Monthly Archives: December 2020

Wednesday Briefs: December 30, 2020

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

Super Trooper #49 (11.4) by Julie Lynn Hayes

The first couple of weeks after becoming a family was spent in adjusting to the new situation. Some adjustments were easier than others, Evan found. He and Chan had had their own routines, but these were gone now, naturally. Although some things were similar, such as meals. They still shared the cooking duties, although Chan was by far the better chef. An opinion which was born out by his siblings, who seemed less than enthusiastic when Evan cooked. In all fairness, Evan had done little cooking for himself prior to meeting Chan, other than grilling when the mood hit him. Even so, he was trying to please their palates, just not succeeding very well.

Chan and Evan didn’t work the same hours.

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Book Review: Bleach, Vol 27 by Tite Kubo

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Bleach, Vol 27         

Author: Tite Kubo

Publisher: Viz Media

American release date: June 2, 2009

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Manga/Supernatural/200 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Ulquiorra has taken Orihime hostage, capture while she is being escorted back to the World of the Living. Warning her that resistance is futile, he allows her to go to Kakura Town to say good-bye to one person, without being seen, and then she is to report to Hueco Mundo. Orihime agrees, rather than see anyone get hurt. And of course the one person she chooses to say good-bye to is Ichigo.

Meanwhile, the battle between the Soul Reapers and the Arrancars continues, following the arrival of Uruhara. Yammy thinks he’s killed Kiskue but the shop owner is a lot tougher than he’s given him credit for. And he’s a quick study. Fool me once, shame on you… but Kiskue won’t be fooled again.

Ichigo, along with Rukia,  is battling Grimmjow, and things aren’t going particularly well when Dutch Boy (Shinji) shows up, and he isn’t anything Grimmjow has ever seen before. And neither will he explain himself to the Arrancar, which infuriates him. But just as Dutch Boy lashes out with a Cero of his own, and it seems as if the tide has turned in their favor, the call comes to the Arrancars that the battle is and they are to return. Obviously a sign that their objective has been attained, ie the capture of Orihime, although the others don’t know that yet.

An exhausted Ichigo is taken home to recuperate and is totally unaware of Orihime’s arrival and her heartfelt good-bye in the middle of the night. But when Hitsugaya arrives the next morning and detects her spiritual pressure, that knowledge seems to change everything. Now the Soul Reapers will do nothing to assist in her rescue, claiming that she has joined Aizen et al of her own accord and is therefore a traitor. Rukia and the other Soul Reapers are ordered back to Soul Society immediately and the Captain General forbids Ichigo to help Orihime either, claiming he needs him for more important thing.

Like Ichigo’s going to listen to the old man when Orihime’s life is in danger.

Before he heads off to Hueco Mundo, Ichigo briefly returns to school and cuts ties with his friends for their own protection, then heads to the shop, suspecting Kiskue can help him get to Hueco Mundo. But rather than play Lone Ranger, it seems that Ichigo will have a couple of companions, who have been waiting for him to turn up. And they are not the only ones keeping Ichigo on their radar.

An interesting turn of events with the capture of Orihime. Now we finally understand just why Uruhara wanted to keep her from the battle, and it has nothing to do with her abilities or lack of, but it was done for her protection, knowing she will become a target of Aizen. See how well that worked out. Now is the time to find out what this seemingly fragile, mind-mannered, sweet young girl is truly made of. In order to survive Aizen and his cohorts in Hueco Mundo, it had best be something really strong.  Also interesting is her admission of her feelings when saying farewell to Ichigo.

Perhaps losing the support of the Soul Reapers – at least for now – was for the best, because that’s what is allowing Uryu to come along, providing the loophole in his agreement with his father which helped him regain his Quincy powers. But it seems that dear old Dad is not surprised, as even Isshin can tell.

In this volume, we get a little more of a glimpse into Kiskue as more than a comic relief character who happens to own a shop in the World of the Living.  Did you really think that was his only purpose? No, that man has a lot more to him, and a lot more we have to learn about him. You just don’t become a supplier to the Soul Reapers without having some sort of inside knowledge… maybe friends in high places?

The first arc of Bleach involved the saving of Rukia, and now on to the saving of Orihime. Not coincidentally, both rescues involve Aizen, the renegade Soul Reaper, who no longer has any redeeming values. That man is just bad to the bone. And more than a little egomaniacal and crazy. No telling what that kind of crazy will do, as it tends to want everything.

Another good volume of Bleach, setting the stage for what is coming, namely battle with Aizen and pals on their own turf. That can’t be good, surely, especially when he was so many bad things at his disposal. So what is his long-term agenda?  Well, he still has the Hogyoku, waiting for it to come to fruition. What’s he plan to do with it? Hard to say.

Can’t wait for the next volume.

Wednesday Briefs: December 23, 2020

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.
First Snow by Cia Nordwell

Miguel peered out the window into the darkness. It was rain mixed with slush. The edges of the window were rimed with frost, and he shouldn’t want it to snow, but he did. He had to go back to job hunting in the morning, and his coat wasn’t thick enough to keep out the cold, but could it be worse than the rain? It was still damp from his futile all day trek yesterday, even though he’d left it draped over the vent.

Maybe he should have stayed in Florida, where everything was familiar, where the weather didn’t make his

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Book Review: Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

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Heart-Shaped Box     

Author: Joe Hill

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

American release date:  January 1, 2009

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/Ghost Fiction/400 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Jude Coyne, at the age of fifty-four, isn’t exactly in his prime. Not so much as the number of his years but the way he’s spent them. Jude is, or was, a hard-living death-metal rocker who likes to live life on the edge.  But he hasn’t made any new music for a while, not since most of his band have died. Doesn’t mean he’s changed his ways. He’s living in a farmhouse with a young girl thirty years his junior, who he calls Georgia. Not because that’s her name but because that’s where she’s from. He’s always called his girls by their states of origin, rather than bothering to learn their real names.  That’s just how Jude is.

Jude has a taste for the macabre, and possesses rather an esoteric collection of strange items, including a cookbook for cannibals, a used hangman’s noose, and a snuff film. So when he receives an invitation to purchase something strange and unusual, he decides to give the item a look. Imagine his surprise to discover a ghost for sale on a wannabe ebay site? How can he resist? He doesn’t, and makes a snap judgment to buy it now, so no one else can purchase it. The ghost arrives in the form of a suit, packed in a heart-shaped box. And now the fun begins.

When Jude receives the suit, his life changes forever. He will have to deal with his past in order to survive the present… or he may have no future.

This is not my first Joe Hill rodeo. He’s a really good writer, reminiscent of Stephen King. Not surprising, considering that’s his father. But that isn’t to say he’s an imitation of his father, because he isn’t. Far from it. Joe Hill knows how to tell a good story, and he tells it well. He can even take an outwardly unlikeable character like Jude Coyne and layer him in such a way that by the end of the book, you like him and are rooting for him. He draws on a vast knowledge of humankind and creates some memorable characters, including the ghost. He doesn’t sugarcoat his characters, and shows them with all their blemishes and flaws.

This book is a real page-turner, as you just can’t imagine what is going to happen, or what’s waiting up ahead on the road, and you’re really excited to find out what’s there. If you like ghost stories, you’ll love this one. Going to find more of his books and read them.

Wednesday Briefs: December 16, 2020

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

Mates Come First: Chapter 4A by Carol Pedroso

Mica threw things into his suitcase and listened to the ringtone on his phone. He’d hit the speaker and flung it on the bed so he could get packed as quickly as possible.

“Mica, what’s happening. Did you find out what was going on with Owen?”

“Oh, I found out what was going on all right,” Mica growled. Owen had gone over every part of his time at the coven school. By the end, Mica had had to pay for an entirely new table. The scorch marks and chips were too bad to be covered up.

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Wednesday Briefs: December 9, 2020

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

 

Super Trooper #46 (11.1) by Julie Lynn Hayes

 

True to his word, Chan kept Laksha and Kamal out of school for two days. But he did make sure they received their homework assignments, and apprised the school that he was their guardian now. The lady he spoke to in the office was very nice and very sympathetic, and told him she would let their teachers know. He gave her his contact information, and Evan’s as well. Better safe than sorry.

Mandy wasn’t available to babysit Madhu full time, Chan learned to his chagrin. But luckily, she told him her mother Denise was. Chan didn’t want to impose on her, and told Mandy he would find someone. But mere minutes after he hung up, a knock came at the door and there was Denise. She was in her early forties, with red and blue highlights

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Book Review: How to Catch a Queen: Runaway Royals #1 by Alyssa Cole

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How to Catch a Queen: Runaway Royals #1   

Authors: Alyssa Cole

Publisher: Avon

American release date: December 1, 2020

Format/Genre/Length: Kindle/Multicultural Romance/384 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer: Julie Lynn Hayes

Shanti has wanted to be a queen for all of her life. That has been her goal, and to attain that end she has worked very hard, enlisting the aid of her parents in the realization of her dream, and registering with the matchmaking site RoyalMatch.com. But the road she has chosen to travel is not an easy one, and many have scoffed at her for their perceptions of what they consider a foolish fantasy. But Shanti is nothing if not stubborn, and refuses to allow herself to be derailed from her journey. Her reasons for wanting to become a queen are clear to her, even if not to everyone else—she wants to make a difference, to be a force for good, to wield royal power in a helpful way. Her desires have nothing to do with money or glory… or even a king.

Prince Sanyu is the heir to the throne of the kingdom of Nyaza. His father, Sanyu I, helped to reinstate the monarchy after driving out the Liechtienbourger colonizers, with the aid of his chief adviser and closest friend, Musoke. But that was a long time ago, and things are not going well. The king and his adviser have proven resistant to change, keeping their country mired in the traditions of the past, and refusing to entertain ideas concerning progress, or alliances with other countries. The trouble is that the king is dying, and soon Sanyu will sit upon the throne, and the very thought terrifies him. But even more troubling is that they have decided he needs to marry first. Marriages in Nyaza are different than in other places. Each time the king marries, there is a four month trial period, during which it is decided whether his wife is the True Queen or not. If not, then at the end of the trial period, she leaves and the process begins again. Sanyu has lost count of how many queens have come and gone, including his own mother, of whom he has no memories. And now they have chosen a wife for him from an online site? How can that end well?

Shanti is excited to have been chosen as the wife of the prince of Nyaza, even though relations between Nyaza and her home of Thesolo aren’t necessarily the best. She is determined to be the best queen ever. What does it matter that once she meets Sanyu, despite his less than warm attitude, she finds him desirable? That is immaterial. And it quickly becomes problematic, as he makes no move to get to know her. Shanti quickly learns there is a reason why there have been so many queens, and no True Queen. She is practically invisible inside her own home, unseen and unheard. How can she make a difference when no one listens to her? Maybe if she can put her finger on the pulse of the people… When she discovers the group Nyaza Rise Up, she rejoices to be able to offer them some of her great organizational and research skills. But is she secretly plotting with people to wish to harm her kingdom? How can that possibly endear her to her husband… or is that a lost cause anyway?

How to Catch a Queen is the first book in Alyssa Cole’s Runaway Royals series. It’s also related to the Reluctant Royals series, so look for some familiar characters. I have to admit that I loved this book from the start and devoured it in record time. Shanti is an amazing woman, strong, beautiful, intelligent, and with a mind and will of her own. What’s not to like? Sanyu had to grow on me because he appeared to be so weak and there were times I just wanted to shake him. But the nice thing about Alyssa Cole is that she makes her characters real. Even good people have weaknesses and faults, and those perceived as bad aren’t necessarily bad but misguided and simply human.

After Shanti, I loved Kenyatta, her guardswoman, who is strong and brave and not afraid to put a man in his place, even if he is a king. I hope she gets her own love story someday. I loved seeing some of the people I grew to love from the first series, especially Prince Johann, who has a special place in my heart.

This is a romance, without a doubt, but it’s also about friendship and family, and about standing up for what is right, and wielding the power you have to help those in your community, as well as the rest of the world. Everything just resonated with me. And I confess that no one makes me cry quite like Alyssa Cole does, tears of happiness and joy, and the satisfaction of having finished an extraordinarily good read.

Is anyone surprised that I’ve pre-ordered the second book in the series, which comes out next May? Once you read this one, I know you will too.

Book Review: Mexican Gothic by SIlvia Moreno-Garcia

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Mexican Gothic   

Author: Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Publisher: Del Rey

American release date:  June 30, 2020

Format/Genre/Length: Hardback/Gothic/Historical Fantasy/320 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Reviewer:  Julie Lynn Hayes

Noemi is a pretty girl who likes to party and to socialize, happy to show off her extensive wardrobe of beautiful clothes. She’s attracted many suitors, but isn’t serious about any of them, including her latest, Hugo Duarte. She’s as fickle with her studies, having changed majors a few times, unsure what she wants to do. But when her father requests that she check on her recently wed cousin, Catalina, after receiving a disturbing letter from her, she reluctantly agrees to go. Catalina’s marriage was both shockingly sudden and secretive, and no one has even met the groom, Virgil Doyle. And now Catalina appears to be in distress, so what else can Noemi do?

Noemi travels by train to the home of her cousin and her new family. Known as High Place, it’s in a remote location, far from Mexico City. The house is huge, and at one time perhaps elegant, but now it is dark and forbidding and decaying. Besides Catalina and her husband, the other residents of the house are Virgil’s father, Howard Doyle, and Virgil’s aunt, Florence and her son, Francis.

Florence is buttoned-up and strict, and doesn’t hesitate to spell out the rules to Noemi, many of which seem ridiculous. No hot baths, only cold? No smoking? No using the car or leaving the house without permission or alone? Limited access to Catalina, who apparently sleeps a lot – doctor’s orders.  Is this a home or a prison?

Noemi tries to make sense of what is happening with Catalina, and thinks she may need psychiatric assistance. Not to mention a different physician, or at least a second opinion. The things her cousin says about the walls talking to her, and seeing things… this could be serious, beyond the ken of the family doctor, whom she doesn’t trust.

The house is dark and gloomy, a condition exacerbated by a dearth of light bulbs. But the inhabitants seem not to notice. The only person Noemi feels able to talk to, outside of Catalina, is Francis. But he’s so pale and weak, especially when compared to Catalina’s husband, Virgil, who is exceptionally good-looking. But there is something about Virgil that isn’t quite right either.

Can Noemi solve the mystery of High Place… or will it claim her and Catalina both?

Set in 1950 Mexico, this tale is both original and familiar. It kept me constantly guessing from beginning to end, wondering what was going on in this horrible place. And in the end, I wasn’t even close. Noemi might be a somewhat entitled heroine, and far from perfect, but she is engaging, and has spirit enough to match any traditional gothic heroine. I liked her as much as I disliked most of the inhabitants of High Place.

I will definitely have to read more of this author’s works, this is an amazing novel. I kept thinking it would make a great movie or series, and then I read that it is in development as a Hulu series, so keep your eye out for that. I know I will!

This is a must-read for those who love gothic novels and horror stories and appreciate twists. A definite page-turner.

Wednesday Briefs: December 2, 2020

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Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the link after the snippet to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

Ancalagon: Chapter Sixteen by Cia Nordwell
 

I was tempted to irk Garjah by testing the material around Bouncer’s feet. It was molded to his feet like a second skin. I’d seen the same thing holding liquid in the front of the hold, and it was flexible. I had to assume it was to prevent any of the poison they said was in his claws from coming out. Or did he inject it. The curiosity almost made me pick up his front leg and press on the pad, but Garjah’s hovering prevented it.  

Besides, what if his claws punctured it. I tilted my head… but then what

 

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