Friday, March 15, 2024

Your Weekend Read: MYTH STALKER

 


Coming March 26th

Myth Stalker: Wendigo Nights, by Shannon Lawrence

Warrior Muse Press

 


A late night call from her mentor sends Selina Moonstone on a mission to Canada, determined to track down a Wendigo and exterminate it.

Accustomed to facing off with the all too real creatures of Native American lore, Selina discovers the Wendigo is someone close to her, forcing her to change gears from destruction to frantic search for a cure. There's no known way to rid a person of the Wendigo spirit once it has begun the consumption of the victim's soul, a lesson she learned the hard way in her youth.

With her loved one's transition to Wendigo imminent, Selina must fight her own lifelong training as a Myth Stalker and find another way. She gathers a mismatched group of allies, including a charming Sin Eater and a conceited mercenary Cryptid hunter from her past, and embarks on a mission to find a solution before it's too late.


 

Link:

Available in paperback and e-book, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and more. Find the book at your favorite store using the universal link: https://books2read.com/u/4AaOJd

 


 Bio:

A fan of all things fantastical and frightening, Shannon Lawrence writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her stories can be found in over fifty anthologies and magazines in addition to her collections. Her nonfiction title, The Business of Short Stories, is available now and her debut urban fantasy novel is releasing March 2024. You can also find her as a co-host of the podcast Mysteries, Monsters, & Mayhem. When she's not writing, she's hiking through the wilds of Colorado and photographing her magnificent surroundings, where, coincidentally, there's always a place to hide a body or birth a monster. Find her at www.thewarriormuse.com.

 


 

1. Nachos are best when bought from a food stand. Bonus points if it’s the middle of the night.

Selina and a friend grab nachos from a local food stand here in Colorado Springs after a

strenuous assignment. While I don’t name it in the book, it’s inspired by a real stand near my

house that has THE BEST Mexican food we’ve found in our city. And it’s open 24 hours! Great for

an insomniac (or not great, depending upon how you look at it).

2. Just like humans, fish need a certain amount of protein in their diet, which they usually get from

a wide array of sources, depending upon their size, from worms and insects all the way up to

mammals. Fresh-caught fish is good for you and tasty, too! Selina’s mentor likes to catch his

own fish at a lake near his house. He even catches one each time for a friendly local mountain

lion named Rocky. Selina herself is not a big fan of fishing, but she’s happy to sup with her

mentor when he does the work.

3. Did you know the U.S. Department of Agriculture has a rule about sandwiches that they can only

be 50% bread and must have at least 35% meat? Selina has sandwiches (somewhat reluctantly)

with a certain fellow in the book. They’re portable and convenient! But I’m pretty sure some of

my sandwiches have not been within the rules.

 ~*~

I'm posting about camels in the old West at Cowboy Kisses.  If you're in the vicinity, please drop in.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Writerly Wednesday

 What's your synonym, example or definition of:


Example: Politicians spout bunkum.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Ketch-Up Day

 

We have several of these guys hanging around the neighborhood.  Do you have bluebirds in your area?

How is your week going? Feeling okay? Doing anything exciting?

Same ole, same ole here. Read, write, reset.

AND.....

Frank overseeing the unloading of groceries.

Lots of rain last week.  

Added to the water that was already in it and the rain 'barrow' overflowed.

Does anyone grow rosemary? Mine blossomed this year. I've had rosemary for years, as you can tell by the size of my 'bush', and it's never flowered before. I didn't even realize they had flowers. The heavens and the climate must have aligned this year.



 

March calendar shots.


I got to see my bro and SIL from Illinois last week and on another day went out to lunch with buds. Definitely a good week. Hope yours was. 

That's all, buds.




Thursday, March 7, 2024

Did You Know

 


Did you know that when Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, took office at age sixty-one, it made him the oldest president that had held the office to that point.


Wednesday, March 6, 2024

IWSG Wednesday

 


The first Wednesday of every month is officially IWSG day. IWSG was formed by Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh. Members post about their doubts and fears, discuss struggles and triumphs, and offer words of encouragement to others who are struggling.

 

Twitter handle: @TheIWSG  

Hashtag: #IWSG 

The awesome co-hosts for the March 6 posting of the IWSG are Kristina Kelly, Miffie Seideman, Jean Davis, and Liza @ Middle Passages!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Remember, the question is optional

March 6th question: Have you "played" with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse to go that route? How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing?

Good question.  I’ve used AI for guest posts but I haven’t tried a synopsis. In fact, I’m not sure how to even approach that. It seems like by the time you’d given it the information, you would have written it yourself. I’m anxious to hear from folks that have used it for a synopsis and how it worked out. I feel like AI is here to stay so we might as well take advantage of it. On the other hand I hope it doesn’t put us out of business.

For those pitching: #IWSGPit March 27th.

AND: Saturday, April 13, 2024:
Beyond the Pen all-day workshop at Brier Creek Community Center, Morrisville NC

Register here!

 

                                                                                   Bookbrush Image


Four souls shrouded in darkness…

A wary vampire relying on the assistance of a young woman to guide his clan to an ancient fortress. A talking shark with no knowledge of his earlier life who befriends a girl with issues of her own. A werewolf trapped by his secret smitten with a young woman battling trust issues of her own. And an alien devoid of all emotions pledged to a Terran woman determined to keep her own feelings intact.

These souls must discover the power of love if they hope to escape the darkness surrounding them…


LINKS:

Amazon print –

Amazon eBook - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWYM915Q  

iTunes - https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6476887107

Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940167675377

Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9798988625155\

Gardners - https://www.gardners.com/Search/KeywordAnonymous/eBook?Keyword=9798988625155

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/206112336-in-darkness

 

February/March Reviews in no particular order.

* Disclaimer. If I run into an occasional typo, I ignore them and don't factor them into my review.

 

DEPTH OF WINTER by Craig Johnson

In Book #14, Longmire is traveling deep into Mexico to save his daughter Cady, who has been kidnapped by Bidarte, a vicious drug lord and Longmire’s sworn enemy.

Available at Amazon

LAND OF WOLVES by Craig Johnson

In Book #15, While Cady is trying to recover, in Cheyenne, from her harrowing kidnapping experience, Walt is back in Absaroka County, trying to recover from near mortal wounds. But there’s no downtime from murder and once again Walt is on the job.

NEXT TO LAST STAND by Craig Johnson

In Book #16, with the help of several scooter riders in the Veteran’s Home Walt is on the trail of a murderer and art thief.

 

THE SOUL WHISPER’S DECISION by Gwen Plano

Sarah Jameson is in a deadly accident and has the rare opportunity to either join her children, who died in the accident, in the afterlife or stay on earth with her grieving husband who is already suffering from PTSD before his family is ripped from him.

This is a story geared for those who enjoy Christian Faith, Spiritual Faith, and Faith and Spirituality reading. The author’s background in counseling and religion are in evidence in this thought-provoking story.

Written in first person present.

Available at Amazon

 

 

THE WYVERN, THE PIRATE, AND THE MADMAN by Lou Kemp

Celwyn the magician, Professor Kang the automat, Bartholomew the scientist, Nemo and Jules Verne board the Nautilus for another adventure. Tara and Valentine, both vampires, round out this steampunk fantasy. The sea and the lands visited, while chasing a pirate ship, are well-described and evocative. Many decisions are made over a cup of tea and sumptuous meal. Unfortunately, while the friends are on the high seas saving folks captured by the pirates, danger is lurking at home. 

This steampunk fantasy could almost be called a steampunk opera.

Available at  Amazon

 


 HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS by Jacquie Biggar

If you are looking for stories to lift your spirits, this is a heartwarming collection that is geared for Christmas but can be enjoyed all year long. The author effortlessly draws the reader into the stories and her vivid descriptions bring them to life. SILVER BELLS, MISTLETOE INN, LOVE ME, and A MAGICAL CHRISTMAS are all feel good holiday romances that will leave you with a smile on your face and a warm heart when you finish. So, grab your hot chocolate, curl up on the sofa with this lovely collection and enjoy. AND Jacquie has a new release coming this month.

Available at Amazon