pulled me in with the intense action and the well-written dynamic between the main characters. I've read books written by authors about favorite TV shows before and there are times when I question if the author has ever actually watched the show. Not with this book! This story seems written by an author who is clearly a fan of the show. The way the story and plot were set up, the action and the dialogue, the characters and setting, it was all true to the Stargate SG-1 world and characters. I could clearly see this story unfold as an episode in my mind.

I really enjoyed how well the story was written. The action never stopped, even during the moments when the characters weren't being chased or fighting for their lives, there was still the overall suspense of what happens next that kept me glued to the book and turning the pages. I loved getting in the heads of the characters, seeing their thoughts and emotions, hearing their voices, watching them struggle. And it was scary! The creatures the team were up against were nightmarish!

The twists and turns of the plot were amazing. Being a fan of the show, I questioned a few things as I began to see a distinct difference between the show and the way the book unfolded. And while I questioned the change in events, I kept going wondering how the author was going to pull this off. I'm so glad I did! I did not expect that ending and it was thrilling! Now, I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

Normally, I don't read reviews for the books that I want to read because of possible spoilers. I don't like giving spoilers away myself, but I was glad that I got a glimpse of one review stating that this book ends with a cliffhanger. It does! And while I normally don't enjoy cliffhanger endings, knowing that this book has a sequel, I didn't mind so much. It just means the story isn't over and I can't wait to read more!





View all my reviews

Sunday, April 19, 2020

Ice Princess Cover Reveal! #fantasyromance #fatedmates #pnr


Princess Lily is determined to save her kingdom from the evil influence of the sorcerer in their midst. When she makes her stand, he curses her beloved to turn into a dragon and casts a spell that seals her in a block of ice where she will sleep for all eternity.

Eternity arrives earlier than expected when Rick Stamos tears down a wall to the tavern he's renovating. He never expects to find a woman encased in ice hidden in his basement. After melting the ice, he's more surprised when the woman wakes and claims he is her beloved.

Did the spell that kept Lily frozen for so long also curse Rick? Is he really her beloved or a stranger with the same face?




Friday, April 17, 2020

Calling All Readers! The Book Review Club is Your New Obsession #read2review



 Readers are looking for books. Authors are looking for readers.

Here they come together!

All of the books in this book fair are looking for readers to review. Find something you like? 
Read and post a review. A few kind words is all you need.


book coverbook coverbook coverbook cover