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Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) created a post

Jul 2, 2020  
Love, love, love this great excerpt from the science fiction novel GATES OF MARS by Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays. Come read it on my blog (https://alltheupsandowns.blogspot.com/2020/07/book-blog-tour-and-giveaway-gates-of.html) and enter the #GIVEAWAY to #win a first edition copy of A Very Unusual Romance or all four books in the Cowboy and the Vampire Collection by McFall and Hays. (Seriously, they are super talented writers, so whomever wins will be in for a treat!)

**BOOK SYNOPSIS**
IN THE AGE OF SURVEILLANCE, HOW CAN A PERSON GO MISSING?

The year is 2187. Crucial Larsen, a veteran of the brutal Consolidation Wars, is working as a labor cop on Earth. The planet is a toxic dump and billions of people are miserable, but so what? It’s none of his business. He’s finally living a good life, or good enough. But then Essential, his beloved kid sister, disappears on Mars. When Halo—the all-powerful artificial-intelligence overseeing Earth and Mars on behalf of the ruling Five Families—can’t (or won’t) locate his sister, Crucial races up-universe to find her.

In the Choke, the frigid, airless expanse outside the luxury domes, Crucial uncovers a deadly secret from Essential’s past that threatens to shatter his apathetic existence … and both planets. Blending science fiction with the classic, hard-boiled detective story, Gates of Mars is a page-turning, futuristic thrill-ride featuring a gritty, irreverent anti-hero, Crucial Larsen. The first book of the Halo Trilogy, Gates of Mars is the eighth novel by award-winning authors, Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall.
     
Devil's Paw (Imp, #4)
Devil's Paw (Imp, #4)
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
This review and more can be found at my blog https://aromancereadersreviews.blogspot.com

A Romance Reader's Reviews

3.5 stars.

This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited library.

Once again, this is a book that has been on my wish list on Amazon for several years. 2017, I think, when I read an anthology containing books 1-3 and really enjoyed them.

This one starts with Sam preparing for Wyatt's birthday. She's got him a special gift - his sister that was stolen at birth and switched with a changeling. Wyatt is over the moon at having his real sister back and is determined to help her get used to life in the human world.

On another note, Sam is now the Iblis and has to write reports for every human she kills - both accidentally and on purpose - and go before the board of Angels to explain herself. One of these times is after she is attacked by an angel, a mage and two human thugs working together. Yet no one believes her claims.

On yet another note is that someone or something is killing demons and devouring their souls, leaving behind their husk all over the Americas and Sam is the prime suspect. Gregory eventually believes her and tries to clear her name.

I've been wanting something to happen between Sam and Gregory for a while in this series, so I was very happy indeed when things progressed in this one.

I'm not going to go into any more detail but that ending has me wanting to read the next one. I need to know what happens next with Sam and co.
  
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021)
Fear Street Part Two: 1978 (2021)
2021 | Horror
8
7.7 (12 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Contains spoilers, click to show
We get a recap of the previous movie, then when the movie starts properly we see a young woman who lives alone. This woman has alarms set for different times of the day, keeps her house locked up like a prison and appears to be scared of everything. It eventually turns out it was her who the teens in the previous movie had called for help, and they take a possessed Sam to her house in the hope that she would help. Initially she refuses, but then tells them a story about her time at camp when her sister died.

We get a flashback to 1978 where a young girl called Ziggy was being accused of being a witch and constantly bullied by a group of girls because of it. She isn't a witch but it isn't long before the first attack and ziggys sister Cindy realises something strange is going on and goes searching for answers.

Just like the first it was very teen Slasher, but I enjoyed this one more than the first one. There was more murders and more gore with a shocking twist at the end. It has the feel of the Friday the 13th movies, though I did find the scenes inside the cave difficult to watch, not because of the content but because it was so dark visually.

I find the movie let's you start to like certain characters and then when they're taken away you feel all the emotions because you get attached to them, especially the final kills, which was a surprisingly powerful moment, you tend not to get that in Slasher movies so I thought that was a nice touch.
  
A Nun in the Closet
A Nun in the Closet
Dorothy Gilman | 1975 | Mystery
10
8.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Laughs and Thrills
The nuns in the Abbey of St. Tabitha are shocked when they are left a house and estate in New York State, several hundred miles from where they live in cloister. However, they must decide what to do with it, so Sister John and Sister Hyacinthe are elected to head up there and get a feel for what they’ve been left. Within hours of arriving, they’ve discovered a suitcase full of cash in the well and a man bleeding out from a gunshot wound in an upstairs closet. What is happening on this property? Why was it left to the nuns?

While I have loved the Mrs. Pollifax series for decades, I have never read any of Dorothy Gilman’s non-Mrs. Pollifax books. I’m glad I decided to fix that since this one was delightful. Yes, I had the broad strokes of the plot figured out early on, but I was missing a few pieces, and the twists along the way kept me highly entertained. The characters are good. They could be a little stronger overall, but they work to draw us into the story. Since the book came out in 1975, some of the references are dated, but that’s only worth noting in passing. I appreciated how one subject was handled without the book crossing into lecture mode. And the laughs were plentiful. I was smiling each time I picked up the book knowing that I was in for more fun. A lesser authors couldn’t have pulled this mix off, but Dorothy Gilman makes it look easy. I’m glad I finally picked it up.
  
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Merissa (13446 KP) rated Keras (Guardians of Hades #7) in Books

Dec 8, 2020 (Updated Aug 8, 2023)  
Keras (Guardians of Hades #7)
Keras (Guardians of Hades #7)
Felicity Heaton | 2020 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
KERAS is the seventh book in the Guardians of Hades series and the final one of the brothers to get his story. This doesn't mean the series is at the end though, oh no. There is a missing sister, don't forget, and Thanatos is just the god to go look for her.

Keras has been the ultimate grouch in all the previous books, being especially hard on Marek whenever Enyo paid him a visit with information. He takes his title as Lord of Darkness very seriously. In his story though, you find out that he struggles on a daily basis with the very real darkness. He even takes (highly addictive) pills that he got from dear old dad to combat it.

Enyo has been a recurring character throughout the series and now we find out just what happened between Keras and her. I found her character to be slightly confusing as she is a goddess of war, but comes across as being almost wallflower-like in some regards and strong in others.

Between the two of them are a multitude of misunderstandings, some of which I didn't get myself. These get swept aside though once the action kicks in because, believe me, you don't have time to breathe once it does.

A full-on, climatic, steamy ending to the brothers. Now I can't wait for the sister! Absolutely recommended by me.

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

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Dec 8, 2020