Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books Wish List

 

Please list the books from your wishlist that you are hoping to add to your shelves in a comment, thanks.

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books, I'm Waiting For:







From the New York Times bestselling author of Watch Your Back and Did You Miss Me comes the newest novel by ''the queen of romantic suspense'' (Crime and Punishment).

Psychologist Faith Corcoran is desperate to escape the stalker who's made her life a nightmare for the past year - desperate enough to run to the one place that has been her nightmare far longer. Both boon and bane, her recent inheritance of her grandmother's old house in Cincinnati offers a sanctuary in which she can start her life anew, but requires that she face dark memories that resonate to this day.

She has no idea, however, just how close to home her fears still are

Two college girls have gone missing in the area, and FBI special agent Deacon Novak is called to work on the case. When his inquiry unexpectedly leads him to Faith, he finds a beautiful and brave woman he can't help but fall for. Soon they'll discover that this seemingly simple investigation is anything but. Reaching back decades into Faith's own past, it will shatter everything she believes to be true and will give terrifying new meaning to ''flesh and blood.''









A rescued dog returns the favor in the latest Second Chance Romance from USA Today bestselling author of Shelter Me.

Detective AJ Parker left undercover work in Atlanta to join a small-town Tennessee police force, hoping for an easier workload and the solitude of his cabin. But the scars left by AJ’s previous work are more difficult to escape than he thought…

Mary Hannah Gallo works with the Second Chance Ranch Animal Rescue to train therapy dogs for traumatized patients. It isn’t easy, but her life is under control — until she meets the broodingly sensual AJ, who rattles her composure all the way to her toes.

After an assignment confiscating dogs from a backyard breeder reveals a dangerous drug operation, AJ must work with sexy perfectionist Mary Hannah to train an abused rescue dog — a dog now named Holly. While Holly proves to these two very different people that opposites can, in fact, attract, she also knows more than a few explosive secrets that could heal — or divide — the entire town.

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Shannon McKenna's In For the Kill Blog Tour with Spotlight and Giveaway



I am so excited to Shannon McKenna at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight and Giveaway.

Thanks Shannon and Goddess Fish Promotions for allowing me to join your In For the Kill Blog Tour!

Please take it away, Shannon!







AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Shannon McKenna is the NYT bestselling author of over ten action packed, turbocharged romantic thrillers, among which are the stories of the wildly popular McCloud series. She loves tough and heroic alpha males, heroines with the brains and guts to match them, villains who challenge them to their utmost, adventure, scorching sensuality, and most of all, the redemptive power of true love. Since she was small she has loved abandoning herself to the magic of a good book, and her fond childhood fantasy was that writing would be just like that, but with the added benefit of being able to take credit for the story at the end. Alas, the alchemy of writing turned out to be messier than she'd ever dreamed. But what the hell, she loves it anyway, and hopes that readers enjoy the results of her alchemical experiments. She loves to hear from her readers. Contact her at her website, http://shannonmckenna.com, or join the newsletter by signing up here: http://shannonmckenna.com/connect.php.

Connect with Shannon:


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorShannonMckenna

Twitter: http://twitter.com/shannonmckenna4

Publisher: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/24658 




 




In for the Kill

by Shannon McKenna


BLURB:

Years ago, the McClouds and their friends rescued little Sveti Ardova from ruthless organ traffickers. Now she’s all grown up, and getting into some scorching trouble of her own.

NO SURRENDER

The risks ex-cop Sam Petrie has taken have turned his life into a train wreck. So he has nothing to lose by doubling down as the elusive Svetlana Ardova’s unwanted bodyguard on her ill-advised trip to Italy. Her crusade against modern slavery has blazoned a bullseye on her chest, but when one of the death threats against her almost hits the mark, Sam’s protective instincts go into overdrive. Every lethal obstacle and trap they encounter ups the stakes — and the undeniable heat between them.

Now they’re spiraling in on a deadly and explosive secret — one that could either redeem them or destroy them and the closer they get, the shorter the fuse.

Praise for Shannon McKenna

"The McCloud series is an auto buy for me." --Maya Banks

"McKenna writes intense, sensual stories." --The B&N Review

"Shannon McKenna makes the pulse pound." –BookPage

Additional info about the book:

Publisher: Kensington Books

Print Length: 416 pages

Publication Date: January 27, 2015

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://amazon.com/dp/B00M4ASP0G

Amazon print: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0758273517

Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-for-the-kill-shannon-mckenna/1119437341

B&N print: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-for-the-kill-shannon-mckenna/1119437341

BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/p/Kill/Shannon-McKenna/9780758273512

Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/for-Kill-Shannon-McKenna/9780758273512

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=In+For+the+Kill&c=books


Excerpt 

"I watch the news, Sveti," he said patiently. "I'm a cop. I have friends. I hear things. Plus, you live-streamed, blogged and tweeted the whole thing to a hundred and twenty thousand followers."

"And you are one of them, now? Spying on me?"

He plowed right on past that one, there being no point. "Sneaking into that place with a live video camera on you was suicidal. You should have just passed the tip onto the police, and let them deal with it."

Her chin tilted up. "There were thirty-four trafficked Chinese nationals locked in there, slaving eighteen hours a day! I saw my chance, and took it! People have to see for themselves. It's the only thing that makes it real for them! That's what pulls in the donations!"

"You can't help anyone if you're dead," he pointed out. "But never mind that now. Just tell me about the death threats."

"It was just a letter," she said, defensive. "Hand delivered. It said they were going to kill me. That's all. Nothing came of it."

"When?"

She shook it off. "Months ago, now."

"So why aren't you guarded twenty-four seven?" he snarled.

"I was! For months! Finally I put my foot down, because it was absurd, Sam. I can't live my life like that. Don't worry! It's covered!"

Covered, his ass. But he knew a dead-end conversation when he heard one. He had lots of practice. Those were a Petrie family hobby.

"Fine," he said. "On to the next item that's not my business."

Her eyes dilated. He wished he had the super-senses they said Miles had now. His heart pounded too hard to hear hers, certainly at that distance. He started to close that distance, and she skittered back a pace. It took all his willpower to stay motionless, leaving none to hold back the incredibly ill-advised question. "If you don't want to talk about death threats, then tell me about your love life."

Her mouth tightened. "I would rather not."

"Tell me about loverboy. How long have you been seeing him?"

"You mean Josh? I've known him ever since Nick rescued me from Zhoglo. He's a good friend."

"Define 'friend," he said. "Does it mean, free to fondle your ass?"

The chin tilted up a notch. "You're being invasive."

"Yeah? Would you feel invaded to learn that he's hitting on two girls on the catering staff, in between groping slow-dances with you?"

Her gaze dropped, but she did not look as startled or upset about that revelation as she ought to. "You have no right to judge."

"Wrong," he informed her. "That ten minutes in Ranieri's home office two years ago. No matter how long ago, no matter how you've ignored me since then, that ten minutes gives me the right to give a shit. Tell me about Cattrell. Are you fucking him?"

"No!" The denial popped out, vehement and breathless.

Giveaway

Shannon will be giving away a $20 Amazon/BN GC to one lucky winner!


<a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f800">Enter to win a $20 Amazon/BN GC – a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>

Please follow the rest of the blog tour here, thanks: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2015/01/book-blast-in-for-kill-by-shannon.html






New Releases 2015 (Jan 27)





















FBI agent Elizabeth LeBlanc is still caught in the aftermath of her last big case when she runs into the one man from her past who is sure to rock her equilibrium even more. Navy SEAL Derek Vaughn is back home from a harrowing rescue mission in which he found evidence of a secret terror cell on US soil. Elizabeth knows he’ll do anything to unravel the plot—including seducing her for information. And despite the risks involved, she’s tempted to let him. Together with the forensics experts at the Delphi Center, Derek and Elizabeth are closing in on the truth, but it may not be fast enough to avert a devastating attack.

Following in the bestselling tradition of the Tracers series, including Exposed, Scorched, and Twisted, Beyond Limits pulls out all the stops with Griffin’s most gripping thriller yet.









Murder is nothing to tap at

The high-kicking Happy Hoofers -- Tina, Janice, Pat, Mary Louise, and Gini -- have been booked to flaunt their fabulous flamenco footwork on a luxury train ride through northern Spain. But when a blowhard talk show host is found deader than four-day-old flan -- with Gini as suspect numero uno -- the feisty friends waste no time stepping into their sleuthing shoes to protect one of their own.

The dynamite dancers will have to step up their game before a clever killer brings the curtain down on one of them for good!

Includes Photo Tips And Tasty Recipes


 




Sunday, January 25, 2015

Library Haul 2015 (Jan 25 - 31)




Here's the list of books I picked up from the library this week:

Softcover:

1.  The Witch Hunter's Tale - Sam Thomas

Saturday, January 24, 2015

A Song to Die For (Hardcover)



I've finished "A Song to Die For" by Mike Blakely.

A Song to Die For -- a rousing tale mixing love, music, and mystery from Spur Award–winning author Mike Blakely.

It’s 1975 and guitarist and singer/songwriter Creed Mason hopes to ride the new wave of Texas-style, Austin-based country music all the way back to the big time. A one-hit wonder whose Nashville career was cut short by a trip to Vietnam, Creed is desperate to get back into the business. His break arrives when a country legend, Luster Burnett, comes out of a fifteen-year retirement for one last album and tour in order to pay off a huge debt to the I.R.S. As Luster’s new guitarist and band manager, Creed jumps at the chance of a lifetime.

Rosa Martini, a beautiful young mob princess from Las Vegas, is found dead just outside of Austin. Texas Ranger Captain Hooley Johnson looks into the case, only to find a second young woman murdered — a friend of Rosa’s. To complicate things, Rosa’s adoptive brother, mob hit man Franco Martini, is spotted nosing around Austin in the wake of the murders.

Soon it appears to Johnson, and to Creed, that the mob-related murders and the band are somehow connected. When the band wins an unexpected booking at the biggest casino in Vegas, Creed begins to wonder what kind of contract his band is being set up for — a major-label recording deal, or a mob hit?

Product Details
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (November 18, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0765327511
ISBN-13: 978-0765327512

My Review:

3.5/5

The Christie Curse (A Book Collector Mystery)




I've finished "The Christie Curse" the 1st book in her Book Collector Mystery series by Victoria Abbott.

In 1926, Agatha Christie disappeared — making headlines across the world — only to show up eleven days later at a spa under an assumed name. During those eleven days, did she have time to write a play?

Jordan Kelly needs a new job and a new place to live. She’s back in Harrison Falls, New York, living with her not so law-abiding uncles, in debt thanks to a credit card–stealing ex and pending grad school loans.

Enter the perfect job, a research position that includes room and board, which will allow her to spend her days hunting down rare mysteries for an avid book collector. There’s just one problem: her employer, Vera Van Alst — the most hated citizen of Harrison Falls.

Jordan’s first assignment is to track down a rumored Agatha Christie play. It seems easy enough, but Jordan soon finds out that her predecessor was killed while looking for it, and there is still someone out there willing to murder to keep the play out of Vera’s hands. Jordan’s new job is good but is it worth her life?

Product Details
Series: A Book Collector Mystery (Book 1)
Mass Market Paperback: 295 pages
Publisher: Berkley (March 5, 2013)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 042525528X
ISBN-13: 978-0425255285


My Review:

3.5/5

Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Mail (Jan 24)



Cozy, Mystery Thriller and Romantic Suspense Mail is hosted every Saturday at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews.

I received this in the mail this week.

For Review:








Detective Alex Cross is being stalked by a psychotic genius, forced to play the deadliest game of his career. Cross's family -- his loving wife Bree, the wise and lively Nana Mama, and his precious children -- have been ripped away. Terrified and desperate, Cross must give this mad man what he wants if he has any chance of saving the most important people in his life. The stakes have never been higher: What will Cross sacrifice to save the ones he loves?

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books Wish List

 

Please list the books from your wishlist that you are hoping to add to your shelves in a comment, thanks.

Cozy, Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Books, I'm Waiting For:



















FBI agent Elizabeth LeBlanc is still caught in the aftermath of her last big case when she runs into the one man from her past who is sure to rock her equilibrium even more. Navy SEAL Derek Vaughn is back home from a harrowing rescue mission in which he found evidence of a secret terror cell on US soil. Elizabeth knows he’ll do anything to unravel the plot—including seducing her for information. And despite the risks involved, she’s tempted to let him. Together with the forensics experts at the Delphi Center, Derek and Elizabeth are closing in on the truth, but it may not be fast enough to avert a devastating attack.

Following in the bestselling tradition of the Tracers series, including Exposed, Scorched, and Twisted, Beyond Limits pulls out all the stops with Griffin’s most gripping thriller yet.









Murder is nothing to tap at

The high-kicking Happy Hoofers -- Tina, Janice, Pat, Mary Louise, and Gini -- have been booked to flaunt their fabulous flamenco footwork on a luxury train ride through northern Spain. But when a blowhard talk show host is found deader than four-day-old flan -- with Gini as suspect numero uno -- the feisty friends waste no time stepping into their sleuthing shoes to protect one of their own.

The dynamite dancers will have to step up their game before a clever killer brings the curtain down on one of them for good!

Includes Photo Tips And Tasty Recipes


 





Tuesday, January 20, 2015

The Harlot's Tale: A Midwife Mystery (The Midwife's Tale)


I've finished "The Harlot's Tale" the 2nd book in his Midwife's Tale series by Sam Thomas.

It is August, 1645, one year since York fell into Puritan hands. As the city suffers through a brutal summer heat, Bridget Hodgson and Martha Hawkins are drawn into a murder investigation more frightening than their last. In order to appease God’s wrath — and end the heat-wave — the city’s overlords have launched a brutal campaign to whip the city’s sinners into godliness. But for someone in York, this is not enough. First a prostitute and her client are found stabbed to death, then a pair of adulterers are beaten and strangled. York’s sinners have been targeted for execution.

Bridget and Martha — assisted once again by Will, Bridget’s good-hearted nephew — race to find the killer even as he adds more bodies to his tally. The list of suspects is long: Hezekiah Ward, a fire and brimstone preacher new to York; Ward’s son, Praise-God, whose intensity mirrors his father’s; John Stubb, one of Ward’s fanatic followers, whose taste for blood may not have been sated by his time in Parliament’s armies. Or could the killer be closer to home? Will’s brother Joseph is no stranger to death, and he shares the Wards’ dreams of driving sin from the city.

To find the killer, Bridget, Martha, and Will must uncover the city’s most secret sins, and hope against hope that the killer does not turn his attention in their direction, in The Harlot's Tale by Sam Thomas.

Product Details
Series: The Midwife's Tale (Book 2)
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Minotaur Books; Reprint edition (December 16, 2014)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 125005544X
ISBN-13: 978-1250055446


My Review:

3.5/5

Monday, January 19, 2015

Becky Johnson Charlotte Marshall Mysteries Blog Tour with a Spotlight and Review




I am so excited to Becky Johnson here at Mystery Thrillers and Romantic Suspense Reviews with a Spotlight and Review.

Thanks Becky and Pump Up Your Promotions for allowing me to join your Charlotte Marshall Mysteries Blog Tour!

Please take it away, Becky!






About the Author

Books are Becky Johnson’s passion and always have been. She used to get in trouble in school for reading during class!

Becky has Master’s degrees in social work and history, and for her day job she is a social worker. In her writing she tries to answer a question that is important to both social work and history: Why? She always wants to know why people do the things they do or feel the way they feel.

When not reading or writing she enjoys yoga, cooking, and makes a pretty mean chili!

Her latest books of the Charlotte Marchall Mysteries series are Run and Stand.

For More Information 

Visit Becky Johnson’s blog.
Connect with Becky on Facebook.
Find out more about Becky at Goodreads.








About the Books:

RUN 

A decades old mystery and a deadly game of cat and mouse will change Charlotte Marshall forever.


Charlotte has a good life: friends, family, a successful career. Her perfect life is destroyed when research for a book and a connection from her past plunges her into the middle of her worst nightmare.

On the run, with no one to trust, Charlotte begins to unravel the work of a sadistic murderer. Afraid and alone, she will learn the meaning of trust and just when to run.

For More Information 

Run is available at Amazon.
Pick up your copy at Barnes & Noble.
Watch the book trailer at YouTube.
Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.


Book Excerpt:

It’s ironic really, the chain of events that led me here, kneeling in the dirt with a gun to my head.

My tale of woe, if I can be so bold as to call it that, started innocently enough. It started with spelling words and dinner.

1992

As a student I was smart but a horrible speller. (Dyslexia will do that to you.) In order to get me through my spelling test every week, my mother, who naturally was a school teacher, worked with me every night on my spelling words. While I sat at the table working on my spelling, she watched the news and made dinner. It would not be an understatement to say it was the least favorite part of my day. I would sit at the kitchen table wanting to be outside or really just about anywhere else, and write out my words for the week ten times each, then in a sentence, then test myself with flashcards.

Certain, certain, certain. I am certain I do not want to be doing this.

However, however, however. However, I don’t have a choice.

“Earlier today, police in Cherry Hill responded to a call from local kids at the park”

Balance, balance, balance. What sentence could I use for balance? The seal balanced a ball on his nose. Stupid but it would work.

“the body of an unidentified female adolescent was discovered.”

My attention was caught. Spelling words forgotten.

“sources say the victim was raped and tortured before she was murdered. Her body was mutilated. Police are asking that anyone.”

What? The words of the newscaster left me feeling unsettled. I knew something bad had happened; for the first time, the world was scary. I knew enough to put that together, but the why left me shaken. Why would someone kill a girl?

“I don’t get it, Mom, what happened?”

Once my mom realized I was talking about the news, the TV was turned off and I was redirected back to my spelling words. I bent back over my spelling words while my mind whirled. I knew there was something different about this story. The unknown girl stuck in my head.






Stand

Nine months ago Charlotte Marshall survived a nightmare when she was hunted by a sadistic killer. Now routine, ritual, and a vigorous self-defense schedule barely keep the fear at bay.

Desperate to move on Charlotte finds hope in volunteering with FindMe, an organization dedicated to finding missing people and helping their families. Her first case ends up being more than she bargained for, and she soon learns that a little hope can be a dangerous thing.

While Charlotte unravels a mystery, an old enemy circles waiting for just the right moment to strike. Charlotte will have to choose to stand and fight, or to give in to the fear that waits for her.

For More Information

Stand is available at Amazon.

Discuss this book at PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads.


Book Excerpt:

My own scream woke me.

Zero to sixty in less than a second. One second I was sound asleep, and the next I was bolt upright in bed with the sound of my scream still echoing across the bedroom. My heart thundered in my chest, and my panting breaths sounded loud in the silence. My shaking hands gripped the blanket in tight fists. Kitty looked up at me from her cozy spot at the end of the bed. Yellow eyes blinked. Then she meowed in sympathy and dropped her calico head back down onto her paws. She used to love sleeping curled right up against me. But my regular nightmares disrupted her. Unfortunately nightmares are not an uncommon occurrence. I have suffered from them ever since Lawrence Pheares.

Nine months ago I faced a monster, a murderer responsible for the deaths of twenty-three innocent girls. At night he haunts me. Sometimes the dreams are a reenactment of the events. I see Pheares choking me. Or I remember Jack and Pheares fighting. Sometimes the nightmares are filled with images of my lost girls. I watch helpless as Emily runs from a mad man. I cannot save her. The worst ones though, the dreams that make it impossible for me to go back to sleep, are the ones like the nightmare I just woke up from. They leave me with a jumble of images and tangled feelings. Nothing concrete that makes sense. When I wake up screaming, I am overwhelmed with terror. That’s the only feeling or sense I get from these dreams, bone deep fear.

According to my therapist I am suffering from PTSD. Simple letters for a life that is changed by trauma. Nine months ago I had lived the nightmare. It all began so simply. I was doing research for my next novel when I stumbled onto a serial killer and twenty-three girls who were abducted, raped, tortured, murdered, and then thrown away. When I found the killer, he found me. I almost didn’t survive. In the end I beat Lawrence Pheares, but in doing so I was forever changed.

Without conscious thought, my hand reached over to cover the E tattooed on the inside of my right arm, a daily reminder of what I had survived and a tribute to those innocent girls who did not.

In the months since I discovered evidence of a serial killer and my life became entwined with those lost girls who were heartlessly killed by a madman, I had become a different person, scared of my own shadow. At first it wasn’t so bad. I was still cruising on adrenaline. Now every day is a battle.

When I let myself really think about it, thoughts of Georgia frighten me the most. I never learned from Pheares what role she played in the killings, but I knew in my heart that she had one. Pheares was dead. But I knew Georgia was still out there. There was no evidence of this, but my gut told me different. I knew she was alive. I could feel her watching me.

I looked over at my bedside clock. It was four forty-three in the morning. There was no point in trying to go back to sleep. My body was slick with sweat and the hands I ran over my face shook. Max, my black Pit Bull mix, looked at me from his spot beside my bed. His ears were perked. Brown eyes focused on me. He looked ready to get up with me or go back to sleep, depending on my next move. These days Max rarely leaves my side. He is a good friend.

I swung my legs over and sat on the edge of the bed. A few deep breaths later my heart was no longer racing, and I was ready to get up.

I start every morning with yoga. It is one of my therapies. Sometimes I think if I don’t do the little things like yoga, running, and journaling, I will plunge into a well of terror that will dominate me. So every morning, no matter what, I make myself stick to my routine, as though that alone will save me. That morning my poses were a little shaky from my nightmare, but I made it through them. Mountain pose. Forward bend. Down dog. I could feel myself steadying. Warrior two. Down dog. Tree pose. I finished with two sun salutations then stood in mountain pose just breathing.

Max knows my new pattern. When my routine was finished he was ready to go. He leaned his big body against me and gave that look dog owners everywhere know – outside please.

I will admit I am afraid of becoming agoraphobic. It would be so easy. But I make myself go outside. If I didn’t, I think I could live a very content and safe life, never leaving the safety of my home. But that would mean that Pheares won. I can’t let him win. So, every day I force myself to venture outdoors. I stand outside and consider it a small victory in the midst of many battles. Max helps.

I grabbed Max’s leash from the hall closet and layered on warm winter gear. Coat, gloves, hat, boots. December in New Jersey is cold. It was so early that it was dark outside and very still. It had already been a rough icy winter. There were several inches of snow on the ground. I paused at my front door, Max waited patiently on his leash beside me. A few deep breaths, and I was able to convince myself to open the door.

My last home burned down, part of the drama I endured nine months ago with Pheares. He burned my home and destroyed everything I owned. He took so much from me, but at the end I was still standing. After a brief stay in a temporary condo, courtesy of my agent, my new home is comfortably located in a quiet development with lots of space between the houses and a big fenced backyard for Max. The small two story home has a nice open floor plan downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. It backs up to trees and a lake, so it is quiet.

It feels like too much quiet sometimes, but I like it.

The only nice thing about taking Max outside in the winter is that he is as happy to move quickly and get back inside as I am. He is not a fan of the cold. My breath left cold puffs of fog in the air and I shifted in place to stay warm. It was eerily quiet out, still too early for most of the world to be stirring. As I waited for Max to finish his business, headlights flashed over my front door. A car turned the corner onto my street. I tensed. As it rolled closer I recognized the logo of the security company hired to patrol my neighborhood. It was one of things that attracted me to this development. I was looking for a sense of security, wanting to feel safe. It hasn’t worked, but I gave the security car a wave as it slowly moved past my house. Looks like Carl. I had made a point to know every guard that patrolled. I know everyone who is a help or a possible threat in my fragile world.

Max finished his business, shivered from the chilly air, and whined to go back inside. We ran toward the door. After the cold the first wave of warmth was almost too much. I didn’t really relax until I heard the locks click. I was glad to be out of the cold and the dark. I always breathe a little easier when I am safely locked inside my home.

I striped off all the winter gear I had piled on and put them back in their respective places in the hall closet.

After a shower to wash away the sweat from my nightmare and yoga, and then a bowl of Cheerios, I felt almost ready to face the day.

I stood facing the mirror wearing a pair of yoga pants and a sports bra, my other daily ritual. I took stock of my body and its changes. Same long light blonde hair pulled back into a sensible ponytail, same dark blue eyes and overbite. The differences from nine months ago are obvious. I’ve lost over twenty-five pounds. Anything less than a hundred and twenty on my frame is too skinny. I was too skinny. The dark circles under my eyes were almost permanent. The biggest change though is my eyes. I used to be innocent, innocent to murder and cruelty. I’m not anymore. My eyes now are old. The changes were obvious. However, they were not all negative. I was strong. My arms had muscles they never had before. I was tough, inside and out. Looking at my reflection I repeated the same positive mantra I said every morning. You are strong. You are a survivor. Then I finished getting dressed and drove into Philly. 

My Review:

3/5