New Releases ~ week of 01/30/2017

A Death at the Yoga Cafe by Michelle Kelly (#2 Downward Facing Death)

A Note Yet Unsung by Tamera Alexander (#3 Belmont Mansion)
Ashes to Fire by Emily B. Martin (#2 Woodwalker)
B.U.R.P. Strikes Back by Wendy Mass (#5 Space Taxi)
Between the Devil and the Duke by Kelly Bowen (#3 Season for Scandal)
Binti: Home by Nnedi Okorafor (#2 Binti)
Call to Honor by Tawny Weber (#1 SEAL Brotherhood)
Caraval by Stephanie Garber (#1 Caraval)
Crossroads of Canopy by Thoraiya Dyer (#1 Titan's Forest Trilogy)
Dark Side of the Rainbow by Danielle Paige (#0.8 Dorothy Must Die)
Dawn Study by Maria V Snyder (#6 Study)
Distraction by Nicole Edwards (#10 Club Destiny Novel)
Drowning Tides by Karen Harper (#2 South Shores)

Entertaining Death by Lesley Cookman (#2 Alexandrians)
Falling for the Highlander by Lynsay Sands (#4 English Bride in Scotland)
Fever in the Dark by Ellen Hart (#24 Jane Lawless)
Final Exit by Lena Diaz (#3 Exit Inc.)
Fury on Fire by Sophie Jordan (#3 Devil's Rock)
Hard Rhythm by Cecilia Tan (#3 Secrets of a Rock Star)
High Force by L J Ross (#5 DCI Ryan)
Into the Firestorm by Kat Martin (#3 Boss)
It Started With A Kiss by Marina Adair (#1 Sequoia Lake)
Jacked Up by Samantha Kane (#3 Birmingham Rebels)
Justice Delayed by Patricia Bradley (#1 Memphis Cold Case)

Justice Syndrome by Rebecca Zanetti (#3 Scorpius Syndrome)
Law and Murder by Mindy Klasky (#2 Fright Court)
Long Way Home by Katie McGarry (#3 Thunder Road)
Meet Me at Willoughby Close by Kate Hewitt (#2 Willoughby Close)
Mogul by Joanna Shupe (#3 The Knickerbocker Club)
Moonlight Prince by Karpov Kinrade (#4 Vampire Girl)
Moving Target by Lynette Eason (#3 Elite Guardians)
Murder Go Round by Carol J. Perry (#4 Witch City Mystery)
Murder Wears White by Stephanie Blackmoore (#2 A Wedding Planner Mystery)
Rattle the Bones by Eric R Asher (#6 Vesik)
Rescue Me by Susan May Warren (#2 Montana Rescue)
Samuel by Beth Williamson (#3 Circle Eight - Millennium)

Seven Days to Hell by William W Johnstone, J A Johnstone (#5 Savage Texas)
Seven Minutes in Heaven by Eloisa James (#10 Desperate Duchesses)
Spawn Campers by Skyler Grant (#2 The Crucible Shard)
Still Life by Dani Pettrey (#2 Chesapeake Valor)
The Dark Days Pact by Alison Goodman (#2 Lady Helen)
The Ghoul Vendetta by Lisa Shearin (#5 SPI Files)
The Hanging Tree by Ben Aaronovitch (#6 PC Peter Grant)
The Knight by Skye Warren (#2 Endgame)
The Maverick Cowboy by Kate Pearce (#2 Morgan Ranch)
The Newcomer by Suzanne Woods Fisher (#2 Amish Beginnings)
The Omens and Artifacts by Elizabeth Hunter (#3 Elemental Legacy Novellas)
The Prisoner by Alex Berenson (#11 John Wells)
To Tame a Wild Lady by Ashlyn MacNamara (#1 Duke-Defying Daughters)
Uncharted by Evangeline Anderson (#18 Brides of the Kindred)
Unpunished by Lisa Black (#2 Gardiner and Renner)
Valley of Bones by Dusty Richards (#10 Byrnes Family Ranch)
White Hell by Remington Kane (#17 Tanner)
Wicked Cowboy Charm by Carolyn Brown (#4 Lucky Penny Ranch)
Wires and Nerve, Volume 1 by Marissa Meyer (#1 Wires and Nerve)
Yours Truly by Heather Vogel Frederick (#2 Pumpkin Falls Mystery)

Book Spotlight: The Ghoul Vendetta

Spotlight information for THE GHOUL VENDETTA by Lisa Shearin

ISBN: 9781101989401 | Ace Mass Market | $7.99 | 304
On-sale date: January 31, 2017

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) are paid to keep the peace. But that’s not so easy when an endless evil threatens to tear that peace to pieces...

A vampire gangster’s nephew is abducted off his yacht by a bunch of low-rent Creatures from the Black Lagoon. A slew of banks are knocked over by what looks like the cast of Night of the Living Dead. All of this may seem like the movies, but, I promise you, it’s not.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and I know the culprits aren’t wearing disguises or makeup. They’re real. Deadly real. Especially their leader—an ancient shapeshifter who leaves a trail of chaos and blood in his wake. Now, he’s taken my partner, Ian—and his intentions aren’t pretty.

The worst part? This is only the beginning...

The beginning of the end of the human race.

Lisa Shearin is the New York Times bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels, a comedic fantasy adventure series, as well as the SPI Files novels (The Brimstone Deception, The Dragon Conspiracy, The Grendel Affair), an urban fantasy series best described as Men in Black with supernaturals instead of aliens. Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots, and teacups, both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, three spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

Book Review ~ The Ghoul Vendetta

The Ghoul Vendetta

by Lisa Shearin
published by Berkley Publishing Group/Ace Books
expected release date: January 31, 2017
genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural

**Received e-arc from netGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): Men in Black meets Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum in the fourth urban fantasy novel in the series starring seer Makenna Fraser and her fellow agents at Supernatural Protection & Investigation.
The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) are paid to keep the peace. But that’s not so easy when an endless evil threatens to tear that peace to pieces...
A vampire gangster’s nephew is abducted off his yacht by a bunch of low-rent Creatures from the Black Lagoon. A slew of banks are knocked over by what looks like the cast of Night of the Living Dead. All of this may seem like the movies, but, I promise you, it’s not.
I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and I know the culprits aren’t wearing disguises or makeup. They’re real. Deadly real. Especially their leader—an ancient shapeshifter who leaves a trail of chaos and blood in his wake. Now, he’s taken my partner, Ian—and his intentions aren’t pretty.
The worst part? This is only the beginning...
The beginning of the end of the human race.

My Thoughts: This was my favorite book, so far, in this series. We see both professional and personal growth in Mac.
We start with another date for Mac and Rake and of course it is interrupted by another weird attack. This time by a kraken and creatures from the black lagoon kidnapping a prominent member of vampire society. These two just need to be allowed to have a real date with nothing happening. We do see their relationship go a few steps forward by the end of this book but it is seeming like a very slow process.
This book sees the return of Ian's stalking, many faced ghoul. He's gone back to robbing places like when he and Ian first came in contact with each other (sort of). Only this time he is leaving presents that awaken something in Ian. I liked the progress of Ian's character and the reasoning behind the ghoul's obsession with him.
This obsession leads to Mac doing everything she can to save her partner. While finding out just what she is capable of on her own. We also find out just how many people outside of SPI care about these two characters. I liked how everyone came together to help out even if it wasn't to take part in the battle.
I'm hoping that we get to see more of Rake's friends. I'm definitely interested in the dragons and their riders. They seemed to be an fun group and I want more.
Overall, this was a fun book.  I wish there had been more resolution to the conflict at the end but it did help move the series forward while giving new characters and reuniting old friends. Cannot wait to read more from this world.

Rating: 4

This Week's Reads

Rejected Princesses by Jason Porath
Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, & Heretics (Goodreads)
**Love the old fairytale look on the outside and what illustrations I've looked at are really good. Plus, an interesting subject on top of it all.

Super Pop! by Daniel Harmon
Pop Culture Top Ten Lists (Goodreads)
**Our house is big on trivia and lists as well as pop culture so I had to grab this one.

New Releases ~ week of 01/23/2017

15 Minutes by Larissa Reinhart (#1 Maizie Albright Star Detective)

A Conversation in Blood by Paul S Kemp (#3 Egil and Nix)
A Night In With Grace Kelly by Lucy Holliday (#3 Libby Lomax)
A Sterkarm Tryst by Susan Price (#3 Sterkarm)
Accidentally on Purpose by Jill Shalvis (#3 Heartbreaker Bay)
Black Hills Stranger by Debra Salonen (#9 Black Hills Rendezvous)
Chase Me by Farrah Rochon (#4 Holmes Brothers)
Clownfish Blues by Tim Dorsey (#20 Serge Storms)
Dreadnought by April Daniels (#1 Nemesis)
Eleventh Grave in Moonlight by Darynda Jones (#11 Charley Davidson)
Fading Frost by Alicia Rades (#4 Crystal Frost)
Fighting Love by Melissa West (#1 Littleton Brothers)
Forever Secret by Kathleen Brooks (#5 Forever Bluegrass)

Long Live the Queen by Gerry Swallow (#2 Blue in the Face)
Masked to Death by Christina Freeburn (#5 Faith Hunter Scrap This Mysteries)
Night Beckons by Colleen Gleason (#4 The Heroes of New Vegas)
Of Fate and Phantoms by C. J. Archer (#7 The Ministry of Curiosities)
Power Game by Christine Feehan (#13 Ghostwalkers)
Ready to Fumble by Christy Barritt (#1 Worst Detective Ever)
Royal Scandal by Marquita Valentine (#1 Royals in Exile)
Soul of a Vikingby Sky Purington (#3 The MacLomain Series: Viking Ancestors’ Kin)
Staying For Good by Catherine Bybee (#2 Most Likely To)
Stealing the Rogue's Heart by Erica Monroe (#4 The Rookery Rogues)

The Evil Bunny Gang by Victoria J Coe (#2 Fenway and Hattie)
The Fifth Petal by Brunonia Barry (#2 Lace Reader)
The Forests Of Dru by Jeffe Kennedy (#4 Sorcerous Moons)
The Last True Hero by Bec McMaster (#2 Burned Lands)
The Ottoman Conspiracy by Thomas Ryan (#3 Jeff Bradley)
The Room Mate by Kendall Ryan (#1 Roommates)
The Skill of Our Hands by Steven Brust, Skyler White (#2 The Incrementalists)
The Weight of the World by Tom Toner (#2 Amaranthine Spectrum)
Those Left Behind by Mark Tufo (#10 Zombie Fallout)

This Week's Reads

Delusion in Death by J.D. Robb
In Death #35 (Goodreads)
**One of my favorites series by one of my favorite authors.  Like I said last week Roberts/Robb is my comfort reading. Love Eve and Roarke and thought it was really cool when I got a Christmas card from them!

The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss
The Kingkiller Chronicle #2 (Goodreads)
**The Name of The Wind was my favorite read from last year. Really looking forward to getting into this one. Hope it has the same storyteller feeling considering how long it is.

New Releases ~ week of 01/16/2017

A Love for Leah by Emma Miller (#4 Amish Matchmaker)

A Merciful Death by Kendra Elliot (#1 Mercy Kilpatrick)
A Puzzle to Be Named Later by Parnell Hall (#18 Puzzle Lady)
Adoring Ink by Carrie Ann Ryan (#6.5 Montgomery Ink)
All He Needs by Shirley Hailstock (#3 Weddings by Diana)
Bewitching Bedlam by Yasmine Galenorn (Bewitching Bedlam #1)
Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth (#1 Carve the Mark)
Contract Signed by Marie Harte (#1 Triggerman, Inc.)
Empire Games by Charles Stross (#1 Empire Games)
Feversong by Karen Marie Moning (#9 Fever)
Five O'Clock Twist by Joanne Pence (#5 Rebecca Mayfield Mystery)
Flawed by Tracy Wolff (#4 Ethan Frost)
Her Lakeside Family by Lenora Worth (#5 Men of Millbrook Lake)

Hollow by Robert J. Crane (#12 Out of the Box)
Hot Combat by Elle James (#1 Ballistic Cowboys)
Into the Abyss by Dale Mayer (#10 Psychic Visions)
Law And Disorder by Heather Graham (#1 Finnegan Connection)
Let It Burn by Ruth Cardello (#4 The Barrington Billionaires)
Martians Abroad by Carrie Vaughn
Red's Salvation by Kennedy Layne (#7 Red Starr)
Savage Sacrifice by Ellis Leigh (#5 Dire Wolves Series)
Scheduled to Death by Mary Feliz (#2 Maggie McDonald Mystery)
Secret Origins by James Riley (Story Thieves #3)
Spurred On by Sabrina York (#3 Stripped Down)
Tangled Up by Erin Nicholas (#2 Taking Chances)
The Nowhere Man by Gregg Hurwitz (#2 Evan Smoak)
The Rising by Heather Graham, Jon Land
Thirst by Jacquelyn Frank (#1 Energy Vampires Series)

This Week's Reads

Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts
The Guardians Trilogy #1 (Goodreads)
**I've always enjoyed Nora Robert's books. They're like comfort reading. Especially like the ones that venture into the paranormal/supernatural areas.

Heir of Shadows by Kel Carpenter
Daizlei Academy #1 (Goodreads)
**Picked this one up on a whim from a kindle book fair some authors were having. I'm not familiar with the author (or any that were part of it) but always like finding someone new to read.

New Releases ~ week of 01/09/2017

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn (#2 Veronica Speedwell Mystery)

Adrift by Micki Browning (#1 Mer Cavallo Mystery)
Afternoons in Paris by Janice Law (#5 Francis Bacon Mysteries)
Back Check by Kelly Jamieson (#5 Aces Hockey)
Beheld by Alex Flinn (#4 Kendra Chronicles)
Capture of the Defiance by S E Smith (#2 Breaking Free)
Dead and Breakfast by Kate Kingsbury (#1 Merry Ghost Inn Mystery)
Dead Cold Brew by Cleo Coyle (#16 Coffeehouse Mysteries)
Dragon King Of Treoir by Dianna Love (#8 Belador)
Duplicity by Ingrid Thoft (#4 Fina Ludlow)
Dusk or Dark or Dawn or Day by Seanan McGuire
False Friend by Andrew Grant (#3 Detective Cooper Devereaux Thrillers)
Fangs and Fennel by Shannon Mayer (#2 The Venom Trilogy)
For Time and All Eternities by Mette Ivie Harrison (#3 Linda Wallheim)

Frostblood by Elly Blake (#1 Frostblood Saga)
Gone by Elisabeth Naughton (#2 Deadly Secrets)
Hooked on Trouble by Kelly Siskind (#3 Over the Top)
Lethal Game by Katie Reus (#15 Red Stone Security)
Playing by the Rules by Reese Ryan (#1 Playing by the Rules)
Praetorian of Dorn by John French (#39 Horus Heresy)
Ring of Fire by Brad Taylor (#11 Pike Logan)
RoseBlood by A.G. Howard
Shadows of the Lost Sun by Carrie Ryan (#3 Map to Everywhere)
She Stopped For Death by Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli (#2 Little Library Mystery)
Shelter for Adeline by Susan Stoker (#7 Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes)

Teen Hyde by Chandler Baker (#2 High School Horror)
The Alchemists of Loom by Elise Kova (#1 The Loom Saga)
The Cold Eye by Laura Anne Gilman (The Devil's West #2)
The Guests on South Battery by Karen White (#5 Tradd Street)
The Ripper's Shadow by Laura Joh Rowland (#1 Victorian Mystery)
Wild Kisses by Skye Jordan (#2 Wildwood)
Windwitch by Susan Dennard (#2 The Witchlands)
Worth the Wait by Claudia Connor (#1 McKinney/Walker)
You Don't Know My Name by Kristen Orlando (#1 The Black Angel Chronicles)

2016 A Look Back

Another year has come and gone and I still haven't made it to 150 books. I actually came in 3 less than 2015 with 120 books. Once again I will be trying for 150 this year. I figure I have to make it eventually.

First Read

First book I finished was Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep which I gave 4 stars. I loved the this and the second book and really need to get reading book 3 Bright Blaze of Magic.















Last Read

The last book I finished was also my favorite from 2016. The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. I loved the way the author mixed the past and the present in a storyteller fashion. I also really enjoyed how full all the characters were.
This was also the longest book I read at 662 pages.













Other Odd Facts from 2016 Reads
Total Books: 120
Total Pages: 40,059
Average Length: 339
Goodread Facts: Most Read Book; Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children with 618, 156 reads. Least Read Book; 50 Greatest Red Wings at only 4 other reads.

Other Favorites
I started a lot of series this past year that I am still enjoying into 2017.

Lady Emily Series by Tasha Alexander (Goodreads) There were a couple books that I didn't care for but books 6 & 7 have really picked the series back up.

KingFountain series by Jeff Wheeler (Goodreads) There are 3 books out in this series with a 4th coming June 2017. I didn't think Owen and Evie (especially Evie) would become two of my faves last year but they did.








Overall, even though I didn't make my yearly goal, I still consider 2016 a success. A lot of great books and even more that I'm looking forward to reading this year.

This Week's Reads

Rebel Genius by Michael Dante DiMartino
Geniuses #1 (Goodreads)
**Loved the idea of a fantasy world that revolves around artists.

Fate of Flames by Sarah Raughley
Effigies #1 (Goodreads)
**I've loved other series that involved elementals. This one seems to be a love it or hate it book. Hopefully, I fall into the first set.

New Releases ~ week of 01/02/2017

A Valentine for the Cowboy by Rebecca Winters (#1 Sapphire Mountain Cowboy)

A Wedding in Maine by Jen McLaughlin (McCullagh Inn #2)
Agent of Chaos by Kami Garcia (#1 X-Files)
An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter (#3 Hawthorne House)
An Unsettling Crime for Samuel Craddock by Terry Shames (#6 Samuel Craddock Mysteries)
Assault and Beret by Jenn McKinlay (#5 A Hat Shop Mystery)
Batgirl at Super Hero High by Lisa Yee (#3 DC Superhero Girls)
Battle Hill Bolero by Daniel José Older (#3 Bone Street Rumba)
Becoming Dragon by Eve Langlais (#1 Dragon Point)
Below the Belt by Stuart Woods (#40 Stone Barrington)
Blazing Hot Cowboy by Kim Redford (#2 Smokin' Hot Cowboys)

Blood and Bone by V M Giambanco (#3 Alice Madison)
Breath of Fire by Amanda Bouchet (#2 Kingmaker Chronicles)
Brooke's Bad Luck by Jo Whittemore (#5 Confidentially Yours)
Child's Play by Merry Jones (#3 Elle Harrison)
Deadly Fall by Elle James (#6 Devil's Shroud)
Devil's Mark by Megan Crane (#2 The Devil's Keepers)
Double Plum by Janet Evanovich (#5 Stephanie Plum Between-the-Numbers Novels)
Dr. Do-or-Die by Lara Lacombe (#2 Doctors in Danger)
Dragon Mates by Bianca D'Arc (#3 The Sea Captain's Daughter Trilogy)

Flower Girl Dreams by Debbie Dadey (#16 Mermaid Tales)
Forbidden Taste by Robin T Popp (#8 Immortals)
Freeks by Amanda Hocking
Fudge and Jury by Ellie Alexander (#5 Bakeshop Mystery)
Hard Hitter by Sarina Bowen (#2 Brooklyn Bruisers)
His Best Friend's Wife by Lee McKenzie (#2 Finnegan Sisters)
In the Shadow of Denali by Tracie Peterson (#1 Heart of Alaska)
It Happened in Scotland by Patience Griffin (#6 Kilts and Quilts)
It's In His Arms by Shelly Alexander (#4 Red River Valley)
January Girl by Mari Carr (#1 Wilder Irish)
Lord Sebastian's Secret by Jane Ashford (#3 The Duke's Sons)
Midnight Obsession by Melinda Leigh (#4 Midnight)

Mountain Ambush by Hope White (#6 Echo Mountain)
Mulberry Moon by Catherine Anderson (#3 Mystic Creek)
On Broken Wings by Chanel Cleeton (#3 Wild Aces)
Pop Goes the Murder by Kristi Abbott (#2 Popcorn Shop Mystery)
Protector by Donna Grant (#2 Sons of Texas)
Rather Be Wrong by Debra Kayn (#3 Ronacks Motorcycle Club)
Ready Set Rogue by Manda Collins (#1 Studies in Scandal)
Rock Chick Reawakening by Kristen Ashley (#0.5 Rock Chick)
Satisfaction by Lexi Blake (#2 Lawless)
Shadow Over the Fens by Joy Ellis (#6 DI Nikki Galena & DS Joe Easter)
Shattered by Cali MacKay (#2 Blackthorn Brothers)
Silverwolf by Jacey Bedford (#2 Rowankind)
Telling Tails by Sofie Ryan (#4 Second Chance Cat Mystery)

The Bull Rider's Cowgirl by April Arrington (#3 Men of Raintree Ranch)
The Cursed Queen by Sarah Fine (#2 Impostor Queen)
The Death of Kings by Rennie Airth (#5 John Madden)
The Final Day by William R Forstchen (#3 After)
The Heart of What Was Lost by Tad Williams (#0.5 The Last King of Osten Ard)
The Maid's War by Jeff Wheeler (#.5 The Kingfountain Series)
The Perils of Paulie by Katie MacAlister (#4 Matchmaker in Wonderland)
The Rancher's Nanny Bargain by Sara Orwig (#2 Callahan's Clan)
The Road by Brenda K. Davies (#3 The Road To Hell Series)
Third Time's a Crime by Diana Orgain (#3 Love or Money Mystery)
Towhee Get Your Gun by J. R. Ripley (#2 Bird Lovers Mystery)
Undercover Protector by Elizabeth Goddard (#2 Wilderness, Inc.)
Waiting For an Earl Like You by Alexandra Hawkins (#3 Masters of Seduction)
Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken (#2 Passenger)

2017 ~ Happy New Year ~ 2017

🌠For a new year to bring you something new, make a move, like a butterfly tearing its cocoon! Make a move!

🌠In the New Year, may you:

Make new friends and retain the old;

Build new memories and cherish the old;

Acquire new knowledge and use the old;

Make new investments and build the old;

Go to new places and not forget the old.

Have a beautiful New Year!

by Dei--dara
(DeviantArt)