Author: Erica

Enjoy some Asian Fantasy

Happy New Year!

Click the image above (or click here) to head over to the sale.

One of the writers in my Kdrama club wrote this new book. I grabbed a copy. I haven’t had a chance to read it, but it sounds intriguing. If you pick up a copy, stop by and let me know what you think? (It’s in the Kindle Unlimited, so members can read for free.)

Just outside the city of Seoul, Korea, a crime scene is discovered with two corpses and two critically injured victims. Detective Yong Taemin is assigned to the case. Of the two surviving victims, only one awakens. But, she has lost her memory. With Taemin’s help, she delves into her own troubled past, searching for clues that will bring memories of the fateful, murderous night to the surface. Song So Ah had her life planned out to the smallest details with a bright and promising future . . . until her fiance is murdered and her life is turned upside down. Two men enter her life: Ji Jin Woo, the half-brother of her fallen fiance and a man from her past who she’d rather forget even existed. Unbeknownst to her, The Game has just begun, and it won’t stop until one of them is dead.

Kate Morrison has plans to rekindle her dying relationship when her boyfriend Derek invites her on a two week business trip to Korea. But when the trip turns out to be just that—business—she discovers that eating kimchi and bulgogi alone isn’t exactly what she’d hoped for.

Even though he can’t take his eyes off his laptop, Derek does try to make sure Kate isn’t completely bored. Unfortunately, hiring an oppa tour guide to show her around isn’t the solution Kate had been hoping for. All she really wants is for Derek to remember how much he still loves her.

Kate decides that spending more time with her “oppa,” Sean, might jog Derek’s memory. The problem is, Sean isn’t just attractive—he’s smart, funny, and he not only listens to her dreams about writing children’s books, he encourages them. With Derek too busy with mergers and acquisitions to find time to be jealous, will Kate be able to win his heart back before her new oppa steals hers away?

Oh My  Oppa! is the latest release in the multi-author My Korean Crush series.  You don’t need to read these in any order really.

This new title is only $0.99 for a limited time.

For more books with Korean characters and settings, including more My Korean Crush books, visit my book blog here. (You can find reviews and more there.)

I have read quite a few books this month. (I’ve reviewed a few of them  over on my book blog.) Here are a few of them. (Don’t forget to tell me what you’ve been reading in the comments!)

Beneath the Bellemont Sky is a heartwarming story about family, love, and second chances. It primarily follows the Larson family, who own a farm in Wyoming.

As I was reading this I felt like I was part of the family. I wanted them to find happiness, and this book delivers. (Even for the couple who you wanted to shake some sense into.)

I received an ARC from the publisher.

This was an enjoyable story about family, finding love, and God. It also deals a bit with prejudices after the Civil War. It shows how both sides had issues that were painful for them, and how God’s healing hand can help. It also showed two different father and son relationships. I liked the character growth. There was a lot of it.

What made this book a bit difficult was the way speaking was written for the Quincy and his family. I had trouble reading it, and would have preferred a little less linguistically spellings..

The other drawback was the romance. The bulk of it is with a man who doesn’t suit Laurel. I do appreciate the happy ending though. The ending was as it should.

I received an ARC, and would read this author again.

I loved this book. For one thing, I could relate to how Ollie must feel about moving. Ollie’s unhappiness is straining his family relationships. Quickly upon moving, Ollie has a run in with the class bully, and a friendly boy name Teddy.

When Ollie’s mom’s new job is threatened with closing, Teddy tells Ollie about his father’s hidden gold. The trouble is, Teddy doesn’t remember where his house is, nor his last name. So Ollie and Teddy go on a hunt for the golden treasure, and end up repairing another treasure–Ollie’s family.

This is a must read book. It’s middle grade, but I do feel that it’s a good book about family.  If you like heartwarming tales of adventure and family, this is for you. All the pieces fit together nicely.

This book releases June 18, 2019.

I received an ARC from the publisher.

Heartwarming tale with beautiful illustrations.

One of the things I loved about this storybook was that it showcases family love. Although Grandpa lived far away from Mayumi, he still was a part of her life through the garden he created for her. The ending is poignant.

I received and ARC from the publisher.

What books have you been reading? 

January is nearly gone. We’ve finally gotten cold, and snow had started to stick. (Although, as I write this it is raining and melting.)

Over the past year, I’ve been learning the more technical details of crafting a good story, and honing editing/proofreading skills.  Lately, I’ve also been reading a lot. I love getting lost in a good book. I thought I’d share some of those books with you.

The Winter of the Witch is the third book in the series, The Bear and the Nightingale. I have enjoyed the series, although there were a few things I could do with out. (For sensitive readers, such as myself, there are several instances of the word b—h,  and in this particular book, mostly in reference to a dog with nursing puppies.)

You can read my reviews for The Bear and the Nightingale and The Girl in the Tower here at my book blog.

Again, I enjoyed this book. I enjoy the way author Katherine Arden writes, the way she weaves her words. But there were a few things I didn’t care for.

The story picks up where The Girl in the Tower left off.  A growing mob wants Vasya dead, endangering Vasya’s sister Olga and her family. So Vasya faces the peril head on, and goes into Midnight. Meanwhile, Russia  is on the brink of war, the bear is again lose, and Morozko is trapped.

Sensitive Reader warning: Some language, nudity, and some sensuality.  (the b word, Vasya gets naked a few times, such as  a scene were she is drying her clothes, and there’s a mostly fade to black sex scene in the bathhouse.)

This book was a lot of fun.  This book starts after Flower Boy Tour Guide, where we first met our leading lady, Letty.

We start off at the airport, where a classic K-drama scene unfolds. Letty literally bumps into her favorite star and becomes an overnight gossip sensation. Not to miss out on the free publicity, the Kpop singers  agency launches a web show, Marry My Stalker. Because Letty doesn’t speak Korean, she gets her own charming translator, Ben.

From the array of  reality brides, to the camera crew, the Kpop stars themselves, and to Letty’s developing relationships with her co-stars and translator, this story will keep you turning (digital)  pages.

A delightful modern day fairy tale.

Only  $0.99 today, January 23, 2019.

(this review also appears on my book blog.)

I’ve long been a fan of Carrie Fisher.  Princess Leia was my childhood hero.  Star Wars was also the first VHS movie my parents purchased with our very first VCR. They asked my sister and I to choose the movie, and Star Wars it was.  I cried when she died.

I was also a fan of Debbie Reynolds. I had first known of her from Charlotte’s Web, and that she was Carrie’s mother. (We watched the animated Charlotte’s web a lot after my sister died. And during that time, Leia was even more important. Leia had lost her family too.  She had to be strong and carry on, too.)

I knew that Carrie had a brother, and I was interested in reading his book. He had been lucky to have his sister longer than I had, but we had both suffered a tragic loss, and there is a sad kinship to that.

I liked seeing things from Todd’s eyes. You can tell he loved his mother and sister.  The hard part is knowing that it’s only his version, and because it’s in his point of view, things are missing. There were a few things that were TMI about his personal relationships.  I didn’t need to know that.

What I liked the most was, how valued family was. That they didn’t give up on Carrie.  They didn’t give up on family.

Now, at the time I write this, the kindle edition of this book is $1.99. If you’ve been waiting to  get a copy, now is the time.

What books have you read recently? Let me know in the comments!