Category: Blog

Cover Reveal of Bloodbond!

I am so excited to finally be able to reveal my cover for my upcoming release, Bloodbond! It’s the 2nd book in the Bloodborn series, a story about learning to love and trust again, about overcoming prejudice and becoming the person you were meant to be.

Blurb

Zachariah Degore spent ten years locked under ground as a feral vampire. Now he has to redefine what it means to be healthy and whole. With his human life behind him, he starts anew in the vampire city of Ichor Knell with the vampire shah as his kin. He must prove he is worthy of his place in this new world.

Laurel Covaci is vampire elite, she would never court a feral vampire. After two hundred years she has yet to find a mate who meets with her satisfaction. She hides the pain of past hurt and abandonment behind a cold façade. Zach is confident that Laurel is the vampire for him, but can he break through her icy walls and convince her he’s the mate she’s been waiting for?

by Sydney Winward

Book Review of Bear with Me

My Review

I loved this book! The writing was great, the story spectacular, and the characters were interesting. This book is unique in that it has a heroine who has sensory processing disorder. Alison can hear the buzzing of fluorescent lights and restaurant coolers. She can’t feel sensations on her skin as much as others can. And textures in her mouth are difficult to cope with, which has her sorting her food before she eats.

I love Alison’s special gift. Her tears make pumpkins grow. Her touch gives life to plants. Her power grows and heals, which is a strong theme throughout the book when it comes to family. The story focuses on family relationships, about rekindling love in a marriage and putting family above work, above career goals, above your own needs.

I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in the Strawberry Shifters Series and finding out what happens next!

My rating: 5 stars

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by Sydney Winward

Book Review of Spooky Tutti Frutti

My Review

This was such a fun, short read! Suzie’s spirit can’t rest until she serves up the perfect blend of tutti frutti to Cal, who both died in a boating accident fifty years ago, and Celia Rossi can help her do just that. But the original recipe is lost. How can she help the deceased woman move on to the next life?

Spooky Tutti Frutti is a perfect blend of paranormal, mystery, and delicious frozen treats that will have readers’ mouth watering for more. Where’s the nearest ice cream shop? I’m suddenly in need of something fruity and frozen.

My rating: 5 stars

Blurb

A midsummer sailboat race is coming to Annapolis, and Celia Rossi’s 1950s-themed ice cream parlor will have a booth at the waterfront celebration. To keep her business flourishing, she needs to impress both locals and tourists on the festive day. But how? She receives unexpected help when she hires a part-time worker who pops up out of nowhere. Suzie Conroy proves to have an almost magical gift for the craft of artisanal ice cream, yet she acts clueless about some ordinary details of everyday life. And why is she so determined to churn up the perfect batch of tutti frutti?

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble

by Sydney Winward

Book Review of The Betrothed by Kiera Cass

My Review

This book is not a happily ever after. It is a tragedy. I really liked it up until page 265. Everything was promising and perfect up until then. And then tragedy. Such a major let down as a reader. I had literally 20 pages left, and I almost couldn’t finish it, such was my disappointment at the turn of events.

The ending sounds like it promises a sequel, in which that might hopefully have a happily ever after. I think I will read the second when it comes out, as I have a pretty good idea where it might lead.

My rating: 3 stars

Favorite Quote

I sighed. “I think I might be forced to agree with you. The most valueable thing you can own is the assurance of your place in someone’s heart. It is far better than any necklace, far better than any apartment.”

We shared a quiet look.

“Would you exchange your crown of gold for one of flowers, then?” he asked with a smile.

“I think I just might.”

“I think it would suit you,” he commented, and I found myself holding eye contact with him for just a moment too long.

Blurb

A would-be queen. A handsome young king. A perfect match…or is it?

When King Jameson declares his love for Lady Hollis Brite, Hollis is shocked—and thrilled. After all, she’s grown up at Keresken Castle, vying for the king’s attention alongside other daughters of the nobility. Capturing his heart is a dream come true.

But Hollis soon realizes that falling in love with a king and being crowned queen may not be the happily ever after she thought it would be. And when she meets a commoner with the mysterious power to see right into her heart, she finds that the future she really wants is one that she never thought to imagine.

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble

by Sydney Winward

Book Review of Solving Sophronia

My Review

“Perhaps the real mystery wasn’t the murders but the man solving them.”

Not all detectives wear pants. In fact, some even wear skirts. Detective Jonathan Graham’s new murder case has him stumped, that is before a pretty face and an inquisitive mind barges onto his murder scene.

From the very first page, I couldn’t put this down. I love that although Jonathan had been very against the idea of sucking up his pride and allowing a woman to help with his investigation, he started to trust Lady Sophie Bremerton’s judgement and her ideas. He even sat back a few times just to watch what she might do or say. I think he found her amusing and delighted in her company.

There was great chemistry between the hero and heroine, with hilarious interactions between the characters. I loved Sergeant Lester and his interesting quirk. It brought out a surprising comic relief I did not see coming.

It was so fun to go along on a journey to solve a murder mystery with three awesome characters along every step of the journey. I highly recommend this book, and I’m crossing my fingers that there is a second one in the works.

My rating: 5 Stars

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by Sydney Winward

News! Just Submitted Book #3 in the Bloodborn Series!

tree carving

I just submitted book #3 to my editor in the Bloodborn Series! So nervous! I’m crossing my fingers it will get accepted. The story is about…drum roll please…Dracula! It’s his and Elisabeta’s love story, which takes place 1000 years prior to Bloodborn. Out of the 6 books (and yes they are all written, now I just need to get them through the publishing process!) Dracula’s story is one of my favorites.

Onto other news, #2 in the series, Bloodbond, is seriously “this” close to getting a release date! I’m so excited to release it into the wild, but nervous all the same. Stay tuned for a cover reveal! I am so in love with the cover. It’s a perfect rendition of what I have imagined for the story, down to the red nettle flowers in the background, which are the only flowers that can grow in Ichor Knell due to a lack of sunlight.

by Sydney Winward

Things I Wish I Were Better At

Cooking Chicken

My chicken always comes out dry. Always. I am so awful at cooking it, it’s not even funny. I can even botch up “juicy, not dry” chicken recipes. Well, I guess I’ll just stick to baking. I’m better at it and it’s a lot more delicious.

Remembering Where I Put Things

Is it just me? Or does having kids erase about half your memory? I can’t remember things for the life of me after kids, and that includes where I put things. One of my biggest pet peeves is losing something, and I will tear the house apart until I find it. If only my toddler could remember where he last put things too!

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by Sydney Winward

New Release From Julie Howard!

I’m so glad to have you on my blog today, Julie! Tell us more about your book in the One Scoop or Two Series!

Nearly every summer of my life, I’ve taken some type of beach vacation. Even if it’s been the shoreline of a lake or along a river. (And yes, any sandy stretch along any body of water counts as a beach!) There is something about peeling off my shoes and that first dip of a toe in the water that is wonderfully refreshing. For me, this means summer.

I do prefer the ocean, especially when it involves hunting for shells, sea glass, or tiny crabs in the rocky surf. I love the excitement that comes when we spot the black nose of a seal as it pokes up from the water, or on rare occasion, a whale’s spout in the distance. 

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by Sydney Winward

New Release from Judith Sterling!

Who was your favorite character to write in The Sword Unsheathed?

It’s a tie between the two Donoghue sisters.  Ashling is the protagonist, and I love sharing the adventure through her eyes.  But Deirdre’s sassy, straight-talking personality is also fun to write.  Their dialogues just flow!

Where did your inspiration come from?

My inspiration for the Guardians of Erin series was a set of circumstances similar to what Ashling Donoghue experiences at the beginning of the story: (1) sudden and inexplicable homesickness for Ireland, a country I hadn’t visited or even considered before opening a simple Irish picture book; (2) speaking Irish, a language I’d never learned, in my sleep; and (3) total certainty that I would–and in fact HAD TO–travel there. I was 17 at the time, just like Ashling.

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by Sydney Winward

Book Review of Will O’ the Wisp

will o the wisp book cover

My Review

A past filled with love and heartache. A secret that will change the future forever.

Will O’ the Wisp strikes at the very center of the heart of horse-lovers and brought back a sense of nostalgia for me. In this western romance, the author wove plenty of mystery and secrets that kept me guessing throughout the entire book.

I love the cover. I love the characters. I love the heartbreak and emotional ties between Allison and Shane, and I especially love the relationships formed throughout the book. The ending was so intense that I couldn’t put the book down, not even to sleep! If you haven’t read Will O’ the Wisp, do it! You definitely won’t regret it.

My rating: 5 Stars

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by Sydney Winward