Sunday Post #157

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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My days are so mixed up! I feel like I'm rushed today, so much to do and not enough time to do it. Why all this? Because I took Friday off work to drive kiddo to a college three hours away and spent the night. We toured the academic side of things this trip. I didn't get to do much with him as it was, as expected, mostly for him. But he didn't like the idea of the three hour drive. I knew he'd be exhausted the day he should drive home and didn't feel comfortable with him trying to drive. Also, he's been feeling under the weather lately, we think sinus infection. I stayed at a lovely little inn called Black Squirrel Inn. It was lovely. I was the only guest and had the main part of the house to myself. I took pictures of the inn so I'll share them in the coming weeks over at Spellbound in a Flash. The owner was friendly and cooked me a delicious breakfast the next morning. No, I didn't sleep as well as I should have, away from home and all, but I really loved the atmosphere. I was so bushed from driving then all the walking outside in the cold that I turned in early but I did get a few hours or re-writes in.

So I drove home yesterday and was a couch potato because of being tired, which leaves today as the day to get caught up with everything. Ugh. Tonight while watching the Superbowl (since my teams not playing) I'll have to at least get through the million (or so it feels) emails I have. It's got to be done!

I have a question for you all. I've been debating creating a Facebook page for Spellbound in a Flash. I can post links to my posts there and occasionally post pictures there. Would you be interested in following this page? I know it's added work for me but if people are interested I'll do it. I know Spellbound in a Flash blog isn't getting much traffic so thought I'd ask.

Let me know in the comments. :) Thank you!

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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... This week I got 5 days in! Wow! Treadmill on Monday and Wednesday, elliptical on Sunday, gym weights and elliptical on Tuesday and Thursday. Then the Fitbit counted my walking around college campus on Friday as a 6th workout! Sweet!

That's not going to happen often. Things just aligned for me this week.

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What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:

Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells


Current Audiobook:
Wizard's Nocturne by Gary Jonas

Current Podcast Book Listen:
Stonebriar Casefiles: Bad Alchemy by Laura Nicole Spencer (You can listen for free too!)

Finished Last Week: 

Not yet.

Audiobooks from Audible:

The Beast of the North by Alaric Longward


Finished Podcast Book Listen:

Nothing yet.

DNFed:

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Last Week on the Blog:

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

Guest Posts:

Posts:

Mythical Monday - Why Bad-Ass Faeries

Spellbound in a Flash:
This week I shared: Decorations - where I play with focuses and decorations on my tree.


Challenged Writers:
I shared my New Year Resolutions in writing.

Around the Internet...


Reviews:

Crucible and Flame by John Mierau

"John is one that writes fascinating short stories that people face themselves and their feelings, growing to become more. This story is no different. The Ferryman starts to see things differently, then lives through a drastic life changing moment."


Dead Lucky by M.R. Forbes

"This novella is one that would be very good to sample the world and Conor. We learn about the movement of the fields returning magic to the world. We see the touch it's had on the world, the changes in people and land."

Podcast Review:

Mama Bitchstress Reviews:

GIVEAWAYS:

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This Week to Come on the Blog:

Two reviews. And a Mythical Monday!

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Received Last Weeks:

(Note: Links to Amazon are buy links where I could earn commission, in case you are interested.)


For Review Consideration:

Revenger by Alastair Reynolds
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Goodreads Synopsis:
A superb science fiction adventure set in the rubble of a ruined universe, this is a deep space heist story of kidnap, betrayal, alien artifacts and revenge. 

The galaxy has seen great empires rise and fall. Planets have shattered and been remade. Amongst the ruins of alien civilizations, building our own from the rubble, humanity still thrives. 

And there are vast fortunes to be made, if you know where to find them.

Captain Rackamore and his crew do. It's their business to find the tiny, enigmatic worlds which have been hidden away, booby-trapped, surrounded by layers of protection--and to crack them open for the ancient relics and barely-remembered technologies inside. But while they ply their risky trade with integrity, not everyone is so scrupulous. 

Adrana and Fura Ness are the newest members of Rackamore's crew, signed on to save their family from bankruptcy. Only Rackamore has enemies, and there might be more waiting for them in space than adventure and fortune: the fabled and feared Bosa Sennen in particular. 

Revenger is a science fiction adventure story set in the rubble of our solar system in the dark, distant future--a tale of space pirates, buried treasure, and phantom weapons, of unspeakable hazards and single-minded heroism and of vengeance...


Audio Books Requested for Review:

Clan by Realm Lovejoy
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Clans are Unity. No variation. No deviation. On Clades, to be a Clan is to be an exact copy. A perfect society cloning themselves to survive, even as the zombielike Frags threaten to overrun them on an unforgiving planet. Clan 1672 (privately known as Twain) was never supposed to survive the Incubation Tank. But he did. Illegally. He is different from the other Clans. A secret that could destroy him.




Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

Book:

The Royal Pain by Erin Hayes
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Amazon Synopsis:
The sequel to Erin Hayes' hit The Royal Trade: A Billionaire Prince Romance

As the crown prince of Dubreva, Phillip lived a life without regrets. Until now.

Disgraced and humiliated by his very public break-up with his ex- fiancée, Phillip just wants to move on with his life as quietly as a billionaire prince can.

He can’t avoid his duties to his people—but he never expected to be thrown into the path of a beautiful CEO who’s even more famous than he is. And richer. Not to mention, the media empire she built from the ground up is watching his every move.

Lucky for him, she’s not at all interested in helping him find redemption. Then again, Phillip may be falling for her. If only she would stop being such a royal pain.

Ryria: The Jester by Michael J. Sullivan
Goodreads Synopsis:
WHO WILL HAVE THE LAST LAUGH?
Stop me if you’ve heard this one. A thief, a candlemaker, an ex-mercenary, and a pig farmer walk into a trap…and what happens to them is no joke. When Riyria is hired to retrieve a jester’s treasure, Royce and Hadrian must match wits with a dwarf who proves to be anything but a fool. Difficult choices will need to be made, and in the end those who laugh last do so because they are the only ones to survive.

This is a graphic novel, based on Sullivan's short story The Jester, and featuring the two charming rogues who are the main characters of both of his Riyria series, No prior knowledge of The Riyria Revelations or The Riyria Chronicles is required to enjoy it to its fullest, making this a perfect introduction for new readers or a chance for Riyria veterans to spend a little more time with old friends. The Jester is a story of adventure, bonds of friendship, and a recognition that the choices we make dictates the future we find.


Audio:

Eye of Hel by Alaric Longward
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Goodreads Synopsis:
In this epic dark fantasy action story, we again follow the two sisters of Earth, Shannon and Dana, and their magical friends the Ten Tears, as they struggle to find safety in the world of Aldheim, the home of elves. 

After grueling two years of slavery under the dread Gorgon Euryale, Shannon has led her friends on a magical escape from Gray Downs, the haunt of the Devourer. Suffering losses during the escape, they hope for better times. However, the Ten Tears find the future bleak, as the portal Dark Prayer drops the young mages into the middle of the Dancing Bay. There begins a leg in their journey to find the Eye of Hel, a long-lost artefact of the Goddess of Rot before Euryale does. Whoever recovers the Eye, might bargain with the Goddess Hel for the stolen Horn Gjallarhorn that should restore the gods of the Aesir and the Vanir to the Nine Worlds. 

For Shannon, this is a desperate goal, as she is dying of Euryale’s Rot and threatened by a Dragon Pact she made with Euryale’s slave to gain them all their access to magic. Also, the world of Aldheim is not the peaceful haven of elven kind, but rife with treachery, war, and games of power and Shannon finds herself discovering secrets about the high houses, her companions, her sister’s greed and fears, and even the gods. 

Will Shannon recover the Eye of Hel? 

Eye of Hel is a dark action fantasy novel and the second book in an epic, magical fantasy series called the Ten Tears Chronicles.




Free Ebooks:
(On my Kindle and Nook App) Links to books under title. They may or may not be free at this time.

Waylaid by Kim Harrison
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Kindle Single

Worlds collide when Rachel Morgan of The Hollows meets Peri Reed of The Drafter in this exciting new short story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison.

The paranormal and the futuristic meet in this thrilling novella featuring your favorite badass heroines from two of Kim Harrison’s most beloved series: the Hollows and the Peri Reed Chronicles. The magic of the Hollows runs full force into the technological sophistication of The Drafter when a device capable of carrying a city’s data stream pulls Rachel, the bounty hunter witch of the Hollows, between realities, marooning her in a world where the supernatural holds no sway. To get Rachel and Jenks home, Peri, the dangerous renegade of 2030, must decide what will chart her future: her blind trust in those who grant her power, or her intuition telling her to believe.

Unleashed by Sara Humphreys
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Goodreads Synopsis:
What if you suddenly discovered your own powers were beyond anything you'd ever imagined...

Samantha Logan's childhood home had always been a haven, but everything changed while she was away. She has a gorgeous new neighbor, Malcolm, who introduces her to the amazing world of the dream-walking, shapeshifting Amoveo clans...but what leaves her reeling with disbelief is when he tells her she's one of them...

And shock turns to terror as Samantha falls prey to the deadly enemy determined to destroy the Amoveo, and the only chance she has to come into her true powers is to trust in Malcolm to show her the way...

Get swept away into Sara Humphreys's glorious world and breathtaking love story...

Untouched by Sara Humphreys
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Goodreads Synopsis:

SHE SHOULD BE SEEN, BUT NEVER TOUCHED...

Kerry Smithson's modeling career ensures that she will be admired from afar, which is essential since mere human touch sparks blinding pain and terrifying visions.

EVERY GOOD MODEL NEEDS A HEAVENLLY BODYGUARD...

Dante Coltari is hired to protect Kerry from those who know who she is - or more importantly what she is - and want her dead because of it. Nothing could have prepared him for the challenge of keeping her safe. But, strangely, his lightest touch brings her exquisite pleasure rather than pain, and Dante and Kerry have an otherwordly connection that might just pull them through.

Undenied by Sara Humphreys
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Enjoy a taste of The Amoveo Legend in Sara Humphreys’ riveting paranormal romance short story expanding on the world of the Amoveo—beautiful, secretive shapeshifters whose very existence is threatened by an age-old enemy and warring factions within the clans.

In this free promotional tale, Boris Zankoff is a shapeshifter from the Tiger Clan who wants no part of the burgeoning civil war among the Amoveo, But when his human mate lands on his doorstep in desperate need of his help, apathy is no longer an option

Untamed by Sara Humphreys
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Goodreads Synopsis:
The Amoveo are an ancient race who've lived secretly among humans for thousands of years. They are beautiful and incredibly strong but their race is extremely fragile--each has until the age of 30 to find their soul mate, before their bodies start to die a slow, painful death. 
Layla Nickelsen has spent her life running from a mate she didn't choose, until William Fleury finally confronts her. Normally stoic and unemotional, William finds himself befuddled by Layla: his growing feelings for her and his driving need to protect her. And Layla has to admit that William might be everything she's always wanted after all...

Undone by Sara Humphreys
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Goodreads Synopsis:
Party girl Marianna Coltari is an unmated pureblood Amoveo who wants nothing to do with the ongoing war that took her father’s life and continues to consume her brother, Dante’s. But when she is targeted by one of the clans, she has little choice but to run and hide in a cabin with Pete Castro, a retired cop from her brother’s security firm. There, Pete and Marianna explore an intensifying attraction between them until danger is at the door and there’s no escape.

Unclaimed by Sara Humphreys
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Goodreads Synopsis:
She Works Hard to be Normal...

Tatiana Winters loves the freedom of her life as a veterinarian in Oregon. It's only reluctantly that she agrees to help cure a mysterious illness among the horses on a Montana ranch—the ranch of the Amoveo Prince. Tatiana is no ordinary vet—she's a hybrid from the Timber Wolf Clan, but she wants nothing to do with the world of the Amoveo shifters.

But There's No Escaping Destiny...

Dominic Trejada serves as a Guardian, one of the elite protectors of the Prince's Montana ranch. As a dedicated Amoveo warrior, he is desperate to find his mate, and time is running out. He knows Tatiana is the one—but if he can't convince her, he may not be able to protect her from the evil that's rapidly closing in...

Unbound by Sara Humphreys
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Goodreads Synopsis:
The forces that bind them can also tear them apart...

Zachary McKenna is a warrior shapeshifter from the Lion Clan, trying to catch a break in the sun and surf of Mexico. Mai Tais and scantily clad beach beauties are just what he needs after his last battle. But the fun doesn't last long before a beautiful young woman is mugged on his doorstep and Zach is pulled right back into the fray.

Zach has no idea of the danger Annabelle has unwittingly brought to his doorstep, until he discovers that losing her will almost certainly destroy him...

The Bird with the Broken Wing by D.L. Richardson
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Goodreads Synopsis:
When mortals make mistakes, they're forgiven. When angels make mistakes, they're forsaken.

Guardian angel Rachael finds herself trapped in Purgatory with Ben Taylor, a young soldier with a secret that's driving him insane. Desperate to see him ascend into Heaven she breaks the rules about becoming involved and keeping her identity a secret. Her decision to stay in Purgatory to help Ben seems a good plan. Except they've been stuck for ten years already and Ben is no closer to ascending. The unexpected appearance of a feisty teenager, Jet Jones, throws Rachael's wings into a tailspin. The instant attraction between Jet and Ben means the angel's work is getting ignored. And without her help, Ben's soul will be trapped and she will have failed in her mission. 

But Jet's appearance also brings a chilling revelation. Maybe Ben's soul isn't the only one that needs saving.



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

Lex Talionis by Starla Huchton

Spark by Starla Huchton
Heir to Kale by K.L. Bone

Tales from the Archives Vol 4 #5 - Old Sinner's Bones

The Death of Dulgath by Michael J. Sullivan

The Bee Charmer by Poppy Lawless

Hunting Down Dragons by Tricia Owens
Blue Blooded by Amanda Carlson
The Beast of the North by Alaric Longward