Here is all the books I hauled (bought and received as an ARC) for February 2021. There wasn’t as many as January, but there’s still quite a bit to check out. As I’m still working my way through some of the ones I bought, you can expect to see more than a few of them pop up for a review over the next few weeks. The ARCs you will see reviews of those in the coming weeks and months, as some of them don’t come out until later on this year.
White Chicken Chili Recipe (Review)
On Thursday, February 18, 2021, Harlequin posted their first episode of Harlequin Books and Cooks, a new YouTube cooking show where the host, Princess Elmore, cooks a dish with a featured author. This week, Princess and guest author, Brenda Jackson, made White Chicken Chili. Since I’ve personally never made it or tried it, I thought I would make it and share my efforts here in a new feature called, Cooking with Harlequin. I can’t promise I will always cook the recipes or even like them once I do try them, but I might do both, who knows. Either way, I think it’s a fun new show and a great way to get to know some wonderful authors in a brand new way.
Todd Kohlhepp (Research Thursday)
Todd Kohlhepp is a former South Carolina real estate agent and convicted serial killer. In this post, I share a graduate school paper I wrote about his childhood background and how that may have led to his criminal actions and behavior. I also discuss his part in John Douglas’s 2019 book, The Killer Across the Table, published the year after I wrote my paper for my class in school.
The Devil in Her Bed by Kerrigan Byrne (ARC Wednesday)
Book three in Kerrigan Byrne’s Devil You Know series, THE DEVIL IN HER BED releases on March 9, 2021. As I was lucky enough to receive an advance reading copy of this one, I thought I would discuss my early thoughts of the book with you today.
Weekend Update 02-14-2021
This is where you can find the latest book news from around the web over the past week or so, as well as a weekly recap of our own blog posts. Since we missed last weekend, we’ve made this post with all the news from the past two weeks, including cover reveals, publishing sales, and book to film announcements.
Copper Ridge Series by Maisey Yates (Series Saturday)
Over the years, I’ve read a lot of series books, whether connected by characters, community, location, or something else equally enchanting. Some of my favorite authors have written multiple series, which I have loved, own and still read consistently today. One of these authors is Maisey Yates, and one of these series is Copper Ridge.
The Power of the Actor by Ivana Chubbuck (Research Thursday)
Looking for a good book to help with deepening characterization? What about how to tie your own emotions to those of your character so that you can deepen the emotional resonance of your story? The Power of the Actor by Ivana Chubbuck can help with that, specifically with how to take the idea of a character and turn them into a three-dimensional person that leaps of the page and into the imagination of those who read your work. Originally intended for actors, it has a lot to offer authors, too, and it is a book I highly recommend for aspiring authors to read. Click on the link to read more…
A Scot, a Smuggler, and a Rogue (New Release Tuesday)
Today sees the release of 7 new historical romance books, both debut series books and sequel books. They are written by some of the biggest names in the genre to date, and they are set everywhere from the Scottish Highlands to Regency and Victorian England, to ranching in the West. Which one are you choosing to read today?
Her Dark Lies by JT Ellison (ARC Wednesday)
At the wedding of the year, a killer needs no invitation… HER DARK LIES by J.T. Ellison is out next month and since I was able to get an advance reading copy of the book, I thought I would feature it here for this week’s ARC Wednesday post.
Book Haul January 2021 (Book Buys and ARCs)
This is actually a returning feature here at Okie Dreams, where I discuss and share all the books I bought and purchased throughout the month. For January 2021, there are a lot of books I bought (in print and in digital) or received in ARC form. Instead of talking about each individual book, I listed them and linked them all to their Amazon page. Unfortunately, there were way too many to discuss individually this time. But you can still see what I’ve been buying and reading this month, and also what is coming up in the next few months in terms of reviews and discussion posts. Because I have plans, ya’ll. Lots and lots of plans.
Weekend Update 01-31-2021 Book to Film news and more
WEEKEND UPDATE is another new feature at Okie Dreams. This is where we will update you on the latest blog posts we’ve made, but also what we’ve found across the web, including Twitter, YouTube, etc. This weekend, we have some book-to-film news, some new release information, a few new book reviews, and a couple of weekly blog feature posts.
The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris (Crime Friday)
A serial murderer known only by a grotesquely apt nickname–Buffalo Bill–is stalking women. He has a purpose, but no one can fathom it, for the bodies are discovered in different states. Clarice Starling, a young trainee at the FBI Academy, is surprised to be summoned by Jack Crawford, chief of the Bureau’s Behavioral Science section. Her assignment: to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter–Hannibal the Cannibal–who is kept under close watch in the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Dr. Lecter is a former psychiatrist with a grisly history, unusual tastes, and an intense curiosity about the darker corners of the mind.