I got incredibly spoiled by how good all the books in the Bluewater Bay series have been so far. This installment certainly wasn't a terrible book by any means, writing-wise, but it didn't hold up to the story-telling quality of the other novels. Too much of the story hinged on events that occurred before the … Continue reading Review: How the Cookie Crumbles (Bluewater Bay #12) by Jaime Samms
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Con Report: Cleveland ConCoction 2018
As always, I had a fantastic time at Cleveland ConCoction this year! It's one of my favorite cons, for the people I get to see, how many books I tend to sell, and especially how well this convention treats the authors they invite to participate in programming. I wish other conventions would take note! FRIDAY … Continue reading Con Report: Cleveland ConCoction 2018
Review: Stuck Landing (Bluewater Bay #11) by Lauren Gallagher
Though at first it seems odd to have an F/F romance in the midst of a series that has been primarily M/M to this point, Anna Maxwell has been a recurring character through the Bluewater Bay tales, and it was lovely to finally see her find some happiness of her own after the drama of … Continue reading Review: Stuck Landing (Bluewater Bay #11) by Lauren Gallagher
Review: Wedding Favors (Bluewater Bay #7) by Anne Tenino
Though I wasn't a huge fan of the short story that featured these characters in the Bluewater Bay Valentine's Day collection, I'm very glad I went back to read Lucas and Gabe's novel when I realized I'd missed it. I didn't have the patience for either character when they were teenagers. As adults, I still … Continue reading Review: Wedding Favors (Bluewater Bay #7) by Anne Tenino
Review: A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet #1) by Madeleine L’Engle
I read this novel for my 2018 Resolution Project over at Speculative Chic, the other blog I contribute to. This year, I resolved to fill a gap in my knowledge of the science-fiction classics and read the book before the film comes out in March. I succeeded! You can find my full review at Speculative … Continue reading Review: A Wrinkle in Time (Time Quintet #1) by Madeleine L’Engle
Cleveland ConCoction Schedule
This weekend, I will be attending Cleveland ConCoction for the third year! This is one of my favorite conventions in terms of how authors are treated and the variety of events. I made some great friends last year that I can't wait to reunite with. The convention is a new hotel this year, farther from … Continue reading Cleveland ConCoction Schedule
February Wrap-Up & March Goals
Wow, the year is flying by. So are the deadlines! Just kidding -- I'm actually on pretty good track with all of my current projects. But things are only going to pick up again before they slow down. On top of everything else, my husband and I joined one of those meal delivery services in … Continue reading February Wrap-Up & March Goals
Build Report: Star Wars Arrowhead
To celebrate completing revisions on my fourth novel, Steel Time, and sending it off to my publisher for layout, I took a break before jumping into my next major project (revisions to book 5, Steel Shadows) by building the awesome set I received from my littlest sister last Christmas. The Arrowhead (75186) -- 775 pieces … Continue reading Build Report: Star Wars Arrowhead
Review: Rain Shadow (Bluewater Bay #10) by L.A. Witt
One of the things I love most about this series is the diversity of characters. This doesn't refer to just skin color, or occupation, or whether the character is famous or "normal," but also in terms of personal history. In this case, Scott is a guy who hasn't had a serious relationship in decades, and … Continue reading Review: Rain Shadow (Bluewater Bay #10) by L.A. Witt
Review: City Ash and Desert Bones by Laurel Myler
Disclaimer: This book was produced by the publishing company that also publishes my current series of novels; however, I purchased a hardcopy version of this novel for full price. The mystery about Reesa, one of the narrators and main characters of this novel, hooks you from the very first line of the book. As reminders … Continue reading Review: City Ash and Desert Bones by Laurel Myler
Review: When to Hold Them (Bluewater Bay #9) by G.B. Gordon
One of the things that I love about this series is that the creators of the world recognize that the entire town of Bluewater Bay does not revolve around the television show being filmed there, however much the characters mention the "Hollywood Invasion." So much of the Pacific Northwest is protected national park (for now), … Continue reading Review: When to Hold Them (Bluewater Bay #9) by G.B. Gordon
Review: ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End Times by Andrew MacLean
A post-apocalyptic story starring a strong female character and her adorable pet cat? This should have been right up my alley. But despite the art being streamlined and stunning, the story never quite grabbed me. Though the internal narration conceit was very cool, it seems the author erred on the side of "less is more" … Continue reading Review: ApocalyptiGirl: An Aria for the End Times by Andrew MacLean
Review: The Deep of the Sound (Bluewater Bay #8) by Amy Lane
I was thrilled to see that the next book in this series was by the same author (and featured the same characters) as my favorite story in the Valentine's Day anthology, "Nascha." In fact, that story takes place over the same time period as this novel, and it was fun to see what was going … Continue reading Review: The Deep of the Sound (Bluewater Bay #8) by Amy Lane
Con Report: Farpoint 2018
Last weekend, I attended my first Farpoint convention! You could say that I got my start in speculative fiction as a Star Trek fan, so it was nice to get back to my roots, as it were. FRIDAY Since this is a "local" convention for me, I commuted from home rather than staying at the … Continue reading Con Report: Farpoint 2018
Review: Lights, Camera, Cupid! (Bluewater Bay #6)
"Just Another Day" by L.A. Witt: I loved this quick check-in with our first Bluewater Bay couple, actors Carter and Levi. Levi is his usual cantankerous and loveable self, Carter is still too perfect for words, and I'd be jealous of those cats if I didn't own three ridiculous Siamese of my own. Also, those … Continue reading Review: Lights, Camera, Cupid! (Bluewater Bay #6)
Review: Intraterrestrial by Nicholas Conley
Disclaimer: I received a free electronic version of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review. This is one of those speculative fiction books whose actually genre is hard to pin down. Though the medical issues lend a realistic air to the story, the adventure Adam embarks on feels more like science-fantasy … Continue reading Review: Intraterrestrial by Nicholas Conley
Build Report: First Order Stormtrooper
Since I built the Parisian Restaurant over the holidays, I couldn't really justify putting together another massive LEGO set so soon, even though I wanted to do something to celebrate completing the first draft of my most recent novel. Luckily, my sister- and brother-in-law gave me this weird dude for my birthday. I was actually … Continue reading Build Report: First Order Stormtrooper
Farpoint 2018 Schedule
This weekend, I'm excited to make my debut appearance at Farpoint 2018 in Hunt Valley, Maryland! Here's my schedule: Friday 4 PM: Creating Immersive Worlds 5 PM: All Things Winchester 10 PM: Book Fair Saturday 10 AM: Book signing 11 AM: Reading from Steel Blood Sunday 10 AM: Superhero Film Overload? 11 AM: Book signing 12 … Continue reading Farpoint 2018 Schedule
January Wrap-Up & February Goals
Wow, is the first month of 2018 done already? Seems like it flew by in a whirlwind of writing and reading and LEGO. Oh wait -- because that's basically all I did this month. January Wrap-Up First of all, the good news: The first draft of Steel Empires #5: Steel Shadows is DONE! Final word … Continue reading January Wrap-Up & February Goals
Review: The Burnt Toast B&B (Bluewater Bay #5) by Heidi Belleau & Rachel Haimowitz
First, the elephant in the room. One of the heroes of this tale is a transgender (female-to-male) character. I'm actually glad that this is not hinted at in the back-cover blurb, and that I found it out naturally (very early on in the book). It put a different slant on the relationship, but only by … Continue reading Review: The Burnt Toast B&B (Bluewater Bay #5) by Heidi Belleau & Rachel Haimowitz