To those who celebrate, happy Easter! To those who don’t, happy Sunday!

Birthdays: Anna Sewell (1820), Paul Verlaine (1844), Seán O’Casey (1880), Jean Giono (1895), Countee Cullen (1903), Alan Davidson (1924), Tom Sharpe (1928), Tobias Hill (1970), Rosecrans Baldwin (1977),

Anna Sewell’s only published work was “Black Beauty”

Quote: “No one really knows the value of book tours. Whether or not they’re good ideas, or if they improve book sales. I happen to think the author is the last person you’d want to talk to about a book. They hate it by that point; they’ve already moved on to a new lover. Besides, the author never knows what the book is about anyway.” – Rosecrans Baldwin

Tip: Start an idea file. You’ll need three: one for characters, one for settings, one for problems or situations. You can keep these as physical files or in a spreadsheet. Then mix and match to come up with stories.

Jumpstart: Plan the perfect date for your main characters. What will they do? Where will they go? What will they wear? What time will they go? (Maybe plan this for yourself!). Have fun.

THE MUTATES: THE CREATION by Peyton Leonard

Fiction, Science Fiction, YA, 216 pages

3***

Blurb: What would you do if your humanity was brutally stolen from you? How far would you go to reclaim that humanity? Tyler, Samy, Andy, and Lola are just a bunch of teenagers living in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania in 2009 when they are kidnapped and experimented on, becoming genetically modified feline humanoids with wings, called Mutates. They struggle to make sense of their mutations and fight for their freedom and humanity all the while growing their bonds with one another and the people they come across. Their journey is fraught with adversity, heartache, and pain, but they learn to overcome their challenges and become even stronger individuals in the process. Come and join Tyler, Samy, Andy, and Lola as they embark on the ride of their lives.

Thoughts: This was an interesting story that is very different from any other “mutant” story I’ve read. Aimed at young adults, the story centers on four teens (15/16 yrs old). Tyler, Samy, Andy, and Lola are friends who live in Pennsylvania. Tyler’s mother died two years ago. Samy lost her parents at a young age and lives with her aunt. Andy and Lola are brother and sister. They are all kidnapped and turned into mutants that resemble felines/birds/humans who can shift from full human form to the mutant form. They struggle to deal with their situation and work as a team to survive and escape the scientist who created them. 

The story moves rather quickly and you have to keep up with it or you’ll get lost in what’s happening. You can’t even skip a page – or a paragraph – because you’ll lose part of the story. Which is not a bad thing because it means you’re engrossed in the story. I will note that Andy is very religious and this plays into the story as well. 

Things I liked: the story is unique and interesting. The characters well-developed and true-to-life. 

What I didn’t like: I often felt like things went their way too much. They get attacked by mutant animals and Lola calms everyone down because she’s so sweet and can talk to them. They escape and the first person they meet has no problem with them being mutants and helps them out. And the “underworld” just seems too unreal even for science fiction. There’s no explanation of where it is and how it came to be. I liked the story overall, but some things were just a bit too unbelievable for me.

Recommendation: For something unique, I recommend this, but you really have to suspend your disbelief for the world building. 

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

The first in a new series spun off from the Daisy Tea Garden Mysteries, Daisy’s daughter Jazzi Swanson has opened her own book and tea shop, providing a variety of literature and flavored beverages for a rural New York community. But Jazzi has not only inherited her mother’s gift for brewing tasty drinks—she also has a nose for sniffing out murder. New York State’s Belltower Landing is a lakeside resort town where tourists spend their summer days boating, floating, and paddle-boarding on the water. It’s also the perfect place to cuddle up with a good book and enjoy a cup of tea, courtesy of Tomes & Tea. Owned and operated by Jazzi and her best friend Dawn Fernsby, the book bar is beloved by vacationers and locals alike, but browsers grabbing brews in the off season aren’t enough to help them make ends meet. Between brainstorming social media publicity ideas for the shop and fending off flirtatious men she has no interest in or time for, Jazzi befriends a woman named Brie who has recently made contact with her biological father. As an adopted child herself, Jazzi is more than happy to give Brie emotional support, especially as her wealthy father’s wife and children see her as a threat. But Brie is also looking to start a family of her own. Unfortunately, all the potential princes she’s met through a dating app turn out to be frogs. Then, when Brie is found murdered, Jazzi finds herself playing detective. With a list of suspects ranging from jealous half-siblings to less-than-suitable suitors, Jazzi may need to consult some of her shop’s bestselling mysteries to help her uncover a killer . . .

BUY LINKS:

Amazon: Murder Marks the Page (A Tomes & Tea Mystery Series) – Kindle edition by Smith, Karen Rose. Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Barnes and Noble:  Murder Marks the Page by Karen Rose Smith, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)

Apple Books: Murder Marks the Page on Apple Books

Kobo:  Murder Marks the Page eBook by Karen Rose Smith – EPUB Book | Rakuten Kobo United States

Bio: Hi!  I’m Karen Rose Smith.  I write mystery, romance and women’s fiction.  MURDER MARKS THE PAGE is my 110th published novel.  Families are a strong theme in my novels, whether mysteries or romance. One of the highlights of my career was to see my romance turned into a movie—A Very Country Christmas. Besides writing, my passion is caring for our six rescued cats. I have herb and flower gardens that help me relax. In the winter, I cook rather than garden. And year round I spend most of my time with my husband, as well as my cats who are my purrfect companions. They chase rainbows from sun catchers, reminding me life isn’t all about work, awards and bestseller lists. I’ve ventured onto TikTok (@Karenrosesmithauthor). You can also chat with me on my Facebook author page at KarenRoseSmithBooks.

SOCIAL LINKS: 

Romance Website:  https://karenrosesmith.com/

Mystery Website:  https://karenrosesmithmysteries.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KarenRoseSmithBooks/TikTok:  Karenrosesmithauthor (@karenrosesmithauthor) | TikTok

Today is National Tolkien Reading Day. The Tolkien Society created this observance in 2003 to encourage the readings of J.R.R. Tolkien. They chose the date of March 25th because it matches the fall of Sauron in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

If you’ve never read them, the books can be difficult to get into, but they are worth the effort. The world building alone is beyond amazing. But if you just can’t do it, then sit back and enjoy the movies. 🙂

I was reading a book for a review the other day and checked the blurb first. And found a misspelling in the first line. Okay, mistakes happen. Everyone makes them. But then there were two more glaring (to me) grammatical errors in this short blurb, and I started to wonder how good the book could be if the author made this many mistakes in just the blurb. Unfortunately, I was right. Although the story was cute, and I did finish it because it was for a review and not just for fun, there were so many mistakes throughout that I couldn’t rate it above two stars. There were mixed tenses–sometimes in the same sentence–misspellings, name changes of major characters and more. I could maybe accept them if this was an unpublished draft, but it wasn’t. The book was published and out there. Thank goodness I didn’t pay for it, or I would have been really upset to have wasted my money on something that was definitely not ready for publishing. And before you ask, yes, it was a self-pub, though that shouldn’t mean anything. Any author, whether traditionally or self-pubbed should check their work thoroughly. If you don’t have the skills necessary, get a good editor, preferably someone who knows what they’re doing.

So, some words of advice to all authors: check your work, including your blurbs. Please.

This has been a test of the emergency reading system. You may now return to your regularly scheduled writing sessions. 🙂

Have a good day!

THE DOMINION by Gaylene Froese 

Fiction, Paranormal, LGBTQ, 

4****

Blurb: The Pacific Northwest border town of the Dominion is soaked in magic. Full moons are a bloody spectacle, local restaurants have unicorn on the menu, and a dragon once burned down City Hall. The excitement makes the Dominion a beacon to tourists… but many of them never make it home. Travel writer Innis Stuart and his photographer, Karsten Roth, are visiting the Dominion to explore its dangers and offer a warning to overconfident tourists. Unfortunately, they may be among that number. Their local guide is an old friend to Innis, but he’s not acting like himself. Why does he seem to be working with the biggest crime boss in town? And why did both Innis and Karsten feel such a strong compulsion to enter the Dominion in the first place? It turns out that what they don’t know about the Dominion can hurt them, but it’s not as dangerous as what they don’t know about themselves.Come along for a tour of the city known as “the most magical place on Earth”… and don’t forget to buy travel insurance.  

Thoughts: I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I started reading this. First of all, there are multiple first person points of view — both Innis and Karsten —well delineated by section headings so you know who is who. The story reads kind of like a travel guide, and kind of like two guys telling you what happened. Which is what they’re doing. You’re getting the story from Innis’s point of view, then Karsten’s. And it’s paranormal and just… weird. I wasn’t sure I liked it… and yet, I couldn’t stop reading. 

Innis is a travel writer and Karsten is a photographer. They get together to go to Dominion, a city in the Pacific Northwest straddling the US and Canada. Magic has come to the world, but not all of it is a good thing. And the Dominion is the worst of the worst. All sorts of crazy things happen there. Even though they’re with an old friend of Innis’s to guide them, things do go wrong for them. 

I liked how the romance aspect between Innis and Karsten was downplayed. It was there, but not in your face. All bedroom action is behind closed doors but in the end, you know they’re there for each other and the feelings are real. Nicely done.

Recommended, especially if you want something a little—no, a lot different but with a good ending that satisfies.

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

A CURE FOR SPRING FEVER by Barbara Robinson

Fiction, Paranormal Romance, Novella, 73 pages

5*****

Blurb: For centuries, Gamekeepers have used their magical abilities to create a buffer between the creatures who dwell in the enchanted forest and the sleepy coastal town that sits in its shadow. When Gamekeeper Stan Ross’s magic begins to fail, he must find out what went wrong, then fix it before the two worlds collide. His hit or miss magic has already led to a few close calls so he journeys to the Sacred Isle searching for answers and advice.Finding a cure proves elusive—until Stan encounters a kitchen witch who captivates him body and soul. Lynnette Peters is healing from her own wounds, however, and it isn’t clear whether she’s ready to open herself to the possibility—or the peril—of love.

Thoughts: This was a cute short novella full of magic and mischief and the old ways. Lynette and Stan are perfect for each other – they just don’t know it yet and it’s up to the High Priestess to pull some strings and see to it that they get together. 

If you like mixing your romance with magic, definitely pick this one up. It won’t disappoint. And there’s a HEA ending that satisfies. Grab a cup of tea (or whatever) and curl up for a sweet story. 

Disclaimer: Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”