Sandra C. Lopez's Blog, page 96
November 4, 2023
Review: THE NIGHTMARE ROOM: SCARE SCHOOL by R.L Stine
What was the deal with Sam’s newschool that had a weird creature slithering around? What did they mean when they said the new kidwas always “it?”
Soon, we realize that there was acreature called an “imp” roaming and ruling the school. Sam’s life turns toterror when he fights with the evil creature and rips off his tail. But thereal surprise comes at the end when all is revealed. A good read!
Rating:4 stars
Review: BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Issue 18 by Jordie Bellaire
Not much happens in this one.Looks like Buffy and Robin spend the night together. That’s about it.
Rating:1 star
Review: THE NIGHTMARE ROOM: VISITORS by R.L. Stine
Are there aliens that exist outthere in the universe? Ben was determined to find out.
At first, he mostly obsesses overthe rock that he found and his inverted belly button. The belly button thingwas kind of weird. I didn’t really get into the whole aliens thing here, sothis wasn’t really a good read for me. Certainly not Stine’s best.
Rating:2 stars
Review: BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Issue 21 by Jordie Bellaire
The origin of Anya. Who caresabout Anya? So lame and boring.
Rating: 1 star
Review: BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Issue 20 by Jordie Bellaire
Faith comes into town. Yeah!Unfortunately, not much happens. Not action at all.
Rating:2 stars
Review: BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Issue 19 by Jordie Bellaire
Rose hooking up with Kendra? A lotof teen drama. Looks like Buffy gets rejected by Robin. Eh, not great.
Rating:2 stars
Review: BUFFY, THE VAMPIRE SLAYER Issue 22 by Jordie Bellaire
With three slayers, you’d thinkwe’d get some good action in this, right? WRONG! Very little action if any atall.
Rating:2 stars
November 2, 2023
Blog Tour: DEDKODE CONNECTED by Chad R. Hunter
DedKode - Connected
by Chad R. Hunter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Science Fiction / Horror
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BLURB:
Withoutwarning, the demonic computing device rose up. Red arcs of crackling electricity snapped out from the server and struckthe men and women in the chest. Involuntarily, they each screamed out in dying shrieks. Each worshiper hovered off the floor,transfixed and held for feeding.
DedKodemoved forward but James knew it was too late. He placed his hand out and stayed the young, undead hacker.
Theworshipers continued to undulate and now fluids ran from their orifices; heavythick drops collected in puddles beneath each of them.
Facessunk in.
Eyesrolled back.
Limbstwisted and cracked.
Afterwhat seemed like hours, but was only minutes, of watching these men and womensucked dry of their lives, the bodies collapsed to the flooring. Several landed in the pools of their bodilyfluids - that which the server did not demand.
Theserver hovered still, humming like a thousand computer room fans and thesinging of a damned chorus. The crimsonenergy that had drawn life from the worshipers crackled and snapped inoscillating arcs around the device.
Theroom was still empty as DedKode's hacks were still running and fooling thesecurity systems.
"What'sthe plan now, Devon?" James asked, keeping his eyes on the demonicequipment hovering either obliviously or without care at his presence. "Do we still try to shut this thing downand take it back or—"
SuddenlyDedKode held his hooded skeletal head. Palladino's attention shifted to his teammate.
"Whatis it?"
Therewas a feeling that stirred up from a buzzing between where DedKode’s ears oncewere to a deafening roar he could not ignore. It was an energy, a swelling that circled the room, and DedKode couldfeel it in part. "Shit, King James,look —"
Hepointed a gloved bony finger towards the now pulsating vibration only he couldfeel. The zombie hacker directedPalladino's gaze to the dead, robed corpses.
Theywere rising to their feet.
Theirhoods fell away and it was clear that they were once alive and were nowresurrected dead. Jaws were sunken in,eyes pulled back into black sockets completely void of life. Mouths hung in slow, smacking moans andpatches of hair fell with each step, covering the floor along with tears ofdesiccate flesh.
Armslifted up and bony hands reached out in trembling grasps.
Ahoarse cry rumbled from within breathless, shrunken lungs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
The street wasonce Lake Shore Drive.
It had beenconsidered one of the most beautiful stretches of road ever constructed. From nearly any point on the arterial Chicagoroad, one could stop and see the lake, Museum Campus, and other aspects ofsheer magnificence.
Testaments tohumanity's architecture, designs, and vision literally reached up to thesky. Willis Tower was legendary. Floors and floors of beautiful windows thatonce caught the rising sun were now almost completely shattered. Unimaginable amounts of flesh-cutting shardsof shining triangles littered the streets.
The Cloud Gate,lovingly referred to as "The Bean," was a mind-boggling,visually-stunning stainless-steel sculpture that had once captured theimagination of both locals and visitors. Its mirror-like surface played trickswith reality, reflecting the city's vibrant life in mesmerizing ways.
Now, the Beanwas covered in scarred marks and awash in dark splotches of foul-smellingliquids. Instead of laughing faces andoptically-twisted visitors, what reflected in the artistically crafted curveswas now a sea of countless reddish white deathly stares of layers and layers ofskulls laying under the landmark.
The air waslayered with gut-churning rancidity not unlike the reek of meat left exposedatop rank garbage in offensive summer heat.
Even on achill-bitten fall night, the gore was overpowering to all aspects of humaninteraction.
Nearby, theCrown Fountain had once captured onlookers with its interactive art, projectingthe faces of Chicagoans on towering screens, spouting water from their mouthsinto the reflecting pool below. Tonight,the fountain did not spray immaculate pristine waters but instead bubbled fromtime to time, as would a swamp. Thefluid within was greenish in color and reeked of acidic bile and vomit. Flieshad made the site a place of egg laying and maggot rearing.
The AdlerPlanetarium once world-renowned for its celestial studies was a brokenhalf-dome. Immense cracks ran atop theonce majestic structure that had brought countless visitors from across theglobe.
The FieldMuseum had been a cauldron of the past and the present with future aspirationsand wonder. It was once the place wherehistory was held in honored perpetuity. Now, whatever remained of mankind's history had violated and pulled fromthe museum's halls.
Glass cases hadbeen shattered.
Exhibits hadbeen torn out and thrown asunder.
Red, pink andwhite littered the stairs as intestines, blood and bone made a carpet atop themuseum’s walkway.
Chicago was acity known for its sides - its South Side, North Side and West Side. Each wasunique from its ethnic communities to its dominant food vendors and carts toits well-known struggles of parking. Yetnow, there were no sides anymore.
Now all thatwas gone. Sides were identical - eacharea of the city, like each area of other metropolitan sprawls across the globe- were miles and miles of death.
What do I like best about this genre?
I like the flexibility of creating within ahorror/science-fiction environment. There are literally no limits to the world building that you cancreate. There is no up, no down, no leftand no right if you choose to remove those basic concepts. You can create your own mythology or buildatop real-world legends and apply your own spin. However, a writer has to tie parts of worldbuilding in horror and sci-fi to real world aspects so that readers havetethers that allow them to connect, to understand and empathize. You can’t have a story that is so alien areader cannot relate.
I also enjoy creating rules within this genre and making whatI hope is something worthwhile within the walls I give myself. It’s a challenge and one that I really acceptand relish.
Additionally, horror and science-fiction allow you to make readerslook at themselves, at society and everything they think they know. Theyare the only genres that can use such a wide variety of tools to move peopleinto introspection. Horror andscience-fiction can terrify, can thrill, can disgust all in the name of makinga reader think and feel. Humor, romance,etc., are great genres but the horrific and the fantastic themes of these writingshave endless tools.
What I also really like about these genres is making peoplefeel very human emotions despite non-human or inhuman situations andcharacters. For example, even thoughDedKode is a sentient zombie, you will feel his emotions, his challenges, hishopes, his fears, etc. DedKode:Connected will stir up human emotions in readers despite being a work ofwild, zombie-filled, technologically weaponized, fiction.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
About Chad Hunter
Chad Hunter was born in East Chicago, Indiana. Raised by a singlemother in the city's Harbor section, he is the youngest of four. Growing up inthe Midwest and a proudly self-proclaimed "Region Rat," Hunter haswritten and published several books and novels. He has written for magazinesand newspapers throughout North America and has been published in severallanguages. His writings have been called sophisticated yet humorous, sharpwitted and unrelenting.
Most often, Hunter's writings have been considered so wide anddiverse that they span a scale that would include multiple writers withmultiple forms. If anything binds his varied styles, it is Hunter's theme ofthe human condition, humor and family closeness - all to the backdrop ofromantic love, vibrant remembrance and even monsters themselves.
Website: www.dedkode.com
Blog: https://dedkode.wordpress.com/
Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/DedKode1
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dedkode3
Join the community list - https://thededthread.aweb.page/
Shop - https://my-store-cf841e.creator-spring.com/
Hy.page - https://hy.page/dedkode
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chad-Hunter/author/B009F2D6X2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
ChadHunter will award a randomly drawn winner a $10 Amazon/BN gift card.
a Rafflecopter giveawayBlog Tour: DRAGON SONG by Shirley McCoy
DRAGON SONG
by Shirley McCoy
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GENRE: Paranormal Romance
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BLURB:
Dragonsrule the world. Princess Morgan Talbot of Esterhaven knows one rules her.Rownar, the most powerful dragon of all, forced a magical bond with her at atender age. He intends to corrupt her soul, then consume her body. Now of age,Morgan knows she must take back her life and defeat Rownar, and all his kind.Connor O'Malley is the greatest dragon slayer alive. He spends one memorablenight with Morgan, never thinking to see her again. Until he does. He is deeplyshaken to learn the woman he fell for is a princess and determined to conquerRownar herself. When Connor offers to train her, Morgan reluctantly accepts.Now an epic battle will begin, for a princess's life, her soul, her kingdom,and the world.
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Excerpt One:
As theycautiously navigated through the hoard, Morgan detected a slight glow in herperipheral vision. It flared up, then subsided. As they stepped forward, shediscerned it again, and this time she whipped around quickly enough to see asmall magical symbol etched in the floor behind them light up, then dim.
“Oh no,” shemurmured.
“What’s wrong?”Connor demanded in a sharp tone.
She pacedfurther and showed him. “I think if Meglos doesn’t already know we are here, hewill soon.”
As if on cue,deep within the cave, the sound of an almighty clang of metal meeting metalfilled their ears. Then came a roar, the kind which could only be made by adragon.
Morgan knew hereyes must be wide as saucers, but she couldn’t seem to help it or move at all,in fact. Horror rooted her to the spot, unable even to speak, much less move.
Connor was notso afflicted. “Run!”
When she didn’ttwitch so much as an eyelash, he yelled, “Run, Morgan!”
The volume ofhis words, his manner, and most of all, the use of her name, snapped her out ofher panicked shock at last. She went from utter stillness to moving faster thanshe ever had in her life.
The dragon,shrieking and breathing fire all the while, flew after them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Shirley McCoy grew up in Baton Rouge, LA and started writing at anearly age. Always talkative, when she was eleven she began to put her thoughtson paper, writing stories inspired by some of her favorite writers, LauraIngalls Wilder and Madeline L'Engle. As she grew older, she developed a love ofromance and in 2009 she decided to try her hand at paranormal romance. Theresult was The Smoke and the Flame and its sequel, The Wind and the Fire. TheSmoke and the Flame is the first novel she has ever completed, although she haswritten several unpublished screenplays.
Shirley graduated from Nicholls State University where she majoredin History and minored in English. Since graduating (she doesn't like to thinkabout how long ago that was) she has worked at some of the best libraries inthe Baton Rouge area. She makes her home there and enjoys spending time withfamily members that live in town as well as with those that live out of town.She also loves seeing movies, reading, and going to the park with her niece inher free time.
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Shirley-McCoy/author/B00BZ6SNMU
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shirlmccoy50/
Website: https://shirleypmccoy.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shirley_mccoy/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
GIVEAWAY
Theauthor will award a randomly drawn winner a $10 Amazon/BN GC.
a Rafflecopter giveawayNovember 1, 2023
Blog Tour: GIRL ON TRIAL by Kathleen Fine
I am thrilled to be hosting a spoton the GIRL ON TRIAL by Kathleen Fine Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out mypost and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Title: GIRLON TRIALAuthor: KathleenFine
Pub. Date: October24, 2023
Publisher: CamCatBooks
Formats: Hardcover,Paperback, eBook, Audiobook
Pages: 304
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/GIRL-ON-TRIAL
Does doing one bad thing make you abad person?
Sixteen-year-old Emily Keller, knownby the media as Keller the Killer, is accused of causing the deaths of fourfamily members, including young children. Emily is one of the youngest femalesto be accused of a crime so heinous, making this the nation’s biggest trial ofthe year. But what really happened that fateful night―and who’s responsible―isanything but straightforward.
Living in a trailer park in Baltimorewith her twin brother and alcoholic mother, Emily’s life hasn’t been easy.She’s had to grow up fast, and like any teen, has made questionable decisionsin a desperate attempt to fit in with her peers. Will her mistakes amount to aguilty verdict and a life in prison? It’s up to the jury to decide.
For readers who enjoy LuckiestGirl Alive by Jessica Knoll, 13 Reasons Why by JayAsher, and One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus.
Excerpt:
She glanced around her mom’s room, trying to take it all in. What if the jury convicts me and I go tojail for the rest of my life? What if this is one of the last nights I sleep inthis house? How can I ever live with myself again for what happened to thoselittle girls? Does one mistake make me a bad person even though I’ve lived allmy life being a good person? Can good people do bad things to good people? Whydid those little girls have to die? Where are those little girls now? Is therea heaven? Is there a God and, if so, why would God kill those little girls? Shetook a deep breath and closed her eyes. Goddidn’t kill those little girls . . . I did.
She wanted to tell her mom all her worries. She wanted totell her that she hadn’t been able to sleep for the past two months and whenshe did, all she saw were Sophie’s and Katie’s faces. She wanted to tell hermom that all she wanted to feel was nothing at all. But instead, she closed hereyes and tried to stop the tears from falling.
As if she were reading Emily’s mind, Debbie whispered,“Worrying doesn’t take away tomorrow’s troubles. It takes away today’s peace.”
Emily raised her brows at her mom’s words of wisdom. Shewished her mom had been there for her a few months before when she’d neededher. She wished they could’ve done this then. Now it was too late. Emilythought back to her favorite childhood book that her mom used to read to her, The Runaway Bunny. No matter where thebunny went, the mommy rabbit was always going to find her.
But didn’t everyone know that rabbit mothers immediatelyleave the burrow after giving birth and only stop by for a few minutes each dayto feed the litter? After less than a month, the bunnies are left to fend forthemselves.
***
Review: Emily Keller A.K.A. Keller theKiller was standing trial for the murder of a family. How could sheintentionally kill all those people? She couldn’t have. Through a series ofback-and-forth channels, we get the scoop of what really happened that sent Emilyto trial.
In the past, Emily was so shy,nice, and truly genuine. She just wanted someone to be her friend. Weconstantly keep transitioning from past to present and present to past. Thetrial consisted of lawyer statements and witness accounts, making the whole readlong and slow. Of course, you wanted to get to the events of the murder, but wewere a long way from that and the details were presented in such a cut-and-dryway—basically like a trial, which made sense since this was a trial. I honestlydidn’t really get too much from reliving the past, especially so many monthsback. The only thing I got was the through impression of what Emily’s life waslike living in a trailer with a useless, addict mom. The premise was certainlyalluring, but I guess I just expected to get into this more. I expected more ofa mystery to figure out. But this really is a girl on trial, which was not bad.In fact, this would be good for people that like court dramas.
This is a fairly interesting readoverall.
Rating: 3 stars
Q&A with Author
1. What gave you the inspiration to writethis book?
I started toexperiment at a very early age with alcohol. I understand firsthand the effectsthat peer pressure can have on a teenage girl. When I think back to my teenageyears, I sometimes think what if? What if I had made this choice or thatdecision? There were so many terrible outcomes that could have occurred in mylife.
I wanted towrite this novel to show readers a “what if.” What if you caved into peerpressure and made the one bad decision that could alter your future forever?
As socialmedia is a huge aspect of teenager's self-esteem and decision making today,this novel will help demonstrate the harm in following the crowd.
I want myreaders to come out of this story with the lingering big question: Does doingone bad thing make you a bad person? Some choices we make can never be takenback.
I hope that teens who read this think twicebefore following a crowd and stand firmly with what they know is right in theirheart.
2. Who is your favorite character in thebook?
Emily, theprotagonist, is my favorite character. She is like a lot of teen girls—insecureand wanting to fit in with the crowd. She wants to be liked and is willing tolose her own morals to gain acceptance from her peers.
In thebeginning of the story, Emily’s major character’s flaws are being envious andweak-willed. She’s envious of the person she thinks she thinks she’s supposedto be, the influencers, actresses, models, and popular girls at school. Thatenvy makes her weak-willed. She’s unable to say no, even when she knows thatthe choices she makes are immoral.
Emily makes mistakes like every human on theplanet and loses her innocence in the process. But in that process of losingher innocence, she also becomes a survivor. I love how much Emily changesthrough the story and she shows teens that they can grow and learn from theirmistakes.
3. Which came first, the title or thenovel?
The novel!After finishing it, I was trying to come up with a title and simply thought ofthe basic premise of the book, a girl is on trial!
4. What scene in the book are you mostproud of, and why?
Hm, that istough! I would say I love the scene of Emily with her mother on her mother’sbed. It shows the imperfect, but powerful bond between a mother and daughter nomatter what their flaws and own traumas may be.
5. Thinking way back to the beginning,what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
I havelearned that you have to love your story because you are going to be rereadingit MANY times! I hadn’t realized how many edits and new drafts I would make.(Wouldn’t it be so nice if all of our first drafts came out perfectly?) 😊
6. What do you like most about the cover ofthe book?
I like thesimplicity of the cover. The first two rounds of covers my publisher had sent,I had said no to because there was too much going on. I just wanted asolid-colored background with a simple clue from the book on the cover. I lovehow the blue and yellow colors pop!
7. What new release book are you lookingmost forward to in 2023?
Hm that’stough, especially since 2023 is almost over! For 2024, I would say SallyHepworth’s Darling Girls or StacyWillingham’s Only if You’re Lucky.
8. What was your favorite book in 2023?
I am an avidreader, so it is so hard to just pick one. A few of my favorites were Demon Copperhead, Good Rich People, TheCollected Regrets of Clover, PromiseBoys, and The Soulmate.
9. What’s up next for you?
I finishedmy second novel, The Chesapeake House, in January. Here is a little blurb:
Akidnapping, an affair, and a murder….
TheChesapeake House, A Home for People with Abilities, is in disarray when theirhouse manager goes missing. So, when Dolores goes on a hunt to find her, whatshe discovers is more than she anticipated for…
TheChesapeake House is a brilliant take on finding family in the most unexpectedplaces and reveals that even people with disabilities can do amazing things...
TheChesapeake House is Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies and The Husband’s Secretmeets Mark Haddon’s, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
10. Is there anything that you would like toadd?
11. Which was the most difficult or emotionalscene to narrate?
Any of thetrial scenes were difficult for me to write. It was hard to delicately discusssuch disturbing events (the death of the family), while still trying to keepthe reader empathetic towards their alleged killer.
12. Which character gave you the most troublewhen writing your latest book?
Probably thecharacter I deleted! Lol. In my first few drafts, Emily’s mom had a best friendnamed Madge. I didn’t give her a huge role, but she was just in and out enoughfor my editor to tell me to either add her as a more integral part of the storyor get rid of her. So, I chose the latter 😊
13. Which part of the writing process do youenjoy more: Drafting or Revising?
I woulddefinitely say drafting since you only do it once! Every time I revise, Ithink, “This is it”, and then am told by an editor it needs more changes. Itcan get discouraging!
14. What would you say is your superpower?
Mysuperpower would probably be my ability to multitask and my efficiency. I canget things completed super-fast! (Although my weakness is not taking my time onthings 😊) So I guess I contradict myself!
15. Is there an organization or cause that isclose to your heart?
My secondnovel’s setting is in a home for adults with disabilities. A reason for this isbecause advocating for people who have disabilities is very close to my heart. https://www.pwdf.org/ (People with Disabilities Foundation) is an amazingorganization that provides education and advocacy for people with disabilitiesso that they can achieve equal opportunities in all aspects of life.
About Kathleen Fine:
KathleenFine received her Master’s in Reading Education from Towson University andBachelor’s in Elementary Education from University of Maryland, College Park.She is a member of the Maryland Writers Association, International ThrillerWriters, and Author’s Guild. When she’s not writing and selling real estate,she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling to the Outer Banks, and ofcourse, reading anything she can get her hands on. She currently lives inBaltimore, Maryland with her husband, three children, and Sussex Spaniel. Herdebut novel, Girl on Trial, will be released in the Fall of 2023.
Sign up for Kathleen’s newsletter! (Scroll to the bottom of the page)
Website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok | Goodreads | BookBub
Giveaway Details:
1 winnerwill receive a finished copy of GIRL ON TRIAL, US Only.
EndsNovember 14th, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
10/16/2023
Interview
10/17/2023
Guest Post
10/18/2023
#BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog
Blog Spotlight
10/19/2023
IG Post
10/20/2023
IG Post/TikTok Post
10/21/2023
IG Review
Week Two:
10/22/2023
Review/IG Post
10/23/2023
Review/IG Post
10/24/2023
Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer
Review/IG Post
10/25/2023
Review/IG Post
10/26/2023
Review/IG Post
10/27/2023
IG Review
10/28/2023
IG Review
Week Three:
10/29/2023
Review/IG Post
10/30/2023
Review/IG Post
10/31/2023
IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post
11/1/2023
Review
11/2/2023
IG Review
11/3/2023
IG Review/TikTok Post
11/4/2023
Kim's Book Reviews and Writing Aha's
Review/IG Post
Week Four:
11/5/2023
Review/IG Post
11/6/2023
Review/IG Post
11/7/2023
Review/IG Post
11/8/2023
Review/IG Post
11/9/2023
IG Reviews
11/10/2023
Mystery, Thrillers, and Suspense
Review/IG Post
