Pocket Books; 400 pages; Amazon

It's no secret that I like reading a wide variety of authors and genres, which includes V.C. Andrews, the Gothic-horror novelist who wrote the bestselling Flowers in the Attic and its sequels. Though the author died in 1986, Simon & Schuster has continued to publish other novels, which have all been written by a ghostwriter (a.k.a.  - Andrew Neiderman).

The first book in newest "V.C. Andrews" series, titled House of Secrets, was published early this year. Pocket Books nicely set me a paperback copy to review on this blog. I read the book right away, but I kept putting off writing my review for it. I ended up rereading the book last month, so the story would be fresh in my mind when I eventually got around to writing the review.

House of Secrets centers around Fern, a teenager who lives with her mother at the Wyndemere House, which is owned by the Davenport family. Before Fern was born, her mother took a job as a nanny for the Davenports. After Mrs. Davenport died in a car accident, Fern's mother stayed on to help look after Davenport's son, Ryder. Years later, Dr. Davenport remarried to a woman named Bea Howell and they had a daughter named Samantha (named after his first wife). Things changed within the household when Bea arrived. Fern (who is two years younger than Ryder) was no longer allowed to play with him, as she was only the help's daughter.

Though they aren't supposed to have a relationship, Fern and Ryder find ways to be around each other, which makes things a bit awkward for them now that they are in their teenage years. Secretly, they find each other attractive and have romantic feelings for another. However, they wouldn't dare act on their feelings, as they fear Bea's wrath!

Mill Creek Ent., 171 minutes; $14.98

Do you remember watching those low-budget Hallmark-produced television miniseries?

Well, I do! I have fond memories of watching campy miniseries on network television and cable channels during the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s (aka - during my childhood). Miniseries are pretty much a thing of the past now, though a new one does show up on cable once in a great while.

Anyway, the only reason why I'm talking about miniseries, is because I watched Jules Verne's Mysterious Island a few nights ago. It's a 2005 miniseries that aired on the Hallmark Channel, and as you can probably tell by the title, it's based on the Jules Verne's 1874 novel "Mysterious Island," which is a crossover sequel to Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and In Search of the Castaways. Mill Creek Entertainment re-released the miniseries on DVD. There are no special features or bonus extras, but the DVD does come with a Digital code that can be redeemed at www.milcreekent.com/redeem.

Directed by Russell Mulcahy (Highlander 1 & 2), the miniseries centers on Captain Cyrus Smith (played by Kyle MacLachlan), his ex-slave Neb (played by Omar Gooding), a nurse named Jane and her teenage daughter Helen (played by Gabrielle Anwar and Danielle Calvert), and a thief named Pencroff (played by Jason Durr) escaping a Confederate prison camp by stealing a hot air balloon. Eventually, the balloon crashes on a uncharted island in the Pacific, the exact same island that occupies the mad inventor Captain Nemo (played by Patrick Stewart).

To survive on the island, Cyrus and company have to outrun giant-size creatures and battle pirates who are searching for buried treasure.

If you have ever wondered whether you are with the right person or if you are going to meet someone, it might be time to schedule a tarot card reading. Professional card readers are able to help people understand their relationships more effectively and tap into the mystical powers of the universe.

What is a reading?

A relationship tarot reading involves several cards being drawn. This can be done online or over the phone. This means that a person does not have to be physically sitting in front of the psychic who will be reading the tarot cards. It’s all based on the idea that the cards being drawn are meant for the person who is currently spiritually connected to the reader.

What can you find out?

Mill Creek Ent., 22 hrs 11 mins; $14.98

If you're wanting some scary movies to watch this summer, then look no further, as you can now own the DVD set Scared to Death: Horror Movie Collection from Mill Creek Entertainment, featuring a mix of slashers, monsters, and aliens on 4 discs.

Basically, it's a repackaging of three separate DVD releases (Queens of Scream, Possessed by Evil, and Monster Movie Mix), but with a new slipcover. Queens of Scream was released in 2016 and features the horror films "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Vacancy," "When A Stranger Calls," and "The Cave." Possessed by Evil was also released in 2016. It features five movies: "Devour," "The Plague," "Wind Chill," "Insanitarium," and "Vinyan."

Now I've already reviewed Queens of Screams and and Possessed by Evil back in 2016, so I'm not going to go into any further details about them. You can read my original reviews here: Queens of Scream * Possessed by Evil

I'm not for sure if Monster Movie Mix is a re-release or not, but it features a mixture of old movies and television shows.

The titles on the Monster Movie Mix are:

• The Corpse Vanishes - A 1942 film starring Bela Lugosi as a mad scientist. 
• Night Fright - A 1967 science fiction tale about a mutated alligator that turns into an ogre-like creature that terrorizes a small town.
• Killers From Space - A 1954 science fiction film starring Peter Graves as a nuclear scientist who gets tangled up with aliens.
• Destination Space - A 1959 made-for-television movie about the first rotating wheel space station.
• The Passage Beyond - A 1951 episode of the "Lights Out" anthology series. This episode focuses on the ghost of Lady Anne.
• Blunder - A 1951 episode of the "Tales of Tomorrow" anthology series. The episode centers on a scientist working on a nuclear reactor in the Arctic.
• Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - A 1955 episode of the "Climax!" anthology series. It's just another adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale.
• Tales of Frankenstein - An unsold 1958 television pilot co-produced by Hammer Film Productions and Columbia Pictures. The pilot centers on Baron Frankenstein (played by Anton Diffring) creating a new monster.
• Verdict From Space - A 1951 episode of the "Tales of Tomorrow" anthology series. The episode centers on an inventor named Gordon Kent, who is on trial for murdering a scientist.
• Flash Gordon: Return Of The Androids - A 1954 "Flash Gordon" episode, which centers on Flash Gordon trying to protect the secret location of the Androids.
• Captain Z-Ro: Meteor - A 1956 episode of the children's television series Captain Z-Ro, which centers on the Captain testing out a new spaceship.
• Johnny Jupiter - An "untitled episode" of the ABC's 1953-1954 series Johnny Jupiter, which centers on Duckweather, a young employee at a TV repair shop who gets advice from a magical TV set.

Mill Creek Ent., TV-14; 7 hours 7 minutes; $24.98

Back during my pre-teen and teenage years, I would watch almost any new television series. As I've gotten older, my interests have changed greatly; to the point that I hardly watch any programs that air on network television. Many of today's scripted series are poorly written and all the so-called reality shows don't appeal to me. So if there's a good series, normally, it goes completely under my radar, which exactly what happened with Secrets and Lies.

Based on the Australian series of the same name, Secrets and Lies is an anthology series that aired for two seasons on ABC from 2015 to 2016. Season One arrived on DVD for the first time from Mill Creek Entertainment last year, featuring 10 episodes on a two-disc set. There are no special features or extras on the DVD.

The first season begins with Ben Crawford (played by Ryan Phillippe), a self-employed contractor, who stumbles upon the body of a five-year-old boy while jogging through the woods early one morning. It turns out that the boy is Tom, the son of his neighbors, Jessica (played by Natalie Martinez) and her estranged husband Scott. With Ben suffering from memory loss from the night before, he becomes the prime suspect in Tom's death; especially, in the eyes of Detective Andrea Cornell (played by Juliette Lewis), who becomes obsessed with solving the case.

After DNA test results confirm that Ben is Tom's biological father, his wife Christy (played by KaDee Strickland) and their daughters, Natalie and Abby (played by Indiana Evans and Belle Shouse), along with the media, begin to believe he's the killer! With no other choice, Ben begins his own investigation in the hoping of clearing his name.

Do you have an Instagram account? If so, do you only follow book folks?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list below (enter your Blog Name and the direct link to your post answering this week’s question. Failure to do so will result in removal of your link).


3. Visit other blogs in the list and comment on their posts. Try to spend some time on the blogs reading other posts and possible become a new follower.  The purpose of the hop is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
  

My Answer:

Yes, I have an Instagram account (@coffeeramblings), but I don't follow very many "book folks."

Yes, I'm well aware that today is Wednesday and not Tuesday. I meant to have this post published yesterday, but due to some computer issues, I'm just now posting it.

Anyway, Big Hero 6: The Series - Back In Action! arrived on DVD yesterday from Disney Home Entertainment, featuring the 44-minute Disney Channel Television Movie and six 22-minute episodes. Bonus features include 6 shorts - Baymax and Hiro; Baymax and Wasabi; Baymax and Go Go; Baymax and Fred; Baymax and Honey Lemon; and Baymax and Moch.

The adventures continue for tech genius Hiro Hamada and his healthcare companion, the lovable, inflatable Baymax! Picking up right before the end of the film, Hiro thinks Baymax is lost forever, until he finds the chip Tadashi designed to create Baymax. Hiro immediately gets to work rebuilding Baymax, but Hiro’s overconfidence and impatience get him into trouble. The stakes are raised for Hiro, Baymax and their friends – adrenaline junkie Go Go, control freak Wasabi, chem whiz Honey Lemon and fanboy Fred – as they fight to protect San Fransokyo as the legendary superhero team Big Hero 6.

Voice Cast: Ryan Potter as Hiro; Scott Adsit as Baymax; Jamie Chung as Go Go; Genesis Rodriguez as Honey Lemon; Khary Payton as Wasabi; Brooks Wheelan as Fred; and Maya Rudolph as Aunt Cass