Sunday Post #195

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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How's everyone doing? I hope well. I'm, once again sounding like a broken record, sorry I didn't get to visiting last week. Some days I really wonder about hanging up the keyboard and retire from blogging. I love doing it and want to be on more, but it seems life has grown bigger in the last few years. I thought I'd have more time once kiddo went to college. And in a sense that's true. But I've filled that time with other things. I've started seeing old friends again, going out more, and taking photos. All these things take from the time I would be putting into my blog. I love reading and writing and won't stop that. I just wonder about the hours of a day anymore. This is NOT me saying I'm leaving, just babbling about how I wish I could put the hours together better to do everything I want to do. *sigh*

Sorry for the venting. It's so hard to do all the things.

But, how are you? I want to know what awesome things are happening for you. I'm hoping to get on this week to visit and respond. Last week started well. I did one hour a day for Camp NaNoWriMo and planned on visiting blogs on Thursday. It didn't happen as I remembered I had a friend who had an art opening, so I went to that. Then Friday was ladies night with two friends from high school. I hadn't seen them in years and we spent hours talking and catching up. Yesterday I had plans, that fell through. lol. Kiddo was in a dodge ball game that benefited Dementia and wanted me to take pictures. So I did.

I think this week will be more relaxed. I do have three hours of Camp NaNoWriMo work to get caught up on and blog visiting to do. I'm going to get there this week. I'm determined.

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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... Ummm... I've become bad at this.

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What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:

Volatile Bonds by Jaye Wells


Current Audiobook:
Will start new one on Monday.

Current Podcast Book Listen:
Alone by Scott Sigler (You can listen for free too! Go to Scott's website.)

Finished Last Week: 

Books:
Starsigns by A.F. Grappin
Void Trip #3 by Ryan O'Sullivan & Plaid Klaus
Void Trip #4 by Ryan O'Sullivan & Plaid Klaus
Void Trip #5 by Ryan O'Sullivan & Plaid Klaus

Audiobooks :

The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso

Finished Podcast Book Listen:

None.

DNFed:
Stonebriar Casefiles: Bad Alchemy by Laura Nicole Spencer (You can listen for free too!) - Author's stopped posting it.

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Last Week on the Blog:

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

Guest Posts:

Posts:

Spellbound in a Flash:
Spellbound in a Flash now has a Facebook Page!

Challenged Writers:

Around the Internet...

Reviews:

Podcast Review:

Mama Bitchstress Reviews:

GIVEAWAYS:

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This Week to Come on the Blog:

I will finished up two reviews for you this week.

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Received For the Last Month:

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


For Review Consideration:

Audio Books Requested for Review:

Hunting in Bruges by E.J. Stevens
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
The only thing worse than being a Hunter in the fae-ridden city of Harborsmouth, is hunting vamps in Bruges.

Being shipped off to Belgium sucks. The medieval city of Bruges is quaint, but the local Hunters' Guild is understaffed, the canals are choked with dead bodies, and there's no shortage of supernatural predators as likely suspects.

On second thought, maybe Bruges isn't so bad after all.

With a desire to prove herself, protect the innocent, and advance within the ranks of the Hunters' Guild, Jenna Lehane hits the cobbled streets of Bruges with blades at the ready. Someone, or something, is murdering tourists and dumping their bodies in the city's scenic canals. With the help of a mysterious stranger, Jenna begins to piece together clues that are dotted throughout the city like blood spatter.

Determined to stop the killings, Jenna delves into a bloody local history that only raises more questions—but some secrets are best left buried. Jenna must put her combat training to the test as she struggles to unearth the truth about an ancient enemy.

Hunting in Bruges is the first novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series set in the world of Ivy Granger.




Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

Book:

Audio:

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

20 Shades of Shifters
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
20 Shades of Shifter is a limited edition collection of new and exclusive paranormal romance novels guaranteed to suck in you from page one. 

A shape-shifting dragon must win over his reluctant mate and stop Jack the Ripper. A Fae trucker becomes allies with an MC member when trying to deliver magical motorcycles to the Fae Queen. A wolf shifter is held captive in a human research lab where he is tortured until he meets one sexy scientist. An angel risked it all to steal the elixir of life and save his mortal love’s life and over two millennia later must get her to remember she once loved an angel. These stories and many more are included in this steamy, hot collection. 

Don’t wait to read this set. It is only out for a short time before it will be gone forever! 

Demelza Carlton 
Evelyn Lederman 
ML Guida 
Aidy Award 
Carmen Fox 
David Adams 
Sascha Illyvich 
Lynn Best 
Lilly Cain 
Emma Alisyn 
Vonnie Davis 
Brenda Trim and Tami Julka 
Nina Croft 
K.L. Bone 
Natalie Jones 
Kailin Gow 
Moxie North 

Awaken by Michelle Bryan
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Imagine a world devastated by The Shift. The cities left in ruins and the people all gone. Technology now nothing but the subject of folklore. Each and every day a struggle to survive. This is Tara's world.
Raised as a survivor in the harsh, lawless sand lands, Tara is no stranger to hardship. But when her village is destroyed and the young people taken by the merciless Prezedant, she quickly learns how much of a fighter she really is.
Now on a quest to rescue her only remaining kin, she is joined by the most unlikely of companions. Finn, an orphaned boy who has a devil Cat as a pet. Tater, the dwarf storytelling trader who seems to know more than he is willing to admit. And Jax, a surly young man who seems to hate everything about Tara. Together this little band of adventurers will face dangerous adversaries on a journey into the unknown. Nothing will ever be the same.

Bitterwood by James Maxey
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Bitterwood has spent the past twenty years hunting down dragons, one at a time. But he is getting old and the hate that he has carried in his heart since a group of dragon-soldiers killed his family is beginning to fade. When he kills the royal prince dragon, the king decides the only retribution is genocide of the human race. Bitterwood is forced to enter the Free City, the grand trap designed to eradicate mankind, with thousands of others. Can he lead from within, or can a select few dragons unite to stop the king's madness from becoming reality. Full of rich characters and drama, this is an amazingly astute vision of our own culture by way of a feudal kingdom where dragons rule, and humans are used as workers or pets. 

Let Me by Cecy Robinson
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Once he was broken beyond repair. Now this MMA contender is fighting to be a better man—for her. RT Book Reviews proclaims that the O’Brien Family series from award-winning author Cecy Robson “has the hottest brothers ever!” And in Let Me, it is Finn’s turn to discover how love can heal the deepest wounds.

A mixed martial arts star on the rise, Finn O’Brien dismantles his opponents with brutal precision. And yet beneath his fierce persona, Finn is raw from a trauma he’s buried for years . . . until the day his deep-rooted rage erupts and lands him in court-mandated therapy. Finn’s not one to bare his soul, but if talking it out means meeting beautiful women like Sol Marieles, he’ll give it a shot.

Sol is working toward her masters degree in psychology, and already she feels like she’s in over her head. With an important internship on the line and a scary family situation demanding her attention, the last thing Sol needs is Finn around to distract her. The man is ripped and seriously sexy yet it’s his troubled side that warns her to keep her distance. But their attraction is intense, and he clearly has the heat to see how far and fast their passion takes them.

Alone, Finn and Sol have been fighting to find happiness in their lives. Together, there’s no stopping them as they face their greatest challenges—not in the ring, but in their hearts.

All Systems Red by Martha Wells
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.

But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.

But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.



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

Danger's Halo by Amanda Carlson
The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso

Starsigns by A.F. Grappin

Void Trip #3 by Ryan O'Sullivan & Plaid Klaus

Void Trip #4 by Ryan O'Sullivan & Plaid Klaus

Void Trip #5 by Ryan O'Sullivan & Plaid Klaus

Audio Book Review: I Was a Teenage Weredeer

I Was a Teenage Weredeer

By:  C.T. Phipps & Michael Suttkus

Publish Date:  September 26, 2017, Audiobook Release February 13, 2018

Format:  Audiobook - 9 hrs 54 mins
Narrated By:  Arielle DeLisle

Genre:  Urban Fantasy

Series:  1st in Bright Falls Mysteries series

Impression:  A fun, relaxing mystery in a shifter town.

Synopsis:
Jane Doe is a weredeer, the least-threatening shapechanger species in the world. Blessed with the ability to turn furry at will and psychically read objects, Jane has done her best to live a normal life working as a waitress at the Deerlightful Diner. She has big dreams of escaping life in the supernatural-filled town of Bright Falls, Michigan, and her eighteenth birthday promises the beginning of her teenage dreams coming true.

Unfortunately, her birthday is ruined by the sudden murder of her best friend's sister in an apparent occult killing. Oh, and her brother is the primary suspect. Allying with an eccentric FBI agent, the local crime lord, and a snarky werecrow, Jane has her work cut out for her in turning her big day around.

Thankfully, she's game.

Set in the same world as Straight Outta Fangton.

First Sentence:
I was a teenage weredeer.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Noble 

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Arielle has a young voice that fits Jane Doe. She also pulls off Jane's sarcastic humor of stating the obvious in a dry tone. Totally works and sounds like a young adult. Arielle also voices each character in different tones when they speak. The audio is very clear and clean listening. Arielle's pronunciation of words is clear. No distractions from the story.

Jane has a dry sarcastic humor about her, stating the obvious in a dry tone. And it totally works. Especially in audio format. Oh the deer puns. lol.

As in true C.T. Phipps fashion, we have references to t.v. shows and more throughout the book. It's not done in the Supervillainy humor but in an undertone to give a feel of what Jane is seeing as happening or a description. This is always something I find fun, as I get to see if I can pick them out and know the references.

Off the bat we get a lot of information. Wow. The first chapter is packed full of names and world info. It almost feels like an info dump. I don't think I'm going to remember all the names as they hit me so fast here. Once you read through this, and you are great through the remainder of the book.

Being a shifter is dangerous now. The world knows of vampires and shifters, but fears them all. It's set in the same world as Straight Outta Fangton, but you don't have to read it to understand the world here. (I haven't, yet.) This story is in Bright Falls, Michigan where Straight Outta Fangton is in New Detroit. But what happened with the vampires there affects the shifters here, and we hear about some of that, which then also makes me curious for the vampire book. People, states, and government have not taken well to the reveal of vampires and shifters. It's dangerous to go other places because of the laws.

A mystery! This is a shifter town where a murder has happened. Actually, we find out this is the third murder. Jane has the ability to read items with a touch, so she becomes important in helping with the case. Her mom and her best friend (who's sister was murdered) want her to help with the case, and clear her brothers name. Jane's visions help point her in directions, but don't give her the complete answer. So she works the case, looking for answers with the clues she finds.

I look forward to Jane "reading" items when she wants. She gets enough to send her in a direction, but learns there is more to the vision than she saw. Cool. I'm glad things aren't always black and white. Jane also has a new friend that's not really a friend or alive. It's the gun. It's actually cool, and reminds me a bit of the gun from Wynonna Earp. Jane also seems to find herself with new friends she never expected; Lucian and Alex. Lucian is the towns bad guy and drug dealer, but there maybe more to him. And Alex is new to town. We have Jane's long time friend Emma, who's part of the powerful family in town. It's a neat little group of people here. I even like Maria who finds herself as an ally.

The town is neat with all the shifters. Many shifters have abilities that come in handy. They have a social structure based on their were-animal as well.

Something that pops up through the book is prejudice. Jane sees it with the social structure of the weres and she even sees herself referencing it as that's what has been drilled into her from the old ways. Jane is working past the prejudices though.

I found this mystery story to be relaxing with Jane's personality and small jokes and puns. I look forward to Jane continuing to learn magic and spending time with her friends. Also, there are a few visions she had that may, or may not, come to pass. I'm curious if they do.



****If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!

Audio Book Review: Blood of Assassins

Blood of Assassins

By:  R.J. Barker

Publish Date:  February 27, 2018, Audiobook Release February 13, 2018

Format:  Audiobook - 15 hrs 8 mins
Narrated By:  Joe Jameson

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  2nd in The Wounded Kingdom series; 1st Book ~ Age of Assassins

Impression:  Three kings, one seat. A five year war will decide who takes the crown.

Synopsis:
THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING . . .

The assassin Girton Club-foot and his master have returned to Maniyadoc in hope of finding sanctuary, but death, as always, dogs Girton’s heels. The place he knew no longer exists.

War rages across Maniyadoc, with three kings claiming the same crown – and one of them is Girton’s old friend Rufra. Girton finds himself hurrying to uncover a plot to murder Rufra on what should be the day of the king’s greatest victory. But while Girton deals with threats inside and outside Rufra’s war encampment, he can’t help wondering if his greatest enemy hides beneath his own skin.

First Sentence:
A ground mist was rising.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Noble  /  Book Depository

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:

*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

I am so glad Joe Jameson returns to voice Girton. I really enjoyed his work in the first book, and the same holds true for this book. He voices each character differently in personality. And they hold the same voice as they did in the first book, but they have aged in the five years since Girton's been to Maniyadoc. They have fought and learned over the past few years and their spirit and tone shows it. Joe brings these characters to life. I don't hear Joe, I hear the characters speak. Joe gets a great opportunity to voice different people in a town periodically through the book. Great to hear he gives a different voice to each.

It seems Girton is stuck in the past. He's having a hard time accepting how people have changed, and the one that was once an enemy could be an ally. This is something Girton has to learn to accept. But he is an assassin with no friends and sees trouble in everyone, but one person. Rufra is the only friend he has. However, Rufra in his current standing as king makes it hard to do as they once did - act as friends and enjoy their time together, like kids.

Girton came looking for help for Master, only to find another convoluted war happening at Maniyadoc. Girton is asked to look for a traitor or assassin, to help the one person he never thought he'd help, and to find who killed an disliked priest. Girton has to go through all the facts while his personal feelings get in the way. Girton left Maniyadoc with one view of the people, to return five years later to see things have changed. And Girton's going to have to change too.

Master isn't as active in this book as she was in the first. She's severely hurt and not able to do much. Girton also has a grudge from the last book that he holds against his master. He cares for her as he always did, but things have changed with him magically. This wears on Girton greatly. He has two ways to deal with the magic, the blade to his skin or control it. Ultimately, Girton will have to learn to control his magic. This is a huge thing for him. He's been having his master carve marks in his skin to hold the magic at bay, but with her being hurt and unconscious, he has to learn what to control it.

Girton struggles being alone and with many feelings he's not use to. Jealousy, distrust from past actions, and loneliness. The way Girton lives, alone as an assassin, seems to spark a childish feel from him more in this book than previously. I'm thinking his time with those he's come to know at Maniyadoc is good for Girton. He learns more about people and his own feelings. He's an assassin, and is not close to anyone but his master. But he needs to learn more about people and the feelings he feels other than observing and reading people through actions before his work is done.

Girton experiences many things, good and bad, on the road but Maniyadoc feels to be the place where Girton grows up. It seems different feelings surface for him when he visits. Feelings for people he cares about. This brings new experiences into his hard lived life.

Girton learns he needs to look closer and not let his feelings interfere when investigating. Girton knows what it's like to personally fight and kill as an assassin, now he sees what it's like in battle of war. It's very different from what he knows and use to. And, people really can change.

Once again, I was drawn into the world with Girton. Seeing things as he sees them, and then again as they should be interpreted as. Skillfully written story.



****If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon. Thank you!

Sunday Post #194

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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So, I did take last week off from blogging. I keep piling more and more on my plate and I'm not cleaning anything off. So last week was time for me to relax and recoup, more mentally than anything. I have to re-figure my time and what I do each evening to make it all fit. This is something I've been struggling with. And I've been so tired since the time change, like I haven't adjusted yet.

Happy Easter to those celebrating. Happy April Fools Day! lol. What a combo!

I've joined Camp NaNoWriMo to do re-writes, so I have to plan my schedule for the week and month. I had to sign up for an hour a day. I wanted half an hour a day but they don't do that. So, my challenge is set, and I can not help but work for it.

It's a new month, what are your plans for April?

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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 walked the dog one day last week.

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What's Happening in Books:

Current Read:

Starsigns by A.F. Grappin


Current Audiobook:
The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso

Current Podcast Book Listen:
Alone by Scott Sigler (You can listen for free too! Go to Scott's website.)

Finished Last Week: 

Books:
Not yet.

Audiobooks :

I Was a Teenage Weredeer by C.T. Phipps & Michael Suttkus

Finished Podcast Book Listen:

None.

DNFed:
Stonebriar Casefiles: Bad Alchemy by Laura Nicole Spencer (You can listen for free too!) - Author's stopped posting it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Last Week on the Blog:

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

Guest Posts:

Posts:

Spellbound in a Flash:
Spellbound in a Flash now has a Facebook Page!

Challenged Writers:

Around the Internet...

Reviews:

Podcast Review:

Mama Bitchstress Reviews:

GIVEAWAYS:

~~~~~~~~~~

This Week to Come on the Blog:

I will finished up two reviews for you this week.

~~~~~~~~~~

Received For the Last Month:

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


For Review Consideration:

King of Ashes by Raymond E. Fiest
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
The first volume in legendary master and New York Times bestselling author Raymond E. Feist’s epic heroic fantasy series, The Firemane Saga—an electrifying tale of two young men whose choices will determine a world’s destiny.

For centuries, the five greatest kingdoms of North and South Tembria, twin continents on the world of Garn, have coexisted in peace. But the balance of power is destroyed when four of the kingdoms violate an ancient covenant and betray the fifth: Ithrace, the Kingdom of Flames, ruled by Steveren Langene, known as "the Firemane" for his brilliant red hair. As war engulfs the world, Ithrace is destroyed and the Greater Realms of Tembria are thrust into a dangerous struggle for supremacy.
As a Free Lord, Baron Daylon Dumarch owes allegiance to no king. When an abandoned infant is found hidden in Daylon’s pavilion, he realizes that the child must be the missing heir of the slain Steveren. The boy is valuable—and vulnerable. A cunning and patient man, Daylon decides to keep the baby’s existence secret, and sends him to be raised on the Island of Coaltachin, home of the so-called Kingdom of Night, where the powerful and lethal Nocusara, the "Hidden Warriors," legendary assassins and spies, are trained.

Years later, another orphan of mysterious provenance, a young man named Declan, earns his Masters rank as a weapons smith. Blessed with intelligence and skill, he unlocks the secret to forging King’s Steel, the apex of a weapon maker’s trade known by very few. Yet this precious knowledge is also deadly, and Declan is forced to leave his home to safeguard his life. Landing in Lord Daylon’s provinces, he hopes to start anew.

Soon, the two young men—an unknowing rightful heir to a throne and a brilliantly talented young swordsmith—will discover that their fates, and that of Garn, are entwined. The legendary, long-ago War of Betrayal has never truly ended . . . and they must discover the secret of who truly threatens their world. 




Audio Books Requested for Review:

Death and Axes by S.L. Rowland
PICK UP AT AMAZON
Goodreads Synopsis:
Everything has a price. Pangea Online is no different. 

Esil has spent the past year toiling in the mines of Pangea while the more wealthy traverse its myriad of gameworlds. His luck changes forever when he stumbles upon a legendary Developer's Chest, containing an invaluable Worldpass, which grants him unlimited travel to all gameworlds. 

Now, Esil isn’t just stuck watching as others explore Pangea. He can finally level up. 

But his in-game actions have real world consequences and failure online threatens everything he holds dear.





Purchased/Winnings/Gifts:

Book:

Audio:

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

Free Audio Books/Stories:

~~~~~~~~~~

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

Danger's Halo by Amanda Carlson
Blood of Assassins by R.J. Barker
I Was a Teenage Weredeer by C.T. Phipps & Michael Suttkus