Meet Moose!

 

This Bavarian Mountain Scent Hound was the inspiration for Moose (whose real name is Sigmund), my favorite character in Ghosts of Grayhaven, the novella my sister and I wrote. We hope to write more about Moose in the future, because he's not your ordinary hound. He has supernatural skills. And he's very loyal to both Zeb and Mariah. If you want to read about him, or are looking for a quick story of ghostly suspense to read on Halloween, you can check out our novella at the link above. It's got a warded cemetery, a vengeful ghost, some humor and a little romance. And an amazing dog named Moose. 

Happy Reading!

Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl.

This week's theme is a HALLOWEEN FREEBIE.

So, I decided to go with Books with Midnight in the Title because Midnight and Halloween just seem to go together. Have you read any of these? I've read about half of them.

1. The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James.

2. Midnight Creed by Alex Kava

3. Midnight Blood by Adam Wright

4. 13 Days to Midnight by Patrick Carman

5. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

6. Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham

7. What Happens After Midnight by K.L. Walther

8. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

9. The Midnight Line by Lee Child

10. Mist of Midnight by Sandra Byrd

Happy Reading!

Night Watcher by Daphne Woosoncroft

 

The plot:  Nola Strate is a late-night call-in radio host in Portland, Oregon, whose favorite babysitter was murdered by a serial killer known as the Hiding Man when she was only eight. His masked face has haunted her ever since. Now, twenty years later, a radio caller makes her suspect that the Hiding Man is back. And this time, he's coming for her. 

My thoughts:  This book is tautly plotted and very suspenseful. Nola is a relatable and sympathetic character. (Though I really didn't like her father.) Her creeping suspicion that she's being watched while not knowing by whom, along with her growing sense of unease as she senses the Hiding Man closing in on her is truly unsettling. This novel is well-written, has fast pacing, and keeps you guessing about what's really the truth and who Nola can trust. I liked that about it. It's a compelling psychological thriller.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

The Paranormal Ranger by Stanley Milford Jr.

 "As interesting as the paranormal may be, sometimes there is simply a logical explanation for the phenomena that people encounter. My job as a Navajo Ranger--even as The Paranormal Ranger--wasn't to prove that the paranormal was out there. It was simply to investigate the cases that came my way and do my best to find the truth. ... I truly did try to be like Sherlock Holmes when I investigated these cases, taking nothing for granted and doing my best to solve the puzzle. It was just as satisfying when that puzzle turned out to have a mundane cause as a paranormal one. The important thing was finding the truth."

"While, as an investigator, I would prefer to always have evidence and answers, my experiences with the paranormal have taught me to coexist with mystery when I must." 

This was my nonfiction book for the month of October, and it was an interesting one. Stanley Milford is part Cherokee, Part Irish, and half Navajo. Growing up, he spent every summer in the Navajo Nation with his father and grandparents learning the stories, traditions and beliefs of the Navajo. When he grew up, he became a Navajo Ranger, a law enforcement branch that patrols the vast, remote  regions of the Navajo Nation protecting ruin sites and archaeological artifacts, dealing with fish, game and livestock, and enforcing the laws. But his job also came to include investigating paranormal activity such as Bigfoot and UFO sightings, Skinwalkers, witch curses, and even ghostly hauntings. It was a fascinating look at his many strange encounters over the years as a Navajo Ranger. I enjoyed the way he writes and really appreciated his outlook on life. 

"For me, paranormal investigation is less about what's Out There than what's right here in front of us:  a chance to connect with and help one another and to do our very best to make our world a better, kinder place than it was the day before."

Happy Reading!

 

 

Haiku Reviews...

 

Carl's Doomsday Scenario by Matt Dinniman

Carl and Princess Donut

level up. Fight new monsters.

Face puzzling quests.

Fantasy .... 351 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(This second Dungeon Crawler Carl book is just as fun and adventurous as the first one.)

Love at First Sighting by Mallory Marlowe

Aliens? Or 

something else? El and Carter

team up to find out.

Romance + Mystery .... 316 pages .... 4/5 stars.

(Fun story. She's an influencer; he works for a secret government agency. They're complete opposites, but somehow perfect for each other. I loved their romance....though there were a few steamy scenes I skipped over.)

5 Good Minutes of Mindfulness by Jeffrey Brantley, MD and Wendy Millstone

Focus. Breathe. In, out.

Be in the moment. Reduce 

stress. Find calm and peace.

Self-help .... 183 pages .... 5/5 stars.

(So helpful! And so easy to practice.)

Happy Reading!

October's bookish art...

 

Jacques-Emile Blanche -- Woman Reading, 1890

"I love books. I like that the moment you open one and sink in to it you can escape from the world, into a story that's way more interesting than yours will ever be."

--Elizabeth Scott

Two favorite ghostly series...

 

The Haunted Child by Dawn Merriman

Rylan Flynn nearly drowned when she was a kid, and ever since her near-death experience she's been able to see and talk to ghosts. This time she's hoping the dead can help her solve a murder. I really like this series. Rylan's a fun character, though she was a little stubborn and reckless at times in this one. Still, her interactions with all the different ghosts are always great. It's the living she has to watch out for. I've read four books in this series so far and enjoyed them all. They're fast and fun paranormal mysteries.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Fallen Wishes by J.L. Bryan

Ellie Jordan is a ghost hunter, investigating hauntings and trapping troublesome spirits. She's been hired by a young widow to find out the truth behind the entities stalking the ruins and gardens of a large plantation outside Charleston, South Carolina where the long-buried secrets are dark and terrifying. This is another fun one from J.L. Bryan. I love this series and always enjoy Ellie's suspenseful ghost adventures. And this one is a great October read even if it's summertime for Ellie and Stacey, her partner in ghosthunting.  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Where He Can't Find You by Darcy Coates

 "For as long as anyone can remember, Doubtful, has been home to a serial killer."

They call him the Stitcher. People vanish when he comes around. When they're found, their bodies have been dismembered and sewn back together in unnatural ways. Some think it's a monster, a supernatural creature that stalks their town. Others are sure it's a man called Charles Vickers. But everyone agrees there are rules you need to follow in order to stay safe when the Stitcher comes hunting. 

1. Lock your doors and windows, and don't go out after dark.
2. Never travel alone.
3. Tell someone where you are going.
4. Stay in areas with lots of people.
5. Don't rely on technology...it breaks.
6. Stay away from Charles Vickers.

Abby, Riya, Rhys, and Connor know the rules. So does Abby's younger sister, Hope. And they always follow them. That's why it's such a shock when Hope is taken. Abby knows the police can't help. It's up to her and her friends to find Hope themselves. 

My thoughts:  I really liked Abby and her friends with their rules and their dreams of one day escaping Doubtful. And the legend of the Stitcher is downright scary. Coates does an excellent job of building tension and suspense as the Stitcher closes in on Abby and her friends. This book reads fast. It's a well-written YA horror novel that's not graphic or gory; it also has a satisfying ending. I thought it was a very fun October read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Happy Reading!

Ghosts of Grayhaven by Amy Newbold and Lark Wright

Some of you remember Ghosts of Grayhaven, the Kindle Vella story my sister and I wrote a few years ago. Well, we have revised and expanded it and it's now available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and in paperback starting today. So, if you're looking for a haunting novella filled with ghostly suspense this month, please check it out at this link. And tell a friend or two. Maybe even leave a review? My sister and I had a lot of fun writing it, and I hope you have just as much fun reading it.

Happy Reading!

 

Outland by Dennis E. Taylor

 "When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, it's up to six university students and their experimental physics project to prevent the end of civilization."

The plot:  It's Richard's and Kevin's applied physics project, Matt's computer system, and Bill's engineering skills that bring Kevin's theory of an interdimensional portal into existence. What they find on the other side is another earth, one where humans never evolved and mammoths and dire wolves still roam. They bring in geology student, Erin, and zoology major, Monica, to help explore this new world. They have dreams of finding enough gold in this other world to fund their experiment and the rest of their education...and also of winning a Nobel prize. But then the supervolcano underneath Yellowstone erupts, changing all their plans. Now they and several hundred university students are just trying to survive in this other Earth, the one they call Outland.

My thoughts:  Disaster/survival reads have always been favorites of mine, and the premise of this one sounded so fun I couldn't resist checking it out. And it was entertaining, with humorous dialogue, funny movie references, and enough science to believe in the characters without getting bogged down in all the technological details. It's a go-with-the-flow kind of novel. And Taylor keeps the story moving at a good clip. But in juggling so many characters, not all of them are fully fleshed out. There were times I completely forgot Kevin was even in the room; and I felt Matt's martial arts skills should have been used in the story at least once. But the main characters had enough personality and hints of backstory to make them likable and interesting. I did think some of their survival preparations got glossed over, and their stay in Outland felt a little too easily managed, with a lot of the details happening off page. So it's not perfect, but I enjoyed it. A fun popcorn kind of read. And one I gave 4 stars.

Happy Reading!

Randomness

 10 Things I think we need more of in the world:

• Kindness
• Forgiveness
• Faith
• Positivity & Hope
• Dialogue
• Civility
• Integrity
• Understanding & Empathy

Because what we put out into the world is what we get back. Negative words only lead to more negativity. Hate only begets more hate. And that makes the world a very dark and violent place. But the opposite is also true. Kindness, civility, gratitude, and love can fill the world with light and peace. And who doesn't want that?