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I hope everyone has had a good Memorial Day. I've been under the weather for the past few days with a cold sore, so I haven't felt like reading much. However, I am currently reading the historical-fiction Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton, which I hope to finish either tonight or early tomorrow morning.

St. Martin/s Press; 281pages; $18.99; Amazon

Today, I'm posting my final "Spring Reads" reviews of 2017, which happens to be a book I read last month, but I'm just now getting around to writing the actual review for it.

What is the name of book?

Well, it's called Give Me A K-I-L-L: A Fear Street Novel by R.L. Stine. I'm sure almost every reader has at least heard of the author's name, as Mr. Stine has over 400 books in print worldwide and his titles have been translated into thirty-five languages. His most popular book series are Goosebumps and Fear Street.

The very first Fear Street young adult novel, The New Girl, was published in 1989. The series was popular with teens during the early 1990s, but the franchise began to fizzle towards the end of the second millennium. R.L. Stine brought back the franchise in 2014 with a revamped "A Fear Street Novel" book series. 

Give Me A K-I-L-L centers on a teenager named Gretchen Page, who has just transferred to Shadyside High School. She was the star of the cheerleader squad at her old school, and she hopes that her talents will win her spot on the Shadyside cheerleader squad. Unfortunately, due to cutbacks of funds, there is only one spot available in the squad.

While the competition to win the open slot should be fun, it actually turns out to be terrifying as somebody ends up dead!

Now available to purchase is the urban fantasy Lady Knight, book one of The Knight Case series, by T. Nathan Mosley.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

I first had an interest in writing when I read Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. The characters and world he created fascinated me, and ever since I’ve been writing and creating my own worlds and characters.

What was your first book/story published?

Lady Knight is the first novel I’ve published. It was released this year in January.

What inspired you to write Lady Knight?

Cameron, one of the main characters of Lady Knight, came first. I had the idea for her, and after that, everything kind of fell into place. That tends to happen with me, I’ll have an idea for a character and they inspire the story they want to tell.

What character in Lady Knight is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I believe I’m most like Ryan, Cameron’s ex-husband. We’re both intelligent people who have an interest in academics. He’s a professor, which I would love to be able to do at some point.

I’m least like Vee, the primary villain of Lady Knight. Her cruelty and carefree attitude couldn’t be farther from what I am.

Simon & Schuster; 300 pages; $19.99

My original plan was to read more of  the The Broken Road late last night, but I had to put that idea aside when I noticed I had a few posts that needed to be set up for today. Nevertheless, I awoke bright & early this morning, made a cup of strong coffee, sat in a cozy recliner, and opened The Broken Road to chapter one. After a few refills of coffee, I finished reading the book.

Unlike many Richard Paul Evans' titles that either have a Christmas or romance theme (or both), The Broken Road has neither. Instead this novel is about the journey of finding redemption.

Four years ago, Mr. Evans took a trip on Route 66 to research his upcoming book. Though he had somewhat of an idea of what the plot might be about, he changed his mind after meeting an unique man, who gave him inspiration for The Broken Road.

The novel is written from the point-of-view of Charles James, a Chicago celebrity who struck rich with his 'get rich' seminars and a few bestselling nonfiction titles. Despite all the money and fame, something is missing from his life. After having a few bad dreams, he visits a shrink, and through a few appointments he tells life story up to that point of time.

Now available from Sacred Forest Publishing is the supernatural romance My Defender, book eight in the Bewitched and Bewildered series, by Alanea Alder.



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I used to play by telling stories so pretty much as soon as I could talk.

What was your first book/story published?

Fate Knows Best the first book in the Kindred of Arkadi.

What inspired you to write My Defender?

I identified with the heroine of this book and wanted to see if I could do her justice.

What character in My Defender is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Ironically my personality is nothing like the heroine of this book even though I identify with her on another level. 

What is your favorite part in My Defenders?

Purchase Link

Now available from Sparrow Records (a CMG Label Group) is the fifth album from the Christian artist Mandisa, titled Out Of The Dark.

It's been four years since Mandisa's last album, Overcomer, was released. One of the songs from the album, also titled Overcomer, was written to encourage her close friend Kisha, who was fighting breast cancer. Sadly, Kisha passed away in 2014.

Due to her friend's death, Mandisa fell into a deep depression for close to 3 years. During this time, she shut out her friends, family, and the rest of the world. With God's help, she was able to overcome her depression. The songs on Out Of The Dark were written, so Mandisa can sure her story with her fans.

Out Of The Dark is available to buy in a standard or deluxe edition. The deluxe edition contains 3 additional songs.

The tracks on the album are:

Now available to purchase is the paranormal romance Courting Moon: Vampyres Desire, book one in the Bloods Passion Saga, by Adom Sample.

When did you become interested in storytelling?

I’ve been writing since I was a child actually. As I child I loved reading stories. It was an escape from my hectic childhood. With that, I started writing plays, poetry, shorty stories and the like. I didn’t start writing seriously until I finished graduate school. I put off completing my Doctorates to write. I felt like doing something I was passionate about as opposed to continuing my studies. Writing makes me feel good.

What was your first book/story published?

My first book is a horror novel derived from a collection of stories that I wrote when I was a teenager. Since that book I’ve transitioned to romance/paranormal as I feel this genre suits me better.

What inspired you to write Courting Moon: Vampyres Desire?

One night at 3:30am I was sleeping in my bed dreaming about a story of a human woman and a male vampire who were not allow to be together. I woke up immediately and created a note to myself via email of the idea. The next morning I developed the plot to the story from what I could remember from my dream and it just took off from there. The more I wrote, the more ideas for other stories in the series came to me. Therefore, I guess you can say Courting Moon came to me in a dream.

What character in Courting Moon: Vampyres Desire is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

I don’t believe any of the characters are like me. I wrote them in the realm of people who I have interacted with. I guess Sebastian would be an outward projection of what I would like to be. He’s passionate in what he wants and is willing to give up everything to have it just the same as his love interest Kyra. I believe they both mirror what people in general would like to become.

What is your favorite part in Courting Moon: Vampyres Desire?

image courtesy of HBO

Thomas Nelson; 308 pages; $12.99; Amazon

You'll Think Of Me by Robin Lee Hatcher has been sitting on desk for over month now, and I've finally taken the time out to read it. As you can probably tell by the cover with a man embracing a beautiful woman near an apple tree, this is a romance novel. Well, to be more precise, it's a Christian romance novel.

The novel centers on a woman named Brooklyn Myers who's raising her young daughter, Alycia, in Reno, Nevada by herself. She had married Chad Hallston when she was just seventeen-years-old, but the marriage didn't last long and Chad later left shortly after Alycia was born. Out of the blue, Brooklyn receives word that Chad has died of a rare heart condition and has left his family's house & land in Thunder Creek, Idaho to his daughter.

Every romance story needs a male lead in it, which happens to be Derek Johnson in this novel, the best friend of Chad Hallston. While Derek isn't working for the sheriff department, he's working on his 3-acre orchard farm. His dream is to run a successful organic fruit farm, but to do so he would have to expand his land. He almost has enough money for a down-payment on the neighboring land. All ten-acres belongs to Chad Hallston, well, that is until his best friend died. While Derek is upset that Chad didn't leave the property to him in the will, he's even more shocked to learn about Chad's last wish - he wants Derek to be a father-figure to Alycia.

Now available is the romantic thriller Hell Will Rise, book in the Bloodthirsty Mafia series, by Skyla Murphy.





When did you become interested in storytelling?

I’m sure my parents would tell you that I’ve always been a storyteller, but I had never seriously considered writing as a profession up until two years ago. When I was in high school, we were made to undergo career assessments. Numerous questions were asked to decipher which career path would be best for us on an individual basis. In a fate I couldn’t understand, my results came back for creative writing. Ignoring the assessment, I studied social work, power engineering, and medical transcription instead. I’ve always written along the way, completing multiple novels that I didn’t ever take the leap to publish.

What was your first book/story published?

When I had just hit junior high, I wrote a story about a penguin that played baseball. (It was cool back then, I swear - ha!) It won first place and was published for a local festival, but that was just something I did for fun. I’ve written a handful of novels over the past few years, but Hell Will Rise will be the first one I officially publish.

What inspired you to write Hell Will Rise?

One night around a campfire, me and a few buddies were discussing which superpower would be the coolest to have. A little bit of an odd conversation for a group of twenty-five year olds to be hung up on, but we were.

The most common answer was the cliché of invisibility. Someone said X-ray vision. Another said the art of flying. I chose teleportation. I would take myself wherever I wanted to go with a snap of my fingers. Could you imagine the uncomfortable conversations a girl could avoid with that superpower?! But I would want myself to be so skilled that I could bring anything I was touching with me. I would show my friends the world!

While considering it, someone suggested seeing numbers in people’s eyes (their bank pins, driver’s license numbers, stock holdings etc.) so they could steal identities for fun. The friend who gave that answer had eaten one too many Bailey’s centered marshmallows that night, but it got me thinking. It was then that I told everyone I was going to write my next book about exactly that.

What character in Hell Will Rise is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Now available to purchase is the supernatural romance Shifted by Fate by S.R. Mitchell.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

I have always been interested in writing stories from a young age. I really developed a love for it in high school and am now fulfilling my dream.

What was your first book/story published?

My first published work was a historical romance, Dark Rider.

Blurb: When Brianna married, she always thought it would be for love, soul shattering love. Now this warrior is demanding her hand. Against her own wishes she finds herself before the altar beside Laird McGregor.

Has fate played a cruel hand or is he the love she has always wanted?

Only time will give her the answer.

He is known as the Dark Rider and feared by many. Already he has lost three betrothed and will not lose another.

Torin likes the feisty lass and Brianna will be his… heart and soul.

What inspired you to write Shifted by Fate?

Now available to purchase is the romantic comedy novel Fat Girl Begone! by D.E. Haggerty.




When did you become interested in storytelling?

Frankly, I can’t remember a time I wasn’t interest in storytelling. I started yapping and telling tale tales from the moment I could talk. Apparently, I never shut up. Except at school because – duh! – total nerd here.

What was your first book/story published?

Unforeseen Consequences was the first book I published. I wrote it years before I actually published it. The hubby deserves credit because he pushed me to try this newfangled self-publishing thing.

What inspired you to write Fat Girl Begone!?

In all honesty, I wanted to write another romantic comedy because the first one I wrote, Molly’s Misadventures, sold fairly well and received some good reviews. But I also wanted to tell a story close to my heart. As a diehard yo-yo dieter, writing a book about a supposed fat girl was totally up my alley.

What character in Fat Girl Begone! is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Most like me is easy – Everly. Everly is a workaholic who weighs too much and sporadically diets. Sounds uncomfortably familiar. As far as female characters go, Everly’s best friend, Blaze, is not like me at all. She’s a kindergarten teacher and I am terrified of children (only slight exaggeration there). She’s also a total fitness fanatic. Although I may be a fanatic when it comes to my tennis game, that’s where it stops.

What is your favorite part in Fat Girl Begone!?

Zonderkidz; 192 pages; $12.99; Amazon

The Berenstain Bears is one of the biggest picture book series on the market today. Created by Stan and Jan Berenstain, the first title in the long running children book series was published in the 1960s. Despite being criticized for it's formulaic storytelling, the series has remained popular with every new generation of young readers. Sadly, the original authors have both passed away; however, there son, Mike, has taken over writing and illustrating new titles, which now have Christian themes.

Now available from Zonderkidz is The Berenstain Bears: 5-Minute Inspirational Stories featuring twelve full stories with full-page artwork.






The collection includes:

Originally, I was going to participate in today's "It's Monday, what are you reading?" meme, but instead I've decided to start a new weekly post called Bookends, where I'll be discussing about what I'm currently reading, what I'll be reading next, and anything else related to the world of books.



Last Monday, I started reading the reprint paperback of the 10th anniversary edition of American Gods by Neil Gaiman. I had purchased the title at my local Walmart several weeks ago. My plan was to read the book before the television series debuted on STARZ, but I didn't start reading it until the day after the second episode aired. At a whopping 700+ pages, I've manged to read 456 pages out of a whopping 700+ pages in one week. The novel is very graphic, as well as the television series, and I don't think it would appeal to very many readers. Once I'm finished reading, I'll make sure to post a review on it.


Over the weekend, I decided it was best off that I stop the by the library and make sure my card was up-to-date, as I hadn't checked out a book there in quite awhile. I ended up checking out The Broken Road by Richard Paul Evans, so that will mostly likely be my next read. Hopefully, if everything goes right, I should be reading the book by Wednesday.


Of course I do! I have four new James Patterson titles:


Two from the Heart contains two romance novellas; one by James Patterson & Emily Raymond and the other by Frank Costantini and Brian Sitts. 16th Seduction is the sixteenth installment in the Woman's Murder Club series. Private: Gold and Detective Cross are Bookshots novellas. I had thought Little, Brown and Company had stopped releasing Bookshots paperbacks and were only releasing the titles in ebook formats, but I must have been mistaken as these two titles were released this month.

When it comes to the Western genre, few names resonate as strongly as Zane Grey. Born Pearl Zane Grey in 1872, he initially pursued a career in dentistry before finding his true calling as a writer. His first novel, Betty Zane, was published in 1903, and soon after, he became a prolific author, churning out over 90 Western titles—more than that if you count the various reprints and retitled editions. His work has inspired 112 film adaptations, a testament to his influence and popularity.

One of those adaptations—Western Union—is now available on DVD from Twentieth Century Cinema Archives. Directed by the illustrious Fritz Lang, the film features a star-studded cast, including Robert Young, Randolph Scott, Dean Jagger, Virginia Gilmore, John Carradine, Slim Summerville, Chill Wills, and Barton MacLane. However, be forewarned: there are no special features or bonus extras accompanying this single-disc release.

Based on Zane Grey's 1939 novel of the same name, the film follows Edward Creighton (Dean Jagger), a Western Union engineer who gets injured while surveying a telegraph line and crosses paths with the outlaw Vance Shaw (Randolph Scott). At first glance, Vance seems like the villain, attempting to steal Edward's horse, but as the story unfolds, it becomes clear he harbors a more complex nature and ultimately aids Edward.