Sarai Henderson's Blog, page 226

#WeeklyMenu Week 206

I'm loving looking into old pictures this week and seeing how much my little monsters have grow. My youngest isn't the little guy who used to fall asleep on my chest, he's now the almost four year old who decided that talking is unacceptable and grunting is more his style.

I've started my 21 day fix workout to lose the weight I gained when I went on a new medication. So far this week, I'm down 2.5 lbs and 11.5 inches. I say that's pretty good for my first week. Only 15 pounds to go.

This week is my book release week and I'm super excited. Seeker will be coming out this Friday, the sequel to my first book, Hunter. Make sure you stop back by on the 21st for some release fun.

Enjoy this weeks menu!

Monday- English Muffin Pizzas
Tuesday- Mongolian Beef
Wednesday- Oven Baked Chicken Breast
Thursday- Shepherds Pie
Friday- Orange Chicken
Saturday- Beef Ramen Soup
Sunday
- Tuna Sandwiches

#BookReview | Heroine Worship by Sarah Kuhn

Title: Heroine WorshipBy: Sarah KuhnGenre: Paranormal / Urban FantasyPages: 375Release Date: July 4th, 2017Publisher: DAWAudience: Young Adult
Summary from Goodreads: Once upon a time, Aveda Jupiter (aka Annie Chang) was demon-infested San Francisco’s most beloved superheroine, a beacon of hope and strength and really awesome outfits. But all that changed the day she agreed to share the spotlight with her best friend and former assistant Evie Tanaka—who’s now a badass, fire-wielding superheroine in her own right. They were supposed to be a dynamic duo, but more and more, Aveda finds herself shoved into the sidekick role. Where, it must be said, she is not at all comfortable.
It doesn’t help that Aveda’s finally being forced to deal with fallout from her diva behavior—and the fact that she’s been a less than stellar friend to Evie. Or that Scott Cameron—the man Aveda’s loved for nearly a decade—is suddenly giving her the cold shoulder after what seemed to be some promising steps toward friendship. Or that the city has been demon-free for three months in the wake of Evie and Aveda’s apocalypse-preventing battle against the evil forces of the Otherworld, leaving Aveda without the one thing she craves most in life: a mission.

All of this is causing Aveda’s burning sense of heroic purpose—the thing that’s guided her all these years—to falter.

In short, Aveda Jupiter is having an identity crisis.

When Evie gets engaged and drafts Aveda as her maid-of-honor, Aveda finally sees a chance to reclaim her sense of self and sets out on a single-minded mission to make sure Evie has the most epic wedding ever. But when a mysterious, unseen supernatural evil rises up and starts attacking brides-to-be, Aveda must summon both her superheroine and best friend mojo to take down the enemy and make sure Evie’s wedding goes off without a hitch—or see both her city and her most important friendship destroyed forever.
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Review: I love me a good super hero book! Right off the bat, the characters were awesome. Even eating breakfast, they were awesome. I kind of lost interest a little bit with the whole wedding thing. I'm not a big fan of contemporary fiction and the story had that kind of vibe with a super hero twist. The book picked back up though, when the supernatural evil things start attacking. That's my kind of fun right there.
This was a fun book and I think fans of paranormal and contemporary fiction will enjoy this book.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | A Fading Sun by Stephen Leigh

Title: A Fading SunBy: Stephen LeighGenre: Paranormal / FantasyPages: 352Release Date: July 4th, 2017Publisher: Daw BooksAudience: Adult
Summary from Goodreads: In this new paranormal fantasy series, a powerful woman who can see the dead must choose whether to forge a new path for herself and her family…. 
“The problem with ghosts is that they don’t quite realize that they’re dead.”

Voada Paorach can see the dead. It is a family trait, but one that has had to remain hidden since the Mundoan Empire conquered her people’s land three generations ago. But this ghost isn’t the same as the others she has glimpsed, the lost souls she has helped to find their way to the land beyond life. This ghost demands that Voada follow a new path, one that will mean leaving behind everything and everyone she has known and loved.

Voada will come to understand the power that her people possess, but she will also learn the steep price that must be paid for such a gift.

Fast-moving and intense, A Fading Sun explores grief, sacrifice, ambition, and the forging of personality in the crucible of war.

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Review: This book started off interesting. You find out that two women in this family an see ghosts. Alright, I like ghosts. They see ghosts all over the place, but the author doesn't elaborate on these ghosts and that's when I kind of lost interest in them. They were put on the back burner for me even though they were supposed to be a big part of the book.
The author had a good concept, but it read more like a historical fiction than a fantasy to me. I felt like this one fell short to me, even though I had high expectations.
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | Along Came a Spider by James Patterson

Title: Along Came a SpiderBy: James PattersonGenre: ThrillerPages: 435Release Date: August 1st, 2003Publisher: Grand Central PublishingAudience: Mature
Summary from Goodreads: The classic thriller that launched the Alex Cross series, the #1 detective series of the past twenty-five years! 
A missing little girl named Maggie Rose . . . a family of three brutally murdered in the projects of Washington, D.C. . . . the thrill-killing of a beautiful elementary school teacher . . . a psychopathic serial kidnapper/murderer who is so terrifying that the FBI, the Secret Service, and the police cannot outsmart him - even after he's been captured.

Gary Soneji wants to commit the crime of the century. Alex Cross is the brilliant homicide detective pitted against him. Jezzie Flanagan is the first female supervisor of the Secret Service who completes one of the most unusual suspense triangles in any thriller you have ever read.

Alex Cross and Jezzie Flanagan are about to have a forbidden love affair--at the worst possible time for both of them. Because Gary Soneji is playing at the top of his game. The latest of the unspeakable crimes happens in Alex Cross's precinct. It happens under the noses of Jezzie Flanagan's men. Now Alex Cross must face the ultimate test: How do you outmaneuver a brilliant psychopath? 
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Review: Okay, so first off, there was a lot of killing in this book. I wasn't prepared for that. Especially, the small children. That's just too sad for me. The rest of the book was great though.
The story throws you into the life of Alex Cross, a detective, who is investigating a triple murder. During his investigation, Alex is wrangled into helping with a kidnapping. The whole thing go terribly wrong and that's when the story starts to get good. There are so many twists and turns it will leave your heads turning. I gave this book four stars and put the next story on my TBR pile. 

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

Title: The Last MagicianBy: Lisa MaxwellGenre: FantasyPages: 512Release Date: July 18th, 2017Publisher: Simon PulseAudience: Young Adult
Summary from Goodreads: Stop the Magician.Steal the book.
Save the future.

In modern day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Esta is a talented thief, and she's been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta's training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.

But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past. 

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Review: An epic time traveling magical ride. Lisa Maxwell has done a wonderful job of melding current time New York with the rough and tumble New York of the past. I really enjoyed the magical elements, and the magic shows strewn throughout the story. Its not just about the magic shows though, there is a fantastic thriller intertwined within. I was sucked into the world of The Last Magician as we followed Esta on her journey to steal a magical book and somehow get back to the future.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#BookReview | Blackwing by Ed McDonald

Title: BlackwingBy: Ed McDonaldGenre: Epic FantasyPages: 336Release Date: October 3rd, 2017Publisher: Ace BooksAudience: Adult
Summary from Goodreads: Set on the ragged edge of a postapocalyptic frontier, Blackwing is a gritty fantasy debut about a man’s desperate battle to survive his own dark destiny…

Nothing in the Misery lasts…

Under a cracked and wailing sky, the Misery is a vast and blighted expanse, created when the Engine, the most powerful weapon in the world, was unleashed against the immortal Deep Kings. Across the wasteland, teeming with corrupted magic and malevolent wraiths, the Deep Kings and their armies are still watching—and still waiting.

Ryhalt Galharrow is no stranger to the Misery. The bounty hunter journeys to a remote outpost, armed for killing both men and monsters, and searching for a mysterious noblewoman. He finds himself in the middle of a shocking attack by the Deep Kings, one that should not be possible. Only a fearsome show of power from the very woman he is seeking saves him.

Once, long ago, he knew the woman well, and together they stumble onto a web of conspiracy that threatens to unmake everything they hold dear and end the fragile peace the Engine has provided. Galharrow is not ready for the truth about the blood he’s spilled and the gods he’s supposed to serve… 
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Review: Its been a long time since I've come across a fantasy that was unique and breathtaking. Blackwing takes you to an old west type setting with strange magical creatures that are dangerous and hard to kill. I really enjoyed how the story just threw you into the Misery, a barren wasteland of death. You could feel how heavy the air was and how our main character, Ryhalt Galharrow and his band of Blackwing Mercenaries are tired of the long road.

There are so many twist and turns in this awesome fantasy. It was a great read.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

#Bookreview | The Hundredth Queen by Emily R. King

Title: The Hundredth QueenBy: Emily R. KingGenre: Fantasy Pages: 300Release Date: June 1st, 2017Publisher: SkyscapeAudience: Young Adult
Summary from Goodreads: As an orphan ward of the Sisterhood, eighteen-year-old Kalinda is destined for nothing more than a life of seclusion and prayer. Plagued by fevers, she’s an unlikely candidate for even a servant’s position, let alone a courtesan or wife. Her sole dream is to continue living in peace in the Sisterhood’s mountain temple.
But a visit from the tyrant Rajah Tarek disrupts Kalinda’s life. Within hours, she is ripped from the comfort of her home, set on a desert trek, and ordered to fight for her place among the rajah’s ninety-nine wives and numerous courtesans. Her only solace comes in the company of her guard, the stoic but kind Captain Deven Naik.

Faced with the danger of a tournament to the death—and her growing affection for Deven—Kalinda has only one hope for escape, and it lies in an arcane, forbidden power buried within her.

In Emily R. King’s thrilling fantasy debut, an orphan girl blossoms into a warrior, summoning courage and confidence in her fearless quest to upend tradition, overthrow an empire, and reclaim her life as her own. 
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Review: It has been a long time since I've picked up a book and enjoyed it from cover to cover. The Hundredth Queen took me to a world full of hidden magic and dueling women who fight for survival. The story took so many twist and turns, I was always left guessing at what was to come next. I loved the characters. They seemed real and full of depth. Five stars for Emily R. King.

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.

Lake of Sins: Escape by L.S. O'Dea @lsodea

YA Fantasy, horrorDate Published: December 26 2014

FREE For a Limited Time
Only the best are chosen to breed.
The rest are loaded onto carts and taken away from the encampment.  Never to be seen again.
Trinity has one week to escape into the forest and discover the fate of her kind.

Dive into the Lake of Sins and discover a world filled with human-animal hybrids where predators are friends and monsters aren't nearly as scary as those who create them.

The YA, dark fantasy series people are calling dark, gritty and too disturbing to put down.

About the Author

L. S. O’Dea grew up the youngest of seven in a family that uses teasing and tricks as an indication of love (or at least that’s what she tells herself).  Being five years younger than her closest sibling often made her the unwilling entertainment for her brothers and sisters.
Before she started kindergarten her brothers taught her how to spell her first and middle name—Linda Sue.  She was so proud she ran into the kitchen to tell her mother.  She stood tall and recited the letters of her name:  L-E-M-O-N   H-E-A-D.
Perhaps, she has her siblings to thank for the demons that whisper through her mind and help to create these dark and demented stories.
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#WeeklyMenu Week 205

The 4th of July was great. We spent time with family, went hot tubing, blew stuff up, and had some good food. Also, found the joy of Snapchat... My kids and I played with the filters and came up with some pretty creepy pictures. 
Writing has been pretty slow this week. I'm just not feeling it. Every time I sit down with pen and paper, nothing comes out. Its really disturbing me. Maybe this week wil be better.
Enjoy this weeks menu!  
Monday- English Muffin Pizza
Tuesday- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Wednesday- Cajun Chicken Alfredo
Thursday- Steak Burrito Bowl
Friday- Ricotta Stuffed Shells
Saturday- Ooka Rice
Sunday
- Tuna Sandwiches

#BookReview | ABC Train by Thomas Burns

Title: ABC TrainBy: Thomas BurnsGenre: Picture BookPages: 28Release Date: March 25th, 2015Publisher: Xist Publishing Audience: Children
Summary from Goodreads: Travel through the alphabet on the ABC train. This fun look at letters is a must for any train-loving child.
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Review: Another wonderful book that my three year old and I loved. The art was great, the rhyming was awesome. We read this story several times. My favorite part was the yeti at the end. Five stars for another great children's book. 

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.