THE AMULET’S EMBRACE by Sorcha Everhart

Fiction, Romance, Fantasy, Level 4 Heat,

5 *****

Blurb: Magic, secrets, and the allure of the forbidden collide…

Lone wolf shifter Alixandre Rawley earns his living as a bounty hunter in the bustling city of Sageport. His solitary life is disrupted when a wealthy high fae male offers a job for twice his normal rate. Yet Alix’s deep distrust for all high fae makes him hesitate. Half-fae Ellia Meadows moved to Sageport to break from her past and seek independence in a society that believes women should wed. Her calm life spirals into chaos when her half-brother threatens to expose her darkest secrets and demands the powerful amulet her father left her. When Ellia decides to hire Alix for protection, a magnetic attraction sparks between them, testing their self-imposed boundaries. As they navigate threats from the dangerous underbelly of the city, the line between duty and desire blurs. Can Alix save Ellia and fight his deep-rooted prejudices against the fae? Can Ellia trust Alix, without giving up her hard-won independence? The Amulet’s Embrace is a slow burn, cozy fantasy romance with spice. If you like hunky bodyguards and grumpy-sunshine romance in a gaslamp fantasy realm with cobblestone streets, horse carriages, and magic, you’ll love this first book in the Sageport Series. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone romance, but it’s best to read them in order for maximum enjoyment. Steamy but not dark.

Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story. Ellia is a half-fey/half-human woman born in a brothel. Because of her lineage, she’s not accepted by the fey, so she disguises her elf ears and moves to a city, acting as a human apothecary. She becomes popular for her healing remedies, which is how her half-brother elf finds her—through a wolf-shifter PI, Alix. The story is full of betrayal, love, family ties, and acceptance. 
Note: there are several very hot scenes in the story. 
Recommended.

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PIECES OF BLUE by Liz Flaherty

Fiction, Romance, Suspense

5+*****

Blurb: Self-imposed loner, Maggie North, has worked for bestselling author Trilby Winterroad her entire adult life, starting as simply his assistant and ending up as his ghost writer. Through ups and downs–including a divorce from an abusive husband–he has been the one person on whom she could always rely. So when Trilby dies suddenly, Maggie finds herself adrift, not sure what she’ll do or where she belongs in the world any longer. And the confusion continues when she discovers he’s not only left her his beloved dachshund, Chloe, but a house she knew nothing about, on a lake she’s never heard of. It only takes one visit for Maggie to fall in love with both the house and the small lakeside community. The longer she’s there, the safer she feels and the more her life begins to expand…as do her feelings toward her friend and Trilby’s attorney, Sam Eldridge. But is she really safe? Or are the glistening pieces of her new life about to shatter as an old danger returns?

Thoughts: This story really spoke to me. The main character, Maggie, was a ghostwriter/assistant for a famous writer. When he died, she was surprised to discover he’d left her a house along a lake, in the middle of nowhere. She’s always been a city girl (Muskegon, MI), but this small-town vibe pulls her in. She intends to stay only a couple of days, but it stretches into more as she develops friendships, and a love for the house and all its quirkiness. Unfortunately, there’s a dark spot in her life. Her ex – a violent abuser who broke both her hands – is getting out of jail. And coming after her. But Maggie’s friends—both new and old—rally around her and bolster her.

I loved Maggie and Sam. I especially loved the old house that went every which way. And the bits of blue that showed up everywhere. There was so much to love about this story. The author made me laugh, cry, cringe… It’s a story about friendship, love, second chances, and yes, a bit of suspense. But mostly, it’s about finding yourself at a later point in your life. About what to do when you’re not sure what you want. Maggie is at that point. And this story is about her.

Highly recommended.

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 MANDYLION by Joe Giordano

Fiction, Anthology, Suspense, 

4****

Blurb: After two-thousand years, the Mandylion, a priceless, lost ancient image of Jesus, has resurfaced. To authenticate and secure the piece, Anthony Provati and his sister Valentina Esposito are lured to Paris, France by Sophia, Anthony’s notorious ex-lover.  Upon arrival, they’re plunged into a murderous pursuit for the icon threatened by Russian spies and Arab terrorists who also seek the art. Readers will identify with Anthony and Valentina, both unlikely heroes, thrust into extraordinary circumstances. Anthony is a jazz pianist, an art gallery owner, and sailor. His half-sister Valentina was abandoned to an orphanage as an infant but has rewritten her destiny by becoming a brilliant computer programmer. The collection includes five Detective Bragg mysteries. A gold shield homicide detective out of Brooklyn South, Bragg tackles a set of tangled murder cases that sometimes frustrate his sense of justice. The final two short stories in the collection draw the reader into the speculative realm.

Thoughts: This is a series of short stories, some of them connected, some not. The ones that are connected by characters are also connected to the Anthony Provati Thriller series of books by Mr. Giordano. Then there are several stories about Detective Bragg. The last two stories are not connected to the previous ones or to each other and ad the touch of the paranormal. All the stories are intriguing and have interesting endings. They are short so you can read one on your lunch break, or do like I did and read them all at once. 

Recommendation: For short, interesting reads, pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed.

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”

Today is both National “Hole in my Bucket” Day and Creativity Day. Do you know the old song “There’s a hole in my bucket…”? It’s been around since the 1700s and is about a man named Henry who seems to be a few marbles short of a full bag. He has a leaky bucket and asks his wife, Liza, for advice on how to fix it. They go through an entire conversation about what he should do ending up back at the beginning since he needs water to fix everything, but there’s a hole in his bucket. (Lyrics below)

So, put on your creative hats and come up with ways for Henry to fix his bucket, or what he can do with a leaky bucket. Got any ideas?

There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,
There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza,
There’s a hole.

Then fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then fix it dear Henry, dear Henry, fix it.

With what should I fix it, dear Liza, dear Liza,
With what should I fix it, dear Liza, with what?

With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With a straw, dear Henry, dear Henry, with a straw.

But the straw is too long, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The straw is too long, dear Liza, too long.

Then cut it dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then cut it dear Henry, dear Henry, cut it!

With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, dear Liza,
With what shall I cut it, dear Liza, with what?

With an ax, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With an ax, dear Henry, an ax.

But the ax is too dull, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The ax is too dull, dear Liza, too dull.

Then, sharpen it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then sharpen it dear Henry, dear Henry, sharpen it!

With what should I sharpen it, dear Liza, dear Liza,
With what should I sharpen, dear Liza, with what?

With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With a stone, dear Henry, dear Henry, a stone.

But the stone is too dry, dear Liza, dear Liza,
The stone is too dry, dear Liza, too dry.

Then wet it, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
Then wet it dear Henry, dear Henry, wet it.

With what should I wet it, dear Liza, dear Liza,
With what should I wet it, dear Liza, with what?

With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
With water, dear Henry, dear Henry, with water.

But how shall I get it?, dear Liza, dear Liza,
But how shall I get it?, dear Liza, with what?

In the bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, dear Henry,
In the bucket, dear Henry, dear Henry, in the bucket!

But there’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, dear Liza,
There’s a hole in the bucket, dear Liza, a hole.
There’s a hole.

MIXING UP MURDER by Emmie Lyn

Fiction, Cozy Mystery, 192 pages

5*****

This was a fun beginning to a new series set on the coast of Maine. Dani runs a small diner (Small Dog Diner) with her best friend, Lily. After attending a fake funeral for Lily’s soon-to-be ex-husband—who then ends up dead for real in Dani’s diner, Dani turns sleuth in order to find out who really killed him.

This was a cute story with great characters, but the best character was Pip, the dead man’s Jack Russell terrier who Dani adopts. Pip is a real…pip. I also loved the descriptions of the view from Lily’s grandmother’s place. The chill fog, the seagulls, the sound of the ocean… all added to a well-written cozy mystery.

Recommended

Murder wasn’t supposed to be on the menu at the Little Dog Diner, but that’s exactly what we got served anyway. Hi, I’m Dani Mackenzie and I’m the unfortunate soul who owns said diner. Looks like business is going to be slow for a little while as the whole town scrambles to find whodunnit. At first I just needed something to keep me busy while on my forced vacation, but now as the clues stack up, I’m caught in the middle of this crazy mixed-up murder. And I’ll do anything to get to the bottom of what really happened and why it happened in my kitchen. Too bad the only known witness to the crime is the victim’s terrier, Pip, and no one believes she bludgeoned her owner to death. But if not her… then who? And, perhaps more importantly, who’s next?

These are just some of my favorite books for writers (the first 20). I hope you’ll check some of them out:

1. Elements of Style by Strunk & White
2. Chicago Manual of Style
3. Merriam Webster’s Dictionary
4. Roget’s Thesaurus
5. 45 Master Characters by Victoria Lynn Schmidt
6. The Writer’s Digest Character-Naming Sourcebook by Sherrilyn Kenyon
7. The Complete Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen master Archetypes by Tami Cowden, et al.
8. The Elephants of Style by Bill Walsh
9. Save the Cat! Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody
10. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler
11. GMC: Goal, Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon
12. The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman
13. Dear Writer, Are You in Burn out? by Becca Syme
14. Take Joy by Jane Yolen
15. Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
16. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron
17. Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg
18. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
19. Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynn Truss
20. The Deluxe Transitive Vampire: The Ultimate Handbook of Grammar for the Innocent, the Eager, and the Doomed by Karen Elizabeth Gordon