This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.
We’re still fine. Himself is still driving trains, though not so many. I’m still working on the tweaks to Mantivore Warrior, which are going well, though not particularly fast. Other than that, the days bleed into each other and slide by at a frightening rate…
Over 700 people claimed a free copy of Running Out of Space last weekend, and I’m hoping a number of those folks find it an enjoyable, escapist read. 
Sunshine has continued to bring out the blossoms in the garden, so this time I thought I’d share the progress of the echiums which are shooting up and starting to bloom. We have eight spires in the garden, ready to go this summer. And the other pic is the heuchera – I love these plants and have them dotted all over the place, but this one currently has the wow factor. It’s called Amber Wave…
Last week I read:
The Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
The ancient city of Troy has withstood a decade under siege of the powerful Greek army, which continues to wage bloody war over a stolen woman—Helen. In the Greek camp, another woman—Briseis—watches and waits for the war’s outcome. She was queen of one of Troy’s neighboring kingdoms, until Achilles, Greece’s greatest warrior, sacked her city and murdered her husband and brothers. Briseis becomes Achilles’s concubine, a prize of battle, and must adjust quickly in order to survive a radically different life, as one of the many conquered women who serve the Greek army.
Given I’d recently read Madeline Miller’s The Songs of Achilles, this far less cosy version of Briseis’ experience as Achilles’ warprize is brilliant and disturbing. I am loving my Greek myth retellings at the moment… Review to follow.
Dead Eye – Book 1 of the Tiger’s Eye Mystery series by Alyssa Day
For Jack Shepherd, tiger shape-shifter and former soldier, life is heading for a dead end. Dead End, Florida, to be exact. When he learns that he inherited a combination pawn shop/private investigation agency from his favorite uncle, Jacks first job is to solve his uncles murder. Because sometimes it takes a tigers eye to see the truth.
This paranormal urban fantasy featuring Tessa and shapeshifting tiger, Jack, was a complete and welcome constract. An entertaining murder mystery that was funny and full of suspense, the pages turned themselves until the end. Review to follow.
Arkadi
an Skies – Book 6 of the Fallen Empire series by Lindsay Buroker
With the man who kidnapped her daughter imprisoned aboard her ship, Captain Alisa Marchenko is closer than ever to reuniting her family. But her new guest has been in a coma for weeks, with the secret to her daughter’s location locked away in his mind. She must find a way to sneak him into a state-of-the-art hospital on Arkadius, a planet in the heart of Alliance territory. Not an easy task when she and the cyborg Leonidas, her most trusted ally, are wanted by the Alliance army.
I was shocked to discover that it was last June when I’d finished reading the previous book in this space opera adventure, Cleon Moon, so was glad to dive into this instalment and discover what next happens to Alisa in this action-packed, escapist read…
My posts last week:
*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The Book of Koli by M.R. Carey
SPECIAL OFFER on the PRINT edition of Running Out of Space for Amazon.com customers
Friday Face-off featuring Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
Review of AUDIOBOOK Dark Summer by Ali Sparkes
Can’t-Wait-Wednesday featuring Firewalkers by Adrian Tchaikovsky
Review of KINDLE Ebook Crownbreaker – Book 6 of the Spellslinger series by Sebastien de Castell
Sunday Post – 12th April 2020
Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week, in no particular order:
When grocery shopping is worthy of West Point! Get ready to strategizinge for a battle! http://bewareofthereader.com/when-grocery-shopping-is-worthy-of-west-point-get-ready-to-strategizinge-for-a-battle/ It’s always good to laugh, particular in these testing time. Being about to laugh ABOUT these testing times is a bonus…
Grief is like a knot in a tree https://wandaluthman.wordpress.com/2020/04/13/grief-is-like-a-knot-in-a-tree/ It’s a privilege to encounter wise words born of hard experience from a talented writer. This is a prime example…
National Autism Awareness Month https://literacyletters.wordpress.com/2020/04/14/national-autism-awareness-month/ Regular visitors to my blog will know I’ve got particular reasons of my own to be interested in this subject. And if I could get everyone on the planet to read this book, I would…
I’m Still Standing (Yeah Yeah Yeah) https://yadadarcyyada.com/2020/03/17/im-still-standing-yeah-yeah-yeah/ And no one does it better. If you only visit one of these sites today – make it this one…
Remembering Titanic https://jeanreinhardt.wordpress.com/2020/04/14/remembering-titanic/ Jean makes a strong case for us to recall another tragedy that touched many lives in this thoughtful blog post
Thank you for visiting, reading, liking and/or commenting on my blog – I hope you and yours have a peaceful, healthy week. Take care.
Brainfluff 
Wow. Over seven hundred! That’s a great response. Wonderful!
I am glad you are all staying safe. I’m glad your husband is able to work and that you are making progress on your writing. I find these days I am very thankful for small things.
I think I shall take a look at some of the links you have posted. It’s one of those days where I need a little motivation to press on.
Thank you, Deb – I was delighted at such a response. And yes… this year watching the garden waking up from the winter is particularly meaningful. I know what you mean about motivation! I hope you have another fabulous reading week – what an impressive feat! And stay safe:)
700 – great response. Congrats! And thank you for your pictures. I fear that my balcony will stay empty this year *lol*. I can´t rent a car during the virus crisis and riding a bus with all kinds of plants and stuff to put them into is not really an option these days… Happy reading and writing!
Thank you, Vi:). Yes – we have a number of bare patches, and the pots will need redoing, but apparently a number of the local garden centres are now delivering. I understand that might not be practical for your balcony, though! Happy reading to you, too:)
I enjoy visiting your site – but I cannot comment there anymore, as a stupid glitch with my gmail account won’t let me. So I’m afraid I’ll have to post my response here – sorry:((. I can’t believe that it’s a YEAR since the Notre Dame caught fire… And yes – I’m sure we would have heard more about it if the current crisis wasn’t raging. And I sympathise about the masks – my sister is wearing plastic apron, gloves, the full plastic facemask and a cotton mask over her nose and mouth and says that it’s sweltering. I hope you have a peaceful week, Vi – and enjoy your reading.
Ooh I love your photos! Spring really has sprung there. California has been unseasonably cold, perhaps all the people staying off the roads has something to do with it? We did have one warm sunny day this past week but everyone in town hit the streets, so maybe it’s better if the temps stay down😬
Yes… though it’s miserable when the winter outstays its welcome. I’m so glad that we have been having such a run of fine weather. And the flowers are absolutely loving it – so are the trees, which are all now springing into leaf, too. Have a great week, Tammy:)
Great photos! I am curious about The Silence of the Girls, and I am hanging in there, too. Thanks for sharing and for visiting my blog.
I always enjoy hearing about your week, and usually check out some of the posts you mention you liked as well. I LOVED your pics of the plants. You must have some spread to enjoy. Thanks for the books recommendations as well. Although I don’t always read the genres you do, you keep me up to date. Thanks!
You’re very welcome, Rae. We have a corner plot and it’s irregular with all sorts of nooks and crannies – my kind of garden… I hope your readathon went well at the weekend – I was thinking of you!
I plan to report on what I accomplished soon. I forgot papers were coming in on Sunday. I have been grading like crazy!
Good to hear you’re doing well and that you’re making progress on the book edits even if it is slow going. I hope your husband is staying safe with how he still has to work. That’s great your free run was a success and so many people picked it up. Those plants you shared look pretty! I read Arkadian Skies a while back and enjoyed it, I hope to continue the series soon. I am really curious to see how this series will get wrapped up. I hope you have a great week and stay safe!
Thank you, Lola:). Yes, the edits are coming along – though I’ve interrupted them for another project that I’m hoping to be able to share with everyone in the next couple of weeks… The garden is going great funs at present. I hope you have a successful, healthy week – and stay safe.
Thank you for sharing my post on grief!
And thank you for your kind words. ❤️
My absolute pleasure. It was such a profound, uplifting post, it was important to share it.x
Thank you! That means a lot to hear you say that. I just wrote from my heart
And it shows…
700 is a great response! The Alyssa Day book looks really good. I’ll have to check it out. Have a great week!
Thank you, Yvonne:). Yes, I was really chuffed at the response. I hope those that got it and read it do enjoy it. I hope you also have a peaceful, healthy week.
Exciting about your book! I already had it but sadly have yet to read. And right now I am so moody. I do want to read it though.
Stay safe and have a great week! Happy reading!
Anne – Books of My Heart Here is my Sunday Post
No worries, Anne. It isn’t going anywhere – and I think everyone needs to read for they feel like at this time:). I hope you also have a peaceful, healthy week.
700? That’s amazing! And your flowers are so pretty! Spring is in ful bloom here too and the sun is helping not to be stressed with our quarantine!
I was thrilled by the number:)). And yes, isn’t it lovely to see the sunshine, it makes all the difference. Have a healthy, peaceful week, Sophie.
Glad to hear you’re all doing ok.
Nice garden pics! We don’t have flowers in our garden except from Sunflowers we grow in big planters but they’re months away from appearing. 😦 We do have the veggie garden to keep us amused though.
I downloaded Tiger Eye last year but still haven’t read it. Knowing you enjoyed it helps bump it up the list of things to try! 🙂
Yes – the Tiger Eye is fun, with a slight Sookie Stackhouse vibe, but lots of humour, too. I LOVE sunflowers, but we can’t grow them, sadly as the slugs also love them…
Your garden looks so lovely. I spent a few hours outside today enjoying ours as well. It felt nice to just be able to sit out there and relax for a while.
Yes, the sunshine has been so welcome, this last month… I’m looking forward to having a break out there this morning, too:).
I love your plants. Those are so cool! I hope the 700 people enjoy the book. Have a great week!
Thank you, AJ. I hope the 700 do, too – although I’ll be happy if just a fraction of them do. Space opera isn’t everyone’s cuppa:). Have a happy, healthy week.
That’s a lot of downloads! I really enjoyed Dead Eye and need to continue with the series. Some fun characters.
Thank you, Laura. Dead Eye is great fun, isn’t it? I’m trying to be picky about the series that I am continuing and trying to keep track of them, so I don’t just drift away… but good luck with that one! But this is one I intend to continue reading. I hope you have a good week.
Glad you guys are well. Isn’t it amazing how the days are sliding by so fast with these stay at home orders? I can’t believe how fast time seems to be going by. And your garden looks amazing!
Hope you continue to be safe and well, and have a great week. 🙂
Yes… I can’t quite believe we are now two-thirds of the way through April! To be honest, there are also a lot of weeds, but it’s been a mild wet winter, so many of my garden bedding from last year has survived and is all set to flower, again…
Have a peaceful, healthy week, Greg:)
It’s autumn here so all our trees are shedding their leaves, your Amber Wave looks stunning,
I’m glad you and himself are doing well.
Wishing you a great reading week and good health
Yes! It’s difficult to wrap my head around the fact that it isn’t Spring everywhere. That Amber Wave is gorgeous, isn’t it? I left the green leaves in to show that I hadn’t put any filters on the pic – the colour really is that intense, especially in the sunshine:). I hope you, too, have an engrossing reading week and stay safe:)
It’s so true that days flow away quickly while at the same time we seem frozen in some sort of limbo… I guess that sometimes in the future someone will write a monograph on Lockdown Syndrome! 😀
Still, it’s lovely to see flowers bloom so we are reminded of the season…
Yes… it’s been a beautiful Spring and you’re right there is a sort of timeless, frozen quality to the passing days, until you look at the calender and see the rate at which the year is slipping past!
I am loving seeing everyone’s spring photos. So many beautiful flowers. I’ve never been good at gardening and so often have to live vicariously through others. I am glad you and your husband are doing well. Dead Eye sounds like a fun read, and something I would enjoy. I am glad you enjoyed it. I hope you have a good week, Sarah. Stay well and safe.
I have to say, I’m not the gardener I used to be… but I do love being out there on lovely days and enjoy watching the flowers blooming.
I’m glad you’re doing well and your husband is still working some. And what a response to Running Out of Space! I’m sure everyone appreciated the escape. Beautiful garden pictures. I’m missing planting tomatoes and other vegetables this year because I don’t have enough natural light in my house to grow seeds and now that it’s time to put the plants in the ground it’s weirdly crazy at all the garden stores. Hopefully I can talk someone into sharing their tomatoes! I hope you have a wonderful week!
Wow, 700 books picked up – that’s amazing. Happy for you.
Your garden is looking good. I have some colour in my garden too.
I look forward to your review for Silence of the Girls – I really liked that one.
Lynn 😀
Thank you, Lynn – yes, I was delighted that so many picked up ROOS. Yes, the garden is looking fantastic right now- it’s such a lovely time and what a treat to be able to sit out and enjoy it when the leaves are unfurling – it’s normally too cold!
Oh, The Silence of the Girls was a remarkable read – there have been a series of fabulous Greek myth retellings recently…
Huzzah to successful sharing of your book, and your garden looks beautiful! I’m hoping to finally, FINALLY, do a little gardening this spring since, you know, it’s not like we’re going anywhere, lol 🙂
I’m playing catch up and since WordPress is finally letting me Press “Like” and comment again, sigh, thank you, thank you, thank you and Like Like Like. 🙂 You’re much too kind (do go on!). 🙂 Hope this week is treating you well (all things considered). Stay safe. Stay connected. 🙂 I’ve shared because right now and always, people need more beauty, more kindness and more of you. 🙂
Big non-contagious hugs xoxox
Oh – I’m glad you are able to get in touch! I’ve recently had similar issues with Blogger, and even now there are a handful of sites I cannot comment on – grrr! Isn’t it annoying??? Bless you for sharing – and have a peaceful, healthy week:)). And a huge socially distanced hug to you, too.xxxxx