Oddities by Thurdy Publisher: Self Published Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary Rating: 3 Stars Reviewed by Astilbe A dystopian vampire teenager, severed finger salad topping, disgruntled Teddy bears, and an army of Percivals. What do these all have in common? They are all trapped within the pages of this collection of stories, like a genie waiting to be released from a bottle. Oh, forgot to say, there’s a genie in there too, but not one like you’re picturing. This one is actually … well, you’ll find out. So, for those of you who spend your life in a state of perpetual distraction, who want ..read more

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. What are your favorite TV shows? Honestly, none. Nothing compares to watching old movies late at night. What is your favorite meal? Fish and chips. The best fish to batter in that way would be either haddock or rock salmon. Also, all the great British writers and artists and musicians tend to love fish and chips. Two things to remember, too, if you want your battered fish ..read more

Hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl I love my local libraries and they’re such a great resource for so many things.  Plus, there’s this beautiful thing called a holds list.  Trouble is, I work full-time and have a family, so I don’t always get through books as fast as I’d like sometimes.  This, in turn, leads me to play this game I like to call hold list roulette.  I keep clicking ‘deliver later’ because I’m either not in the mood for that particular book or because I’m buried in ARCs, group reads, or other things. Too bad there’s not a payout for finally borrowing that book y ..read more

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Vicki-Ann Bush will award a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. Ten Things Most People Don’t Know About Me When I was fourteen, we moved from New York to California. It was a difficult experience and to add to the anxiety I had a Queens mixed with Long Island accent. When I was called on to speak everyone in the classroom went quiet because they said they wanted to hear me talk—not fun. I love animals but dogs are my heart. When my younger brothe ..read more

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $25 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. What are your favorite TV shows? I just binged on the Facts of Life recently and now I’m binge-watching Friends. I love that one. I also love New Girl, Derry Girls, Good Girls, stuff like that. Snarky comedies and Old fashioned sitcoms with laugh tracks are the best. What is your favorite meal? Anything with lobster or bacon involved pretty much. Cheese is a big deal at my ..read more

Beyond Stonebridge by Linda Griffin Publisher: The Wild Rose Press Genre: Romance, Paranormal, Historical Rating: 3 Stars Reviewed by Astilbe In this sequel to Stonebridge, it is 1959, and Rynna Wyatt’s abusive husband Jason has fallen to his death after a fight with his bookish, disabled cousin Ted Demeray. The police would like to know exactly what happened, but it’s impossible to tell the whole truth. Jason’s death doesn’t end his relationship with them. Rynna is pregnant with his child and traumatized by his abuse. She and Ted leave Stonebridge Manor to start a new life in Brenford, wher ..read more

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. D.W. Brooks will award a randomly drawn winner a $15 Amazon/BN GC. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. How to Handle Negative Criticism So, you finally hit publish on your novel, blog post, newspaper article, or narrative poem. Or someone else hits ‘publish’. Either way, your baby that you sweated over is out in the world. You anxiously await the comments and reviews of your work. Will there be accolades, some written high fives? You know you did great work on this piece and can’t wait to b ..read more

The Man in the Cellar by Palle Rosenkrantz Publisher: Kazabo Publishing Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Romance, Paranormal, Historical Rating: 5 Stars Reviewed by Astilbe Holger Nielsen just wanted a quiet London vacation when he rented 48 Cranbourne Grove. But the rental agent forgot to mention he’d be sharing his new home with a very hungry cat and . . . the man in the cellar. When Holger Nielsen stumbles on a murder, the obvious thing to do is report it to the authorities and get on with his life. But as the crime unravels, it isn’t clear whether it’s worse to be an accessory to murder ..read more

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. A randomly drawn winner will be awarded a $25 Amazon/BN gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour. What would we find under your bed? I don’t have space under my bed, so…nothing? What was the scariest moment of your life? I was in India and it was raining as we were driving on a narrow mountain road. That was pretty frightening. Do you listen to music while writing? If so what? I generally don’t listen to music while writing. Sometimes I put on those YouTube background videos where it s ..read more

Raven’s Song by Angela Knight Publisher: Changeling Press Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal Rating: 4 stars Reviewed by Fern Raven Garland is a rock star with a voice that is literally magical. She’s also got a serious problem: she’s being stalked by her ex. Ewan Bradley’s magical abilities and powerful father make him a deadly threat, forcing her to hire a seductive bodyguard with powers of his own. Nate Carter can use his Primo magic to increase his physical strength to superhuman levels — and he needs every bit of that power to keep Raven alive. Besides her nasty ex, there’s ..read more