Sybrina Durant's Blog, page 269
May 4, 2019
Sybrina’s Blue Unicorn Book Store – Unicorn Beanie Hat
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May 3, 2019
My Review of Fatality In F by Alexia Gordon
FATALITY IN F
A Gethsemane Brown Mystery, Volume 4
by
Alexia Gordon
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Henery Press
Date of Publication: February 26, 2019
Number of Pages: 234
Scroll down for the giveaway!
Fresh from solving her third mystery—and saving Dunmullach’s firstborn males from a vengeful ghost—Gethsemane Brown’s ready to relax and enjoy her summer. Her plans include nothing more dangerous than performing in the opening ceremony of the annual rose and garden show and cheering on Frankie Grennan, who’s entered his hybrid rose into the competition.
But when a mysterious stalker starts leaving Frankie floral bouquets as coded messages, Gethsemane fears a copy-cat may be planning to recreate the still-unsolved murders of the infamous Flower Shop Killer. Then Frankie’s main competitor in the rose show—and the reason his marriage failed—turns up dead in Frankie’s rose garden. Frankie takes first prize in the category “prime suspect.”
So much for a relaxing summer.
As bodies start dropping like rose petals, Gethsemane must judge the other suspects and find the real killer. Or rose bushes won’t be the only things dead-headed in Dunmullach.
The cover and the title of this book are what drew me in. Fatality in F. . .oh, how musically delicious. Any author who can incorporate music into their work gains my immediate attention. This author, Alexia Gordon does not disappoint in book number four of her musical mystery series. Here’s an example of what I mean by that: “Eerie, yet majestic, notes meant to evoke the Russian mountain spirit who protected the mines and their underground treasures welled up from the violin and spilled over onto the stage and into the auditorium.” I love that imagery.
Not only does Ms. Gordon expound upon the emotional rifts and swells of music but she uses it as an instrumental background in such a way that you almost feel as if you are watching a movie rather than reading a book.
In this book, former world renowned classical violinist and current music director at the local boy’s school, finds herself embroiled in investigating a murder within the rosarian community, as she prepares to conduct the Dunmullach Village Orchestra in the opening and awards ceremonies of the upcoming garden show, hosted by The International Rose Hybridizers’ Association. All right. . .murder. . .music and flowers. . .now I’m really interested.
Investigative Mysteries. . .How I love them and I have read quite a few. My favorite sleuths were the perky super snooper Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie’s elderly nose around Miss Marple and of course, the master of all consulting detectives, Sherlock Holmes. I must say that our heroine, the extraordinary Gethsemane Brown is a solid mix of all three. She’s older than Nancy by about 20 years and much, much younger than Miss Marple but she’s just as persistent as those two ladies and just as logical as dear old Sherlock.
There are so many great characters in this book who assist “Fearless Brown”, as her friends sometimes call her, with the many investigations which manage to present themselves to her but I will mainly concentrate on Gethsemane and her ghostly protector for my review. I apologize for that but the dynamics between them really gets your imagination going.
So. . .about Gethsemane’s ghost. . .Eamon McCarthy, inhabits the ancient lighthouse at Carraigfaire that Ms. Brown calls home. But for a few exceptions, he can also travel nearly anywhere he’d visited while alive. She became acquainted with the lovely spirit in a previous book while researching his death. Everyone had suspected suicide but Gethsemane proved he was poisoned to death with digoxin, a pharmaceutical derived from the beautiful bell-shaped purple flowers of the foxglove plant. Did I mention the author has a medical background? It really shows here and many other places in the book.
While reading about Gethsemane Brown and Eamon McCarthy, I just couldn’t stop thinking back to one of my favorite television programs from the late 60’s called The Ghost and Mrs Muir. That comedic series was based on a romantic fantasy movie that was based on a very popular cozy romance book (they weren’t called that back then, though) of the same title which was written by Josephine Leslie under the pseudonym of R. A. Dick.
Gethesemane and Eamon share a seaside home along with many private moments and revealing conversations, just like Mrs. Muir and her Captain Greg. I don’t believe Captain Greg was able to leave the confines of Gull Cottage, though.
In addition to being able to travel, Eamon can move things around with his thoughts and can throw explosive orb blasts at evil doers. On the domestic front, he can brew up a mean pot of coffee or serve a whisky neat. He is even capable of learning new skills like how to maneuver through the world wide web to social media groups like Murderphile dot com. In fact, it is that new skill that leads G. Brown to one of the biggest clues for solving the mysterious murders in this book.
Like Captain Greg, Eamon experiences all of the emotions of a flesh and blood entity. He doesn’t always use words to express them. Many times they are manifested as different colored auras. There’s impatient turquoise, worried saffron, morose dull yellow, pink with embarrassment and unamused mauve. Eamon bristles umber when annoyed. His aura is radiant with blue fury when angry and when fearful he glows full-on terrified purple. Hmmm. . .I wonder what color love would cause his aura to appear? Will the author let us know in her next book?
Another big difference between Captain Greg and Eamon is that Gethsemane’s spectral friend reaches out to touch her and often. That is something that never occurred between Mrs. Muir and hers. The effects and powers of his touches range from affection (causing only a mild spark to flash through her) to desperation (literally throwing her over a cliff to save her from gunfire). It was the constant touching that had me wondering if there might be some hopeless romance budding between the two of them. Though they exist in two different dimensions they almost live as a married couple. As long as Eamon is in her life, I can’t see her ever letting another man get very close.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean to steer you in the wrong direction. This is not a love story. It is an all out who-dun-it murder mystery with lots of exciting events throughout. I highly recommend you read this book or series in any order you please. Fatality in F certainly stands on its own but you might want to start with Murder In G Major (#1). Then, move on to Death In D Minor (#2), followed by Killing In C Sharp (#3) and wrap it all up with book #4. Which ever route you decide on, you will be as impressed with Alexia Gordon’s story-telling abilities as I am.
PRAISE FOR THE GETHSEMANE BROWN MYSTERY SERIES:
Book 1, Murder in G Major
Winner of the 2017 Lefty Award for Best Debut Novel
2016 Agatha Award nominee for Best First Novel
Suspense magazine “Best of 2016” selection in Debut Novel category
Book 2, Death in D Minor
Runner-Up, 2017 Lone Star Bloggers’ Choice Awards, Best Mystery
Book 3, Killing in C Sharp
Starred review, Publisher’s Weekly, January 29, 2018
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A writer since childhood, Alexia Gordon won her first writing prize in the 6th grade. She continued writing through college but put literary endeavors on hold to finish medical school and Family Medicine residency training. She established her medical career then returned to writing fiction. Raised in the southeast, schooled in the northeast, she relocated to the west where she completed Southern Methodist University’s Writer’s Path program. She admits Texas brisket is as good as Carolina pulled pork. She practices medicine in North Chicago, IL. She enjoys the symphony, art collecting, embroidery, and ghost stories.
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This is my Review of the Month for the review collection on LovelyAudiobooks.info
May 2, 2019
Book Scrolling Top 100 Unicorn Books List
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Book Scrolling Top 100 Unicorn Books List
Books featuring the Blue Unicorn are 44th, 45th and 76th on this list of the 100 Best Books About or Featuring Unicorns from Book Scrolling, a small organization who loves books, reading, and doing anything they can to get books into the hands or ears of others.
Thank you Book Scrolling!
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May 1, 2019
Silver Dagger Book Tours – New Camelot Series Prequel by Barbara Russell
A Knight to Celebrate
New Camelot Prequel
by Barbara Russell
Genre: YA Arthurian Steampunk Fantasy Romance
Nathair and two other fellow cadets of the Sir Lancelot’s Academy for
Knights are pulling a prank on the ladies of Lady Guinevere’s
Academy for Damsels. After the ladies filled the cadets’ quivers
with honey, it’s only fair that the cadets return the favour.
**Only .99 cents!!**
Goodreads * Amazon
THE FIRST RULE to be a good, no, a great thief was to be patient. Hurry would get Nathair caught, and getting caught picking the lock of Lady Guinevere’s Academy for Damsels meant an immediate expulsion from Sir Lancelot Academy for Knights, a month grounded at home, and the end of his dream of becoming a knight.
But with his fellow cadets fretting around him and urging him to be fast, the noise of the night patrols roaming New Camelot’s streets, and the looming fear that a clockwork knight might discover them, he wasn’t particularly prone to follow this first rule.
Not that he was a real thief. He’d never stolen anything. So far, he’d used his pilfering skills to help his best friend, Tristan, enter the ladies’ academy to meet his girlfriend of the moment. If Sir Lancelot had been alive today, almost five hundred years after King Arthur’s death, he wouldn’t be impressed by what the young knights in training were about to do. Protecting the ladies was one of the first rules of the Knight Code. Heck, Nathair’s mother wouldn’t be impressed or amused.
He was the first dark-skinned cadet, member of the tribe of the Snake, to almost become a knight, and he might blow his career tonight. But two days ago, the girls of the Lady Guinevere had filled the cadets’ quivers with honey. So, it was only fair that the cadets returned the favour.
“Will it take long, Nathair?” Raymond asked, biting his fingernails. His gaze darted around, and his chest strained the jacket of the cadets’ uniform.
Nathair slid a thin knife into the slit between the door and the doorframe. “It’ll take the time that it’s needed.”
He paused to wipe his clammy hands over his trousers and to push back his hair. A sliver of anxiety crawled up his neck like a spider, but he ignored it. He’d picked this lock dozens of times. He knew it intimately, better than the cabbage field in his farmhouse. Yet that night the lock didn’t want to yield to his touch. The knife jammed even though the lock hadn’t been changed. He was sure of that. It was the same, rusty old lock of a few days ago.
Raymond shifted his weight and blew air on his hands. The blue cloak swished about his ankles. “Can’t you speed up?”
Tristan swatted his shoulder. “First, don’t disturb Nat while he’s working. He tends to become sloppy when you push him.”
“No, I don’t,” Nathair gritted out, sticking the second knife in the lock.
“You do.” Tristan waved a dismissive hand before returning his attention to Raymond. “And second, why did you wear the academy uniform? If someone sees us, they’ll know the Sir Lancelot’s cadets broke into the Guinevere’s Academy.”
A Knight in Distress
New Camelot #1
Knights are supposed to rescue damsels. That’s the natural order. So when
Nathair, a knight in training, finds himself rescued by the princess
he’s supposed to save, he’s annoyed. And when the princess proves
she can fight like a knight? Well, that’s enough for a boy to think
about a career change.
Add to Goodreads
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One
Nathair hadn’t planned to end his last day at Sir Lancelot’s Academy for Knights getting caught cheating on his final examination. Especially since the cheating had been a misunderstanding. The incriminating piece of parchment was still in his best friend’s extended hand. General Baldwin loomed over Nathair in his emerald uniform, one eyebrow arched in disappointment.
“Sir, I wasn’t—” Nathair started, standing at his desk.
“Don’t even try, Locksbay.” General Baldwin held up a hand to silence him. “The situation is clear enough. I’ve caught your friend Tristan red-handed passing you that piece of paper with the correct Numeracy answers. Cheating is not only against the academy rules, but the Knights’ Honor Code as well.”
Ouch. That hurts. Nathair wasn’t a cheater. He was an average student maybe, but never a cheater. He bit down the remark and ignored his fellow cadets whispering and giggling behind his back. They leaned forward on their wooden desks, heads turning from him to the general like in a game of stool-ball. Many cadets would enjoy seeing the only russet-skinned boy at the academy being publicly scolded.
Tristan of Greystone stood and bowed to the general. His blond hair swished about his shoulders. “General Baldwin, it’s my fault. It was my idea to help Nathair. I knew he needed help with Numeracy, and I thought to pass him the answers. He didn’t ask me anything.”
That was true, and swyve. Tristan excelled at many things—he was the academy’s top cadet—but persuading people was his most honed skill. His confident tone, reassuring smile, and bright blue eyes could soothe the most inveterate criminal into turning himself in.
General Baldwin waved a dismissive hand. “You can sit down, Greystone, and keep going with your examination, but I’ll take fifty points off your final score for breaking the rules.”
Tristan did as told, casting an apologetic glance at Nathair.
General Baldwin took Nathair’s test and scanned it. “Let’s see why you wanted Greystone’s intervention.”
When his’ gray eyebrows shot up, Nathair smelled trouble. He didn’t need the mind-reading power of the mind-wrens to guess what the general was thinking. The bell echoed in the high-vaulted ceiling of the Training Hall, and Nathair exhaled. Chairs scraped back against the wooden floor.
Now he was done for.
“Locksbay,” General Baldwin’s voice sounded stern, “…follow me to my office.”
“Of course, sir.” He collected his quill, parchments, and ink bottle and stuffed them in his bag.
“Sorry,” Tristan whispered. “I’ll wait for you here.”
With heavy feet, Nathair followed the man who might expel him. He swallowed hard, thinking about his mentor. What would Ewhen say when he heard about this? Nathair shuffled behind the general along the Champions’ Corridor lined with famous knights’ suits of armor. They headed to the eastern tower of the castle toward the mechanical winch.
Before entering the narrow cabin that would lift him up to the third floor, Nathair hesitated. Traveling suspended by an iron cable wasn’t his idea of a safe trip. In comparison, the clockwork stairs, despite the grinding noise of the steps winding up, seemed safer. Nathair stepped inside the cabin and shoved his hands in his blue cloak pockets, while the winch coiled up with a grinding of metal against stone. From a gap between two metal plates, he caught a glimpse of rotating wheels and pumping pistons.
Once at the landing, Nathair trudged toward General Baldwin’s office. The oak door closed behind them with a thud. The room had four floor-to-ceiling windows, a high-vaulted ceiling, and a fireplace that resembled a dragon’s open jaw. Despite the size of the room, Nathair’s chest constricted. He breathed in the familiar smell. The musty scent of old parchments mingled with that of the armchairs’ worn leather.
“Sit.” General Baldwin sat on his throne-like chair.
Nathair groaned and dropped down onto one of the stuffed chairs. No chance this would be quick.
General Baldwin scanned Nathair’s test, his eyes darting up and down. “You have twenty-five points. It’s not good enough, but it’s not an excuse to cheat either.”
He didn’t reply. He’d rather take the blame than involve Tristan. Besides, telling the truth wouldn’t change his score.
General Baldwin drummed his fingers on the desk. “What happened? You were a good student. Not the finest, but decent. This,” he gestured at the paper, “is not what I’d have expected from you, and I’m not talking about today’s examination.” He opened a drawer and pulled out a leather folder fat with parchments. He unfastened the string and spread them out.
Nathair gripped the armrests.
“I had a look at your tests and assignments, and I’m very disappointed.” General Baldwin flipped through the stack of papers. “In your last Wildlife and Wild-flora test you scored an Insufficient, same thing with Music and Courteous Conversation.”
He shook his head. A sickening lump crawled into his stomach. Please, anything but Poetry.
“For example, Poetry.” As General Baldwin read, his frown deepened. “Dame Puddifoot wrote only one word about your poetic skills: hopeless. What is your obsession with cats? Cats are all over your poems. You must love them.”
Hardly. Cat rhymed with everything: fat, hat, sat, bat, mat—the possibilities were endless.
“And I see no extracurricular skills or activities.” He stared at Nathair.
He wiped his hands on the trousers of his uniform and pulled back a curled strand of his chestnut hair. Call it a hunch but breaking into Lady Guinevere’s Damsels Academy using nothing but two knives probably wasn’t an extracurricular skill the general would be interested in, but then someone had to release those greasy pigs into Lady Guinevere’s dormitory. Last week, the ladies had filled the cadets’ quivers with honey. It was only sensible that the cadets returned the favor, and Tristan needed help to sneak into the rooms of his many girlfriends.
“Well?” General Baldwin prompted.
“I don’t have much time for extra activities, sir.”
“Anyway, I might agree that Music and Poetry aren’t essential for a knight, but an Unsatisfactory in Swordsmanship and Defensive Strategy is inexcusable. You’ve excelled in them until recently. Ewhen’s always praised your fighting skills and resilience. What’s going on with you?”
He loosened his jacket’s collar. “I…my family had problems this winter.”
“What problems?”
“My sister got the water-elf disease.”
General Baldwin’s jaw dropped. “Was it serious?”
“Her lungs were affected.” Nathair fussed with his cloak. “The healer’s fee was exorbitant, and my mother couldn’t hire a worker for the harvest. I had to help her.”
Not that his mother had asked for his help. She wanted Nathair to focus on his studies. In fact, they’d had a furious fight. Still, he’d worked tirelessly on the field. The cuts and bruises covering his hands didn’t come from combat practice. The hours spent plowing and tilling had taken their toll.
“Did your mother ask for a loan?” General Baldwin asked.
“She did.” Nathair’s eyes narrowed. “They wanted forty percent interest.”
General Baldwin tilted his head. “What? That’s robbery. Your mother is being treated like a witch. The reason?”
“They said that…” Anger and shame swept through Nathair. He squirmed on the chair as if he were sitting on hot coals. At least he would be eighteen soon and the official owner of their land. “They don’t trust a russet-skinned woman of the Snake clan, and she was lucky that Ewhen is our landowner. Otherwise, the Wizarding Council would’ve already confiscated our land. Unless we pay the debt in a month, they’ll take our farm, and my mother’s permit to stay in New Camelot will be revoked.”
If his mother were expelled from the city, he’d follow her into the Snake Mountains where her people lived. New Camelot was his home. He’d been born here. All he knew about the Snake people was that they were dark-skinned and worshiped a half-woman, half-snake goddess. He didn’t even speak their tongue.
“I’m not surprised. The war against the Snake people has gone on for too long—like the war against the Saxons and the Goths, and now we’re on the edge of a war with the Romans.” General Baldwin rose and paced. “Did you tell the moneylenders about your father and how your mother is a hardworking, law-abiding citizen? I guess they don’t care.” He stopped pacing. “Why didn’t you tell me any of this? I might’ve helped.”
Nathair scuffed his boots on the marble floor. “I thought I could handle it.”
“Pride is a knight’s trait, but you should’ve told me. Now I can’t do anything. Tomorrow, when the High Wizard assigns you your quest, you’ll be on your own. Besides, I have to inform him of your attempt at cheating, which means your quest will be harder. After the last Wizarding Council’s decree, I’m afraid that…” He fell silent and waved a hand. “Never mind. You’ll know soon enough.”
“Even if I fail tomorrow, I can try next year, right?” He wouldn’t graduate with Tristan, but next year he’d study hard, and his final examination would be better.
General Baldwin paled. “Er…well, that’s the rule…for now.” He turned to the mantelpiece and straightened the shield of the order of the Swan. Always brave, always faithful, always a knight, the motto read.
Those ancient words would be written on Nathair’s shield one day, if he were ever accepted into the order.
General Baldwin faced Nathair, his expression grave. “I know how badly you want to be a Swan.” His chest puffed. “The order of the Swan has the best warriors of the kingdom. I’ve been a Swan knight since your age and fought with them for more than thirty years, so I understand your feelings. Promise me you won’t do anything stupid or reckless tomorrow. When the High Wizard assigns you a quest, I want you to think carefully before accepting it.”
Nathair rubbed the back of his neck, struggling to follow the conversation. He could have a second chance if he failed the quest, but not if he turned it down. Without even trying it, he could never apply to the Swans and could never be a knight. “I’ll do my best, sir.”
“Off you go.” General Baldwin opened the door. “Tomorrow is an important day for you. Sleep well and get ready.”
A Damsel in Shiny Armor
New Camelot #2
After fighting dragons, wild Vikings, and clockwork monsters, Nathair is
facing the biggest challenge of his life: proposing to Bryhannon.
Apparently, flowers and a three-month salary worth ring aren’t
enough because she doesn’t seem thrilled by the proposal. She has a
devastating power to control, Reapers to face, and more importantly
she has to find the courage to tell Nathair that she’s a Morrigan.
Add to Goodreads
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One
The wild spinning into the air, the feeling of his ribs almost being crushed, and the searing pain in the skull didn’t bother Nathair much. His head throbbed, and his stomach rolled with nausea, but that was normal when he used a traveling charm.
What bothered him during a trip with a traveling charm was the fear of being beheaded or losing a limb as it’d happened to a junior knight a few weeks ago. The poor lad had lost his foot and screamed so loud Nathair thought a dragon was attacking the Swan’s headquarters.
Yes, a healer had reattached the missing limb, and now the lad walked with only a minor limp, yet, experiencing that type of pain wasn’t something Nathair looked forward to.
He landed on the grass in the middle of the Order of the Swan’s headquarters in New Camelot and staggered onto his feet. The blue smoke produced by the charm twirled around him and dissolved in the morning air. He bent forward and sucked in a deep breath, the faint smell of sulfur, dragonwort, and something else spicy filling his nostrils. He touched his face to confirm his nose and ears were still there. His long curled, chestnut hair fell over his cheeks, and he pulled it back. Good. So even his hair seemed all right. He hadn’t turned bald. Legs? Two. Eyes? Two as well. Fingers? Ten.
Nathair straightened his black Swan uniform and brushed off the dust it’d gathered during his trip from Astolat. Next time, he’d take a dragon flight. It was slower but safer. More or less.
“Finally.” Tristan strode over to him, cutting through the courtyard packed with horses. His neat uniform stretched over broad shoulders, making his golden hair appear shinier. “You should’ve come back yesterday. What happened? Problems with the mission?”
“No.” Nathair smiled. Bryhannon’s flowery scent still lingered on his clothes. “I easily found the Swan’s headquarters in Astolat and delivered the documents, but…” He checked the courtyard. A group of recruits in green uniforms sparred against a clockwork knight—an Ametor. The clash of swords covered their grunts. Senior knights practiced hand-to-hand combat, and a few healers milled around, their noses stuck inside the pages of fat books. No one was close enough to hear him. “Bryhannon came with me and—”
“Bryhannon? You took her with you during a mission?” Tristan’s sapphire eyes widened.
“Shush!” Nathair pressed his lips together and glanced around. “She wanted to buy a few things in Astolat, and I asked her to come. It’s not like I took her into a Saxon war zone. Astolat is relatively safe.” It wasn’t like Londinium, where Saxon dragons had thrown fireballs on the city and almost burned everything to the ground.
Tristan put a hand on the hilt of Gutrender. “She’s still a princess even though her father disowned her and an unchaperoned lady. People will talk. Her reputation will be ruined.”
“No one knows she was with me. She told General Baldwin she was going to visit her sister in Summerland, and since when you’re so worried about propriety?”
Tristan’s cheeks flushed. “I suppose that if the situation were reversed and I’d taken your sister in Astolat with me—”
“You wouldn’t breathe right now,” he gritted out.
Tristan spread his arms. “See what I mean?”
Nathair’s face warmed, and he loosened the collar of his jacket. Tristan had a point, but Nathair had only wanted to spend some time alone with his new girlfriend without General Baldwin’s constant vigilance or a maid listening to everything he said to Bryhannon. Was it that bad?
“Bryhannon insisted, and nothing happened. We slept into two different bedrooms.” Unfortunately.
“That’s something.”
Nathair arched a brow. “You aren’t planning on taking my sister somewhere, are you?”
Tristan’s stare dropped to the ground. “No. I’ve invited her to Beltane ball in my house, and she said yes.” His chest swelled then deflated. “But she didn’t sound happy.”
Nathair frowned. With her damaged leg, Nineveh probably didn’t feel confident enough to go to a ball, but her mechanical boot allowed her to jump and run freely. So why wasn’t she happy to attend a ball?
Tristan was right about Bryhannon though. Her reputation was at stake, and he had to behave like a proper gentleman. He tapped the small velvet box in his pocket–the proof that he was a gentleman, and that he was serious about Bryhannon. The small case represented the first big step toward a life together.
Slowly, as if he were handling an asp, he fished out the box and showed it to Tristan. “I care about her reputation.”
Tristan’s mouth hung low. “You’re going to propose to her?”
Nathair nodded, not trusting his voice.
“Are you sure it’s the right thing to do?” Tristan peered at him.
“It’s what I want and what she needs. Her father disowned her. She’s been forced to live in General Baldwin’s house. She doesn’t have a family anymore. Besides, I love her, and I’m eighteen now. Why shouldn’t I marry her?”
“I simply think it’s a bit too early.”
Nathair stiffened, closing his hand around the box. “Just because you prefer changing girlfriends every other day, it doesn’t give you the right to judge me.”
Tristan exhaled through clenched teeth and glowered. “Those days are in the past, you know this, or I wouldn’t be courting Nineveh.”
Nathair raked a hand through his hair, a pang of guilt striking him. Tristan had proved to have serious intentions about Nineveh. “Sorry,” he said, stuffing the box back in his pocket.
“Well, congratulations then.” Tristan clasped his forearm like the Swan warriors used to greet each other.
A corner of his mouth quirked up. “I have a job now. My mother’s debt has been paid. I can take care of Bryhannon.” I want to. Then, they could be alone as much as they wanted.
Tristan swatted his arm, startling him. “Ewhen wants to talk to you.” He headed toward the wooden barracks that surrounded the courtyard. “Actually, he was waiting for you early this morning for the camouflage training session.”
Nathair dodged a stray arrow and scowled at the recruit who shot it. The boy flustered and bowed his head. “I thought the camouflage training session was optional.” Besides, spending hours dressed like a bush and imitating birds’ songs grated on his nerves.
“We’re senior knights now. We aren’t at the academy anymore. Optional means compulsory.”
They entered the main building and climbed the wooden stairs to Captain Ewhen’s office. The familiar smell of worn leather and sword polish wafted around. Knights’ boots stomped on the polished floor as a group of Swans marched along the corridor. Some had blood-stained bandages around their heads and arms, the result of a recent Saxon intrusion into Briton territory.
Nathair stopped in front of Ewhen’s office. The door stood ajar, and Ewhen’s booming voice drifted out.
“We’ll find him, whoever he is.” He slammed a fist on the desk, causing it to shake. The content of an ink bottle quivered. “If I have to interrogate every single knight in the entire Briton Empire to find him, I will.”
Nathair winced. Ewhen wasn’t nicknamed the Dragonhearted for being sweet. He peeked inside. A see-through face floated in the middle of the desk right over the silver bar of an orator—the device for long distance communications.
“What’s this all about?” he whispered.
Tristan shrugged. “A dispatch arrived yesterday from the war zone in the south. Something happened, and since the Saxons invaded the land of the Franks, Ewhen didn’t have a moment of rest.”
Sir Bohemond paced in front of the desk, his large frame obscuring the view at every passage.
The ghostly head of the man nodded. “The situation is out of control, Sir Ewhen. Every garrison in Londinium has been thoroughly searched.”
“Search again until you find him.”
The head bowed. “Sir, yes sir.”
“Dismissed.” Ewhen punched a button, and the spectral image disappeared. He shot a glare at the door, features tensing. “Come in.”
Sir Bohemond opened the door fully and beckoned Nathair and Tristan inside. The long scar, crisscrossing his face twitched when his jaw muscle rippled. “Welcome back, Nathair.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Tristan closed the door behind them. Nathair stepped over a pair of muddy boots and stood in front of Ewhen’s wooden desk. It was so large it took up and entire corner, almost as big as his bed.
Ewhen pushed the orator aside. With its long, tubular shape, rounded ends, and the holes on its top, it resembled a flute. He ran a hand over his face, and his auburn hair tumbled forward covering his tense shoulders. “Nathair, I didn’t see you this morning at the camouflage training session.”
Oops. “Uh, thank you, Captain.”
Bohemond chuckled, and Tristan’s mouth twitched up.
Ewhen arched a red eyebrow, but the hard lines on his face softened. “Very funny. Did you have problems in Astolat?”
“Not at all.” Nathair swallowed the lump in his throat. Now his idea of spending more time with Bryhannon didn’t sound so reasonable. “I was delayed.” By the most beautiful and smartest girl I’ve ever met. A smile threatened to raise his lips when he remembered a particularly happy hour spent with Bryhannon by the empty shore of the Lynn River in the moonlight. So he cleared his throat.
I’m an entomologist and a soil biologist, which is a fancy way to say
that I dig in the dirt, looking for bugs. Nature and books have
always been my passion. I was a kid when I read The Lord Of The Ring
and fell in love with fantasy novels.
When I discovered cozy mystery and crime novels, I fell in love with
Hercules Poirot and Sherlock Holmes. Then I grew up and . . . Nah,
I’m joking. I didn’t grow up. Don’t grow up, folks! It’s a trap.
PS I hate gardening. There, I said it. Sorry fellow Kiwis.
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
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April 30, 2019
Lone Star Book Blog Tours – Gourmet On A Hot Plate by Judy Alter
GOURMET IN A HOT PLATE
by
Judy Alter
Genre: Cookbook / Cooking Tips / Tiny Kitchen
Publisher: Alter Ego Press
Date of Publication: November 6, 2018
Number of Pages: 132
Scroll down for the giveaway!
Gourmet on a Hot Plate is a collection of recipes and kitchen tips compiled after living for some time in a 600-square-foot cottage, with a tiny kitchen, no stove, no dishwasher, and barely any counter space. Given these limitations, Judy Alter developed a new approach to food, one that let her get in touch with the food itself. She does not have an Insta-Pot, an air-fryer, or a microwave. Her recipes call for using either a magnetic induction hot plate or a toaster oven. In the introduction, she explains her choices for making the best use of her tiny space.
The collection begins with appetizers because that’s where Alter began her new cooking adventure. Gradually she branched out to main dishes, light suppers, soups and salads, and vegetable side dishes. Most recipes serve two or three. There’s a suggested list of cooking tools along with lists of what to keep on hand in your tiny pantry, your refrigerator, and your freezer, and a small section on condiments and cooking hints.
These pages will guide you to making your own spaghetti sauce—or brightening up a jar of prepared sauce—to making last-minute casseroles and simmer-all-day soups. Want Stroganoff but can’t afford the expensive beef? Alter shows you how to make it with hamburger. Love tuna? She’s got recipes for you. Sections on pasta, eggs, and appetizer trays offer practical and helpful choices for casual entertaining.
Above all, this is a practical guide for cooking with joy when you find yourself in a tiny space.
PRAISE FOR GOURMET ON A HOT PLATE:
Love cooking? Love the minimalist lifestyle? Your tiny kitchen doesn’t need to limit your gourmet dreams. Judy Alter’s Gourmet On a Hot Plate will inspire you with big ideas to satisfy everyone around the table. — Susan Wittig Albert, author of Queen Anne’s Lace
Whether you cook on a hot plate or have access to a full kitchen, this gem of a cookbook contains great recipes for those of us who cook for one. – T.R. Thompson
ORDER YOUR COPY
Amazon ║ Barnes and Noble ║ Kobo ║ OverDrive
║ 24 Symbols ║ Google Play ║ Playster ║ Scribd ║
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Ten Things I like to eat…and a few I don’t
By Author Judy Alter
On my yes-yes list:
*Salmon
*Potato Salad
*Spinach
*Tuna and chicken salads
*Blue cheese
*Anchovies
*Pasta
*Chopped liver
*Potatoes
*Green salad
And on my no-no list
x Peppers of any kind, particularly bell
x Thai food
x Shrimp, because of an allergy
x Brains or sweetbreads—never tried
Without formal culinary training, Judy Alter has cooked her way through life, feeding family and friends at everything from casual dinners al fresco to elaborate meals for twenty. An award-winning author and publisher, she jokes she’ll come back in another life as a chef.
Today Alter finds herself cooking in a four-by-six kitchen where zoning laws forbid built-ins but allow anything that plugs in. So she cooks with a hot plate, toaster oven, and a large refrigerator/freezer. Given these limitations, she has developed a new approach to food, one that she says lets her get in touch with the food itself. By choice, she does not have an Insta-Pot, an air-fryer, a microwave. Her menu choices are dictated by her cooking facilities—and she loves it.
She shares her tiny kitchen tips and recipes, developed over the past couple of years, in Gourmet on a Hot Plate. Alter is the author of three previous cookbooks: Cooking My Way through Life with Kids and Books, Texas is Chili Country, and Extraordinary Texas Chefs,and a contributor to Bake, Love, Write and We’d Rather Be Writing. Her recipe for Doris’ Casserole has been included in so many books it’s almost an American classic by now.
Be part of her ongoing cooking adventure at the Gourmet on a Hot Plate blog, where she encourages discussion and welcomes recipes, comments, and questions.
║Website ║ Facebook ║ Judy’s Stew Blog ║
║ Twitter ║ Goodreads ║ Amazon Author Page ║
Gourmet on a Hot Plate Blog
————————————-
GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
THREE WINNERS!
2 Signed Copies, 1 eBook Copy
APRIL 24-May 4, 2019
(US ONLY)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
VISIT THE OTHER GREAT BLOGS ON THE TOUR:
4/24/19
Author Interview
Story Schmoozing Book Reviews
4/24/19
Bonus Post
Hall Ways Blog
4/25/19
Review
Reading by Moonlight
4/26/19
Excerpt
All the Ups and Downs
4/27/19
Review
Chapter Break Book Blog
4/28/19
Scrapbook Page
The Clueless Gent
4/29/19
Review
Missus Gonzo
4/30/19
Sneak Peek
Texas Book Lover
5/1/19
Top Ten List
Sybrina’s Book Blog
5/2/19
Review
The Love of a Bibliophile
5/3/19
Review
Rainy Days with Amanda
blog tour services provided by
April 28, 2019
Blue Unicorn Book Review By LauraThomas61
Reader Review
4.0 out of 5 stars A magical illustrated unicorn story for those of us a bit older
Bylaurathomas61
Having such a love for the wonder of unicorns it was an easy choice to read this book. Magical unicorns with metal horns. All shapes and sizes. And one unicorn, Blue, who has no magic, but is supposed to be the savior for the tribe. Sounds like a grand adventure to me.And it was. Filled with lots of beautiful illustrations portraying many of the fantastical beings that roam these lands, it kept me enthralled. However, it had some dark moments that caught me by surprise. Going in thinking this was for younger readers, some scenes of death and danger now have me thinking this would better fit older teens and young adults.
This well written fantasy has plenty of intriguing characters and plenty of action, with some doses of peril that will keep you reading and crossing your fingers for a happy ending. I sure enjoyed it and would love to read more about Blue, his friends, and this magical world.
I received a complimentary copy. My review is voluntarily given.
Get the book in print for your fantasy library collection.
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April 26, 2019
Sybrina’s Blue Unicorn Book Store – Enamel Unicorn Necklace
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Sybrina’s Blue Unicorn Book Store
Where you’ll find unicorns, more unicorns and nothing but unicorns! Visit now.
Brought to you by Journey To Osm
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April 25, 2019
Mystical Slayers Trilogy by Michael W. Huard
Land of the Free
Mystical Slayers Book 1
by Michael W. Huard
Genre: Dystopian SciFi Fantasy
LIVE FREE OR DIE in this Sci-Fi & Fantasy Adventure of a Lifetime! All
hope lies with a SISTERHOOD of amazing Martial Arts Masters. It’s a
31st Century battle of ROBOTS VS. GIRLS. One thing is for sure; the
women have learned that LIBERTY is not given; it is TAKEN!
In the year 3016, the United States of America has fallen into great
despair. The advent of advanced technology, AI, robotics, and a
power-hungry corporation rule the nation. However, there is hope. A
WONDER WOMAN like sisterhood of enhanced, highly intelligent,
patriotic ladies are out to make the country free again.
THE HORROR STORY SO FAR
Your friendly leaders of the 31st century are now a boys club of rich
aging men. This greedy Corporation now controls all gas, oil,
healthcare and everyone’s standard of living. They govern with
ruthless robots, droids, clones, and cyborgs; all with top-notch
artificial intelligence; many with terminator programming.
NO ONE CAN STOP THEM
The USA needs a real-life super-hero,
but in reality there is no Captain America. The country will have to
settle for one amazing group of beautiful, God loving, spiritual,
freedom fighting women; heroines whom have learned that JUSTICE is
not FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!
Raise your sword and laser guns up high. The Mystical Slayers have arrived!
Goodreads * Amazon
Hope Bringers
Mystical Slayers Book 2
The BATTLE for Liberty & Justice continues. The strong women of The
Sisterhood have struck a serious blow to the Y-Wood Corporation; but
the Tyranny remains.
Our heroes are now branded as complete outlaws and to speak of God in any
such manner will result in certain death; yet for these women, faith
has chosen them. To be a true patriot one must fight to the bitter
end, and the time has come once more to send waves of “Hope”
throughout the land.
However, a powerful robotic army led by an overzealous general and two of the
most highly regarded super robot specimens now stand in their way;
but these are the Mystical Slayers, and they will not stop until
America is free.
THE HORROR STORY SO FAR
Your friendly leaders of the 31st century are now a boys club of rich
aging men. This greedy Corporation now controls all gas, oil,
healthcare and everyone’s standard of living. They govern with
ruthless robots, droids, clones, and cyborgs; all with top-notch
artificial intelligence; many with terminator programming. NO ONE CAN
STOP THEM The USA needs a real-life super-hero, but in reality there
is no Captain America.
The country will have to settle for one amazing group of beautiful, God
loving, spiritual, freedom fighting women; heroines whom have learned
that LIBERTY is not given; it is TAKEN! Raise your sword and laser
guns up high.
The Mystical Slayers have arrived!
Goodreads * Amazon
Freedom
Mystical Slayers Book 3
STRONG – SPIRITUAL – PATRIOTIC – WOMEN
All hail this secret sisterhood of kick-butt women!
This is it, the EPIC CONCLUSION in the Mystical Slayers fight against tyranny.
The sisters and their allies have decided to take the fight right to the
powerful, 31st century, robotics, Y-Wood Corporation; their sights
now set on liberating the nation’s one-time, historic, capital
region, Washington D.C.
GET READY FOR SOME BIG SURPRISES
It’s going to be one crazy, tough battle, and our fearless leader Raegan
and her companions will not stop until old glory waves again.
A Dystopian Masterpiece (5 stars)
– Amazon Reviewer
In the year 3016, the United States of America has fallen into great
despair. The advent of advanced technology, AI, robotics, and a
power-hungry corporation rule the nation. However, there is hope. A
WONDER WOMAN like sisterhood of enhanced, highly intelligent,
patriotic martial arts masters are out to make the country free again.
THE HORROR STORY SO FAR
Your friendly leaders of the 31st century are now a boys club of rich
aging men. This greedy Corporation now controls all gas, oil,
healthcare and everyone’s standard of living. They govern with
ruthless robots, droids, clones, and cyborgs;
all with top-notch artificial intelligence; many with terminator
programming.
NO ONE CAN STOP THEM
The USA needs a real-life super-hero, but in reality there is no Captain
America. The country will have to settle for one amazing group of
beautiful, God loving, spiritual, freedom fighting women; heroines
whom have learned that LIBERTY is not given; it is TAKEN!
Raise your sword and laser guns up high. The Mystical Slayers have arrived!
Goodreads * Amazon
Michael W. Huard is a second generation martial artist, dungeons &
dragons fanatic, sci-fi, and fantasy nerd, and simply a human being
on a voyage in time. Make sure to check out his Gothic Fairy Tales
series of bewitching fantasy stories. Also, Michael’s 31st century,
fantasy and science fiction books “The Mystical Slayers”are
a female empowering, kick butt, dystopian series gathering rave
reviews all over the world.
Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE
for exclusive content and a giveaway!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Unicorn Book Feature – Birth of the FireBringer by Meredith Ann Pierce
Unicorns! How we love them. . .Luckily for all of us unicorn lovers there are hundreds of unicorn books available for all age groups. I have gathered information about as many as I can find and have placed them here for you in one convenient spot on my blog. Today’s Unicorn Book Feature is
Birth of the FireBringer
Volume One of The FireBringer Trilogy
By Meredith Ann Pierce
Jan, the prince of the unicorns, is high-spirited, reckless-and the despair of his mighty father, Korr. Reluctantly, Korr allows Jan to accompany the other initiate warriors on a pilgrimage. Soon Jan’s curiosity leads him, along with his friend Dagg, and their mentor, the female warrior Tek, into the greatest dangers-deadly gryphons, sly pans, wyverns, pards, and renegade unicorns. Yet time after time they are rescued, leading Jan to wonder: Am I the heir to a special destiny?
Get it at Amazon.
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Check out Journey To Osm – The Blue Unicorn’s Tale while you are there, too.
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April 24, 2019
Pump Up Your Book Blog Tour – Fid’s Crusade by David H Reiss
FID’S CRUSADE by David H. Reiss, Scifi/Fantasy, 232 pp., $14.99 (paperback) $4.99 (Kindle)
Title: FID’S CRUSADE
Author: David H. Reiss
Publisher: Atian Press
Pages: 365
Genre: Scifi/Contemporary Fantasy
Consumed by grief, rage, and self-loathing, a brilliant inventor
rebuilt himself to take on a new identity: the powered-armor-wearing
supervillain, Doctor Fid. For twenty violent years, Fid has continued
his quest to punish heroes who he considers to be unworthy of their
accolades, and the Doctor has left a long trail of blood and misery in
his wake. After a personal tragedy, however, Doctor Fid investigates a
crime and uncovers a conspiracy so terrible that even he is taken aback.
Haunted by painful memories and profound guilt, the veteran
supervillain must risk everything to save the world that he once sought
to terrorize. Every battle takes its toll…but the stakes are too high
for retreat to be an option.
In the end, it may take a villain to save the entire Earth from those entrusted with the Earth’s protection.
Praise:
“Fid’s Crusade by David H. Reiss is one of the most
refreshing and lively takes on the superhero genre I’ve seen in years.
His title character’s crusade is colorful, compelling, and takes
wonderfully unexpected turns, and the novel delivers an impressive
emotional punch (to go along with the super-powered ones). It stands
easily alongside other character-driven superhero novels like Austin
Grossman’s Soon I Will Be Invincible, Carrie Vaughn’s After the Golden Age, and Paul Tobin’s Prepare to Die!.” – Hugo award-winning author Tim Pratt
ORDER YOUR COPY:
______________________
“I’m fine,” I informed Starnyx as
soon as he answered his highly-encrypted phone.
A swarm of medical automatons surrounded the gurney on which I was reclined, a humming and swirling dervish of blades, clamps, sponges and other surgical tools focused upon the stump of my shoulder. A surgical laser was carefully burning away flesh in a pattern that would increase the efficiency of repairs performed by the medical nanites once my right arm was reattached.
The blended smell of disinfectant and cooking meat had been disturbing at first, but I was beginning to get used to the odor.
“Okay…?” Eric yawned. “Where are you?”
“I’m back in Boston,”
I winced; a more significant cocktail of painkillers was now coursing through
my veins, but some discomfort remained. “I’m sorry, I forgot that you were
asleep when I left.”
“Nah, it’s almost morning. I can wake up. What’s up?”
“I ran into some minor trouble on my way home,” I forced a chuckle. “It will probably make the news and I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Hold on, let me get to a computer.” I heard tired, uncoordinated movement over the connection.
“It’s not as bad as it looks.”
Using my neural connection to the surgical control computer, I ordered one of
the robots to add another dose of topical anesthetic. “Really, I’m fine.”
“So, what happened?” Eric must have reached his desk, because I could hear the clacking as he typed on his keyboard.
“I ran into the Brooklyn Knights.”
“I think I’ve heard of them. New guys, righ—” he paused mid-question and fell silent.
“Eric?”
“So, you’re fine then?” Nyx asked,
patiently.
“Absolutely,” I affirmed.
“I only ask, because the first hit I get on recent news of Doctor Fid is shaky cel-phone footage of you with your arm cut off,” he explained. “And I’m pretty sure you had both arms earlier tonight.”
“Tis but a scratch?” I tried.
“Christ, Doc,” he sighed, “I’m not doing Monty Python bits with you. Let me get dressed, I can be up in Boston in a few hours.”
“Thank you,” I smiled gratefully.
“But, really, don’t bother. I’ll have my arm re-attached by then.”
There was another long pause.
“How?” Starnyx sounded exasperated.
“Medical nanotechnology. I’ll have function back in eight hours.” Which was a good thing, since my civilian persona had a face-to-face meeting with the Governor of Connecticut this afternoon to discuss opening a new research facility in Middletown.
“In twenty-four hours, I’ll be good as new.”
“You’re a scary man,” he chuckled, relieved. “Okay, I get it. You’re fine.”
“I am.”
“Keep out of trouble, Doc, I’m going to get back to bed. Stay in touch, yeah?”
“Of course.” It was an odd feeling, having someone who cared for Doctor Fid’s wellbeing.
He hung up, and I closed my eyes to think.
While growing up, David H. Reiss was that weird kid with his nose in a
book and his head in the clouds. He was the table-top role-playing game
geek, the comic-book nerd, the story-teller and dreamer.Fortunately, he hasn’t changed much.
David is a software engineer by trade and a long-time sci-fi and
fantasy devotee by passion, and he lives in Silicon Valley with his
partner of twenty-six years. Until recently, he also shared his life
with a disturbingly spoiled cat named Freya.
(Farewell, little huntress. You were loved. You are missed.)
David’s first book, Fid’s Crusade,
has just recently been published; this was his first novel-length
project, but it certainly won’t be his last—he’s having far too much
fun!
Website Link: https://www.davidhreiss.com
Twitter Link: https://twitter.com/davidhreiss
Facebook Link: https://www.facebook.com/davidhreiss
