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Sunday 28 February 2021

DO NOT DISTURB by AR Torre

 

Do Not DisturbDo Not Disturb by A.R. Torre
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Here's another book I picked from my bookshelf that I should've read ages ago because I enjoyed the first book so much.

Deanna's life has changed since she wandered out of the apartment she'd locked herself in for three years. Now she's excited about going on dates with her boyfriend, and even dares to go across the road for snacks. But her deadly urges are still there, and might have to rise to the surface when a new online threat appears...

Wow. What an amazing and exhausting story! I was totally invested and couldn't stop reading.

This book turned out to be as addictive as it was dark. As intriguing as it was shocking, and so unpredictable. I was definitely hooked from the very beginning. A.R. Torre's writing style is captivating, which makes Deanna's voice very easy to get lost in.

Once I started, it didn't take long for me to lose myself in the narrative and head down a pretty screwed up and dark path. Mostly told in the POV of Deanna and a new disgusting character, as well as snippets from some of the other secondary characters, this approach provided multiple angles. Led the story into some pretty tense and atmospheric situations.

I love how Deanna's tale is romantic, seductive and sexy. Manages to take us into the very intimate and often harsh world of being a camgirl. Some of the people who engage the services of these girls aren't exactly shiny beacons of society. It's raunchy one second, creepy the next, and so very disturbing most of the time.

I mean, we are dealing with a woman trying to control her killer tendencies. A very real struggle that never ends. And is made both easier and harder as she finds herself falling in love.

This turned out to be a very suspenseful ride that first seduced me into following Deanna's plight, and then kept me on the edge of my seat once things got very real during the second half. Which is made so much better by the snappy, action-packed chapters

Love it when a sequel is as good as the first book, yet manages to feel original. Not only does this add to Deanna's series, but takes us deeper and into an unexpected direction.

Can't wait to read the next one.

Great News!


Hey! How are you?

If you follow me on Twitter, then you've already seen my book announcement. But I'm super excited, so I wanted to post a little something over here too. 

I signed a contract with Otranto House! That's right. They're going to publish my supernatural YA horror book, Wall of Dolls


Yay. I'm SO excited! 😁🎉

I actually worked on the first edit last week and it was very cool to spend time with these characters again. I really love these girls, the strange town they live in, the secrets, and the creepy dolls. I'm really looking forward to sharing their story with everyone and can't wait to hear what readers think.

Also looking forward to seeing the cover and will announce the release date as soon as I know.

For now, I've actually got a short story in Otranto House's first anthology. It's called The Girls Who Walked into the Woods and it's available now:



Have a great day!

Thursday 25 February 2021

DISAPPEARING NIGHTLY by Laura Resnick

 

Disappearing Nightly (Esther Diamond, #1)Disappearing Nightly by Laura Resnick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After completing a very detailed first edit, and not reading anything else for a week, I wanted to read something completely different to my own story. And this book definitely did the trick.

It's actually another book I've had on my bookshelf for years. Do you remember the paranormal romance/urban fantasy/fantasy imprint called LUNA? Well, this is one of them.

Esther Diamond is an actress in New York. She's the understudy for a play, and when the lead disappears, she gets her big shot. If only she could be excited about it, instead of thinking about the danger this brings.

So, she tries to avoid the part, dodge a cop investigating the disappearance, while discovering there's so much more in the world...

This was so much fun! Seriously, I had such a great time reading this funny UF story. I laughed so many times, but it's not all fun and games. There's plenty of darkness lurking beneath the surface, and an unexpected supernatural malice. But mostly, I enjoyed meeting the cast of colourful and interesting characters.

I really liked Esther. She was hilarious, witty and reacted well when forced into some pretty shitty situations. I really enjoyed getting caught up in her voice.

There's a bit of everything thrown into this book and it all appealed to me. Even the hint of romance was great. And the whole magicians thing was very cool. Yeah, I had an awesome time with this!

Also, any book that mentions how great it would be for that disgusting Trump to disappear, is a good one.

Sunday 14 February 2021

THE FURIES by Katie Lowe

 

The FuriesThe Furies by Katie Lowe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I've had this book on my TBR pile since I bought it over a year ago, so it was definitely time to check it out.

When Violet was a teenager, she attended Elm Hollow Academy, where a sixteen-year-old girl was posed on a swing and found dead on the school grounds. Years later, Violet recalls what happened when she joined an advanced study group and befriended the other girls...

Yikes. This is quite a book and it sure packs a punch. As soon as Violet's story begins, tragedy strikes. Yet, this girl continues on with her life. Actually excels in her self-taught schoolwork even though her mother has resigned from life and doesn't offer much support. Violet does so well she ends up in a girls academy. Where she finds herself to be an outsider but also an insider with a particularly 'weird' group of girls most stay away from.

Her alienation and desperate need to belong catches the attention of Robin. A self-confident troublemaker who ends up influencing Violet into some very dark territory. By slipping into a passive state, Violet becomes a passenger in her own life and watches all the bad things that happen to her and around her without taking charge. It's quite disturbing to watch, but not surprising.

I actually found it quite sad. Violet is so easily pressured into going along, without much of a push, because she's in a bad place. She's obviously got a lot of grief she hasn't dealt with properly, and this affects her on a deeper level than she herself realises. It becomes very frustrating at times, but totally fits the scene.

And this is all before we consider the toxic and harmful friendship she's so devoted to. This story definitely deals with a lot of disturbing facets of teenage girls. This is as bad as it gets, goes beyond peer pressure and cuts straight to downright cruel and criminal behaviour that can fester when girls are so often hurt and manipulated by guys/men.

Some of the content in this book is truly shocking. There are no heroes within these pages, but it sure is an engrossing read. That's for sure. I enjoyed the use of the female rage and injustice via various artworks, Greek mythology and Shakespeare, to name a few. It totally worked to deepen the severity of what happens and adds a surreal quality to the storytelling that makes so much of it feel so ambiguous.

Also, the writing style is thick with description that might have felt like a slog in any other book, but provided the perfect narrative in this one. And that ending! Didn't quite expect that. 👀

I really enjoyed this. It's a very powerful book, and it's not pretty. Everything about this story is raw, ugly and seen through the gritty lens of anger.

Thursday 11 February 2021

SLEEP LIKE A BABY by Charlaine Harris

 

Sleep Like a Baby (Aurora Teagarden, #10)Sleep Like a Baby by Charlaine Harris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the Aurora Teagarden mystery series, so it's always great to read the next book.

Aurora and Robin might have embarked on the new adventure of parenting, but that doesn't mean trouble won't find them.

While Robin goes to a conference, Roe gets sick and needs the help of a nurse to look after their baby. But it doesn't take long for the nurse to disappear and a corpse to appear in their backyard...

As soon as I started, it was easy to slip back into Roe's life. Charlaine Harris sure knows how to write an interesting mystery, and characters that keep you coming back.

The mystery in this one was hard to figure out because there was a lot going on, plenty of red herrings and a bit of misdirection. I like it when it's hard to solve because the story kept me guessing most of the way through.

One of my favourite things about this series--and something Charlaine Harris does very well with all her stories--is how well she weaves everyday stuff into intriguing and dangerous situations. And she did that perfectly here. This time featuring Roe as a new mother, while dealing with sickness, family problems and murder.

Another great addition to this series!

Wednesday 10 February 2021

TALES OF THE SUPERNATURAL is now available!

 

Today, I'm very excited to announce that my short story, The Girls Who Walked into the Woods, is included in this YA horror anthology!


TALES OF THE SUPERNATURAL
Otranto House


Demonic forces lurk in the woods. 

The death of a teen leads to an eerie police interview.

A vengeful spirit of an executed prisoner.

Fear and superstition leave young women vulnerable in a provincial village.

Voices from a well that whisper dark secrets. 

A small English town with sinister traditions. 
 

Tales of the Supernatural is a collection of six chilling tales that will haunt every reader and delight fans of horror. 


Featuring chilling tales from:

Yolanda Sfetsos
Sam Pope
Neve York
Martha Watson
Karen Featherstone
Jessica Allen



 Edited by Elizabeth Kennedy



 It's now available:
Otranto House | Amazon UK | Amazon US | Amazon Australia | Amazon Canada




THE POWER OF THREE by Eliza Willard

 

The Power of Three (Charmed, #1)The Power of Three by Eliza Willard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved watching the show Charmed. So when I found this book in a local Street Library, I had to grab it.

The Halliwell sisters aren't exactly close. After their grandmother died, Prue and Piper moved back into their childhood home. They get along well enough and lead their own lives. But when Phoebe returns and reads a magical incantation from a book she finds in the attic, everything changes.

Now, the three sisters must face their dangerous destiny as the Charmed Ones...

Wow. I enjoyed the hell out of this little book. What a fun and quick read!

This is the novelisation of the very first episode of the show, but because the narrative features the alternating POVs of the three sisters, there's extra insight into each of their personal experiences, thoughts and emotions. This added depth to what I already knew about the sisters and made the book even more interesting.

There's something about this story that felt like slipping into a very familiar and comfortable place. Like catching up with old friends. It made my reading experience so much better.

As far as the story goes, there weren't many surprises for me because I've watched this episode multiple times, but it was still exciting. And I really liked the author's writing style. It was straightforward, mysterious and delved deep into each POV.

Always enjoyed how the Halliwell sisters get back together and become the Charmed Ones.

I loved this story so much I'm going to have to read more books in this series. 😈


View all my reviews

Tuesday 9 February 2021

A LINE IN THE DARK by Malinda Lo

 

A Line in the DarkA Line in the Dark by Malinda Lo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love the cover of this book and was intrigued from the first time I saw it. So when I found the hardback on special at Amazon, I grabbed a copy.

Jess Wong cares a lot about her best friend Angie Redmond. More than Angie knows. She doesn't mind hanging out on the sidelines and keeping her true feelings hidden. But when Angie starts seeing a girl called Margot from a nearby boarding school, everything changes. It puts an uncomfortable distance between them, and invites a certain darkness into their seemingly average lives...

I was instantly hooked into Jess's sad and lonely world. A sad world where she's secretly in love with her best friend. And the lonely world it becomes when Angie starts seeing someone. When this happens, Jess changes. It was so unexpected, how easily the story turned from two happy friends who spend heaps of time together, to Jess losing herself in anger and jealousy. To the point of becoming a withering shadow who only finds solace in the comic book she's creating.

The first part in this book is written in the first-person POV of Jess. We get to see the events unfold through her eyes, experience her personal thoughts, and start to understand her uneasy family dynamics. But when I reached the second part, the POV shifted to Jess's third-person POV and a variety of transcripts. A move I wasn't expecting, but certainly turned the story's direction sideways and deepened my interest even further.

I thought this writing style worked so well for this story.

On the surface, Jess seems like a quiet, mousey character who is easy to take advantage of. But she's so much more. Actually, I loved that all the characters were complex and nothing is quite as it first appears.

I really enjoyed this twisty tale of how complicated and toxic teenage friendship between girls can become. How easy it is for secrets and feelings to fester when they keep the truth hidden, and how quickly everything can get totally out of control.

This is such a great book!



View all my reviews

Sunday 7 February 2021

HIDDEN BODIES by Caroline Kepnes

 

Hidden BodiesHidden Bodies by Caroline Kepnes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I read YOU a few years ago and even watched the first season of the TV show. I really enjoyed both, yet hated just about everything about most of the characters. Especially Joe.

Just like the first book, as soon as I started I found myself gritting my teeth because Joe is such a fucking asshole. On the inside, he's all caught up in lovey-dovey thoughts about Amy, but on the outside he's still the same possessive idiotic stalker determined to stick his nose into her private business in his pathetic quest to know everything. And it goes beyond trust, because he's got some seriously deranged habits.

It was hilarious to see how his sloppy happiness doesn't last. I don't usually wish ill will on characters, but I certainly relished every time Joe found himself in a bad situation. He might think he's the most intelligent person in the room, but many of the situations he gets himself into prove he's quite the opposite. He's a silly loser chasing revenge with someone who might be his match.

The most ridiculous thing about Joe--asides from his ability to get away with terrible shit most of the time--is that his biggest quest is finding love. Seriously. All this douchecanoe wants is to find his forever love, and he's prepared to eliminate anyone who tries to get in his way during this very selfish pursuit.

Man, he really is a loser. But he does manage to fall in Love again. This time, he gets himself involved with a wealthy family with plenty of secrets and weirdness. Although Love appears quite nice and normal on the surface, she has her own problematic issues. Or introduces new problems into Joe's life that he didn't expect.

Still, Joe will do anything for love!

The thing about this series is that even though I can't stand this very annoying, sex-obsessed, psychotic, murderous asshole... I also couldn't stop reading because his story totally hooked me in. And I had to find out what was going to happen next because the tension kept me glued to the pages. 😅

To get so wrapped up in the very selfish story of this conniving prick to the level I did, really says a lot about what a great writer Caroline Kepnes is. She's got such an easygoing, yet very intense writing style that drags me in every time.

I enjoyed the hell out of this twisty book and was shocked by that very unexpected ending. I'm really looking forward to reading Joe's next sad adventure...

Saturday 6 February 2021

Some Reading Thoughts


Earlier this year, when I posted my Reading Goals for 2021, I talked about changing my usual 100-book target to 50.

The main reason I made this change was because I wanted to read a bunch of longer books. But now, after my first month of reading, I've also decided to make another change. 

Well, it's actually an idea my husband had.

After my first skim-read this year, I was complaining to him about how I hate skims/DNFs counting towards my total annual reading total. So, he suggested that I add a book to my goal every time I skim-read/DNF something.

His suggestion sounded so cool, I can't believe I haven't thought of this myself! LMAO.

Yep. Hubby has some great ideas. 😁

So, as of right now--because I've skim-read 2 books and DNFd 1--my Reading Goal has gone up to 53

I'm pretty sure this will change again because sometimes a book just doesn't work for me, but I think it's a really cool way to make sure every book I list on my Goodreads Goal List is a book I've read from cover to cover.

My 2021 reading has been working out really well so far.

Well, that's it for this post. 

Happy Reading!


Friday 5 February 2021

SHIVER by Allie Reynolds

 

In this propulsive locked-room thriller, a reunion weekend in the French Alps turns deadly when five friends discover someone has deliberately stranded them in a deserted mountaintop resort.


When Milla is invited to a reunion in the tiny resort that saw the peak of her snowboarding career, she drops everything to go. While she would rather forget the events of that winter, the invitation comes from Curtis, the one person she can't seem to let go. 

The five friends haven't seen each other for ten years, since the disappearance of the beautiful and enigmatic Saskia. But when an icebreaker game turns menacing, they realise they don't know who has really gathered them there and how far they will go to find the truth. In an isolated lodge high up a mountain, amid a looming snowstorm, the secrets of the past are about to come to light.



I love thrillers, especially ones written by women. So, when I spotted this book in Hachette's January catalogue, I was instantly intrigued by the concept.

When Milla gets an invitation from her old friend to attend an unexpected reunion in the resort she stayed in ten years ago at the peak of her snowboarding career, she accepts.  

These five friends haven't seen each other in a decade. Not since Saskia disappeared. As soon as they arrive, something doesn't feel right, and it doesn't take long for the suspicions to start...

Wow. This is one tense and addictive book! I started reading and found it really hard to put down, because it's so darn interesting. I wanted to find out where it was going to lead because everyone seems guilty.

Told in the intense POV of Milla and alternating through her experience in the Present and Ten Years Ago, the events move at the perfect pace. Everything starts out pretty simple: a woman in her 20s heads to the French Alps to enter a series of snowboarding competitions and befriends a group of fellow athletes. But it doesn't take long for a vicious rivalry to start, for attractions to flare up, the competition to heat up and tragedy to strike. 

Threaded through this exciting story, pumped full of energy and the high adrenaline of snowboarding, is the creepy deserted mountaintop these five friends currently find themselves in. Someone has clearly rounded them up and isolated them, but no one knows who, why, or what their intentions are.

Watching everything unravel is captivating.

Not to mention that Milla is an obsessive and unsteady narrator. In the past she was a competitive fiend who did anything--and I mean anything--to get ahead of her opponents. In the present she's full of doubt, suspects everyone, but is still hiding plenty.

Shiver is a startling and very claustrophobic thriller that chilled me to the bone. Not just because the cold atmosphere is so vivid it leaps off the page, but also because the mystery is so gripping, the secrets are many and so very dark. And these characters are all the perfect level of frustrating and flawed.

I loved this book!

Thank you Hachette Australia for sending me a copy! 



Shiver, January 2021, ISBN 9780733644900, Hachette Australia

Tuesday 2 February 2021

GIRLS WITH RAZOR HEARTS by Suzanne Young

 

Girls with Razor Hearts (Girls with Sharp Sticks, #2)Girls with Razor Hearts by Suzanne Young
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, so I was looking forward to checking this one out.

Mena and her friends--Sydney, Marcella, Brynn and Annalise--might have escaped the Innovations Academy, but the trauma from the violence they suffered and the truths they uncovered aren't as easy to leave behind. Especially when they make it their mission to track down an investor by enrolling in Ridgeview Prep.

In this private school, they find that the world is a hard place for girls. No matter where they are...

Wow. This is another powerful addition to this daring and totally awesome feminist SF trilogy.

The story pretty much starts where the first book ends. There's a lot going on within the pages of this engrossing book, and most of it will make you squirm. Not just because of the awful world these girls find themselves in even after escaping the academy, but also because so much of it will sound familiar. Unfortunately, sexism and violence against women is very real, but in Mena's world it's also very much accepted because powerful men are trying so hard to strip the rights of women.

Like the first installment, the sense of sisterhood between the main group of girls is amazing. Strong and true. Unfaltering. But now, we also meet several girls/women who are so hellbent on getting their lives back, they're on the border of becoming just as bad as the men. 😳

I can't wait to see what happens in the third/final book, because Mena and her friends refuse to paint all guys/men with the same brush. And I'm looking forward to seeing their idea of a revolution. Did I mention I love these brave girls?

These characters are great, but there are plenty of malicious types from both genders, too. Some that inspire so much hate you can't wait to see them go down.

Oh, and don't even get me started on the twists and turns. There are many, and they're all SO good. Can't wait to find out more about the very fascinating Raven.

Like I've said before, every time I read a book like this, I enjoy the hell out of these kinds of uncomfortable stories. Where men try to mentally and physically beat them down, but girls/women always find a clever way to not just overcome this adversity, but destroy it!

Bring on the next one.

THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: Women of Horror Volume 3 is now available!

 

Last year, I was lucky enough to be included in the first Women of Horror anthology released by Kandisha Press, as well as the second volume.


Today, I'm super excited to announce that my short story, Lady of the House, appears in Volume 3..


THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY: 2020 WOMEN OF HORROR ANTHOLOGY, VOLUME 3
Kandisha Press

What doesn't kill me, might make me kill you!

30 women authors from around the world were challenged to write about The One That Got Away. Here you'll find tales of unrequited love, blind dates gone wrong, stalkers and their prey, cursed guitars, alien symbiotes, sinister letters, and bitter acts of revenge. Dive into these murky depths and discover what hides inside the minds of women scorned.


Featuring chilling tales from:

Carmen Baca
Ushasi Sen Basu
Demi-Louise Blackburn
Ashley Burns
R.A. Busby
Amira Krista Calvo
Dawn DeBraal
Shawnna Deresch
Ellie Douglas
Amy Grech
KC Grifant
Meg Hafdahl
Rowan Hill
Stevie Kopas
Michelle Renee Lane
Catherine McCarthy
Villimey Mist
Mocha Pennington
Faith Pierce
Janine Pipe
Lydia Prime
Paula RC Readman
Marsheila Rockwell
Lucy Rose
Rebecca Rowland
Yolanda Sfetsos
Hadassah Shiradski
Barrington Smith-Seetachitt
J Snow
Sonora Taylor


 Edited by Jill Girardi
With Foreword by Gwendolyn Kiste (Bram Stoker award winning author of The Rust Maidens)

With cover art design by Ilusikanvas.


 It's now available:
Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | NOOK | Apple



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