In her sleep, Daniela works just as she does when she is awake. In her dreams, she puts on layers of protective gear: the plastic gloves, the cloth gloves, and the metal glove. Then she grips the knife and begins to cut chicken. Sometimes she wakes up covered in scratches from having worked through the […]
Original source: https://www.nybooks.com/online/2022/12/23/working-in-their-sleep/
Narrated by Stella Hunter & Shane East, Making Merry by Kerrigan Byrne is a standalone novella in the historical romance series, Goodie Girls & Victorian Rebels. I grabbed this for the Ho-Ho-Ho readathon last year and finally listened during this year’s thon. Heat, snark and paranormal elements await you in this delightfully sinful romance.
Making Merry
by Kerrigan Byrne
Series: Goode Girls #1.5, Victorian Rebels #7.5
Narrator: Stella Hunter, Shane East
Length: 2 hours and 42 minutes
Genres: Historical Romance
Source: Kindle Unlimited, Purchase
Purchase*: Amazon | Audible *affiliate
Rating: 
Heat Level: 
Narration: 1.35x Speed: 4 cups
There’s no room at the Inn…
Sprightly Victorian spinster Vanessa Latimer is stranded for the holidays in the Scottish Highlands by a relentless winter blizzard. She takes refuge at a centuries-old inn where the only available room is haunted by the ghost of a warrior who fell at Culloden Moor.
One who refuses to give up his side of the bed.
Johnathan de Lohr awakens to find a siren bathing in the chamber of sorrows that keeps his restless spirit imprisoned. Though he’s the ghost, John knows that the captivating woman will be the one to haunt him.
Unless they can figure out a way to set his tormented soul free.
Please note: This novella is also connected to The Victorian Rebels Series. Previously published in the anthology, A Very Highland Christmas
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1891 in the Highlands, Vanessa Latimer is stranded for the holidays in the Scottish Highlands. Whilst bathing, she encounters the ghost of Johnathan de Lohr, a warrior. Grab your earbuds, and curl up by the fire for this decedent holiday listen.
If you are looking for a steamy holiday listen, Making Merry is a delightful tale where a tarnished lady meets a 150-year-old ghost while visiting the Scottish Highlands hoping to capture a photo of the Loch Ness. The story isn’t overly complicated, but the author brought the characters and their story to life.
If you are wondering how a ghost and lady could have a heated evening or even a happily ever after, I assure you dear listener Byrne has worked her magic. I felt deeply for Vanessa and all that was done to her and was delighted to learn more about Johnathan.
Told in duet style and performed by Stella Hunter and Shane East, listeners are in for a treat. It’s the perfect listen by the fire as you wrap holiday presents.
While the story seems to fall into two series, I can assure you it must be a companion series and works as a standalone.
Amazon* | Audible
Making Merry by Kerrigan Byrne delivered a little holiday magic. #audiobook #StellaHunter #ShaneEast #audiobookreview
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Kerrigan has done many things to pay the bills, from law enforcement to belly dance instructor. Now she’s finally able to have the career she’d decided upon at thirteen when she announced to her very skeptical family that she was going to “grow up to be a romance novelist.” Whether she’s writing about Celtic Druids, Victorian bad boys, or brash Irish FBI Agents, Kerrigan uses her borderline-obsessive passion for history, her extensive Celtic ancestry, and her love of Shakespeare in almost every story. She lives in a little Victorian coast town on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State with her wonderful husband. When she’s not writing you can find her sailing, beach combing, kayaking, visiting wineries, breweries, and restaurants with friends, and hiking…okay…wandering aimlessly clenching bear spray in the mountains.
Stella Hunter is a classically trained vocalist and a lifelong performer who loves being both on stage and behind the mic. Her voice is described as a blend of sensual and sweet, with a girl-next-door feel. She enjoys bringing to life all kinds of characters and performing all genres, from romance to paranormal/fantasy.
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Original source: https://caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/2022/12/making-merry-by-kerrigan-byrne.html
Stan and Allen: A Book About Gender follows two non-binary alligators who are misgendered and educate their friends on gender-neutral language. What was the inspiration for your story?
The inspiration initially came from my own experiences explaining my identification of nonbinary to others. When I first told my parents about my identification they mistaked being nonbinary for being bisexual – a common misconception. I also thought about those I knew who were younger than me who also struggled to explain their identity to family or others. I wanted to create something which could act as a friendly tool for these conversations. A children’s book seemed to be a great format which could reach all ages.
My older brother, Brennan, is actually the great story-teller in the family – and has always been a creative inspiration for me. Brennan loves creating short stories. It really was his love which made me truly fall in love with writing and creating stories of my own.
What educational aspects were important for you to include in this children’s book?
The presentation of Stan and Allen was extremely important. I wanted the book to be visually stimulating to hold attention and also represent the positive nature of the story. If you follow closely you can see each character speaks in their own font style. It was also important to me to have the book rhyme to depict a friendly tone. Having anthropomorphic characters I believe is one the most important aspects of the book. Since Stan and Allen are both alligators we are able to just purely focus on the given topic – gender. Since animals are less ‘gendered’ than humans I believe it’s easier for someone new to the concept of non-binary to learn on an already fairly gender neutral alligator. Finally I also wanted a type of reflection included which is why the book ends with some pure educational pages. These include a dictionary type definition of what it means to be non-binary, three important things about gender, and some easy gender neutral greetings.
Overall I hope the book is able to serve as a great educational tool. I have had school counselors, students, pediatricians, parents and others express how helpful the book has been in their explanation and understanding of non-binary identification. The book is meant to help educate anyone of any age about what it means to be non-binary.
What were some of your inspirations as a writer?
I drew inspiration from my favorite children’s books : Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich and The Spider and the Fly. Both books have very unique illustrations, are written in rhyme, and are in square page format. My love for these two books and their formats helped inspire Stan and Allen to have hand drawn illustrations, rhyme, and be formatted in square pages.
What is the next book that you are working on, and when will it be available?
I am currently working on two more Stan and Allen books. One is a follow up on gender which dives deeper into the topic. The other is about ADHD. I have ADHD and realize all the negativity associated with it, but don’t agree. I hope to illustrate ADHD as a positive rather than a negative. Stan and Allen: A Book About Gender is my first published book through Archway publishing — I am currently working on marketing it and building up a following. My dream is to publish my next book through Simon and Schuster.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Website
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/23/struggled-to-explain-their-identity/
Kenneth Nixon Jr. plainly explains his childhood in Born Into Crisis. From start to finish, he has survived and conquered many trials. He leaves nothing out while detailing the abuse of his childhood. Along the way, he gives advice on handling loved ones suffering from mental health issues. His own mom suffered from them, which is why he became an advocate for mental health. Finally, he tells his story of overcoming great odds to have healthy relationships.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. Expertly written and easy to read. I, unfortunately, can relate to a lot of his childhood trauma. His advice and tips for helping those struggling with mental health issues are accurate. He is very knowledgeable about how to handle his mental health issues as well as others. His childhood is very similar to mine. The emotional, mental, and physical abuse that he went through at a young age is comparable to what I went through. His messed-up childhood takes place mainly in Arlington, Virginia. From poor parenting to a parent with bipolar disorder, he lets the reader know just how stressful life can be.
Throughout everything, he ultimately maintains hope and becomes a parent himself. I found this book to be dramatic, informational, and thrilling. I appreciate how plainly he explains the trauma he went through. He doesn’t over-exaggerate anything or make it overly dramatic. He calmly tells his story as though he has done it a thousand times. Which he probably has due to therapy. Hardships like his can either make or break a man. Truly broken men don’t write memoirs. His entire book is written like he was speaking. He mentions his ADHD, and you can tell from his writing style that he wrote the book to be like he was speaking. There were several mannerisms in his writing that, on a side note, were quite comical. He goes in-depth with all of the mental health issues he discusses. It was a truly fascinating story to read.
Pages: 232 | ISBN: 1950476561
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/23/born-into-crisis/
The News According to Mr. Freels is a feel-good read that will have you smiling from beginning to end. Readers are introduced to an old man named Mr. Freels, who lives alone and spends his days sitting on his porch listening to the news. Mr. Freels likes to share the news with anyone who would listen, but unfortunately, he cannot hear so well, so the news he relays to others is not always accurate.
Author Sheri Lynn Buckner has written a story that takes young readers to a time when life was simple, and people would enjoy time outside and even enjoy having conversations with one another. Mr. Freels’s character is charming, and he reminded me of hearing a story about my grandfather. The images in the story are so beautiful and transport the reader into Mr. Freels’ world. I appreciated that the author not only told a story but she also aimed to challenge the reader by asking questions at the end of the book. This is the perfect way to involve the reader and to test their comprehension. There is also a section at the end of the book where the reader can write down the definition of words that they did not understand.
This book is the perfect read for parents to share with their young ones, and the activities at the end will certainly be a great project to work on together. I highly recommend this charming and captivating read to those who want to learn a little about history and simpler times.
Pages: 46 | ASIN : B093LKCSBF
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/23/the-news-according-to-mr-freels/
In Tales Untold: Mythos Around the World, a collection of short stories, readers will travel around the world. With the compiled works of 15 authors, readers will adventure through small towns, jungles, oceans, ancient history, space, and exotic locales of many kinds. The stories take us through myths and legends, touching on the very core of what makes us human. Each story will teach lessons, each story will take you to another world, and each story will end leaving you feeling more complete than before you started. Readers of all kinds will find their genre represented in this fascinating collection of short stories.
Janie Kang et al. took their passion for myths, legends, and culture and turned it into a beautiful collection of stories. Each story stirred me in different ways, whether it was a lesson to be learned or a short horror story that brought a visceral reaction. There was never a lack of twists and turns, and I didn’t have a chance to put down the book down as each story begs to be completed in one sitting.
Each story brought me to a new location, full of stories of its own, a whole world with new feelings and rules that they follow. I found myself trapped in a painting watching the stories unfold and gaining insight into how the world functions. This fictional retelling helps address grief and loss, showing us that loved ones can be found.
Character development was wonderful and the stories themselves were great, there were just a few that I felt didn’t resonate as strong as the others, but that’s just personal preference. Anyone who is looking for a compelling and unique collection of short stories will find something to love in Tales Untold: Mythos Around the World.
Pages: 302 | ASIN: B0BL3FCCP4
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/23/tales-untold/
Melody is different from all the other unicorns because she is the only unicorn with no color. Her friends reassure her that they do not care that she has no color, but she is determined to find some color somewhere. Melody sets out to give herself some color, in one way or another, but in the process of trying to be like the others she learns that there is something different and special about her after all.
This is a fun children’s book with a unique twist to the way it teaches children self-acceptance. In most children’s book the protagonist is often confronted with bullies or people that don’t accept them. I really enjoyed how, in this book, Melody is accepted by her friends for who she is. It’s Melody’s own thoughts and internal desire to be like others that drives the story forward. Each time she tries, her friends are very supportive and help her find what’s unique about her. This sends a fantastic message to children on a variety of different levels. They can relate to Melody where they’re struggling to find something unique about themselves, or they can relate to Melody’s friends where they learn to support one another no matter what.
The artwork throughout the book is vibrant and colorful and the faces on the little unicorns are very cute. Children will be drawn to all the bright colors. I enjoyed seeing all the different creative ways that Melody tried to include color in her.
Melody the Unicorn and the Beauty Within is an educational picture book that teaches self-love, self-acceptance and friendship through a fun story. Elementary teachers will be able to easily integrate this book into any lesson about diversity or acceptance and parents will have an easy time reading this wonderful book to their young ones at bedtime.
Pages: 35 | ASIN: B0BBPQMVSL
Original source: https://literarytitan.com/2022/12/23/melody-the-unicorn-and-the-beauty-within/
Our picks for your book club
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Our picks for the best cookbooks of 2022
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Gift guide: Books adapted into series, movies
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