#sarah linwood

[zackprincebooks]

Father Ardelian: Wow, Lord Vane is so pleasant and gorgeo--I mean generous! I'm sure nothing untoward will happen to me while I'm at Whithern Hall.

Lord Vane, holding a ceremonial knife over a pagan sacrificial altar underground: what

Sarah, with her corkboard full of red string: Lord Rufus has been alive since the Wars of the Roses and the entire Rufus lineage has been swapping places over the past four hundred years to commit vampire fraud and I've been trapped into marriage with him for some sinister reason so if you find this letter I'm already dead

Lord Rufus, spending hours painstakingly painting a portrait of Sarah as a Renaissance saint: what

[jessread-s]

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

✩🏕️📝Review:

This book broke me and put me back together!

“Out of the Woods” follows high school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood as they join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches in a desperate attempt to fix their relationship. 

I really connected with Sarah in reading from her point-of-view. While I haven’t experienced the death of a parent, I empathized with her grief and found myself relating to her struggles to find herself and determine the legacy she wants to leave behind. Rather than let life pass her by, she actively takes steps to know herself fully and I was moved by her journey of self-discovery.

Having been introduced to Sarah and Caleb in “Out on a Limb,” I enjoyed getting to know more about their beautiful, messy, complicated love story. Some chapters alternate between the past and the present, so in addition to seeing how the loss of Sarah’s mother shaped her, we see how Sarah and Caleb’s relationship came to be and why it was really important for them to reconnect seventeen years later. The flashbacks left me feeling deeply emotional and raw upon seeing their young love and the way they navigated tough moments together.

Watching Sarah and Caleb grow together as individuals and as a couple across the span of the week they spent in the wilderness warmed my heart. Knowing that they love each other so deeply, even when they are at their lowest, left me feeling a sense of hope as they worked through decades of grievances between them, found new ways to communicate with each other, learned to be more present, and reignited their love. I truly experienced a whole spectrum of emotions—their banter left me in stitches, their internal struggles made me sob, and the way they found their way back to each other made me swoon. Their relationship isn’t perfect and that’s what I love so much about this book, because no relationship ever is. You need to overcome the imperfections and inevitable hardships—deal with the differences, compromise, give something up, be willing to work at it—in order to have something great. 

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[zackprincebooks]

Based on vibes,

Godhunt

Louis: Aquarius Rose: Leo Victoria: Cancer

The Mistress of Rosehorn Hall

Sarah: Virgo Lord Rufus: Scorpio

out of curiosity, what are your ocs zodiac signs? and if you haven’t come up with their birthdays, what zodiac do they feel like?

for tov (based on birthdays):

alan is a scorpio

caramel is a leo

cara is a taurus (but she feels like a pisces)

morreial is a capricorn

hilbert feels like an aries

von doro feels like a libra

markum feels like a capricorn

and even tho she’s not a main character, naila feels like an aquarius

[blondie20000]

Books I have read in 2023. Rating out of 5 🌟

Drama

Lean Fall Stand by Jon McGregor. 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Rebel Robin (Stranger Things Novel) by A.R Capetta 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Runaway Max (Stranger Things Novel) by Brenna Yovanoff 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Rise of The Governor (The Walking Dead 1) by Jay Bonansinga 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Road to Woodbury (The Walking Dead 2) by Jay Bonansinga 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Fall of the Governer Part 1 (The Walking Dead 3) by Jay Bonansinga 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Fall of the Governer Part 2 (The Walking Dead 4) by Jay Bonansinga 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Mrs England by Stacy Halls 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry 🌟 🌟 🌟

Palace Rogue by William Coles by 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Romance

The Ex Hex (Ex Hex 1) by Erin Sterling 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Kiss Curse (Ex Hex 2) by Erin Sterling 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Hex Appeal by Kate Johnson 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle 🌟 🌟 🌟

This Christmas by Emma Heatherington 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Thriller

Take Your Breath Away by Linwood Barclay 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Godspeed by Nickolus Butler 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Breathless by Amy McCulloch 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Shadow House by Anna Downes 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Watching You by Lisa Jewell 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Girls in the Garden by Lisa Jewell 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

I Found You by Lisa Jewell 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Down by the Water by Elle Connel 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Insomnia by Sarah Pinborough 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Chain by Adrian Mckinty 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Island by Adrian Mckinty 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Too Late by Colleen Hoover 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Verity by Colleen Hoover 🌟 🌟 🌟

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben 🌟 🌟

Mystery

The Other Mother by Michel Bussi 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Sanatorium (Detective Elin Warner 1) by Sarah Pearse 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Retreat (Detective Elin Warner 2) by Sarah Pearse 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Christmas Killer (DI James Walker 1) by Alex Pine 🌟 🌟 🌟

Killer in the Snow (DI James Walker 2) by Alex Pine 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Winter Killer (DI James Walker 3) by Alex Pine 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Darkness on the Edge of Town (Stranger Things Novel) by Adam Christopher 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Silent Cry (Detective Gaby Darin 1) by Jenny O' Brien 🌟 🌟 🌟

Deal Breaker (Myron Bolitar 1) by Harlan Coben 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Drop Shot (Myron Bolitar 2) by Harlan Coben 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Fade Away (Myron Bolitar 3) by Harlan Coben 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Coffin Road by Peter May 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Cove by L.J. Ross 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

Horror

This House Is Haunted by John Boyne 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

The Whistling by Rebecca Netley 🌟 🌟 🌟

Haunted by James Herbert 🌟 🌟 🌟 🌟

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Out of the Woods Book Review 🦇

💜 Life update: moved into a new rental house. It's below 40F but we haven't had heat in five days. The house wasn't move-in ready, no one is answering the phone, and they charged us a deposit AND $1,000 move-in fee. It's been a disaster. Sorry for not being here. xx

❓ #QOTD How did you meet your significant other? 🦇 High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood have always been a sure thing. But after 17 years, Sarah has to wonder: who is she without her other half? Caleb always seems to step in to save the day, making her the damsel. In a desperate attempt to fix what they fear is breaking, Sarah and Caleb make the spontaneous decision to get out of their comfort zones and join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches. Can they navigate their way out of the woods and their messy uncertainty to find their way back to their roots?

💜 First of all, I'd like to reassure readers that no, you don't have to read Out on a Limb to enjoy this book. Out of the Woods focuses on Sarah and Caleb's relationship (friends of the FMC in book one). Let's break it down: ✨ Characters: We're given very little about each character independent of the other. Sarah is deep in grief while Caleb is...well, he seems perfectly supportive and loving, but that's unfortunately stifling Sarah. Once they begin to work through their problems, they're cute together, but there's no major depth. I will say that Sarah is incredibly relatable. She feels stuck and uncertain of who she is outside of her relationship, but it feels like she takes that out on Caleb when he's simply content (and there's nothing wrong with that). It does highlight the importance of recognizing who you are outside of a relationship (a lesson some people haven't learned, which then affects the relationship). ✨ Plot and Pacing: Usually, I love a flashback to show rather than tell. Unfortunately, the CONSTANT flashbacks slow the pace down. They don't show us moments that really define Caleb and Sarah. The plot (Sarah having an identity crisis and feeling like a NPC in her own marriage) had a lot of potential, but ALL the introspection leaves the story dragging. There's just not much going on. ✨ Romance: The absolute best moment for me was Sarah realizing Caleb brought her e-reader so she wouldn't lose her (nearly 2,000-day) reading streak. The little flowers and notes they left for one another were precious. Their relationship is well-established, and they heal with each other, which is sweet. There is smut, so, enjoy that. ✨ Mystery/Suspense: Alluding to a moment that occurred between Sarah and Caleb as young adults without revealing it entirely would have given the story an element of tension and suspense, both of which were lacking. ✨ Tone/Prose: Sarah's narration is relatable, but her constant, page after page of introspection adds nothing to the story. A little more descriptive language while we're in the woods could have placed readers in the moment, but instead, we're stuck in Sarah's head.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🏕 Adult Contemporary Romance ⛺ Camping 🏕 Couples Therapy ⛺ Flashbacks 🏕 High School Sweethearts ⛺ First Person POV 🏕 Loss of a Parent/Grief ⛺ Part of a Duology

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #OutoftheWoods

💬 Quotes ❝ It’s the cursed roles we’ve been stuck in since the eleventh grade. The gallant knight riding in on his white horse is here to save me once again. And shit, if being the damsel in distress isn’t getting old. ❞ ❝ “I brought [your e-reader] and a solar charger. I didn’t want you to lose your reading streak. Downloaded a couple of extra books too.” ❞ ❝ I am a simple creature, at my core. Give me books, sunlight, water, and a handsome man looking at me like I’m some rare jewel, and I’m all set. Especially when it feels like a long time since I’ve shined for him. ❞ ❝ “If you give me the space to grow, I’ll plant myself next to you. Always.” ❞ ❝ “We have the rest of our lives to fuck each other’s brains out. I’m here to get your heart back first.” ❞

[biographygen]

Lil Kim Young Photos- see her transformation

Lil Kim Denise Jones born July 11, 1974 better known as is an American rapper. She was born and raised in New York City and spent much of her adolescence on the streets after being expelled from her home. Full NameKimberly Denise JonesNet Worth$500 ThousandDate Of Birth11 July 1974Age47 YearsGenderFemaleHeight5 Feet Lil Kim debut studio album, Hard Core (1996), was certified double platinum in March 2001. Since its release, it has sold over six million copies worldwide and produced three successful singles. No "Time Not Tonight", and "Crush on You". Hard Core had the highest US debut for a female rap album at the time.

Lil Kim Biography/Life Story

Lil Kim born July 11, 1974, real name Kimberly Denise Jones, is a talented American rapper and reality TV personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she began her musical career after being discovered by rapper The Notorious B.I.G. She rose to prominence in the late 1990s with her debut album, Hard Core, which was certified double platinum by the RIAA. She has released four more studio albums and appeared on reality television shows such as America's Best Dance Crew and The Celebrity Apprentice UK. Full NameKimberly Denise JonesNick NameLil KimDate Of Birth11 July 1974Age47 YearsHeight5 FeetBody Size36-26-34ProfessionSinger, Rapper, ActressEye ColorBrownHair ColorBlackBirth PlaceBedford-Stuyvesant, New York, United StatesNationalityAmericanReligionChristianityEthnicityMixedHoroscopeCancerCountryUSAMarital StatusIn-relationChildren2Father MotherLinwood Jones RubyHusband Not Married

Lil Kim Early Life/Childhood

Kimberly Denise Jones, also known as Lil Kim, was born on July 11, 1974, in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, as the second child of a former United States Marine named Linwood Jones. Her mom's name is Ruby Mae Jones. She has a brother, Christopher Jones. Lil Kim went to Queen of All Saints Elementary School in Brooklyn as a child. Her parents divorced when she was nine years old, and she was raised by her father, with whom she had a difficult relationship. When she was a teenager, her father kicked her out of the house, and she started living on the streets.

Lil Kim Personal Life

Lil Kim had an on-again, off-again relationship with Christopher Wallace, aka the Notorious B.I.G., until his death in 1997. During the recording of her debut album, she became pregnant with Wallace's child but ultimately chose to terminate the pregnancy. In a 1999 interview with The Source, she stated, "I already knew the kind of relationship that Biggie and I had, and I knew that } --> Q1. Q1. What is Lil Kim’s Net Worth?Ans. Lil Kim an American rapper, singer, and actress, has a net worth of $500,000. Q2. What made Lil Kim famous?Ans. Lil Kim rose to prominence as a female rapper in the mid-1990s, thanks to the guidance of hip-hop icon Biggie Smalls, who helped her develop her explicit lyrics and seductive persona.Q3. How Old is Lil Kim?Ans. Lil Kim is 47 years old. Q4. Who is Lil Kim's baby daddy?Ans. She her first and only child with then-partner Mr. Papers (née Jeremy Neil) on June 9, 2014.Q5. Did Lil Kim date Biggie?Ans. Biggie Smalls and Lil' Kim were in a three-year relationship before his death in Los Angeles.Q6. Who is Lil Kim’s Husband?Ans. Lil Kim was not married to have a husband. She was in a relationship with Shawn Powell, The Notorious B.I.G, and Mr. Papers, with whom she has her child, Royal Reigh Jones Neil. Also Read: - Sophie Reynolds Biography, Height, Age, Family, Boyfriend and Net Worth - Steven Tyler Height, Age, Children, Girlfriend, Family and Wife, Net Worth, Biography - Sarah Drew Biography, Height, Age, Family, Boyfriend and Net Worth - Stephanie Poetri Biography, Height, Age, Family, Boyfriend and Net Worth - Leslie Mann Biography, Height, Age, Family, Boyfriend and Net Worth Read the full article

[stacyalesi]

Spotlight Review: OUT OF THE WOODS by Hannah Bonam-Young

Spotlight #BookReview: OUT OF THE WOODS by Hannah Bonam-Young, I loved this fabulous second-chance romance - don't miss it! @authorhannahby @dellromance #romancereads #seoncchanceromance #romancelandia #booksky #romancestagram #bookstagram #mustread

CLICK TO PURCHASE From the publisher: A married couple joins a week-long wilderness expedition to help them reconnect in this heartfelt companion novel to the viral TikTok sensation Out on a Limb. High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood have always been a sure thing. For the past seventeen years, they have had each other’s backs through all of life’s ups and downs. But Sarah has begun…

[lboogie1906]

Gloria Gaynor (September 7, 1943) is a singer, known for the disco-era hits “I Will Survive”, “Never Can Say Goodbye”, “Let Me Know (I Have a Right)”, and “I Am What I Am”.

She was born in Newark to Daniel Fowles and Queenie Mae Proctor. “There was always music in our house”. She enjoyed listening to the radio, and records by Nat King Cole and Sarah Vaughan. She had five brothers and one sister. Her brothers sang gospel and formed a quartet with a friend.

She was a singer with Soul Satisfiers, a jazz/R&B music band. She recorded “She’ll Be Sorry/Let Me Go Baby”. The fruit of that was the release of the flop single “Honey Bee.” She finally hit with the album Never Can Say Goodbye. The first side of the album consisted of three songs (“Honey Bee”, “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “Reach Out, I’ll Be There”) with no break between the songs. All three songs were released as singles and all became hits. The album was instrumental in introducing disco music to the public, “Never Can Say Goodbye” became the first song to top Billboard magazine’s dance chart, peaking at #9, and on the R&B charts, reaching #34, making it into the Top 5 in Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK. The song would go on to be certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry, and gold in the US. Capitalizing on the success of her first album, she released her second album, Experience Gloria Gaynor. Some of her lesser-known singles, “Casanova Brown”, and “Let’s Make A Deal”, as well as her cover of The Four Tops’ “Reach Out, I’ll Be There”, became hits in the clubs and reached the Top 5 on Billboard’s disco charts. Many charted on the Hot 100 and R&B charts as well, with songs like “Do It Yourself” - a #1 disco hit - peaking at #98 on the Pop Charts and #24 on the R&B Charts. Her cover of “How High The Moon” topped the US Dance Charts, and made the lower parts of both the Pop and R&B charts, as well as achieving international chart success. She has recorded some 16 albums since, including one in England, one in Germany, and two in Italy. She married her manager Linwood Simon (1979-2005). She has no children. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[zackprincebooks]

Seven Sentence Sunday

Tagged by @the-golden-comet and @theaistired; thank you! Pulling from chapter seven of The Mistress of Rosehorn Hall. This is a pretty steamy chapter, so I'm cutting back before the spice:

The next time Sarah opens her eyes, she’s snugly tucked in bed. Above her, rain continues pelting the roof of Rosehorn Hall and thunder gently rumbles from far away. But pale light gently streams into her room as though the moon was high in the sky. It’s a cozy night to be in bed, and Sarah turns to snuggle into her pillow. Her pillow is firmer than she expected—and dressed in green paisley fabric, smelling of expensive cigars and old books. Lifting her head, Sarah’s dark eyes meet the golden gaze of Lord Rufus as his eyes open slowly. One of his arms cradles Sarah against his chest while his other arm is propped up on the pillow so he can rest his cheek against the palm of his hand.

Want to read more? Read here!

Tag list below! If you’d like to be added to or removed from the tag list, interact with this post here!

@the-golden-comet @wyked-ao3 @lorifragolina @burntblanc

@nczaversnick @glasshouses-and-stones @thatuselesshuman @mushroommanchanterelle @phoenixofthegreenwood

@ilovevewritingfanfic @lizurich @villian-lover7899 @rivenantiqnerd

@pastelpinkhobbies @satohqbanana @lychhiker-writes @owlsandwich

@leahnardo-da-veggie @dearunreliablenarrator @theboarsbride @theaistired

[zackprincebooks]

A sneak peek at chapter 9 of The Mistress of Rosehorn Hall!

“We have—” Sarah’s voice cracks and she clears her throat to try again. “We have an appointment with Madame Nell for ten-thirty this morning.” A thin bead of sweat trickles behind Sarah’s ear and underneath her collar. “Then you must be Miss Sarah Linwood.” The shopkeeper squeaks and hurries back into the shop as Madame Nell herself comes to the door. She stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Sarah, and her bright red hair is combed back fashionably with only a small fascinator pinned to her head. As with the rest of Briar Garden, the fascinator includes a rose, this time in bridal white. “Yes, I am.” Blessedly, Sarah’s voice is firm and even. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Madame Nell.” When Sarah attempts to hold out a hand to shake, Madame Nell grasps her by the shoulders and kisses the air next to each of her cheeks. “It is good to finally meet the future Lady of Rosehorn Hall, and an honor to be making your wedding dress.”

Daily Sip 11/30

You can reblog this post.

You can make your own post.

You reblog someone else's snip!

Just tag it sipofsnips so everyone can find each other. ^.-

[eduardomarin90]

McDonald’s | Coffee Day | Postlaunch from RUN ZËBRA RUN on Vimeo.

4th film for the National Coffee Day Campaign for McDonald's McCafé.

Production Company: Asteroide Film Directors: Giuliano Batista and Guilherme Pau y Biglia Art Direction / Design: Gabriel Russo and Luis Villanova Motion Graphics: RUN ZËBRA RUN Post Coordinator: Leonardo Scholz Account Manager: Leonardo Brodsky Agency: We Are Unlimited CCO: Toygar Bazarkaya ECD: Max Geraldo CD: Bruno Guimaraes CD: Brandon Crockett Group Account Director: Melanie Behling Account Director: Sarah Stahurski Assistant Account Executive: Mallory McDonald Social Strategist: Becca Toth Executive Producer: Jon Ellis Producer: Kelsey Barrentine Integrated Producer: Otto Linwood Audio Company: Canja Audio Culture Producer: Lucas Sfair, Filipe Resende, Pedro Osinski VO: Pete Stacker

[mediaevalmusereads]

Year-End Reading Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Meh

Hello, gentle readers!

Below you will find 3 lists: books I read in 2021 that I liked ("The Good"), books I read in 2021 that I disliked ("The Bad"), and books I read in 2021 that I found enjoyable but not earth-shattering good ("The Meh"). Other than these three lists, the books aren't ranked or tiered in any way. For in-depth thoughts on each of these books, you can check out my Tumblr reviews or my Goodreads reviews.

Disclaimer: If your reading tastes are different than mine, that's perfectly ok! I'm not trying to tell anyone what to think about a book; I'm just reflecting on my own reading experiences from 2021.

The Good

Duke of My Heart by Kelly Bowen

An Unseen Attraction by KJ Charles

Pekolah Stories by Amanda Bales

Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle

In the House in the Dark of the Woods by Laird Hunt

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

The True Story of Pocahontas: The Other Side of History by Linwood Custalow

Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past by David Reich

The Devil Comes Courting by Courtney Milan

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean

My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf

The Devourers by Indra Das

Sweet Disorder by Rose Lerner

Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna

The Bad

Brothers of the Wild North Sea by Harper Fox

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt

A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby by Vanessa Riley

The Route of Ice and Salt by Jose Luis Zarate

The Black Hawk by Joanna Bourne

Master of Crows by Grace Draven

Ravished by a Highlander by Paula Quinn

The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

On Stranger Tides by Tim Powers

A House of Rage and Sorrow by Sangu Mandanna

Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi

Radiance by Grace Draven

Descendant of the Crane by Joan He

The Leopard Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt

The Meh

Cold Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas

Angel in a Devil's Arms by Julie Ann Long

Between the Devil and the Duke by Kelly Bowen

A Duke to Remember by Kelly Bowen

Something Like Love by Beverly Jenkins

A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles

Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Ann Long

Bombshell by Sarah MacLean

Nobber by Oisin Fagan

Bringing Down the Duke by Evie Dunmore

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

Matrix by Lauren Groff

Muse of Nightmares by Laini Taylor

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole

Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean

Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean

True Pretenses by Rose Lerner

The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite

A Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian

These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong

The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley

[achipmunkaskedmemynametoday]

Spell the month challenge!

...

Dead Scared, Sharon Bolton

Everblaze, Shannon Messenger

Circe, Madeline Miller

Empire of Storms, Sarah J Maas

Masquerade, Laura Lam

Blood Orange, Harriet Tyce

Elevator Pitch, Linwood Barclay

Rules for Perfect Murder, Peter Swanson

.

https://instagram.com/ghostybookclub?igshid=mxw83z429z3r

[zackprincebooks]

I decided to use my T4T Victorian vampire romance, The Mistress of Rosehorn Hall! It's spinster Sarah Linwood and her definitely-not-a-vampire husband, Lord Rufus!

We’re making moodboards! Specifically, we’re making moodboards that introduce your main character!

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🦇 Out of the Woods Book Review 🦇

💜 Life update: moved into a new rental house. It's below 40F but we haven't had heat in five days. The house wasn't move-in ready, no one is answering the phone, and they charged us a deposit AND $1,000 move-in fee. It's been a disaster. Sorry for not being here. xx

❓ #QOTD How did you meet your significant other? 🦇 High school sweethearts Sarah and Caleb Linwood have always been a sure thing. But after 17 years, Sarah has to wonder: who is she without her other half? Caleb always seems to step in to save the day, making her the damsel. In a desperate attempt to fix what they fear is breaking, Sarah and Caleb make the spontaneous decision to get out of their comfort zones and join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches. Can they navigate their way out of the woods and their messy uncertainty to find their way back to their roots?

💜 First of all, I'd like to reassure readers that no, you don't have to read Out on a Limb to enjoy this book. Out of the Woods focuses on Sarah and Caleb's relationship (friends of the FMC in book one). Let's break it down: ✨ Characters: We're given very little about each character independent of the other. Sarah is deep in grief while Caleb is...well, he seems perfectly supportive and loving, but that's unfortunately stifling Sarah. Once they begin to work through their problems, they're cute together, but there's no major depth. I will say that Sarah is incredibly relatable. She feels stuck and uncertain of who she is outside of her relationship, but it feels like she takes that out on Caleb when he's simply content (and there's nothing wrong with that). It does highlight the importance of recognizing who you are outside of a relationship (a lesson some people haven't learned, which then affects the relationship). ✨ Plot and Pacing: Usually, I love a flashback to show rather than tell. Unfortunately, the CONSTANT flashbacks slow the pace down. They don't show us moments that really define Caleb and Sarah. The plot (Sarah having an identity crisis and feeling like a NPC in her own marriage) had a lot of potential, but ALL the introspection leaves the story dragging. There's just not much going on. ✨ Romance: The absolute best moment for me was Sarah realizing Caleb brought her e-reader so she wouldn't lose her (nearly 2,000-day) reading streak. The little flowers and notes they left for one another were precious. Their relationship is well-established, and they heal with each other, which is sweet. There is smut, so, enjoy that. ✨ Mystery/Suspense: Alluding to a moment that occurred between Sarah and Caleb as young adults without revealing it entirely would have given the story an element of tension and suspense, both of which were lacking. ✨ Tone/Prose: Sarah's narration is relatable, but her constant, page after page of introspection adds nothing to the story. A little more descriptive language while we're in the woods could have placed readers in the moment, but instead, we're stuck in Sarah's head.

✨ The Vibes ✨ 🏕 Adult Contemporary Romance ⛺ Camping 🏕 Couples Therapy ⛺ Flashbacks 🏕 High School Sweethearts ⛺ First Person POV 🏕 Loss of a Parent/Grief ⛺ Part of a Duology

🦇 Major thanks to the author and publisher for providing an ARC of this book via Netgalley. 🥰 This does not affect my opinion regarding the book. #OutoftheWoods

💬 Quotes ❝ It’s the cursed roles we’ve been stuck in since the eleventh grade. The gallant knight riding in on his white horse is here to save me once again. And shit, if being the damsel in distress isn’t getting old. ❞ ❝ “I brought [your e-reader] and a solar charger. I didn’t want you to lose your reading streak. Downloaded a couple of extra books too.” ❞ ❝ I am a simple creature, at my core. Give me books, sunlight, water, and a handsome man looking at me like I’m some rare jewel, and I’m all set. Especially when it feels like a long time since I’ve shined for him. ❞ ❝ “If you give me the space to grow, I’ll plant myself next to you. Always.” ❞ ❝ “We have the rest of our lives to fuck each other’s brains out. I’m here to get your heart back first.” ❞

[weirdletter]

The Twisted Book of Shadows, edited by Christopher Golden and James A. Moore, Twisted Publishing, 2019. Cover design by Dyer Wilk, info: haverhillhouse.com.

Presenting an all-new horror anthology that shatters the mold… Mainstream publishers want all-star lineups. Small press publishers often can’t afford to pay pro rates… and even when they can, the names in the table of contents can be limited by the editor’s reach or effort. Bestselling horror, fantasy, and thriller authors Christopher Golden and James A. Moore knew there had to be a better way. Inspired by the efforts of legendary anthology Charles L. Grant, who helped move so many new writers in the horror community’s conversation, Golden and Moore teamed up with Haverhill House’s Twisted Publishing imprint to create... The Twisted Book of Shadows. Determined to pay pro rates, the editors crowdfunded the project, and then put the word out as far and wide as possible, loudly and repeatedly encouraging submissions by diverse voices, and recruiting a stellar editorial committee to read along with them, including Linda A. Addison, Nadia Bulkin, Rachel Autumn Deering, Lamar Giles, KL Pereira, and Lee Thomas. Out of seven hundred stories received through a blind submission process—none of the editors had any idea who the authors were—nineteen made the final cut. Within these pages you will find the beautifully weird side-by-side with terrifying nightmares, horrifying folklore, and hellish futures. Nineteen unique and haunting tales that truly earned their place in a book entitled… The Twisted Book of Shadows.

Contents: Introduction by LInda D. Addison “The Pale Mouth” by Melissa Swenson “Cake” by M.M. De Voe “Midnight Sun” by Andrew Bourelle “Smeared Star in Your Hands” by Sara Tantlinger “Liza” by Jeffrey B. Burton “The Birthing Pool” by Eoin Murphy “Elegy” by Sarah Johnson “Coyote” by Jason A. Wyckoff “Unto the Next” by Amanda Helms “At Least the Chickens are All Right” by Trisha J. Wooldridge “Groomed” by Liam Hogan “Beneath Her Skin” by KT Wagner “Brother Mine” by Rohit Sawant “Mirror, Mirror” by P.D. Cacek “Records of the Dead” by John Linwood Grant “Underground” by George Edwards Murray “Lydia” by Cindy O’Quinn “Angelmutter” by David Surface “For Every Sin, an Absolution” by Kristi DeMeester Author/Editor Biographies