Gina G writes

                                                             The "K" Books Book 1: Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw My niece and I picked up this book two years ago. I almost bought it. I'm glad I didn't. Now, don't get me wrong, the book was well written. The story had promise, but it failed.  Described as a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore and full of devastating twists, the story is about four friends who decide to spend the night in a Heian-era abandoned mansion. Its foundations rest on the bones of a bride and its walls are packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company. After a night of food, drinking, and games (yawn) the ghost bride appears with a hungry heart and a blackened grin. Lucky for me it was a short book. The characters were cliche. You had your...

 The "J" Books Book one: Oceano Beach Bedlam, written by my friend Topper Jones This is book two in the Thad Hanlon and Bri de la Guerra Mystery series. (I am eagerly awaiting the third.) In Book Two, Thad and his partner, Bri, are newly licensed private investigators. They do it all: fraud busting, background checks, surveillance, and anything else. They just need a client. When the body of a young man is discovered on the beach, Thad recognizes him from the day prior, when the now-dead young man was arrested with a few of his BVL 13 homies during a weapons search. After being questioned by the police, Thad and Bri head back to the tent where he and his son Zale are living, until the detective agency starts bringing in money. Bri lets Thad know that the fledgling company is in the red. They need a client or else. But where do you get a client?  And then, an exotic, dark-haired woman makes her way across the sand to Thad's camp setup and hires the team to find her missing...

 Summer Time  "Hot Summer Streets and the City is burning, and I sit around. Trying to smile, but the air is so heavy and dry..." Or maybe I should say "Summertime and the livin'  is easy..." If you stay indoors, where the AC is, and keep the windows closed and shuttered to block the sun from warming the inside.  It's too hot to take the dog for a walk until ten at night, and even then, it is still warm. When you walk at night, you need to dodge the cockroaches. Nasty creatures. They are big and fat this year. They love the heat. Last year, I vented in June about the heat. This year, June was not a killer. We are expected to be in the triple digits for the next two weeks. I'm not a fan of this time of year. I spend my days off recruiting online, writing, editing, and playing fetch with Barney, my rescue dog, in the hallway. In the background, I have movies and series playing, or nature shows for Barney.  Ways to stay cool in the summer: One: stay indoors...