Rainy Days With Amanda

  MOONSET ON DESERT SANDS Murder, Tea, & Crystals, Book Two By Sherri L. Dodd Paranormal Thriller / Fantasy / Magical Realism / Witch-Lit Publisher: Black Rose Writing Pages: 360 Publication Date: March 27, 2025 SYNOPSIS With a traumatic year of fending off a serial killer behind her, Arista has settled contentedly into her temporary home with Auntie in Sedona, Arizona. She enjoys her new job selling all things metaphysical and even has her eye on the hot security guard, Dakota, after her recent breakup with Shane. But a series of new fainting spells has her worried, and when Auntie witnesses one, they decide the answer lies in her home of Boulder Creek. However, returning means not only dealing with her breakup and its heartache but also the possibility of drawing her bloodthirsty Uncle Fergus to her once safe haven in the redwoods. And this time he has recruited an even more dangerous alliance. Arista's closest bonds will be strengthened, but the mounting tension of a death...

 It's my birthday month and I'm back with more coffee shops that you should check out in San Antonio!  Folklores Coffee House  ☕ 106 Michigan Ave, San Antonio, TX 78201 I found Folklores because I needed a coffee shop close to where I needed to meet up for a work event and I'm glad I stopped by! Folklores is a small coffee shop filled with gothy. new wave posters and shares a space with a charcutier business. There are a few tables to sit at, but each table is pretty big, so you can bring a group of people or have a mom coffee date like the people sitting in front of me were doing. Speaking of, they have a whole table of stuff for kids, which I appreciate as a new parent.  The coffee collection is small but mighty. I got a latte and was very happy with my pic. If you need a little pick-me up and maybe some nice cheese, stop on by Folklores. They also cater! 💻  https://folklorescoffeehouse.square.site/ Zen Haus ☕  119 Heiman St #200, San Antonio, TX 78205 ...

My husband usually gets me a random book for Christmas. This year it wasn't super random. I have had a big interest in the Holocaust since I was probably about 10 years old. Naturally, I ended up watching the movie  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas , which I would remember for years to come. I'm notorious for having people watch disturbing or sad movies on movie night, so of course I had to make my now husband watch it with me when we were first dating. So this past Christmas he got me the sequel to the book (that I didn't even realize was a book) and of course, I needed to read it to further my anxiousness during these backwards times in the U.S.. Here are my thoughts. About the Author John Boyne is the author of thirteen novels for adults, six for younger readers, and a collection of short stories. His 2006 novel, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas , was a number one New York Times bestseller with more than eleven million copies sold worldwide, and has been adapted for ...

 I'm back! I've been away adjusting to life with a newborn and taking care of my mental and physical health (as much as I can), so coffee shop hopping had to be put on pause for a while. I'm happy to report that I'm back and ready to grab some good drinks a nice croissant.  On another note, I'm on a new platform! I'll be updating my original blog for a while, but you can also catch me on Substack . I feel like a lot of bloggers are heading to there. I don't plan to put a money wall on my content at the moment (I don't know why I would make you pay for reading my thoughts?) but maybe later, I don't know. But something I like about Substack is that they automatically send you emails once a new blog is up, which Blogger took away. So subscribe if you want to, or don't, either way, I'll still be writing. Anyway, check out these coffee shops!  Archies Coffee Lounge ☕ 9630 Huebner Rd Suite 101, San Antonio, TX 78240  Archies is a pretty spacious co...

    HOME TO COMFORT By Kimberly Fish Women’s Fiction / Contemporary / Cozy Mystery Publisher: Fish Tales Publishing Pages: 382 Publication Date: October 10, 2024 SYNOPSIS ════════════════════════════════════ ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　 ︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹︶︶୨୧︶︶⊹︶︶⊹ Gloria Bachman has pivoted so many times this year she has whiplash. Now, in the middle of winter and drenched in Mexican sunshine at a five-star resort, she has a role to play: Mason Lassiter’s “arm candy” in a sting to nab his not-actually-dead, first wife, Patsy. It didn’t make any sense to her either, but who argues with government officials offering an expense-paid trip and a reason for a new beach wardrobe? With Patsy leading resort security, FBI agents, and Mason on a merry chase, Gloria knows that if you want to catch a woman of a certain age, you have to think like a woman of a certain age. Thankfully, she’s got the credentials. If only she could understand the other peo...

 I picked up this little book while I was out on a Barnes & Noble run. It's size, it's funny title, and it's description made me put it in my tote bag and check out with it. Since it's a small book, it was the perfect size to read with one hand while my daughter contact napped on me. Here's a little book talk on An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten. About the Author Helene Tursten (born in Gothenburg in 1954) is a Swedish writer of crime fiction. The main character in her stories is Detective Inspector Irene Huss (who does make an appearance in this book). Before becoming an author, Tursten worked as a nurse and then a dentist, but was forced to leave due to illness. During her illness she worked as a translator of medical articles. About the Story Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and…no qualms about a little murder. This funny, irreverent story collection by Helene Tursten, author of the Irene Hus...