Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 4
August 23, 2025
Review: THE NIGHTMARE ROOM: DON’T FORGET ME by R.L. Stine
There was something creepy aboutthe new house. Of course, not as creepy as Danielle’s little brother. What anannoying, little twerp! If only she could wish to be an only child. One act ofhypnosis on her brother turns him into a stony amnesiac. What happened? Hewasn’t acting like himself at all. For a while, Danielle freaks out about herlittle brother’s odd behavior and scary nightmares…until one day at school…whenher brother disappears altogether. Suddenly, his favorite teacher has no ideawho he was…like he didn’t exist? What? Then we hear the legend of Forget MeHouse and how every person that lives in it forgets and is soon forgotten. Wasthis Danielle’s new house? In a weird way, Danielle does get her wish to be anonly child. Can Danielle figure this out before she’s forgotten, too?
A weird and oddly compelling tale.You’d only get this in the Nightmare Room. A good read!
Rating:4 stars
Review: PUZZLES CAN BE DEADLY by Cindy Bell
One of the residents of SageGardens was found murdered over one of his puzzles. A single puzzle piece seemsto be a major clue for Walt, but he just couldn’t figure out how. It was up tothe dynamic senior gang to help him. It would seem that a lot of people wereglad that the old man was dead. But who would’ve hated him enough to kill him?A good mystery!
Rating:4 stars
Review: GOOSEBUMPS: I AM SLAPPY’S EVIL TWIN by R.L. Stine
It all began with the creation ofthe dummy in 1920. That led to more dummies until the villagers came and burnedevery one—except the last two that were created.
Present Day: Luke’s dad has justbrought home two identical dummies for his new horror movie. There wassomething strange about the dummies though—they seem to come alive! See how thedummies torment Luke and his sister. If only they could get their dad tobelieve them. Only a dummy would believe a dummy.
Can the kids get to the dad’smovie set before the twin dummies blow it up?
A good and frightening read!
Rating:4 stars
Review: THE HAUNTING OF ELMWOOD MANOR by Pamela McCord
Pekin Dewlap was a kid thatloved mysteries and was fascinated by the paranormal. So, when she got thechance to investigate a manor for paranormal activity, she jumped at it.
With its alluring premise, Iexpected to dive right into this haunting mystery right away. Instead, storytakes up too much time relaying how Pekin started her own ghost-huntingbusiness. Pace was too long and slow. For crying out loud, when do they get tothe manor and see the ghost?
This was SO NOT what I thoughtit would be. Just dull!
Rating:2 stars
Review: GOOSEBUMPS: WHEN THE GHOST DOG HOWLS by R.L. Stine
It started off with being draggedon a clown stage at Horror Land. Then it turns into wild chaos from the hungryzombies. Fortunately, that was all an act. But then the weirdness came at thesouvenir shop, where they find the long tooth and learn the legend of the BlueHound. A werewolf tooth that grants wishes? To wish for anything and make allthe wishes you want? Cool! Sounds like a pretty sweet deal. Just one rule:Don’t get it wet.
Naturally, the two kids go on awild wish extravaganza. Man, was it wild! But it all stops being fun when theghost dog starts howling.
A good read!
Rating:4 stars
August 22, 2025
Spotlight: THAT THE DEAD MAY REST by Karen A. Wyle
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Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Summary: After a life of peril and fear, Millie has reached the peace, beauty, and security of the afterlife. But one day, when she is performing her glad duty of welcoming a new spirit, that spirit recoils from her in horror — because her body had become a zombie, and had brutally killed him.
As more spirits make the same terrible discovery, they ask themselves, and each other: is this somehow my fault? When will it end? And finally: what can we do? Is there something we can do to stop this?
And are there people among the living who can help them to do it?
Author Bio: Karen A. Wyle is the author of multiple science fiction novels, including The Twin-Bred Series: Books 1-3; YA novel Water to Water; and near-future novels Division, Playback Effect, Who: a novel of the near future, and Donation. Her first novel outside the SF category was the afterlife fantasy/family drama Wander Home. She then turned to historical romance with her Cowbird Creek series, including What Heals the Heart, What Frees the Heart, What Shows the Heart, and What Wakes the Heart. She returned to fantasy with 2023's Far From Mortal Realms: A Novel of Humans and Fae. Her latest novel is The Decision/A Novel of Germany, inspired by a crucial incident in her own family history.
Wyle has also published one nonfiction work, Closest to the Fire: A Writer's Guide to Law and Lawyers, a resource for authors or for anyone interested in understanding more about American law. An updated and slightly retitled edition came out at the end of July 2021.
Finally, Wyle has collaborated with illustrators on four picture books: You Can't Kiss A Bubble; When It's Winter; Wind, Ocean, Grass; and Where Fireflies Sleep. There are more to come!
Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but eventually settled in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. She now considers herself a Hoosier. Wyle's childhood ambition was to be the youngest ever published novelist. While writing her first novel at age ten, she was mortified to learn that some British upstart had beaten her to the goal at age nine.
Wyle is an appellate attorney, photographer, political junkie, and mother of two wildly creative offspring. Her voice is the product of almost five decades of reading both literary and genre fiction. It is no doubt also influenced, although she hopes not fatally tainted, by her years of law practice. Wyle's near-future novels and her upcoming fantasy novel draw on her legal experience in various respects.
Wyle's personal history has led her to focus on often-intertwined themes of family, communication, the impossibility of controlling events, and the persistence of unfinished business.
Purchase links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/That-Dead-Rest-Karen-Wyle-ebook/dp/B0FLRK4VC1/
Social Media links:
Website: https://www.karenawyle.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KarenAWyle
Twitter: https://x.com/KarenAWyle
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5252444.Karen_A_Wyle
August 21, 2025
Blog Tour: CHILD OF A SWAN by David Burnett
CHILD OF A SWAN
David Burnett
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GENRE: Women's Fiction
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BLURB:
Rejectingher father’s master plan for her life, sixteen-year old Alyssia Barrett facesthe world alone.
"Lyssa,it is your destiny."
Herfather did not use those exact words, but he might as well have.
LyssaBarrett was born into a family of writers.
Fewauthors have landed more titles on national bestseller lists than has herfather. Her oldest brother walks in his father’s footsteps, her second brotheris a published poet, and the third a Broadway playwright. The four men, the“Barrett Band,” as they are called, are a force in American literary circles,the “first family of American letters.”
AndLyssa is meant to join them.
Lyssa,the child who would rather decipher a math puzzle than unravel an anagram,prove a geometric theorem than pen a short story, and master nonparametricstatistics than devise plot twists for a novel. Lyssa is destined to be awriter.
Soher father believes, and since no one crosses her father, it is what all whoknow the family expect. Of all her father’s children, only Lyssa is willing torebel. It is a trait which sets her apart from the others to such a degree thatshe questions whether she is even truly a Barrett.
Conflictis inevitable.
Inmiddle school, Lyssa is selected to participate in an honors math program. Herfather enrolls her in a summer writing seminar. She insists on taking math at alocal college. He is adamant that she enroll in advanced composition. Shepresents a paper at a national mathematics convention. Her father hails thepublication of a short story she has written.
Writingis her calling, her father insists, and, looking beyond high school, he choosesthe college she will attend, he identifies the subject in which she will major,and he selects the very courses he will allow her to take.
Althoughnot yet seventeen years old, she realizes that unless she puts distance betweenherself and her father, she will not escape what he calls “her destiny” and shecalls the “Barrett curse.” Closing the door to childhood behind her, she stepsinto the world, intent on becoming an adult on her own terms.
Ifyou enjoy coming of age stories, you will fall in love with this absorbingaccount of how Lyssa strives to come to terms with her past as she builds lifeon her own terms.
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ExcerptThree:
As I entered Mr. Roberts’ office, my eyes were drawn to thescowl on my father’s face, and I supposed Mr. Roberts had not simply “rolledover,” agreeing to alter my schedule without discussion or argument.
Mr. Roberts greeted me with a big smile. “Allyssia, goodmorning.”
“Good morning, Mr. Roberts.”
“Please sit down.” Mr. Roberts pointed to the vacant seat.
“We seem to have a misunderstanding about your courseselection, Allyssia. Your mother enrolled you in Algebra, but I understand youwould prefer to be taking Classics.”
He paused as if he expected me to confirm themisunderstanding, but there had been none. Classics was not my preference.Still, I hesitated to contradict my father, so I said nothing.
“Is that correct?”
I glanced at my father’s angry expression.
“Allyssia?”
I took a deep breath.
“Mom and I agreed I would take Algebra…It was my choice.” Irisked a peek at my father’s angry expression. “I know I’m weird, but I lovestudying math, and—”
“Mr. Roberts,” my father interrupted. “Allyssia does notunderstand.”
No one crossed my father, certainly not one of his children,not me, and I knew him well enough to know he was struggling to hold histemper.
“She is going to be a writer when she is older.”
I stared at him, my eyes, no doubt, as large as theproverbial saucers. Never had he revealed his intentions so openly, sounambiguously. Not to me, at any rate.
“I’m an author, of course,” my father continued. “Herbrothers are writers of one sort or another. She has been writing storiesherself for several years now. At her age, the best means of preparing to be awriter is by reading, reading the classics, and the work of talented authors.By reading good literature, she will develop an ear for words, their patterns,their…”
I tuned out the rest of his argument. Never had I heardanyone say outright that I would be an author like my father and my brothers.No one had ever told me the Barrett Band was destined to be a quintet. Icrossed my arms and scowled. I had written stories, true, but the prospect ofspending my life dating a word processor made me shiver.
“Learning how to solve for X might be a useful skill,” myfather said in a patronizing tone, “but one she can develop later. Her verbalabilities need to be nourished now.”
I had turned my head away and was staring at a huge vase offlowers on the credenza behind Mr. Roberts’ desk when I suddenly realized myfather’s diatribe had ceased.
“Allyssia…Allyssia, are you with us?” Mr. Roberts waved hishand as he called to me, and he chuckled when I smiled.
“Yes, sir.” My hand trembled, but I had already crossed myfather by telling Mr. Roberts I had chosen to take Algebra. I might as well godown fighting.
I raised my head and stuck out my chin.
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Review: A woman reflects back on herchildhood as she holds the book—a memoir—written by her father. Herrecollection was written in well-versed and lyrical tones that captivate thereader right from the start.
It would seem that Allysia neverfit in and was considered the black sheep in a renowned family of extinguishedmale writers. Her mother was the only one who truly understood and loved her.When she died, Allysia, even at a young age, had questioned her place in thefamily. Her father “suddenly seemed to realize he now was an explorer treadinga treacherous, unfamiliar path, one on which a single errant step might provedisastrous [and] he had no clue how to approach an angry, unhappy nine-year-oldgirl.”
The narrative was fine andeloquent as it recounted the journaling coming-of-age tale of a girl, lost andalone. Yes, the read felt too long at times with some of the childhoodallegories not adding much to the story and feeling strikingly daunting. Yet, Istill couldn’t help but be drawn to the story. Allysia’s story was raw andgenuine. I just wished that the chapters that told a segment of her lifeweren’t so long. The writing was good and the overall read was fairly nice.
Rating:3 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Welive near Charleston, South Carolina. I’ve always enjoyed the Carolina beaches.I now have the opportunity to walk on the beach almost every day and tophotograph the ocean, the sea birds, and the marshes that I love.
Ilove photography, and I have photographed subjects as varied as prehistoricruins on the islands of Scotland, star trails, sea gulls, and a Native Americanpowwow. My wife and I have traveled widely in the United States and the UnitedKingdom. During trips to Scotland, we visited Crathes Castle, the ancestralhome of the Burnett family near Aberdeen, and Kismul Castle on Barra, the homeof my McNeil ancestors.
Iwent to school for much longer than I want to admit, and I have degrees inpsychology and education. In an “earlier life” I was director of research forour state’s education department.
Formore information about my other books or to join my mailing list go towww.BurnettsBooks.com, or like my Amazon author page athttp://amazon.com/author/davidburnett
BuyLink
www.amazon.com/Child-Swan-David-Burnett-ebook/dp/B0F1JPPG87/
http://www.facebook.com/DavidBurnett.Author
AmazonAuthor Page
https://www.amazon.com/author/davidburnett
Website
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GIVEAWAY
DavidBurnett will be awarding a $20 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
August 20, 2025
Book Blast: THE PASSENGER by Joie Lesin
This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Joie Lesin will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.
She’s a 1940s ghost whisperer.
Burdened with her empathic gift, Elizabeth Reilly wants to be free of it and fit in with normal people. Nevertheless, when the spirit of an old man asks for her help, she travels across the country to help him return home.
He’s the son of a ghost.
Gio Clemente is still angry with his father who abandoned him as a child. To help the father pass on, Elizabeth must persuade Gio to let go of his anger. Though he resents her intrusion, they are both stunned to find themselves fighting a profound attraction.
Elizabeth can accept his headstrong brand of love, but can Gio accept her gift—and believe in her?
The Passenger, a 1940s ghost story set in the California wine country, tells a tale of family connections, life-changing choices, and love—lost and found.
Read an Excerpt
When her husband was on his way to her to say goodbye, she’d sweated through the cries of soldiers falling into the mud around her and the deafening noise of battle.
Don’t go there, Elizabeth. You couldn’t help him.
She’d known the only help she could provide was to help him pass on in peace.
Elizabeth had expected Patrick’s ghost to visit her. For weeks, she braved the early spring chill to await his arrival. Bundled in layers, she waited on the beach for him. Their special place. When he finally came, he met her there. Patrick sat next to her on the blanket he’d given her as a birthday present when they were younger. The one with the purple daffodils. When she thought of his final goodbye, she thought of the daffodils she’d stared down at while he talked—as if the color of the flowers were the most important detail of the day.
Yet the broken dead man who sat beside her was.
Patrick’s once handsome face wore sadness like a caul. He’d wished she would remember him as the whole and healthy man who she clung to and kissed before he shipped off to war. When she pictured the delicate purple flowers imprinted on the fabric, she overlooked the bloodied gash in his side where he’d taken the bullet.
About the Author:
Award-winning, Minnesota-based author, Joie Lesin is a life-long fiction writer and poet. She is most recently the author of The Passenger (The Wild Rose Press, 2024) and her work is also featured in Scribeworth Magazine. She has long been fascinated by anything otherworldly including mermaids and ghosts. Joie writes character-driven, emotional, atmospheric tales about heartache and hope.
Website: https://www.jlesin.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/joielesin.bsky.social
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjoielesin
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoieLesin
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joie.lesin
Goodreads BookPage: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214564853-the-passenger
The Wild Rose Press Book Page: https://wildrosepress.com/product/the-passenger/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6WBVJB9
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-passenger/id6504288982
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-passenger-joie-lesin/1008401528?ean=2940185717905
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-passenger-48
a Rafflecopter giveaway
August 19, 2025
Blog Tour: HOW OLD SHOULD I BE THIS YEAR? by J.C. Walker
HOW OLD SHOULD I BE THIS YEAR?
J.C. Walker
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GENRE: Picture Book
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BLURB:
J.C.Walker's new way of celebrating your birthday will have children using theirimaginations and parents remembering their happiest memories.
Findout how the Nuwayble family celebrates their birthdays a little differently.
Areminder to us all: no matter how young or old, age is but a number. How youfeel is all that matters.
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EXCERPT
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Review:
It’s Sammy’s birthday, and he getsto pick how old he is going to be this year. This year, since he wants as manycandles on his cake as possible, he is choosing to be thirty years old. Fromthen on, everyone in the family would choose how old they would be for theirbirthday. In every birthday, each one relived a special memory and choose whatthey wanted to do for that day.A fun story about birthdaycelebration.
Rating:4 stars
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Andthus begins my own leap of faith in becoming an author. My only hope is toinspire those young and old to find what makes them happy.
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17873141.J_C_Walker
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/1779412509
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GIVEAWAY
J.C.Walker will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
August 18, 2025
Blog Tour: THE CHRONICLES OF ORDI by Alex Zenk
THE CHRONICLES OF ORDI
Alex Zenk
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GENRE: Fantasy
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BLURB:
Ina world where ancient magic is fading and darkness grows, one dwarf mage standsbetween his realm and destruction.
Ordi,a gifted mage with the rare ability to command all elemental magic, is summonedby his king on a perilous quest. Accompanied by his loyal posh hound Mira andhis warrior brother Verdun, Ordi must recover the legendary OtthroiteGems—powerful artifacts thought lost to time.
Asthey journey through forbidden forests, abandoned dwarven cities, and hauntedvalleys, they discover these gems are the only hope against the rising threatof the long-banished Dark Lord. With each step, they uncover secrets of ancientmagic and face betrayals that test the bonds of brotherhood.
Richin world-building and filled with magical encounters, "The Chronicles ofOrdi" blends classic fantasy elements with fresh perspectives on courage,loyalty, and the price of power.
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ExcerptTwo:
A hellhound emerged from the swirling smoke, its eyesburning with an evil fire. Two towering demons flanked the beast, their twistedforms radiating dark energy. Accompanying them was a horde of monstrousspiders, their grotesque legs and mandibles glistening in the dim light. Ordi'sheart pounded in his chest; he hated spiders—no, he was terrified of them.These were no ordinary arachnids; they ranged from five to eight feet tall,their massive forms looming menacingly. The challenge before him was immense.Hellhounds could withstand most mortal magic, and the demons posed a threat hehad only read about in the academy's ancient tomes. Desperately cycling throughspells in his mind, Ordi cursed under his breath, doubting whether any wouldsuffice against such formidable adversaries. Read more – link in comments.
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How Chronicles of Ordi: Brotherhood of the Lost GemsStands Out
Chronicles of Ordi: Brotherhood of the Lost Gemsdistinguishes itself in the epic fantasy genre through its unique blend ofpantheistic themes, morally complex characters, and a vividly crafted worldthat sidesteps overused tropes like magical networks or heavy sci-fi elements.Like many epic fantasies, such as The Lord of the Rings or The Wheelof Time, which often focus on clear-cut battles between good and evil, TheChronicles of Ordi deals with the nature of good vs evil. The evil is clearlyevil, while the good are normal, flawed characters. This emphasis on positive,elemental magic tied to nature’s divinity sets it apart from darker,artifact-driven stories like The Sword of Shannara, where talismansoften carry destructive consequences.
The protagonist, Ordi, and his Brotherhood, Verdun, Nimue,and Mira, navigate a world of gritty realism and moral ambiguity, blendingTolkien-inspired aesthetics with a modern edge that appeals to readers seekingdepth over simplistic heroism. Unlike the Edge Chronicles, which leanson whimsical flora and flight-based tech, Asheros is rooted in magic andpantheistic reverence, making the environment a living, breathing character.The antagonist, Xerxes, a cunning and layered figure, adds tension without fallinginto the generic dark lord archetype seen in Dragonlance’s Takhisis. Byfocusing on intricate character dynamics and a nature-infused magic system, Chroniclesof Ordi offers a fresh, emotionally resonant take on epic fantasy thatcelebrates hope and complexity over mythic clichés.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
AlexZenk brings a fresh voice to the world of epic quests and magical realms. Bornand raised in the midwest, Alex's love for fantasy was kindled early by theworks of J.R.R. Tolkien and nurtured through years of immersive role-playinggames. As a pastor by day and a storyteller by night, Alex brings a uniqueperspective to his writing, weaving themes of morality, redemption, and thecomplexities of good and evil into his narratives.
Drawinginspiration from his experiences in World of Warcraft, Alex has crafted a richand immersive world in his debut series, "The Chronicles of Ordi."His background in theology and his deep understanding of human nature informthe complex characters and intricate plot lines.
Whennot writing or tending to his pastoral duties, Alex can be found exploring thenatural beauty of Iowa with his family, using these adventures to fuel hisimagination and inspire new fantastic landscapes. With plans for multiple booksset in the world of Asheros, Alex Zenk is poised to make a significant impacton the fantasy genre, offering readers a blend of classic epic fantasy with amodern, thoughtful twist.
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/apzenk/
Amazon:https://a.co/d/g00TgiA
Website:https://apzenk.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565462734987
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GIVEAWAY
AlexZenk will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
