Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 279

Review: CHRISTMAS IN ABUNDANCE by Sally Bayless

Lanie couldn’t stand Christmas, especially a Christmas on steroids, which is what she found at her boss’ guest house, where she was trying to get away on a dog-sitting job to finish her writing assignment. But the boss’ nephew, Kyle, wanted to make sure his daughter had the best Christmas in Abundance, a town that displayed the incredible light show every year. Of course, to Lanie, this was just a bother and Kyle thought she was just being a Grinch.


Can they bring the Christmas spirit into each other’s lives? 


Story is all about the Christmas spirit. A quick, holiday read.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: 12 DARES OF CHRIMSTAS BY Leigh W. Stuart

Lauren had reached her quota for making mistakes. She was organizing a party for a group of old ladies and she had no male dancer to jump out of the cake. The answer to her prayers was granted in the form of her brother’s best friend—a gorgeous hunk of a man. Somehow there was a misunderstanding concerning the use of the cake. After Gabe (the man) backs away from the idea of stripping for old ladies, desperate Lauren dares him to do it. So Gabe gives the strip performance of a lifetime. But what would he dare her in return?


I thought the idea of “a dare for a dare” was interesting. What fascinating deeds would they make each other do? I thought the dares would spice things up a bit, but this was kind of slow and trivial. An okay romance.


My rating: 3 stars

Blog Tour: STORM OF SECRETS by Loretta Marion

I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the STORM OF SECRETS blog tour! Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway below!





About the
Book:
Title: MarionPub.
Date: November 12, 2019Publisher: Crooked
Lane BooksFormats: Hardcover,
eBookPages: 312Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N,
Indiebound, iBooks, Kobo, TBD
A deadly
storm, a missing three-year-old child, a grisly murder, and the eerie presence
of the spirits of the dead set the stage for the second mesmerizing installment
of Loretta Marion's paranormal suspense series.



A powerful storm descends upon Cape Cod's Whale Rock at the peak of tourist
season--and the weekend Cassandra Mitchell's and Daniel Benjamin's wedding is
set to take place at The Bluffs, the magnificent Victorian mansion Cassie
inherited from her family. In the wake of the storm's destruction,
three-year-old Lucas Kleister goes missing--and the body of small-time drug
dealer Lee Chambers is found in a restaurant dumpster. Now, the WRPD are faced
with a murder to solve, a missing child to find, and the aftermath of one of
the worst storms in recent memory.



While aiding with the clean-up and helping the displaced, Cassie has been
receiving cryptic messages from the spirits of her great-grandparents, Percy
and Celeste Mitchell, the original residents of The Bluffs. At first, the
messages are benign, but soon, they begin to point to something more sinister. As
Cassie works to decipher their meaning, the specter of a mysterious local
legend surfaces. The tale of Barnacle Boy--and what happened to him during
another destructive storm decades earlier--will weave through the desperate
search to find Lucas and the identity of the killer.
"Modern
and historic mysteries collide in Marion's bittersweet
storytelling."   — Kirkus
Reviews  
“[A]
gripping sequel...Marion seamlessly weaves the multiple story threads together.
Fans of tales of regional intrigue will be satisfied.” — Publishers Weekly   


Title: MarionPub.
Date: November 13, 2018Publisher: Crooked
Lane BooksFormats: Hardcover,
eBookPages: 336Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, B&N,
Indiebound, iBooks, Kobo, TBD
A family
patriarch’s dying proclamation, an enigmatic disappearance, and a century-old
curse converge in the shadows of a majestic home on Cape Cod’s craggy coast.
Thirty-seven-year-old
painter Cassandra Mitchell is fourth-generation to live in the majestic
Battersea Bluffs, a brooding Queen Anne home originally built by her
great-grandparents, Percy and Celeste Mitchell, and still standing despite tragedies
that have swept the generations. Local lore has it that there was a curse
placed on the family and the house is haunted, though opinions are divided on
whether it's by malicious or benevolent spirits. Cassie believes the latter―but
now she stands to lose her beloved home to mounting debt and the machinations
of her dream-weaving ex-husband.
Salvation
seems to arrive when a nomadic young couple wanders onto the property with the
promise of companionship and much-needed help―until they vanish without a
trace, leaving behind no clue to their identities. Cassie is devastated, but
determined to discover what's happened to the young couple...even as digging
into their disappearance starts to uncover family secrets of her own. Despite
warnings from her childhood friend, now the local Chief of Police―as well as an
FBI agent who pushes the boundaries of professionalism―Cassie can't help
following the trail of clues (and eerie signals from the old house itself) to
unravel the mystery. But can she do so before her family's dark curse destroys
everything in its path?

ADD IN YOUR REVIEW, EXCERPT, OR INTERVIEW HERE!

About Loretta: 



An author of fiction, Loretta’s writing bridges the
genres of women’s fiction, mystery and suspense, always with hints of romance
and humor, sometimes delving into the psychological and paranormal. She creates
strong but flawed and struggling characters as appealing as the rich
atmospheric settings in which the stories take place.
Loretta has loved reading and creating with words since
she was a young girl. And that affection for the written word followed her like
a shadow throughout her life as she put pen to paper crafting marketing and
advertising copy, educational brochures and newsletters. But her passion for
writing fiction evolved from the unlikely world of hospice. As a volunteer, she
set out to establish a Legacy Story program to honor and preserve the rich
heritage of the fascinating people who were soon to leave this world. The
meaningful experience inspired her to create her own interesting characters and
stories.
Though born and raised in the Midwest, Loretta fell in
love with New England and has made it the setting for much of her writing. When
not whipping out words on her laptop, she is traveling, enjoying outdoor pursuits,
or is curled up with a delicious new book. Loretta lives in Rhode Island with
her husband, Geoffrey, and their beloved Mr. Peabody, a sweet, devoted and
amusing “Corgador” (Corgi-Labrador cross).
Represented by Jill Grosjean Literary Agency
Website | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads 
Giveaway Details:1 winner will receive a one
signed first edition copy of each book in the Haunted Bluffs Mystery Series -
HOUSE OF ASHES &  STORM OF SECRETS in
a book bag with book marks, US Only.
1 winner will receive an
a Rafflecopter
giveaway

Tour
Schedule: Week
One:
12/2/2019
Books_andPoetrii
Excerpt
12/3/2019
Mythical Books
Excerpt
12/4/2019
BookHounds
Interview
12/5/2019
Two Chicks on Books
Interview
12/6/2019
DelightingDelilah
Excerpt
Week
Two:
12/9/2019
Paper
safari
Review
12/10/2019
@___nimraaa

Review
12/11/2019
Hurn
Publications
Review
12/12/2019
Sometimes
Leelynn Reads
Review
12/13/2019
Sandra's
Book Club
Review

Review: THE VOICE OF DEATH by Lawrence J. Epstein

Danny Ryle is a P.I. and the son of the world’s most renowned killer. While celebrating a new year his wife, he gets a plea from some guy whose wife just shot herself. He thinks the police will arrest him, so he wants Danny to find out what happened. Why did she do it? Could the guy have heard her scream have done something?


Another case came from Danny’s boss, the congressman, who had a woman searching for her lost love—a man she saw on a train over 30 years ago. She asks Danny to find him.


So Danny had 2 cases with no clues. Nothing the best detective can’t help.


At first, Danny struck me like a smart and inquisitive detective. This sounded like it could be a good mystery, and this story had two. But then Danny finds out that his wife was still married to her ex. What?!


There’s a lot of back-and-forth dialogue without any nouns, so you’re not really sure which character is talking. It also seemed to have a lot of little mysteries with so much inane detail that eventually you just get lost in the shuffle.


I thought this would be an interesting read, but, man, what a disappointment.


My rating: 2 stars

Review: I KNOW YOUR EVERY MOVE by Diane Ezzard

The constant ringing of a phone. Wonder who it could be. Why won’t it stop ringing? Then she played the message: “Don’t think you can get away with it.” Get away with what?


Sophie is a 27-year old single woman looking to change her personal life. When Sophie joins an online dating site, she meets a few perverted guys. Well, more than a few actually. After someone attacks her, she concludes that dating was not for her and decides to get a cat instead. But she can’t shake the feeling that someone is watching her, following her every move.


The 1stperson narrative makes it easy to empathize and relate to the character. I liked how this whole thing started, but it has a consistently slow pace overall. Story is constantly going back and forth, between present and past, which can be annoying. This tale gives you the creeps, because, let’s face it, being watched by some crazy person is kind of creepy. It’s not the greatest read, but it’s okay.


My rating: 3 stars

Review: NO SUBSTITUTE FOR MURDER by Carolyn J. Rose

A substitute teacher. What else can you do when you have no job, no money, and were forced to sell your house?


Barbara Reed reeked of desperation and pride was something she couldn’t afford. So why not teach?


Story had a certain wit that I liked, but it still lagged considerably. My god, it was so slow. Where’s the dead body already? The cover wasn’t that great either.


My rating: 2 stars

Review: THREADS THAT BIND by Brant Williams

Madison Montgomery was rockin' the geek chic--thick glasses, braces, a little weight, and a lot of zits. Suddenly, it all changes--perfect vision, perfect weight, clear skin, good eating habits. She went from Steve Urkel to Stefan Urquelle in a matter of weeks. What a transformation! But how? And where can I get one?

Apparently, she's also become some radioactive super freak with her inexplicable super strength, super speed, super hearing, high jumps, and the glowing. Seriously what's up with the glowing? Like Superman, she had something inside her that could hurt people...and monsters too, it would seem. Monsters? Really? She has to fight icky, gooey, slimy monsters? And where do they come from? How do they suddenly appear out of the blue. It doesn't make sense. But, then again, nothing in this book makes sense.
I liked the supernatural element, but I thought adding the monsters just made it silly. 

My rating: 2.5 stars

Review: CHICKENHAWK by Arnaldo Lopez Jr.

Abe was just “another homeboy giving blowj#bs to rich guys.” Such a strange segue into the story: two guys were practically going at it. Eek…
Detective Eddie Ramos went to the coroner, where the mangled body homeless man stretched across on a slab. Again, eek…
The writing was vivid, raw, and powerful, enriched with dark humor and clever wit. Although complex and perhaps laden with a few too many characters, the plot was murky and scintillating. It follows the classic crime-fighting noir pattern, except this one carries a smart-mouth Latino cop. The details might’ve been a little too gritty for my taste, but I liked the tone and the way the author carries the story.
A pretty good read.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: VAMPIRO AND OTHER STRANGE TALES OF THE MACABRE by Kevin J. Kennedy

Nice illustration on the cover! The guy’s kind of a cross between a wolf and a vampire. Cool!
What would you do if you had thirteen voices in your head? Would you start talking to them? And would you sell your soul?
These are literary tales of horror most often with a twist of irony. Some had good concepts and story lines while others were mediocre and ended a little too abruptly. I’d say this could be aimed toward YA audiences as they’re not that grisly. An okay read.
My rating: 3 stars

Review: NO END OF BAD GUYS by Jeff Buick

Bobby Greco was a homicide cop with a missing person case. From there, it goes on to the world of soccer moms, where he describes life with his kids. It took a while to figure out that Bobby was staking out one of the soccer player’s moms. But wait…why was she suspicious?
Story was kind of slow and had too many angles. There were also a few too many characters, I think. Reading it certainly wasn’t invigorating.
My rating: 2 stars