• Review: Belle By Night (Dommes By Night #1) by Rachell Nichole

    Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased this ebook for full price. Having absolutely zero experience with how the phone sex industry works, this was a fun, escapist story. I will always be a fan of three-dimensional characters and romances with a unique “meet-cute.”

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  • Cleveland Concoction 2019 Schedule

    I’m excited to return to one of my favorite annual events this weekend! I’ll be in Cleveland, Ohio, for Concoction 2019. The spouse is jealous because I’m taking the Tesla for it’s first-ever road trip, as in, I will have to stop at least once each way to recharge at a supercharger stop. But once…

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  • Review: Caliban’s War (The Expanse #2) by James S.A. Corey

    Since I read this book after watching the first three seasons of the television show, The Expanse, my opinions of the book are colored by my experience with the adaptation. For example, my favorite thing about this book was finally meeting two of my favorite characters in print. Avasarala and Bobbie are amazing and I…

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  • Review: Diamond Fire (Hidden Legacy #3.5) by Ilona Andrews

    This novella picks up where the last book in the Hidden Legacy series leaves off and features a surprise protagonist! As much as I adore Nevada, it was awesome to read a story from the perspective of another member of the Baylor family, and Catalina is fantastic.

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  • Review: Leviathan Wakes (The Expanse #1) by James S.A. Corey

    I purchased this ebook when the first season of the television adaptation aired, but didn’t get around to reading it until a recent vacation. I’ve seen three seasons of the show so far, so that will obviously color my interpretation of the book (such as visualizing actors as their characters and such). My husband and I…

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  • Con Report: Farpoint 2019

    Growing up as a military brat, I always had this sense that once I left a place, I would never be back. While looking for a house in the Baltimore area before sixth grade, my family briefly stayed at a hotel, the Hunt Valley Inn. Therefor, it’s always a bit bizarre to be back there…

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  • Review: An Acceptable Time (Time Quintet #5) by Madeleine L’Engle

    For the final installment of my 2018 Resolution Project over at Speculative Chic, I reviewed An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L’Engle. Unfortunately, this series did not end with a bang for me. You can read the full review here, and check out an excerpt below: This series, which gave us everything from aliens to angels to…

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  • Review: “Remnant” (Caldwell & Feximal/Whyborne & Griffin Mystery) by K.J. Charles& Jordan L. Hawk

    This short story is available as a free download from K.J. Charles’ website. It is best read after Stormhaven (Whyborne & Griffin #3) by Jordan L. Hawk and the full collection of The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by K.J. Charles because it contains significant spoilers for both.

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  • Review: Stormhaven (Whyborne & Griffin #3) by Jordan L. Hawk

    The horrors of this book are once again an homage to those created by Lovecraft himself, and I continue to find absurd joy in heroes that would have completely pissed him off. At this point, I am thoroughly enamored by both Whyborne and Griffin, and Hawk continues to impress with their excellent character development.

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  • Review: Threshold (Whyborne & Griffin #2) by Jordan L. Hawk

    This book was an excellent follow-up to the first in the series, proving that Hawk is now comfortable with their world and their characters. We leave behind the Lovecraftian city of Widdershins for a company town in the Appalachian mountains, haunted by creatures who are both horrifying and unique.

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  • Farpoint 2019 Schedule

    I’m thrilled to return to Farpoint 26 next weekend for my second year! I had a blast last year and made some excellent friends. I’m looking forward to reconnecting with them and other local fans. Here’s where you can find me on the official schedule: Friday 10 PM: Farpoint Book Fair Saturday 10 AM: Alternate…

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  • January Wrap-Up & February Goals

    Okay, kids. Something isn’t working, and I’m pretty sure I know what it is. I have reached that point where I have so much to do that I’m getting overwhelmed and not doing any of it (as evidenced by the 11 books I read this month). Time to re-evaluate and change a few tactics. Because…

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  • Build Report: Hogwarts Castle

    Since I acknowledged that I’ll never have room for the largest LEGO set ever, I set my sights slightly smaller — on the second-largest LEGO set ever. I also thought this dream was unattainable, even though it was my number one wish-list item for the 2018 holiday/birthday season. Even though my birthday is 6 days…

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  • Review: Widdershins (Whyborne & Griffin #1) by Jordan L. Hawk

    I picked up the first book in this series because I’d heard good things about it from readers who also enjoyed the stories in K.J. Charles’ Charm of Magpies world. They were spot-on in their recommendation, and I’ll also throw in my hat that fans of either series will enjoy the other.

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  • Review: Into the Sounds (Taine McKenna Adventures #2) by Lee Murray

    Disclaimer: I consider the author a friend; however, I purchased the electronic version of this novel for full price. After reading the first book in this series, I kind of thought I knew what I was getting into. It’s really awesome that I was completely wrong. On the surface, lots of things are similar to…

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  • Review: The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by K.J. Charles

    This intertwining collection of “short stories” are a blast to read, and I love the idea of a Holmes and Watson style pairing working together in the occult realm. This is definitely a case where the author’s notes at the end enhance the coolness of what I just read, and shows how the author’s research…

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  • Review: Into the Mist (Taine McKenna Adventures #1) by Lee Murray

    Disclaimer: I consider the author a friend; however, I purchased an electronic copy of this novel for full price. For those of you who are averse to the horror genre, I’m happy to report that this novel is instead a thrilling action-adventure. There are some gory bits, but it’s not gratuitous, and the moments that…

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  • Review: Love Around the Corner by Sally Malcolm

    Disclaimer: I received an electronic version of this novella from the author in exchange for an honest review. I have a soft spot for contemporary romance stories that have evolved with the times. So many relationships begin with the partners meeting online these days (my own included) that more traditional “meet-cutes” almost start to feel…

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  • Build Report: LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar 2018

    I had so much fun with the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar in 2017 that I had to do it again! Below is a quick summary of all the cool things I added to my collection. LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar 2018 (75213) — 307 pieces   First, the holiday-themed elements! Christmas Moisture Vaporator, A New…

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  • Review: “A Queer Trade” and Rag and Bone (A Charm of Magpies World) by K.J. Charles

    This connected short story and novel take place in the world of A Charm of Magpies. A reader will get the most of these stories after reading the initial trilogy and Jackdaw.

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