Rules of Survival in a Horror Movie

Posted by cat2002116 on April 19, 2016
Posted in: Humour. Tagged: . Leave a comment

So, quite a while back, if anyone remembers, I promised (or threatened, depending on how you look at it) a list of rules of surviving a horror movie, based on the Evil Overlord List.

Well, I finally did it. I got to a hundred rules. Several months overdue… but here they are. Finally. Enjoy reading!

(Does discuss things of a violent and sexual nature, so be warned).

1) I will never leave the house to investigate a sound outside. If there is ever a point where that becomes necessary, I will not walk out the front door and leave it wide open behind me while I walk around. I will first ensure that all doors and windows are closed and locked shut – and that I have my keys with me.

2) If I see someone dressed as the killer, I will not assume that they’re just one of my friends messing around.

3) If I receive threatening phone calls, I will not try and engage the caller in conversation. I will hang up and call the police.

4) I will keep a mobile on me at all times that’s fully charged. That way, if the phone lines are suddenly cut out along with the lights, I have a way of calling the police.

5) If I’m meeting a friend someplace and everything’s dark, I will not walk into the building and call out to my friend, announcing my presence.

6) When I’m fleeing from the psychotic killer, I will make sure I grab the car keys before I leave the house.

7) I will run out the front door. Not up the stairs.

8) If someone tells me not to go into the dark, scary house, or not to read from the creepy book, I will do as they say.

9) I will not be talked into doing above-mentioned things by one or more friends calling me a chicken or some other juvenile taunt.

10) If I hear a noise and it turns out to be just a cat, I will still be on my guard.

11) Running is never overrated.

12) I will make sure my car is always filled with petrol and that a mechanic checks it frequently.

13) If there are rumours flying around about a cursed object, like a videotape, and my friends all decide to put it on, I will leave the room before they start. If possible, I will leave the building or forest altogether.

14) When I realise the person I’m talking to is the murderer, I will stay calm and come up with a plausible excuse to leave – and make sure I am as far away as possible before I call the police.

15) When I know there are two possible suspects and I’m running, only to bump into one, I will assume that the one I bumped into is the one who’s actually innocent.

16) If the murderer appears to be dead on the floor, I will not go up to him or her ‘just to make sure’.

17) If I find out my so-called friends have taken me somewhere there has been a lot of murders in the past, I will leave straight away.

18) I will never go into the dark, scary woods on my own.

19) Truth or Dare is a stupid game to play, especially when Dare is picked. The same goes for Spin the Bottle.

20) I will not automatically believe the police when they tell me nothing is going on.

21) If my parents don’t believe me, I will scream and shout and kick up such a fuss that they will have to listen (or cart me off to a psychiatric hospital, where it should be safe).

22) Splitting up is rarely a good idea. Safety in numbers.

23) When I’m being chased, I will not look behind me. I will, instead, keep my attention on what’s in front of me. If I trip over a tree root or bang into a wall, I’m definitely dead.

24) If I’m hiding in a tiny place with the murderer outside searching for me, I will clamp my mouth closed and put my hand over it for as long as it takes.

25) If I’m being hunted, I will always make sure my phone is switched off. Or on silent.

26) I will never just assume that the killer has left.

27) If I have a gun, I will not shoot the killer merely once.

28) If my friend promises they’ll be right back and then don’t come back within five minutes, I will not go looking for them.

29) If someone wants to tell me an important piece of information, I will demand they tell me there and then instead of meeting somewhere else.

30) I will always check the backseat.

31) If I’m running from zombies and I see a loved one among them, I will not stop and insist that this cannot be possible. I will still run.

32) I will not walk backwards down a corridor.

33) I will not allow my significant other to drive me to a supposed romantic spot in the middle of the night.

34) If someone is sitting with their back to me and unresponsive, I will assume the worst and get out of there.

35) I won’t lie to my parents about where I am.

36) If my car breaks down after I put petrol in it at a petrol station, I will not walk back there.

37) I will lock and bolt the door to the dark, scary cellar or basement, rather than investigate the strange noise.

38) I will always turn the lights on.

39) I will not try to touch strange things.

40) I will always keep my eyes on the road ahead of me.

41) I will always pay attention to any cryptic comments that are made.

42) Trying new pills, or any kind of experimental item, is never a good idea.

43) I will never pick up a strange hitch-hiker.

44) Child ghosts are creepy. I will not follow or approach them.

45) I will not stand in front of a mirror and say, ‘Bloody Mary’, ‘Candyman’, or equivalent three times.

46) I will quickly form a romance with the most eligible guy or girl, but only when the killing has started. If already in a relationship, I will dump the guy or girl beforehand – unless he or she isn’t in the group.

47) I will not have sex.

48) I will not stop and ask for directions.

49) I will make sure I have plenty of the correct batteries for my flashlight. And lots of spare flashlights.

50) All potential weapons will be locked away, unless I’m carrying them.

51) If I have a chance to leave, I will take it.

52) If zombies are after me, I will find something with massive iron padlocks. Not a run-down house.

53) If the killer is moving slowly enough that it looks like a slow-motion replay, I will not just sit or stand there and wait to be killed.

54) When I see fog, I will always prepare for something bad to happen.

55) I will wear sensible shoes. If I’m stupid enough to wear high heels, I will kick them off if someone starts chasing me.

56) If I manage to get a gun, I will not waste any ammunition.

57) When I’m running from the killer and get to a house, if there’s no answer when I knock, I will try somewhere else.

58) If I’m driving and the killer appears in front of me, I will not swerve to avoid him. Or her.

59) I will never accept food or drink from a stranger.

60) If there is no answer at a house when I go to knock and ask for directions or to use their phone, I will not try the door. If I do try the door and it turns out to be unlocked, I will not go into the house.

61) Whenever I leave my house, car, cabin, etc., I will always lock the door/s behind me.

62) Light switches are my friend. If I’m investigating a strange sound in a basement or even downstairs, I will not take a mere candle with me.

63) If a door won’t open on the first try, I will find another door to try, or even a window. I will not waste time trying to open a door that’s clearly either stuck or locked.

64) If someone is bitten by a zombie, I will shoot or decapitate them – or at the very least leave them behind. Not take them with me so that they can turn at the moment it would do the most damage.

65) I will never get naked.

66) If I’m being chased by something, I will not take the elevator.

67) I will not take part in a seance or use a Ouiji board. Even if all the cool kids are doing it.

68) I will never rush out to meet the police car. I will tell the dispatcher to make sure the police officer doesn’t just randomly get out of the car without even drawing his or her weapon.

69) If my hair isn’t naturally blonde, I will dye it.

70) I won’t take a bath. Or a shower.

71) I will never buy a new house, rent a new apartment, etc., without first checking its history.

72) I will avoid sleep if at all possible. If I absolutely must sleep, I will set my alarm to go off every half an hour.

73) I won’t ever accept rides from strangers.

74) Water leaking under the bathroom door is always a cause for alarm.

75) If something scary is coming towards me, I won’t just stand and stare at it. If said object is a car, giant rock, lorry, etc. I will not run away from it in a straight line. I will jump to the side.

76) I will be suspicious of any person who is overly religious.

77) Alternatively, I will be suspicious of any person who is taking pills for medication.

78) I will never say (or think), ‘It’s just the wind’, or believe anyone else who says the same.

79) I’ll never say, ‘I’ll be right back’.

80) I know what zombies are. If I get stuck in a zombie apocalypse, I will realise the best way to dispatch them is by shooting them in the head.

81) I will not tuck a gun into the waistband of my trousers, where it could go off if I bump into something.

82) I will not hide behind a door with my back resting against it.

83) I will not waste time trying to block the killer from following me by dragging heavy objects in front of a door or knocking things down in front of him or her to block their progress. It never works.

84) Except for when it comes to zombies. Zombies move so slowly, I probably have time to do all that and microwave popcorn, too.

85) I will always assume there is some grain of truth to an urban legend.

86) I will not attend any wild parties when a killer is at large.

87) I will always keep my keys where they’re easy to get to.

88) If someone tells me to stay quiet, that’s what I’ll do.

89) If I know I’m going to be moving to a new house with a bad history, I will be taking up martial arts.

90) If one of my friends decides to be an idiot and check out the strange noise, I will knock them out and tie them up. Not passively follow them.

91) Alcohol is a Bad Idea.

92) I will never make a wish unless I have first covered every loophole that there can possibly be. And triple-checked the list. And got a lawyer to check it.

93) I will invest in a good pair of running shoes. I just have to be faster than the other guy.

94) If a window is stuck open, I will not stick my head out to see what the problem is.

95) I will not summon a demon, ghost, or anything else that is out of this world.

96) If someone looks shocked at something behind me, I will not turn round to see what they’re looking at.

97) If someone creepily calls my name, I will not investigate.

98) I will become an expert in disarming anything explosive.

99) If I’m with a scientist who wants to study the creature stalking me and my team, I will lock him in with the creature. Poetic justice.

100) I will not hide under a car.

Release Blitz: Taking Chances

Posted by cat2002116 on April 19, 2016
Posted in: Interviews, Promotion. Tagged: , . Leave a comment
Title: Taking Chances
Author: Regina Morris
Genre: Short, Sweet Military Romance
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb:
Heartwarming, sweet romantic short story about a soldier wounded in battle who finds love where he least expects it. Amputee Corporal Tommy Johnson is rehabbing in a VA hospital near his small hometown in Texas and hiding from everyone, but a nice surprise of events helps him to have his happily ever after.

Interview

1) What originally inspired you to get into writing?

I fell in love with reading rather late in life. Even with a full-time job and with a family, I was treating books like candy and couldn’t get enough. One day one of my favorite authors released her latest in a series. I think it was book #15 or so. I had read the other 14 books and had spent months waiting for this release. I was very disappointed and started thinking of dozens of ways the story could have been better. This author is still one of my favorites and I’m still reading the series (book #15 was the only one I didn’t like). Anyway, I thought I’d try writing a novel and just loved the entire process.

2) Where did the idea for Taking Chances come from?

I registered to do a book signing near an army base. My father is ex-military and I just thought it’d be fun to write a short story about a young soldier.

3) Was there any particular character that you liked or felt able to relate to?

I love the character of Abby. She’s a strong and determined character who is self-sacrificing.

4) Was there any particular character that you disliked?

No. This is a short story about personal growth. Tommy has been wounded in battle and rehabbing in a VA hospital in the US. I chose to set the story a good month after the injury when he mentally/emotionally has already gone through the stages of denial and anger. I didn’t think he’d be a likeable character during those stages of loss. He’s in the stage of self pity and I though that was a great place to have him grow as an individual.

5) Were there any scenes in particular that were particularly challenging or easy to write?

The scene where he is being measured for his fake leg was hard. I’ve never had to undergo such a tragedy and I didn’t want to make light of the situation. I wrote the scene once filled with Tommy’s emotions and it felt too overwhelming. I finally decided that a ‘closed door’ approach was better for the scene. You see a bit of what he’s experiencing, but the reader doesn’t have to read the sadness. Overall, the book is a romance and not a tragedy. I didn’t want this story to be depressing but a nice “feel good” and uplifting one.

6) Have any of your characters been inspired by real people?

Sort of. When my father was stationed overseas my brother became very ill and spent two weeks in the military hospital. One of his room mates was a young soldier about 20 years old. I based Tommy’s character off of him.

7) Are there any particular authors or books that have inspired you?

I write mostly paranormal romances. The authors who have inspired me are Kerrelyn Sparks, Lynsay Sands, and JR Ward.

8) Do you have any advice/pearls of wisdom for budding writers?

Write the story you want to write and finish it. A lot can be done in editing. The most important part of writing is actually writing.

I’m a part-time writer who would love to quit her day job and become a full-time writer. Tea and chocolate fuel me so that I can write at night and on the weekends whenever I can find the time.
I have lived in many different parts of the world, and grew up on military bases. My father was career military and CIA; his father worked with the Secret Service. I graduated high school in Germany and I attended the University of Texas at Austin where I received a degree in Computer Science with a minor in math. My specialty is social media and I love connecting with people.
I do many giveaways and online parties with freebies and a lot of fun, so please join me on social media and subscribe to my newsletter.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.reginamorris.com
Newsletter: http://newsletter.reginamorris.com
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1VyOMkq
Goodreads Author Page: http://goodreads.reginamorris.com
Smashwords Author Page: http://smashwords.reginamorris.com
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Sooa20
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/taking-chances/id1088758399?mt=11
BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/taking-chances-regina-morris/1123478699?ean=2940152886368
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/taking-chances-59
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/619002
“Tommy took a deep breath as his eyes traveled from the woman’s hair, down her shoulders, and then to her hips and legs. She was wearing a dress under her white blazer. A yellow floral dress with white shoes. He hadn’t realized how long it had been since he had seen a true civilian. His life had been filled with green fatigues and military boots for so long.
Standing there in that dress, she may have been the most beautiful woman Tommy had ever laid eyes on. When his eyes traversed back up their path, and again he saw her angelic face, he knew she was the most beautiful, by far.”


Rebound

Posted by cat2002116 on April 19, 2016
Posted in: Books, Reviews, Uncategorized. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Rebound

(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).

(This review may contain spoilers).

While there wasn’t much of a blurb when I entered to win a copy of this book, I was pulled in by the front cover and I was quite excited when I won a copy of this book.

I didn’t, however, feel that this book was as good as it could have been. For most of the storyline, Anna was a very unsympathetic character. The beginning started off really well, but there was very little in the way of tension… and Anna’s assumption that every male character fancied her just really irritated me, more so because it apparently turned out to be true.

While there was a lot of potential in this book, I felt that Anna’s reluctance to go to the police was a huge mistake on her part. While it was good to see that the police didn’t do any victim blaming, I did feel that she came across as particularly juvenile, with the ‘nothing can hurt me’ attitude often seen in adrenaline junkies.

I found it very hard to connect emotionally with many of the secondary characters, since so much of the book was spent summarising any interactions Anna had. The encounter where she instigated things with the Dior Man came across as very surreal and I’d actually thought the book would take a completely different turn then. I was very disappointed to find it went down the normal route for these kinds of books.

I did like Bell and Michael as characters, but I would have liked to see more of them. When Anna described Bell as her family, I couldn’t see it. There was so little time spent on any of her friends, I actually found it hard to see Anna as having much of a social life.

There was something about this book that left kind of a bad taste in my mouth and I think it was mainly the first encounter, which had no negative consequences. I was left with the impression that it was totally okay… and it really isn’t.

I loved Wispa in the book, but she was probably the only character I did feel an emotional connection to. It would have been good if I’d felt the same attachment to her owner.

Blog Tour: The Thirteenth Continuum

Posted by cat2002116 on April 18, 2016
Posted in: Blog Tour, Books, Reviews. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment
The 13th Continuum

by Jennifer Brody

Publisher: Turner Publishing

Release Date: April 19th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction

Rate: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
One thousand years after a cataclysmic event leaves humanity on the brink of extinction, the survivors take refuge in continuums designed to sustain the human race until repopulation of Earth becomes possible. Against this backdrop, a group of young friends in the underwater Thirteenth Continuum dream about life outside their totalitarian existence, an idea that has been outlawed for centuries. When a shocking discovery turns the dream into a reality, they must decide if they will risk their own extinction to experience something no one has for generations, the Surface.
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

The end of the world idea is one that has been done quite a few times before… as well as the whole saving portions of the human civilisation in ships. I did find it an interesting idea that there were ships sent under the water and into space, though.

I had a lot of sympathy for Sari right at the beginning of the book. It was really sad to see the way she wanted her grandmother to go with her and I found it really easy to relate to her as a character. Her reactions worked really well for the age she was, but I would have liked to see a bit more of her relationships with her parents and her sister.

I thought it was interesting to see bits and pieces of reports that allowed me to know how things developed in Myra’s world under the sea. While it was disturbing to see such a toxic religion spring up, that wasn’t actually too surprising, considering how many years passed and there was no one left who remembered what the surface was like.

I really liked Myra’s character, though I did think she didn’t necessarily help herself. At the same time, I did think there were times she did the right thing… even though it got her noticed by those wanting to get her in trouble.

It was really interesting to see the different kind of jobs, even if no one really remembered what things were supposed to be like. I did find myself wondering how exactly the church had taken power so easily… especially since it was only after the original President’s daughter passed that the church was able to do that. I would have thought it would take longer.

I did think it was really interesting to see the differences between the Continuums after I got to see the First from Aero’s perspective. I found him to be a really intriguing character and it was good to see that there were problems in his society as well, even though those were different to the problems in the Thirteenth.

I would definitely like to read the sequel to this book at some point in the future. This was an interesting plotline with characters I was able to care about and root for. I’d really like to see more of them.

photo addtogoodreadssmall_zpsa2a6cf28.png photo B6096376-6C81-4465-8935-CE890C777EB9-1855-000001A1E900B890_zps5affbed6.jpg

 

Follow the The 13th Continuum by Jennifer Brody Blog Tour and don’t miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.
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Jennifer Brody’s debut novel The 13th Continuum sold to Turner Publishing in a 3-book deal and is being packaged into a feature film. The book is the first in a trilogy and will come out in Spring 2016. She is a member of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. She lives and writes in LA.After studying film and graduating from Harvard University, she began her career in feature film development. Highlights include working for Michael Bay’s Platinum Dunes and New Line Cinema, most notably on The Lord of the Rings films and The Golden Compass. In 2008, she produced the feature film Make It Happen for The Weinstein Company. Her recipes and articles have appeared in xoJane, Fox News, Parade Magazine, Whole Life Times, and Meatless Monday, and many other publications.

She is an alumni of the Sirenland Writers Conference, where she studied with Meg Wolitzer, and the Tin House Summer Writers Workshop, where she studied with Victor LaValle. She recently completed a 3-week residency at The Lemon Tree House and has been accepted for a residency in Spring 2016 at the Helen R. Whiteley Center, run by the University of Washington.

She founded and runs BookPod, a social media platform for authors with 400 members. She’s also a mentor for the Young Storytellers Foundation. In Spring 2015, her mentee’s script was picked out of over 900 scripts for the Glee Big Show, where it was performed by the cast of the hit Fox TV show, and in Fall of 2015, her mentee’s script was chosen for the Biggest Show, where it was performed by Jack Black and Leslie Mann.

 

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Release Day Blitz: In All My Years

Posted by cat2002116 on April 18, 2016
Posted in: Promotion. Tagged: . Leave a comment
Title: In All My Years
Author: Ciara KnightGenre: Sweet Contemporary Romance
Cover Designer: Robin Ludwig Design Inc.
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
Blurb:
Kathleen Baker fled Riverbend, TN in the middle of the night to escape her mafia, drug running husband. She also left behind the man she loved. Now, ten years later, Kathleen returns to Riverbend, the one place she’d ever felt at home. After a letter arrives, Kathleen realizes her husband is still alive. With her past now in the present, Kathleen’s future is in jeopardy.
Colum Harrow kicked his nephew out of his home so that he’d move on with his life and stop moping around the house over a lost love. Unfortunately, he was unable to follow his own advice, and has lived in isolation for years with the guilt he had failed to protect the woman he loved from an abusive husband. Now, she returns to his hometown to see the birth of her granddaughter, and he must face his failures and the woman who owns his heart.

Ciara Knight writes with a ‘Little Edge and a Lot of Heart’ with her contemporary and paranormal romance books. Her most recent #1 Amazon bestselling series, Sweetwater County, has topped the charts and received acclaimed reviews. Her international best-seller, Pendulum scored 4 stars from RT Book Reviews, accolades from InD’Tale Magazine and Night Owl Top Pick. Her young adult paranormal series, Battle for Souls, received 5 stars from Paranormal Romance Guild and Night Owl’s Top Pick, among other praises.
Author Links:
Website: http://www.ciaraknight.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ciaraknightwrites
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ciaratknight
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ciaratknight/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5127753.Ciara_Knight
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Jc5ASN
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1PhSvB1

Criminal

Posted by cat2002116 on April 18, 2016
Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Criminal

(This review may contain spoilers).

I did find this movie very difficult to get into for quite a while. I did think it was good to have the opportunity to see something of Bill’s relationship with his wife and daughter, since that enabled me to connect emotionally with him as a character and care about what happened to him.

It was really interesting to see the science fiction elements, but it was fairly obvious from the start things would go wrong. I did feel that there was a good element of urgency running through the movie, though.

I found Jericho to be a really unsympathetic character for the first part of the movie. It was made very clear that he wasn’t a nice person from the beginning… but it was good to see that he began to evolve over the course of the movie (though I still wouldn’t have trusted him personally). I really did feel that Kevin Costner did a good job of playing Jericho’s character throughout.

There were quite a few actors I recognised in this movie, but I found it really hard not to see Elsa as a Black Widow wannabe.

It was interesting to see how Jericho had the different flashbacks triggered by things Bill had experienced. And I especially liked the interactions he had with Emma and Jill later on in the movie.

There was a lot of action in this movie that did draw me in after the less likable start. I liked seeing the interspersion of scenes with the Dutchman, though I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of him.

I did eventually get drawn into this movie and there were a lot of really good parts about it. I liked the actors and thought they did a good job with the script and playing off each other. I probably wouldn’t watch this movie again, but I did enjoy it the first time through.

The Jungle Book (2016 Movie Review)

Posted by cat2002116 on April 18, 2016
Posted in: Movies, Reviews. Tagged: , . 1 Comment

The Jungle Book Movie 2016

(This review may contain spoilers).

As a child, Disney films were a big favourite with me and my sister, so when I saw they were doing a live-action film of The Jungle Book… I was immediately interested in seeing it.

I found this movie to be a lot more intense than the cartoon version and there was a lot more violence involved. Shere Khan was suitably intimidating and it was really interesting to see the way things worked in the jungle, especially with the water truce. The hedgehog made me smile and I felt he added a lot to the story.

I really liked Mowgli’s relationship with the wolves. I thought Grey was especially sweet and I really liked the fact that the wolves had accepted Mowgli as a member of their pack… even though there were a lot of problems after Shere Khan’s appearance.

I did think there was some really good visual imagery in this film. I especially liked the images where Kaa was involved… and there were some really nice bits of humour involving Baloo.

I did especially like Mowgli and how he formed friendships with the animals in the forest. It was interesting to see him refer to the animals as having different languages… and I would have liked to see a bit more about that, since he seemed to have no trouble understanding the languages of any of the animals, even Shere Khan, who Mowgli probably hadn’t met before.

I did think it was interesting to see the way fire was referred to and I felt that wording worked better than the original Disney version of the Jungle Book.

I did think that both Baloo and King Louie were at very impressive sizes… and I especially liked that Mowgli was able to use what was around him, despite being told not to. And I really liked seeing him and Bagheera interacting together.

There was a lot about this movie that kept me on the edge of my seat, involved with the storyline and the characters. This is a film I wouldn’t mind seeing again… but I wouldn’t recommend taking very young children to see it.

Blog Tour: Revived

Posted by cat2002116 on April 15, 2016
Posted in: Blog Tour, Promotion. Tagged: , . Leave a comment
Title: Revived
Author: Kasidy Blake
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR
Blurb: From all appearances, Dr. Marley Banks has it all.
Unfortunately, Marley is missing the one thing she has longed for her whole life.
The one thing that she’s been told she will never get, the thing she has been made to believe she doesn’t deserve.
Marley is on a mission and she’s ready to step out of her comfort zone to get what she desires most. Is she willing to risk what may be right for what she knows is wrong?
From all appearances, Dr. Liam Beckett is everything wrong for Marley.
No matter how hard he tries though, he can’t stop thinking about her.
Unfortunately, Marley hates everything about him…



Kasidy Blake has been married to her high school sweetheart for 10 years. They have two amazing children who are their whole lives. 
Kasidy loves reading and has been doing that for years until the voices in her head started to yell and beg to be let out!
Her friends and family are supportive and she knows she would be nothing without them, thanking God daily that she doesn’t have to. 
Revived is her third book. The Who I Am series is available on all platforms. 

Author Links: Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/KasidyBlakeAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Kasidyblake
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8365533.Kasidy_Blake
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1YbauZJ

Buy Links: 
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1Tw7iZi
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Revived-Kasidy-Blake-ebook/dp/B01C1XNTWY

Revived Excerpt
Kasidy Blake
Copyright 2016
“Earth to Marley!  Dr. Banks?  Hello!?”
Her voice is getting louder.  I had better acknowledge her or who knows what she may do.  “What?”
“I asked if you wanted to go for drinks Saturday.  A few of us are going out.  Thought I would invite you…”
Saturday…  Saturday?  Do I have plans Saturday?  I don’t, except checking in at the hospital.  I am not even on call, so checking in at the hospital is only because I choose to.  I could get out of it.  And of course she knows my on call schedule.  Shit, I need a better excuse and some way of stalling her while I come up with that excuse.
“Oh, I am sure Dr. Banks is booked up for Saturday Ella, she couldn’t possibly want to slum it with us.”
I groan inwardly.  He always seems to show up at the wrong times.  Well, I think any time he is around is the wrong time, so he doesn’t have much hope.  I know what everyone says about me. I know that everyone knows that I don’t get out of the house much, except to come here, so he is trying to piss me off.  Sadly, after today, it’s working, and my ability to deal with him is on its last limb.  So there goes my filter right out the window.
“Oh, Dr. Beckett?  You are going to be there?  I do like a good game of guess the tramp, so I’d love to go.”  I smile up at him as sweetly as I can muster.  Everyone is watching and waiting to see who will win this round.  
“Guess the tramp?” he asks, somewhat amused, that damned smirk starting to surface.
“Oh, yeah.  We love to figure out who you will drag back to your cave and demean for your own pleasure, then kick to the curb and take their self-respect with you.”  Point to Marley!
He laughs a deep laugh, then leans on the table right next to me.  
I can smell him and a hint of perfume, which makes me want to gag.  I bet it’s the perfume from the resident this morning.  I won’t back down from him this time, though.  He has tried to push me down and it usually works, but, today, I have decided to be stronger.  At least, in the last few minutes, I have decided to be stronger.  So I will hold my head up high.  
I turn to meet his gaze and watch his eyes widen as he sees the challenge in them.  We stare at each other for a while, each one of us seeing who will cave first.  I see his eyes change right before he plays his card and know I have officially lost this round, too.  
“Oh, you don’t get it.  It is never just about my pleasure; I make sure she is very satisfied.”  He winks, then turns to walk away, not getting to the end of the table before he turns around and catches me gaping at him.  “See you Saturday Dr. Banks.”
Shit.  Asshole-2, Marley-0.

Blog Tour: The Requiem Red

Posted by cat2002116 on April 14, 2016
Posted in: Blog Tour, Books, Reviews. Tagged: , , . Leave a comment
The Requiem Red

by Brynn Chapman

Publisher: Month9Books

Release Date: April 5th 2016

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Rate: 4 out of 5 stars

Synopsis:
Patient Twenty-nine.
A monster roams the halls of Soothing Hills Asylum. Three girls dead. 29 is endowed with the curse…or gift of perception. She hears messages in music, sees lyrics in paintings. And the corn. A lifetime asylum resident, the orchestral corn music is the only constant in her life.
Mason, a new, kind orderly, sees 29 as a woman, not a lunatic. And as his belief in her grows, so does her self- confidence. That perhaps she might escape, might see the outside world.
But the monster has other plans. The missing girls share one common thread…each was twenty-nine’s cell mate.
Will she be next? 

(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review).

(This review may contain spoilers).

I actually did quite enjoy reading this book, though I did feel that there were a few too many POVs. I would have found this book much easier to read if there hadn’t been so much head-hopping… and I probably would have given it at least an extra half-star if it hadn’t been for the amount of confusion caused by some of the shifting that wasn’t even indicated.

I felt a lot of sympathy for Jane’s character. I would have liked some more detail about her history growing up in the asylum and perhaps more of her relationships with the other patients. I did enjoy seeing her musical ability and how she saw colours and words in the music.

I absolutely hated Frost… more so when I saw his interactions with Jules, though it was interesting to see what Jules thought of her father. I thought it was interesting to see how she wanted to escape from his influence… although I did feel sorry for Willis… and I did enjoy seeing her relationship with her lady’s maid.

I did find Mason to be an interesting character and I would have liked to know a bit more of his history. I did like his relationship with Jane a lot more than Grayjoy’s with Jules, which seemed to be more based on the resemblance between two of the characters and didn’t really feel that realistic.

I would have liked to see a bit more of the murders. I actually forgot they had happened until later in the book and even though there was quite a bit of action towards the end of the book, I felt that it fell by the wayside a bit during the middle portion.

It was really good to see Jane and the cat she’d adopted… and also to see that there was at least one other worker there who cared about her being able to get out. I found it really interesting to learn about the different wards… if extremely disturbing to read about Ward Thirteen.

I did feel that the book was really well-researched and there was a lot of good visual imagery in it. I was intrigued by the ending and would like to read the sequel to this book in the future.

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Follow the The Requiem Red by Brynn Chapman Blog Tour and don’t miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.
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Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Brynn Chapman is the daughter of two teachers. Her writing reflects her passions: science, history and love—not necessarily in that order. In real life, the geek gene runs strong in her family, as does the Asperger’s syndrome. Her writing reflects her experience as a pediatric therapist and her interactions with society’s downtrodden. In fiction, she’s a strong believer in underdogs and happily-ever-afters. She also writes non-fiction and lectures on the subjects of autism and sensory integration and is a medical contributor to online journal The Age of Autism.
She also writes under the pseudonym R.R. Smythe. 

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Twas The Knight Before Christmas

Posted by cat2002116 on April 13, 2016
Posted in: Books, Reviews. Tagged: , . Leave a comment

Twas The Knight Before Christmas

(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).

(This review may contain spoilers).

While I haven’t read the first book in this series, I did find this book to be really easy to follow and read, even though I would have liked to see less switching between the different first person perspectives. I found myself keeping on getting confused by which family I was reading about in which chapter.

It was good to have the opportunity to see the relationships of Jenna, Becky, Max and Matthew with their children, but I didn’t really see a lot in the way of differences in the characters. I did especially like seeing Mason, clearly accepted by his family… and I thought he was particularly sweet, particularly with his close relationship with Addy.

It would have been good to see the differences in the couples and their children. For instance, they all seemed to like Star Wars… but I wasn’t very clear on what other interests they either shared or differed in.

While it was good to see some elements of tension in this book, I did feel that a lot of them didn’t really have much of a negative effect on the characters and their relationships. There were some hints of Conner being unhappy about his father not having come home, but those weren’t really expanded upon and I felt those were glossed over quite a bit.

I felt there was quite a bit of information dumping in this book and I would have liked to see more of the other family members in the book. I did find it amusing how the parents kept getting interrupted in their attempts at being intimate… and there were some really sweet family moments at various points in the book.

I liked seeing the family at Christmas and it was cool what Max and Matthew did as their wives’ main present… even though I did feel it was a bit of a cop-out for both of them to do the same kind of present.

I would be interested in reading the first book in this series at some point in the future and also to learn more of the characters and their relationships.