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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Sep 22, 2022  
Need a playlist to listen to while you pack your suitcase? Check out author Carrie Carter Writes' travelogue WHISKERS ABROAD: ASHI AND AUDREY'S ADVENTURES IN JAPAN on my blog as well as a fun playlist from Audrey! Enter the giveaway for a chance to win the eBook and a set of Ashi Stickers!

PS - The Kindle eBook is at a special pre-order price of only $0.99 if you buy it by October 2nd.

https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2022/09/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-whiskers.html

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
Whiskers Abroad is a lively and charming travelogue featuring a trip to Japan shared by two main characters, Audrey and Ashi, who alternate recounting their versions of events. Audrey, having won the chance to write a magazine article about traveling in Japan, takes along her cat, Ashi. Over the course of a twelve-day trip, the pair visit Tokyo, Wakayama, Shirahama, Kyoto, and Miura Peninsula. Food is of great interest to both, as they sample typical Japanese dishes from ramen to sushi to tuna specialties. They also explore Japanese culture, including food markets, a family farm, temples, and Tokyo nightlife.

Adventures abound, from Audrey losing Ashi in the fish market to Ashi slipping out of the hotel at night to go to a cat café, where he meets an alluring feline. Audrey is still trying to find her place in the universe, while Ashi believes Audrey would sink beneath the waves were he not present to rescue her time and again. Audrey is a dedicated reader of her horoscope, and the prediction for each day offers tantalizing clues as to what’s in store for the pair.

Written by author Carrie Carter and beautifully designed by Stacy Vickers, Whiskers Abroad is both an amusing travel story with unforgettable characters but also a useful guide for tourists going to Japan about such basic travel issues as how to get from the airport to central Tokyo, how to purchase a rail pass, what to visit in Tokyo, and what to eat. Lavishly designed with full-color photographs and arresting page layouts, Whiskers Abroad will delight both your eyes and your sense of adventure.
     
Lionhearts: Part Two Box Set
Lionhearts: Part Two Box Set
Elizabeth Coldwell | 2019 | Erotica, LGBTQ+, Paranormal
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
nice easy reads.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of these books.

Into The Arena

Cesare has been banished from his pride after his uncle cheated in a leadership fight. Finding work on a food truck headed from a for set seemed too good to be true. Finding Hayden as the star AND his fated mate, made Cesare think that maybe he wasn't supposed to win the fight at all. But Hayden has a stalker, and things turn deadly. Can Cesare keep his human mate safe, and will Hayden accept Cesare's lion half?

This is book 4 in the Lionhearts series and I have not read the other books. I did not feel I was missing anything, and so will say these are stand alones, with interconnecting characters, rather than a follow on series.

I liked this one. It did not blow me away, but right now, personally, this was JUST what I needed to read.

It's well told, with both Cesare and Hayden having a say. There is enough history for each of them, but not enough to be overwhelming in a short book. Well, I say SHORT, but it's still 176 pages! Didn't feel like it though!

I loved that we got some of the stalker too! They have their say in a couple of places, and I do love getting into the mind of the baddie! Did NOT see who that might have been, or rather, I had an idea, but was way off base.

It's quite sexy. There is a scene with Hayden getting down and dirty with his boyfriend BEFORE he and Cesare meet. Then Hayden and Cesare get down to it really quickly after meeting! Not sure how I feel about the first, but loved the second.

Nice easy read, and just the thing to pass a wet sunday afternoon, while nursing a very real hangover!

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**

Pride Under Fire

Book 5 in the Lionheart series, and there is a pop up from Cesare and Hayden (book 4) which was nice!

Connor punched his commanding officer, and is shifted out to a town in the middle of nowhere, that needs a full time fire fighter. Andy is a detective in said town. Andy is human, Connor is not. Can Connor keep his mate safe, while the town burns around them?

Again, an easy read, that was just what I needed!

Connor knows he did wrong, punching his superior, but he won't apologise. Being shipped out was probably the best thing that happened to him, since he meets his mate. But Andy is human and lions don't mate with humans, do they?When there are several fires in town, in abandoned buildings, both Connor and Andy have to investigate. Then the bodies start piling up, and they know the arsonist has to be stopped , and soon.

There were several throw away comments that made me put the clues together for who the arsonist was very early on, and it was great to see it unfold the way I thought it would.

Again, the guys get down and dirty very early on, and I did like that here.

BUT

The general way the story goes is almost identical to book 4, Into The Arena. It's very VERY similar in that the human half gets taken, and the lion half comes to the rescue, mostly in the same way too!

Still, I did enjoy this as much as book 4, and I did read them back to back.

4 stars

Animal Passions

This is book 6 and for ME, the weakest of the three I've read.

Here's why:

It follows an almost identical plot line to the other two. Human half has sex with *someone* then goes off and meets mate. Mate and human get down and dirty right quick (did not like that here!) danger threatens human, lion reveals himself. human is taken by *stalker/arsonist/psycho editor assistant* and lion comes to the rescue. the end.

So, I'm sorry, but no, this one did not work for me. I only gave it 3 stars because I DID finish it, and it was touch and go for a while.

Maybe if I had NOT read them back to back, this one would have worked better, but I did read them back to back, and this is how I feel. And I'm all about the book feelings.

Sorry!

3 stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
  
The Siege of Abythos
The Siege of Abythos
Phil Tucker | 2017 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Poetry battle (2 more)
Poetry battle
Poetry battle
The third instalment in the Chronicles of the Black Gate series is the biggest yet, in terms of page count. The story follows the same PoV characters as previous books but their adventures are now covering so much more of the world and the storyline is becoming quite entangled.
Tharok's attempts to unite the orc-like kragh tribes and invade the human world continue, meanwhile Lady Iskra seeks to rescue her son and take revenge on the Ascendant's empire.
This book covers a lot more political debate and intrigue than the previous two, with prolonged discussion of who should be invaded, and what should be done thereafter. While this is very much a necessity in such an epic tale I felt it was somewhat laboured at times.
I very nearly gave up on this book at one point - where the portly magister Audsley (who has three demons lurking in his soul) was seeking to inveigle his way into the upper echelons of the empire, most of this storytelling centred around the colour of robes to wear, the type and colour of paper to use in sending letters and reciting poetry. Again this was very much laboured but bearable, until it looked like we were heading for what can only be described as a poetry battle, where Audsley (coached by one of his demons) was set to take on a senior government official's poetry representative in a battle of wits to see how would curry favour in the empire.


That's right: a poetry battle.
Think Philip Larkin in 8 Mile.
Will the real Slim Shakespeare please stand up.
Kanye Wordsworth.
NWA (Novelists with Assonance)


At this point I very nearly gave up. Thankfully, so did Audsley and the contest ended abruptly as he refused to let his demon take control of him. Phew. Disaster avoided. If this had been allowed to continue it would have made Tom Bombadil look like a critical plot point.


Other than Audsley's chapters (which in the previous book had been a highlight) the book does roll along at a reasonable pace and there is just about enough action to keep the interest, particularly in the last 100 or so pages.


All in all, a good read and a turning point for the series as a whole, but a lot of nonsense could have been removed, (Edgar Allan) Poe Shizzle.
  
Blue Blood (Series of Blood #3)
Blue Blood (Series of Blood #3)
Emma Hamm | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Blue Blood (Series of Blood #3) by Emma Hamm
Blue Blood is the third book in the Series of Blood, and this time it is Jasper's story. We reunite with him after the battle that took place at the end of Red Blood (Lyra's story), and he is locked in an iron cage. This doesn't sit with well with our 6ft plus hero, and he is determined not to show any fear to his captors. Kudos to him, because I would have! He finds out that he is caged next to a lovely young woman called Ella, who houses a Unicorn. Ella helps him every way she can, but she can do nothing when Malachi shows up with a job for Jasper to do. You know things won't go according to Jasper's plan, but he has to try. He ends up rescuing Mercy, although he is not sure what sort of rescue it is when she simply gets transferred from one cage to another. Along their adventure, you meet a multitude of amazing characters that will tug at your heart strings and provide some lighthearted moments that are needed in contrast to the torment that Mercy is going through. No one ever said love was easy, but this is ridiculous!

I would say that this is definitely the darkest book so far, and it is certainly a HFN ending. I don't even know if Jasper will get his HEA, given the circumstances! I won't say anything else, as I don't want to spoil it, but I really can't wait to see where this story is going to go! With cameos from previous characters, plus meeting the new ones, there is plenty going on. Plus Pitch makes his usual appearance (still love this dude!) and helps in his own inimitable way.

With plenty of action and a storyline darker than the previous books, this was the complete page-turner. Both Jasper and Mercy are amazing characters, fully rounded and intriguing. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, the pace was smooth, the story excellent. All in all, I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book, and the series.

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
OT
On the Prowl (Alpha & Omega, #0.5)
6
7.4 (7 Ratings)
Book Rating
The first story, Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs, is an off-shoot of her Mercy Thompson series. This story focuses on a much-abused female werewolf in Chicago, Anna. The Merrick's son, Charles, comes to end the abuse and inadvertedly rescues her when he discovers that she is a rare Omega werewolf. Despite the short length of the story, Briggs still writes an exceptional story with unique characters and an intriguing plot. I look forward to reading the next full-length book in this new series, Cry Wolf (Alpha and Omega, Book 1).

The second story, Inhuman by Eileen Wilks, takes place in the middle of her Lupi series, but focuses on a woman, Kai, who can see thoughts. She has a secret relationship with her neighbor Nathan, who is not human, and this developments into some interesting events when he strives to protect her from a killer. Though this story ended with a "to be continued," I am intrigued enough that I want the next book, Night Season (The World of the Lupi, Book 4).

The third story, Buying Trouble by Karen Chance, features a minor character in the Dorina Basarab series, Claire. Claire believes she is a "null," a person that nullifies magic within a certain radius. When she discovers that she is to be sold like a slave, a very sexy Lord of the Fey decides to rescue her. The chemistry between Claire and him is far beyond magnetic and has some very interesting consequences for Claire. I was a bit disappointed that Claire does not get any full-length novels, as her story has great potential.

The final story, Mona Lisa Betwining by Sunny, is heavy in erotic material and light on plot. The story takes someplace in the middle of the Monere series and resembles Anne Bishop's Black Jewels series in many ways. Though Bishop's writing is superior, there is some uniqueness to this series, such as the use of moon imagery. I may check out the first novel, Mona Lisa Awakening (Monere: Children of the Moon, Book 1).

I like reading anthologies not only to get some extra morsels from my favorite authors, but also to be introduced to new authors without having to commit to an entire full-length novel. While Briggs story was certainly the best of the bunch, the other stories were good reads, and I was glad to be introduced to their styles and stories.
  
The Incredibles (2004)
The Incredibles (2004)
2004 | Animation, Comedy, Family
Family friendly (3 more)
Funny
Good fight scenes
Good use of superheroes
Villains powers (0 more)
Brilliant family film that all will enjoy!!
So they live in a time where heroes are forbidden and Mr incredible is struggling to adjust. Disney have done a really good job in the scripting to show in his dialogue the problems he's facing. The animation as well is really impressive within his facial expressions.

After dismissing one of his fans from when he was a public hero, he receives an anonymous letter offering a heroes job. Now, for anyone else who shares my point of view. If I received a anonymous job offer worth thousands off of a stranger, I'd be speaking to my partner as that is creepy! Instead Disney took the approach of he is that desperate for the recognition of being a super he accepts without any thought or hesitation.

After dismissing the initial issue upon his first job, he begins a sort of partnership with this stranger only for it to be revealed as his childhood fan who he dismissed. The villain naming himself as syndrome has invented his own gadgets granting him powers like flight, zero gravity lasers and others.

Syndrome develops a robot that is essentially impenetrable. He holds a remote to dismantle it and has a genius master plan to get rid of all supers and essentially become the only super available. The rest of mr incredibles family get wind of what has happened and go to rescue him only to get caught as well and essentially be at syndromes disposle. Now let us just dismantle that one moment, a company as big as Disney has decided that this robot can be controlled by a remote, it has it's own computer processor so is aware of everything and is impenetrable. Am I the only one who sees the flaw that it can think for itself.? No? That's alright then.

The actors voice overs are really good and give the sense of urgency and emotion throughout there performces. This only adds to the big final battle. With a few funny moments in the film and bit of a slow moving middle filled with a sped up montage of mr incredibles training, I would say this film is definitely a very good family friendly film that will give a laugh and a very good evening with all the food on the table.
  
Escaping Exile (Escape Trilogy #1)
Escaping Exile (Escape Trilogy #1)
Sara Dobie Bauer | 2018 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
kinda creeps up on ya!
I was gifted my copy of this book direct from the author, that I write a review was not required.

Andrew didn't know how long he'd been on the island, but it was a long time. When a ship wrecks on his beach, a scent pulls him to find Edmund, half dead from the wreck. But there are others who want Edmund, and they don't mean to save him. Andrew has to keep HIS monster at bay, along with those on the island, if he wants to keep Edmund safe.

So! I'm in a bit of a quandary about this book!

If you follow my reviews, you'll know I'm not a fan of books written in the present tense and first person. I don't know why I don't like them, I just don't. You'll also know, I will ALMOST always say I wanted to hear from the other main character, if a book is written from a single point of view.

And thus: my quandary. This book is written present tense AND first person. Had this book been written from both Andrew AND Edmund's point of view, in resent tense/first person, I have no doubt, NONE at all, I would have dumped this book as soon as that became clear. But it's ONLY Andrew who has a voice here. And of course, at this point I'm gonna say I needed to hear from Edmund, because I really did! But HAD Edmund had a say, I might not have finished it! You see my problem?!?!?!

Putting that fact aside, I really did enjoy these 80 pages of a vampire falling in love with his rescue, who in turn rescues him from his banishment. Andrew has been banished for killing one to many humans and keeping this human alive might just be his salvation. Edmund, curious mind that he has, wants to study Andrew's kind. And as they grow closer, Andrew's beast pushes hard for Andrew to bite Edmund, which Andrew doesn't want to do. But Edmund takes the choice away from him.

Andrew's voice is strong and clear, and he tells his story well. I saw no spelling or editing errors to spoil my reading.

It's just my bloody quandary!

So, since I really am surprised I enjoyed this first person/present tense...

4 solid stars

**same worded review will appear elsewhere**