Broadway Books; 308 pages; Amazon

Typically, I don't read a book right away after receiving a review copy, but that wasn't the case with Long Black Veil by Jennifer Finney Boylan. The book arrived in the mail on Tuesday afternoon and I ended up reading several chapters that night. I had the story on my mind throughout that night, so I finished reading it yesterday morning.

Long Black Veil is a murder mystery thriller that spans over thirty-five-years. It all began in 1980 when six college friends (Jon Casey, Rachel Steinberg, Masie Lenfest, Tripper Pennypacker, Wailer Curtin, and Quentin Pheaney), a boy (Lenny Lenfest), and a college professor (Nathan Krystal) went inside the abandoned Eastern State Penitentiary in Pennsylvania in the middle of the night. They only wanted to take a look around the supposedly "haunted" prison, but they ended up staying the entire night, as someone traps them inside the place. Eight people went inside the prison, but only seven come out the next morning.

Thirty-five-years later, a body is found inside a prison cell's wall and the prime suspect is celebrity chef John Casey. As the media gets a hold of the story, the remaining survivors of the1980 incident come aware that one of their friends died that night. If Casey is innocent, then who is the murderer?

The answer to the truth might lie within Judith, a fifty-something journalist who knows a bit too much about what occurred that miserable summer night in 1980.

The paperback edition has a Reader's Guide and a few recipes in the back of the book.

Now available Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and Kobo is the romantic novel In The Heat Of The Tropics by Christina Elliott.

Amid a sweltering Miami summer, a serial killer is haunting the city. Reporter Ingrid Sorenson is assigned the story and her primary source is brusque detective Rick Gonzalez. The pair clash, but sparks of passion ignite. They risk their jobs to give in to their desire, but mistrust of each other’s career motives wedges them apart. Then Ingrid gets a tip that leads her into the killer’s lair. She and Rick must choose between saving themselves or rescuing their love.

When did you become interested in storytelling?

When I was about five, I won a prize for “writing interesting stories.” I have no idea what I wrote at that early age. They must have been very simple stories with one-syllable words but they obviously impressed the teacher! I’ve always been a bookworm and that made me want to write books since I was little. In high school I discovered journalism and that became my career goal since it was about writing.

What was your first book/story published?

I had a short story published in my high school literary magazine when I was in 10th grade so I guess that was my first publication. Then there was a huge gap until about 2007 when I started writing creatively in earnest. I brushed off a bunch of dusty old short stories and submitted them to literary journals. The Internet made submissions much easier!

What inspired you to write In the Heat of the Tropics?

I love both gritty crime fiction and romances so to me romantic suspense is a great genre that combines both elements. I used to be a newspaper reporter in Miami so that was my obvious lead character, Ingrid, and knowing that reporters often clash with cops over big stories, that formed the basis for the romantic and thriller plot. It seemed a natural fit and I knew about both cops (having dated two of them!) and reporters.

What character in In the Heat of the Tropics is the most like you, and in what ways?

Ingrid, the lead character, is based on myself. She’s an intrepid reporter, heads off to follow a story wherever that may take her. She doesn’t get scared easily. She goes to interview prostitutes on the street by herself and follows a lead on the killer. I’ve done many such things myself. As a foreign correspondent, I was in a number of dangerous situations doing my job, although I didn’t realize they were potentially dangerous until I was in them or until afterward and I thought “what was I doing?!” It can be difficult for some to understand that mindset but many journalists have a strong sense of adventure, and that’s what drives Ingrid.

What is your favorite part in In the Heat of the Tropics?

Early date scenes are always fun because there’s a lot of quick, light banter in the dialogue, plus a lot of discovery about the characters. It’s flirtatious and fun, with a lot eyeing each other up and down in the heat of the initial attraction.

What was the hardest part to write?

Any action scene of violence is always the hardest to write for me. You have to choreograph the struggle, where various limbs are positioned, the feasibility of one character being able to do something against the other’s reactions. Not having done a lot of physical fighting I my life, I find these scenes tedious. Maybe I should take a boxing lesson or two!

What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?

I’d love to be a comedic actor. I took some acting classes some years ago and not only found them hugely therapeutic, but also that I have a knack for comedy. I find being zany and way out a huge release. It’s weird because I love reading, writing and watching drama, but when I act, it’s comedy all the way!

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

Revell; 352 pages; $14.99; Amazon

I'd originally read To Follow Her Heart, book three in The Southold Chronicles, back in 2016, but like several other books, I never got around to writing the review for it. I reread the book right after I reread the second book in the series a few nights ago. I meant to have this review written & posted over the weekend, but I ended up binge watching Anne with an E on NETFLIX instead.

Set in 1664, To Follow Her Heart centers on Captain Jeremy Horton, who's ship goes down near the coast of Barbados. Everyone who knows him in Southold, Long Island, including his love Patience Terry, believes he died at sea. Unknowingly to them, Jeremy is the lone survivor of the shipwreck.

While his funeral services is being planned, Jeremy hops aboard a British warship, which has orders to attack New Amsterdam and claim it for the British Crown. Eventually, Jeremy returns to Southold, but the homecoming he had hope for doesn't exist.

Now available on Amazon Kindle is Self Love Yoga: 369 Days of Evolving with Radical Self Love by Phoebe Del Mar!

Typically, I wouldn't even be interested in reading a book like this, but I'm trying to involve this year, so I thought I would give the book a chance.

Let me start out by saying this isn't a "Yoga" book. If you're looking to read a book about practicing Yoga or looking for new Yoga exercises, this isn't the book for you. Instead the book is about "radical self love"  or learning to love yourself.

In the book there are 369 affirmations, which you'll read one to yourself everyday, multiple times per day. These affirmations are all nice sayings that'll teach you to love yourself. Additionally, there are some days where there will be questions for you to answer about yourself.

For example, day one asks: "Am I being mindful of my thoughts? Am I being mindful of my actions? Am I being mindful of my emotions?"

If you have ever tried to take a shower while you're wearing cast on your foot or leg, then you would know that it's a difficult thing to accomplish unless you have some sort of plastic wrapped around the cast to prevent it from getting wet.

Luckily, in today's day of age, you can purchase just about anything online, including arm and leg cast protectors.

Honestly, I didn't know such a thing existed until I heard about the VIVE Leg Cast Protector. I wished I had known about this protector last year when I twisted my ankle and had to wear a brace for most of the summer.

The protector is made from durable, composite material. Each seam was created to be tear-resistant and leakproof. It features a rubber diaphragm that will create a watertight leakproof seal around your leg. The seal will regain its shape after each use; meaning you can reuse the cast protector over and over and it'll still produce a watertight seal every time.

The Leg Cast Protector stretched out.

Picture of me wearing the leg cast protector on my right leg.

In this age of ever increasing inflation smart decisions are required to save yourself from binging a hole in one’s pocket. A roof is a shelter. It encloses the house building an aura of protection and warmth. Roofs are the most essential components as they keep the harsh weather out and provide protection to you in all type of climates. The condition of a roof worsens over time, but it varies from roof to roof as different types of materials are used in the construction of any roof. The better the material used, the slower is the speed of degeneration and lesser is the environmental damage caused which may put one in need of a new roof.

While getting a roof repaired or while building an entire new roof it has to be kept in mind that roofs give a great outlook to the house and when seen from a distance a bad roof with broken debris visible may distort the opinion of passersby’s. A roof not inspected for a long time can prove to be hazardous in bad weather conditions. Best roofers with reviews Ann Arbor Michigan is a digital aid which can help one in knowing about the materials to be used while constructing a new roof and the contractors that can make your house better and long lasting. The materials to be used in the roofing must have qualities which can enable them to cope with the harsh environment.

• Durable
• Cost effective
• It should be degradable
• Environment friendly materials should be used
• Recyclable materials should be used
• Should be leak proof

Construction with such materials can help build a long-lasting roof that will not worsen in a few years span. Use of cheap and non-durable materials might be light on your pocket, but it will burn a big hole in your pockets in years to come as you will be looking for new roofing shortly, as the inexpensive materials will not be able to withstand harsh environmental conditions. Hiring a professional that uses standardized material and is trained in roofing might be a little expensive than the cheapskates, but you won't have to worry about the roofing in a good few years as it will last a lot longer than expected. There is a wide range of outlook of roof to select from.

Do you know there are people who are actually preparing for the zombie apocalypse? And, no, I'm not referring to a viewing party for an episode of The Walking Dead. I'm referring to an actual zombie apocalypse!

I can understand preparing yourself for a natural disaster or some sort of emergency by stocking up on emergency survival food kits, bottle water, blankets, first aid kits, and many other useful things from My Patriot Supply. But come on! A zombie apocalypse! That's just a bit insane to me! And that's coming from a Walking Dead fan!

Anyway, the subject got me thinking about what items book lovers would stock up on in case of an emergency or an apocalypse. After a bit of brainstorming, I came with 5 things book lover's would want to have on hand in case of an emergency!

Yes, I'm well aware that coffee isn't exactly a book related item, but I always enjoy sipping on coffee while reading a good book, which is why it's on the top of this list.

If a natural disaster or an apocalypse has occurred, then mostly likely there will be no electricity. Unless you have a generator, then you'll have no use for an electric coffee maker. I recommend getting an old-fashioned kettle and a pour over coffee maker, as well stocking up on your favorite ground coffee brand. This way you can have a cup of coffee anytime you want; even when there are zombies walking among us!

While you should definitely have a flashlight nearby during an emergency, when it comes to reading, I would settle for a simple book light. Preferably a LED book light that has a long-lasting battery. It might be little, but it can give off plenty of light, so you can read a good book in the dark.

Get a good bookmark to mark where you're at in book. While I do like the paper kind, I recommend getting a metal bookmark that will clip onto the book pages. This way you won't have to worry about the bookmark falling out of your book while you're being chased by a herd of zombies.

Revell; 352 pages; $14.99; Amazon

 To Capture Her Heart by Rebecca DeMarnio has been sitting my desk collecting dust for awhile now. I had originally read it back in 2016 and it's one of those books that I never got around to writing the review for it. In my quest to catch up on the needs-to-be-reviewed titles, I'm reading at least one book per day; sometimes even two.

This novel is book two in The Southold Chronicles series. Set in Southold, Long Island in 1653, it centers on Heather Flower, the princess of the Montaukett tribe. During her wedding feast, her tribe is attacked by a rival tribe, the groom is killed, and Heather is kidnapped!

Flower's kidnappers demand a ransom from her father, but they don't ever plan on returning her. Eventually, Flower is rescued by Dutch Lieutenant Dirk Van Buren, who brings her to the Hortons, an English family who are friends to her people. There she attempts to mourn her loss, but she's quickly torn between the affections from Dirk and Ben Horton.