Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 274

Review: BABY BE MINE by Wanitta Praks

Clarice is a 29-year old woman that’s never seen a naked man. She was a virgin. But how could she get a man. After all, men were like parking spaces—all the good ones were taken.


As soon as she hits 30, she’s faced with a sense of failure and doom. What man would want her now? She was way past her prime. Face it…she was without love, marriage, family, and children.


I thought this was going to be better than what it was. Was it absolutely necessary to recap on her childhood and all her relatives? I didn’t think so. I thought it would get better when she got dragged to the night club, where the devilishly handsome Hunter hung out. But the story seems to go all over the place and it was slow to boot. When does the surprise pregnancy happen? Geez! It goes absolutely nowhere.


My rating: 2 stars

Blog Tour: THE FLYING WOMAN by Daniel Sherrier

The Flying Woman Terrific Book 1 by Daniel Sherrier Genre: Superhero Fantasy

The impossible has become reality! A masked man possesses extraordinary powers, and he’s using those fantastic abilities to fight crime and pursue justice. Meanwhile, Miranda Thomas expects to fail at the only thing she ever wanted to do: become a famous star of the stage and screen. One night, Miranda encounters a woman who’s more than human. But this powerful woman is dying, fatally wounded by an unknown assailant. Miranda’s next decision propels her life in a new direction—and nothing can prepare her for how she, and the world, will change. 

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The elevator carriage settled, and Miranda expected to find Officer Hoskins somewhere along the well-lit path, ever vigilant as he stood guard over the park. But once the door opened, she saw only a long, vacant stretch of brick surrounded by topiaries and impenetrable darkness. The park did span several acres around the tower. Perhaps something demanded Hoskins’s attention. Miranda kept her phone in hand as she began her brisk walk, reminding herself that this was one of the safer parts of town. Still, her parents had issued many warnings about the dangers a city held after dark, and her mind replayed the greatest hits. Miranda felt her ears expanding to catch even the faintest rustling of leaves. She heard something else. Not leaves or wind or any scurrying critter. Nothing from nature. Nothing natural. A moan. It was coming from somewhere behind those bushes. Miranda’s senses all dialed up to maximum. She decided to ignore it and stay on the path, stay under the lights. Keep her eyes on her phone and check the hell out of those text messages. Or pretend to while secretly poised to dial 9-1-1 if the need arose—a need like someone leaping out and strangling her. Whatever it was, Officer Hoskins was probably already on it. That explained his absence. But what if he was the one moaning? “I’m hurt,” the moaning person called out from the darkness, her voice hoarse. It was definitely a woman’s voice, not the policeman’s. And he wasn’t around to respond to the cry for help. This could have been a trap—some creepy man lurking, sheathed in the dark, ready to throw the first unsuspecting good citizen into a black van. And if not, well, really, what could Miranda do to help? Aside from the simple task of dialing 9-1-1. It would be the right thing to do, in case someone was suffering. Miranda could make the call and run away. “Help. Please.” Miranda wanted to keep walking until she exited the park, but her feet refused to budge and she cringed. She remained physically capable of forward momentum, just not mentally. Her stomach folded in on itself, threatening to incite debilitating queasiness unless she did the right thing. If she walked away, she’d spend days or weeks dwelling on whatever she walked away from, constantly checking the news for any hints about what the hell this was. All food would lose its appeal, and she would look back on the concept of sleep with nostalgic fondness. She considered running back up to Ken, but he was nearly half a mile above the ground. And someone right here might be hurt. Miranda dialed the digits 9-1-1 and positioned her thumb over the “call” icon. Without hitting it just yet, she advanced toward the source of the moaning and commanded herself not to dissolve into a shivering mess of nerves. She did not heed herself. Her shaking thumb almost jabbed “call” by accident. Didn’t happen, though. A flash of light cut through the park for just a second, and she stopped. Where did it come from? Not the park’s lighting system. Was it … Fantastic Man? Was she about to meet Fantastic Man? This seemed more like something he should handle, not her. “That was me,” the woman said, each word scraping against Miranda’s ears. So scratchy and parched. She wasn’t far, maybe only a few feet into the darkness. “Want to make sure I … have your attention.” Without stepping off the path, Miranda dared to look between the bushes. A new source of light flickered low to the ground, revealing a much older woman lying on the grass. The light came from the strange electricity that was cascading over her unusual outfit, which looked like a superhero costume—emerald tights with a scarlet cape. A deep red symbol occupied the center of the chest, the silhouette of a bird’s wing melding into a fierce, sharp beak. The costume lacked a mask, though. But this woman had to be at least fifty, maybe sixty, and Miranda had never seen her before. Surely if an older female superhero had emerged, she would have dominated the news as much as Fantastic Man did, probably more so on account of her unexpected demographic affiliation. Or was she a supervillain? Was this a trap? Was Miranda stupidly falling into a trap? The woman was clutching her side, pressing her hand against a dark liquid … Blood. The super electric woman was wounded to the point where she was bleeding all over the grass. Miranda did not care to stick around to learn who did the wounding, nor did she relish the idea of running away and unwittingly intercepting such a person. The woman reached toward Miranda with her free hand, which glowed as bright as a standard light bulb, no more intense than that. The electricity never sparked beyond her elbow, so the hand appeared safe. “Come here,” the woman said. “Help me up. The pain … is too great.” If she was actually in pain. Miranda started to wonder. The injury seemed real, but the woman almost looked like she was smirking. Miranda’s eyes were still adjusting to the aura of electrical light, though, and she wanted any excuse to get the hell away with a clear conscience. Paranoia was not an excuse to let someone suffer, so Miranda started to reach for that bright, quivering hand. And paranoia froze her anyway, after only an inch of movement. “Should I call an ambulance or the police?” Miranda asked, continuing rapidly without pause, “And who are you and where is that electricity coming from? Am I in danger just by standing here? Are you going to kill me? Please don’t kill me.” The woman chuckled through gritted teeth, as if Miranda had told a joke. “Just grab my hand, dear.”

Daniel Sherrier is a writer based in central Virginia. He is the author of the novel "The Flying Woman." A College of William & Mary graduate, he has worked for community newspapers, written a few plays that have been performed, and earned his black belt in Thai kickboxing. And there was that one time he jumped out of an airplane, which was memorable. 

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Excerpt: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ROBIN MURAT by Gerald W. Darnell

I knew the pounding in my head was because of a large knot behind my left ear – a knot left by something very hard and someone very angry. Aching arms were caused by my hands being uncomfortably tied behind my back, and probably to the chair I was sitting in. But, what I couldn’t understand was why my feet were so cold.
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Review: FAME YOU by Hattie Lou

Image Graphic designed by Sandra Lopez
Olivia has learned that life doesn’t always go the way you want it to go. She didn’t expect to be a widow and a single mother at a young age. Olivia’s life changes for the better when she meets a woman who in time becomes a second mom to her. She spends her days and nights taking care of the woman.

Growing up, Luke destined to be a Hollywood star just like his famous screenwriter father, becomes addicted to the celebrity life in Hollywood and lives for the camera’s attention. It makes him feel good that guys want to be him and women want to be with him. He can’t get enough of the fame.

Luke shows up unannounced at his mother’s house after years of not speaking to her, and he finds out that his mother has a live-in caregiver, Olivia. Luke and Olivia don’t hit it off at first, but soon Luke comes to realize that the first impression isn’t always the right impression. Sometimes there’s more than meets the eye.


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My review: Olivia met her soulmate at 13, married him after graduation, and was widowed at 19. She was taken in by Katherine shortly after her breakdown at the cemetery and was like a mother to her. She didn’t realize that the woman was rich and it didn’t matter to her.
Luke was an A-list celebrity actor returning home after being away for so long. His father was a famous screenwriter, and he hadn’t visited his mother since his death. The night that he walked into his mother’s home, he wasn’t expecting to find a young woman there. He certainly wasn’t expecting to learn that she has been living there with her daughter and that she was caring for her mom, who had dementia. That’s not possible. Luke would’ve known that. Luke wasn’t buying Olivia’s sweet and kind-hearted act—she was a con artist. He couldn’t believe that she his mom’s power of attorney. But he will prove she’s a fake.
Luke was such a jackass to Olivia. So what if there was dust? She’s a full-time caretaker, not a maid. He was so bossy and cynical. Seriously, what was his problem?
After Luke crosses a line with Olivia, guilt sinks in with Luke for the first time. Gee, there really was a human in there. He soon realized how bad his mother’s memory was and how much they needed Olivia to calm her down. It’s true: she’s not the mom he remembered and he should’ve come around more to see her. Now it was too late…or was it?
Luke cares about his mother, and Olivia’s patience and selflessness were wonderful. Tension, regret, and remorse simmer in the house that they all must share together. In the interim, the two learn to look beyond what they initially thought. Luke sees the natural beauty (inside and out) in Olivia, and Olivia sees how sweet Luke can be, especially with his mother and her daughter.
Story was sweet and endearing. I enjoyed the friendly bond as well as the explosive physical chemistry between them.
Will he stay to be the man she loves or will he return to the empty spotlight of Hollywood?

A wonderful read!



My rating: 5 stars


~~~
Excerpt:
 

    “I knew you were beautiful this evening, but you are more beautiful without the makeup and the outfit,” I say, before realizing that I am actually saying the words to her and not in my head. I walk behind her and place my phone down on the sink. She remains quiet, not sure what’s going on between us. I’ll make it clear to her so she’ll understand.     My hand goes up to her arm, causing her body to freeze from my touch. God! She feels so good just like I imagined she would. Her skin’s so soft. Her eyes remain on the mirror watching my every move. I can feel her eyes begging me to keep going. She wants me to touch her.  I part her hair to both sides of her shoulders as I kiss the back of her neck. She lets out a little moan as she closes her eyes. “Keep your eyes on me,” I tell her as she opens them and watches me through the mirror. “Perfect,” I whisper against her ear. My tongue slides down her earlobe as my right-hand slides around her back to her stomach. I lift her shirt up a few inches, exposing her toned stomach. I pull her body into mine as I begin to kiss her neck harder, leaving marks along the way. Her skin tastes like strawberry. It’s a good thing I have always liked strawberries. I always found them to be tasty. Another moan escapes her throat. “You are always there for Mom when she needs you,” I whisper into her ear. “Whenever Savannah needs something, you get it, no questions asked. Greg lost his mom and you were on a mission to find her even if it took us all night. You are always there for everyone. My question is, who is there for you, Olivia?” I can feel her body getting hotter by the minute. I’m turning her on so I keep going. “Who takes care of your needs?” I watch her as she inhales and exhales slowly.    I’m about to tell her that I will fulfill her every need when my phone rings. I ignore it while I suck her skin into my mouth.    “You should probably get that. Wouldn’t want to upset your girlfriend.” Olivia says annoyed, slipping away from me and walking out the bathroom, leaving me angry and frustrated.    I make a fist and hit it off the sink. I almost had her and Erika ruined our moment.

Review: HOLLY FREAKIN HUGHES by Kelsey Kingsley

Holly Freakin Hughes couldn’t believe her boyfriend was finally proposing after all these years, so, naturally, she went all Cinderella style to the big ball. Instead, the BIG BOMB she got was total heartbreak because her boyfriend was actually gay and in love with someone else. Great. Afterwards, Holly got fired from the teen magazine because her trends were “too old,” which prompted her to work as a 31-year old babysitter to her little sister’s kids.


Brandon, a bestselling author of fantasy fiction, was tired of everyone wanting the celebrity and not the average guy. He was especially tired of all the legions of crazy fans just throwing themselves at him, begging for one pointless night with him.


This had a nice start with each character’s point of view, but it tapers down. The characters are so mopey about their unexciting lives that nothing ever happens in the story. They mostly spend a lot of time describing their posh surroundings more than anything else.


Okay story.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: ANYTHING FOR LOVE by Lola StVil

Winter just had no luck with dates. Somebody shoot me please.


In trying to get away from a bad first date and an ex, she escapes through the bathroom window and crash-lands in a dumpster, where a man pushes her down from a range of flying bullets.


Office Wyatt couldn’t believe this crazy woman screwed up the whole operation. He should hate her, but he just couldn’t help but be mesmerized by her gaping beauty, even with garbage all over her.


There’s an intense physical attraction between the characters. They both see it, but Winter just doesn’t want to date anyone, not after her last disastrous relationship. After finding out what her ex put her through, you can’t blame her for avoiding men and relationships.


Still, Wyatt was not deterred. I liked that Wyatt, the tough cop, was willing to wait no matter how torturous it was. He just brings a smile to you.


Meanwhile, Winter also runs an after-school program and was trying to stop one of her favorite kids from joining a gang. When Winter puts herself in the line of fire for one of her kids, Wyat will prove that he will do anything for love.


Heartfelt and endearing, story was pretty good, even with a few typos along the way. Of course, the bare-chested guy on the cover was a bit cliché.


My rating: 4 stars

Review: IT'S GOT TO BE PERFECT by Haley Hill

Memoirs of a modern-day matchmaker, huh? This seemed to be fitting for a light and airy craving; I only hoped that it wouldn't turn into a vapid, senseless read.
Ellie is engage to a porn addict. Not only that, but he also goes to strip clubs for "work." Smells fishy, right? Why is she marrying this guy?Right from the start, the story is a carnival of wacky wedding plans. Oh, it's so much easier and faster to elope. I guess what has to be "perfect" is a wedding. Oh brother. I found this to be utterly stupid. I thought she was supposed to be a matchmaker.
The best part was when her fiancé announced he was getting back together with his wife. Now we're getting somewhere. Now Ellie is back to square one--finding Mr. Perfect. Well, good luck because nobody's perfect. After all, it's hard to find a man with "no nasal hair, no porn addiction or personality disorder." Although she's way too picky, Ellie's list for a good man was funny.
So Ellie wants to prove that there is a perfect man, so she sets out to find one...for every other woman; hence, a matchmaker is born. Well, those who can't do, teach...I guess. But what's up with her idea of "being born of higher purpose?"
Story is filled with lukewarm humor and frivolous banter. The whole thing is really nothing but a man hunt, and each man was more forgettable than the last. It's generally dull.
My rating: 2 stars

Review: PICTURE IMPERFECT by Cindy Procter-King

Ursula Scott was a photographer stuck taking pictures of old, fat men in thongs. Ugh! But she needed to finish these shots for a Valentine composition of Real Men. We don’t want real men.


Meanwhile, the boss’ nephew, Gabe, a private investigator, was trying to figure out who was sabotaging his photography business. Could it be the captivating beauty, Ursula?


I liked Ursula’s bold and snarky demeanor. Still, I thought the reading was kind of long and lagging with some witty retorts.


An okay read.


My rating: 3 stars

Excerpt: THE INTELLIGENCE FACTOR by Mike Logsdon

          


           They moseyed on down to the Ferris wheel. Steve and Grace sat in one seat, with Joey in the one right behind. After it started moving, Joey blanched, his face contorted in an expression of regret. As they reached the top of the world, Steve could almost touch it – the sky, the beach, the lake that rippled in the nascent moonlight. Steve and Grace reveled in it all, while Joey periodically closed his eyes. He peered vacantly into space, refusing to look down, during those moments when his eyes weren’t closed.                      Ten seconds into the ride, Steve said, “I never asked this before, so I guess I should ask it now. Whatever happened to Danny Walker’s parents?”           She threw him a surprised look.           “You didn’t know? They were sent to the cutter-uppers.”           “You mean … they were given lobotomies?”           She nodded briskly, as if for her to say the word “lobotomies” would somehow be dirty. He then noticed something a good hundred feet away drop down like a yo-yo from the sky. It was a helicopter, and for some reason it seemed suspiciously close. And then it stopped. Steve pointed at it.          “Look, Grace.”           She looked up ahead.           “What?”           “Don’t see you it? That helicopter.”           “Oh Steve,” she giggled.           A brilliant FLASH came from the chopper – perhaps some airborne voyeur taking a picture of them? Then another FLASH …           “You don’t see it?”           “Oh yeah, now I do.”           “If we ignore it, maybe it’ll just go away.”           “I wonder what a helicopter is doing here,” she reflected.           “Beats me. I’ve never seen one hover down so close.”           “Suppose, Steve, it was sent from Heaven.”           “But it wasn’t.”           “How do you know? I know, it’s crazy. But, who knows – maybe it’s … an angel.”           Should Steve humor her?           “Interesting,” he muttered.           “Doesn’t this feel neat? We’re going up into the sky. And then down again.”           “Yep.”           “When we go up, do you suppose that’s what death might feel like?”           “Why do you ask me that – about death, of all things?”           “I don’t know. Just wondering, I guess.”           She flipped a glance back at Joey. “Look, his eyes are closed.”           “And I think we know why.”           A few more flashes came from the helicopter before it took a jolt upward. It was gone. Just like that.           “Do you believe in angels?” she asked inquisitively.           “Um –”           “Of course, I won’t ask you if you believe in God. Everyone believes in Him.”           “Except atheists.” “They don’t count. You know what Mrs. Jorgenson says about atheists? She says they were put here on purpose, that God wants them here so He can show everyone that they can be converted.”           “Can they all be converted?”           “The ones who can’t be – well, you know where they’re going.”           “No –”           “To Hell, that’s where. Steve, do you dream much?”           “Yeah, we all dream.”           “Last night I had a weird dream.”           “Oh?”           “Yeah. I dreamt that some angels came and took me and my friends away. We went to join Him in Heaven. I looked for you and Joey, but you weren’t there.”           “Oh? Where were we?”           “I don’t know.” She sounded on the verge of crying. “I really, really don’t know.”           “It was just a dream.”           He peered up at Joey, who still looked as if death were near. He returned his eyes to the darkness ahead – a canopy of a million mysteries, uncertainties, a void so incalculably deep that it opened the door to eternity.           He wrapped his arm around her. “Hey, don’t worry. We’re right here. The three of us. But then –” He flipped another look at Joey. “I think one of us isn’t having a particularly fun time.”           Joey didn’t respond. The ride ended before they knew it. Once on ground, they got off and sauntered away into the crowd.

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Review: COFFEE GIRL by Sophie Sinclair

 Image Graphic designed by Sandra Lopez

Mackenzie “Kiki” Forbes finds herself in a pickle.
Either become her snarky sister’s nanny, or move halfway across the country to work as assistant-to-the-stylist of a country music star. Neither job sounds ideal, although bedazzling cowboy boots may be a hell of a lot more interesting than ironing her brother-in-law’s underwear. But life on the road as the errand coffee girl for a sold-out tour leaves much to be desired. That is, until Kiki meets her sinfully sexy new boss’s boss…

Tatum Reed’s career is flying high. He’s up for country music’s Entertainer of the Year and he’s headed out on a nationwide sold-out tour. So why does he feel like it’s all about to implode? His superstar ex-girlfriend seems determined to make his life difficult, his opening act is a handful, and the new girl on his tour, the feisty brunette, is quickly getting under his skin. In this crazy world of showbusiness Tatum needs to learn who he can trust, but that doesn’t come easily, because the one person who holds all the cards may just throw them down and walk away.
Life in the public eye is never all it’s cracked up to be, which has both Kiki and Tatum questioning what they’re really doing with their careers, and their hearts.

Available on Amazon





My review: Kiki was tired of bad dates. In fact, the last one ditched her in the rain after a bad make-out session. The next day, she gets fired from her job. Could she be any more of a failure? Hungover, single, and unemployed.


Tatum was the hottest country music star amidst a bad break-up with his leading duet star. In a last-ditch effort to avoid a nanny position for her haughty sister, Kiki takes a fashion assistant job going on tour with the country singing sensation. This was the clean break she was hoping for. Turns out that she ended up being the coffee girl that ran everybody’s errands. God, the job sucked!


Coffee Girl had a crush on Hot Country Star.


The embarrassing faux paus Kiki experiences with Tatum were funny, especially the misguided texts filled with dirty lingo. The two connect over favorite songs and how their moods matched certain ones. But how can Kiki like a guy like Tatum? He was so full of himself and screwed anything that moves.


With screaming fans, a diva ex, and raging paparazzi surrounding them, can they look beyond the star-studded spotlight?


Story had a refreshing wit that eases the reader with fun enjoyment. I like the cover design, too! The tour life was mildly interesting and a busy drag a lot of the time, but Kiki and Tatum certainly shared a duet chemistry.


A great read!


My rating: 4 stars