Gloria Oliver's Blog, page 7
November 20, 2021
Mind Sieve 11/19/21 ���� Thanksgiving Edition!
Mind Sieve 11/19/21Table of ContentsNews/MusingsStoryOrigin Swaps 1Mini Movie ReviewsMovie PreviewsStoryOrigin Swaps 2Books for ReviewsJust for Fun!Strong Women ��� Strange Worlds
Greetings!
I���m baaaaackkkk! Bwahahahaha!
So I don���t forget, I want to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving! It���s good to remember there are things we should be grateful for. ����
News/MusingsI sent the Daiyu Wu Mysteries prequel short story ���Jacques��� and a Daiyu Wu Mysteries Halloween short story currently titled ���Romeo��� to get edited by Serenity Editing Services. I���d been giving ���Jacques��� away previously to people who posted a review of Black jade and I will continue to do so. This version will just be super sparkly! ������������
I���d meant to do so sooner, but the chaos of life let my plans slip on by.
I will be using both short stories as experiments for Kindle Unlimited to try to get traction for my other words from that end. However, I will have versions of ���Jacques��� in the other formats for reviewers to get their free copy if so desired.
Work continues on Book 2, though it���s going way slower than I had hoped. I���ve also been putting myself through the Death of a Thousand Cuts as I torture my writer���s group with chapters from The Secret Humankind. It too is not yet finished. Must write more!
Hubby���s kidney stone is still hanging in there, though it has been behaving better on the torture front. Things to be thankful for!
Extra stuff I���ve shoved in here:1) Two info swaps from StoryOrigin. One of the three is a reader magnet ��� so no cost to you.
2) One opportunity for you to get books ���� if you leave reviews of them in exchange.
3) Link to the Strong Women ��� Strange Worlds Year End Party!
More deets on all of these in their sections. ����
Story Origin Swap 1Princess Melia���s Plight Issues 1-5 by Julia C GilbertThe fate of the Seven Kingdoms rests upon the Shadow Princess ���
Melia is content being a princess of an obscure kingdom.
But then, a madman raises an army of men and dragons, conquering much of the world.
Melia would die to save her family and her people, but what if the true cost is even higher?
***
This book contains Issues 1-5, so you get to witness Melia���s complete adventure all at once.
Mini Movie Reviews ������� ��� Why did I go see this? Why?!
������ ��� Showed promise but on execution, crashed
��������� ��� Enjoyable, just don���t look under the hood too closely
������������ ��� A great film, totally worth seeing!
��������������� ��� ���� Too fabulous for words!
Due to hubby���s kidney stone and the Evil Back Muscle ��� movies were not seen! ���� Except for���
DUNEHBOMax featured this one on release day or we would have seen no movies at all. This one is definitely a must-watch on the big screen!
First ��� this is PART 1! So keep that in mind. I read the books eons ago, and have watched the 1984 version through several incarnations. (When the original came out, you got a pamphlet at the theater to help viewers with a lot of the stuff not spoken. Later, they added a soundtrack by the princess to add context.) A lot of the pivotal scenes are eerily similar between the two. The brutality of the Harkonnen is muted and mostly implied. They also downplayed the importance of Spice, mostly by not showing how the different guilds used it, or how it changed them.
Not having read the book in so long, I can���t say if this rendition is more faithful or not. It was definitely enjoyable and the ornithopters were very cool. The sandworms rock! The look and feel kept reminding me of the 1984 version. And I do think a few bits in the old one were better regarding mood and setting. But Paul looked the correct age in this new version. Overall, it is definitely worth watching. No previews for Part 2. Bah!
Rating: ������������ out of 5 (Hubby���s Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission to See Again!)
Movie Previews ����
Spider-man: No Way Home Official Trailer ��� oh boy, they are bringing bad guys from other universes. Doc Oc is back! I hope this works��� ����
DOG Trailer ��� This looks adorable!
Don���t Look UP trailer ��� this one looks mighty weird. Lol.
Story Origin Swap 2Paradise Dawn: C���Mon Inn Mystery Prequel by D.N. McNicolFrom Woodstock to communes, to Vietnam, and then on to Hawaii. Find out how it all began���
Go back to the beginning and follow the Thompson twin sisters as they graduate high school and wend their way across the United States before settling on the beautiful island of Kauai.
As owners of the C���Mon Inn Bed & Breakfast, their ohana encompasses those looking for missing loved ones, taking care of lost dogs, dealing with killers on the loose, and a lot more.
Books for Reviews Exchange!
Books with Dragons! Reads for reviews. ����
Just for Fun!
OwlKitty in Jurassic Park ��� awesome video editing on this! They replaced the T-Rex with a cat and more! LOL.
This one is hubby���s fault ��� The Art of Noise with Max Headroom ��� Paranoimia ��� talk about a blast from the past! Love their work! (I hear this one in my head every time I can���t sleep. LOL)
The Art of Noise ��� Dragnet ��� the movie was so-so but the soundtrack was AWESOME!
Strong Women ��� Strange WorldsStrong Women ��� Strange Worlds is having a Year-End Party! Save the Date ��� December 12th! All the deets can be found here. There will be fun on Twitter and Facebook leading up to the big day!
���Remember to eat responsibly during Thanksgiving. NOT! ����
Gloria
Mind Sieve 11/19/21 🦃 Thanksgiving Edition!
Mind Sieve 11/19/21Table of ContentsNews/MusingsStoryOrigin Swaps 1Mini Movie ReviewsMovie PreviewsStoryOrigin Swaps 2Books for ReviewsJust for Fun!Strong Women – Strange Worlds
Greetings!
I’m baaaaackkkk! Bwahahahaha!
So I don’t forget, I want to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving! It’s good to remember there are things we should be grateful for. 😁
News/MusingsI sent the Daiyu Wu Mysteries prequel short story “Jacques” and a Daiyu Wu Mysteries Halloween short story currently titled “Romeo” to get edited by Serenity Editing Services. I’d been giving “Jacques” away previously to people who posted a review of Black jade and I will continue to do so. This version will just be super sparkly! 🌟🌟🌟
I’d meant to do so sooner, but the chaos of life let my plans slip on by.
I will be using both short stories as experiments for Kindle Unlimited to try to get traction for my other words from that end. However, I will have versions of “Jacques” in the other formats for reviewers to get their free copy if so desired.
Work continues on Book 2, though it’s going way slower than I had hoped. I’ve also been putting myself through the Death of a Thousand Cuts as I torture my writer’s group with chapters from The Secret Humankind. It too is not yet finished. Must write more!
Hubby’s kidney stone is still hanging in there, though it has been behaving better on the torture front. Things to be thankful for!
Extra stuff I’ve shoved in here:1) Two info swaps from StoryOrigin. One of the three is a reader magnet – so no cost to you.
2) One opportunity for you to get books 📚 if you leave reviews of them in exchange.
3) Link to the Strong Women – Strange Worlds Year End Party!
More deets on all of these in their sections. 😊
Story Origin Swap 1Princess Melia’s Plight Issues 1-5 by Julia C GilbertThe fate of the Seven Kingdoms rests upon the Shadow Princess …
Melia is content being a princess of an obscure kingdom.
But then, a madman raises an army of men and dragons, conquering much of the world.
Melia would die to save her family and her people, but what if the true cost is even higher?
***
This book contains Issues 1-5, so you get to witness Melia’s complete adventure all at once.
Mini Movie Reviews 🎥★ – Why did I go see this? Why?!
★★ – Showed promise but on execution, crashed
★★★ – Enjoyable, just don’t look under the hood too closely
★★★★ – A great film, totally worth seeing!
★★★★★ – 🤯 Too fabulous for words!
Due to hubby’s kidney stone and the Evil Back Muscle – movies were not seen! 😭 Except for…
DUNEHBOMax featured this one on release day or we would have seen no movies at all. This one is definitely a must-watch on the big screen!
First – this is PART 1! So keep that in mind. I read the books eons ago, and have watched the 1984 version through several incarnations. (When the original came out, you got a pamphlet at the theater to help viewers with a lot of the stuff not spoken. Later, they added a soundtrack by the princess to add context.) A lot of the pivotal scenes are eerily similar between the two. The brutality of the Harkonnen is muted and mostly implied. They also downplayed the importance of Spice, mostly by not showing how the different guilds used it, or how it changed them.
Not having read the book in so long, I can’t say if this rendition is more faithful or not. It was definitely enjoyable and the ornithopters were very cool. The sandworms rock! The look and feel kept reminding me of the 1984 version. And I do think a few bits in the old one were better regarding mood and setting. But Paul looked the correct age in this new version. Overall, it is definitely worth watching. No previews for Part 2. Bah!
Rating: ★★★★ out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission to See Again!)
Movie Previews 🎥
Spider-man: No Way Home Official Trailer – oh boy, they are bringing bad guys from other universes. Doc Oc is back! I hope this works… 😓
DOG Trailer – This looks adorable!
Don’t Look UP trailer – this one looks mighty weird. Lol.
Story Origin Swap 2Paradise Dawn: C’Mon Inn Mystery Prequel by D.N. McNicolFrom Woodstock to communes, to Vietnam, and then on to Hawaii. Find out how it all began…
Go back to the beginning and follow the Thompson twin sisters as they graduate high school and wend their way across the United States before settling on the beautiful island of Kauai.
As owners of the C’Mon Inn Bed & Breakfast, their ohana encompasses those looking for missing loved ones, taking care of lost dogs, dealing with killers on the loose, and a lot more.
Books for Reviews Exchange!
Books with Dragons! Reads for reviews. 🐲
Just for Fun!
OwlKitty in Jurassic Park – awesome video editing on this! They replaced the T-Rex with a cat and more! LOL.
This one is hubby’s fault – The Art of Noise with Max Headroom – Paranoimia – talk about a blast from the past! Love their work! (I hear this one in my head every time I can’t sleep. LOL)
The Art of Noise – Dragnet – the movie was so-so but the soundtrack was AWESOME!
Strong Women – Strange WorldsStrong Women – Strange Worlds is having a Year-End Party! Save the Date – December 12th! All the deets can be found here. There will be fun on Twitter and Facebook leading up to the big day!
Remember to eat responsibly during Thanksgiving. NOT! 😁
Gloria
November 6, 2021
Virtual Tourist 11/05/21
Table of Contents
1) News/Musings
2) StoryOrigin Swaps 1& 2
3) Virtual Tourist – Control
4) Books for Reviews
5) Strong Women – Strange Worlds
Greetings!
It’s been 🧊 chilly the last few days. Brrrr. I hope you are keeping warm! 🔥
I hope you had a fun Halloween! If you celebrate it, a warm family celebration of Day of the Dead as well.
News/MusingsI did do a newsletter on 10/22/21 but due to the mad chaos of October, I never did get a chance to post it as a post on the website. If you want to see what you missed, you can find a copy of that newsletter here.
In general, the rest of October kind of stunk. Hubby’s kidney stone is still navigating his insides, so he’s had a lot of trouble. The Evil back muscle came back for an encore as well. So couch potatoness has continued to be enforced! Boo!
I did have a couple of good productive days, but overall, little to nothing has been accomplished. 😭
I am really hoping November turns it all around! I got stuff to do! 😁
Extra stuff I’ve shoved in here:
1) Two book info swaps from StoryOrigin. (Including the Woman of the Stone.)
2) One opportunity for you to get books 📚 for reviews.
3) Info on the Strong Women – Strange Worlds Year End Party!
Scroll on down to get all the deets. 😉
The Melody of Three by S.D. ReevesStory Origin Swap 1The Melody of the Three by S.D. ReevesSorcerer Christaan De Rein’s return to Liverpool does not go well, starting with the fact that his trusted apprentice, Higgins, dies on the way. Then again, Higgins dies a lot. Of course, Rein doesn’t expect to be welcomed with open arms after being banished for nine years, but a cryptic summons from The Musician herself cannot go unanswered.
But when Rein arrives all is in chaos. People with fairy blood are turning up dead. The Forum Magicae is undone and the Curators sieged.
And in another world altogether, where Earth is just a legend, a girl named Niena and a cursed lyre hold the key to saving both realms. Or destroying them.
Prophecy by Amanda Lynn PetrinStory Origin Swap 2Prophecy – The Owens Chronicles Book 1 by Amanda Lynn PetrinI was falling, the air like ice against my face, but a calm rushed over me, like I was finally at peace. He wasn’t going to get me. We were safe…
When eighteen-year-old honor student Lucy Owens discovers her family secret, she must leave the world she knows behind or suffer a fate worse than death.
Dubbed “that weird Owens girl” since grade school, Lucy struggled to find her place in the small, New England town she grew up in. She lived a quiet, sheltered life with her guardians, surrounded by the memories of her ancestors. Lucy bears a striking resemblance to some of these Owens women, down to the crescent moon shaped birthmark on the back of their necks.
Among her only visitors are two young men, Embry and Gabriel, who claim to be friends of the family. When prom night takes a sour turn, Lucy is forced to take shelter with them from a mysterious man hell-bent on acquiring her.
She also discovers that Embry and Gabriel are Gifteds, a subset of humans with supernatural abilities who don’t die until their job is done. In this case, they claim their job is to protect Lucy’s line. But as she gets to know them and her family’s history better, she has to wonder if their ultimate goal is to keep her safe, or to stop the man who’s after her?
Prophecyis a coming of age supernatural novel by Amanda Lynn Petrin. If you like strong heroines who keep fighting no matter how many times they are knocked down, then you’ll love this paranormal adventure.
ControlStill having mind-bending fun with this one.
All currently uploaded pics can be found here.
ControlThis is a pic of the entity currently connected to Jesse. You will see it in the game almost like a marker of where it wants her to go. (As in letting you know the direction for the current mission.)
ControlAn open area that leads to several divisions. Office workers are floating in the distance.
ControlClose up of Jesse Faden. Really nice work on the facial features and details.
Control3D Mockup of the Astral Plane area controlled by the Board.
ControlTainted zone – reality has shifted ahead.
ControlThe Black Quarry – it’s on another plane of existence. The stone has multiple qualities. I rotate often employees as it will slowly affect those working there. Eek!
ControlIn the motel. The room is showing a future picture of where Jesse will be once she clicks the light for the third time and it includes her in it. Time and reality are so fluid in this place!
Control
If you had any doubt you weren’t in Kansas anymore, just look up. 😁
Books with Dragons! Books for ReviewsBooks With Dragons! Books for Reviews Exchange. 🐉 You can see all the participants here.
SWSW will be having a Year-End Event 🥳 on 12/12/21 from 12 to 6 PM EST. Get more info here. There will also be fun stuff on the days leading up to it! Should be fun! 🎉 Reserve your spot today!
Strong Women Strange Worlds YE PartyI hope you have a fabulous week! 😍
Gloria
October 9, 2021
Virtual Tourist 10/08/21
Table of Contents
1) News/Musings
2) I Made a Boo Boo!
3) StoryOrigin Swaps 1 & 2
4) Virtual Tourist - New World
5) Book Review - A Most Malicious Murder
6) Books for Reviews
7) Strong Women - Strange Worlds
Greetings!
Looks like fall is here!
Temperatures dropped for a couple of days, but look to be back to 90 degrees plus! ☀ Ugh!
My sinuses are raging! (Not that that's anything new.) 😋
TikTok has been around for years, but I never paid much attention. My father will sometimes send me links to posts there—mostly about cats. 🐱👤 A writer friend mentioned it recently, and ever since then, I'd been thinking about it.
Now, I have taken the plunge! Yes, I have my own TikTok page. As of today, I have made and uploaded five videos. They are all one minute or less. We'll see what kind of a disaster this turns out to be. LOL. 😁
If you want to take a look, my TikTok is tiktok.com/@gloriaoliverauthor
You may have seen them pop up on Instagram or Facebook. It's weird how it converts them. For example, for Instagram, it makes it square. The captions on TikTok don't seem to come over. Should be fun seeing all the weirdness and playing with options.
In the last newsletter, I made a Boo Boo with regards to the info on one of the StoryOrigin swaps. For S. V. Fanrsworth's Woman of the Stone—I'd added it was only available in print. This is NOT true! DOH! 🤦♀️
There are ebook versions of the book at Kobo and B&N. The author just made the decision not to have the ebook at Amazon. When I saw it didn't have one there, I assumed it didn't have any anywhere else. Mea culpa! 😓
However, there is some good news. The ebook is currently on sale for 99 cents!
Summer also has a new release coming up for a space opera. She said she is happy to give people the first-in-series ebooks in exchange for honest reviews. If you wish to see all her works, check out her website.
1) Two book info swaps from StoryOrigin. (Including the Woman of the Stone.)
2) One opportunity for books for reviews.
3) Review of Melanie Fletcher's A Most Malicious Murder - Melanie is part of the Future Classics Writers' Group I belong to. I'd been waiting for this puppy for over 10 years!
4) Info on the next Strong Women - Strange Worlds virtual readings.
Scroll on down to get all the deets. 😉
StoryOrigin Swap 1Woman of the Stone by S.V. FarnsworthEmerald Stone broke her word only once.
As the consequences catch up with her, it may cost her life, has already taken her virtue, and for certain will exact a toll on her freedom.
Tasked by the Creator with a quest to reunite the ancient Modutan Empire, she escapes in search of a peace that can only be found on the other side of a war. If she survives the politics and peril of the journey, she will discover that oaths of the heart are not so easily broken.
Once Upon a NameStoryOrigin Swap 2Once Upon A Name - Tales of the Strange and UnusualWhat’s in a name? Names have power, names have magic, names can set the course for a great destiny.
Once upon a time, twenty author friends accepted a challenge by a fairy tale name generator. Now, twenty new characters have adventurous tales to tell.
In this clean YA anthology, meet goddesses, empresses, countesses, wannabe sorceress apprentices, female leaders of wolf packs, and guardian frog sidekicks. Search for missing persons with a hunter turned detective. Swoon over the gypsy sultana who must prove she is fit to rule. Cavort with our demons, wraiths, and demigods and lose your soul to the Bone Marsh. Root for a genie’s freedom or bite your nails as you pray for the witch to get the spell right. And yes, feel your heart palpitate at unexpected romance.
Escape into our strange and unusual collection of short stories written by award-winning and up-and-coming authors. Join us in far-off lands and learn. . .what is in a name.
All proceeds will be donated to charity in support of reading and literacy.
New World is an MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online Game). Hubby and I are both gamers, but finding a game we can play together is sometimes a bit of a challenge as we tend to look for different things.
We'd heard about this one six months or more ago and it's finally out!
The premise is that you are one of many people shipwrecked on the supernatural island of Aeternum. You can forage, craft, and battle. Unlike most MMO's this one does not have classes, so players can mix and match armor, abilities, etc. It has both PVE (Player vs. Environment) and PVP (Player vs. Player). Hubby and I both dislike PVP, so it's great that only those who enjoy that style of play can opt to do it.
We've been enjoying the game overall so far. The only frustrating thing has been the maps. Not very user-friendly. Slowly getting a clue on that. 😋
More pics here.
Part of the introduction story. A survivor has sold the ship's captain a map to Aeternum.
My character on the doomed ship. The man to her left is the captain. The box contains a relic to guide the ship to the island. The perpetual storms around it have other plans. Bwahahahaha.
After nearly drowning, the character awakes at this shipwreck-strewn beach. You can see Vikings, Conquistadors, and people from other ages and countries have come here seeking power.
All is not well here. There are evil supernatural forces at work. If you are infected, you become an undead servant to the Blight.
As you can see, the graphics are quite nice. Where the Blight and contagion are held back, the island can be quite beautiful.
A view of the island of Aeternum. Definitely no longer in the normal world.
The ship's captain, once he's consumed by the blight.
View from the beach at Monarch's Bluff, my starting town. Trying my hand at fishing.
A Most Malicious Murder by Melanie FletcherBook ReviewA Most Malicious Murder
Alternate History and Cozy Murder for the win!
What if Edgar Allan Poe had not died in 1849 and turned his life around? Then finds himself on tour in England trying to drum up subscriptions for his brainchild, The Stylus magazine? His first stop is Oxford for a talk at Christ Church, one of the largest colleges at the University. Yet, a nasty encounter and a pushy publisher lead him to cave to his alcohol craving imp's wishes, despite his promise to his second wife not to imbibe. A lapse he comes to doubly regret when he awakens in the wrong room of the hotel but a foot or two from a murdered maid.
Melanie Fletcher does an outstanding job of weaving what has been to what could have been. The details are vivid, and she expertly shows the amalgamation that is Oxford and its varied challenges. Including Charles Dodgson before he became the famed Lewis Carroll adds a nice layer, as we see the author in his still formative years.
The two men, different in temperament, country, and age, must find ways to deal with one another and accept what each brings to the table in order to clear Poe's name and catch a murderer. With the viewpoints shifting from Poe to Dodgson and the killer, readers will get an immersive view of events.
A Most Malicious Murder is a sensory delicious and fast-moving read.
Ghosts and Ghouls and Things That Go Bump in the Night! Books in exchange for reviews for the month of October! 👻 You can see all the participants here.
The next Strong Women - Strange Worlds virtual readings are set for Thursday 10/21/21 at 5 pm EST. Check out the graphic below for the participants. Here's the pre-registration link.
They have a BIG surprise coming for December 12th. More details soon!
Can you believe 2021 is almost over?!?!?! 😱😱😱😱
Gloria
September 24, 2021
Mind Sieve 9/24/21
Table of ContentsNews/MusingsStoryOrigin Swaps 1& 2Mini Movie ReviewsMovie PreviewsStoryOrigin Swap 3Audiobooks & Books for ReviewsJust for Fun!Strong Women – Strange Worlds
Greetings!
I hope September has been good to you. 😁
News/MusingsMy sinuses have been misbehaving a ton the last few weeks. 😖 I would be more than happy for them to start being nice! Maybe now that fall has started, they will become more cooperative. Right… 😋
The final headshot has arrived for the Daiyu Wu Mysteries crew. Last but never least is Prince Razor. Isn’t he cute? Art is by orenjilemonade at Fiverr.
Prince RazorBodyguard, playmate, and ladies’ man. 😋
Extra stuff I’ve shoved in here:
1) Three info swaps from StoryOrigin. One of the three is a reader magnet – so no cost to you.
2) Two opportunities for you to get books 📚 or audiobooks if you leave reviews of them in exchange.
3) Latest set of authors that will be doing readings for Strong Women – Strange Worlds.
More deets on all of these in their sections. 😊
Story Origin Swap 1Woman of the Stone by S.V. FarnsworthEmerald Stone broke her word only once.
As the consequences catch up with her, it may cost her life, has already taken her virtue, and for certain will exact a toll on her freedom. Tasked by the Creator with a quest to reunite the ancient Modutan Empire, she escapes in search of a peace that can only be found on the other side of a war. If she survives the politics and peril of the journey, she will discover that oaths of the heart are not so easily broken.
(In Print Only)
Story Origin Swap 2The Jack Hansard Series: Season 1 by Georgina JefferyJack Hansard is the man who can sell you anything. Luck in a bottle, fame in a box, dreams on a leash… anything is possible when you’re a trader on the occult Black Market.
Jack is used to a life of handling dangerous goods, dodging disgruntled customers, and sometimes running away very fast. But when Ang (a two-and-a-half-foot tall coblyn right out of Welsh folklore) buys his help to find her missing kin, Jack suddenly finds the goods are riskier, the customers more treacherous, and escape is anything but guaranteed.
The Jack Hansard Series is an episodic modern fantasy with a wide streak of humour and a lot of British folklore. Season One contains the first fifteen episodes in the series.
Mini Movie Reviews 🎥★ – Why did I go see this? Why?!
★★ – Showed promise but on execution, crashed
★★★ – Enjoyable, just don’t look under the hood too closely
★★★★ – A great film, totally worth seeing!
★★★★★ – 🤯 Too fabulous for words!
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten RingsThis film has a little bit of everything in it. Tons of action, comedy, magic, drama, and more. The relationship between Shaun (Shang-Chi) and Katy was refreshing as it shows that men and women can just be friends. The two are like a mischievous pair of siblings! I also loved how they incorporated the Mandarin character debacle in Iron Man 3 and played with it. So fun! There are two extra scenes at the end (the first one slew me!). Definitely worth seeing!
Rating: ★★★★.25 out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission to See Again!)
The Suicide SquadI somehow missed doing a review on this one. DOH! I liked this one a lot better than the 2016 Suicide Squad with Will Smith. The plot was a little more solid and had more layers. It is as crazy and demented as ever, too! I had seen King Shark in one of the animated DC films before, so I was totally looking forward to seeing him in CGI. What a riot! Voila Davis is still creepy good as Amanda Waller. Not for KIDS!
Rating: ★★★★ out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Price of Admission)
Matrix Resurrections – This should be wild! Though I wish Keanu had shaved or cut his hair. In the last John Wick film and this one he looks too scraggly. 😋
Spider Man No Way Home Trailer – I’m not sure Dr. Strange would do this? But it could be fun. 😋
Hawkeye – I thought it was a movie, but it’s actually a TV show! Sweet! Trick arrows for the win!!!!!
Story Origin Swap 3The Neighbor You Don’t Know by Shane ShepherdAfter countless years of preparation Mission Terra Firme One is finally ready to commence and give Earth the answers it has long waited for, about the planet Neighbor.
The TSS Cartographer is about to arrive and its First Officer Baldwin “call me Win” Tavares believes that he might just be able to touch his hand to that rocky ground and that’d be enough for him to learn everything there is to know about their old Neighbors, the things they’d done and what they’d left behind.
But not everyone is as kind-hearted or has such noble intentions, and Neighbor holds more mysteries than anyone could have imagined. Exploring it might open the gates for a flood that threatens to drown everything, and Win must make decisions that hold his life, and that of all around him, at stake.
(Reader Magnet)
Audiobooks for Reviews Exchange!
HMT Audiobook Reviews! For the month of Sep 2021, these audiobooks will be available in exchange for reviews.
Books for Reviews Exchange!
Back to School! Paranormal romance and urban fantasy books for reviews for the month of Sep 2021.
Just for Fun!
This month over at the Animal Rescue Site they had another super cute story – this time about a bookstore that serves coffee and has kittens for adoption! They roam the store! The story is here.
Speaking of the Matrix – watch the latest music video from World Order called Censorship. If you’ve never seen them before, they are a blast! Their synchronized movements are amazing!
A new video from Simon’s Cat called Pupsitting. This one is in color and 10 minutes long! Dang!
Strong Women – Strange WorldsThe next Strong Women – Strange Worlds virtual readings are set for Friday 10/01/21 at Noon EST. Check out the graphic below for the participants. Here’s the info link. Make your free reservation early!
Have an awesome weekend! 😁
Gloria
September 10, 2021
Virtual Tourist 9/10/21
Table of ContentsNews/MusingsStoryOrigin SwapsControlAudiobooks for ReviewsBooks for ReviewsStrong Women – Strange Worlds
Greetings!
I hope you had a fun and safe Labor Day.
We stayed home and I goofed off in the afternoon, which was sweet! 😊
News/Musings
Not much to report. The Amazon AMS experiment is still showing mixed results. I’ve tweaked what I am using on the book page for the Excerpt, but the first time it messed up and the Amazon peeps have not fixed it yet. 😭
One thing I did do, is use Fiverr to contract an artist to do headshots of Dai, Jacques, and Prince Razor to use on the Amazon A+ Content past of the page. I’ve gotten Dai’s and Jacques, and added them to the page already. You can see them at Amazon’s Black Jade page. I will be adding them to the website when I have all three. (I also need to add reviews there, too. But not all reviewers want their reviews reposted.)
I’ll add the headshots here so you don’t have to go looking for them. 🤩
Headshots
Artwork by orenjilemonade at Fiverr
Miss Daiyu Wu (AKA Dai)
Jacques Haskin
Extra stuff I’ve shoved in here:
1) Two book info swaps from StoryOrigin.
2) One opportunity for you to get books 📚 for reviews.
3) One opportunity for audiobooks for reviews
4) Info on the next Strong Women – Strange Worlds virtual readings!
Scroll on down to get all the deets. 😉
Story Origin SwapSkald’s Hollow by J.A. BrooklynEveryone handles their soap operas differently. The Lausch family does it with blood and magic.
A fantasy story that will hit you like a thunderbolt.
Set in a magical kingdom, Skald’s Hollow shows Stefan Lausch purchasing a mountain. Stefan tells Gustav he wants to spend quality time by going on a hunt to find dragon bones, wolves, and nightshades. He doesn’t tell him that the safari is really an excuse to kidnap mountain soldiers and execute Nazi-like experiments on them.
To distance himself from his father’s crime empire, Gustav built a million-dollar car company and got married to an exiled princess to start a new family with less blood on its hands. Now, Gustav must struggle to prove he can protect himself from his Goliath-like father and the evil he exhibits.
Skald’s Hollow is the prequel to the Chronicles of Alder’s urban contemporary fantasy series.
Story Origin SwapBlood and Loyalty – The Dracomancer Book 1 by Lona Fox and F. Lowberry“The world needs to change. That much is obvious. But what kind of change does Parthenis need, I wonder?”
“A drastic one, no doubt. Let it be born over and better. Or is that too much?”
At ten years old, Kalindra Therin, throne-princess of Lundell, is tested to discover whether she has the potential to become a Dracomancer. When she’s proven worth it, despite her father’s protests, she chooses to travel with her mentor Yenderen to the Iclindir Dracomancy Academy to learn the arts of combat and spellcasting as well as to commune with her new dragon companion Rina.
But after 5 years of training as a keeper of balance, is she still willing to obey her father, the King, and secure a political alliance with a nearby kingdom out of duty? What would become of her if she dares to take a stand for herself and her dragon?
ControlControl is a mind-bending science fiction third-person shooter. I’d had it on my wishlist for a while and grabbed it when it went on special. 😎
The story follows Jesse Fadden, a young woman who has been looking for the Federal Bureau of Control for years in order to find out what happened to her younger brother thirteen years before.
It’s a very atmospheric game with twisted visuals as reality is malleable. Unlike a lot of games, it doesn’t come with preset levels of difficulty you can choose, but rather, down in the guts of the options menu, you can choose assist mode and then choose which aspect you want to increase. I like that a lot as if one area is way too difficult, I can tweak the damage I take and this give me a chance to get through it! Lol. Combat is harsh here. 😁
It has been super trippy so far, which is awesome! Like when the Board (Astral conglomeration of aliens?) give Jesse the job of Director since the last one shot himself, all the picture frames in the building showing Director Trench all switched to photos of Jesse! Time is fluid!
More pics here.
Street view of the entrance to the Federal Bureau of Control. Jesse has been to New York several times and this is the first time she has seen it. Most people are not aware it is even there.
This is the lobby of the Federal Bureau of Control. As you pick up random documents, you’ll find one stating the protocols for anyone who actually sees it and walks in. Depending on the answers to some simple questions, visitors are either asked to leave or detained.
Director Trench. He will be dead by the time Jesse meets him. She does the one thing one should NEVER do when they come upon the crime scene—grab the weapon.
In Control, grabbing the bio-gun has a different consequence than being accused of murder though. 😁
I thought it funny that for a bureau no one can find, they still want to show off the logo! Heh heh
This is Ahti, the bureau’s head janitor. Except, I am sure he’s way more than that. He’s the one who sends me to the Director’s office. I also have a feeling he’s aware of the entity who came in with Jesse. She talks to him/her/it on occasion.
A giant file room in the midst of its reality being changed. Red is the signature color of Hiss (Jesse finds paperwork calling it Hiss, but the first time she meets a live person after Ahti, Jesse calls it that and they act as if she’s named it for the first time. Yes, lots of reality is being bent!)
The Board. Jesse first meets them after picking up the bio-gun in the Director’s office. Bwahahaha!
Audiobooks for Reviews Exchange!
HMT Audiobook Reviews! For the month of Sep 2021, these audiobooks will be available in exchange for reviews.
Books for Reviews Exchange!
Back to School! Paranormal romance and urban fantasy books for reviews for the month of Sep 2021.
Strong Women – Strange Worlds
The next Strong Women – Strange Worlds virtual readings are set for Thursday 9/16/21 at 5 pm EST. Check out the graphic below for the participants. Here’s the pre-registration link. They’ve now added a little time for those who don’t need to rush off to do a Q&A with the participating authors. Nice!
That’s it for this round. I hope you have a fabulous weekend. 😁
Gloria
August 27, 2021
Mind Sieve 8/27/21
Table of ContentsNews/Musings StoryOrigin SwapsMini Movie ReviewsB&N Sales from ZimmerMovie PreviewsReads for ReviewsJust for Fun!Strong Women – Strange Worlds
Greetings!
Back again with a myriad of things to share!
News/Musings
Exercise for the win! 🏋️♀️ Yes, I am back on the exercise horse! Booyah! Ring Fit is a major workout. I am on the lowest setting, only do a level or two, and I still feel like I’ve run through a gauntlet. 😜 This stuff gets harder as I get older. DOH!
Work continues on Book 2 of the Daiyu Wu Mysteries. I started something new, and I’ve been posting WIP quotes once or twice a week on Twitter and Facebook. The name for book two will be White Gold. (I went back and forth a few times, but now that I have some of the plot points nailed down in my brain, this one should be it!)
The Daiyu Wu Mysteries now has a Facebook page! Feel free to like/follow so you won’t miss anything Daiyu Wu related or just to show the love. 😊
Extra stuff I’ve shoved in here:
1) One info swap from StoryOrigin.
2) Last chance for two opportunities for you to get free books 📚 if you leave reviews of them in exchange.
3) Last chance for the Zumaya Publications B&N ebook sale that includes some of my titles.
4) Latest set of authors that will be doing readings for Strong Women – Strange Worlds.
More deets on all of these in their sections. 😊
Conspiracy: Book One of the Rim Chronicles by Edita A. PetrickStoryOrigin Swap
When a signature has the power to start a galactic war….
Parv Zarinth learned early in life that if he wanted to defy his father, he’d have to do it from somewhere half-way across the galaxy. He does his best on Hettamir to represent his father’s interests. He steers away from any conflict that may threaten the family business which translates into galactic empire.
Hettamir is a world with no other than hospitality industry. It’s a pleasure to do business on Hettamir, in every sense of the word. And Parv has been mixing business with pleasure for five years now, flying under the radar of his tyrannical father. The business is to expand his father’s business empire. The pleasure has a name: Arun Dyem. She is as beautiful as she is crafty, having risen from the ranks of sex industry to lead her people in a ‘velvet’ revolt.
As the champion of her people’s rights and freedom, she is relentless in lobbying the Galactic Confederation for a treaty that will bring Hettamir protection. It is the last thing the warlords of New Hebrides want.
Parv watches the preparations for the grand event, even as he tries to shake off the feeling that something…or everything is going to go wrong. He finally has what he’s always wanted—a woman he loves and means to keep. She is his whole life, his destiny. And he will fight to his last breath to hold on to his future….
Everything changes when he discovers a power of his own – the ability to converse with Beasts.
Consumed by this new magic, Fulco devises a plan to earn the respect of the elves – he will join the elven academy and earn his place through Portare; a dangerous game played upon horses and monsters where the riders wield their magical gifts to influence the outcome.
However, it seems that getting into the academy isn’t the largest of his concerns. There is more to his wizardry than meets the eye, threats he never imagined possible and an epic destiny that he must fulfil.
Now, with the guidance of a mysterious witch and a bow-tie wearing werewolf, Fulco must unravel its mystery and harness this strange magic in order to protect his adoptive family and the elven girl he loves… even if it costs him his life.
Mini Movie Reviews 🎥★ – Why did I go see this? Why?!
★★ – Showed promise but on execution, crashed
★★★ – Enjoyable, just don’t look under the hood too closely
★★★★ – A great film, totally worth seeing!
★★★★★ – 🤯 Too fabulous for words!
Free Guy
This movie was a blast! There’s so much going on in the background you can’t catch it all. There are a ton of inside jokes in this film as well. If you’ve ever played an MMO, this is for you! Favorite Quote: “But they don’t have a button for that!” The showdown between Guy and Guy2 cracked me up!
Rating: ★★★★ out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission to See Again!)
Snake EyesIf you totally and completely ignore anything and everything you know about Snake Eyes from the GI Joe comics, it wasn’t a bad film. It had great stunts and fight scenes (some made me think of scenes from the game Yakuza O. Otherwise, they hosed up so many points, the character resembles the true Snake Eyes in name only. One of the snafus was blatant – ninjas do not use samurai swords, they use ninjato, which are straight swords rather than curved and have a square guard. They introduce a romantic element with no time to mature and is not Scarlet. Snake Eyes, by the time he joins GI Joe, can’t talk but that was ignored as well. (Adding his clan’s symbol to his uniform made no sense! The whole point of ninjas is to not draw attention to that fact! Doh!)
Rating: ★★★ 1/4 out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Jungle CruiseAfrican Queen meets Pirates of the Caribbean!
Lots of fun moments, and a decent film if you don’t look under the hood. One of the major plot push items would have never happened as secrets revealed later in the film mean it was impossible for the german bad guy to know where to look for the cursed ones. (Made me sad…) Special effects were great, lots of action, winks in Disney’s direction, and more.
Rating: ★★★ 1/2 out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Price of Admission)
ReminiscenceThere were a lot of good things about this film as well as some bad. The acting was top-notch, which helped me overlook the bad science and bad explanations for the flooding and how the rich made it worse (Any possible displacement of water they could have done would not have affected the height of the water one bit.) Unlike a lot of movies that pull memories and show the person who owns them as well as what they remember, these guys at least tried to give an explanation of how that could be. Was it a good enough explanation? That’s for you to decide. The very end, while emotionally satisfying, was also far-fetched/bad science.
Rating: ★★★.5 out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Better on Cable)
Zumaya’s August Promotion is almost over – get your 30% off promotion on already discounted select ebooks over at Barnes & Noble.
Use Promo/Coupon code “BNPZUMAYA08” at checkout for your 30% off already discounted ebook pricing.
***US ONLY***
Below is a list of the ebooks in the promotion.
Movie Previews 🎥
The Batman – looks like there’s going to be another NEW Batman remake. Lol. Looks very dark. Batman will be played by Robert Pattinson from the Twilight Saga. 🤯
Queenpins – I love Kristen Bell, but not sure if this my speed. Lol.The Duke – looks adorable!
First set of the two Books for Review campaigns from StoryOrigin. Click the banner or here to get to the fill list of books page. I have two titles in this promotion. All sorts of genres are represented – including fantasy, young adult, crime, and more.
Time is running out!
Yep, this one is for historical fiction! Click the banner or here for a full list of books included.
Time is almost up to get in on this one, too!
Just For Fun!This month over at the Animal Rescue Site they had the cutest story about a Golden Retriever names Leny who loves to slide down a hill on his back! So cute! The article and a couple of videos can be found here.
Hubby sent me the link to this video called Ice Age – No Time For Nuts 4D. Scrat has been his favorite character for years! It’s a long video at 9 minutes, but it was a blast!
The next Strong Women – Strange Worlds virtual reading will be on 9/3/21. More info and a link to pre-register can be found here.
Have a great Friday!
Gloria
August 13, 2021
Virtual Tourist - Assassin's Creed - Odyssey 8/13/21
Greetings!
It’s been hot, hot, and hot lately! [image error]
Hope you are keeping cool. [image error]
News/Musings
My new exercise [image error] regimen had been progressing well until this week. [image error] My insides bloated like a balloon Sunday (not sure what set that off!) and while that’s been fixed, it left my muscles/intestines super sore so I’ve had to abstain from playing Ring Fit.
There’s always something! DOH!
Hopefully, I can get back on it on Monday. [image error]
The Amazon AMS experiment continues. Results have been mixed, but I am still tweaking it. I also took advantage of Amazon’s new A+ Content, which lets you add blocks to your product page. I did several book mockups for my publishers, so I am hoping they can put those in there on my other titles. If you are curious as to what I am talking about, scroll on down at the Black Jade page. Feel free to let me know what you think. (Or maybe even what you’d like to see there!) [image error]
Extra stuff I’ve shoved in here:
1) One book info swaps from StoryOrigin.
2) Two still open opportunities for you to get free books [image error] if you leave reviews of them in exchange.
3) The continuing Zumaya Publications B&N ebook sale. (Lasts until 8/31/21). It includes some of my titles!
4) Info on the next Strong Women – Strange Worlds virtual readings!
Scroll on down to get all the deets. [image error]
Story Origin SwapThe Deliverer’s Destiny by Sara JoleneIn a world ruled by tyranny, four teens are brought together to embark on a harrowing mission – to find the son of a god.
“Sometimes some must die in order for the rest of us to survive.”
Ever since the condemned rebelled, the world of Desmond has been shrouded in darkness. Having ripped the throne away from the Creator Himself, King Motch keeps a firm-taloned grip on his subjects, aided by a ruthless, gifted being known as the Veiled Lady. Families are torn apart as parents are forced to give up their children to be raised by pitiless trainers who groom the children to become brain-washed warriors. All who fight back are dead. In a strict society built on the blood of the people, hope is a rare term.
Yet it is still had.
Against all odds, four lives are entangled. A timid boy brought from another world, a princess warrior on the run, a young soldier haunted by death and duty, and a slave boy with mysterious gifts – they are brought together to fulfill words spoken long ago: that a Deliverer would come and find the Creator’s son, who, in turn, would save them all.
Thrown into the fight of their lives, the four must work together to bring about a change in a dark and dangerous world. The mission the Deliverer has been given is a necessary one, a foreseen prophecy spoken of long ago.
Therefore, Motch knows they are coming.
And, as we all know, dragons love playing with their prey.
Assassin’s Creed – OdysseyAssassin’s Creed Odyssey is the 3rd Assassin’s Creed game I’ve played. I couldn’t play some of the older ones as they spun too fast or refresh rates were so low they caused motion sickness. But the last three, Black Flag, Origins, and Odyssey have been fine. Yay!
So far, though, my favorite has been Origins. While Odyssey still has awesome graphics, voice acting, etc. they’ve tried to introduce a war component that doesn’t work but also seem to have lost sight of what a ‘hero’ is. It’s possible, they are trying to make the main character not be a true hero until the end, but I won’t know until I get there. [image error] (Several missions for townspeople are straight-up assassinations, and she takes their word on the facts rather than verify anything.)
The war aspect comes from the Peloponnesian War between Sparta and Athens. If you want to clear the maps, it will shift which is in favor in an area. But after actually triggering two war events, I no longer took the steps to do the war fights as they are just a clone of the previous one. The terrain stayed the same and you are already in the middle of battle. There didn’t seem to be a point in doing them.
One new twist is that you can be a male or a female character. But some of the dialogue/results didn’t get separated, so it makes for some awkward situations.
But the depictions of Ancient Greece are fantastic!
View from the statue atop Kephallonia. Kassandra has been living here ever since the tragic day she left Sparta.
As always, the character has an avian companion. This time it is Ikaros. Here is another view of Kephallonia from his aerial point of view.
This is Kassandra. She works as a mercenary. Eventually, she will leave Kephallonia and start discovering what has happened to her family.
Here’s a closeup of Ikaros. Phoibe is an orphan and Kassandra’s friend.
Up in the hills of Kephallonia.
Aerial view of the coast of Kaphellonia. The annoying message will go away in later pics. [image error]
If you want to see more of these, you can find the picture album of the ones I’ve already uploaded here.
August 2021 Barnes and Noble eBook Promotion!
For the month of August 2021, Zumaya will be having a 30% off promotion on already discounted select ebooks over at Barnes & Noble.
Use Promo/Coupon code “BNPZUMAYA08” at checkout for your 30% off already discounted ebook pricing.
**US ONLY**
Below is a list of the ebooks in the promotion.
First set of the two Books for Review campaigns from StoryOrigin. Click the banner or here to get to the full list of books page. I have two titles in this promotion. All sorts of genres are represented – including fantasy, young adult, crime, and more.
Yep, this one is for historical fiction! Click the banner or here for a full list of books included.
Strong Women – Strange Worlds
The next Strong Women – Strange Worlds virtual readings are set for 8/19/21 at 5 pm EST. Check out the graphic below for the participants. Here’s the pre-registration link. They’ve now added a little time for those who don’t need to rush off to do a Q&A with the participating authors. Nice!
Happy Friday! May you have a fabulous weekend. [image error]
Gloria
July 30, 2021
Mind Sieve 7/30/21
Greetings!
The old adage “when it rains, it pours” has been totally in effect this week! So I have a ton of stuff for you this time around. [image error]
News/Musings
Exercise for the win! [image error] I may have finally found something I can use to get exercise into my life on a daily basis. With the raging temperatures, walks are no longer practical and weren’t doing enough.
Years and years ago I had used Wii Fit and some dance games to get some exercise in. So I thought there might be more stuff out there now than there used to be. I was hoping to find something that changed so the vista was not always the same. And I did! For almost two weeks, I’ve been exercising first thing in the morning using Ring Fit!
You can alter the workout difficulty and do as much or as little as you are comfortable with. It includes warmups and cooldowns. It will even take your pulse! Plus it works out all your different muscles. I am pumped! [image error] (Think of it as an adventure game, but the theme and all the attacks are exercise-based!)
More random stuff!
Over at Goodreads, reviews for Black Jade are at 29 ratings and 28 written reviews. The average rating at the moment is 4.31 out of 5 stars. Every review means so much nowadays! [image error]
Over at Amazon, it has hit 11 reviews! Booyah! [image error]
I won’t mention it again unless I hit some kind of unbelievable threshold. So don’t worry. Heh heh. [image error]
[image error] I’ve been making my brain mush this week learning about AMS advertising at Amazon. I wish I had done this before the Black Jade release. I totally misunderstood some of the processes. I mean, who would ever think it’s a good thing to add in 200+ search terms to an ad?!?!?!
Wish me luck! I’m going to need it! [image error]
I tortured my peeps at Future Classics with several chapters of Breaking Dawn Cleaners. From the name, they’d thought it was a vampire parody book! [image error] So I am now going with The Secret Humankind. That should give a better indication to anyone looking at it. This is one of the reasons it’s so important to have people look at your stories. The weirdest things will pass right on over until someone points it out. [image error]
Extra stuff I’ve shoved in here:
1) Two book info swaps from StoryOrigin.
2) Two opportunities for you to get free books [image error] if you leave reviews of them in exchange.
3) A Zumaya Publications B&N ebook sale that includes some of my titles.
Just keep on scrolling to see each section and get the deets! (I told you I had a ton of stuff pop up!) [image error]
Story Origin Swap 1The Spirit of Things by Ben McQueeneyThere is peril beyond the Mist, and chaos within. But only one can save the world…
Tellusm is a land torn by a sky-high storm created by the gods long ago. But there are those among the deities who believe that the Mist should be disbanded, allowing the unknown exiled inside once more…
Yet the wars of gods are no concern to the likes of man.
And all Fulco has ever wanted is acceptance from the elves of the village where he has grown up. A lone human, raised by an elven family, he has been hated for simply existing for seventeen rotations.
Everything changes when he discovers a power of his own – the ability to converse with Beasts.
Consumed by this new magic, Fulco devises a plan to earn the respect of the elves – he will join the elven academy and earn his place through Portare; a dangerous game played upon horses and monsters where the riders wield their magical gifts to influence the outcome.
However, it seems that getting into the academy isn’t the largest of his concerns. There is more to his wizardry than meets the eye, threats he never imagined possible and an epic destiny that he must fulfil.
Now, with the guidance of a mysterious witch and a bow-tie wearing werewolf, Fulco must unravel its mystery and harness this strange magic in order to protect his adoptive family and the elven girl he loves… even if it costs him his life.
Story Origin Swap 2Alien Embrace : A Limited Edition Collection of Sci Fi Alien RomancesAliens move among us—warriors, soldiers, explorers, and more—testing fate and finding love with their true mates. And they’ll do whatever it takes to ensure their human mates remain forever caught in their Alien Embrace.
This hot new collection brings you all the best in science fiction alien romances from New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling authors.
Our heroes and heroines will satisfy your cravings for every kind of alien romance, whether you prefer slow-burn or fast, one hot hero or two…or more.
Get this steamy new collection of alien romances from the best, new, and up-and-coming voices in sci-fi romance.
Mini Movie Reviews! [image error]★ – Why did I go see this? Why?!
★★ – Showed promise but on execution, crashed
★★★ – Enjoyable, just don’t look under the hood too closely
★★★★ – A great film, totally worth seeing!
★★★★★ – [image error] Too fabulous for words!
The Hitman’s Wife’s BodyguardI forgot to include this one last time. [image error] (This is NOT for kids!) It also has a lot of cussing (like the first one), so be warned.
As a sequel, it wasn’t bad. But they never ever say what happened to Bryce’s sweetheart, which I felt was a glaring omission, since it was a central point in the first film. Tons of gags, some twists, lots of weirdness. It was definitely entertaining. Everyone looked to have had a blast.
Rating: ★★★.5 out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Zumaya Publications B&N eBook Promotion001
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August 2021 Barnes and Noble eBook Promotion!For the month of August 2021, Zumaya will be having a 30% off promotion on already discounted select ebooks over at Barnes & Noble.
Use Promo/Coupon code “BNPZUMAYA08” at checkout for your 30% off already discounted ebook pricing.
Below is a list of the ebooks in the promotion.
Movie Previews [image error]
Ghostbusters Afterlife – New longer preview. I am so there!!!!
DUNE – this just looks better and better! Loved the books, loved the first movie. This could give me more to love. [image error]
The Witcher – Season 2 Trailer! WOOT! I am loving how the look and feel are trying to match the PC Game. Nice!
First set of the two Books for Review campaigns from StoryOrigin. Click the banner or here to get to the fill list of books page. I have two titles in this promotion. All sorts of genres are represented – including fantasy, young adult, crime, and more.
Yep, this one is for historical fiction! Click the banner or here for a full list of books included.
Just For Fun!
The video in this article is in TikTok so I can’t add it to the newsletter, but I can give you the link to the article so you can see the video. It’s a 3D Cat Billboard in Japan. It is so cool looking!!!!!! [image error]
I ran across a video for Blade Runner: Black Lotus! Looks like it will be an animated series. Has the look and feel of the films, and the character designs of a lot of the Star Wars animated series.
Numbers have been skyrocketing so stay safe! See you in a couple of weeks!
Gloria
July 16, 2021
Mind Sieve 7/16/21
Table of Contents
1) News/Musings
2) StoryOrigin Swap
3) Mini Movie Reviews
4) Movie Previews
Greetings!
I hope you’re having a great summer! It’s getting scorching out there. 🔥
Now if I could only get my back muscles to behave. 😆
I want to write!
News/MusingsBlack Jade Book Tour and Giveaway July 12-July 18, 2021There’s still time to join the fun and get a free copy of Black Jade! This has been put together by the great folks at Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours! There are a few days left, so why not visit these fine folks. 😁
The Url with all the details is here.
BLACK JADE TOUR PARTICIPANTSJuly 12 – Novels Alive – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 12 – Ruff Drafts – SPOTLIGHT
July 13 – Baroness’ Book Trove – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
July 13 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 14 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT
July 14 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
July 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – REVIEW, AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 15 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
July 16 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
July 16 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT
July 17 – Here’s How It Happened – REVIEW
July 17 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
July 18 – I Read What You Write – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
July 18 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT
Over at Goodreads, reviews are at 25 ratings and 24 written reviews. The average rating at the moment is 4.28 out of 5 stars. 😁 YES!
Over at Amazon, it has hit 10 reviews! Booyah! All those weeks of contacting reviewers are paying off. 😁
Work continues on Book 2. It is tentatively titled White Gold! I’ve got most of the main items figured out and a possible theme. I have not been able to write as much as I’ve wanted to though. 😭
I am trying to see if I can swap every week between WIPs so Breaking Dawn Cleaners will also get some love. My back muscle is not helping with writing though. I’m pushing to try to start some exercises to strengthen the thing. Wish me luck!!!!!
This month I am trying some other new things, too. I caved and joined StoryOrigin. It’s a multi-purpose site where authors can swap newsletter mentions, do group promotions, create universal purchase links, and more.
I’m trying to check anyone I am swapping with, so I don’t share anything that doesn’t look like good quality on you, plus it gives you a chance at freebies! The groups I am joining at the moment will be free books for reviews. But this time around, I am doing a newsletter swap. I decided to include it in the blog post as well. See below!
StoryOrigin Swap!Darkest Depths by Yolanda AllardDo you want to know why you’ve never heard of real live mermaids? Because I killed them all. Just kidding, that’s just what I’m trying to do. Mermaids, unfortunately, are real, and they’re smart. Smart enough to stay out of reality TV. But they’re not red-headed nor wonder-struck.
They’re evil.
In every sense of the word. From their razor-sharp teeth to their gelatinous tail. Their main source of nourishment is you, your delicious human flesh. And they can look just like you.
Unless you happen to notice the reflective sheen in their eyes or the fangs that come out right before they eat you alive. It’s my mission to kill every last one, and then hopefully, maybe, save your butt… if I have time. So, do us both a favor, stay out of my way. Stay in the sunshine where they can’t travel. I and the other hunters have got the nights covered and soaked in the black blood of mermaids.
Regards,
Harper Hatchet, Mermaid Hunter
★ – Why did I go see this? Why?!
★★ – Showed promise but on execution, crashed
★★★ – Enjoyable, just don’t look under the hood too closely
★★★★ – A great film, totally worth seeing!
★★★★★ – 🤯 Too fabulous for words!
Fast and Furious 9F9 was a bit of a disappointment. The over the top stunts and the needed suspension of disbelief are a given, so that wasn’t their issue. The problem was with the plot and character motivations. While they tried to explain Dom’s brother and their competitive natures, the explanations didn’t jive with what was going on. His brother becoming a rogue agent didn’t fit the motivations shown and no explanations were ever given. The money guy went from one partner to another, but nothing in the film supported this move. Also, during one of the sequences in an enemy vehicle, all the people we’d seen inside it, weren’t there when Dom goes from room to room. They’ve definitely done better. 😭
Rating: ★★★ out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Boss Baby: Family BusinessThis sequel to Boss Baby explores several family-related themes. The babies are adorable! The ninja kids are super awesome! (I have a soft spot for ninjas.) There are several teary moments and “ahhh” moments, as well as one of the creepiest girls EVER! The pony was a hoot. But where it fell short was the bad guy. The acting and secret were great, but they showed no foundations on how he could do what he did. He did not belong to Baby Corp, so they never cover how he was able to talk or act like an adult. If you can ignore that, the film is rather fun.
Rating: ★★★.5 out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Black WidowDespite being shelved for several years, the film was worth the wait. A couple of points will seem off at the beginning but make sense later as more information is revealed. All the fights and stunts are awesome. The interplay between the characters was great. Several teary-eyed moments. One extra scene at the very end of the credits. It soured the experience a little for me, as I could not believe Yelena would be doing the work they imply after all the family went through. Guess I will have to wait for the next film to see what they do with this. 😝
But, overall, it was a lot of fun!
Rating: ★★★★ out of 5 (Hubby’s Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)
Movie PreviewsTurning Red – Teaser trailer – looks awesome! Lol. Love the tagline – “Growing up is a beast.”
Hotel Transylvania 4 – I LOVE the premise! LOL. Some of the monsters get turned into humans. Bwahahahahahaha!
The Suicide Squad – appears like the original is being rebooted. Looks great so far. I will be seeing it purely for Harley and King Shark! (Voiced by Sylvester Stallone) (Yes, a character that is literally a walking shark!) He looks awesome! Oh! Nathan Fillion is in this! Sweet!
Venom: Let there be Carnage – Yes! A Venom 2 movie! Sweet! Loved all the snark in the first one. Hee!
Have a great weekend!!!
See you in a couple of weeks!
Gloria
