Hold onto your hats, people, because I have 12 novellas/short stories to share in the anthology, I Just Died In Your Arms. The beginning of each story tells the history of the song the story is based on. You may want to have some of them playing in the background, complementing these easy reading mysteries. The great cover depicts the blood that will be shed. I didn’t zip through the book like I normally would. Instead I would read a story or two, then move on to a novel I had on the back burner. That is the great thing about a quick read, you can pick it up no matter where you are at and enjoy it. It’s also a great introduction to the writing style of some new authors. Maybe you’ll even add them to your favorites list and read more of their work.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Hitting the charts only once isn’t just unfortunate…it’s a crime.
Over the decades, tons of musical artists and groups have had a hit song that has lived on long after the tune topped the charts and is often looked upon fondly for decades to come. For some musicians, this may be the only the song they’re ever known for and they fade into obscurity soon thereafter. These are affectionately known as “one-hit wonders,” and are much celebrated by fans and music publications, particularly on September 25th each year on One-Hit Wonder Day
12 of today’s best short story authors have taken their favorite one-hit wonders and reimagined them as the influence for some pretty heinous crimes. (I Just) Died in Your Arms features a decades-spanning collection of immediately recognizable hit songs turned into stories from the amazing talents of Vinnie Hansen, Jeanne DuBois, Josh Pachter, J.M. Taylor, Christine Verstraete, Sandra Murphy, Joseph S. Walker, Wendy Harrison, Bev Vincent, Leone Ciporin, Adam Gorgoni and Barb Goffman.
Genre: Anthologies and Collections, Music and Musicians, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
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GO BLUE
Hi Everyone. Hope you had a good week. I had a great reading week, making it through ten books. I read and read and read until my eyes crossed. I did get some reviews written and will spend some time next week catching up. I now have my review list under ten books and working on November. I’m still doing a lot of tours. I just can’t help myself. Other than that, it has been a quiet week. The weather seems to have cooled off. I haven’t seen the nineties for a couple of days now. LOL I hope you have a great week coming up and I would love to know what you’ve been up to, what you’ve read, and what you have coming up.
Ya can’t go into a bar on the Gulf Coast without hearing a Jimmy Buffett song. We have seen him numerous times and it was always a pleasure to sing along and share the love. I love his passion for the Gulf Coast and conservation. He will be missed.
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Hi Everyone. It’s been a pretty quiet week. We had anticipated some fallout from Hurricane Idalia, so we burnt the ‘twig’ pile and Mr Wonderful got the generator going. It’s best to be prepared. We are always stocked up on some essentials, with a supple of soup for me and canned ravioli with vienna sausages (ew) for Mr Wonderful. Our thought go out to those who were in Idalia’s path. It could have been us, though nothing happened here. I had not added water to the pool, or worried about cleaning it, because I figured I would have to do that after the story. I ended up adding water and it was a quick cleanup because it missed us.
We had a friend from Atlanta stop by…and a friend here in Pensacola that we haven’t seen in a while.. I am quite the loner, nowadays, but it was good to see them and I had a great time visiting.
The college football season is starting off with a rousing blowout win for my Wolverine.
I was scrolling through a list of my books and saw Tears Of Endurance by D G Torrens. I am constantly surprised with the free books I pick up…and this one blew my mind. Tissues will be required. I think I had tears in my eyes for the last twenty to twenty five percent of the book. I was heartbroken and want to congratulate D G Torrens on the ability to rip my heart right out of my chest.
I was expecting more suspense, but the romance of Arianna and Ben is the star that shines in the sky and the darkness that brings devastation.
I felt something like this was coming and I could not stop reading because of it. I had to know. I can hardly believe how quickly D G Torrens brought me into their lives. They are characters that made me care about what happened to them. I wanted the fairy tale. I wanted the happy ever after. I don’t know what an author is thinking when they take that away from me…………but, great job D G! You took my heart, ripped it from my chest and stomped on it……..repeatedly.
When a single tear fell from Ben’s eyes, that was the beginning of the end for me. Before I was done, I had tears streaming down my face, trying to hide it from my hubby. Crying over a book. Crying over a made up story. LOL I did it and I am not ashamed to admit it. Love can be the highest high and the lowest low! Is it the worth the price?
What do you think? Maybe by reading Tears Of Endurance by D G Torrens it can help you decide to take that leap of faith and go for it, if you haven’t already.
I added this to my reading list in Januray of 2015 and I am soooo happy I did.
.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
A SECRET CAN TEAR YOU APART OR BIND YOU FOREVER…
For Arianna Ferria, a satisfying and challenging life as an art gallery owner takes an unexpected turn into burning romance when she falls for the handsome and successful Ben Fielding. Soon, their relationship blossoms into more than she could ever imagine. However, when a black secret comes crashing down around them, their love faces the ultimate test of endurance while they come to grips with a tragic fate that changes the course of their lives forever…
D.G. Torrens is a UK & USA bestselling Author/Poet. D.G. has written and published 19 books to date and is currently penning book 20 – AMNESIA due for release 2021. The author is represented in the USA by Hershman Rights Management (HRM Literary Agents) A prolific writer with a deep passion for the written word, D.G is also a founding member of bestsellingreads.com and AuthorCityUK.
Her first book, Amelia’s Story, inspired people the world over and has been downloaded over 500k times worldwide. Amelia’s Story is the author’s true-life story. It was never intended for publication. Originally, D.G wrote it for her daughter. D.G. then went on to write military romance, romantic suspense, romantic drama, contemporary romance novels, and poetry books, which have all been received well. The success of Amelia’s Story led the author to the BBC RADIO WM 95.6 FM, in 2014/15 on the Adrian Goldberg breakfast show, where she lent her time as a weekly Headline Reviewer for 12 months. A quote from the author, “It can be quite daunting discussing the day’s headlines knowing thousands of people are tuning in… You never know when you are going to mess up! Thankfully, with lady luck on my side, I managed to wing it… “ Following on from BBC Radio, D.G has since been interviewed by, Award-Winning Radio DJ, Graham Torrington on the late-night show at BBC Radio WM and David Driver Author & DJ at Drystone Radio FM. Most recently, D.G was fortunate to be interviewed By American Radio Host/author/actor, Cyrus Webb at CoversationsLive.com Radio for Mississippi. The author’s first TV appearance was recently aired on AuthorPaedia TV Live hosted by Christopher Douglas author/host/interviewer/director. You can view all four episodes on YouTube (link below) to learn more about the author, her life and books: AuthorPaedia TV Link: https://youtu.be/e_2Affw7CtU D.G is exceptionally driven and throws herself into all the projects that she takes on. D.G is a full-time author.
Quote by D.G. Torrens: ‘Don’t tell me to reach for the stars when there is a whole universe out there.’ (That is how she walks through life.)
Quote by D.G. Torrens: “Not everyone will understand your journey what matters is that you do.”
D.G. Torrens lives by the motto, “The child first and foremost.”
Well, my mind is officially blown. I stayed up until the wee hours of the morning two days in a row. The deeper into the book I went, the action, danger, betrayal, brutality, savagery sociopathic and psychopathic action became. At every time, they swept me off my feet, filling me with disgust, barely able to keep from gagging over the things done to John Sims.
I knew Ashley Fontainne could pen an off the chart novel, but this is my introduction to Janelle Taylor. They are both now must read authors for me.
Operation DFC – Die for Country
Operation DFC – Die for Cathy
Operation Seek and Destroy
John Sims had been a POW, so when the CIA recruited him for his first mission, to save POWs and MIAs, he never hesitated when Dave Carter asked him, “So, you’re willing to die?” His answer, “Absolutely.”
John thought the service would give him freedom from the brutality of his father, but he hadn’t anticipated the price. He knew what it was to be tortured and starved, kept prisoner for two years by the North Vietnamese, before he was rescued, the sole survivor of his unit.
I was a teenager during the Vietnam War. I remember a lot of things about it, The Draft, Agent Orange, not being allowed to win and how the service men were treated when they came home. I used to read a lot of WWII & Vietnam history and novels. I cannot imagine what it would be like, whisked from the life you have in the United States and plopped down in the jungle, in the desert.
In John’s case, he also gave up his past, his present and maybe even his future, hiding his real name, breaking all ties with family and friends. BUT, he would keep secret Cathy, his first love and the love of his life and Brad, his best friend that looks out for Cathy, Brad’s cousin, when John was away.
John has no idea what is coming, and neither did I. It was so much more than I expected, even though I knew Ashley Fontainne was capable of doing most anything to her characters. Now, I see that Janelle Taylor will too, so I will be looking for more of her work in the future.
My emotions were all over the place: angry, surprised, shocked, appalled, terrified, sad, heartbroken, horrified, furious, devastated…I could go on and on, looking up words and synonyms to describe my feelings.
I never saw half of what was coming throughout the novel. I read and read, not even thinking about when I would reach the end. I was just reading to find out what came next…UNTIL…DAMMIT…there was no more. I never even thought about it being a series. I guess you could say there is a cliffhanger, because the characters mission is not complete. Now it’s time for Lewis Roger Lee Bradford (Wolfman) from Shreveport, Louisiana to seek retribution. Black Viper, Red Dog, and Raccoon will be along for the ride and they are out for blood.
I sure do hope you Ladies are writing fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Operation DFC by Janelle Taylor & Ashley Fontainne.
5 Stars
AMAZON SYNOPSIS
I came to rescue my imprisoned brothers, but now I’m one.
Arriving in Thailand for my first black-op, Operation DFC, as part of an elite team ready to act on recent intel that over a thousand men and/or their remains are still behind enemy lines, Bangkok is our last stopping point before slipping into Vietnam and extracting as many American prisoners as possible.
For me, this is personal. From 1971 to 1973, I was a POW; and now, ten years later, I work for the CIA under the fake identity of John Sims, Field Expert for Crop World, an international firm run by the agency.
While in my hotel room, the unthinkable happens. Bangkok may end up being my greatest challenge as my courage, patriotism, and honor are on the line, and I find myself in the toughest physical and mental battle of my life, wondering if Operation DFC will be my first, and last, covert mission.
ABOUT JANELLE TAYLOR
The legendary Janelle Taylor was born on June 28, 1944 in Athens, GA. In 1965, she married Michael Taylor with whom she had two children, Angela Taylor-MacIntyre and Alisha Taylor Thurmond. Ms. Taylor attended the Medical College of Georgia from 1977 to 1979 and Augusta State University from 1980-1981. She withdrew from the latter after she sold her first two novels. Today, she is the author of thirty-nine novels, three novellas, and many contributions to other collections. There are thirty-nine million copies of her works in print worldwide and she has made The New York Times Bestseller List eight times. Ms. Taylor’s works have also been featured ten times on the “1 million +” bestseller’s list at Publisher’s Weekly.
Some of Ms. Taylor’s most recent books include By Candlelight, Someday Soon, Lakota Dawn, and Lakota Winds (due out in paperback in May 1999). She has also made contributions to other books including The Leukemia Society Cookbook, Christmas Rendezvous, and Summer Love. In addition, readers can see her as co-host of the QVC/TV Romance Book Club Show.
Ms. Taylor’s interests include collecting spoons, coins from around the world, ship models, dolls, and old books. She loves to fish, ride horses, play chess, target-shoot, travel (especially in her motorhome and out West), hunt for Indian relics, and take long walks with her husband. Reading, in particular books set before 1900 and current Biographies, Thrillers, Horror, or Fantasy novels, is also one of Ms. Taylor’s favorite activities. She is also extremely active with charity work and was even featured on the cover of Diabetes Forecast in February of 1998.
She lives in the country on seventy-nine acres of woods and pasture with a lake and a catfish pond. She writes her novels in a Spanish cottage which overlooks a five-acre lake, a working water mill, gazebo, and covered bridge.
Award-winning and International bestselling author Ashley Fontainne enjoys stories that immerse the reader deep into the human psyche and the monsters lurking within each of us. She writes in numerous genres including mystery, suspense, horror, sci-fi and sometimes poetry.
Ashley lives in Arkansas with her husband and is the proud mother of one son and grateful daughter of co-author, Lillian Hansen. To learn more about her books please visit https://ashleyfontainne.net/
The quirky, zany characters deserve a star, and the world Elizabeth Pantley created was like no other I have visited. I know I have said I love to travel through books, but the book club takes it to a whole new level….and I love it!
Paige and her Aunt Glo inherited a house with a magical library. They created a book club of oddball characters to learn about magic.
Of course, the cruise to Hawaii holds more than they bargained for, but that what’s happen when you skim the blurb. Vampires. It doesn’t matter to them. They are prepared to do what’s necessary to solve a cozy mystery.
Vampires and Villains is everything I expect in a cozy mystery, with a couple of bonuses, vampires and a talking cat, and the travel gives a whole new meaning to being caught up in a book.
Most cozies fall into a 3 rating, for me, but Elizabeth added enough extras to take it up a notch. Mystery, laughs, a funfilled cruise, the exploration of Hawaii, vampires, a talking cat, a novel way to travel and plenty of villains to keep me guessing.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Vampires and Villains by Elizabeth Pantley.
4 Stars
About Vampires and Villains
Paige and her joyful Aunt Glo have learned that the home they inherited comes with a magical library. They put together a book club group of loveable kooks to explore the magic.
They’ve recovered from their first book journey, and they all agree on their next book which takes place on a cruise ship bound for Hawaii. Problem is, they were so excited about the cruising idea that they didn’t read the entire blurb on the back of the book. (“It was entirely too long,” explains Zell.) Once on the ship, they meet a charming and likable man who blends seamlessly into their motley group. Too bad they don’t know why he’s so scarce during the day but shows up to join them every evening for dinner, drinks, and a show. When a dead body shows up on board, their new friend is labeled a suspect. Can they help him out by finding the real murderer? Or is he the real murderer? The book club will need to solve the case to get off the ship, out of the book, and back to their home.
About Elizabeth Pantley
Elizabeth Pantley says
that writing the Destiny Falls Mystery and Magic book series is the most
fun she’s ever had at work. Fans of the series say her joy is evident
through the stories she tells. Elizabeth is also the internationally
bestselling author of The No-Cry Sleep Solution and twelve other books
for parents. Her books have been published in over twenty languages. She
lives in the Pacific Northwest, the beautiful inspiration for the
enchanted Destiny Falls world.
A friend of mine is starting a new YouTube Channel for Kids. Check it out and subscribe HERE.
Description (fromYouTube)
“When you sing a happy song everybody wants to sing along. Cause nothing can go wrong in a happy song!” These lyrics from the title song set the tone for “Happy Songs for Kids” album. Check out all of the lyric videos. RossO’s upbeat children’s songs (that adults don’t mind listening to) will have the whole family singing along and tapping their feet. The positive messages in the songs help promote happy and healthy kids.
Happy Monday everyone and welcome back to Music Monday! Let’s share some songs we’ve been enjoying lately! If you would like to play, and I really hope you do, please see the rules and link up below HERE
I got an email from NIck Clause telling me he wrote a zombie song to go with his Dead Meat series., which was released on 12.31.21 in a complete boxed set, available for .99. I think that is a steal, because I loved the series soooo much. If you love zombies, this is a must read. You can see all my reviews for the series below.
This is what Nick had to say about his song:
My zombie song is set to the tunes of Taylor Swift’s Shake it off. Yeah, I know. Sounds insane. It is. It’s also freaking hilarious.
I can’t hit a clean note if my life depended on it, so my younger sister agreed to sing and record the song. Trust me, you don’t want to miss it. It’s called Fight ’em off.
The dead are all awake. They wanna eat my brain. Drivin’ me insane, mm, mm. Drivin’ me insane, mm, mm.
My friends are dead and gone. The dead are marching on. F*ck, I think I lost my gun, mm, mm. Think I lost my gun, mm, mm.
But I keep trying. Can’t stop, won’t stop fighting. You’ll never see me crying. If I fight, I know it will be alright.
‘Cause the dead are gonna rise, rise, rise, rise, rise. And the zombies gonna bite, bite, bite, bite, bite. Baby, I’m just gonna fight, fight, fight, fight, fight. Fight ’em off, fight ’em off (woo-hoo-hoo)
The living’s taking flight, flight, flight, flight, flight. The infection’s gonna rise, rise, rise, rise, rise. Baby, I’m just gonna fight, fight, fight, fight, fight. Fight ’em off. Fight ’em off (woo-hoo-hoo)
