GUIDED NUMEROLOGY WORKBOOK by Kelli Miller

Nonfiction, Self-Help, Astrology

5*****

Thanks to Zeitgeist @Penguin Randomhouse for providing this book.

Blurb: Numerology is an ancient practice that assigns specific meanings to numbers and helps people decode messages about their personalities and destinies. A core tenet of numerology is that each of us is more than a single number; rather, we are all complex individuals with unique personalities and unending potential. That’s why the primary tool for self-understanding in numerology is the numerology chart, a customized group of numbers derived from your unique information, including your name and birthday. In Guided Numerology Workbook, you’ll learn to master the principles of numerology and delve into the significance of your Life Path Number, Expression Number, Inner Soul Number, and more. You’ll receive the tools and knowledge to understand yourself better, improve your relationships, and navigate life’s challenges.

Thoughts: This is an excellent book to begin with for the study of numerology. There is a lot of detailed information on each number and how they can apply to our daily lives. She even included a small section on how each number applies to the tarot, astrology, and gemstones. I would have liked more on this, but that was such a minor detail that it didn’t make a difference.

The author includes sections on how you can figure out your core numbers and what they mean. There are areas for you to enter your information and how to calculate the results and what they mean. Each section is detailed, easy to understand and follow, and written so that it all makes sense.

Highly recommended.

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” Thanks to Zeitgeist @Penguin Randomhouse for providing this book.

@penguinrandomhouse #partner

Fiction, LGBTQ Contemporary Romance (M/M)

3***

Blurb: Ronny Ledbetter inherited a bar, The Gingerbread, from his father, and he’s been working his hands to the bone to update the building and keep the business functioning. What he really needs is help… and a life outside of work. What he doesn’t expect is a man like Arden to stumble into his life. Turned out by his parents, Arden Thatcher is living in his aunt and uncle’s converted garage, and he needs a job. Getting desperate to find something, he approaches the sex-on-a-stick hot Ronny, who gives him a test behind the bar and then a job. But that only solves one of his problems; his controlling uncle is still attempting to run his life. With all their issues, neither Ronny nor Arden is looking for a relationship, but one forms more quickly that either could imagine. Arden supports Ronny, helping him build the business. His skill behind the bar draws new customers, and Ronny backs Arden with his family issues that never seem to end. But Arden’s uncle poses a threat not only to Arden, but also his aunt and even the bar. It will take both Ronny and Arden’s combined strength to see things through to a possible future together.

Thoughts: Ronny owns a popular bar in downtown Carlisle, but he is in desperate need of help. When Arden walks in looking for a job, he hires him on, not knowing what he’s getting himself in for. Not only is Arden a capable bar tender, but he’s also got issues. A lot of them. He was kicked out of his home and lives in a small apartment owned by his uncle and aunt. He dumpster dives for food until he can earn enough to live on. But his uncle is no better than his father was and when Arden discovers that his uncle is abusing his aunt, he steps in to try to help. Meanwhile, the sparks fly between him and Ronny, turning into heat. Between Ronny and Arden, they manage to help his aunt, and his mother, come to terms with the abuse they’ve been suffering and take legal action to protect them.

I enjoyed the story for the most part, but it could have a lot of triggers for sensitive people. There is spousal abuse and bigotry and physical violence. So be forewarned about that. The heat between Ronny and Arden is well done and works well in the story. I just think this could have been a lot better.

Recommended with reservations.

Fiction, Paranormal Cozy Mystery

2**

Blurb: n the heart of downtown Seattle, a quirky building is home to a cast of eccentric residents, both living and not. When Meg Dawson moves back to the Morrisey after quitting her career as an artist, she thinks she’s found a safe haven. But when she discovers a murdered resident, Meg realizes that her sanctuary may not be as secure as she thought. It quickly becomes clear that the police are lacking an important piece of the investigative puzzle. Because of her ability to communicate with ghosts, Meg has information about the man’s death no one else knows. Ripley, Meg’s ghostly best friend, is confident they can solve the mystery and keep the rest of the residents safe. Meg and Ripley must navigate strange happenings and unravel the secrets of their building before it’s too late.

Thoughts: This was an okay story, not great but not totally awful. The main character, Meg, has moved back to the building where she lived with her aunt (who moved to Scotland). She was an artist and working in museums in NY and Chicago and got hammered by her mentor so gave up everything and moved home. And her best friend happens to be a ghost from the 1990s and is attached to her so can go where Meg goes (convenient). Meg can also see and communicate with other ghosts. In addition to coincidences, her childhood best friend and crush, Laurie (Laurence) has also moved back into the quirky building. There are a lot of odd characters in this book – many of them old enough to remember Meg when she lived there. When the recluse in 3B is killed, they look to Meg to figure out who did it. Add in secret passages throughout the building and another murder that ties into this one and you have an intriguing plot that seems to follow the plot of a TV show starring Steve Martin and Martin Short. There was very little description of the characters except for maybe the ghosts. In the end, the mystery is solved and Meg makes decisions about her life, but there was very little mystery to this mystery.

Northwoods Mysteries book #3
by Annie McEwen

Winter has wrapped the Wisconsin Northwoods in a bitter chill, and Emmy Cooper’s family lake cottage resort, Cooper’s Cove, is no exception. But it’s someone from Emmy’s past who’s about to bring the real frostbite! A stormy mix-up at a local hotel reroutes an unwanted group of guests to Cooper’s Cove Resort, including Emmy’s former boss and the reason Emmy slunk home with her tail between her legs, Gwenda Caperwell. As if being face-to-face with an old grudge wasn’t bad enough, a fierce blizzard picks that moment to strike, leaving Emmy snowed in with her least favorite person on earth. But things go from bad to downright chilling when Gwenda suddenly turns up dead—colder than the January air—and Emmy’s snowed in with a corpse! With the roads impassable and the safety of the other guests at stake, the local law enforcement had no choice but to rely on Emmy and her parents to help solve the mystery and catch the real killer, much to the dismay of Emmy’s love interest, Officer Dean Erickson. But it quickly becomes clear that plenty of the other guests snowed in at Cooper’s Cove had a reason to want the Gwenda dead. Battling through drifts of secrets and lies, Emmy must navigate the frosty web of suspicion to uncover the murderer—before the next victim is iced!

Amazon

Review: Coral Conspiracy by Rosalie Spielman

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Aloha Lagoon Series

4****

Blurb: Recent graduate Nelly O’Hare was looking forward to studying the picturesque coral reefs of Aloha Lagoon, Hawaii, expecting her new job to be full of sun, surf, and satisfying work. What she wasn’t expecting was a pair of arguing professors, an attraction to the resort’s hot golf pro, and a totally dysfunctional academic study…ending in murder!
When one of her new bosses is found dead, not only is her ocean study in jeopardy, but the local police are also suddenly asking questions that Nelly doesn’t have answers to. Luckily her best friend, Kiki Hepburn, is no stranger to murder investigations, and along with Auntie Akamai and the loud-mouthed Paulie the parrot, she vows to help Nelly find the true killer. From the professor’s mousy assistant, to the suspicious man and his weird crabs in the next office, to the impressive ex-wife with a new boyfriend and pampered pooch, there are no shortage of suspects who might have wanted the victim dead. Especially when Nelly discovers that someone seems to have been sabotaging the study findings. With danger lurking just below the murky surface, Nelly is finding out not everything in Aloha Lagoon is as sunny as it seems. As Nelly closes in on the killer, someone is closing in on Nelly…and if she’s not careful, the coral won’t be the only thing endangered in Aloha Lagoon!

Thoughts: This was a good addition to the Aloha Lagoon series. In case you haven’t read any of them, each story is a stand alone, which I love. But they also have recurring characters that show up – like Auntie Akamai and Kiki. I really enjoyed the descriptions of dive equipment and underwater animals. In this book, you get an education as well as a good mystery.

In this one, Nelly has moved to Kauai as an intern working on her doctorate. Unfortunately, things don’t work out quite the way she hoped as the head of the research ends up dead and she loses her only source of income. With the help of Auntie Akamai and Kiki, she gets a new place to live, a new job, and catches the killer. Oh, and gets a cute boyfriend too.

The book is full of interesting information, great imagery and details, and a good story with a satisfying ending.

Recommended.

Fiction, Paranormal Cozy Mystery

4****

Blurb: Paranormal and perimenopausal? Amelia’s got double trouble. When hot flash–prone cookie shop owner Amelia inherits a spooky Florida inn, she plans to sell it fast. But the place is haunted by an unsolved murder, and her dead aunt tasks her with using her newfound psychic powers to crack the case. Armed with nothing but a cat named Freddie Purrcury and a posse of supernaturally-gifted locals, Amelia taps into the spirit world to unravel clues about the decades-old crime. She expected creaky floorboards, not messages from the other side. Between misbehaving ghosts, a slow-burn attraction to her ghost hunting guide, and her deepening connection to her estranged aunt, this midlife paranormal adventure isn’t what Amelia bargained for. But if she can’t embrace her emerging psychic gifts and solve the mystery, the spirits may sink her hotel sale for good.

Thoughts: I enjoyed this story. Amelia is the perfect main character. Older (47), divorced, displaced… She travels from California to Florida when she inherits her aunt’s old hotel. But she’s inherited a lot more—like a restless ghost. Billy was killed in the hotel decades ago, and he’s usually been a “nice” ghost, but lately, he’s been causing a lot of problems and it’s up to Amelia to find out who killed him and find his lost love.

While there, she finds good friends who are so much better than the acquaintances she had in California and discovers her latent abilities as a psychic, like many of the other residents of the small town. But the best part for me was when her new best friend took her to the special cemetery where every tombstone has a recipe carved into the back of it! I loved that. Add in the hot college professor and her huge cat and you have all the makings of a great series.

Recommended.

Fiction, Cozy Mystery

3***

Blurb: A pile of money. A mystifying law firm. A dead best friend. Can Libby figure out what the mob is really doing in Black Ridge Cove before Grammie ends up in jail, or worse?Libby follows in her Gramps’ footsteps by re-opening the town paper, The Cove Post. But before she can get a staff together, Grammie becomes the lead story! Dastardly Deeds and Possible Parricide is the second book in the paranormal Libby Foster Cozy Mystery series. If you are a fan of whodunits, paranormal amateur sleuths, and charming – albeit secretive – small towns, then you will love this cozy mystery by Ana Bisset.

Thoughts: his was a good story with good characters.
BUT… very badly edited. There are tense issues – past and present – sometimes in the same paragraph. There are grammatical issues – capitalization, wrong word choice, etc. And the cap for me was that there were way too many threads left hanging. Yes, this particular murder got solved, but there were still too many questions at the end. I know that is a marketing ploy to get you to buy more books to find the answers, but it just irritates me. Still, I did find the story intriguing and loved the characters. I especially loved that the entire quilting guild showed up in jail to confess to the murder and spend the night. Though I knew who the villain was early on, and knew what the background reason was, I still enjoyed the twists and turns to get to the end.

So… recommended with the caveat of needing better editing.

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Danger Cove Series

4****

Blurb: Maura Monroe came to Danger Cove, Washington to forget the past and start over. Her newly-found spontaneous side thinks buying the Cinnamon Sugar Bakery is the perfect way to both indulge her passion for baking and gain a fresh start. But her practical, business-savvy side isn’t sure it’s the safest move—for her heart or her pocketbook! While her two sides duke it out, Maura decides to rent a short-term cottage to feel out the quaint little town. Only things are anything but quaint when her search for a temporary home uncovers a dead body instead of the perfect rental. And when fingers start to point at Maura’s handsome new landlord, she finds herself smack in the middle of a small town mystery. The more Maura digs, the more she realizes that secrets abound in this sleepy coastal burg…and someone is willing to kill to keep them buried. Can Maura get to the truth before the killer strikes again? Or will the next body in Danger Cove be hers?

Thoughts: Maura is looking for a new start. After her husband died, she decided she was done with the high stress sales job and fancy house and cars, so she sold them all, bought an older vehicle and drove around the country, finally landing in Danger Cove. The name of the town should have been her first clue. Finding a dead man in a house she was thinking of renting should have been the second.

But… she also finds a bakery for sale. And friends. And a hot guy who jump starts her heart. Although I would have been out of there faster than my car could have moved after all that happens to Maura, she stayed and pushed through. Good for her.

I love that even though these books are written by different authors sometimes, some of the same characters show up. Like police detective Lester Marshall. I really do not like him at all. But he is the perfect foil for our amateur sleuths. I also like that some of the same places show up so it’s like going back home.

These are great cozy mysteries that satisfy and always have good endings.

Recommended.

Blurb: This dramatic, fast-paced memoir traces a woman’s search for a story to explain sudden losses she experienced as a young child, including her sister’s cancer death, her father’s disappearance, and her overnight move away from home, events that fractured her relationship with her mother and thrust her into a life-long pattern of abandonment and loss. Juggling professional success with unresolved grief, she follows a career path as a writer, journalist, professor, and spiritual director, traveling from West Texas to the plains of Spain, the forests of Pennsylvania, and the Alps in southern France trying to find a mysterious tale carried for generations in her family. Resisting the pull to either condemn or quickly forgive those who hurt her and avoiding the temptation to fall into the trap of spiritual bypassing, she chooses, instead, to follow the story’s call across thresholds of time and space, where she discovers a family legacy that illuminates the lives of all the women in her family. A universal story that speaks into the often-troubled relationship between mothers and daughters. Blending ancestral storytelling with spirituality and mystery, this is a memoir that will inspire the reader to believe in the power of story to transform the storyteller into a story carrier, where the magic of healing can begin.

Amazon

 BIOGRAPHY: Jane Hollinger Clark is a retired college teacher of composition, literature, and journalism, who worked for a major northeastern university and a small, private liberal arts college. She was employed as a site director for the National Writing Project in Berkeley, CA, to administer the Capital Area Writing Project at Penn State University, Harrisburg. Before entering academia, she spent years chasing legislative stories as a journalist for the Associated Press and Radio Pennsylvania. She now devotes her time to facilitating writing workshops aimed at leading others to discover the stories they carry, as well as traveling and gardening with her husband in their home near the Appalachian Forest in Pennsylvania. 

 social media links include:

Story Carriers: The Movement  (website)

(2) Facebook

Instagram

Join the Story Carrier Community (mailchi.mp)  (My Newsletter, Story Carrier)

(3) Story Carrier, The Movement (substack.com) (My Substack Page)

National Writing Project | Writers Council (nwp.org) (Writer’s Council, NWP)

janeclarkauthor@gmail.com