Month: August 2021

Review | Can You Sign My Tentacle? by Brandon O’Brien

DeAnneLeave a comment

Cthulhu meets hip-hop in this book of horror poems that flips the eldritch genre upside down. Lovecraftian-inspired nightmares are reversed as O’Brien asks readers to see Blackness as radically significant. Can You Sign My Tentacle? explores the monsters we know and the ones that hide behind racism, sexism, and violence, resulting in poems that are both comic and cosmic.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

I wasn’t sure what to think about this one but the title and cover was enough for me to give it a try. While it wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, I still enjoyed the concept of it and the inspiration that was used to create it. If someone is looking for dark humor inspired by Lovecreaftian monsters and concepts, then this would likely be up their alley. I did definitely appreciate the theming and creativity that went into this.

Happy reading!

Review | Taproot by Keezy Young

DeAnneLeave a comment

Blue is having a hard time moving on. He’s in love with his best friend. He’s also dead. Luckily, Hamal can see ghosts, leaving Blue free to haunt him to his heart’s content. But something eerie is happening in town, leaving the local afterlife unsettled, and when Blue realizes Hamal’s strange ability may be putting him in danger, Blue has to find a way to protect him, even if it means . . . leaving him. 

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This graphic novel followed a gardener, Hamal, who can see ghosts. I thought this was absolutely adorable and quirky and really enjoyed watching Hamal come into his own. The art style was whimsical and bright, which was so lovely to read. I did feel like this could easily have been more little vignettes into Hamal’s life after the initial story, and there was a little snippet of something similar at the end. All in all this was a very enjoyable read and I would definitely read more.

Happy reading!

Blitz | Tempest by C.J. Campbell

DeAnneLeave a comment

Tempest
C.J. Campbell
(The Veil Chronicles, #1)
Publication date: August 31st 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

To unearth the truth, she must embrace the legend within.

For eighteen-year-old Lexi, freedom is a luxury. She’s spent her life evading capture for a genetic gift that feels more like a curse. Her bulletproof immunity and monstrous disfigurement is of great interest to a secret organization, but they aren’t the only ones. A cryptic tip alerts Lexi that something else hunts her–something darker.

Desperate to enjoy her life before it’s too late, Lexi leaves the protective cocoon her parents created for her and signs up for art classes at her local college. There she meets Conner, who is confined to a wheelchair, and they become friends who are willing to share each other’s secrets. But a chance encounter with Connor’s foster brother Killian changes everything.

Killian shares the same mysterious secret within his blood as Lexi. Their fateful meeting sets off a chain reaction of catastrophic events that exposes the terrifying truth–Lexi is a celestial queen of a bygone race. Connor is their last royal heir, and Killian is a half-breed abomination hated for his very existence. With Connor kidnapped by an ancient god determined to rid the world of the stain of humanity, Lexi and Killian find themselves under the protection of the secretive Order of Kings.

Lexi believes she’s been thrown into a world of myths and legends, but things are not as they seem. Lexi becomes convinced the Order is keeping dangerous secrets that threaten not just her but all of mankind.

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

I slide into a slouch and make a happy hum of approval with my next slurp. Resting my head against the window, I close my eyes and listen to the rain pound. The earlier spit has given way to a deluge. This is close to my idea of bliss—coffee, quiet, and the rain.

Between the beats against the car’s chassis, something vibrates. A noise so out of place in the lullaby of rainfall that I sit bolt upright.

Another buzz, and a shiver spider-walks my spine. I squint in the dark, chest so tight it’s impossible to breathe.

A light illuminates the driver’s side compartment. The sound the plastic makes with the third buzz rattles my very bones. I shove my coffee cup into the holder and squeeze my upper half through the gap between the seat and door. Fingers outstretched, I grapple for my father’s cell phone that blurs to life for the fourth time. Once in my hand, I clutch it to my chest and curl into the darkness of the backseat, as if the shadows might somehow protect me.

The screen illuminates for the last time. I peek at the number, but it’s listed as unknown. My heart bangs so loud that I’m afraid it will shatter my ribs. There’s no one outside, at least not that I can tell, but that doesn’t mean anything.

A car pulls into the space opposite, the garish headlights flood the backseat. I gasp and throw myself onto the floor, pulling Father’s jacket over my head. Each second that ticks by feels like an eternity. My breath comes in quick, startled pants, and I shut my eyes to pray. Not that I’m overly spiritual, but right now I’ll try anything.

“Please, please don’t be them,” I mouth, fingernails biting into the plastic of the phone. “Keep my parents inside, please.”

The lights die and doors slam. A second later, feminine laughter bounces around the empty lot and heeled shoes clatter past the car. Relief rushes through every vein in my body until I’m limp as a fish.

“Thank you,” I whisper and rub a hand down my face.

I toss off the jacket and heave up onto the backseat. It takes a full minute before my breathing regulates and I no longer feel my pulse in my ears. All I can do is stare at the phone screen, at the unlisted number, and contemplate what it means.

As if in answer, the phone buzzes in my hand again. I almost drop it, ready to nose-dive to the floor, but morbid curiosity keeps me glued to the spot.

It’s not a phone number this time, but a text.

A simple sentence that reads: You can’t protect her forever, Fred. They’ll come for her. She’ll need us. T.


Author Bio:

Clare is a successful and highly popular author of award winning Fanfiction, with thousands of online fans and over 2 million reads on her Lord of the Rings Fanfic epic. Clare has also won several writing awards within the Fantasy, Inspirational, and Short Story genres. Her story Refuge was a top prize winner and as a direct result published in Faith & Freedom anthology by EA books. She has recently been shortlisted for Writer of the Year 2019.

As well as writing, Clare is an experienced Occupational Therapist, with a passion for enabling people. She has contributed articles for online organizations aimed at highlighting disability as a positive influence in modern literature. Her love of storytelling, merged with her positive messages inspires her to create meaningful narratives that represent diversity, and promote unity.

You can learn more about Clare by visiting http://www.CJCampbellOfficial.com

Website / Pinterest / Instagram / Facebook


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

Review | Norse Myths by Matt Ralphs

DeAnne1 Comment

A beautifully illustrated and compelling collection of more than 30 ancient Norse myths for children.

Exciting stories, extraordinary creatures, and compelling gods, goddesses, and heroes come together in this compendium of Norse myths–first told long ago by the Vikings. Perfect for children ages 7 to 9, this collection contains more than 30 enthralling new retellings.

Read about Thor, the god of thunder and how he once disguised himself as a bride to seek revenge on a giant and retrieve his powerful hammer, Mjolnir; and how Sif, the goddess of fertility, had her long golden hair cut off by Loki, the trickster god. Each myth is told with thrilling immediacy, in language that is easy for children to understand, while retaining the awe, majesty, and intrigue of the original tales. Stunning illustrations by multi-award-winning artist Katie Ponder breathe new life into each story.

Additional feature pages delve deeper into the mythical world, providing profiles of the featured gods and goddesses and giving the context behind the myths. The reference section provides key background information, such as Norse cosmology and facts about the incredible Norse characters, and comes complete with a pronunciation guide.

Norse Myths is the perfect gift, featuring foil on the cover and beautiful illustrations throughout. Children will love exploring the tales by themselves or as bedtime stories. This stunning book will be treasured forever. 

Rating: 5 out of 5.

As soon as I heard this second installment to these books was coming out I had to preorder it. The art, just like in Greek Myths, was wonderful and perfectly fit the different settings, creatures, figures and more. I felt like this was a really good selection of stories from Norse mythology that will give the overall scope of the gods and their tales. I liked that the stories were separated by more informational sections specifically about the gods, goddesses and other figures. This is in a great format for younger readers to digest either in a single setting, or here and there.

Happy reading!

Cover Reveal | Revenge by Dani Hoots

DeAnne1 Comment

Revenge
Dani Hoots
(City of Kaus, #1)
Publication date: November 16th 2021
Genres: LGBTQ+, New Adult, Science Fiction, Western

It has been three years since Elvira “Ellie” Ryder was betrayed by her best friend Cor and watched as her hometown of Kaus was leveled by invaders from a different Zone. Now sworn to seek revenge on him, Ellie has teamed up with her old friend Zach to find their long lost friend.

After getting offered a bounty hunting job—really an assassination job—they find out that part of their payment is the whereabouts of Cor. Without hesitation Ellie and Zach take the job and make their way to the Human Zone to assassinate their target. As they make their way through the desert, and through the Human Zone, they are up against the prejudice of their kind—Kausian, a race that can shapeshift but always stand out with their golden eyes. Nevertheless, they never miss a mark—that is, unless they find out the truth about who destroyed their kind and how their target is right in the middle of it all.

Will Ellie be able to forgive Cor after learning the truth? Or will she forever hold on to that hatred?

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

Dani Hoots is a science fiction, fantasy, romance, and young adult author who loves anything with a story. She has a B.S. in Anthropology, a Masters of Urban and Environmental Planning, a Certificate in Novel Writing from Arizona State University, and a BS in Herbal Science from Bastyr University.

Currently she is working on a YA urban fantasy series called Daughter of Hades, a YA urban fantasy series called The Wonderland Chronicles, a historic fantasy vampire series called A World of Vampires, and a YA sci-fi series called Sanshlian Series. She has also started up an indie publishing company called FoxTales Press. She also works with Anthill Studios in creating comics through Antik Comics.

Her hobbies include reading, watching anime, cooking, studying different languages, wire walking, hula hoop, and working with plants. She is also an herbalist and sells her concoctions on FoxCraft Apothecary. She lives in Phoenix with her husband and visits Seattle often.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest


Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

Kindle Deals | 8/16

DeAnneLeave a comment

Hey everyone! I figured it had been a while since I did some kindle deals, so I wanted to share some that I found. As always make sure you check the prices in your region as they may have changed or be different.

Lobizona ($2.99) – Some people ARE illegal.

Lobizonas do NOT exist.

Both of these statements are false.

Manuela Azul has been crammed into an existence that feels too small for her. As an undocumented immigrant who’s on the run from her father’s Argentine crime-family, Manu is confined to a small apartment and a small life in Miami, Florida.

Until Manu’s protective bubble is shattered.

Her surrogate grandmother is attacked, lifelong lies are exposed, and her mother is arrested by ICE. Without a home, without answers, and finally without shackles, Manu investigates the only clue she has about her past—a mysterious “Z” emblem—which leads her to a secret world buried within our own. A world connected to her dead father and his criminal past. A world straight out of Argentine folklore, where the seventh consecutive daughter is born a bruja and the seventh consecutive son is a lobizón, a werewolf. A world where her unusual eyes allow her to belong.

As Manu uncovers her own story and traces her real heritage all the way back to a cursed city in Argentina, she learns it’s not just her U.S. residency that’s illegal. . . .it’s her entire existence.

Elatsoe ($2.99) – Elatsoe—Ellie for short—lives in an alternate contemporary America shaped by the ancestral magics and knowledge of its Indigenous and immigrant groups. She can raise the spirits of dead animals—most importantly, her ghost dog Kirby. When her beloved cousin dies, all signs point to a car crash, but his ghost tells her otherwise: He was murdered.

Who killed him and how did he die? With the help of her family, her best friend Jay, and the memory great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother, Elatsoe, must track down the killer and unravel the mystery of this creepy town and its dark past. But will the nefarious townsfolk and a mysterious Doctor stop her before she gets started?

A breathtaking debut novel featuring an asexual, Apache teen protagonist, Elatsoe combines mystery, horror, noir, ancestral knowledge, haunting illustrations, fantasy elements, and is one of the most-talked about debuts of the year.

Horrorstor ($2.99) – Something strange is happening at the Orsk furniture superstore in Cleveland, Ohio. Every morning, employees arrive to find broken Kjerring bookshelves, shattered Glans water goblets, and smashed Liripip wardrobes. Sales are down, security cameras reveal nothing, and store managers are panicking.
 
To unravel the mystery, three employees volunteer to work a nine-hour dusk-till-dawn shift. In the dead of the night, they’ll patrol the empty showroom floor, investigate strange sights and sounds, and encounter horrors that defy the imagination.

Happy reading!

Review | Haunted Charleston by by Ed Macy & Geordie Buxton

DeAnneLeave a comment

On the historic streets of Charleston, where true life is stranger than fiction, narrators Ed Macy and Geordie Buxton leave embellishment by the wayside to let these stories–in ghastly and sometimes dreadful detail–tell themselves. Combing through the oft-forgotten enclaves of the Holy City, Macy and Buxton bring readers face to face with a group of orphans who haunt a College of Charleston dorm, a Citadel cadet who haunts a local hotel and the specter of William Drayton at Drayton Hall Plantation, to name just a few. Based on historic events and specific details that are often lost in most ghost stories, this collection of haunting tales sparks curiosity about what figure might still be lurking in the alleyways of Charleston’s storied streets.

Rating: 4 out of 5.

I love a good collection about ghost stories, especially when they center on a certain location or region. I’ve been to Charleston and loved the time I spent in it, so I was especially excited to see stories about the original Citadel, since I’ve stayed in the hotel it’s become. The stories were well researched and I felt there was a good balance of history with the experiences that people have had. The writing style was really easy to read and flew by with each story. I also really liked how focused on a few specific locations the book was as it was able to dive fully into their history.

Happy reading!

Blitz | Photo Bombed by Daria White

DeAnneLeave a comment

Photo Bombed
Daria White
(Bianca Wallace Mysteries, #1)
Publication date: May 25th 2021
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery, Romance

When a corpse crashes the party, Bianca is on the case.

Bianca Wallace is a work from home mom raising her teenage daughter as a single parent. She’s determined to stand on her own two feet in Edenville, Texas after her bitter divorce. When the town’s wedding of the year stars her friend as the bride, Bianca can’t wait to celebrate the nuptials. Neither she nor the guests expect a corpse! When the police suspect the bride, Bianca’s determined to prove her friend’s innocence.

Lamar Sims, the new police detective in Edenville, is investigating the murder case. Bianca’s “interference” is not helping, but she won’t stop when her friend’s freedom is on the line. He makes it clear he wants her to let the police do their job, so she has to find ways around him.

No one in Edenville is safe until the killer is behind bars. Bianca won’t let Detective Sims dismiss her hunches. They may have to work together before another dead body shows up.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

“Bianca!” Nicole shrieked.

Bianca embraced her friend. “You look amazing!”

Nicole planted her hands on her slim hips. Her sundress flowed to her knees and flattered her waist. Long blonde hair, five seven, and flawless ivory skin. Her blue eyes shined. The woman could have been a model if she wanted to, but found her passion as a beauty blogger. “Thank you. Come on in.”

Looping her arm with hers, Bianca walked with Nicole to the kitchen after setting her gift on the designated table. When they entered the kitchen, Bianca spotted Judy.

“Bianca! Welcome.” Her red hair shined as always.

“Let me help you, Judy. I can’t just stand around and let you do all of this for me.” Nicole stood in front of a plate of ham and grabbed the butcher knife from Priscilla’s, Chad’s mother, kitchen set.

“Nicole.” Judy sighed. “You’re the bride. You should be mingling with your guests.”

“There will be plenty of time for that.” Nicole nudged her shoulder and sliced the meat onto a serving tray.

Bianca made herself comfortable on a bar stool. “Having fun so far? You seem more relaxed now.” That was a good sign.

Nicole beamed. “I am. I can’t believe the wedding is next weekend.” She exhaled. “I’m so nervous.”

“Not about marrying Chad, I hope,” Judy said as she tossed the salad.

“Can I help?” Bianca stood.

Judy pointed for her to sit down. “No, I won’t have the both of you helping. Nicole’s the bride so she can get away with it.”

Bianca returned to her seat and folded her hands in her lap. She figured Judy was in her zone so she wouldn’t offer again to help her in the kitchen. “Everything looks amazing.”

Judy touched a hand to Nicole’s shoulder. “I can’t tell you what it means to me that you asked us to cater your wedding. Thank you.”

Nicole smiled. “Are you kidding? I wouldn’t have anyone else cooking for me.”

Bianca’s heart warmed at the friendly exchange. With Nicole marrying into the high society Davis family, she could have chosen top-notch caterers to serve her reception meal. Yet, she’d chosen Edenville’s best. There was no one better than Judy, who could cook and bake along with her husband, Richard.

“I do have a question for you my friend.” Nicole directed her attention to Bianca.

“What?” Bianca asked.

“I think you could get along with at least one of Chad’s—”

Bianca held up a hand to stop her. “Before you start setting me up with all of the groomsmen, I’ll pass.”

“Oh, Bianca. Really?” Nicole huffed.

“I’ll let you know if I change my mind.” Bianca winked at her.

Nicole paused in her slicing of the ham when her phone rang in her dress pocket. She stared at the screen but didn’t answer.

Author Bio:

Daria has lived in Texas for most of her life. She never liked reading as a kid. In fact, she almost hated it. However, as she grew up that all changed. Though she received her degree in healthcare management, Daria kept her writing as a hobby. She meant it to be private and her own way of expressing herself. It never crossed her mind to publish until she was in college. She took a chance and published. It worked!

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Instagram


GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Hosted by:
XBTBanner1

Wrap Up | July 2021

DeAnneLeave a comment

Hey everyone! I don’t know what was going on with me in July, but it wasn’t really reading that much. I read 15 books total, but wanted to do way more. So far August is going relatively well, so fingers crossed on that front. Let’s get to what happened in July.

  • I made progress on the Buffy reboot, I’d say I’m about 2/3 of the way through the Buffy/Angel comics currently out.
  • I completed one TBR challenge book…but that’s it.
  • No progress on the existing series during July.

Like I said, it was a weird Month. I can’t tell you how many books got added to my library because I was so out of sorts that I forgot to put it in my journal. I think with the way things have been worsening pandemic wise in my neck of the woods, as well as some stressful stuff at my day job I just didn’t have the time to read, plus I think I had a reading slump going on.

Here’s to August going better!

Happy reading!

Cover Reveal | Tall, Dark and Evil by Alexi Blake

DeAnneLeave a comment

Tall Dark and Evil
Alexi Blake & May Sage
Publication date: January 27th 2022
Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance

The Five Realms University is an open battlefield. After surviving three years of pranks, insults, and the occasional attempted murder, Alis thought she knew the rules of the game.
One encounter with Reiks, the golden prince everyone adores, shows her just how mistaken she was. He’s decided she’s his to torment for his last year at Five, and no one can save her from his clutches, until an actual war comes knocking at the doors.
Alis had her reasons for staying under the radar for so long, but to survive, she might have to embrace the devastating magic in her blood, at the risk of destroying the entire world.

Born to take over a kingdom divided to its very core, Reiks has grown calculating and cruel, for the greater good.
He treats friends and foes as unwitting pawns on his board, until he comes to realize one piece might have been his enemy’s queen in disguise. Alis could be his undoing.
Or his salvation.

Add to Goodreads / Pre-order


Author Bio:

May is a USA Today Bestselling Author who recently moved to The Hague, in the Netherlands. She writes many sub-genres of romance; mainly fantasy, paranormal and contemporary. You’re signing up for strong, sassy, kick-ass women and swoon-worthy alpha protagonists. Enjoy the ride!


Hosted by:
XBTBanner1