This weekend, I'll be returning to Hogwarts Seton Hill University for the annual writers retreat hosted by the Writing Popular Fiction graduate program alumni, of which I am one. Mostly, we just wanted an excuse to come back to our favorite place in the world and meet up with our tribe. But because everyone should … Continue reading In Your Write Mind 2018 Schedule
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Build Report: BB-8
There was no reason for me to buy this year's special Star Wars Day LEGO set, but that didn't stop me! While the awesome Y-Wing Starfighter set is waiting patiently in my "to be built" pile (dwarfed only by my "to be read" pile), I couldn't resist putting together this cute freebie I got with … Continue reading Build Report: BB-8
Review: “The Unexpected Infatuation” by Sara Dobie Bauer
Disclaimer: I consider the author a friend; however, I purchased this short story ebook for full price. I wasn't sure about this short story at first. I'm not keen on the idea of anyone cheating in a relationship, nor do I particularly find the "gay for you" trope appealing. The writing of this story, however, … Continue reading Review: “The Unexpected Infatuation” by Sara Dobie Bauer
Review: “Wild Type” by J.K. Ullrich
Disclaimer: I received an electronic copy of this short story as part of the full novel Syzygy from the author in exchange for an honest review. This short story acts as a great supplemental material to the novel Syzygy. I enjoyed the insight into the character of Lily's life in her youth, especially through effective use … Continue reading Review: “Wild Type” by J.K. Ullrich
Review: “The Battersea Barricades” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story) by Jodi Taylor
Finally, some "history" of the world of St. Mary's! Taylor's authorial voice makes pages and pages of expository narrative delightful rather than boring. Even more fascinating, this time she's not talking about something "real" -- this time the historical events are all from her imagination. I loved every intricate detail of it. The more specific … Continue reading Review: “The Battersea Barricades” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story) by Jodi Taylor
Review: Invincible Volumes 4-6
My husband has been reading over my shoulder so that I fully appreciate what I'm absorbing. It's fun to point out cool panels and discuss things with him. Invincible Vol. 4: Head of the Class Robert Kirkman (writer) Ryan Ottley (penciler, inker) Bill Crabtree (colorist) Rus Wooten (letterer) This collection of issues felt like a … Continue reading Review: Invincible Volumes 4-6
Review: Syzygy by J.K. Ullrich
Disclaimer: I received an electronic version of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. Even though the majority of the characters, including the two point of view characters, in this book are teenagers, this never feels like a young adult novel. Instead, it's an intriguing look at two opposed post-apocalyptic societies … Continue reading Review: Syzygy by J.K. Ullrich
May Wrap-Up & June Goals
It's been done before, so I'll skip the trite comments about "OMG how is June here already??!" Instead, let's get to the good stuff. After you admire the absolutely adorable dragonling that I bought at Balticon last weekend. Fable has been tasked with protecting my TARDIS die, and if you think he's amazing, check out … Continue reading May Wrap-Up & June Goals
Con Report: Balticon 52
If you're here for a copy of my alternate history presentation, read on! I consider Balticon my "local" con for many reasons -- it was the first SF/F convention I attended as an adult (back in college), it's currently located a few blocks from where I worked for almost a decade, and Baltimore is the … Continue reading Con Report: Balticon 52
Review: Unmasked by the Marquess (Regency Impostors #1) by Cat Sebastian
The most interesting and appealing thing about this book is that it did not follow what I've come to realize is the traditional romance plot structure. I thought I knew exactly how this book was going to go. I was completely wrong, and I loved it all the more for it. Charity/Robin is not a … Continue reading Review: Unmasked by the Marquess (Regency Impostors #1) by Cat Sebastian
Review: An Argumentation of Historians (Chronicles of St. Mary’s #9) by Jodi Taylor
Call me blasphemous, because I am a huge fan of this series...but I'm getting a bit bored with fighting Clive Ronan. I still enjoyed the hell out of this book, despite the slow start. One thing I did appreciate about it is seeing the evolution of St. Mary's relationship with the Time Police. They'll never … Continue reading Review: An Argumentation of Historians (Chronicles of St. Mary’s #9) by Jodi Taylor
Author Interview with Clark Casey
One of the best things about my job is the opportunity to read books I might otherwise never come across. Recently, I had the privilege of reading Clark Casey's paranormal Western Dawn in Damnation. I enjoyed the book, so I furthered my goal of supporting indie authors by asking him for an interview! ABOUT THE BOOK … Continue reading Author Interview with Clark Casey
Balticon 52 Schedule
Here's my schedule for Balticon 52, taking place over Memorial Day weekend at Baltimore's Renaissance Harborplace hotel! Friday The Blurring of Genre Borders (panel) at 4 pm Saturday Broad Universe Rapid-Fire Reading at 1 pm Slash of Our Ancestors: A History of Fanfic (panel) at 2 pm Autograph session with J.L. Gribble & Jay Smith … Continue reading Balticon 52 Schedule
Review: Invincible Volumes 1-3
Now that the full run of the Invincible comic series is over, it's time to start reading the collection of trade paperbacks my husband has acquired over the years! I actually read the first few books years ago, but considering the depth of my to-be-read pile, I soon turned my attention to other series and … Continue reading Review: Invincible Volumes 1-3
Review: Origin (Robert Langdon #5) by Dan Brown
For all of the ridiculousness of Brown's plots and my frustration with some of his writing style, I absolutely keep coming back to his books because when you remove everything I dislike, the rest is a personal guided tour of some amazing information about art, culture, and history. That being said, this is not his … Continue reading Review: Origin (Robert Langdon #5) by Dan Brown
Review: Syncopation (Twisted Wishes #1) by Anna Zabo
Disclaimer: I consider the author a friend; however, I purchased this ebook for full price. I'm one of those people who gets goosebumps from listening to music that affects me. Reading about the music in this novel, the way it's described and the way it connects the two heroes, literally made the hair on my … Continue reading Review: Syncopation (Twisted Wishes #1) by Anna Zabo
Review: Dawn in Damnation by Clark Casey
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic version of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. I had to knock a star off my rating for this book because it ended in a cliffhanger and didn't answer any of the major narrative questions presented in the book. Which is a shame, because … Continue reading Review: Dawn in Damnation by Clark Casey
Love at the Edge of Seventeen Authors Interview Their Characters, Part One
I'm pleased to host a stop on the blog tour for a new YA romance anthology, Love at the Edge of Seventeen, from Stars and Stone Books! It features stories by authors M.T. DeSantis, A.E. Hayes, Serena Jayne, Cara McKinnon, Mary Rogers, and Kylie Weisenborn. ABOUT THE BOOK It's never easy to go through the fraught transition … Continue reading Love at the Edge of Seventeen Authors Interview Their Characters, Part One
Review: Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles #2) by Frank Herbert
Read as part of Comic Book Girl 19's online Dune book club. Picking up a sequel 13 years after reading the first book should have made the book completely inaccessible. However, a quick trip through the Dune Wikipedia entry and I was ready to go. So ready, in fact, that I devoured this book in 2 … Continue reading Review: Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles #2) by Frank Herbert
Review: Lord & Master (The Billionaires #3) by Emma Holly
I had a great time reconnecting with my favorite trio, but this book threw me for a bit of a loop. Not in a bad way, whatsoever. But it was a distinctly different sort of story than its predecessor. Part of what I loved about Beck & Call was that the three characters grow into a … Continue reading Review: Lord & Master (The Billionaires #3) by Emma Holly