New Release! Fangs, Fur and the Single Girl By Lisabet Sarai

Please join me in welcoming Lisabet Sarai as she tells us about her latest release.

Soul Mates (Plural)

The notion of finding one’s soul mate—the one individual in the universe whom you’re destined to love—is possibly the most fundamental romance trope. I can understand the appeal of this concept. It’s both reassuring and thrilling to imagine a lover perfectly attuned to your needs, your ideal complement and companion, a person who makes you whole and vice versa.

I find it hard to write stories about soul mates, though. I’m always aware that reality is much messier than romantic fantasy. Mostly I create contemporary stories where the relationships are realistically complicated. My heroines are frequently unsure about their own feelings. Sometimes they’re attracted to more than one person, in different ways. That’s one reason my back list contains so many ménage tales, I think, to save my heroines from having to choose whom they should love!

Paranormal romance frees me from the constraints of realism. In a world infused with magic, I can suspend disbelief about forever-after perfect matings. Magic imposes structure and symmetry on the tale. Perfect love may be kindled by enchantment, or may reflect age-old connections. Old souls, old lovers, may meet again in a new life. A quest, a struggle against evil forces, may bind two characters together for eternity.

In paranormal erotic romance, you can recognize your soul mate by the transcendent and irrational lust he inspires. The author doesn’t need to explain the attraction; it’s magic, a given.

What happens, though, when more than one character feels like the One? That’s the situation in my new paranormal erotic romance Fangs, Fur and the Single Girl. My heroine Bianca is a hard-headed businesswoman, supremely self-controlled and immune to flights of fancy. When she succumbs to temptation and offers her blood to an emotionally wounded vampire, though, she finds herself bound to him, both physically and psychically. Meanwhile, she encounters a shy but potent wolf shifter whose scent overwhelms her with desire. Each of them wants to claim her. Each of them feels “right”.

Is it possible to have more than one soul mate? Read Fangs, Fur and the Single Girl and find out!

About the book!

A tragically attractive vampire, a hunky wolf-man and a skeptical but susceptible career gal. What could

possibly go wrong?

Bianca Sorenson understands obsession. Her phenomenally successful Vamp magazine feeds the popular fascination with the undead. The city is full of  fanatics who want to believe vampires are real. Bianca knows that’s a fantasy. Then a blond, blue-eyed blood drinker walks into her office looking for a model’s job and turns her universe upside down. Jim Bush hasn’t been a vampire for long, but his terrible history and seductive hunger undermine Bianca’s single-minded ambition and her cherished self-control.

Trying to escape from Jim’s disturbing influence, she collides with a shaggy giant of a man whose mere presence inspires irresistible lust. When Zack Kane reveals that he’s a wolf shifter and claims Bianca as his mate, she finds herself on the horns of a supernatural dilemma. How can she resolve her feelings for her two mutually hostile lovers while defusing a city-wide conflict between the vampire clique and the werewolf pack?    

Fans of Twilight: get ready for a wilder ride than you ever imagined!

Excerpt

The blond vampire reached over to her dressing table to pick up a leather-bound notebook. “It’s lucky you use a physical day planner instead of a calendar app.” He sighed again, apparently out of habit. “I admit, I came looking for you tonight. I was desperate to see you. I thought we should discuss—well, I’ll be honest, I was weak. I imagined that perhaps we could—I kept remembering your warmth, your scent…” He shook his head as his voice trailed off. “It’s so easy to deceive myself. To let the hunger think for me.”

“Oh, Jim!” She bounced off the bed and enfolded him in her arms. Though his skin was like cool marble, fire sizzled through her at the contact. A steady pulse beat between her legs. An ache grew in her chest, an echo of his pain. She could soothe him, heal him, if only he’d allow it. Leaning in, she pressed her lips to his, silently urging him to surrender.

For a fraction of a second, she felt his answering passion. Then he turned his head away to break the connection.

“Don’t. Please. Don’t tempt me, Bianca.” Extricating himself from her clutches, he pinned her with his gaze. His normally blue eyes deepened to wells of blackness. “Stay away from vampires, for your own safety. Away from me, and definitely away from that harpy at the club.”

“How did you arrange for the police? Did they really have a warrant?”

Jim’s embarrassment was obvious. “It seems I have some ability to plant ideas in the minds of suggestible individuals. I didn’t realize I had that kind of power, but when I saw that creature—Elena? —messing with your thoughts, I figured I had to try.”

“Well, I’m very grateful. I probably should have known better than to accept her invitation in the first place.”

Jim rose from his chair and began to pace. “I agree. You took a grave risk.”

Bianca slumped back down on the bed, her eyes following his back-and-forth progress. “But she’s a business associate. Elena Lazarescu’s a major force in the vampire ecosystem. She’s a wizard at branding. Just think about how many potential subscribers she could deliver…”

He whirled to face her. “Bianca! Just listen to yourself! ‘Vampire ecosystem’? ‘Wizard at branding’? After you came close to being Elena’s victim! Didn’t you see what was going on at her club? Pathetic humans being drained to feed her blood hunger and that of her clique. This isn’t about business or marketing, fashion or fads.”

“But—”

“Your readers live in a fantasy world, but vampires are real. And they’re not trendy, romantic or sexy. They’re monsters, driven by an insatiable craving they’ll do anything to satisfy.” The young man glared at her, fists clenched at his sides. “I’m a monster, Bianca—no matter how I try to fool myself.”

She was on her feet again, hand on his arm. “No, Jim—you’re not like her. You’d never hurt me.”

He yanked himself from her grasp. “I already have, don’t you see? This bond between us—”

“So you feel it, too…”

“It’s the blood, Bianca, the blood we’ve shared. Nothing more. And it will destroy us both if we let it.”

Buy Links

Kinky Literature – https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/1508-fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl/

Amazon  US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CXF755SM

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CXF755SM

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1540924

Barnes and Noble – https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl-lisabet-sarai/1145179250?ean=2940167695276

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl

Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6480071026

Add on Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210320373-fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl

Add on Bookbub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/fangs-fur-and-the-single-girl-by-lisabet-sarai

About Lisabet

Lisabet Sarai became addicted to words at an early age. She began reading when she was four. She wrote her first story atfive years old and her first poem at seven. Since then, she has written plays, tutorials, scholarly articles, marketingbrochures, software specifications, self-help books, press releases, a five-hundred page dissertation, and lots of erotica anderotic romance – over one hundred titles, and counting, in nearly every sub-genre—paranormal, scifi, ménage, BDSM,GLBT, and more. Regardless of the genre, every one of her stories illustrates her motto: Imagination is the ultimateaphrodisiac.

You’ll find information and excerpts from all Lisabet’s books on her website (http://www.lisabetsarai.com/books.html),along with more than fifty free stories and lots more. At her blog Beyond Romance (http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com), sheshares her philosophy and her news and hosts lots of other great authors. She’s also on Goodreads, BookBub and Twitter.Join her VIP email list here: https://btn.ymlp.com/xgjjhmhugmgh

After Midnight-An LGBT Urban Fantasy #MFRWHooks

After Midnight: The Beginning (Living After Midnight Book 2)

#LGBT #UrbanFantasy #polyamory #novella

Book Hooks is a weekly blog hop hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers. Feel free to hop from one book to another. Maybe you’ll find a new favorite!

Overview:

Her taboo relationships give her new life. Now there's a secret worth dying for.

Jewell spent her college years avoiding two threats: sunlight and her sadistic stepfather.

Ria hails from a family of old-world vamps who want her to fall in line. Fat chance, especially since being in that line includes not being gay.

Being in love is easy for Ria and Jewell—they belong together like vodka and tomato juice. Adding a sexy incubus to their union is the hot sauce in their Bloody Mary. The only problem? Jewell's stepfather.

He demands Jewell return home. He's supported her for her entire life, and tuition isn't cheap. She belongs to him. Her debt has come due.

If she refuses, he'll kill her. If she agrees, it could expose a secret that will result in worldwide carnage.

Jewell and Ria have until dawn to decide…

...and it's already After Midnight.

Warning: This book features spicy supernatural creatures, an attempted assault that makes the perp wish he'd just stayed home, and a secret that changes everything.

After Midnight: The Beginning is the 2nd book in the LGBTQ urban fantasy series Living After Midnight. It can be read out of order and as a Happy for Now standalone.

A sneak peek!

A finger tapped her shoulder. "Hey there. Are you all alone?"

Jewell's head snapped towards the intrusion. Interesting. The same guy’s been heading toward Ria when he approached them before.

He grinned. "I kinda hope so. Is that too forward?"

Up close, he looked and smelled even more wholesome and delectable than he had before. Her very own hemoglobin happy meal. How could she turn down special delivery?

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Forward? Yes, but I like a man who takes a risk. Take another one and dance with me." She pressed her body against his.

He walked backward into the throng of dancers. "Kyle...I mean, my name is Kyle. What's yours? I'm a grad student at Cal State Fullerton, visiting my family for the summer. I'm a psychologist. I mean, not yet. I'm getting a Ph.D. in psychology, and well, I do work too, but I'm not-”

"Don't you want to kiss me?" She blinked her eyes slowly, in invitation.

"Wow, yes, but-"

She kissed his cheek and slid her mouth to his, teasing his lips with light licks. His tongue thrust into her mouth in an exuberant response.

Slow down, Kyle. It's just a kiss. Jewell chanted the phrase in her mind, willing him to own it like it was his idea. She hated mind-fucking anyone, especially someone as naive as this guy, but she couldn't take the chance he'd overreact to a public nibble.

Just a kiss.

He inhaled deeply. After the tension eased out of his body, she pierced the pulsating artery that ran down the side of his neck.

Just a kiss.

Kyle's low moan vibrated against her lips. "Just a kiss," he repeated.

"Sweet thang, he can't handle you." Cheyenne slipped his arm around Jewell's waist and tugged her away from Kyle's arms. "But I can."

She daintily wiped the corners of her mouth with her fingers, belying the anxiety she felt at being caught with her teeth in the cookie jar. "I was just, you know..."

She glanced back at Kyle as a young girl danced up to him. He was dazed, but he started to dance with her as she chatted away at him. He was going to be okay.

Cheyenne spun her around, moving with feline grace to the music's hard backbeat. There was no anger, no disappointment. There was only mischief in his eyes. "Yeah, I know. It's all good." He took her hand from her ear and kissed it.

Cheyenne embraced her. Her breasts pressed lightly against his chest. "He didn't deserve you anyway. Why settle for regular when you could have high octane?" He rubbed his cheek against hers. "Go ahead. Take a sip."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You're right. I don't need to feed right now. And Ria is waiting. "

"It's fine. Look around. Everyone's dancing, doing their own thing. You weren't thinking about Ria a few minutes ago." He gently pushed her foot with his, moving her legs apart. "Besides, I'm hungry, too." Lifting the hem of her skirt, he slowly bunched it in his fist and moved his hand under the fabric to caress her bare legs. "Say yes." He slid his finger along the small strip of cotton between her thighs. They swayed as other couples danced around them, unaware.

The lust in his voice moved through her. Jewell kissed the side of his neck, the scent of his skin causing her teeth to descend. "Yes."

Available at major retailers.

https://books.trevannrogers.com/AfterMidnight

---

Micro-Snowpocalypse

Lots of snow here in New England. So far, about a foot has fallen.

Usually, I’d be quite upset. Snow is fun and beautiful to look at but driving in it is awful. Shoveling is hazardous to your health.

Today, however, I’m celebrating the return of winter. I’m grateful it’s no longer eerily warm. Fifty degrees in January was crazy.

I know it won’t last. Meteorologists are saying it will be near fifty again by the end of the month. But for today, it’s really cold. And I’m happy about that.

House of the Rising Son #MFRWhooks

House of the Rising Son

House of the Rising Son: Book 1 in the Living After Midnight Series

Genre: LGBT Urban Fantasy Romance

  Cheyenne is a half-human incubus whose star is on the rise in the Unakite City rock scene. His father, the leader of the supernatural races, would prefer he keep a “low profile”, but screw that. Cheyenne has as much music in his veins as royal incubi blood.

Alexander's future is all set: finish law school, join the family firm, and marry someone who'd be good for business. Not that he has a say in any of it. He's barely met the woman his father expects him to marry. Keeping the peace is his priority. Until he meets Cheyenne.

If secrets are kept, they can never be together. If their secrets are exposed, chaos will reign in both families.

Either way, life will never be the same.

House of the Rising Son is the first book in the LGBTQIA+ urban fantasy series Living After Midnight. Warning: This book features quirky supernatural creatures, a Thanksgiving dinner that makes the Inquisition look like a tea party, and an incubus that will rock your world.

~~~~

Excerpt

“So tell me,” he murmured into her ear, “how do you know Alexander?”

Gwen flushed and wished there was a fan nearby. The heat from the stage lights was stronger than she’d thought. She cleared her throat. “He’s my brother.”

Cheyenne grasped her hands and put them around his waist. “I should have noticed the resemblance. You’re stunning. What brings you out tonight? A family celebration?”

“Not a celebration. An exploration. Alexander told me a great deal about you. More than he intended.”

“Oh, did he? Here, put one hand on my shoulder. Now the other one.” Cheyenne shimmied down her body as if she was pushing him. Once on his knees, he pretended to lick upwards along one thigh and back down the other.

She stifled a moan as something in her lower body clenched. The audience screamed.

He looked up at her. “Grab my collar and pretend to pull me up.” Gwen obliged. This was more fun than she expected, and it was the sexiest thing she’d ever done in public.

Cheyenne whispered in her ear again. The warmth of his breath made her skin tingle. “And what do you think? About what he told you.”

“I think I understand.” She’d have to be dead not to understand her brother’s attraction to the singer.

“So, can we agree that it’s probably driving him crazy that you’re on stage with me?”

“No doubt. My sisters too.”

“Sisters? Ah. How about we give you something to live down?”

I’m gonna…I’m gonna…

Make your skin burn with the memory,”

“Your breath will only echo my sigh.

Come…and come to me, sweet, sweet darling

One moment, our bodies, forever… You and I.

 Alexander had seen this act before. When Cheyenne brought someone on stage, the entire charade was calculated to make the audience go crazy and to give the squealing fangirl the experience of a lifetime. But this was Gwen. She wasn’t some rabid fan. She was a grown woman with a legal career—and his sister, damn it.

Cheyenne lifted Gwen on to the riser. He turned so she sat behind him, her hand on his shoulders while he danced and sang. The stage lights dimmed, leaving a hazy spotlight on Cheyenne.

Facing the audience, Cheyenne unbuttoned his shirt, each opening punctuated by an echoing tap of a cymbal. From her perch, Gwen slid the shirt off of his shoulders. When it hit the floor, the music stopped, and the lights extinguished.

A flush began in the pit of Alexander’s stomach and crept up to his face. Gwen had wondered why he’d moved from a future in a comfortable law office, complete with leather-crafted armchairs and a bottle of expensive bourbon, to a psychedelic padded room with a bottle of beer and a guaranteed hangover. He hoped she realized she had just undressed the explanation.

Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):

https://books.apple.com/us/book/house-of-the-rising-son/id6445258059

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/house-of-the-rising-son-trevann-rogers/1122604899

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/house-of-the-rising-son-3

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XPZX3G5

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/trevann-rogers

After Midnight: The Beginning @MFRWhooks

Her taboo relationships give her new life. Now there's a secret worth dying for.

After Midnight: The Beginning

Genre: LGBTQ+ Urban Fantasy Romance

***

Jewell spent her college years avoiding two threats: sunlight and her sadistic stepfather.

Ria hails from a family of old-world vamps who want her to fall in line. Fat chance, especially since being in that line includes not being gay.

Being in love is easy for Ria and Jewell—they belong together like vodka and tomato juice. Adding a sexy incubus to their union is the hot sauce in their Bloody Mary. The only problem? Jewell's stepfather.

He demands Jewell return home. He's supported her for her entire life, and tuition isn't cheap. She belongs to him. Her debt has come due.

If she refuses, he'll kill her. If she agrees, it could expose a secret that will result in worldwide carnage.

Jewell and Ria have until dawn to decide…

...and it's already After Midnight.

Warning: This book features spicy supernatural creatures, an attempted assault that makes the perp wish he'd just stayed home, and a secret that changes everything.

After Midnight: The Beginning is the 2nd book in the LGBTQ urban fantasy series Living After Midnight. It can be read out of order and as a Happy for Now standalone.

Excerpt

“After a round of see you laters, Jewell followed Ria through a dozen mismatched and worn bistro tables to a group of yard sale loveseats tucked against the wall near the stage, and across the room from the entrance. Hand-sewn throws were strewn across the small sofas. It gave the space a shabby chic kind of look. Cute. Someone was trying to spruce the place up.

Jewell sat on the purple couch and patted the dusty cushion next to her to invite her girlfriend to sit. She liked this bar, despite the dirt and sticky floors. If the owner cleaned it up a bit, it might become one of those funky after-hours clubs that could put Unakite on the map.

"Could this be any lower to the ground?" Ria sat on the edge of the sofa and tugged at her red micro-mini-skirt. "I practically have to be a contortionist not to show my stuff to the creeps across the room." She flashed an insincere smile to the group of men leering at them, and whispered to Jewell through bared teeth, "Do you see that idiot coming over here? Start coughing like you have tuberculosis.“I don't have the patience for these pushy humans.”

“Pushy? The young man approaching them seemed more like a salmon in a den of grizzly bears, out of his element and nervous as hell. Jewell had to give him credit: he had the guts to head toward Ria.

Prey seldom made good decisions in the face of a predator.”

Buy Links

AMAZON

APPLE BOOKS

BARNES AND NOBLE

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Living After Midnight: The Series #MFRWhooks

Cheyenne is the half-human son of the Monarch of the Incubi. He wants to live his life, unburdened by the politics between supernatural races, and fulfil his dream of being a rock star. His father wants him to end the childish fantasy and assume his royal responsibilities

Destiny has other plans.

On a journey from sacrifice and betrayal to vindication and redemption, Cheyenne finds Power he never knew he had, the relationship with his father he's always wanted, and love he never dreamed of.

Living After Midnight is an LGBT Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy series.

Combining Imagination with Mythology

Writing is hard.

But it’s a bit easier, in my opinion, when you write about what you like. I like music. I like fantasy creatures. Sure, there is a special place in my heart for sexy vampires, confident Weres, witches and wizards. As a teen, I fell in love with so many of them and immersed myself in their stories. But as I grew up, I wanted more.

Writing is a way of creating the world as I want it to be. All of my stories are connected to Unakite City. In this fictional urban setting, creatures live side by side with humans, “among them but unknown to them”, as one of my characters bellows (repeatedly). There are the usual urban fantasy cast of characters, but also less common creatures. The star, Cheyenne, is an incubus. His best friend is a huldra and his accountant is a dragon. And now there is Malik.

Malik is a character who is introduced in Waiting on the Son, the soon-to-be-released, long awaited sequel to House of the Rising Son. He is based on the caladrius that appears in Roman mythology. According to the legend, this small bird is often referred to as a harbinger of either hopelessness or hope. The caladrius can sense if you are going to live or die. He also has the power to heal you. For this reason, they often served royalty.

Malik was initially formed on one of my trips to the casino. (Don’t get it twisted. I mostly play the nickel slot machines and listen to the live music. But I digress.) I was sitting in the corridor between buildings eating a strawberry ice cream cone, when I noticed an interesting man. He was wearing a t-shirt and khaki green pants and moving from one person to another. Naturally, he came over to me and we immediately began a conversation about books. Every few minutes, he would politely excuse himself and scurry to another unsuspecting person. Then he’d come back to continue our conversation. I thought, What a cool guy.

My interaction with this fascinating man became the bones of the character. To build around these bones, I added the basics of the the legend and then using my creativity and knowledge of the story, Malik became his own bird. For example, he isn’t small. Most of the time he appears as human, but he can take the form of a bird at will. He can heal, but at a cost. He’s also a scout and can find just about anything you need.

Sometime soon I’ll talk about the huldra. This mythological creature turned into one of the most beloved characters, according to my readers. I won’t give away everything, of course. I want you to read the book and fall in love with Chey and the gang.

Legacies and Outer Banks: The Good, the Bad, and the Ridiculous 4/5 Stars

This week I’m offering a twofer. I recently finished watching two series.

The first binge-worthy show was Legacies (two seasons), which is a sequel to both Vampire Diaries and The Originals. It features characters from both shows with a focus on their children.

I have to admit, I watched Season 1 and 2. After the first season I was hooked. The characters were quirky and interesting, the plot moved along quickly and drew me right into the story. I found myself really caring about the kids and feeling their joy and pain as it unfolded. The second season started off similarly.

Slowly, I started to notice that threads were being left untied. One of the main characters turned into a villain (for which the groundwork had been nicely laid), but very quickly became a bit of a caricature, complete with a new hairstyle, goth clothing, and dramatic make-up. Oh, and she gained the ability to fly. The story lost me for a few episodes. However, I’m glad I stuck with it, as it redeemed itself and wrapped up nicely at the end. The good guys prevailed.

Outer Banks is also a show about an ensemble of high schoolers. I found myself recognizing all of them from my youth—The poor hero, a good guy who is making the most of a challenging life. The bad boy with an abusive father but with a heart of gold. The newly rich girl who struggles to fit in and the uber rich girl who falls for the poor good guy. A star-crossed trope for sure, with some of the worst and corniest dialogue I’ve ever heard. Many of the secondary characters are stereotypes and are overacted. BUT…I could not stop watching.

Each of the teenagers in the main cast is engaging and likable. The story pulled me in from the start and I stayed along for the ride, rooting (occasionally aloud) for them to succeed in their quest. And the view—I may have been destined to love this show because the scenery was everything I love the ocean waves and the beach.

There you have it. Both shows receive a 4 out of 5 star rating from me. Imperfect, yes. Engaging, yes. An absolutely fun.

Cover Design: It’s My Story

Mad respect to those talented people who have an artistic sensibility and a grasp of design concepts. It seems to be a complex amalgamation of concepts that leads to something visually appealing and effective.

Photo credit to Deposit Photos

I’ve recently thought about what I want the cover of my soon to be released books to look like. No matter who ultimately I ask to design them, I’m going to need to be able to tell them what I’m looking for.

Apparently, all genres have a specific set of expectations when it comes to covers. My books are all Urban Fantasies. Covers are expected to be dark and contain a representation of the protagonist.. The character should be somewhat front and center, and there should be mystical or magical elements. Many covers use the magical elements to frame the character’s image.

Some people argue that rules are meant to be broken. Operating outside of the status quo might get some attention. The other perspective, however, is that readers won’t even notice your book if they don’t recognize the genre.

What do you think?

#Review: The Good Place

Sometimes, entertainment comes from the most unexpected places.

When I saw a promo for The Good Place, I thought there was no way it could be anything but stupid. I continued on, hopping around #Neflix and as is often the case, 247 clicks later I hadn’t found anything that I wanted to see. Desperate, I took a deep breath and returned to The Good Place. I’m glad I did.

The premise of the series is that after we die, we experience one of two possibilities: We either go to The Bad Place and endure a hell made especially for us, or we go to The Good Place where whatever we desire is available to us. The story centers around Eleanor, convincingly played by Kristen Bell. She lands in The Good Place, only to realize she is there by mistake. Ted Danson also plays a pivotal role, but it is an ensemble cast with no weak players.

To my great surprise, the show is Laugh Out Loud funny. The humor is witty, with a humorous take on the human condition. I laughed because I could relate. It is also an emotional journey, with characters who are flawed, broken, with deep wounds that impact their choices and their beliefs more than they have realized. Moreover, the story arcs are creative and unexpected in that, “ did that really just happen” sort of a way, while still being true to the characters personalities.

I hope Netflix renews the series. I’m already addicted. 5/5 Stars

Spawn of Lilith—A Review 4/5 stars

Spawn of Lilith—A Review 

4/5 Stars

I recently finished Spawn of Lilith by Dana Fredsti. I liked this book and would recommend it to others. It seems to follow none of the “rules” we have come to expect in books. There is no inciting incident (or ordinary world, I couldn’t tell which was missing), no rising action. Most of the book is simply Lee, the main character, doing things. Lee buys beer. Lee take a job on a bad movie.  Lee takes another job with another bad movie. Although she’s a stunt woman, I’m not sure any of those scenes are necessary for the story. In fact, I wasn’t sure what the story was until the end of the book.

According to Lee, the movie industry is full of supernatural creatures. But they are not on the page, at least not in a way that impacts the plot or characters’ development.

So why do I like the book enough to recommend it? I like the characters. They were well developed and engaging. I like Lee. I like Lee’s friends— Eden, an actress, and Randy, a stuntman and a shapeshifter who never shifts. In a roundabout way, they help her grow and become more independent. I might have found Sean and Seth (her father and pseudo-foster brother) more interesting if they had been around more.  

I’d put the book back on the shelf several times because one of the blurbs described Lee as snarky. I hate snarky characters, but eventually I decided to give it a try. I did NOT find Lee snarky. Snarky is just bitter and angry, which Lee isn’t. She had humorous moments that were well done.

All in all, I couldn’t put this book down.  I’m looking forward to reading Lee’s next adventure.

Click on the cover to go to Amazon.

Binge-Watched: A Review of Umbrella Academy

A remote control pointing to a blurry television.

Umbrella Academy is a new series on Netflix. I’d say it’s urban fantasy, my favorite genre to read and watch.

Despite some irritations, I loved this show.  I had no knowledge of the comic so had no expectations, which may have allowed me to enjoy the show instead of looking for where it diverged.

The premise seems to be this: On October 1, 1989, 43 women who had not been pregnant that morning gave birth. A rich entrepreneur adopts 7 of them.  He trains them as superheroes to combat crime. Each child has a unique superpower. For some reason, unexplained but perhaps hinted at, the children go their separate ways. This story takes place when they reunite at their father’s death.

Many of the characters are a bit stereotypical. But can we expect more from comic book villains and heroes?  We saw their flaws and strengths in concrete terms. However, I found most of them to be sympathetic. I tend to be attracted to stories of broken heroes and this one gives me three--Luther, Diego, and Klaus.  

There were a few others worth mentioning. I adored Hazel and the donut lady. I liked Bobo and felt so much emotion from “mom” even though she was supposed to be an automaton. I cared and worried about these people. On the other hand, one major irritant was the show’s inconsistencies. Luther’s size was all over the board.  And the speed of the relationship between Leonard and Vanya was hard to believe. Speaking of Vanya, I also couldn’t believe her total personality metamorphosis took only 3 or 4 days. As this was a major part of the season’s arc, I had some difficulty staying connected to the storyline.

 Even with the irritants, what the series does well had me hooked--Giving viewers a reason to care about the characters.  I watched the entire season in two days. And I’m sure I’ll watch it again.