Full Wolf Moon

Full Wolf Moon, by Lincoln Child, starts off with a gruesome and strange death by mauling that has the local investigators stumped. These attacks are nothing like they have ever seen, and seem to occur with the full moon cycle. Initially, these attacks are thought to be caused by a rogue bear or wolf. In true suspense style, the true culprit can’t seem to be identified.

The locals whisper about superstitions and werewolves (pretty smart, huh?) They spin local lore and there is a buzz about “tainted blood.” Randall Jessup, a forest ranger, seeks out his former college buddy, Jeremy Logan, to see if he can find the truth in the rumors. 

Logan has come to the Adirondacks to “get away” and work on his paper, but his natural curiosity had been piqued and agrees to help. Something is hunting, and it’s something other than human. Logan is an empath and an enigmalogist. (Meaning he studies the weird, the occult or the supernatural.)

The plot itself was well developed and alternated between science and the supernatural. The many twists and turns keep you in suspense. (And it MIGHT just have you put off that camping trip you’ve planned.) It is a creative blend of realism, fantasy and just plain pucker factor.

This book is a  fast-paced, creepy read (where I found a little influence from Lovecraft’s The Dunwich Horror.) If you are looking for a fun twist on a supernatural read, a campfire chiller, or a little late night Creature Feature, then this novel is one I would recommend!

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. I would like to thank Netgalley, the awesome publisher Doubleday Books, and the amazing and talented Lincoln Child for the opportunity to read and review such an amazing story!

Memorial Day 2017

Please remember that today is not about the BBQ or day off of work. Today we honor our fallen. Our brave. Our Heroes serving in the military past, present and future. 

Those brave men and women who go to fight, so you are safe. Freedom. Family. The ones pressing ever forward, while miles from home.

Take a minute to remember all of those that laid down their lives for your freedom.

And today, especially mourn with the family of the lost Navy SEAL who died while parachuting in New Jersey for military appreciation celebrations yesterday, 05/28/2017. 

Be sure to thank a vet today.

Freedom isn’t free.

Stay safe out there and have a Happy Memorial Day!

~Janet

 

The Apartment

A brutal break-in. 

A families sense of safety destroyed. 

A “restorative” trip to Paris.

To an abandoned, creepy apartment.

Where you can’t escape your past…

But your past will change your future.

Can you survive The Apartment?

Look out for unwanted travelers… and enjoy your reading.

~Janet

American War

 

American War by Omar El Akkad is the painful journey that reveals how a curious girl evolves into a pitiless fighter.

It is the story of yet another civil war in the United States in the late 21st century that has fractured it once again into North versus South.

It is the story of a young girl who suddenly loses her father to a suicide bomber.

And a family’s desperate attempt to stay together in a time of war.

What would you do if you had lost EVERYTHING? Steal? Lie? Become a sniper?

What if your best friend ended up as one of the “enemies?” Could you pull the trigger? What if it was your brother?

What would you do if you stood to lose it all? This is war. This is a divided nation. This is a book you DO NOT want to miss. Predictive of our future? Maybe. Read it, and then tell me what you think. What would you do in another American War?

Could you pull the trigger?

Let me know what you think.

~Janet

Little Heaven

“One wish. A terrible one. They were granted their heart’s desire. Unconsciously and involuntarily. And from that moment forward, they would be forever burdened with it.”

A child stolen in the night. Three mercenaries embark on an ill-fated mission. An isolated religious cult led by a Jim Jones wannabe infused with a deeply rooted evil. Twisted creatures of nightmares roaming the woods. The only way to survive… nothing short of a deal with the devil.

WHO THE HECK WANTS TO GO HERE?!?!

 

Meet Micah Shughrue. Micah’s daughter Petty has just been kidnapped. (Kidnapped may be too kind of a word.) Maybe spirited off by an unholy, Pied Piper monstrosity would be more accurate. Micah was a real bad man in his past, and we all know that the past comes back to find you… sooner or later. You see, when Micah came back from war, he found he was good at killing. How do you make an honest living when you come home you ask? Why become a mercenary…OBVIOUSLY! Being the hired gun for Seaborn Appleton was not all it was CRACKED up to be. When Micah has had enough of Appleton’s drug dealing days, he becomes public enemy number one for ole Seaborn Appleton… who could imagine? Good thing Micah is “cool in the cut.”

Meet the Englishman. The Whispering Death himself. Mr. Ebenezer Elkins. Crack shot with a pistol in either hand, and a bad attitude to help those flinging fingers along. Also a returning war vet with a strong taste for death. Wouldn’t you know he has been hired to kill Micah for Appleton. This could be bad news, right?

But, wait! You haven’t yet met Minerva (or Minny for short.) Minny has a short temper, but she is an AWFUL mercenary. She has trouble shooting the broad side of the barn, but what she lacks in skill, she more than makes up for with attitude and wit. By far, she is my favorite character.

Wouldn’t you know these three unlikely travel companions will meet up in a broad daylight, guns blazing, three way shoot out in a horse barn, OK Corral style! After they all are trying to kill each other, it seems like a far better plan to band together to get out of the hospital before the Feds show up to cart them away. This begins a descent into madness you would not believe.

When Micah is approached by Ellen to do a job for her, he declines. Leave it to a woman to put the charm on and drag him into chaos unsuspectingly. She wants him to check on her nephew who has been taken to a religious compound in the middle of nowhere. UM, HELLO BAD IDEA! Being a gentleman, he, of course, wants to assist this damsel in distress and calls upon his old companions in crime to assist.

So, here is where I have to say the stuff gets real. I am not one for giving away spoilers, so what I will say is that Reverend is CRAZY! Like, HELLO JIM JONES!! And the creatures stalking the woods…TERRIFYING!! 

“A fresh horror dodged in from the opposite side: a wet, shimmering, torsional creature of outrageous length, the wiry fibers of its anatomy braided together in some living, livid rope–”

Yes, I wanted to leave ALL the lights on when reading parts of this novel! Nobody does the twisted and horrifying, graphic and deliciously disturbing horror like Nick Cutter does. I have read EVERYTHING this man has written (both in this real name and both of his pen names), and this is BY FAR my favorite novel he has written to date. Cutter may not be for everyone, but if you are a horror fan, a suspense fan, a thriller fan, a graphically disturbing images fan, or an I JUST PEED MY PANTS FROM FRIGHT fan, this is the novel for you. Would I recommend this book to people? In a HEARTBEAT!

I rated this twisted tale of ill fates a 5 out of 5 stars. I would rate it more if I could, and in my head I did! Go, RUN, and purchase this. Read it! Enjoy the nightmares. Remember, “Evil never dies; it merely sleeps. And when that evil awakens, it can do so soundlessly- or almost so.” Happy reading!

~Janet

Friday Funnies!

Well, once again WE HAVE MADE IT!!! 

It’s Friday… and that makes me wanna dance!

I’ve already got my workout on…

I know, I wasn’t holding the bar right… sheesh… 

I’ve been working on my selfie…

About those peacocks…

I’ve been practicing my warming up for the weekend…

I’ve even practiced my workout for Sunday…

So to all of you who survived this week too…

Have a great and safe Friday night! ~Janet

Sail The Seven Seas with the Devyl!

Deadmen Walking, by Sherrilyn Kenyon, takes us through the 1700s Caribbean life, where the Pirates reigned the seven seas, and all manner of creatures (alive and dead) roam about plundering for spoils. The book opens up with a war torn and doomed pirate ship heading to the wreckage of Davy Jones’s locker. The battered crew escapes the wreckage, and the captain -as good ones do- goes down with his ill-fated ship. 

Next, you meet a young woman seeking the help of the notorious pirate Devyl Bane, under the guise of a young man, to find her missing (presumed dead) brother. When Bane sees a trinket that is linked to the blood of the archangel Michael, he quickly sets about escorting Cameron Jack to his ship to render aid to her cause. At this juncture, you may be thinking that the main story is centered around young Cameron Jack, her quest to be reunited with her captured brother, and the pirate Devyl, however, in doing so, your ship has been sorely steered asunder by the crafty Kenyon. 

Devlyn Bane and his cursed crew of Deadmen (Hellchasers) are a varied group of mermen, hell bound creatures and demons all brought back from their deaths by the enigmatic son of Lucifer, Thorn. Thorn and Bane have their own bloody and twisted history together, yet Thorn has assembled the crew from the depths of hell despite the “bad blood” between them. Thorn has agreed to give them each a chance to redeem their own souls by becoming crew members. The crew had all lead lives that were beyond redemption, but they all had something good as well they had done before their death. That one act of kindness, or compassion, earned them the right to prove they were worthy of redemption. If the crew of the ship can redeem their souls, they will have another chance at life. But to get their chance, they must keep the gates that protect the human world from the ancient monsters.

You learn that the vilest demon attempting escape is Vine, a particularly nasty creature, that Bane sold his soul to the devil to trap her in her hellish prison. Vine also happens to be Bane’s ex-wife. She is hell bent to see that Devyl gets his due.

Traversing the seas with his sister-in-law Marcelina (who is also the Sea Witch, the ship that they sail upon), Bane and the Deadmen fight to return the wayward demons to hell as well as keep Vine in her own dark prison. Centuries of being trapped in a hole in the world, Vine is not one to stay there quietly. Little does Bane know, Cameron Jack (with her bloodline coming from the archangel Michael) is exactly what Vine needs to crack open the gates and reign hell on earth. There is much tension between Bane and Marcelina, but then again their history is also bloody and dark. 

The storyline was captivating, spellbinding, and fascinating. The characters heart wrenching, gut-punching, and maddening. The tone overall racked with humor, beauty, and with a fun spirit. Deadmen Walking is so elaborate, you are really sucked in and left wanting to know what will happen next.

FULL DISCLOSURE!!! This may not be for everyone. There is a lot of character play from many other of Kenyon’s novels and her different worlds that causes some bulking and what could be considered information overload. I kept in mind that this was the first novel in her new series, and some ground laying and history was needed. If you love a steamy love scene, a brawling bunch of pirates, angels and demons and people trying to escape from hell (wait, this sounds like a movie!), then this novel is for you! Overall, I rated this novel a 4 out of 5 stars, as once again, in my opinion, Kenyon has knocked it out of the universe.

Have You Ever Had One Of THESE Days? (fair warning… check your sensitivites…)

Have you ever had one of those days when you think “Stupid people should come with warning labels!”

You know, those days when you are sitting there minding your OWN business, but people decide that they can mind it for you too… but they’re so much more intellectually challenged than you are… that you just have to laugh…

What about the ones that decide that they can defy the laws of physics… and insist that two objects can occupy the same space at the same time…

My favorite could be the ones that want to correct your spelling or grammar… while incorrectly using “your” instead of “you’re”… or “too” instead of “to”…

Then there are those days when all you can do is shake your head and think…

Then there are those people who think it is funny to laugh, make fun of, or harass other people… and they think it’s funny… well… 

Most days, I just want to ask this small, but completely annoying part of the human race…

Why when you order a drink from a drive thru does your order get messed up?

Since today was my day for winning the stupid lottery, I feel it only appropriate to lend a large shout out and acknowledge and embrace it! 

So, here we are… a shout out to all those annoying people we wish we could just make go away…

May you all dodge those people that need a good smack… to see if you can restart their brains…

May you laugh and have a great day on me!   ~ Janet

What would you do?

You step on the plane. It’s a beautiful day. You buckle your seatbelt and ready yourself for the ascent heavenward. This will be a relatively short flight. 

You have done this countless times before. No problems. Only this time will be different. Who can predict what number of damage birds can do when entering the turbine of the powerful jet engine? 

The descent is rapid. The damage, fatal. The images, horrifying. 

“You are vaguely aware of the blue leather on the seat ahead of you, of slick emergency information cards, glossy in-flight magazines, digital reading devices, and paperback books floating amidst the bubbles like tropical fish, and the way the fuselage is falling, falling, falling through the lake.”

“And the, before you know it, you are upside down and the lake water is in your nose, the pain stinging, and you are desperate for air, desperate.”

But you survive. Thirty-nine others don’t. So, you move from your town to a new one, desperate to start over. Telling yourself that “Breakdowns lead to breakthroughs.” Right? This is when your nightmare TRULY starts. 

This seemingly quiet house in the White Mountains holds a terrifying past. Why are you drawn to this house? This place? Why are there exactly 39 carriage bolts holding that door in the basement closed? What secrets will you reveal by breaking it down?

Why do the ladies of the town seem fascinated with your twin girls? 

Are the women truly herbalists with their greenhouses in every yard, or is this something more sinister? Have you stumbled into a coven?

Are the ghosts of the doomed flight 1611 out for revenge? Is it them you hear in your basement late at night?

Are you ready to make that death toll rise to forty?

As you tortured eyes search for answers, you notice that there, “sitting next to you in the pit, is the child from the plane with the blond spit curls, her hair now wet with lake water and flattened against her scalp, who had boarded Flight 1611 with the Dora the Explorer backpack.” 

Welcome to the White Mountain. 

Enjoy your stay… ~Janet

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

This was a 4.5/5 star read for me. For an author I would not have ever found, his novel was both chilling and haunting. Go ahead, give it a chance! 

 

Good Enough: Peace in Chaos (a little long, but a lot about me)

Once in a while I try to post something about myself, so that you guys get to know me. Yesterday, after a trying day, I was given the gift of peace despite chaos. Some of you know that my journey has been a long one. Diagnosed with a brain aneurysm after having a few mini strokes at a young age, as well as having aphasia now, has changed my life completely. By changed, I don’t mean a little. EVERY aspect of what once was my life suddenly, and irrevocably, has become different. What’s worse is that I had NO say in what has happened to me. Learning to make peace with what is left of my shattered concept of normal, has taken an incredibly long time… but I think I may  finally be getting there.

Yesterday, after another painful test, my best friend decided that enough was enough and it was time for him to intervene. That’s the great thing about having a best friend that truly knows you, they hear not only what you say, but also what you don’t. Let me share a quick story…

I happened to mention to him that my computer had a bunch of sticky keys and that it was driving me crazy. Have you ever tried to write a blog post, do a review, or hell even get on a website when your I,K,8 and comma keys only work if you beat on them like they owe you money?

I have been pushing through and using the computer even when I wanted to throw it out the window. Who wants to spend the money to get another one when you are going from doctor visit to doctor visit, or bogged down in moving and such? I had plans on looking for a new computer sometime over the summer when the stores start pushing their “Back To School” sales. THIS MAN walked in carrying a brand new computer JUST BECAUSE he heard me and wanted my life to be a little easier. WOW!!!

How do you express how that makes you feel? Not the computer… it is material… but that deep sense of awe that you feel when someone is connected enough that they just DO to make it better for you? I’m still working on that one. That someone could care more about you than themselves… magical!

Getting back to yesterday… as he was driving me home from that painful test I said something about wanting to start saving for a kayak or boat. I told him I just wanted to go out on the water and just be. Float out in the middle of the water, no one around, and sit in the silence. Bask in the sun and incredible views, and just read my book. He agreed that this would be positive and healing for me. A girl can dream!

When we got to the house, he was quite abrupt, and told me he had things he had to take care of and walked me into the house. I asked if I could go with him (I HATE being in the house all the time) and he gave me THE LOOK… you know, the one that stops you dead in your tracks…

I was so hurt… In my head, I was telling myself that he was just over me and my illness.

Quite some time passed. I started doing laundry and all those horrible things one must do to start a new week when I got a text message asking if I still felt well enough to go and do something.

My feelings were hurt. I wasn’t going to answer. I was coming up with every reason why I was now busy. Why I wasn’t good enough to be happy.

When he got to the house, this man had a kayak strapped to the top of the car. It was fixing to rain, the day was half over, and there was a kayak on top of the car… which I found out we now owned. WHAT THE HELL JUST HAPPENED???

Every thought in my head screamed NOOOOOOOOOO. It’s going to rain. I have laundry to do. I have a book review to write. My negative side of my brain was going a million miles a minute.

Then I remembered that I am in control of how and what I feel. Right now in THIS moment – I. AM. GOOD. ENOUGH. I can let things go and live a little. The laundry will wait. My blog will wait. What matters, RIGHT NOW, is that this man HEARD me. This man went out of his way to make my day a little better. What more can you ask for? SO, rain, dirty laundry, pain and all, WE WENT KAYAKING – AND IT WAS THE BEST AFTERNOON EVER!!! 

File_000 (26)I hope you find these pictures of my wonderland just as inspiring as I do. Get out. Live a little. Don’t let fear and social ideals constrain you. We only live once.

File_001 (7)You never know just what will bring you peace!

File_001 (5)Where you will find hidden treasures.

File_000 (18)Hidden beauty.

File_000 (16)Sometimes, you even find a bird tree! 🙂

File_000 (23)YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH!     ALWAYS!        SO, ENJOY THE RIDE!

Thank goodness for best friends!

File_000 (12)What are you thankful for? Have you been struggling too? I’d love to hear about your adventures, thankfulness, and even your best friends! I hope your day is wonderful and you, too, find peace among the chaos!     ~Janet