I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone gets to enjoy some time with friends and family, some good food, and of course football.
Cheers! 😎
I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope everyone gets to enjoy some time with friends and family, some good food, and of course football.
Cheers! 😎
Tags: General musings, Holidays
Can you guys believe that it’s time to start thinking about the holidays? I don’t know where this year has gone. Here are some holiday-themed books that I’m hoping to check out. Note that the descriptions are from Amazon:
A Dash of Christmas by Samantha Chase
Available now
With a dash of Christmas magic…
Two people who have spent most of their lives being rivals…
Learn a little something about following their hearts…
Carter Montgomery broke the family mold when he went to culinary school. Now a successful restauranteur, he’s at a crossroads: should he continue on his successful path or look for a new challenge? What he needs is time alone to think things through. But his matchmaking family has other ideas…
Emery Monaghan’s no-good fiancé has embroiled her in scandal and she needs a way out. When mentor Eliza Montgomery offers her a refuge, she’s relieved—until she realizes that the deal means rubbing elbows with Eliza’s son Carter—Emery’s childhood nemesis.
My thoughts: Chase is an author that I’ve been meaning to try, and I love an enemies-to-lovers plot.
A Texas Kind of Christmas by Jodi Thomas, Celia Bonaduce, and Rachael Miles
Available now
It’s Christmas Eve, 1859, and everyone who’s anyone is headed to the glorious St. Nicholas Hotel for the most talked about ball of the season. It’s the kind of Texas night where anything can happen—even love . . .
ONE NIGHT AT THE ST. NICHOLAS
New York Times and USA Today Bestselling Author Jodi Thomas
To escape her stepmother’s plot to marry her off, Texas heiress Jacqueline Hartman spends Christmas Eve sharing a hideout with an accused bank robber. After a night in Nathaniel Ward’s arms, Jacqueline is certain she has met her match after all. But will his heartfelt promise of love lead to his demise at the hands of the law?
BIRDIE’S FLIGHT * Celia Bonaduce
Seamstress Birdie Flanagan gets the surprise of her life when she receives a beautiful gown—and a sudden invitation—for the ball of the season! Birdie creates a stir from the moment she arrives, capturing the eye of the dashing Captain Douglas Fairbanks. But will a secret from her past keep her from her long-awaited happily-ever-after?
SPIRIT OF TEXAS * Rachael Miles
When lovely spinster Eugenie Charpentier makes a trip across the Texas frontier with former Texas Ranger Asher Graham, she dreams of an adventure, and the rough-and-tumble cowboy is happy to oblige. But both Eugenie and the rugged lawman are keeping secrets. Can they find each other—and love—on the dance floor at the Christmas ball?
My thoughts: I’m buying this for Little Debbie, aka my mom, who loves historical westerns. I always try to buy her at least a couple of westerns for Christmas, and this looks like a good one.
Longing for a Cowboy Christmas by Leigh Greenwood, Rosanne Bittner, Linda Broday, Margaret Brownley, Anna Schmidt, and Amy Sandas
Available now
Find your very own cowboy to keep warm these long, wintry nights as you cozy up with six sweeping, epic tales of heroism, passion, family and celebration from bestselling authors Leigh Greenwood, Rosanne Bittner, Linda Broday, Margaret Brownley, Anna Schmidt, and Amy Sandas.
Fall in Love with Christmas
Whether it’s a widower finding an unexpected new start, a former outlaw and his new wife welcoming their very own Christmas miracle, a long-lost lover returning just in time for a special holiday celebration, a second chance at love between two warring hearts given peace at last, an unlikely pair working together to bring joy to a small Texas town, or a cowboy and his dark-eyed beauty snowed in one unforgettable wintry eve…every Christmas with a cowboy is filled with light, laughter, and a forever kind of love.
My thoughts: I’m also buying this anthology for Little Debbie.
Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory
Available now
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Proposal and a “rising star in the romance genre” (Entertainment Weekly) comes a dazzling new novel about a spontaneous holiday vacation that turns into an unforgettable romance.
Vivian Forest has been out of the country a grand total of one time, so when she gets the chance to tag along on her daughter Maddie’s work trip to England to style a royal family member, she can’t refuse. She’s excited to spend the holidays taking in the magnificent British sights, but what she doesn’t expect is to become instantly attracted to a certain private secretary, his charming accent, and unyielding formality.
Malcolm Hudson has worked for the Queen for years and has never given a personal, private tour—until now. He is intrigued by Vivian the moment he meets her and finds himself making excuses just to spend time with her. When flirtatious banter turns into a kiss under the mistletoe, things snowball into a full-on fling.
Despite a ticking timer on their holiday romance, they are completely fine with ending their short, steamy affair come New Year’s Day. . .or are they?
My thoughts: I’m been meaning to try Guillory’s books for a while. Plus, I love holiday- and royal-themed romances so this one really appeals to me. And that cover is so cute. (Yes, I can be swayed by cover art.) 😎
10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston
Available now
Sophie wants one thing for Christmas—a little freedom from her overprotective parents. So when they decide to spend Christmas in South Louisiana with her very pregnant older sister, Sophie is looking forward to some much needed private (read: make-out) time with her long-term boyfriend, Griffin. Except it turns out that Griffin wants a little freedom from their relationship. Cue devastation. Heartbroken, Sophie flees to her grandparents’ house, where the rest of her boisterous extended family is gathered for the holiday. That’s when her nonna devises a (not so) brilliant plan: Over the next ten days, Sophie will be set up on ten different blind dates by different family members. Like her sweet cousin Sara, who sets her up with a hot guy at an exclusive underground party. Or her crazy aunt Patrice, who signs Sophie up for a lead role in a living nativity. With a boy who barely reaches her shoulder. And a screaming baby. When Griffin turns up unexpectedly and begs for a second chance, Sophie feels more confused than ever. Because maybe, just maybe, she’s started to have feelings for someone else . . . Someone who is definitely not available. This is going to be the worst Christmas break ever . . . or is it?
My thoughts: This sounds like a really fun YA holiday romance.
What about you guys? What holiday books are in your TBR pile right now?
Tags: About Books, Holidays, On Writing
I have put together a holiday gift guide that I will be sharing via my email newsletter. To get the gift guide, sign up for my newsletter.
The gift guide features books, food, makeup, and more. Some of the stuff I have bought/used/liked. Some of the stuff I have not bought/used/liked, but I think it sounds/looks cool. I am hoping to send out the gift guide around Wednesday, Nov. 20 or thereabouts. We’ll see what happens.
Happy holidays and happy shopping!
Tags: About Books, Holidays, Reading
I will be self-publishing Spartan Destiny, Mythos Academy spinoff #3, on Jan. 14. Woot!
This will be the last book in the series. Spartan Destiny is up for pre-order:
SPARTAN DESTINY EBOOK:
SPARTAN DESTINY PRINT BOOK:
Booksellers and librarians can order print copies through IngramSpark.
SPARTAN DESTINY AUDIOBOOK:
The Spartan Destiny audiobook will be released on March 24.
SPARTAN DESTINY DESCRIPTION:
This Spartan makes her own destiny . . .
Most kids at the Colorado branch of Mythos Academy know me as Rory Forseti, the daughter of Reaper assassins. Secretly, I’m a member of Team Midgard, a group of students and adults tasked with stopping Covington, the evil leader of the Reapers of Chaos. For me, the mission is a deeply personal one, since Covington is also the man who murdered my parents.
When my friends and I get a lead on a powerful artifact that Covington wants to steal, we think we finally have a chance to thwart the Reapers and stop them for good. Team Midgard comes up with a plan, but everything goes sideways, and I’m suddenly in the fight of my life.
My worst fears might have come true, but I know what my Spartan destiny is—to save my friends, or die trying . . .
Note: This series is set in my Mythos Academy young adult urban fantasy world. This is a spinoff series, and the new books star Rory Forseti, Gwen’s cousin from Midnight Frost and Killer Frost, books #5 and #6 in the original series. Gwen is NOT the heroine in these books, although she and some of the other characters from the original series make cameo appearances in the spinoff books.
I hope everyone enjoys the conclusion to Rory’s story when it is released. Thanks! 😎
AUDIOBOOKS AVAILABLE FOR SPARTAN HEART AND SPARTAN PROMISE:
Audiobooks are now available for Spartan Heart and Spartan Promise, books #1 and #2, in my Mythos Academy spinoff series. Woot! 😎
The audiobooks are narrated by Amanda Dolan.
I know many of you guys have been wanting the audiobooks, and I hope that you enjoy Rory’s adventures. Happy listening!
SPARTAN HEART AUDIOBOOK:
Tags: About Books, Audiobooks, E-books, My Writing, Mythos Academy series, On Writing, Print books, Urban fantasy, Young adult
As the fall weather gets cooler, I get in the mood to curl up on the couch and read longer books, including all types of fantasy books. Here are some fantasy books that are in my TBR pile. Note that the descriptions are from Amazon:
The Orchid Throne by Jeffe Kennedy
Out now
In the Forgotten Empires magic is forbidden, dreams are destiny, and love is the greatest power of all…
A PRISONER OF FATE
As Queen of the island kingdom of Calanthe, Lia will do anything to keep her people free—and her secrets safe—from the mad tyrant who rules the mainland. Guided by a magic ring of her father’s, Lia plays the political game with the cronies the emperor sends to her island. In her heart, she knows that it’s up to her to save herself from her fate as the emperor’s bride. But in her dreams, she sees a man, one with the power to build a better world—a man whose spirit is as strong, and whose passion is as fierce as her own…
A PRINCE AMONG MEN
Conrí, former Crown Prince of Oriel, has built an army to overthrow the emperor. But he needs the fabled Abiding Ring to succeed. The ring that Lia holds so dear to her heart. When the two banished rulers meet face to face, neither can deny the flames of rebellion that flicker in their eyes—nor the fires of desire that draw them together. But in this broken world of shattered kingdoms, can they ever really trust each other? Can their fiery alliance defeat the shadows of evil that threaten to engulf their hearts and souls?
My thoughts: Jeffe is a friend, and I read this one for a cover blurb. If you like fantasy romance, you should check out Jeffe’s books. 😎
Blood of an Exile by Brian Naslund
Out now
First in the Dragons of Terra series, Brian Naslund’s Blood of an Exile is a fast-paced adventure perfect for comic readers and fans of heroic fantasy
Bershad stands apart from the world, the most legendary dragonslayer in history, both revered and reviled.
Once, he was Lord Silas Bershad, but after a disastrous failure on the battlefield he was stripped of his titles and sentenced to one violent, perilous hunt after another. Now he lives only to stalk dragons, slaughter them, collect their precious oil, and head back into the treacherous wilds once more. For years, death was his only chance to escape. But that is about to change.
The king who sentenced Bershad to his fate has just given him an unprecedented chance at redemption. Kill a foreign emperor and walk free forever.
The journey will take him across dragon-infested mountains, through a seedy criminal underworld, and into a forbidden city guarded by deadly technology.
But the links of fate bind us all.
My thoughts: I bought this for Wheezley, but I want to read it too.
Out Now
When dragons rise from the earth, firefighters are humanity’s last line of defence, in this wild near-future fantasy.
Firefighter Cole Brannigan is on the verge of retirement after 30 years on the job, and a decade fighting dragons. But during his final fire call, he discovers he’s immune to dragon smoke. It’s such a rare power that he’s immediately conscripted into the elite dragon-fighting force known as the Smoke Eaters. Retirement cancelled, Brannigan is re-assigned as a lowly rookie, chafing under his superiors. So when he discovers a plot to take over the city’s government, he takes matters into his own hands. With hundreds of innocent civilians in the crosshairs, it’s up to Brannigan and his fellow Smoke Eaters to repel the dragon menace.
My thoughts: I think the idea of firefighters battling dragons sounds really cool.
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
Out on Nov. 19
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the highly anticipated and jaw-dropping finale to The Folk of the Air trilogy.
He will be the destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne
Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.
Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.
Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.
And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…
My thoughts: I’m looking forward to seeing how the Folk of the Air trilogy ends.
What about you guys? What books are you looking forward to reading this fall?
Tags: About Books, Epic fantasy, Reading, Young adult
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