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
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
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
Review: Before the Awakening (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens) by Greg Rucka
Finn's story: This story, while well-written in the technical sense, was by far the weakest of this trio. If not for my husband encouraging me onward, I might have put the entire book down. I understand that the book was released before the film, and that the authors don't necessarily get all the information they'd … Continue reading Review: Before the Awakening (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens) by Greg Rucka
Review: Lone Wolf (Bluewater Bay #4) by Aleksandr Voinov & L.A. Witt
As a professional author and former fanfic writer, this novel was an odd sort of wish-fullfillment romance that I never knew I wanted. Reading it was both fascinating and oddly bizarre, but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Reading about other authors and their process is always an interesting experience, because I believe there's no "one, true … Continue reading Review: Lone Wolf (Bluewater Bay #4) by Aleksandr Voinov & L.A. Witt
Review: Hell on Wheels (Bluewater Bay #3) by Z.A. Maxfield
Characters can make or break any book, but especially romances, and the characters in this book shined. Though both of them come from worlds far from my experience, Nash and Spencer were guys I could relate to, guys I could cheer for. And even better, neither of them existed in a vacuum. Their decisions regarding … Continue reading Review: Hell on Wheels (Bluewater Bay #3) by Z.A. Maxfield
Review: The Weapon of a Jedi (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens) by Jason Fry
This book boiled down to "Just how did Luke get so good at using a lightsaber, anyway?" Which is an important question to ask, in the continuity between the films A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Unfortunately, the reality of the the limitations established in the Star Wars universe at that point in … Continue reading Review: The Weapon of a Jedi (Journey to Star Wars: The Force Awakens) by Jason Fry
Review: There’s Something About Ari (Bluewater Bay #2) by L.B. Gregg
This novella was a fun, quick read with striking characters that I devoured in one sitting. I appreciated that it didn't follow the traditional romance genre formula, because there was no "meet-cute." No slow burn between characters as knowledge and attraction deepen. Instead, this was the metaphorical final five minutes of the movie as two … Continue reading Review: There’s Something About Ari (Bluewater Bay #2) by L.B. Gregg
Review: “Christmas Past” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story) by Jodi Taylor
Though this review won't get posted until after the holiday itself, this story was easily one of my favorite Christmas presents this year. Taylor blows me away with her ability to weave humor and heartbreak into the same passages. Though this story didn't have quite as much of the usual St. Mary's shenanigans, it was … Continue reading Review: “Christmas Past” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story) by Jodi Taylor
Review: Starstruck (Bluewater Bay #1) by L.A. Witt
This is an excellent introduction to the Bluewater Bay shared-universe romance series, giving us just enough information about the town of Bluewater Bay and the television show Wolf's Landing to provide a taste for more. This book also does a great job of showing how major Hollywood stars are human just like anybody else, with very … Continue reading Review: Starstruck (Bluewater Bay #1) by L.A. Witt
Review: Smuggler’s Run (Star Wars: Journey to the Force Awakens) by Greg Rucka
This young adult novel was a well-written and well-crafted story set between two of the films in the original Star Wars trilogy. All of the battle scenes, whether shoot-outs on ground or ship-to-ship battles in space, were dramatic and clearly written. The plot flowed at a good pace. Unfortunately, I didn't love it. A well-written … Continue reading Review: Smuggler’s Run (Star Wars: Journey to the Force Awakens) by Greg Rucka