Sunday Post #89

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the 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 new about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead.

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The week has gone by in a flash. I like that when it comes to work. ;) What's helping make it faster? Audio Books! Yep. I've been listening to audio books all week at work. I've gotten through two books and half of a third. (which I CAN'T WAIT to get back to.)

BIG NEWS!
I got to listen to CHUCK WENDIG speak last night! Yes! He was at Seton Hill, a local university, speaking to the Writing Popular Fiction students. This was open to the public as well. So I went!

Chuck is as inspiring and funny as he is on his blog. Even better in person listening to him talk. He shared his journey to getting published, his years of writing things that are set aside and buried away. That his journey and everyone's journey for their book is different. He did share a few things that he's tell his younger self though, which was inspiring to hear.

I was thrilled to make this event as I got to meet friends and new people.

The first person I saw is one I've been talking books for many years. I chatted with him long before I started blogging thanks to Barnes & Nobles forums. It's Paul Goat Allen.

Then I meet several people. Authors Todd Moody and Rebecca Drake. Wonderful, kind people.

I also got the pleasure of meeting Jaye Wells. She's a kind woman. I was hoping she'd be there and she was! I took along with me four of my unsigned Sabina Kane books. :) I'm proud to say they are signed now.

I got to talk with Nicole Peeler, who I haven't seen in almost a year. Life has been happening for us both and haven't had time to catch up. So it was wonderful to see her and talk for a bit.

I had a picture taken with Nicole and Jaye. Thank you ladies! And look who the photo bomber is!! Yep, Chuck himself! I think that's one of the best photo bombs I've ever had.

But before that photo bomb I did get to meet Chuck and have him autograph my copy of Blackbirds (where he predicts my demise). He is a great person.

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The Fit Booker:

Goal:  Workout in any form of exercise (or on Wii Fit) 2x's a week. (to feel better and hope to drop a few pants sizes)

How did I do last week... I got one day of push mowing the grass. (I think this is more than enough for one day of exercise.) And, surprise, surprise! I got on the treadmill for 40 minutes! Woot woot! Two days down. I jogged/fast walked about 2.7 miles. Sweet! And to top it off, I did 20 jack knives too. I feel good about this week.

Zombie Run app:
Season 1 Mission 2:
I was to divert the zombies while they fixed the gates as they were stuck.

It's fun to add this app with my Spotify of workout music. They come in every so often and talk. It's like a little community that I just can't talk to. lol. But when they say to speed up, I do try to speed up (for a minute or two as that's all I can handle, and it's not that much faster). It's something to take my mind off the dreaded jog.

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What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:

Dirty Magic: New Orleans edited by Charlie Brown


Current Audiobook:
Chasing the Star Garden by Melanie Karsak

Current Podcast Book Listen:
The Horde by Patrick Scaffido

Finished Last Week: 

Dirty Magic: New Orleans edited by Charlie Brown

Audiobooks from Audible:

From Gods by Mary Ting
The Harvesting by Melanie Karsak

Finished Podcast Book Listen:

I've been listening to Audible books.

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Last Week on the Blog:

Cover Reveals: (click titles to go to post & learn more)

Posts:

Around the Internet...


Reviews:

Witch for Hire by N.E. Conneely

Ghost Light by E.J. Stevens

Podcast Review:

Mama Bitchstress Reviews:

GIVEAWAYS:

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This Week to Come on the Blog:

Two reviews are scheduled for next week:
  From Gods
  The Harvesting

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Received Last Weeks:

Review & Review Consideration:

Audio Books Requested for Review:

Chasing the Star Garden by Melanie Karsak
Goodreads Synopsis:
An opium-addicted beauty.
An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile.
An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands.

Melanie Karsak's Chasing the Star Garden takes readers on a thrilling adventure from the gritty opium dens of gaslamp London to the gem-colored waters of the ancient world. Lily Stargazer, a loveable but reckless airship racer with a famous lover and shattered past, reluctantly plunges into a centuries-old mystery in a romantic adventure best described as Dan Brown meets Mary Shelley.

It all begins on one of the worst days of Lily’s life. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower. What’s a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium. 

Lily’s lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.

*Due to steamy scenes and depictions of drug use, this novel is intended for mature readers.

Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

Won:

Free Ebooks:

PDF

Midway by Melanie Karsak
Goodreads Synopsis:
Midway: A Harvesting Series Novella (Book 1.5 in The Harvesting Series) is a tie-in novella that compliments The Harvesting, Book I in The Harvesting Series. 

Step right up, ladies and gentlemen, for the beginning of the end. 

Carnie. Ride jockey. Roustabout. White trash. Tilt girl. Gypsy. Cricket has been called a lot of things, but she never thought survivor of the zombie apocalypse would be one of them. One day she’s barking on the midway, and the next day, the world is eating itself alive. 

Cricket, along with Vella, a tarot reader, and Puck, Cricket’s mangy mutt, find themselves running for their lives, but where can you hide when mankind has fallen? Cricket will need help if she hopes to survive. 

Luckily for her, we were never really alone, and apparently, magical forces want to keep this tilt girl alive.


(On my Kindle App)

(On my Nook)

Free Audio Books/Stories:

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Reviews to Come:

Soulless by Skyla Dawn Cameron

The Sentinel by Chris Lester

The Muse by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Making the Cut by Chris Lester
Metamor City: Whispers in the Wood by Chris Lester

Danube Waves by Katharina Bordet

Rhune by Michael J. Sullivan

Heartstealer by K.T. Bryski

Lex Talionis by Starla Huchton
7th Son: 7 Days anthology by J.C. Hutchins

House of Grey 6 by Collin Earl
The Secret World Chronicle: World Divided by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, Veronica Giguere
The Secret World Chronicle: Waiting On by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, Veronica Giguere
The Secret World Chronicle: Revolutions by Mercedes Lackey, Cody Martin, Dennis Lee, Veronica Giguere
Heir to Kale by K.L. Bone

Tales from the Archives Vol. 4: #2 The Mummy of Barnsley

Tales from the Archives Vol. 4: #3 The Black Empress
Into Thin Air by Val Griswold-Ford
The Hidden Institute by Brand Gamblin

Club Nexus by E.J. Stevens (Audiobook)

From Gods by Mary Ting (Audiobook)

The Harvesting by Melanie Karsak (Audiobook)

Dirty Magic: New Orleans edited by Charlie Brown