The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen is a psychological thriller with a twisty-turny beginning, but a failure to stick the landing. Trigger warning for rape and violence. Ellery Hathaway is the only living victim of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. Now an adult, and a police officer, Ellery has changed her name and moved to tiny Woodbury, MA where no one knows about her terrifying past. Then three people vanish from her small town, each … Continue reading The Vanishing Season by Joanna Schaffhausen →
A Girl Walks into a Bar is a choose your own romance book, and I’m slowly coming to the conclusion that maybe this format either isn’t for me, or doesn’t particularly work in the genre. I’ve reviewed two similar books in the past. One, I hated. Another was cute and fun, but the awesome options were heavily skewed toward one direction. The first decision you’re asked to make in A Girl Walks into a Bar … Continue reading A Girl Walks into a Bar by Helena S. Paige →
Elements: Fire is an anthology of short comics by creators of color. All of the art is in black and white, with red accents. The result is visually striking and gives the anthology cohesion while also demonstrating a variety of art styles. All of the stories involve speculative fiction, including non-European-based fantasy and some “smash the dystopia” style science fiction. The best thing about this anthology is that it showcases so many artists and writers. … Continue reading Elements: Fire edited by Taneka Stotts →
It’s our first Whatcha Reading of the new year! We all hope you’re off to a great start on your reading. But, if you aren’t, that’s okay too! There is plenty of time to catch up, especially if you’ve set some personal reading goals. For the second year in a row, I’ve failed to meet by Goodreads Reading Challenge amount, which is to read 60 books in a year. So, I’m attempting it again. Third … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? January 2018 Edition →
by SB Sarah · Jan 27, 2018 at 3:00 am · Comments Off on Advertisement Opportunities for February
Greetings! It’s almost a new month, and we have some excellent opportunities for advertisement this February, including some new options! So are you publishing a new book or novella, or part of a boxed set? Maybe you have nifty editorial services or would be an ideal copy editor? Let us talk! We have four-week spaces starting at $50. We have weekly spaces starting at $50. We can work with your time frame and budget, so … Continue reading Advertisement Opportunities for February →
It’s cocktail time! And this time, I’ve mutated one of my favorite drinks into something dark and sharp. Which is perfect for the release of Megan Erickson’s Zero Hour. Let’s get into it, as I’m hopped up on sugar from devouring an entire box of Girl Scout cookies for breakfast, and then making a cocktail at 11am. Zero Hour is a romantic suspense novel and the first book in a brand new series. It was … Continue reading Covers & Cocktails: Firewall →
Amanda and I have a lot to talk about in this episode! First, we chat about the recent episode of The Bachelor that we recapped for Smart Bitches (it was TWO HOURS y’all), and what we (might have) learned about the series by watching one episode. (Clearly, we are now unquestionable experts. *Unquestionable* experts!) We then answer a request for advice from Katie, who is looking to make new friends in her new home outside … Continue reading 283. Making Friends and Finding Bisexual Romance Characters: Recommendations and Advice from Amanda & Sarah →
Diary of an Accidental Wallflower by Jennifer McQuiston is $1.99. This is the first book in McQuiston’s Seduction Diaries series. Readers who enjoyed it loved that the hero was of a lower social class than the heroine. Several readers also describe McQuiston’s books as their new favorite comfort reads – now that’s a huge compliment! Plus, McQuiston’s podcast episode with us, is one of the most popular in the archives.
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This is an introductory novella to a series about women who all attended the MacLaine Performing Arts Academy in Washington D.C., and I’ll admit, I would have bought the novella on the strength of the cover alone. Isn’t it gorgeous? Bina MacLaine is the daughter of the founder of the Academy, and now that she’s an adult, she teaches dance there and manages a lot of the operations. She’s a year off a traumatically broken … Continue reading On Pointe by Shelly Ellis →
It’s still alive! Frankenstein was first published 200 years ago in 1818 by Mary Shelley. In Frankenstein, she explores themes of responsibility and the importance of acceptance and empathy. She also explores the controls placed upon women and a justice system that is unfair to the working class. The novel lacks the staggering monster, the character of Igor, and the cry of “It’s alive!” Instead, it has a monster who teaches himself to speak and … Continue reading Happy Birthday to Mary Shelley’s Monster! →
Are you all ready to harness your collective powers for another Rec League? This request comes from Anna: This question was inspired by your recent Silver Fox Rec League. Could you recommend me some books where the hero is more mature and self-aware than the heroine, and comes to terms with his feelings far quicker than she does, teaching her something about herself in the process? This theme is my ultimate catnip, but I only … Continue reading The Rec League: Mentors →
