Hello everyone. First off, I'd like to acknowledge that I know it's been a while since I've posted anything.

Okay, so it's only been about 16 days, but in the blogging world, that's a long time. I know I've missed quite a few posts, and for that, I do apologize.

These last couple of weeks have been...really difficult, to say the least. I've had to deal with a sick household (so much puking 😢), a large workload, plumbing issues in my kitchen that needed repaired, and a serious lack of sleep. Both my mental and physical health were taking hits, and I needed to step back from at least one thing. And that thing had to be blogging. But I also stepped away from my book reviews, and I stepped away from my emails, because I knew if I checked them and saw the amount I'd have to tackle and/or reply to, it would just overwhelm me even more than I already was. 

I'm only one person, and with everything else on my plate, I had to cut myself off from everything that wasn't just friends/family (talking to them via text or FB Messenger) and work. Trying to keep everything and everyone on track while neglecting myself hit me like a freight train going 200 miles per hour. I was beyond stressed and could barely even focus on the things I needed to prioritize at the time. I was starting to spiral, and I didn't feel like doing anything. I had to force myself to get up in the mornings, and then I had to force myself to try and function even a little, even though I just wanted to give up on everything some days. 

But, things are finally starting to get back to normal. I'm still struggling a little, but I'm trying to play catch up on my book reviews so I can post those. I am also planning to get all of the tour stops I missed over the last two weeks posted to my blog hopefully this weekend. Or as many of them as I can. If any of them require a review, please know I will get them posted ASAP. I'm trying my best, and all I can do is ask that everyone bear with me while I get myself back on the right path. 

Thank you,

Jasmine

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  FlightLog: The Novel Adventures of a Stewardess Wannabe Who Becomes a Flight Attendant by Susan Humphrey

Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  338 pages

Genre:  Women's Fiction, Chick Lit, Memoir(ish), Coming-of-age

Publisher:  Majuscule Press

Release date:   August, 2022

Content Rating:  PG. A few romantic encounters but light on the details. Reference to tobacco use.

Book Description:

“It was 1978. People didn’t have home computers, video players, or answering machines. We rented our telephones from local phone companies and hand-wrote letters. The terms ‘politically correct’ and ‘African-American’ had not been coined. ‘Eating disorders’ and ‘alternate lifestyles’ were not yet common household phrases. Only strippers wore thongs, which made perfect sense to me, as they only caused one to gyrate their hynie in a desperate attempt to dislodge the bothersome wedgie.”

So writes Sherri Van Ness, an unassuming girl from the burbs of Kansas who’s about to embark on the adventure of her life when she signs up to become a stewardess. But it’s much more turbulent than this doughy-eyed 19-year-old ever imagined as she tries to navigate past grouchy passengers, fly-by-night relationships and the unforgiving, relentless, humiliating, monthly weigh-ins. Some dreams come true. Others require a vomit bag.

That’s not to say Sherri doesn’t enjoy herself. Au contraire! There are friends to be made and men to be made and the maid who made up her room in New York is so nice!

Yes, the work is difficult at times and the money isn’t always good, but there are perks: free flights and an endless supply of tiny vodka bottles and salted peanuts (peanut allergies hadn’t been invented yet.)

Like Dorothy Gale sans Toto, Sherri leaves Kansas and finds herself amidst a cast of characters as strange to her as the Scarecrow and the Munchkins were to Dorothy. Her whirlwind journey takes her from innocent, insecure stewardess to mature and confident flight attendant. Or does she?

​Book your flight now with this very enjoyable read, put your seat back in the upright position, and enjoy the ride!

BUY THE BOOK:
AMAZON ~ Audible
BAM ~ B&N ~ Bookshop.org
add to goodreads

Meet the Author:

​Susan Jo Humphrey, the daughter of a diplomat, was born in Izmir, Turkey where she lived for three years. She also lived in Korea and Thailand, before returning home to the US with her family as a teenager. She has traveled all over the United States, and has called several parts of this country ‘home.’ Her many airplane rides as a child convinced her she must one day become a stewardess. Suz was a flight attendant for thirteen of her twenty-five years with UAL. She began penning FlightLog with the help of the Naperville Writer’s Group, outside of Chicago. There, she published in their annual pamphlet, had a humor piece printed in an online magazine, and contributed many articles to local newspapers. At the time of publication, she is busy working on FlightLog II.

Away from the keyboard, Suz loves yoga, reading, cooking, listening to music and playing her guitar. She still enjoys mapping out travel to faraway places she’s never seen, as well as planning return trips to her favorite spots.

She currently lives in Southern California and has two grown children. Today, she’s in healthcare, where she’s worked since 2014. Suz was the ‘baby’ of her flight attendant classes – and the ‘senior’ student in her nursing classes. She’s eager to write that story as well: a novice baby-boomer RN begins her dream career as a travel nurse – just as a pandemic breaks out!

connect with the author: website 

FLIGHTLOG by Susan Humphrey Book Tour Giveaway

Broken Crowns

Empress Chang

(Kingdom of Lies & Truths, #1)

Publication date: March 9th 2023

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Mafia, Romance

Leandro was supposed to protect me. He failed me, covered me in blood and broke my innocence.

Leandro was to love me, but in the end, I knew we had no future.

So, I made a decision, and it has been five years since I last saw him. Now he stands before me, not only as my husband but as my Don.

My decision freed me but destroyed the Leandro I knew. This Leandro was covered by darkness and cruelty, and I was drawn to him like a bee to honey.

The more I get to know the man, the more it makes me question everything I know to be right and wrong.

But he is still the boy I knew and even though I needed him to love me, how long before I fall to the unmerciful side of Leandro Scavo, and truly love him?

*Broken Crowns is the first book in the Kingdom of Lies & Truths series and can be read as a standalone. It is a Dark new adult mafia romance that includes scenes that may be disturbing to some. (Mention of human trafficking, discussions of child abuse, graphic murder & torture scenes, strong sexual scenes, strong adult language and talks of blood). Recommended for readers 18+.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo

—

EXCERPT:

I gave a soft snicker as we stared each other down. Her eyes blinked with humor. She would not make it easy to get answers. “Why did you leave?”

“I thought that reason would be obvious to you.” She took in every inch of the house, as if avoiding looking at me, then her gaze fell on the balcony as if she could see right through it . . . at someone or something out there. Waiting. Watching. Her eyes lingered there as she said, “I told you back in Florida that I lost my innocence and you that night. I was scared every time I was alone. Every sound had me jumping. The sight of a small cut on my hand along with the blood that beaded gave me panic attacks.”

“I just never got comfortable with blood the way you obviously have. I didn’t want to. I didn’t want the guns around, the men, the knowledge of knowing anyone I married in this life could easily be taken from me in some turf war. That I could be used again to get to the man I would end up marrying one day.”

I waited patiently as she zeroed in on me. “You brought me back to the worst part of my life, and I’m alone in it because my best friend and cousin fear you, while my parents hate me.”

Hearing a tremble in her voice and tears running down her cheek, I took her hand and guided her out of her seat to sit into my lap. She circled her arms around my neck and cried over my shoulders. “They don’t hate you. You hate me. You think your parents could ever feel what you feel toward me?” She shook her head. “Then stop saying that. Give Federico time and the doors of the estate will open to you again.”

Sniffling, her arms tightened around me. “But Faye and Eden . . . they’ll never welcome me again. I’m married to you . . .”

She whispered that last part, but all I could hear was her scheming ways to get me to absolve the girls of their role in her lie.

Unsure if I was more amused by it or annoyed, I threaded my fingers through her hair—pulling just hard enough to get a whimper from her—and forced her to meet my eyes.

“Then it’s a good thing you have me for company.” Sighing in defeat, Emilia loosened her arms around my neck, and before she could stand from my lap, I gripped her hips and kept her there. “Keep patronizing me, Emilia. You haven’t met Leandro the unmerciful yet.”

“I have a good idea who he is . . .” Raising her hand to my face, she sketched my forehead to my temple and over my cheeks and nose. Her right hand brushed my midnight shadow before slowly sliding over my parted lips. “He’ll take what’s his by right. He told me that two nights ago.”

The soft undertone of her voice was entrancing. Her delicate touch aroused me, but her condescending words burned me. “You are testing my affection for you,” I said, cupping her cheek with the hand I freed from her hair. My thumb mimicked her fingers, and when I brushed her smiling lips, she opened them and flicked her tongue against the tip.

“Affection. Is that what you call it now?” she murmured, and I pushed my thumb into her warm mouth and exhaled when my dick pressed against my zipper and her ass. “Mmm.”

Author Bio:

Writing under the pen name Empress Chang, she is referred to as an overly dramatic, outgoing yet shy individual by her friends and family. Half Chinese Jamaican, Chang was born and raised in Jamaica. She then migrated to the United States of America, three years ago where she is still scared of driving on the other side of the road!

Writing stories about her dogs and princesses at a young age, Chang discovered romance books in high school and started writing her own believing that romantic happy ever after’s are necessary for a healthy and happy life.

She is a huge believer in the simple things in life, and her life’s main goal is to be happy. This includes sunny beaches and junk food (of course)!

When Chang is not writing, she is usually reading, watching a series that has hooked her attention and demands to be binged, or is spending time with her supportive, loving husband.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / Bookbub / Twitter / Pinterest / Amazon / Newsletter

GIVEAWAY!
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—

This is my post during the blog tour for Shadows of Nightshade by Lyla Oweds. Shadows of Nightshade is a ghost story for romance and tragedy lovers.

This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours and the tour runs from 13 till 26 March. You can see the tour schedule here.

Shadows of Nightshade (The Garden of Eternal Flowers #1)

By Lyla Oweds

Genre: Paranormal Romance/ Paranormal Horror

Age category: Young Adult/ New Adult

Release Date: 8 March 2023

Blurb:

I dream of a time where I was warm, safe, and loved.

But my waking reality is starkly different.

Anxiety plagues me and spirits haunt the shadows. No matter how fast I run, I can’t seem to escape my past.

The only solace and steady force in my life is my best friend, Finn.

And now… there’s a ghost haunting me. And I’m not certain if it wants help or if it wants to kill me. There’s only one person who can understand: Finn’s brother, Damen.

However, in reaching out, I’m betraying Finn and setting things into motion that cannot be undone.

But nobody ever said that doing the right thing was easy.

The Garden of Eternal Flowers is a re-envisioning of my Grimm Cases series. Eternal Flowers has taken my original vision of Bianca's story and transformed it into something new and beautiful. Some chapters are similar, and some dialogue is the same, as The Grimm Cases, Origins, but overall, about 75% of the book has been entirely revisioned with new plot points, mystery, and interpersonal relationships. Also, unlike Origins (originally a Wattpad release), there is now a clear beginning, climax, and conclusion in each individual novel, which allows them to be read alone or as part of the ongoing series.

I hope that you will enjoy Shadows of Nightshade as much as I enjoyed writing it. Truly, it is an honor to write about Bianca and her boys, and all of these characters are near and dear to my heart.

Trigger Warning: This series deals with the aftermath of severe childhood trauma.

Links:

- Goodreads

- Bookbub

- Amazon

- B&N

- Kobo

- Radish

Excerpt

“It’s nothing,” Miles muttered. “Just… ghosts.”
“Oh.” That was it? Did he not like ghosts? But did he not realize that ghosts were everywhere?
Although, to be fair, I did not like to be around most people. And they were everywhere too. I, too, was exhausted from the overstimulation.
I could relate.
“Don’t worry.” I squeezed his hand. “We can work together. Okay?”
Miles slowed down, and my chest tightened as the rude nature of my question hit.
“I-I don’t want you to do everything for me!” I clarified. “It’s… I thought, maybe if we worked together, we could get finished faster.” His expression remained unchanged, and I added, almost begrudgingly. “I’ll give you some money, obviously.”
It made sense, if both of us were doing the job, we should share the profit.
His nose wrinkled in distaste. “I’m not going to take your money.”
“But…” I’d been keeping track of their spending and was working out a payment plan with interest. “I already owe you—”
“I’m not taking any money from you,” Miles interrupted. “Ever. Do you understand?”
“Okay.” I understood that he believed this, but who knew what the future held? Where there was a will, there’s a way.
Miles narrowed his eyes. “Why do I feel you don’t actually understand?”
“I don’t know,” I answered. How was I supposed to know how his mind worked? Only he could answer that question. “Why do you feel that?”
I was somewhat curious to know.
He looked at me before his shoulders slumped and he sighed. “I’m too tired to think.”
He was kind of cute, all disheveled and confused. When he was this vulnerable, it was easy to ignore the rest of the world and focus on him. His arm brushed against mine, and my heart began to beat a little faster.
There was something horrifying beginning to curl in my stomach.
I could never let him know. Even acknowledging such feelings was unsafe. 

About the Author:

Lyla Oweds is a paranormal / urban fantasy author who resides in the beautiful Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania with her husband, children, and animals. While she enjoys all genres of fiction, she has a deep appreciation for fantasy, romance, mystery, crime, and horror. Lyla has a bachelor’s in anthropology and will be completing her master’s in information technology in 2023.

Writing is her moonlighting passion, and she loves having the opportunity to share her perspective as a disabled (profoundly hard of hearing) woman. During the daylight hours, Lyla works as a principal / lead design and development specialist focusing on user experience and accessibility. When not working, Lyla is usually indulging in one of her many hobbies such as amusing her children, gardening, crocheting, interior decorating, baking, cooking, or playing video games.

Author links:

- Website

- Facebook

- Instagram

- Amazon

- Goodreads

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of Shadows of Nightshade. One winner wins a paperback copy of Shadows of Nightshade.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Nonfiction / Behavioral, Emotional & Social Disabilities

Date Published: March 13, 2023

 

 

As a parent, you play a critical role in shaping your child's love for reading and learning. From an early age, the books we read to our children, the stories we tell them, and the way we encourage them to explore the world around them, all have a profound impact on their development and lifelong learning.

"READ TO ME: 3 Secrets to Unleashing the Scholar in Your Child – A Parent’s Guide” is a priceless tool for parents who want to encourage their kids' love of reading and education. It offers practical suggestions, methods and strategies for encouraging your child to read, helping them align learning with their interests, and creating a supportive environment for learning and discovery through the 3 secret strategies.

As your child begins to explore the world of reading and learning, it's important to remember that every child is unique and will develop at their own pace. This guide will help you understand your child's needs and interests, and provide the necessary tools and support to help them fall in love with reading and learning.

I highly recommend this guide to all parents who want to support their child's love for reading and learning. It will be a priceless resource for you as you navigate this exciting journey with your child.

 About the Author

 

Janet Law is a passionate educator and author and tireless advocate for children’s literacy. With over 18 years of experience working with children aged 5 to 8, Janet has helped countless young learners to master basic reading skills while igniting their love for reading.

As a lifelong learner herself, validated by her experience supporting children, Janet understands the importance of balancing academic rigor with a nurturing approach to learning. Her own experience as a "tiger mom" trying to push her son to excel academically and her subsequent change in strategy taught her the vital lesson that children learn best when they feel supported, encouraged and enjoy the learning process.

This, together with her extensive experience working with children inspired her to create a system that not only encourages joyful reading but also fosters self-confidence, emotional awareness, and stronger parent-child connections in each child.

Janet holds a Master's degree in Education (Special Needs) and is an active community volunteer. She has been recognized by the National Library Board and the Chinese Development Assistance Council of Singapore for her dedication to helping children learn and love reading.

On a personal note, Janet is now the proud mother of a very loving son who had grown into a servant leader, a dean lister, and a scholarship recipient. She values spending time with her son who is now a banker. Together, they love exploring new cafes and serving as volunteers in a national reading programme for children from low-income families.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

LinkedIn

Amazon Author Page

 

Purchase Link

Amazon

The Brazen Beauties Book 3

Historical Romance, Regency Romance

Date Published: March 21st, 2023

 

 

He’s a powerful landowner…

She’s an irresistible wallflower…

For nearly a year, Victoria Leighton has shut out the world. Her sole focus has been on paying off the debt she inherited from her husband and securing a comfortable income. Unaccustomed to independence, to stepping out into Society and getting noticed, she ignores the cravings of her heart. Until a stranger arrives on her doorstep and presents her with a daring invitation.

Colin West hates complications. But when he seeks shelter from a storm and meets a reclusive widow, instinct compels him to save her from her self-imposed prison. Soon, he’s hosting a house party and doing his best not to fall for the quick-witted lady. To do so would be disastrous. For if the scars he received in war have taught him anything, it is that he is incapable of instilling desire in any woman, never mind love…

 

The Brazen Beauties Series

 

Mr. Dale and The Divorcée, Book One

Mr. Grier and the Governess, Book Two

Mr. West and The Widow , Book Three

Series on Amazon

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling Author, Sophie Barnes, has spent her youth traveling with her parents to wonderful places all around the world. She's lived in five different countries, on three different continents, and speaks Danish, English, French, Spanish and Romanian with varying degrees of fluency.

She has studied design in Paris and New York and has a bachelor's degree from Parson's School of design, but most impressive of all - she's been married to the same man three times, in three different countries and in three different dresses.

While living in Africa, Sophie turned to her lifelong passion - writing.

When she's not busy, dreaming up her next romance novel, Sophie enjoys spending time with her family. She currently lives on the East Coast.

Contact Links

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

BookBuzz

 

Purchase Links

Amazon

B&N

Itunes

Kobo