My Wizard World Adventure

My latest adventure was attending Wizard World's Comic Con in Philadelphia earlier this month. I managed to squeeze in a lot more than I thought I'd be able to and I was so happy it worked out the way it did.

A few of the cosplayers I snapped pics of. I also saw a great Liv (iZombie) but I wasn't able to get out of line to get her picture :(

I snagged more autographs than I had planned. You only live once, right? I have autographs from Stephen Amell, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Mitch Pileggi, David Duchovny, and Stanley Tucci. I also got a signed comic from Bob Gale (co-director/writer/producer of Back to the Future), for my hubby, which was pretty cool. I was sketched as Simpson Jen by Phil Ortiz! This was especially cool because 1) Phil Ortiz!! and 2) I've always wanted to be drawn as a caricature so now I can cross that off my bucket list!

I sat in on two panels, the best being the Captain America panel with Chris Evans, Sebastian Stan, and Anthony Mackie. I was lucky enough to run into Jen McLaughlin while waiting in that line. I knew she was attending the Con but never thought I'd end up seeing her. I stole borrowed the selfie from Jen's twitter feed since her pic was better than mine :-P

I normally avoid being in pics at all costs but this time I pretty much said to hell with it and just went for it. I have pics with John Russo, Mitch Pileggi, Eugene Clark, and Tom Hiddleston & Chris Hemsworth. The first 3 were unplanned which makes them that much more memorable. I also had more time to talk to them so they seemed more relatable.

My zombie loving heart was thrilled to meet John Russo, one of the men responsible for zombies as we know them, and Eugene Clark, "Big Daddy" from Land of the Dead!! Now I have to try to meet George A. Romero someday!

As for that one picture that most everyone wants to hear about (Loki & Thor), I don't have much to say about it because I'm pretty sure my mind totally blanked during the two second photo process. Seriously, I only remember waiting in line for a while, putting my bag on the table, bumping into the two guys as I attempted to get in the frame, and that's it. That's all I got. Lol. I don't think I even really looked at them or said anything to them. But hey, at least I have a decent photo to show for it. :-P

How's that for a crazy 4 days?!

Have you been to any comic con's? What was your favorite take away?

Cover Reveal: Snow Fright by Amie & Bethanie Borst

The final installment of the Scarily Ever Laughter Series is here! Or, well it's on its way. October 4th is its big debut. But no need to wait until October for all the excitement! You can see the cover now! (And be sure to check out the first two books in the series, Cinderskella and Little Dead Riding Hood)!

Sarah White is gorgeous even if she is a little bit rotten. A mirror arrives on her twelfth
birthday and she thinks it's the perfect gift. But when an innocent game of laser tag gets out of hand, the mirror swallows her whole!

Sarah finds herself dead center of the the Underworld. As if repeated run-ins with Mr. Death weren't bad enough, Sarah now has to deal with her decaying flesh and sudden craving for brains. Not to mention she keeps having brain freezes, all due to the seven worms living in her head.

Of corpse, by the time Sarah escapes the Underworld, she finds her new zombie life less than appetizing. Even worse, she needs to return to the Underworld to save her friends, Cindy and Scarlet. With a poisoned apple, a crow named Raven, and a glowing necklace, Sarah's pretty sure that if she doesn't rescue her friends, she'll be a brain craving zombie forever. And that's more dead-ication than she's willing to accept

Add Snow Fright to your Goodreads account or 

preorder your copy at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Indiebound.

Amie Borst loves glitter, unicorns, and chocolate. But not at the same time. That would be weird. She's a PAL member of the SCBWI as well as a founding and contributing member of The Mixed-up Files...of Middle-Grade Authors, a group blog dedicated to middle-grade books. Amie lives in Virginia with her three beautiful daughters, her handsome husband, and two cute dogs named Lily and Maggie. She wishes she could travel the country in a hot pink elevator but for now, her minivan will have to do.

Bethanie Borst is 16 and the author of three books but she was only 10 years old when she wrote her first one. She enjoys reading, writing, and archery. She's also interested in paleontology and astronomy. Bethanie is fluent in both sarcasm and humor and is prepared for the zombie apocalypse and/or spontaneous combustion of the world. Because, let's face it, both of those things are totally realistic.

You can find the authors on Facebook, as well as their website.

Rachael Caringella is an artist, illustrator, intuitive reader, and healer. And deep down, she is just like you; a rebel and a truth seeker. Her days are spent in a little cabin as she paints, dances, sips delicious coffee, reads tarot cards, and, of course, illustrates! When she's not in her studio, she can often be found wandering the woods, honoring her wild nature in the great outdoors searching for beauty, adventure, and inspiration.

You can find the illustrator on Facebook and her website.








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Cinderskella & Little Dead Riding Hood

(titles linked to Amazon)

I don't read middle grade books often but I adore these two

and can't get over how cute the covers and page illustrations are! 

I'm also tempted to reread these before Snow Fright comes out...

which is another rare thing for me. I almost never reread.

WOW: Close To You by Kristen Proby

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that 

spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Close to You (Fusion #2)
by Kristen Proby
Releases August 9th

Goodreads
Amazon Preorder

Camilla, "Cami," LaRue was five years old when she first fell in love with Landon Palazzo. Everyone told her the puppy love would fade - they clearly never met Landon. When he left after graduation without a backward glance, she was heartbroken. But Cami grew up, moved on, and became part-owner of a wildly popular restaurant Seduction. She has everything she could want...or so she thinks.

After spending the last 12 years as a Navy fighter pilot, Landon returns to Portland to take over the family construction business. When he catches a glimpse of little Cami LaRue, he realizes she's not so little any more. He always had a soft spot for his little sister's best friend, but nothing is soft now when he's around the gorgeous restauranteur.

Landon isn't going to pass up the chance to make the girl-next-door his. She's never been one for romance, but he's just the one to change her mind. Will seduction be just the name of her restaurant or will Cami let him get close enough to fulfill all her fantasies?

Review Quickie: Playing for Her Heart by Megan Erickson

Playing for Her Heart (Gamers #2)
By Megan Erickson

Amazon
Goodreads

She wanted fantasy. He's about to make it a reality...

Grant Osprey just had the hottest sex of his life. Sure, they were both in costume, and yes, it was anonymous, but he never expected her to bolt in the middle of the night without so much as a good bye, let alone exchanging numbers. Or names. All he's left with are her panties and some seriously X-rated memories...until he meets his business partner's little sister.

Only Chloe Talley isn't the bold, sexy vixen he remembers. And she wants nothing to do with him.

Cosplay is Chloe's only chance to leave her boring, socially awkward world behind. To forget that she's failing at life and can't be with anyone, let alone a single father like Grant. But the raw hunger between them is undeniable. With him, she can be a misbehaving maid. A sexy call girl for hire. Each scene pushes Chloe beyond her strict boundaries, until Grant demands a character she can't play.

Herself.

Review Quickie (Sari would approve of this terminology):

Megan Erickson's writing gets two thumbs up from me. I've read 7 of her books so far and have enjoyed them all.

Grant and Chloe are H O T together. I loved the nerdy cosplay as much as the steamy bedroomplay.

Speaking of nerdy cosplay, I especially liked the Philadelphia Comic Con reference since that's where I am as you're reading this post! Woot! I can't believe I'm going to be under the same roof as Tom Hiddleston, Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Sebastian Stan, Stephen Amell, Christopher Lloyd, etc., etc. Here's hoping I don't make a fool of myself at any point this weekend lol!

Anyway, back to the book. Both Chloe and her brother, Ethan, have some pretty heavy baggage dragging them down. It was interesting (in a heartbreaking kind of way) to see how they have (or haven't) dealt with a past trauma. I felt for them and wanted both to get their happily ever afters...but you'll have to read this book and book 4, Leveling the Field, to find out what happens.

Now I'm going to make like a gazelle and leap on out of here. Places to go and people to see...

4 of 5 stars

WOW: Cream of the Crop by Alice Clayton

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Cream of the Crop (Hudson Valley #2)
by Alice Clayton

Release Date: July 12, 2016

Goodreads
Amazon Preorder

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Alice Clayton brings her trademark blend of funny and sexy to this second contemporary romance in the brand-new Hudson Valley series!

Manhattan's It Girl, Natalie Grayson, has it all: she's a hot exec at a leading advertising firm, known industry-wide for her challenging and edgy campaigns. She's got a large circle of friends, a family that loves her dearly, and her dance card is always full with handsome eligible bachelors. What else could a modern gal-about-town wish for? The answer, of course, is...cheese.

Natalie's favorite part of each week is spending Saturday morning at the Union Square Farmer's Market, where she indulges her love of all things triple cream. Her favorite booth also indulges her love of all things handsome. Oscar Mendoza, owner of the Bailey Falls Creamery and purveyor for the finest atisanal cheeses the Hudson Vally has to offer, is tall, dark, mysterious, and a bit oblivious. Or so she thinks. But that doesn't stop Natalie from fantasizing about the size of his, ahem, milk can.

Romance is churning, passion is burning, and something incredible is rising to the top. Could it be...love?

Aahhh, I'm really looking forward to this one! You meet both Natalie and Oscar in Nuts, the first book of the series, and I can't wait to see their story play out. If you haven't read Nuts I recommend it. It's a foodie lovers paradise infused with humor and romance.