Now available from Vesuvian Books is the paranormal thriller Blackwell, book one in the Magnus Blackwell Series, by Alexandrea Weis with Lucas Astor.


The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling? 

From the time I was eight years old, I loved telling stories.

What was your first book/story published? 

To My Senses, Book 1 in The Nicci Beauvoir series was my first published book.

What inspired you to write Blackwell? 

I love ghost stories and it is one of my favorite genres, that this was a series with a ghost seeking redemption intrigued me.

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

Yeah, I know it's been awhile since I have posted a "Monday Morning Madness" post, so thought I would go ahead and at least write one post for 2017, but hopefully there will be more. Anyhow, my original plan was to review the Greens Super Food in this post, but I've changed my mind and I'll feature it as a "Late Night Fitness Review" later in the week.

I'll also be reviewing the Protein Energy Power, which I just received four sample flavors (Banana, Chocolate, Honey, Original) a few minutes ago in the mail. I'll try out one of them tomorrow after my workout.

Yes, I'm still working out, but it's not my New Year's Resolution. Actually, I started a new workout program (Core De Force) on Dec. 26th, so it doesn't count as a resolution. Actually, I don't have a resolution for this year, though I might attempt to stop procrastinating.

Core De Force is the new MMA-style core/cardio workout from Beachbody. I had purchased the basic program as an early Christmas present for myself. There's a lot of kicking and punching in it, which is just the kind of workout that I like. I won't record my weight again until after tomorrow's workout (Day 30, which is the last day of the program), but I believe I have lost around 4 or 5 pounds. It might not sound like a lot for month, but I have lost over two inches my waist.

Revell; 355 pages; $14.99; Amazon

While I have been a book lover ever since I could read my first word, I wasn't a fan of romance novels until I was in my early twenty's. I mostly read horror novels (Stephen King, Anne Rice, John Saul, etc.) during my teenager years. I read my very first Amish fiction title when I was in my 20's, and I've been a fan of the genre ever since.

Released last year from Revell is The Quieting, book two of the Bishop's Family series, by author Suzanne Woods Fisher. You might recall me reviewing the first book, "The Imposter," during my Holiday Gift Guide in 2015.

The sequel once again focuses on the Stolzfus family, though this time the man character is Abigail, a young who is sent to Stoney Ridge (the same setting in book one), where her grandmother, Mammi, wants her to find an eligible bachelor to marry. The only problem is that there aren't any single men available, except for Dane Glick, who is all wrong for her.

To kickoff my new review post "Late Night Fitness Review," I'm featuring the Protein & Energy protein powder supplement by Trusource; which I was sent two single-serve samples to review a few weeks ago.

The flavors that were sent to be were Vanilla Latte and Chocolate Mocha; each containing 15 grams of protein and 75mg of caffeine.

Yes, that might seem like a lot caffeine to some people, but for a coffee lover like myself, 75mg was no big deal to me. Actually, it's just the right amount to wake me up in the mornings, which is probably why the supplement is called Protein & Energy to begin with.

Total calories for each the samples is 90, with 20 calories of fat and 1g of sugar. The protein used in the mixes is from whey protein concentrate.

Besides from protein, the mixes contain the following vitamins:

Vitamin E
Thiamin
Riboflavin
Vitamin B6

Note: It does contain milk and soy.




What does the Protein & Energy samples taste like?

I kicked off the start of 2017 by brewing a nice cup of TAYST Coffee Roaster.

What is TAYST Coffee Roaster?

Well, this coffee brand is Eco-Friendly and 100% compostable. The pods/cups are compatible with KEURIG and NESPRESSO coffeemakers.

Each Purpod100™ has three layers: a lid, a ring, and a mesh. The lid is made from bio materials. The printing on the lid is made from water-based compostable ink. The ring is made from natural bean skins, and the mesh is made from renewable bio reins. Once composted in the ground, it will add nutrients into the soil.

Currently there are several different coffee flavors:

Now available from Apatite Publishing is the paranormal romance Trick Me Once, book three in the Magical Matchmaker Series, by Sharon Clare.



The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her newest novel.


When did you become interested in storytelling?

First, I want to thank you for hosting me today.

I’ve always made up stories in my head, but I didn’t start writing seriously until later in life when I went back to school to do a science degree. My course load was heavy, and I was managing a household with 3 young kids. To lighten the load, I took a course on creative writing. Small class sizes and the professor read beautiful prose to us. I fell in love with storytelling.

I ended up doing a minor in professional writing and when I finished my degree, I missed writing classes so much, I found a correspondence course to take with a college in the states. From there, I realized this is my passion and I am forever hooked!

What was your first book/story published?

My first novel was a romance published by Crimson Romance. Love of Her Lives was the first book in The Magical Matchmaker series.

What inspired you to write Trick Me Once?

One day I watched Dave, my cat, drinking from the pond in my garden. The goldfish seemed fascinated by this intrusion into their world, but there was no way they understood Dave was a cat on planet Earth just inches from their world. As Dave lapped water, the fish hovered just under his nose, his tongue, his teeth. Lucky for them, he wasn’t hungry.

The fish made me wonder about perception. A story idea started to percolate that became the premise for the series. What if there was another world just one step away that we don’t perceive?

In Trick Me Once, Aiden MacAuley returns to Earth after being trapped in Alfheim, an Elvin world, for over a century. The gateway between Earth and Alfheim is guarded by the MacAuley clan, and like the fish in the pond, Alfheim is only a step away. Unfortunately, it was a step Aiden couldn’t take until the story begins.

I wanted to pair Aiden (born in the nineteen hundreds) with a contemporary woman who would never believe in elves.

What character in Trick Me Once is the most/least like you, and in what ways?