February is finally over, including the loneliest holiday of the year.
Binge eating chocolates aside, I had a lot of personal stuff going on this month including deaths and health issues so I was not able to read half as many books as I had originally planned. But let us take a look at the one I did sit down and enjoy.
DEATH LOVE LUST Anthology
by Various Authors
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
An assortment of delicious stories and poems that are sure to please!
As
the title suggests, each piece of this collection involves a gruesome
death, undying love, or a passionate sexual need. Some contain all
three. Each author brought their own voice, their own style to this
anthology and though every story contained the same central themes, they
were each unique. Some brought tears, some brought a sense of longing,
some brought terror, and some brought lust. Every work contained in this
collection grasped me firmly and held me, riveted, to the page.
I
was captivated from the start, each story and poem leaving me in a
dreamy daze of contemplation. I recommend reading it in the dark.
To purchase this title, find it on Amazon here.
I was able to read Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. I found this to be an excellent book that I easily give five stars. I plan on starting the next installment soon.
I also launched my new author website last week! Yay!
This site will have all my author info, including buy links for my books, reviews, videos, and a short bio. What I am looking forward to the most is the new blog. Don't worry, this blog isn't going anywhere, the new blog is completely different. That one will be a writing blog. I will be posting a new chapter to an ongoing story called Fur & Feathers each week. Fur & Feathers is a fantasy romance with some action and drama mixed in.
Come by and check out the new site here.
Hello, all.
Just wanted to let you guys know that I'm doing a Valentine's Day giveaway on my Facebook author page! Yes, I have three paperback books, bookmarks, business cards of some indie author friends, and a necklace that I will give to one lucky participant!
I have never done a giveaway of this magnitude before so I'm pretty excited. The necklace is one that I hand-made myself. Oh, I make jewelry and sell it on Facebook. Did I never mention that before? Here is the page for those interested: Groovy Goodies and Shiny Stuff.
But back to the giveaway!
The three books are Box of Chocolates (Appropriate for the occasion, no?), The Life She Didn't Take, and Love Me Today, Kill Me Tomorrow. Ah, there's nothing like some sweet vampire love. These books definitely contain some steamy, and sometimes tragic, moments.
I hope you guys hop over to my Facebook page and participate. I will be picking the random winner on the 14th.
Have a happy Valentine's Day, my faithful readers!
XOXOXO
I don't like to talk about religion because I live in the Bible Belt. In my experience, this means that when I tell people I don't believe in God, I am asked if I am atheist or agnostic. Because I have to be one or the other, right? Or am I a straight up devil worshipper? They are all kind of the same, right? I could easily argue that Judaism, Catholicism, and Christianity are all the same. You all believe in the same god, right?
But I don't. Because I'm not an idiot.
Religion is one of those strange topics that people get up in arms about. So I don't bring it up. Because I don't have a box for that. What do I mean by box, you ask? It's simple really.
Society defines every person, everyone you know by putting them in boxes. We have a box for everything because for some reason, we as a people have to have every little thing organized in our minds. Everything has to make sense. Everything has to have a neat label and sit on the correct shelf. This is how modern day society functions.
You have boxes for religion, politics, and race. You even have boxes for sexual preference and mental/behavioral problems.
You can't just be an energetic kid. You are ADHD. You can't just be attracted to men and women. You have to be bisexual. If you like gaming and anime, you are a nerd. If you like sports and exercise, you are a jock. Introvert, extrovert, Democrat, Republican, girly-girl, tomboy; the labels go on and on.
But what about those of us that don't fit neatly into your specific boxes? I'm not able to keep myself in one box, I kind of leak out from time to time. Not necessarily switching boxes, getting a new label, but kind of outside, on the shelf. I've never been very good at keeping a label.
What if my skin color doesn't determine what music I listen to or who I hang out with? What if I feel more like a guy today than a chick? What if I want to go out with friends and party then come home, curl up with a book and be by myself for a few days? What if I just don't have a religion?
We've all been brainwashed with this idea. Even I have, hence my fear of talking about religion with people. I have put religious people in the "closed-minded" box just because I had a couple bad experiences some time ago. But I know I'm wrong. The entire idea is wrong but we cling to it because otherwise, it's all chaos. And people are terrified of chaos.
This is exactly why the people who don't fit into these boxes are feared and hated. A white person that is a Muslim? No, those boxes don't coincide. That is different therefore it is wrong. A football star who would rather stay home on the weekend, painting? That is too unusual.
These boxes, these labels, this is why there is hate. Why there is bullying. We expect certain people to act a certain way and if they don't... well they are freaks!
Don't try to box me. Don't try to define me by labels and expect me to act the way a person who looks or talks the way I do should. I'm going to surprise you.
I tend to make a mess with my box leaking.
I'm doing the Goodreads Reading Challenge again this year. Last year my goal was to read thirty-five books and I read eighty. This year my goal is one hundred books. I got this!
This month started the year out right with twelve books. That's right, super mom with four screaming kids squeezed in twelve books this month! (Though a lot of these "books" are those romance novels split in three. It's a thing people are doing now and it is annoying. It's short enough to be a short story. The three together could be one book. But yeah, let's call it a "series".) Let's look at my reviews for what I managed to read for January 2016.
The Everlasting Chapel
by Marilyn Cruise
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
Perfect ending to a great trilogy.
My
only real complaint is that I think Scarlett fought too hard against
Michael. Once she finally gave in to the inevitable, a happy ending was
guaranteed.
For more of Marilyn Cruise's books and buy links, check out her Goodreads author page.
Gravitas: Valkyrie in the Forbidden Zone
by Lynne Murray
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
I adore this book! Humorous, action-packed, and full of jabs at society, this book has everything I could want and more.
For more of Lynne Murray's books and buy links, check out her Amazon author page.
Dreamwalker
by Desiree Morgan
Rating: 3 Stars
Review:
The story was sweet but it
felt too short for my tastes. I would have liked more detail leading up
to the car accident. More scenes of them interacting in the dreams to
show Chase falling in love with Emily. A few editing issues here and
there but nothing too distracting from the story.
All in all, a good quick read but didn't draw me in as much as I had hoped.
For more of Desiree Morgan's books and buy links, check out her Goodreads author page.
Five Dates
by Amy Jo Cousins
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
Humorous, sexy, and fun! A great read that draws you into Devin and Jay's worlds and the realities of a relationship.
For more of Amy Jo Cousin's books and buy links, check out her Amazon author page.
Regina: The Monster Inside
by DM Singh
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
An
exciting leap into a magical world unlike any other. This book is full
of characters that are unique and interesting. The heroine isn't
perfect; she is young, makes mistakes, and often doesn't think her plans
through. All of which makes her easy to relate to. Though at times the
pacing is a bit slow, the story is otherwise engaging. Great read, can't
wait for the sequel!
For more of DM Singh's books and buy links, check out her Amazon author page.
Ready To Were
by Robyn Peterman
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
I really enjoyed this book. It has everything I could want in a were
story: humor, heartbreak, action, sexy romance, and a kick-ass heroine. I
was tickled pink by the no bullshit tone, the humor having me laughing
my butt off quite often. I definitely can't wait to read the next
installment!
For more of Robyn Peterman's books and buy links, check out her Amazon author page.
Unmasked: Volume 1
by Cassia Leo
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
A dark and intriguing story. A mysterious start to a trilogy that promises more action and turmoil to come!
For more of Cassia Leo's books and buy links, check out her Amazon author page.
The Viscount's Christmas Temptation
by Erica Ridley
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
An enjoyable historic romance with original characters and a sweet story.
For more of Erica Ridley's books and buy links, check out her Amazon author page.
Chameleon Sea: Part 1
by Catherine James
Rating: 3 Stars
Review:
A good start to a series with vivid details and a sensuous story.
For more of Catherine James's books and buy links, check out her Goodreads author page.
The Girlfriend Wager
by Edward Davies
Rating: 4 Stars
Review:
An
amusing tale about a group of teenage boys who make a bet: Which of
them can get a real girlfriend and sleep with her within a year? As we
journey with them through their failures and follies, we are reminded of
youth and how strange and awkward those hormonal years are.
A fun read with interesting and hilarious characters.
For more of Edward Davies's books and buy links, check out his Goodreads author page.
I also read the short story "The Battered Bride" and Volume 8 of The Sandman. I look forward to a year full of more wonderful reads to come by some amazing indie authors!
