Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 187
April 30, 2022
Review: HOT WIFE’S TEACHER CONFERENCE by Reed James (Book 5)
A fun romp with your daughter’s teacher. Hey, can’t help it if he’s a hot teacher. It’s even more fun when your husband is waiting right outside. Another fun read!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: HOT WIFE’S EXIBITIONIST FUN by Reed James (Book 4)
Hot sex with a hot billionaire. Mmm…This time it’s with the husband actually watching unaware. Very naughty and fun!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: HOT WIFE FISHES UP A STUD by Reed James (Book 6)
Another sexy quickie, but not as good as the previous ones. This one takes longer and it’s not as enticing. Just okay.
Rating: 3 stars
Review: THE ULTIMATE EROTIC SHORT STORY COLLECTION VOL 50
That whole monologue about the gray, old woman and her stinky tuna—what was the point of all that? Although it had a confusing start, it did open up to the story of a woman about to embark on a dull and unsatisfying marriage. I enjoyed the witty and candid narrative in this one.
“There were many things I know I would have to compromise on when I agreed to marry Aaron. I would have to be married in a church, one that I held no real belief in. I had to accept that God now watched over me like some kind of bipolar Santa Claus, who saw me when I was sleeping, knew when I was awake and drinking with friends.”
Then she meets a grieving father at the cemetery and develops some kind of sorrowful connection. The love scene they shared was beautiful. A lesson of not wasting all your bright colors. Now I get the story of the gray, old woman. The best story in this collection!
A womanizer is taught a very hard lesson as she shows him the error of his ways. A fine lesson learned…or was it? Another good one!
A used-up virgin gets reborn with one of her clients, who shows her a thing or two about pleasure.
These stories didn’t just have hot sex, but they also had ironic twists. They were actually stories in them. Some good reads here. Of course, not all of them were, but most of them.
Rating: 4 stars
Review: ORDERING A DATE by Scarlett Woods
Nicole was “a frumpy, curvy cashier at a carpentry store.” Dumped, heartbroken, and alone. She needed a wedding date to show her ex she was over him. Time to order a date!
Then she meets the sexy IT guy and has an amazing first night with him. But can she truly give herself—emotionally—to him? And what happens when he’s no longer pretending?
A short and sexy read!
Rating: 4 stars
Review: MAKE ME FORGET by Kennedy Fox
Vada is a romance novelist that flies off to an AirBnB for solitude and got get some work done. When she arrives at the guest house, she doesn’t get the best welcome from the country owner, whose smug and egotistical attitude was enough to have her fuming. But she wasn’t going to let him ruin this trip for her. She had to get this next romance book done, however, due to her own pathetic love life, writing sex scenes was a great challenge.
For Ethan, the smart-mouth writer was driving him insane. And when he catches her pleasuring herself, he just lost it.
The diary narrative from each character can get a little long and trivial. It’s a nice romance that eventually develops, but the whole thing’s kind of slow, so it takes a while.
Overall, a decent read.
Rating: 3 stars
April 29, 2022
Blog Tour: BUBBLE TROUBLE by Alejandria Kate
Children’s Book
Date Published: April 6, 2022
This is the story of two adventurous bears, their protective mama, mischievous bubbles, and a magical witch. Ignoring their mother’s wishes, Boo and Butter stray down the path toward Granny Grumblewitch’s house into a world of bubble-brewed danger. Granny holds their fate in her gnarled hands . . . will they return to the safety of their cave?
Alejandria Kate wrote Bubble Trouble with the hope that Boo and Butter’s story shows children that truly loving parents mean only what is best for them . . . that any boundaries, warnings or admonishments are intended to protect, not to prevent them from having fun. Any deviation from the defined boundaries could result in unhappy consequences. Parents like Mama Bear know what is best, safest -- and love them above and beyond anything else.
Review: “Sometimes my brother’s love for bubbles creates big problems. I call them bubble troubles.”
See what trouble arises with a witch, a duck, and a bunch of laughing bubbles.
The illustrations are colorful and cute. The characters reminded me of the Berenstein Bears.
A short and simple tale with fun images.
Rating: 4 stars
About the Author
Alejandria Kate is a writer, author, and certified Mind, Body, Spirit Practitioner through the Sunlight Alliance Foundation. Alejandria is passionate about personal development and uplifting others.
She draws inspiration from the beauty - both large and small - that she observes in the world around her and from the quiet moments connected with Spirit and her own soul. She believes vulnerability is a strength and an open heart is a key to inner joy. She believes that through a shift in perspective beauty can be found within every experience.
Alejandria graduated from the Institute of Children's Literature, where she studied writing for children and young adults. In her spare time, she plays the Native American flute and hikes the walking trails in Southern California in her pursuit of viewing wildflowers and wild birds.
It is Alejandria's hope that readers feel comforted and inspired after reading her books.
She can be reached through her website, www.alejandriakate.com
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April 27, 2022
Book Blast: ELLA by Nancy Fraser
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nancy Fraser will be awarding a $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
To get away from her late husband’s questionable deeds, Ella Winslow takes her three children and heads west to the unsettled Washington Territory to claim land she believes she’s inherited from her father.
Tucker McAlister was fired from his position as deputy marshal for arresting the mayor’s brother-in-law for spousal abuse. His mentor has found him another job, first escorting the wagon train going west, and then as the new marshal in the growing town of Tacoma, Washington Territory.
The trail is long and hard, yet Ella is more than up to the task. Still, Tuck feels the need to watch over her and her children, whether she wants him to or not. It isn’t until they arrive in Washington that he realizes his protection will now need to extend even further than the wagon train itself.
Will Ella’s faith allow her to trust again and make a safe home for her family, while welcoming Tuck into her heart?
Read an Excerpt
U.S. Marshal’s Office
St. Joseph, Missouri
April 20, 1870
Tucker McAlister settled against the wooden railing opposite Willard Davis’ desk. The older man leaned back in his chair and raised his head. His faded brown gaze, gray hair shot through with strands of white, and grizzled beard easily gave away his age. Not to mention the wear and tear thirty-odd years of being a lawman had put on his body.
Tuck held his breath. This was it. Davis was about to announce his retirement, leaving the job of marshal open for the taking. Given Tuck was the deputy with the most experience, he figured he was a shoe-in for the job.
Unfortunately, he’d figured wrong.
“The mayor wasn’t pleased with you arresting his brother-in-law,” Davis said, his narrowed stare aimed in Tuck’s direction. “No doubt with all the high-priced solicitors making their way into town, the whole fiasco is going to be thrown out of court like so much dirty bathwater.”
“He’s guilty as sin, and you know it.”
“I know it, you know it, and—no doubt—the mayor knows it. This isn’t the brother-in-law’s first brush with the law. However, the reprobate claims his wife provoked him.”
“There’s no cause for a man to strike a woman, especially one with child. It’s assault.”
“She’s his wife,” Davis pointed out.
Tuck could feel the flush of anger staining his throat, his face. “That still doesn't give him the right.”
“And the man’s lawyers are claiming you didn’t have the right to give him a black eye and broken wrist.”
“He charged at me when I put myself between him and his missus. I was defending myself when I punched him in the eye. As for his wrist, he did that himself when he swung and missed. I can’t help it if I was standing in front of a brick wall when I ducked.”
Davis snorted a laugh before continuing. “I agree with everything you’ve said, Tuck. You’re my best deputy—the one man I’d trust to take over for me when I retire—and I know you were only protecting the woman.” Heaving a sigh, he added, “However, the mayor’s demanding I fire you. Right here. Right now.”
“No, you can’t do that,” Tuck argued. “I’ll appeal to the state marshal’s office. Surely, they’ll have my back.”
“Their hands are tied. The governor supports the mayor’s request.”
“I was only doing my job, boss.”
“I know, and it’s not fair. I told ‘em so, too.”
“What am I supposed to do? Keeping the law is all I’ve known since I came here eight years ago.”
“You should’ve already been promoted and posted somewhere within the state, Tuck. Hanging around here out of loyalty to an old coot like me hasn’t done you any good.”
“It wasn’t as much loyalty as it was gratitude. You gave an inexperienced, bitter young man a job, a purpose. I owe you everything.”
“What you owe me is to accept the favor I’ve called in from an old friend.”
“A favor? What kind of favor?”
“I got you a job escorting a wagon train headed to Oregon and then on to the Washington Territory. You leave in two-day’s time. Once you get to Yakima, you’ll need to send a telegram to Marshal Burt Macklin in Olympia.”
“They’ve got a job for me in Olympia?”
“Not there, but the territory’s expanding rapidly. They need a marshal in Tacoma who can cover the town, and the surrounding county. Macklin will meet you in Tacoma to swear you in. Then, as soon as you’re settled, you’ll be able to hire yourself a deputy or two.”
“You told them about me?” Tuck asked.
“I told Burt you were the best deputy I’ve ever trained, and darned near the best shot I ever saw. That was all he needed to hear.”
“Does he know I’ve been fired?”
Willard Davis shrugged. “Probably not. I didn’t see any reason to bring it up.”
About the Author:
Nancy Fraser is a best-selling and award-winning author who happily jumps across multiple romance genres with gleeful abandon.She's also the granddaughter of a Methodist minister known for his fire-and-brimstone approach to his faith. Nancy has brought some of his spirit into her Christian romances. And, her own off-beat sense of humor to her clean & wholesome books.
When not writing (which is almost never), Nancy dotes on her five wonderful grandchildren and looks forward to traveling and reading when time permits. Nancy lives in Atlantic Canada where she enjoys the relaxed pace and colorful people.
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April 26, 2022
Blog Tour: THE MERMAID AND THE UNICORNS by L.T. Getty
The Mermaid and the Unicorns
by L.T. Getty
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GENRE: Middle Grade Fantasy Adventure
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BLURB:
Daphne’s a typical mermaid, and at least according to her, that’s a problem. She’s courageous and has a beautiful singing voice, but lacks the power of an elemental, the ability to command water with the sound of her voice. Jealous of her best friend, she makes a deal with a sea-witch, only to be betrayed, in place of her beautiful tail and flukes Daphne’s left beached with a pair of human legs. The spell keeping Daphne looking human will become permanent, unless Daphne can hunt down and bring the scheming Lorelei a unicorn horn before the next full moon.
Unable to reach her friends and family for help, Daphne doesn’t know how to walk, much less where to find a unicorn or how to catch one. Even if she’s successful, Daphne’s still not sure if she can trust Lorelei and her pint-sized kraken to keep their end of the bargain and let her return to the sea.
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NOTE: The book will be $0.99 during the tour.
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Excerpt One:
Echor explored a small rocky cave before he chattered. I saw a fish I'd never seen before. He was orange and white!
"You'll see lots as you travel from place to place," Daphne told the small dolphin. "Come, your mother won't forgive me if I let you roam from the pod."
Why hurry? Echor asked as he swam, spinning around different plants and sponges that grew along the rocks, before focusing in on a vibrant snail. It was not a very old reef, though it was well inhabited by many vividly-colored, small fish. The young dolphin seemed to take pleasure in disturbing them and watching them scurry into their small hiding crevices and among the anemones. You're so lucky that you get to stay in your town all the time. This part of the sea is so beautiful!
"I think it would be neat to see so much of the ocean," Daphne said, thinking of her small town of Thranda. Unlike the dolphins, who often travelled long distances in a single day, most merfolk lived in towns unless they left their communities to hunt or travel to another community. She had known members of his family since she was a little mermaid, and only got to see them a few times a year when they passed through her home to feed in a nearby bay. She heard a series of warnings behind her—the other dolphins had detected something with their echolocation. Unless it was something exceptionally large, they should have been safe within the pod, but Echor was very young. "Echor, let's return to your family." The young dolphin had wandered off while Daphne had turned her head, chasing a seal that had left her bob, trying to swim away from Echor.
"Echor!" Daphne called, swimming after him. She caught up to him, then looked over her shoulder as she heard a familiar sound. An orca! Daphne suppressed a shudder. It was large, but far enough away for her to find a hiding space. Still, killer whales almost always travelled in groups. The killer whale dove when he spotted her. She knew the others would want to help, but they were no match for an orca. He swam quickly towards her and Echor. Daphne knew she would be hard pressed to out-swim the large creature.
Hide! the orca told her.
Daphne then saw the immense shadow and wooden keel of a ship following the orca. The killer whale dove deep, though the water was too clear and shallow to truly hide his massive form. A harpoon followed him, missed, and was quickly pulled back to the surface by a rope. Another harpoon plunged into the water, and then another. The rough waters churned green and grey in the ship's wake, and Echor's warning chatter only told her that there was another human vessel. It came from Daphne's left, and it dragged a net behind it.
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Review: Daphne was a mermaid that thought she had the best voice. She was a fish with no powers and jealous of the friend that got all the attention from her power. So, Daphne goes to the sea witch and drinks a potion that turns her into a human. What a horrible thing to be human!
The witch promised to give her back her tail if Daphne retrieved the horn of a unicorn. She had 30 days to do it…or the spell would become permanent. Interesting dilemma.
Story had an easy narrative that’s quite engaging overall. It takes a while for the whole thing to get going as Daphne adjusts to her new body and the habits of humans. Then it becomes a long journey to find a unicorn. There are some colorful characters along the way along with some complex details. It was kind of long and slow at times, but it picked up more as we moved toward an epic battle with the sea witch.
Full of magic, fantasy elements, and, of course, sea creatures, this was a fairly good read.
Rating: 3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
L.T. Getty is a rural paramedic from Manitoba. She enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy and generally being creative.
Amazon (American)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09F2MRB9N/
Amazon (Canadian)
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B09F2MRB9N/
Kobo
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/the-mermaid-and-the-unicorns
Goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60006465-the-mermaid-and-the-unicorns
Barnes and Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-mermaid-and-the-unicorns-lt-getty/1140115966
Author Links:
My Blog
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GIVEAWAY:
L.T. Getty will be awarding a $50 GC to your favorite online venue to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveawayApril 25, 2022
Book Blast: DAUGHTER OF LORE by Eileen Dreyer
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Eileen Dreyer will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
He doesn’t believe...
Zeke Kendall doesn’t believe in fairies. He’s a scientist; an anthropologist who has spent the last ten years digging in the harsh deserts of the American Southwest. But things look a lot different in the soft green shadows of Ireland. There it is easier to believe that magic exists, especially when Zeke tumbles off a fairy mound and ends up in the arms of the beautiful Nuala, who seems to know everything about him. When she tells him she is a fairy, he actually wants to believe it, even as he knows better.
She can’t believe...
Nuala is daughter of Mab, Queen of Fairies. She has grown up in the twilightland of the fae, fiercely loyal and loving to her people. But she has also been in love with Zeke Kendall ever since she first saw him in her scrying water as a child. To now have him so close is both joy and torture.
For she is the heir to the great crown of the Tuatha de Danann fairy clan. She has no place in Zeke’s world. And he, a man drawn in the sharp edges of his deserts, has no place in hers. Even as passion rises and the love she’d only dreamed of blossoms into reality, Nuala knows that a future for them is impossible. And yet, she can’t find a way to send him back to his own world.
Note: This title was previously published as Dark Seduction
Read an Excerpt
“I want to know about you.” Zeke shook his head, his smile a bit tentative. “Don’t I know you?”
His hand had fallen back to his side. Nuala saw him rub at his jeans leg, as if testing himself.
“Ah, well...” she managed, briefly looking into the shadows of the glen where tiny wee beings passed their lives among the bluebells and foxglove. “That’ll take some explaining. Why don’t we walk, then?”
Zeke took a quick look around. “I guess that would be okay. I won’t get lost, will I?”
“No more than you are now.”
He flashed her another grin. “In that case, lead on.”
She frowned, still anxious after that fall of his. “You’re feelin’ all right, then? Your head isn’t bothering you? It was quite a tumble you took, you know.”
“Yes, I do know. I can feel every rock I rolled over. But my head only hurts a little now, and the dizziness is better.”
“And you’re not feeling anything else? Anything troubling?”
“Other than a massive amount of confusion?”
This time Nuala smiled. “And why should you be, now? ‘Tis all very simple. You climbed a hill to find the fairy queen, and so you did.”
His expression was wry again. “Did I tell you I don’t believe in fairies?”
“Did I not tell you that matters to no one here but you?”
He laughed, and Nuala felt her heart leap like a salmon. “As long as I know the ground rules.” He shook his head again, a lock of hair escaping its confines and sweeping his forehead. “But it’s going to take some getting used to.”
Nuala tilted her head, savoring the sparkle of his wit, his words. “What?”
“This place. This dream. It’s so real, but it’s not real at all, which makes me think I can do anything here and not pay the consequences.”
Oh, she should tell him not to believe. Not to give in to the sorcery of this place and assume that all was possible without cost. He would be gone soon, back to his family, and she would be left to lead her fractious, frivolous clan through the next millennium with a consort she hadn’t chosen but had promised herself to. Zeke would be hurt. She would be shattered, never to be put back together again.
But she couldn’t. Sure, she couldn’t say so much as a word.
Selfishly, she wanted him to fall in love with her. She wanted, with a desperation that ached in her, for him to look to her every minute, to smile when he saw her, to laugh when they made love. She wanted to be the only woman in his eyes, even for the short time they had. Since she’d loved him that way for so long.
So she smiled, her decision made, and led him farther into the land of faerie.
About the Author:
New York Times bestselling author and RWA Hall of Fame member Eileen Dreyer and her evil twin Kathleen Korbel have published over forty novels and novellas, and ten short stories in genres ranging from medical suspense to paranormal to romance. She is thrilled to have joined Oliver Heber Books to continue her Drake’s Rakes series about Regency aristocrats who are willing to sacrifice everything to keep their country safe, of which Ill Met by Moonlight is a near relative.A former trauma nurse, Eileen lives in St. Louis with her husband, children and large and noisy Irish family, of which she is the reluctant matriarch. A seasoned conference speaker, Dreyer travels to research, and uses research as an excuse to travel. Oh, who's she kidding? She doesn't need an excuse. She has the Irish wanderlust and satisfies it as often as she can to the point that she has sung traditional Irish music on four continents. She also had the incredible chance to research Drake’s Rakes by attending the 200th anniversary of not only the Battle of Waterloo, but the Duchess of Richmond ball (in period attire). She has animals, but refuses to subject them to the limelight.
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